FOOTBALL | Page 2 MOTORSPORTS | Page 4 Players treated Al-Maadheed like ‘guinea pigs’, and al-Khelaifi says Wayne winners of Rooney QTCC Monday, March 16, 2020 CRICKET Rajab 21, 1441 AH Lynn’s century GULF TIMES guides Lahore Qalandars to semis SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL BADMINTON Liverpool left to Taiwan’s Tai wins All wait and wonder England title AFP London, United Kingdom aiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying beat Chinese world number one Chen Yufei aft er virus strikes 21-19, 21-15 to win the All TEngland badminton Champion- ship for the third time yesterday. First EPL title in 30 years seemed like a formality till the sporting calendar took a hit Tai, seeded second, was on a revenge mission in Birming- AFP ham after losing last year’s fi nal London, United Kingdom against Chen. The 25-year-old’s previous All England titles came in 2017 and iverpool could have been 2018 and she clinched a third in crowned Premier League impressive style. champions today for the “I’m very excited to have won fi rst time in a generation. the Yonex All England,” Tai said. LInstead the stadium will be si- “I’ve very familiar with play- lent and the streets empty. ing against Chen as I’ve played Jurgen Klopp’s team need- against her so many times. ed Manchester City to lose to “I put her under pressure to- Burnley on Saturday to give day, and I’m very happy that I them a chance to seal the deal was able to control the rallies at their local rivals Everton two well. I really like to play this tour- days later. nament.” Regardless of whether it In the men’s event, Denmark’s would have happened at Goodi- Viktor Axelsen won his fi rst All Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying celebrates son Park or over the coming England Championship title, her All England women’s title weeks, their fi rst top-fl ight title beating Taiwanese top seed Chou yesterday. (Reuters) for 30 years was a mere formal- Tien-chen 21-13, 21-14. ity. Axelsen lost to Kento Momo- “I tried to put in a better per- But now fans are wondering ta in the fi nal last year, but the formance but I wasn’t able to when, or even if, they will be world number seven was at his control the rallies as well as crowned champions after the powerful best to make amends. Viktor was able to,” he said. coronavirus laid waste to the And 26-year-old Axelsen said “I didn’t play to my 100 per global sporting calendar. it was a day he would never forget. cent, and I didn’t expect that, but The message coming from “This means a lot to me. It is a that’s the way it is.” Liverpool is that there are more big dream come true and it’s up Japanese duo Yuki Fukushima important issues than football there with all my biggest achieve- and Sayaka Hirota stormed to the to talk about, even with the club ments in my career so far,” he said women’s doubles title, beating tantalisingly close to glory. after his maiden tournament win China’s Du Yue and Li Yinhui 21- “I’ve said before that foot- in a Super 1000 event. 13, 21-15. ball always seems the most im- In this March 11, 2020, picture, Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp reacts at the final whistle during the UEFA Champions league Round of 16 “Obviously right now I’m both Indonesia’s Praveen Jordan portant of the least important second leg match against Atletico Madrid at Anfield in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (AFP) happy and really emotional. It’s and Melati Daeva Oktavianti de- things,” Klopp said in a state- just crazy. It’s a day I’ll remember feated Thai third seeds Dechapol ment on Friday. defence and their devastating they’ve had and what a wonder- for the rest of my life.” Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree “Today, football and football Van Dijk fears Liverpool will win front three of Roberto Firmi- ful team they are,” he told the Pre-tournament favourite Chou Taerattanachai 21-15, 17-21, 21-8 matches really aren’t important no, Mohamed Salah and Sadio BBC. admitted he was below his best. in the mixed doubles fi nal. at all. If it’s a choice between title in empty stadium Mane, Klopp’s men have been “But equally it would be un- football and the good of the wid- Virgil van Dijk fears Liverpool That is a depressing prospect irresistible. just for teams to be relegated er society, it’s no contest. Really, will be forced to celebrate for Liverpool defender Van Dijk. Paul Hayward, writing in the when there are still eight, nine, it isn’t.” their first English title for 30 “If we won it in an empty Daily Telegraph, said Liverpool ten games to play of the Premier Klopp’s stance won him the years in an empty stadium as a stadium and the fans weren’t should be crowned champions League.” support of World Health Organ- result of coronavirus chaos. there, I’d be gutted for them,” he for the 19th time even if no more But West Ham vice-chairman isation chief Tedros Adhanom Premier League chiefs are set to told several British newspapers games are played. Karren Brady said if the fi xtures Ghebreyesus, who thanked him meet on Thursday to discuss if it yesterday. “Obviously, if there “If a season ends too soon, could not be completed, the only for his “powerful message”. will be possible to continue the are no fans at Anfield, then it will its natural winning line is the fair solution would be to declare Liverpool supporters, des- season and, if so, in what format. be a bit of a blow. No one wants point it reached before the halt the season “null and void”. perate to reclaim their position Games could be played behind to play games without the fans. was called: emphatically so, 29 Writing in the Sun, Brady, at the pinnacle of the English closed doors, which would mean “Until a decision is made on how games into a 38-match cam- whose club are just two places game, agree with their German Liverpool, who are 25 points we go on from here, then we just paign, which is a respectable above the relegation zone, said: manager, saying the pandemic clear of second placed Manches- have to deal with it. But when it distance,” he wrote. “Who knows who would have overshadows football. ter City, winning the title without happens, we are still bringing the “’Voiding’ the 2019/20 foot- gone down or come up if the Supporters’ union Spirit of their fans being present. title to our fans, definitely.” ball season would be nonsense,” games have not actually been Shankly is focusing on the dam- he added. “Handing over the played in full? aging fallout from the Covid-19 trophy at any point where clubs “A huge blow to Liverpool, virus. celling football games means FA Cup by Chelsea. were forced to give up would feel who might be robbed of their “In talks with @lfc we asked (foodbanks) will be hit hard.” But they have been peerless morally correct.” fi rst title in 30 years.” for assurances that non-playing in the Premier League, leav- Brighton and Hove Albion Nobody knows when football staff will not lose their pay as DESERVING WINNERS ing their rivals in their wake to chief executive Paul Barber said will return but, when it fi nally a consequence of shifts being Liverpool have stumbled in re- race 25 points clear of defending if the season were to be “frozen” does, many in the game hope cancelled,” it said in a statement. cent weeks, knocked out of the champions Manchester City. it would be unjust on Liverpool. Liverpool are given the chance “We also need to keep in mind Champions League by Atletico With Alisson Becker in goal, “Everybody in the game ap- to complete their long journey Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen celebrates his win in the All England men’s those most vulnerable. Can- Madrid and dumped out of the Virgil van Dijk marshalling the preciates what a fantastic season back to the top. singles final in Birmingham, United Kingdom, yesterday. (Reuters) OLYMPICS Tokyo 2020 torch handover to take place in empty Athens stadium Reuters mittee said yesterday. Greece on kyo 2020” Olympic Games, on and summer Games every two sued will be valid,” the country’s well as the International Olym- ers should consider a one-year Athens, Greece Friday cancelled the remainder Thursday, March 19, will take years. Olympic Committee said. pic Committee have been ada- postponement. of the domestic Olympic torch place at the Panathenaic Stadi- Greece had three fatalities Japan is still preparing to host mant the July 24-Aug 9 Games The Olympic Torch relay, in relay through the country to um behind closed doors,” it said from the disease and 228 con- the Olympics, Prime Minister will go ahead, even as other glo- which the Olympic fl ame typi- he Tokyo 2020 Olympic avoid attracting crowds a day in a statement. fi rmed cases by late Saturday. Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, bal sporting events have been cally starts a tour around the Games fl ame handover after the Tokyo Games fl ame The central Athens stadium, “Following the orders of the despite rising global concern put on hold. host nation, is due to start in the in Athens next week will was lit in ancient Olympia.