SPORT 16 FRIDAY 26 MAY 2017 Al Sadd midfielder Jugurtha Hamroun Hamroun inks Al Rajhi grabs stage win as permanent deal with Al Sadd Jakub trims Al Attiyah's lead The Peninsula mir Cup champions Al Sadd yester- day announced that the club has E decided to activate the buy option Aktau City, Kazakhstan 2017 RALLY KAZAKHSTAN: on on-loan midfielder Jugurtha Hamroun The Peninsula from Romanian side Steaua Bucharest. Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah POSITIONS ON SS5 The Club confirmed the news via their audi Arabia’s Yazeed and his navigator Matthieu website, adding that the Algerian mid- Baumel of Toyota Hilux Overdrive 1. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Al Rajhi recorded his Gottschalk (DEU) Mini John Cooper fielder had signed a two year deal with the third win in five days team in action during the fifth club. stage of Rally Kazakhstan Works Rally: 3hrs 45min 30sec on the penultimate 2. Jakub Przygonski (POL)/Tom Col- Hamroun made a huge impact for Al yesterday. TOP: Saudi Arabia’s stage of Rally Kaza- soul (BEL) Mini All4 Racing: 3hrs Sadd in his maiden season with the side, Skhstan between Kenderly and Yazeed Al Rajhi in action during scoring the winning goals in both Qatar 49min 03sec Aktau in the Mangistau region yesterday's fifth stage. Cup and Emir Cup finals. 3. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/ yesterday. Earlier this week, Al Sadd also signed Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota Hilux The second fastest time Qatari international midfielder Boualem Overdrive: 3hrs 52min 47sec enabled Poland’s Jakub Przy- Khoukhi and their leading goalscorer Bag- 4. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek gonski to trim Nasser Saleh Al dad Bounjah to a new long term deals. Sykora (SLO) Hummer H3 Evo VII: Attiyah’s overall lead to 6min 3hrs 57min 58sec 07sec heading into the final loop through the deserts north number four. We push to catch to close the gap on Przygonski Yerden Shagirov had been 5. Aron Domzala (POL)/Maciej Mar- of Aktau City today. Al Attiyah Kuba and Nasser and then we and challenge for second posi- awarded 6hrs 45min of time ton (POL) Toyota Hilux Overdrive: Rooney left out suffered a minor gearbox issue follow until the finish. It’s good tion. The second Toyota driver penalties for supposedly miss- 4hrs 00min 41sec and lost some time in the sand to take another stage win.” ceded 11min 38sec to his fellow ing a series of waypoints on dunes. Al Attiyah and French co- Pole and looks set to reach the day three, but race officials OVERALL STANDINGS of England squad Al Rajhi and German nav- driver Matthieu Baumel began finish in third overall. He now removed these when it came igator Timo Gottschalk began the day with a lead of 9min trails by 16min 18sec. Last year’s to light that a tracking error 1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Mat- in latest blow the 370.9km competitive sec- 51sec in their Overdrive Rac- rally winner, Yuriy Sazonov, had occurred. thieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota Hilux tion fourth on the road and ing Toyota Hilux. Despite remains a distant fourth over- It meant the Kazakh was Overdrive: 17hrs 35min 22sec London were quickly into a competi- dropping time to Przygonski, all in his Hummer H3 after reinstated in fifth overall to the 2. Jakub Przygonski (POL)/Tom Col- AFP tive pace. The Mini John Al-Attiyah has a relatively another solid stage perform- detriment of Lithuanian driver soul (BEL) Mini All4 Racing: 17hrs Cooper Works Rally driver comfortable cushion to take ance behind the official team Antanas Juknevicius, who 41min 29sec ayne Rooney's international career shadowed Przygonski and his into the final stage, as he bids drivers. slipped back to sixth. 3. Aron Domzala (POL)/Maciej Mar- looks over after England's all-time Belgian co-driver Tom Colsoul to lead the FIA World Cup for After losing two positions The final selective stage ton (POL) Toyota Hilux Overdrive: Wtop-scorer was yesterday left out to the finish of a stage that Cross-Country Rallies for the when vital suspension bolts starts 35.45km north of Aktau 17hrs 57min 47sec of the squad for next month's World Cup retraced the tracks that had first time this season. gave way on the fourth stage and includes parts of the open- 4. Yuriy Sazonov (KAZ)/Vitalyi Yev- qualifier against Scotland and a friendly in been used on leg two, but run “We still have a good lead on Wednesday, Miroslav ing timed test that were used France. tyekhov (KAZ) Hummer H3 Evo VIII: in the opposite direction on to take into the last day, but it Zapletal was back into a good last Sunday. The 31-year-old striker has lost his place 19hrs 08min 32sec this occasion. The special was not an easy stage and we pace on the penultimate stage The stage runs for at Manchester United and was similarly 5. Yerden Shagirov (KAZ)/Dmitro looped around Zhanaozen to had a small problem with the and the Czech was able to set 147.94km and includes repeat omitted from Gareth Southgate's England Tsyro (UKR) Toyota Hilux: 19hrs finish just short of the remote gearbox in the second dunes,” the fourth quickest time. But runs over the scenic tracks squad announced in March, although he was 34min 31sec settlement of Zhetybay. said Al Attiyah. race officials awarded the along the shores of the Caspian carrying a knee injury at the time. Fit-again 6. Antanas Juknevicius (LTU)/Darius Commenting on yester- “It was nothing serious and Hummer H3 driver 100 hours Sea. A short liaison of 41.75km Rooney, who made a brief appearance in Vaiciulis (LTU) Toyota Hilux: 19hrs day's stage win, Al Rajhi said: we will be all set for the last of time penalties overnight and then guides the finishing crews Manchester United's Europa League final “It was a good stage. There was day.” Miroslavn is out of contention back to the podium in Aktau 59min 55sec win over Ajax in Stockholm on Wednesday, a lot of dust and we start Aron Domzala was not able for a top eight finish. City. had hoped to end his international career by captaining England at next year's World Cup in Russia. But this now looks an increasingly for- lorn hope for Rooney, England's record goalscorer with 53 goals and their most Regional federations unite to launch capped outfielder with 119 appearances for his country. His United career could also be over having fallen down the pecking order under manager Jose Mourinho. Thursday's squad announcement saw Gulf Challenge off-road rally series Southgate opt for the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford and Jermain Defoe instead of Rooney in attack. Dubai growth in cross-country type 2017 GULF CHALLENGE: The Peninsula events in recent years and the PROVISIONAL CALENDAR national federations of each of those countries have joined OMAN: September 7/8 Beckham on US otorsport federations forces with like-minded clubs UAE: October 5/6 of six GCC countries in Bahrain and Oman to create KUWAIT: October 26/27 will unite to host a the new series. Soccer Hall of M SAUDI ARABIA: November 9/10 brand new off-road rally The Gulf Challenge was the QATAR: December 7/8 series, the 2017 Gulf Challenge, brainchild of Ben Sulayem, who Bahrain will enter in Year 2 or 3. it was announced yesterday. has the full backing and sup- Fame ballot Mohammed Ben Sulayem, port of Prince Sultan bin Bandar President of the Automobile Al Faisal, President of the Saudi this is the largest motor sport- Chicago Saudi Arabian rally driver Abdullah Bakhashab (left) and and Touring Club of the United Arabian Motor Federation, ing development in the Gulf AP Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile Arab Emirates, disclosed the and Touring Club of the UAE disclose details of 2017 Gulf QMMF President Abdulrahman since the creation of the FIA details of the new rally series Challenge during a press conference in Dubai yesterday. Al Mannai, Oman Automobile Middle East Rally Champion- avid Beckham, the English midfielder which will be initially consist Association President Jamal ship in 1984. who brought increased visibility to of five rounds that promises a first step of investment in our fact that competitors will Altai, Bahrain Motor Federation Cars running in the FIA T1, DAmerican soccer and won a pair of golden future for rallying in the promising GCC talent in the gather in the region to partic- President Sheikh Abdullah bin T2 and T3 categories will be eli- Major League Soccer titles while playing for Gulf region. field of motor sport,” said ipate in several events in close Essa Al Khalifa and Sheikh Ali gible and two local categories the LA Galaxy from 2007-12, is among 12 A brief outline of the Gulf Mohammed Ben Sulayem, proximity to reduce costs. This Al Fawaz Al Sabah, Chairman will be developed for T1L (mod- first-time candidates on the 33-player bal- Challenge were released in President of ATCUAE and will attract participants from of the Board of Basel Al Sabah ified cars) and T2L (standard lot for the US National Soccer Hall of Fame. Dubai last October, but further Emirates Motor Sports Feder- all around the world. All those Motor Sports Club. cars that are not FIA homolo- Defender Steve Cherundolo, midfielder details and the first ever cal- ation (EMSF). concerned in motor sport, The Gulf Challenge has gated but comply with T2 Pablo Mastroeni and forward Brian Ching, endar of events have now been “The new championship including media, sponsors and been devised to be open for regulations).