Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 Kristoff strikes again, Cancellera retains lead AL MUSSANAH: Norway’s in-form Alexander despite beating Germans Kristina Vogel and second off the Germans’ previous mark. Chinese produced a stunning final lap of two Kristoff, who picked up three stages last week Miriam Welte in the final. But now, Gong has Russian pair Daria Shmeleva and Anastasia in the 500m sprint. Australians Kaarle in Qatar, came out on top in a bunch sprint to finally got her hands on a precious gold Voynova had set the pace in qualifying, McCulloch and Anna Meares took bronze by yesterday’s Tour of Oman third stage. The medal after she and Zhong broke the world although only beating Gong and Zhong by stunning Vogel and Welte. Katusha rider was followed home by Italian record, covering the 500m course in four hundredths of a second. But the The German pair had won the last three duo Andrea Guardini and Matteo Pelucchi at 32.034sec, shaving more than a tenth of a Russians had to settle for second as the world titles as well as the Olympics in the end of the 158.5km ride around Al London. In the men’s team sprint there was a Mussanah Sports City. “The team is good, our controversial finish as New Zealand, the origi- ‘work rhythm’ is working well and that gives nal winners, were demoted to second for an me a lot of confidence,” said Kristoff. early changeover. Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara retained It meant hosts France won the gold the lead in the overall standings, 4sec clear of medal, with Gregory Bauge taking a fifth Spain’s Alejandro Valverde and 5sec up on world title in this discipline after winning four Austria’s Patrick Konrad. straight worlds from 2006 to 2009. It was Kristoff added: “Danny Van Poppel (4th) ironic as his opening 250m leg of the 750m started his sprint a little too early, he had a three-lap race had left the French trailing by a strong headwind and I was able to overtake third of a second. him. “I saw that Guardini was close but I man- Kevin Sireau won his third gold in the aged to keep him behind me.” Today’s fourth event having been part of the French team stage features a summit finish in Jabar al with Bauge in 2008 and 2009 while for Akhdhar. Michael D’Almeida it was a first title. Meanwhile in France, China’s Gong Jinjie “We have this (world champions’ rain- finally ended years of near misses by partner- bow) jersey and it’s a huge satisfaction,” said ing Zhong Tianshi to World Track Cycling France’s sprint coach Laurent Gane.“For me, Championship gold in the women’s team already second would have been a huge sat- sprint on Wednesday. isfaction because we’re coming back from a Four times before Gong had finished a AL-MUSSANAH: The pack rides during the third stage of the 2015 Tour of Oman, long way (behind).” New Zealand trio Edward runner-up and twice she won a bronze medal between al-Mussanah Sports city back to al-Mussanah Sports city (158 kms) yes- Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster while alongside Guo Shuang she had been terday. Alexander Kristoff of Norway won the third stage ahead of Italian duo had been by far the fastest team in qualifying denied Olympic gold in 2012 after an early Andrea Guardini and Matteo Pelucchi as Swiss Fabian Cancellara retained the lead and took the tape more than three tenths of changeover saw the Chinese pair disqualified in the overall standings. — AFP a second ahead of France. Qatar plans to introduce pay reform for migrant workers DOHA: Qatar said yesterday it will intro- duce a major labour law reform to ensure thousands of workers building venues for the 2022 World Cup are paid on time, after complaints by rights groups. The changes by the future hosts of football’s biggest tournament, approved by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, will see workers get paid at least once a month and in some cases every fortnight. The move could head off some criti- DUBAI: Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic celebrates cism of Qatar which has come under after beating her compatriot Lucie Safarova during the mounting international pressure to quarter-finals of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis improve conditions for migrant labourers Championships yesterday in Dubai. — AFP working on projects for the World Cup. The announcement comes before the Pliskova surfs new wave international spotlight is bound to fall on Qatar again as FIFA officials visit Doha ear- into Dubai semi-finals ly next week to finalise a date for the con- troversial tournament. Under the proposal, DUBAI: Karolina Pliskova, the striking 22-year-old who is part wages will be paid through direct bank transfers which should, in theory, make it of a new wave on the women’s tour, upset the seedings for a DOHA: A file picture taken on November 16, 2014 shows migrant workers at a easier to track those employers that do second time at the Dubai Open to reach the semi-finals yes- construction site in Doha, Qatar. Qatar said yesterday it will introduce a major not comply with the new law. terday. Pliskova also turned a surprising match dramatically labour law reform to ensure workers’ salaries are not delayed, one of the It is not yet clear when the reforms will on its head from a set and 1-3 down during a 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 biggest complaints voiced by rights groups. — AFP win over her 11th seeded compatriot Lucie Safarova. be introduced but employers will have six Last week the six-foot one-inch Czech with one of the months to implement them. If they do not, ‘Avoiding the core problem?’ Qatar to abolish. This enables employers steepest and most dangerous first serves in the game reached they could face up to one month in prison HRW’s Qatar researcher, Nicholas to prevent foreign workers from leaving the Antwerp semis, and last month she became the youngest as well as a fine of up to 6,000 Qatari Riyals McGeehan gave a cautious welcome to the country or changing jobs and has top 20 player by breaking into the top score for the first time. ($1,650, 1,440 euros). the changes announced in Doha. “Of been likened to modern-day slavery. However Pliskova had to survive a crisis at 5-5 in the sec- The Qatari government said on course it’s good,” he told AFP. “It is a posi- “That’s a concern,” said McGeehan. ond set when she slipped to 15-40, within one solid blow of Wednesday night that it was about to tive step as long as it is properly enforced.” “Why is this area changing first? Are they probable defeat, before she changed the psychology of the announce the reforms but details about He said the reform would also impact on a working around the edges and avoiding match utterly in an emotion-turning last point of the tie- what the changes actually entailed were “very substantial number of workers” the core problem?” break. It happened after Safarova reached the net in a only given yyesterday. across the Qatari economy, not just those Other areas where campaigners have favourable position, only for Pliskova to throw up an ade- Non-payment of migrant workers, in construction. called for change include issues such as quate lob that enabled her to counter-attack with radar accu- especially those in the construction sector, A 2013 academic study, “A Portrait of the confiscation of passports by employ- racy through a gap in the net-player’s coverage. has become a sensitive issue for Qatar. Low-Income Migrants in Contemporary ers, workers not being issued an exit visa Her victory followed an even tighter three-set success the Last November, Amnesty International Qatar”, found that 21 percent of migrant so they can leave Qatar, and migrant previous day against Ana Ivanovic, the fourth-seeded former accused the government in Doha of not workers in Qatar “received their salary on labourers having to pay recruitment fees. world number one, and ensured that she maintains one of the doing enough on the issue of non-pay- time only sometimes, rarely, or never”. The Gulf state, which sits on the world’s eight best win-loss records this year, having hit more than 100 ment despite intense scrutiny after Qatar However, there was some disappointment third largest gas reserves, is seeking to aces. “I’m really happy that I was able to achieve this,” said was the World Cup. that the changes announced did not become a global leader in sporting events, Pliskova, conscious that Safarova was seeking revenge for And earlier this year, lack of progress address the controversial “kafala” sponsor- hosting the handball World Cup last defeat in Antwerp and had been buoyed by a straight sets on the issue was again highlighted, this ship system, which rights groups and month and is expected to bid for the win over titleholder Venus Williams the day before. —AFP time by Human Rights Watch (HRW). FIFPro global football union have urged Summer Olympics. — AFP.