14 Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Sports QFA PRESIDENT MEETS MOROCCO’S AMBASSADOR TO QATAR Hungary’s Bence Majoros celebrate his Tokyo 2020 qualification at the World Singles Qualification Tournament at Lusail on Tuesday. Hungary’s Majoros joins list of Tokyo 2020 qualifiers with roaring win in Doha The President of Qatar Football Association (QFA) Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani on Tuesday morning received in his office HE Mohamed Setri, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco. The meeting was attended by Ali Daoud, Executive Director of the Office of QFA President. The QFA president received the Moroccan ambassador seeking to ITTF no.10 seed Panagiotis Gionis strengthen the existing relations between the two sides. The cordial meeting included discussions of many common topics of interest. The visiting ambassador praised the important DOHA in the knock-out 3 final. role of the State of Qatar at the sporting level, indicating that Doha has become one of the most popular cities on the world stage which confirms Qatar’s ability to organize a wonder- Gionis sensed a change in ful version of the FIFA World Cup in 2022. He expressed his happiness that the FIFA World Cup will be organized by an Arab country for the first time in 2022. The ambassador said HUNGAry’S Bence Majoros approach was necessary, up- his country extends full support to Qatar as it prepares to host the World Cup. The meeting also discussed strengthening means of cooperation between the two sides in various fields scored an important win over ping the pace a little in search in light of the fraternal relationship between the two countries. At the end of the meeting, the Moroccan ambassador was presented with a QFA shield as a souvenir. (QFA) Belgium’’s Florent Lambiet of an opening but Wang was (11-6, 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8) at ready to deal with whatever the World Singles Qualifica- came his way and would not tion Tournament in Doha on be stopped from winning 3-11, Tuesday 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7. Meeting in the men’s sin- Majoros, Jancarik and gles knock-out 2 final, Majoros Yang have all done enough to and Lambiet, seeded 15th and seal qualification inD oha – as Buttler’s 83* guides 32nd respectively, needed no for the three defeated finalists, further inspiration with the they will have to go again in winner claiming their ticket to the second knock-out stage as the Japanese capital. the stakes rise further still. Off to a thunderous start, Majoros built momentum with every passing game and even England to easy win when signs of a Lambiet re- sponse did begin to emerge the ANI Hungarian refused to let up. AHMEDABAD Arms in the air and a loud roar following the final point, Ma- JOS Buttler and Jonny joros can now rest easy know- Bairstow struck unbeaten ing his place on the Olympic knocks of 83 and 40 runs re- Games stage is assured. spectively as England secured “It’s a dream come true. a comfortable eight-wicket Before I came here, it was a win over India in the third difficult period, because I was Vladimir Sidorenko. T20I at the Narendra Modi injured and couldn’t practise a Stadium on Tuesday evening. lot and my start at the Middle Russian teen Sidorenko’s With this win, England East Hub and this event was run comes to an end have now gained a 2-1 lead in really in danger. But I was just Later, Russian teenager the five-match series. very happy that I was able to Vladimir Sidorenko’s impres- Both teams will now meet play and control my emotions. sive run at the World Singles in the fourth T20I on Thurs- I was just really focused,” said Qualification Tournamentday which will be played at the Bnce Majoros. drew to an agonising halt as he same venue. Also making the grade was lost to Britain’s Liam Pitchford Chasing 157, England Lubomir Jancarik following 4-1 (11-4, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-4) openers Jason Roy and Jos another rousing performance in their men’s singles second Buttler put on 23 runs for the from the Czech player in the stage knock-out quarter-final. first wicket, but the introduc- knock-out 1 final. Claiming major scalps ear- tion of Yuzvendra Chahal paid Seeded 30th for the draw, lier in the tournament with off straight away when he dis- England’s Jos Buttler (right) is greeted by India’s Yuzvendra Chahal at the end of the third Twenty20 International at the Narendra Modi Stadium Jancarik came up against mighty performances against missed Roy (9) in the fourth in Motera on Tuesday. England lead the five-game series 2-1.( AFP) a man seeded 18 positions the likes of Nigeria’s Quadri over as the right-handed bats- higher in Ukraine’s Kou Lei Aruna and another British man was trying to play a re- with set Buttler ensured that with the score on 86/5 in 14.3 hit a single cross-batted shot for just four runs as he skied but wasn’t at all fazed by the hopeful in Paul Drinkhall, verse-sweep. England did not suffer from overs and what followed was and banked on his technique one behind the wicket and prospect. 18-year-old Sidorenko has This dismissal, however, more hiccups and in the end, nothing short of a master-class to send the English bowlers on Buttler made no mistake. Game two proved the most shown he is more than capable did not bring about a check the visitors crossed the line on power-hitting. Interest- a leather hunt. Kohli and Rishabh Pant tried dramatic of the tie as Kou suc- of competing with the world in the run-flow, as Buttler with eight balls to spare. But- ingly, it was Hardik who played Put into bat, the hosts once to rebuild the innings and cessfully saved five game points elite in the Qatari capital. went berserk and the visitors’ tler and Bairstow stitched an second-fiddle in their 70-run again had a poor start as they stitched a 40-run stand. Just before going on to hold one of Besting Pitchford, how- scored read 57/1 at the end of unbeaten stand of 77 runs for partnership off just 33 balls as lost three wickets inside the when things started to look his own which, if he had taken, ever, proved one step too far the powerplay. the third wicket. Kohli went on a hitting spree. powerplay. Openers KL Rahul good for the hosts, Pant got could have swung the advan- with the top seed from Ches- Dawid Malan and Buttler Earlier, skipper Virat Koh- This was India’s highest sixth- and Rohit Sharma were back run-out trying to steal a third tage in his favour. But Jancarik terfield restricting the young stitched together a stand of 58 li’s unbeaten knock of 77 runs wicket partnership in T20Is. in the hut inside the opening run. With India struggling at kept his cool, going on to res- Russian to under five points in runs for the second wicket, but off just 46 balls helped India India’s score read 87/5 go- five overs. While Rahul de- 86/4 in the 14th over, Wood cue the game and never looked all but one game. Malan’s (18) vigil at the crease post 156/6 in the allotted 20 ing into the last five with Kohli parted for his third duck of the was brought into the attack, back from that moment on (11- Next up for Pitchford is was finally cut short in the 10th overs. Down and out going into on 28 off 29 balls and Hardik series, Rohit playing his first and he removed Shreyas Iyer 5, 14-12, 11-9, 11-6). a semi-final play-off against over by Washington Sundar as the last five overs of the innings, yet to open his account. And at white-ball match for India as the hosts lost half the side. The third final of the Greek defender Panagiotis he had the left-handed bats- Kohli led from the front in all- the end of the innings, Kohli since February last year got Scores: India 156/6 (Virat morning session saw two of Gionis, who secured his spot man stumped, reducing Eng- rounder Hardik Pandya’s com- was standing unbeaten on 77 out after hitting two fours as Kohli 77*, Rishabh Pant 25, the European continent’s fin- in the final four with victory land to 81/2, still 76 runs away pany as the duo added 69 runs off 46 balls with eight bounda- Mark Wood picked his second Mark Wood 3-31) lost to Eng- est defenders go head-to-head over Romania’s Ovidiu Iones- from the target. from 30 balls to take the hosts’ ries and four sixes. wicket of the day. land 158/2 (Jos Buttler 83*, as Slovakia’s Wang Yang, no.6 cu (12-10, 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 17- Bairstow came out to bat total past the 150-run mark. It was a complete class on Ishan Kishan, who had a Jonny Bairstow 40*, Washington seed, stood opposite Greek 19, 12-10). at number four and he along Hardik had joined Kohli batsmanship as Kohli didn’t dream debut on Sunday, fell Sundar 1-26) by 8 wkts. Indian Sports Centre kicks off golf week at Doha Golf Club TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA UNDER the Patronage of the Embassy of India, the Indian Sports Centre (ISC) Head of Golf Rukkaiya Pachisa kicked off Matchday-1 of the 4th In- dia Cup Golf Week, where 36 golfers participated in a 4 Person Team Texas Scramble Event at the Doha Golf Club Indian Sports Centre India Cup kids’ coaching camp.