14 Established 1961 Sports Monday, July 20, 2020 Photo of the day Blue Jays denied Toronto games by Canadian officials NEW YORK: The Toronto Blue Jays will not play their 2020 Major League Baseball home games in their own ballpark after the Canadian government refused to give them a coronavirus travel exemption. The move leaves the club searching for a place to stage 30 home games without spectators, with Toronto’s season opener on Friday at Tampa Bay and the first home game set for July 29 against reigning World Series champion Washington. The Blue Jays were given permission to stage pre-sea- son workouts at their retractable-domed ballpark, Rogers Centre. But having clubs from across the United States visit without two-week quarantines was too great a risk to approve, said Marco Mendicino, Canada’s min- ister of immigration, refugees and citizenship. “Regular-season games would require repeated cross-border travel of Blue Jays players and staff, as well as opponent teams into and out of Canada,” Mendicino said in a statement. “Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high. “Based on the best-available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety. “As a result, Canada will not be issuing a National Interest Exemption for the MLB’s regular season at this time.” Mendicino held out hope the Blue Jays could stage playoff games in Toronto in late September and October if they advance and if the virus is less widespread in the United States. “We remain open to considering future restart plans for the post-season should the risk of virus transmission diminish,” he said. The MLB season, short- ened to 60 games per club, is finally set to begin next week in home ballparks without fans. Canada has not opened its border with the United States and requires a Kaito Toba, motorcycle racer, competes at the Qatar Stop of the MotoGP World Championship. —Photo taken from www.redbullcontentpool.com 14-day quarantine for anyone entering the country, which meant the Blue Jays needed an exemption. —ÅFP Hamilton breaks records as Mercedes lock out front row Hamilton takes record 90th career pole in Hungary BUDAPEST: Formula One world champion Lewis the next best qualifier in the history of the Hamilton celebrated a record-extending and sport. “It feels very, very surreal...it doesn’t “surreal” 90th career pole position on Saturday seem real to have 90 poles,” declared the 35- after a dominant Mercedes one-two in year-old, who also has 25 more than his Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. Championship- Brazilian boyhood idol Ayrton Senna managed leading team mate Valtteri Bottas will start in his F1 career. Bottas hailed Hamilton for alongside the Briton on Sunday, with the another great job but hoped to reverse the Mercedes-powered Racing Point cars of positions on Sunday. Canadian Lance Stroll and Mexican Sergio Perez “It’s going to be a bit of a drag race into Turn third and fourth. Hamilton One between us tomor- is favorite to triumph for row, so I look forward the eighth time at the to that; the first lap will Hungaroring and equal a definitely be interest- record for most wins at Verstappen ing,” he said. Perez was the same grand prix held only seventh quicker than Stroll in by retired Ferrari great final practice but the Michael Schumacher, on grid Canadian got the lap who won eight times in that mattered and France. looked forward to a The pole was his sev- strong race in the ‘pink enth in Hungary, equalling Mercedes’, a contro- BUDAPEST: Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton steers his car during the qualifying session for Schumacher’s record for that race, and his versial car very similar to last year’s title-win- the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit in Mogyorod near Budapest. — AFP Mercedes again looked to be in a class of its ning Mercedes and under protest by Renault. own after the team won the opening two rounds The Ferraris followed the two-by-two team in Austria. “Hungary’s always been a good hunt- trend, with Sebastian Vettel lining up fifth and ing ground for me but also I’m aware that quali- Charles Leclerc qualifying sixth-a positive after going to be our worst weekend,” said 2018. George Russell ended up 12th, and ahead fying isn’t everything here,” said Hamilton, who a tough afternoon in Austria last weekend Verstappen, who felt something was “clearly of Red Bull’s Alex Albon, with rookie team mate lapped with a track record time of one minute where they collided in the Styrian Grand Prix. not working” with his car. Nicholas Latifi 15th. The session was held with- 13.447 seconds, 0.107 faster than Bottas. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, on pole last year, Former champions Williams, who finished last out spectators, as at the first two races in The six-times world champion said he had could only qualify seventh and ahead of the overall in 2019, had something to cheer with Austria, due to the COVID-19 pandemic but not realized immediately the significance of a McLaren pair of Lando Norris-third in the both their cars through to the second phase of some fans still gathered at vantage points on pole that leaves him 22 ahead of Schumacher, championship-and Carlos Sainz. “I hope this is qualifying for the first time since September surrounding slopes. —Reuters clicked and clawed their way back. Highlanders Highlanders captain Ash Dixon said there were Quartararo storms to stern words at half-time to cut out their storm back unforced errors. season-opening pole ‘Hurts to lose like that’ to stun Chiefs “In that first half we were well off the pace in scorching Jerez and the Chiefs came out really well and we WELLINGTON: A dramatic 82nd-minute try couldn’t contain them and gave away a lot of JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA: Frenchman Fabio Quartararo by Sio Tomkinson capped a thrilling second- silly penalties,” he said. “But once we got to powered to pole position for the season-opening Spanish half Otago Highlanders fightback as they the right end of the field and played a bit of Grand Prix on Saturday, setting a Jerez lap record time to snatched a 33-31 Super Rugby victory over ball things happened.” Cane said the Chiefs edge out Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales. The 21-year-old the Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton on Sunday. A had enough opportunities to win but let them- Quartararo, who rides for the Yamaha satellite outfit, posted a dejected Chiefs captain Sam Cane said it was selves down. time of one minute and 36.705 seconds to claim his seventh like “trying to hold back a wave” as the “It certainly hurts to lose one at the death MotoGP pole in only his second top-class campaign. “Today was a really great day,” said Quartararo. “Of course it is a JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA: Petronas Yamaha SRT’s French Highlanders, down 31-7 early in the second like that. We had the win in our grasp and rider Fabio Quartararo makes a wheelie during the third half, stormed home with four unanswered tries. we’re pretty disappointed,” he said. The open- great feeling to be pole, especially after such a long time with no race, but this is only Saturday. We need to do the same on MotoGP free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix at It was the second win for the Highlanders in ing burst from the Chiefs produced tries to Sunday!” He will be bidding for his maiden victory on the Jerez racetrack in Jerez de la Frontera on July 18, New Zealand’s post-coronavirus Super Rugby Lachlan Boshier and Anton Lienert-Brown, Sunday, having ended his rookie season in 2019 with four 2020. —AFP Aotearoa competition. And both have come capitalising on an ineffectual defence, while runner-up finishes in the last seven races. “I’m not obsessing against the winless Chiefs, whose coach hooker Bradley Slater found the line from a over a first MotoGP win though, our goal tomorrow is to be ‘Everything is so close’ Warren Gatland has now presided over five lineout drive. Damian McKenzie landed all on the podium,” he said. “We have 13 races in a short space of Marquez’s younger brother Alex, making his MotoGP straight defeats. Gatland, the celebrated three conversions and a penalty to give the time so we need consistent results.” Spaniard Vinales was debut as his sibling’s Honda teammate, failed to even make it British and Irish Lions coach who returned to Chiefs a solid buffer before the Highlanders 0.139sec slower as temperatures passed 34 degrees celsius, into the second qualifying session. “Unfortunately, I am strug- New Zealand after steering Wales to the moved the scoreboard with a try to Marino testing riders but boosting lap times. gling more in the hot conditions than I was expecting,” said World Cup semi-finals last year, had also seen Mikaele-Tu’u. Slater scored his second try, “I feel really good, honestly. I think we improved the bike the 2019 Moto2 champion who will start from 21st on the his Chiefs team lose to the Highlanders in the again from a lineout drive, two minutes into quite a lot, especially in the hot conditions,” Vinales said. “I grid. “Everything is so close in MotoGP,” said the younger dying seconds in their opening Super Rugby the second half to have the Chiefs ahead 31-7.