CYCLING | Page 6 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 7 Britain’s Azhar hits To Advertise here cyclist double ton but Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 Wiggins Aussie batsmen retires hit back Thursday, December 29, 2016 FOOTBALL Rabia I 30, 1438 AH Klopp eyes ‘special’ GULF TIMES City clash aft er Liverpool sink Stoke SPORT Page 3 CHESS Ivanchuk, Muzychuk crowned World Rapid champions Ivanchuk scores 11 points, the same as Grischuk and Carlsen, but a superior tie-break score gives him the title Vassily Ivanchuk (left) and Anna Muzychuk made it a Ukrainian double by winning the men’s and women’s title respectively at the Fide World Rapid Championship at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil By Yash Mudgal who started the championship with a Doha lucky draw against India’s Surya Shek- har Ganguly. He also lost in the second game to Levan Pantsulaia of Georgia t was double delight for Ukraine as and in 11th to day one leader Anton Ko- Vassily Ivanchuk and Anna Muzy- robov of Ukraine. chuk clinched the men’s and wom- Commenting on his overall game, en’s Fide World Rapid Champion- Carslen admitted he wasn’t playing Iship, respectively yesterday. ‘nearly well enough.’ “There’s some- At the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah thing that’s not functioning. I’m lack- Arena, the 47-year old Ivanchuk scored ing a good feeling. If you are losing 11 points from 15 rounds, the same as three games, you can’t expect anyone to Alexander Grischuk of Russia and the win the title,” he said. Ivanchuk termed reigning champion and top seed Mag- his win against Carlsen in round seven nus Carlsen of Norway, but a superior as a very tough one. tie-break score gave him the title. “I was lucky to win against Carlsen. “I am happy. I am very happy, but He is a very accurate player, you need a I was very lucky in this tournament,” brilliant game to beat him,” the Ukrain- Ivanchuk said. “It was a very tough ian said. This is Ivanchuk’s second championship as all the players were world title after his triumph blitz in top class and to win against them is very 2007. tough,” the former world No 2 added. India’s Vidit Gujrathi, who was seed- Ivanchuk, who had emerged as the ed 51st, did exceedingly well to take the sole leader after the end of round 10 on eighth spot, scoring 9.5 points, while the penultimate day, played superbly former champion and seventh seed on the fi nal day to emerge champion. Viswanathan Anand had to settle for World champ Carlsen, who was fa- the 14th place, with nine points. vourite to defend his title after his re- Carlsen is fancied to win back the cent world title triumph against Rus- blitz title, which will be played from sian Sergey Karjakin in New York, was day, from Gristsjuk. The Russian won not at his best yesterday and lauded the that title from Carlsen in 2015, after the eff orts of Ivanchuk. Norwegian had become the only person “I can only congratulate Ivanchuk. If ever to hold all three titles at once. there’s anyone I want to be successful, In the women’s, Muzychuk played Defending champion and top seed Magnus Carlsen of Norway after his final round. RIGHT: Women players ponder their next move at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena. it’s him. He has been class player for the consistently to win her second world last 30 years,” the Norwegian superstar title in style earlier in the day. The to the next two days.” slowed down a bit by playing out two rounds of blitz chess will be played to- 11/15; 4-7. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Aze), said. On the second day, Carlsen edged 26-year-old fi nished with nine points The former world No.2, who ear- draws in rounds fi ve and six. But after day and tomorrow, in which players will Yu Yangyi (Chn), Ian Nepomniachtchi (Rus) closer with a victory in the eighth game at the end of 12 rounds to emerge as lier used to play for Slovenia, is also the two victories in rounds seven and eight only have three minutes per game plus and David Anton Guijarro (Spa) 10; 8-11. over Dimitry Jakovenko and then de- clear winner. current world blitz title holder and will against Dzagnidze and Kashlinskaya, two seconds extra per player per move. Vidit Gujrathi (Ind), Levon Aronian (Arm), feated Grisjtjuk, the current world Muzychuk superiority was never in defend her title in Qatar, when the two- she fi nished the day in fi rst place with The total prize money for the Open Leinier Domínguez (Cub) and Nguyen champion in blitz chess. However, he doubt from day one in Doha. She fi n- day championship begins today. seven points. tournament is $400,000 with $40,000 Ngoc Truong Son (Vie) 9.5. ended the day with a draw against Lev- ished on top on the day one and also on Russian Alexandra Kosteniuk fi n- Kosteniuk and Katerina Lagno of for the winner of each championship Women: 1. Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) 9.5/12; on Aronian. the day two, and capped her consistent ished second, while Nana Dzagnidze of Ukraine played out a draw in the eighth and $80,000 in Women Champion- 2. Alexander Kosteniuk (Rus) 8.5; 3. “I should have stood fi ne, but I run on the fi nal day by bagging the title. Georgia took the third place. The rapid round and shared the second place ships with $10,000 for the winner of Nana Dzanigdze (Geo) 8; 4-6. Sarasadat messed things up. Carlsen said. “I don’t “It was a tiring championship, and I category was contested over 12 rounds together with Iranian player Sarasa- each championship. Khademalsharieh (Ira), Ju Wenjun (Chn) think it was ever any crisis … my basic am happy to win the title,” Muzychuk for the women`s section, with a single dat Khademalsharieh. India’s Koneru and Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kaz) 7.5; 7-11. Ka- game was correct, but my play wasn’t said. “I have to prepare for the next two game for each round, the Swiss event. Humpy took the 10th place, while Dro- FINAL STANDINGS teryna Lagno (Rus), Antaoneta Stefanova good enough. I can’t aff ord to give days for the blitz event, and hopefully I On day two, Muzychuk, who was navalli Harika fi nished 16th. Men: 1-3. Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr), Alexander (Bul), Dinara Saduakassova (Kaz), Koneru away so many points,” said Carlsen, will win that too. I am looking forward a runaway leader after fi ve rounds, After the rapid chess segment the 21 Grischuk (Rus) and Magnus Carlsen (Nor) Humpy (Ind) and Zhao Xue (Chn) 7. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, December 29, 2016 SPORT EQUESTRIAN BASKETBALL Davon shines Al Rayyan Show as El Jaish thrash Al Khor Jumping from today By Sports Reporter Macklin (16) ensured a big lead Doha for El Jaish as the Al Khor defence began to falter time and again. Organisers have announced prizes for fans who turn up for the event As a result, El Jaish managed a ames Davon scored a whopping 29 points in the third game-high 35 points as El quarter, while restricting their Jaish romped to a 92-70 rivals to just 16. win over Al Khor in the That gave El Jaish a massive JQatar Men’s League yesterday. 71-51 advantage going into the In a match that started on fi nal 10 minutes, a position from an even note but concluded in where they were not going to let one-sided fashion, Davon was matters slip, eventually outscor- undoubtedly the star as he con- ing their rivals by 22 points. stantly proved to be a pain for the Davon played for nearly 35 Al Khor defence. minutes and struck four times El Jaish led by just one point from the three-point mark. El (9-8) in the fi rst fi ve minutes, Jaish also excelled with second and by the time the fi rst quarter chance points, scoring 14 of them ended they were ahead 22-16, by while Al Khor had just fi ve. After no means an imposing advantage the fi rst fi ve minutes of the fi nal in a basketball game. quarter, El Jaish held a massive But although Al Khor just 86-56 lead before they eased up about stayed within touching a bit to allow Al Khor get some- distance, trailing by just seven what close. points at the half-way mark (42- Rickey Young was the top 35), the contest took a dramatic scorer for Al Khor with 25 points, turn in the third quarter. while Alen Hadzibegovic and Davon, with support from Gary Layton had 16 and 15, re- Hani Abil Mona (17) and Leon spectively. Vet check is conducted for the horses participating in the Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Championship, which will be held from today at the Qatar Equestrian Federation main arena. PICTURES: Lotfi Garsi By Sports Reporter QEF’s Main Arena. Kids Zones have also been set up in- Doha side the compound. We saw amazing crowds last week and we expect a similar turnout later this week,” al-Enizi said yesterday. “From our side, the arrangements have n what is a treat to show jumping connoisseurs, the been fi nalised and all the riders are already in town. Show Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Champion- jumping has mass following in Qatar.