15 Sports Wednesday, November 18, 2020 KUWAIT: An athlete practices wakeboarding at a cable park at the Green Island off the coast of Kuwait City yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Elneny tests positive as international break sees spike in EPL COVID cases 16 positive in latest Premier League COVID-19 tests LONDON: Arsenal and Egypt midfielder Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football knee tendon injury he suffered while on Mohamed Elneny has tested positive for Association confirmed in a Facebook post England duty last week. The club say COVID-19, his agent said as figures pub- that Elneny was isolating in line with med- Gomez is likely to be sidelined for months. lished by the Premier League showed a ical protocols. His COVID-19 result came And the Reds are counting the cost of sharp increase in cases coinciding with just three days after it was announced that being deprived of key central defender the international break. Already unpopular Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah had also test- Virgil van Dijk for what is expected to be with Premier League clubs because of the ed positive while on international duty most of the season after he tore knee liga- risk of injury to key players, the mood with Egypt. ments in a clash with Everton goalkeeper among the likes of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta “The results of the medical swabs con- Jordan Pickford last month. and his fellow top-flight bosses is unlikely ducted by the national team upon arrival Meanwhile, the Premier League said to be improved by figures from the in Togo showed negative all except for that 16 people had returned positive November 9-15 latest round of weekly Arsenal player Mohamed Elneny, whose results in its latest round of COVID-19 tests showing the Premier League result appeared positive without any tests conducted on players and staff last returned 16 positive coronavirus cases symptoms,” the EFA said. “The player week, the highest number of cases in a from 1,207 players and staff tested. immediately began to implement the spe- single round since the new season This compares with four positives from cial medical protocol for people infected began in September. The league said 1,646 tests during the week of November with COVID-19.” An Egypt side without the individuals who had tested positive 2-8 and a previous weekly high of 10 pos- Salah beat Togo 1-0 in Cairo on Saturday for the novel coronavirus would now itives. And while players who were away in the first of two back-to-back 2021 self-isolate for 10 days. “The Premier on international duty at the time would Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches League can today confirm that between not have been included in the Premier between the countries. Salah has scored Monday 9 November and Sunday 15 League’s latest figures, there may now be eight Premier League goals for Liverpool November, 1,207 players and club staff concerns that the knock-on effects of already this season. were tested for COVID-19. Of these, players returning from long-distance trips If he is sidelined, it would be a blow for there were 16 new positive tests,” the have led to a surge in reported cases. Premier League champions Liverpool, league said in a statement. A total of 68 Those who tested positive will now who were deprived of Senegal forward people have tested positive for the virus self-isolate for 10 days. As has long been Sadio Mane earlier in the season when he in 11 rounds of testing this season. its policy, the Premier League refused to too tested positive for coronavirus, There have been more than 1.3 million name the clubs or individuals involved. But although he has since returned to the COVID-19 infections and over 51,000 Alan Nazmy, Elneny’s agent, tweeted: team. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp deaths in the United Kingdom, accord- “Elneny Positive Cov19 get well soon.” has already lost defender Joe Gomez to a ing to a Reuters tally. — Agencies Mohamed Elneny of his 15 major victories, the others have only done time. Drawing ended the perfect three-win record Dustin Johnson breaks it once each. That means just 15 majors out of 139 Mahrez scores; Algeria took into a match played behind closed since the rankings began have seen the world num- doors because of the coronavirus, but it guaranteed a curse, Im on the rise: ber one lift the trophy. And just four out of 128 if Algeria qualify for them a top-two finish in a section including Zambia your name doesn’t happen to be Tiger Woods. and Botswana. Zambia, hoping for a resurgence Golf talking points Africa Cup of Nations under Serb coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic, suf- Im makes Asian history fered a blow to hopes of accompanying Algeria HONG KONG: Masters records, emerging talent Im Sung-jae at just 22 years old crowned a JOHANNESBURG: Manchester City winger from Group H when they fell 1-0 away to Botswana. and the LPGA Tour’s return feature in AFP Sport’s remarkable debut at Augusta National with Asia’s Riyad Mahrez scored as title-holders Algeria drew Mosha Gaolaolwe scored what proved the only best finish in the US Masters, as the South Korean golf talking points this week: 2-2 in Zimbabwe Monday and became the third goal in Francistown after just six minutes and it lift- finished joint runner-up alongside Australia’s country to book a place at the 2021 Africa Cup of ed Botswana to third, one point behind Zimbabwe. Cameron Smith. Im, the 2019 US PGA Tour Rookie of Top rank, major hindrance Nations. Cameroon qualify automatically as hosts This was the third loss in four group matches for the Year, eclipsed countryman KJ Choi’s third place while Senegal secured a spot Sunday by winning in 2012 African champions Zambia, who will host Dustin Johnson secured his second major with a in 2004 after closing with a final round of three- Guinea-Bissau thanks to a Sadio Mane goal. Andy Algeria and visit Zimbabwe during the final two record-breaking 20-under-par total at the Masters, under-par 69 to finish 15-under, five strokes behind Delort and captain Mahrez gave the Desert Foxes a matchdays next March. Uganda suffered a shock also breaking a cursed run for world number ones in winner Dustin Johnson. Im, who won The Honda two-goal advantage in Harare that was halved just loss 1-0 away to South Sudan and Burkina Faso majors. Incredibly, Johnson was the first world num- Classic for his first PGA Tour victory in March, now before half-time when Knowledge Musona netted. drew 0-0 in Malawi to miss out on chances to qual- ber one to win any major since Rory McIlroy’s vic- has his sights set on becoming Asia’s second major Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi took off Delort ify from Group A. Uganda-born Tito Okello con- tory at the US PGA Championship in 2014. He was winner, after South Korea’s YE Yang who lifted the and Mahrez as he made five second-half substitu- demned his country of birth to a first defeat in the also the first player who was top of the rankings to US PGA Championship in 2009. Yang’s best finish in tions within 12 minutes, but the bold move backfired section when he converted a first-half penalty in a win the Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002. the Masters was tied eighth in 2010. “Finishing tied In fact, down the years being world number one for second is unbelievable, and I’m proud of my when Prince Dube equalized eight minutes from qualifier marred by two red cards. — AFP has been almost a disadvantage in majors. Johnson game,” said Im, who has broken into the world’s top is only the fifth player since the world rankings 20 for the first time. He also joined some illustrious beast,” he said at a press conference on Monday. began in 1986 to win a major while on top, joining company in becoming the third-youngest player in Ireland star prepares “Don’t get me wrong, Wales are obviously a very Ian Woosnam, Fred Couples, Woods and McIlroy. history, after Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods, to fin- strong international team but haven’t had the form But while Woods managed it as number one for 11 ish in the top five at the Masters. — AFP to tackle the ‘beast’ of late. “But this is a whole new beast. To play England at Twickenham... it’s huge. “Emotionally, physically and mentally if we get all our ducks in a that is England row I can’t see why we can’t go over there and knock them over.” Ireland, though, will be without captain and DUBLIN: James Lowe made a try-scoring debut playmaker Johnny Sexton who has been ruled out for Ireland in the victory over Wales but he says a with a hamstring problem. Lowe, who has previous- tougher challenge awaits in Saturday’s Autumn ly referred to his Leinster team-mate Sexton as the Nations Cup clash with England as they are a ‘bad cop’ due to his outspoken criticism of under- “completely different beast”. The 28-year-old New performing team-mates, said the 35-year-old fly- Zealand-born wing will definitely be occupying half would still make his presence felt during the England minds as he lived up to his pre-match hype week. “Who?” replied Lowe, joking about whether against an out-of-form Welsh side.