THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014 SPORTS Winter Olympics may have to move for 2022 World Cup LONDON: The 2022 Winter Olympics may have to Olympics are still under the bidding process and ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, said 76 per- are not ready to talk or discuss it.” move from its traditional January and February there are only two candidates (Beijing and Almaty). cent of players at the last two World Cups were con- On Tuesday Sebastian Coe, vice-president of the dates to accommodate the World Cup finals being “With wisdom and debate it is possible to achieve tracted to ECA clubs and whatever decision is even- International Association of Athletics Federations staged in Qatar, leading European soccer clubs’ offi- a solution which will satisfy the majority.” FIFA tually taken about the 2022 World Cup would “need (IAAF) and chairman of the British Olympic cial Umberto Gandini said yesterday. awarded the 2022 finals to Qatar in 2010 and since the goodwill of the ECA”. Association, suggested governing bodies must have Gandini, vice-chairman of the European Club then the question of when they would be played Rummenigge, the chief executive of German more contact to avoid conflicting schedules. Association of Europe’s top 200-plus clubs and has been an issue for debate. FIFA agreed in princi- champions Bayern Munich, added: “The first thing “We are going to have to have a global conversa- Director of Sport at AC Milan, told delegates at the ple earlier this year that matches could not be we must recognise is that FIFA’s decision was based tion that looks at the global sporting calendar,” Coe Leaders In Sport summit at Stamford Bridge that the played in the searing heat of the Gulf summer. on holding the World Cup in the summer of 2022. told delegates at a sports security conference in World Cup should take precedence over the Winter World soccer’s governing body, whose president “If there is now a strong wish for the stakehold- London. Games. “Not to be controversial, but the World Cup Sepp Blatter is also on the International Olympic ers, FIFA, UEFA, FIFPro, and so on, to want to change, “You cannot be left by powerhouse sporting is one of the major events in the sports landscape Committee, has set up a task force under Asian we are ready to discuss under one condition-that organisations who say that under no circumstances with the Summer Olympics,” he said. “But the Winter Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh there is no damage for club football, because if we can you stage your sporting event at this time of this Olympics, with all due respect, are not up there,” said Salman of Bahrain and FIFA secretary-general change from summer to November or January then year. “It may be better to be more flexible around Gandini. “When you have such a huge event like the Jerome Valcke, which met for the first time last it will affect our business, our calendar. “And we are the bidding process and say we don’t want to stop World Cup, and you have to move it from its summer month. not ready to pay such a bill. countries that have climatic challenges in the sum- window, don’t tell me it’s not possible to find a solu- That cost cannot be paid for by the clubs. We are mer months from staging sport. “That way you give tion and move the Winter Olympics a bit so they GOODWILL HUNTING not ready to pay it and it has to be made clear to the rest of the world of sport some notice in order to don’t clash-especially now where the Winter Gandini, on a panel at the Leaders summit with FIFA that they need the goodwill of the clubs or we change their schedule.” — Reuters LA Kings to hoist title banner as season opens LOS ANGELES: The National Hockey League’s over eight seasons while Kane has 178 over sev- 98th season opens late yesterday with the Los en seasons. “To have the chance to continue Angeles Kings raising a Stanley Cup champi- with this amazing group of teammates and peo- onship banner, Boston playing host to ple throughout the organization is an incredible Philadelphia and two matchups between honor. There’s nothing we want more as players Canadian rivals. than to continue to win Stanley Cups,” Toews Bouncing back after a lockout shortened the said. Boston led the NHL last season with 117 2012-2013 campaign to 48 games per team, the points but Pittsburgh, with star Sidney Crosby, NHL enjoyed revenues of $3.7 billion (2.9 billion figures to make another run at the crown, which euros) last season with this year’s salary caps hit- last went to the US Steeltown in 2009. ting a record $69 million (54.6 million euros) per The top three teams in each division advance club. The Kings will celebrate their second NHL to the playoffs along with two wildcard teams Rory Mcllory crown in three seasons at a ceremony before from each conference. Columbus and Detroit they entertain the San Jose Sharks, the same took the spots in the East, each team having club that led the Kings 3-0 in the first round of moved last season from the West to the East. McIlroy and Tiger return last season’s playoffs before Los Angeles rallied “The league is coming off what many consid- to win the last four games and capture the er and have characterized as its best season ever, to the top of new season series. both on the ice and off,” NHL deputy commis- The Kings went on to defeat Chicago in the sioner Bill Daly said. “We are in a good place NAPA: Rory McIlroy seeking a third consecutive titles past his 39th birthday, as Woods must now Western Conference final, a seventh-game over- right now. But the really exciting part is that we major triumph and Tiger Woods making his in order to match Nicklaus. But another target is time goal avenging a loss to the eventual Cup all believe it can get even better. The game is comeback from a nagging back injury will high- within reach in the new season if he regains top winners at the same stage the season before, growing, and it will continue to grow.” light the 2014-15 US PGA season that begins form. Woods has 79 career PGA titles, three shy and conclude their title run with a victory over Several minor rule changes were introduced today. of the all-time record held by the late Sam Snead. the New York Rangers in the NHL Final. for the season, the most notable of which will Just 25 days after American Billy Horschel Six tournaments outside the majors will be Other opening-night matchups find the see teams switch ends before the start of over- won the season-ending Tour Championship to played on new courses in the new campaign, Bruins, the most recent Eastern Conference club times in regular-season games. claim the playoff title, the next championship including the National, another event owned by to claim the Cup back in 2011, entertaining the Meanwhile, Klay Thompson scored 20 points chase begins with the Frys.com Open at Woods that benefits his charity foundation. It Flyers, who reached the 2010 final but have not and the Golden State Warriors beat the Los Silverado as American Jimmy Walker defends his moves to the Robert Trent Jones course from lifted the trophy since 1975, as well as Montreal Angeles Clippers 112-94 in the teams’ preseason title. World number one McIlroy, who helped Congressional Country Club, both in the at Toronto and Vancouver at Calgary. opener on Tuesday night. inspire Europe to victory over the United States Washington suburbs. No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup David Lee had 13 points and Stephen Curry, in the Ryder Cup last month, was named the US LOS ANGELES: (Left-right) Marian Gaborik PGA Tour Player of the Year for last season after SEASON ENDS IN ASIA since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. The only Draymond Green and Nemanja Nedovic each Canadian finalist over the past seven seasons and Jeff Carter of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup scored 12. Curry fouled out with 7:18 left in the winning back-to-back major titles at the British The new campaign will conclude next champions Los Angeles Kings bring the Open and PGA Championship, the third and October with the Presidents Cup in South Korea, was Vancouver in 2011. third quarter on a three-point play by Chris Paul Stanley Cup to the game between the fourth majors of his career. the team event’s first stop in Asia with holders Slovakia’s Marian Gaborik, who scored 14 that tied the score at 68. Blake Griffin had 24 It sets the stage for McIlroy to complete a United States facing the Internationals collection playoff goals to lead the Kings, signed a seven- Arizona State Sun Devils and the USC Trojans points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, Paul career grand slam at the age of 25 with a victory of non-European talent. year deal worth $34 million (26.9 euros) with Los at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. — AFP had 14 points and nine assists, and Jamal next April at the Masters. And if the Northern In addition, the start of 2015 will mark the Angeles after last season. and a Stanley Cup. And we have that here. I don’t Crawford also scored 14 points.