GGOLFOLF | Page 2 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 3 World No. 1 Anderson Nelly Korda double revives fi res 62 for England in fi rst four-shot lead Test vs India Friday, August 6, 2021 ATHLETICS Dhul-Hijjah 27, 1442 AH Gardiner wins as GULF TIMES US men endure day to forget SP RT Page 4 FOCUS Messi to leave Barcelona Aft er Tokyo, Fares as contract talks collapse MEDALS targets Paris gold TALLY Country G S B T ‘If I had had four-five minutes more, I think I would have lifted 232kg (WR)’ 1. China 34 24 16 74 2. United States 29 35 27 91 uous camps. At the 2016 Rio Agencies 3. Japan 22 10 14 46 Olympics, during a session Tokyo, Japan 4. Australia 17 5 19 41 with HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani (President 5. ROC 16 22 20 58 uly 31, 2021, will be of the Qatar Olympic Com- 6. Great Britain 16 18 17 51 etched in Qatar’s mittee), I was 18 at the time 7. Germany 9 9 16 34 sporting history in and the youngest player in 8. France 7 11 9 27 golden letters. Almost weightlifting competitions ionel Messi will end his 9. Italy 7 10 18 35 J29 years after Mohamed there, I had said that I would 20-year career with 10. Netherlands 7 9 10 26 Suleiman won Qatar’s fi rst get gold in Tokyo 2020. His LBarcelona after the 11. New Zealand 7 6 6 19 Olympic medal, a bronze in Excellency said, “Bronze.” Argentine superstar failed 12. South Korea 6 4 9 19 1,500m, 23-year-old Fares I said, “No, it will be gold.” to reach agreement on a 13. Hungary 5 7 3 15 Ibrahim won the country’s Sheikh Joaan again said, new deal with the club, a 14. Canada 5 5 8 18 fi rst gold in weightlifting, “Take silver.” I said, “no, gold, decision certain to spark a 15. Cuba 5 3 4 12 with an Olympic record. I want gold.” From 2016, there high-stakes scramble for the 16. Brazil 4 4 8 16 He hasn’t slept properly has been continuous work. signature of a player widely 17. Czech Republic 4 3 2 9 since the historic achieve- In a year, I only have 10 days regarded as one of the 18. Spain 3 4 5 12 ment out of joy, he said in an off , when I go light on train- greatest of all time. 18. Switzerland 3 4 5 12 interview yesterday. He talks ing. Thank God, because that “Although an agreement has about how his conversation gave us confi dence. been reached between FC 20. Poland 3 3 4 10 with His Highness the Amir Barcelona and Leo Messi it 21. Croatia 3 3 2 8 Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad What are your ambitions cannot be formalised due 22. Jamaica 3 1 3 7 al-Thani has motivated him at the Paris 2024? to economic and structural 23. Belgium 3 1 1 5 to prepare for another gold My ambition is to win a obstacles,” said a statement 24. Sweden 2 5 0 7 in Paris in 2024, how he told second gold medal. from the club. “Faced with 25. Chinese Taipei 2 4 6 12 Qatar Olympic Committee this situation, Lionel Messi 26. Georgia 2 4 1 7 President HE Sheikh Joaan Who are your supporters will not remain linked to 27. Denmark 2 2 4 8 bin Hamad al-Thani back in and who infl uenced you to Barcelona. Both sides deeply 28. Iran 2 2 1 5 2016 that he will win gold in win the Tokyo 2020 gold? regret that the wishes of 28. Norway 2 2 1 5 Tokyo, and how his hard work My parents were cer- both the player and the club 30. Slovenia 2 1 1 4 and training actually put him tainly very supportive, es- Qatar’s Fares Ibrahim celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 96kg weightlifting cannot come true.” 31. Ecuador 2 1 0 3 at ease at the Games. competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 31, 2021. (AFP) pecially my father. I give him Six-time Ballon d’Or winner 32. Greece 2 0 1 3 Excerpts: the biggest credit for what I Messi, 34, last month finally 32. Uzbekistan 2 0 1 3 This is your second Olym- which forces them to rethink you confi dent of winning? achieved. He was always with landed a major international First of all, congratula- pic participation. What and sometimes pushes them We were comfortable be- me in everything, in training, trophy with Argentina when 34. Kosovo 2 0 0 2 tions on achieving Qatar’s was the goal going into to compete among them- cause of the eff orts we had in diffi culties, in successes. they beat rivals Brazil to win 34. QATAR 2 0 0 2 fi rst gold medal at the Ol- Tokyo 2020? selves. It is a risk, but a calcu- put in during preparation, The weightlifting federation the Copa America. 36. Ukraine 1 3 9 13 ympics. Tell us about your We entered the competi- lated one, one that needs you but in weightlifting some- supported me greatly, and the But there had been doubts 37. Romania 1 3 0 4 feeling on the achieve- tion in Tokyo with the aim of to have an advantage in clean times there are surprises. Qatar Olympic Committee over his continuation at Bar- 37. Venezuela 1 3 0 4 ment? winning gold. We had charted and jerk, which I had. You For example, we had not headed by HE Sheikh Joaan celona ever since he tried to 39. Hong Kong 1 2 2 5 Before achieving the med- out a plan right after the 2016 need to trust your ability to taken the Venezuelan com- bin Hamad al-Thani, con- leave last August as a free 39. Kenya 1 2 2 5 al, specifi cally in the early Olympics. We had confi dence achieve it, and thank God we petitor (Keydomar Vallenilla) stantly supported me with agent, citing a clause in his 41. South Africa 1 2 0 3 stages of the competition, it in the work we did, and the succeeded. into account, but had taken advice and conversations, as contract and saying the club 41. Slovakia 1 2 0 3 was a very diffi cult feeling. eff orts made by the federa- the Belarusian (Yauheni well as with his attendance at had “no project or anything 43. Austria 1 1 5 7 I have been through many tion, the team, the coach, the Why did you decide to Tsikhantsou) and Georgian the competition, and this is for a long time”. 43. Turkey 1 1 5 7 tournaments of high level assistant coach and the entire attempt 232kg (world competitor (Anton Pliesnoi). something I am proud of. His Barcelona are labouring un- 45. Serbia 1 1 4 6 but this is Olympics. While apparatus, and thank God our record) despite having The Belarusian, at the 2019 Highness the Amir Sheikh der debts of several hundred 46. Indonesia 1 1 3 5 we were confi dent about our eff ort was crowned with a bagged the gold already? world championship, had Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani million euros and have been 47. Bulgaria 1 1 2 4 training and the work we put gold medal. Between each attempt, lifted 180 x 218. But maybe it remains the greatest sup- under pressure to reduce in, there defi nitely was some there is a time of two min- was pressure, lack of focus, porter, and his call has given their wage bill. 47. Portugal 1 1 2 4 nervousness, pressure, but You had diverse tactics utes. My previous attempt was he missed attempts. me motivation to prepare for La Liga in 2013 introduced 49. Belarus 1 1 1 3 also a desire to achieve some- during the competition. 225, and that was an Olympic the Paris Olympics. The To- so-called financial “fair 49. Ethiopia 1 1 1 3 thing for Qatar. And thank Can you shed some light? record. If I had had four to fi ve Where did your confi - kyo 2020 gold is the begin- play” regulations setting a 49. Philippines 1 1 1 3 God we succeeded. I can fi nd In such high-pressure minutes more, I think I would dence at the Olympics ning of more achievements, maximum amount of money 49. Uganda 1 1 1 3 no words to describe the feel- competitions, there are many have lifted 232kg. come from? God willing, and more hon- each club can spend on its 53. Tunisia 1 1 0 2 ing. It’s been three days after tactics one can use, includ- Confi dence came from the our for Qatar. My promise, playing squad and coaching 54. Ireland 1 0 2 3 the medal, but I still can’t ing lifting a kilo more than Looking at the strong work I had put in, the plan- God willing, is to win a sec- staff each season, condi- 54. Israel 1 0 2 3 sleep from the joy and happi- your direct competitor or by competitors, was there ning and the diligence. We ond gold medal at the Paris tioned by their income. 56. Estonia 1 0 1 2 ness of this achievement. lifting a very heavy weight, anxiety or fear, or were trained hard and had contin- 2024 Olympics. 56. Fiji 1 0 1 2 56.