CCRICKETRICKET | Page 4 RRUGBYUGBY | Page 6 Agarwal double Slack Ireland ton guides beat Russia India to 502 35-0 but against concerns South Africa remain Friday, October 4, 2019 ATHLETICS Safar 5, 1441 AH Holloway’s long GULF TIMES 2019 road ends with hurdles gold in Doha SPORT Page 3 SPOTLIGHT Barshim poised for giant leap to high jump greatness HE IS THE ONLY HIGH JUMPER TO GO SIX STRAIGHT YEARS WITH A 2.40M-PLUS EFFORT SINCE 2013 By Mikhil Bhat beri – Barshim has always had derrahman Samba’s bronze in a Doha a spotlight ever since he won a high-quality men’s 400m hur- bronze in 2012 London Olympic dles fi nal on Monday, the hosts Games. have gotten their hopes high for t some point during the In January last year, the 2016 yet another moment of glory. qualifying rounds on world indoor champion Tamberi, “I always want to win, it does Tuesday, a camera fo- also known for sporting a distinct not matter where it is. Every ath- cused on Qatar’s Mutaz half beard at major competitions, lete wants to compete at home, so AEssa Barshim as he lied down on wrote in the IAAF magazine it is special,” Barshim said after the pink track at the Khalifa In- about how his “friend Mutaz” the qualifi cation round. ternational Stadium safe in the taught him the importance of “It is really great to jump in knowledge that he has a foot in in jumping “for yourself, in your front of the home crowd when today’s high jump fi nal. own time”. you have your family, wife, in the Barshim glanced at the camera As Tamberi cried behind stands and it was very important and winked with a hint of smile. closed doors following his dis- for me. I just want to do this for Given his demeanour and the mal performance in Paris in 2017 them. It defi nitely makes these ease with which he cleared 2.29m when he could not even clear the Championships special to me without any faults for a shot at opening height, Barshim told the and it gives you extra motiva- defending his world title, one Italian, “Don’t try to rush it. You tion.” could be forgiven for assuming had a big injury, you’re already Only two other athletes – au- that it must have been just as se- back in the Diamond League. No thorised neutral athletes Ilya rene and calm on the inside, as it one expected that. But now you Ivanyuk and Mikhail Akimenko looked from the outside. need to take your time, don’t – boasted a perfect card in the “I was pushing myself the expect too much too early from qualifi cation round. whole season to jump well at yourself. Just see what happens.” Belarussian Maksim Ne- home. Despite the fact that the The 28-year-old has had to dasekau has this year’s world people are sometimes very criti- apply the same maturity as he leading eff ort of 2.35m, but cal, I am happy to compete here,” made his return to competition struggled before fi nally clearing Barshim said after he sailed over from his ankle injury. And by the 2.26m on Tuesday. the bar four times on Tuesday for looks of it, he has. Even though many have a a spot in the medal round. Barshim missed the Asian higher season’s best eff ort, no Much has been spoken and championships in April even one apart from Barshim has written about the 2017 Athlete of though he “really wanted to do tasted the air 2.40m above the the Year’s injury last year. In his it” because circumstances de- ground in their careers. eff ort to set a new world record, manded he give his body some As for Tamberi, he was just Barshim had the bar pushed up more time. glad “to compete with my good to 2.46m in Hungary in July last Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim talks with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi during high jump qualifying on Tuesday. He has had a few weeks more friend Barshim” in today’s fi nal. year, but was instead left clutch- ahead of this year’s World Cham- “I am happy he is back at this lev- ing his ankle after one of the at- and bulk of the Diamond League Olympic medallist even as he he is the only high jumper to go calm and cool highly-marketable pionships given that Doha 2019 el. I wish him all the best. He de- tempts. He missed the rest of the season, before making a return in stayed away from competition six straight years with a 2.40m- endearing persona on and off the began later than the usual slot. serves it considering everything season, the start of the World Sopot with a 2.27m this year. to recover from a serious ankle plus eff ort since 2013 and has fi eld, or even his relationships And by the way things turned he has been through,” Tamberi Championships season, the And yet the spotlight has never injury. come closest to Javier Sotomay- with fellow athletes – ask Italian out on Tuesday, it’s working out said after he too jumped a best of Asian championships at home, defl ected from the two-time Whether it is his capability – or’s 2.45m world record, or his high-jumper Gianmarco Tam- fi ne for the Qatari star. After Ab- 2.29m on Tuesday. BOTTOMLINE Asher-Smith graduates with world honours AFP Doha essica Ennis-Hill’s hep- tathlon gold medal on ‘Su- per Saturday’ at the 2012 Olympics inspired a young Jkit carrier that night to pursue her dream of becoming a cham- Asher-Smith at the medallists tears in the aftermath of her vic- pion — on Wednesday it came press conference. tory, said the little girl who fi rst true for Dina Asher-Smith. “It is no secret that I admire went to an athletics track would The 23-year-old wrote another Jess and Christine immensely. have a hard time believing the page in British athletics history by “What they achieved is an in- older version was now a world delivering their fi rst world gold in spiration to me and to other wom- champion in faraway Doha. the 100/200 metres as she pro- en. Chrissie has even been texting “She would not believe me at duced a dominant performance in me every day giving me encour- all, said Asher-Smith. the 200m to win in a new national agement.” “I was saying earlier weirdly record of 21.88 seconds. Asher-Smith has come a long enough I used my younger self Asher-Smith said in the past way since she had to be bribed as a reference when I was in the standing in the Olympic Stadium with the off er of an ice cream by warm-up area and began to get and watching Ennis-Hill — who her parents — who were in the nervous. “I recalled my fi rst was one of three British victors crowd at the Khalifa Stadium — to championships in Moscow (2013 that night along with Greg Ru- keep going in a cross country race worlds) at the age of 17. therford in the long jump and Mo at primary school. “I was literally so scared I was Farah in the 10,000m — inspired However, she is now seen as a holding the relay baton but my her to want to enjoy similar suc- trailblazer for British women in hands were so sweaty I thought cess. Thus it gave exra satisfac- sprinting, though, she liked to see it would fall out which is not very tion for the erudite Asher-Smith it as a broader picture than that. glamorous! — who achieved a history degree “It feels good,” she said. “I swore to myself I was never whilst she was also focusing on “In many walks of life women going to be that inexperienced her athletics career — her fi rst try and push boundaries and re- ever again. global title comes at the same age defi ne what is possible. “Tonight she would not believe as both her British idols Ennis- “Whether it is British women me at all.” Asher-Smith, who also Hill (2009 world title) and 400 or Allyson Felix and Shell-Ann won silver in the 100m on Sunday, metres star Christine Ohuruogu Fraser-Pryce sportswomen in said despite her parents support (2007 world title). general are also trying to do that she would dedicate her gold to her “It means a lot to be even men- in sports.” coach John Blackie, who was also tioned in the same sentence,” said Asher-Smith, who burst into in the crowd with his wife. Gulf Times 2 Friday, October 4, 2019 SPOTLIGHT Ambassador lauds German athletes’ performance ‘Doha Worlds is a unique experience for all of us and we are excited to be a part of this great event’ By Amjad Vanimal Doha he Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State of Qatar Hans-Udo Muzel has lauded German athletes for Ttheir performance in the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha. “Sports bring people together, es- pecially young ones. It’s amazing that our German athletes has got a chance to meet with many international ath- letes in Doha,” the envoy said yesterday during a grand meet-and-greet session with athletes at the Marriott Marquis City Center Hotel Doha. Ambassador Muzel and chairperson of the Parliamentarian Sports Com- mittee, Dagmar Freitag, welcomed the German team.