Let’s be patient, says Al Gharafa star Sofiane Hanni PAGE 12 THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020 Haydos, Hassan, Rawi and others take pay cuts, show solidarity TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA Hassan al Haydos QATAR’S football stars have stepped forward and an- nounced that they would be taking pay cuts as a gesture of solidarity in dealing with the coronavirus crisis. Qatar’s national team and Al Sadd captain Hassan al Haydos, 2018 AFC Player of the Year Abdelkarim Hassan, and defender Bassem al Rawi, who plays for Al Duhail in the Qatar Stars League, are among the star players who have an- nounced their decisions. The others following suit include the national team and Al Sadd goalkeeper Saad al Sheeb, Al Duhail SC midfielder Abdelkarim Assim Madibo and Al Gharafa Hassan defender Almahdi Ali besides Bassem al Rawi many others. Meanwhile, Al Sadd play- ers are continuing their daily training under the supervision they aim to be on top of their Players are directly monitored fitness coach Evan Torres. The club also announced ons League match against Iran’s the 2019-20 QNB Stars League of their Spanish coach Xavi fitness when action returns via electronic devices in order Xavi expressed complete that Hassan al Haydos has re- Sepahan on February 18. after Week 17 with 32 points, Hernandez. Xavi is keenly fol- following the stoppage of ac- to ensure they have responded satisfaction with the players’ covered from the injury he suf- It may be noted that Al behind Al Rayyan (38) and Al lowing up on the players as tivities due to coronavirus. to the training programme by commitment to the training. fered during their AFC Champi- Sadd occupy the third place in Duhail (42). ‘Asian football tourneys Light at the end of tunnel to go ahead this year’ AFP due to the virus. KUALA LUMPUR The Champions League, as rescheduled Tour de the region’s premier club ASIA’S top football competi- competition, and the sec- tions will go ahead this year de- ond-tier AFC Cup were both spite the coronavirus pandem- halted in March as the pan- ic, a senior official told AFP, demic’s spread forced gov- France unveiled although games may have to ernments to impose strict be played behind closed doors. travel restrictions. can be more easily put up in ho- Windsor John, general Both tournaments are on Tour de France to be tels outside August. secretary of the Asian Foot- an increasingly tight schedule, With the Tokyo Games and ball Confederation (AFC), said with the 32-team Champions raced from August 29 football’s Euro 2020 both de- he was confident that the AFC League needing to complete to September 20 layed by a year, the Tour is the Champions League and AFC four rounds of group-stage last major event remaining on Cup would both be completed. matches in July before the AFP the summer sports calendar. Both tournaments, featur- postponed knock-out phase PARIS Elite cycling will breathe ing teams from throughout begins in August. a huge sigh of relief as the Asia, Central Asia and the The group phase of the THE Tour de France will Tour accounts for most of its Middle East, are on hold until AFC Cup will also have to be raced from August 29 to earnings. at least the end of June after be completed in a rush once September 20, organisers “The Tour represents COVID-19 shuttered profes- matches resume. announced on Wednesday, around 60 percent of earn- sional sport worldwide. The finals for both tourna- postponing cycling’s flagship ings in a season,” French team “Both will be played this ments -- which traditionally event originally slated to start AG2R boss Vincent Lavenu year. We still have time,” John take a break in July, to avoid on June 27 due to the corona- said last week. told AFP, adding that new the worst of the Asian summer virus lockdown. The Tour will provide a dates for the competitions may heat -- are scheduled to take The new dates follow daily fix for deprived sports ad- be known by the end of April. place in November. French President Emmanuel dicts the world over, with mil- However, John did not Domestic leagues remain Macron’s extension of a ban lions of armchair fans able to rule out matches being played on hold around the world, in- on large public gatherings until tune in daily, including those without fans “if that’s what the cluding in China where the mid-July. still working from home. health authorities need”. virus first emerged, but where The news comes as a relief The new date gives the The AFC is determined football shows no sign of re- to professional cycling teams ASO time to stage the warm- for both tournaments to go turning despite optimism the and fans with four-times Tour up Criterium du Dauphine ahead “for sporting reasons outbreak is under control. winner Chris Froome welcom- The 2020 Tour de France will be pushed back by two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AFP) -- held annually ahead of the and to fulfil commercial obli- Asia’s extended shutdown, ing “light at the end of the tun- Tour but postponed this year as gations”, he said. announced on Tuesday, also nel” for those suffering under the spring cycling season was His comments came af- affects the two-legged wom- COVID-19 lockdown. swept aside by the coronavirus. ter the AFC on Tuesday an- en’s Olympic qualifying play- The decision moves the Five stages to look forward to Cycling’s governing body nounced the indefinite post- off between China and South three-week race out of its the UCI has said that May’s ponement of all matches Korea, which had already been traditional slot in the sum- AFP fore has a stage started on one island and finished postponed Giro d’Italia would scheduled for May and June moved to June 1 and 9. mer holidays where roadside PARIS on another as this Atlantic coast extravaganza does. be raced after the Tour de crowds of around 12 million The organisers are hoping for wind on the day to France, and the Vuelta a espana would be expected to gather THE 2020 Tour de France has been rescheduled create breaks in the peloton as it weaves through after that, with dates to be an- in festive spirit. from its traditional summer dates to begin on the narrow roads of the coastal marshes. nounced in May. It will now finish on the August 29 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the lat- STAGE 17: Grenoble-Meribel col de la Loze - Germany delays decision on same day the postponed French est start date in the race’s history. 168kmThis summit that has nev- HEALTH COMES FIRST Open championships starts, here’s a looks at five key er figured before culminates with With the Giro and the To- Bundesliga ‘ghost games’ plan September 20, giving a wor- stages to watch over the course an old ski piste maintenance kyo Olympic road race in late rying indication of a potential of the three weeks: road converted into a 7km bike July on Mount Fuji both post- AFP topic of discussion today. The autumn fixture pile-up as more STAGE 2: Nice-Nice - 187km- track. it has flat sections and 20 poned, the Tour de France will BERLIN league itself is working on se- sports seek to reschedule sus- Seeking to emulate the thrill of percent inclines that would never be more competitive than ever curity concepts and it will defi- pended events. the 2019 Tour, organisers have have featured on a real road. as the whole spectrum of elite LARGE-SCALE public events nitely be something to be talked Tour director Christian lit the fuse of the 2020 route The peak stands at 2300m cyclists focus on the one race. such as football matches will about soon: whether and in Prudhomme told AFP the new with bonus seconds up for grabs where an idyllic 360 degree view “The Tour de France is remain banned in Germany what form games behind closed start was based on a double ra- on the penultimate climb and offers fans the chance of a snap 3,000km of smiles,” race di- until August 31 due to the doors will be possible,” said tionale. at the finish line. it is hoped with Mont Blanc. rector Christian Prudhomme coronavirus crisis, Berlin said Soeder. “We wanted to be as far someone of the ilk of Julian STAGE 20: Lure-La Planche des has repeated many times in the on Wednesday, though it did The German top-flight is away from the pandemic as Alaphilippe will attack from Belles Filles - 36km individual past in reference to the Tour not rule out allowing Bundes- currently suspended until April possible,” he said. distance and seize both the initiative and the time trialRight in French hero Thibaut Pinot’s back- and its fans. liga games to continue behind 30, though most teams re- “The president put a July 14 yellow jersey in the low Alps behind Nice, thereby yard Tour organisers have placed the only time trial But he has also stressed that closed doors. sumed training in small groups date on public gatherings, but it establishing an attacking mindset. of the event, saying they prefer shoulder-to-shoulder health comes first as France “Big events play a large role last week. seemed more reasonable to us STAGE 9: Pau-Laruns - 154kmThis second Pyrenean racing. The run up to the hugely popular Planche battles the coronavirus crisis.