NBA | Page 5 Blazers hold off Nuggets 97-90 to level Tel: 4498 6498 E-mail: [email protected] playoff series web: www.garminqatar.com Friday, May 3, 2019 CRICKET Sha’baan 28, 1440 AH Finch tips fi red-up GULF TIMES Warner to dominate ICC World Cup SPORT Page 3 ATHLETICS Plenty at stake as Diamond League series opens today ‘WE ARE GLAD TO SHOWCASE THE DIAMOND LEAGUE AT THE KHALIFA INTERNATIONAL STADIUM’ Semenya to run in Doha before new rule kicks in Doha, AFP: Caster Semenya create a level playing field in Qatar Athletics Federation President Dr Thani al-Kuwari makes his opening remarks during a press conference yesterday as IAAF President Sebastian Coe (third from left) and elite athletes has responded to losing her the women’s events. scheduled to participate in today’s Doha Diamond League meeting look on. legal challenge against new “I think this is pretty straight- gender rules by entering the forward, and it’s very straight- of people absorb our sport every is strong and the competition By Sports Reporter TODAY’S SCHEDULE 800 metres in today’s Doha forward for any international Doha year and it is a responsibility is tough but I think I am set and Diamond League meeting, federation in sport,” Coe said. that we don’t take lightly,” Coe let’s see how things turn out to- while she hinted at ending her “Athletics has two classifica- 5.35PM: 4x100m Girls 6.42PM: 800m Men National explained. morrow.” career in several cryptic tweets. tions: it has age, it has gender, n exciting and glit- 5.41PM: 4x100m Boys 6.55PM: High Jump Women “I am happy with what we’ve To Olympic long jump cham- Semenya, the double Olympic we are fiercely protective tering opening of the 5.50PM 4x100m Mixed 7PM: Long Jump Women done with the new format and pion, Bartoletta – Doha has al- champion at the distance, about both and I am re- IAAF Diamond League 5.58PM: Medley Relay Boys 7.04PM: 400mH Women as you know, the criteria has be- ways brought her fond memo- was added to the 800m start ally grateful that the Court of A2019 season is antici- 6.08PM: 100m Girls Qatar 7.15PM: 800m Men come tougher which will make ries: list yesterday morning, a day Arbitration has upheld that pated as the prestigious series National Team 100mH Women the league more interesting. We “I’ve had good experiences after her appeal against a new principle.” gets underway at the Khalifa 6.16PM: 100m Boys Qatar 7.37PM: 3000mSC Men are looking forward to a more here and each visit had been rule regulating testosterone The two athletes who finished International Stadium in Doha National Team 7.56PM: 200m Men exciting events and of course the quite interesting. Even when levels for women athletes was in the silver and bronze medal today. (The above events are not part 8PM: Shot Put Men IAAF World Championships in I wasn’t expecting it, I ended rejected by the Court for Arbi- positions behind Semenya in For the tenth consecutive year, of the Diamond League) 8.07PM: 800m Women September is something every- up doing well and I think Doha tration of Sport (CAS). the 800m at the 2016 Rio Ol- Qatar is hosting the season- 6.20PM: Pole Vault Men 8.19PM: 1500m Men one can’t wait enough to see it has been generally good to me. Doha organisers said the South ympics, Burundi’s Francine Niy- opening meet of the highly-suc- 6.33PM: 400m Men National 8.34PM: 200m Women start,” he added. I hope the luck continues to- African runner had waited for onsaba and Margaret Wambui cessful athletics top-tier series 6.35PM: Discus Men 8.46: 3000m Women Meanwhile, Asher-Smith, morrow and I would be glad the outcome of Wednesday’s of Kenya, will race against her and IAAF President Sebastian who is in the Middle East for the to win again in Doha,” said the CAS hearing in Lausanne, in Doha today. Coe noted at the well-attended fi rst time, has expressed her de- 33-year-old who won the 2015 Switzerland, before deciding Wambui, who has also faced press conference yesterday. “This year, QAF has double League to the athletics body, the light participating at the Doha Doha event before going on to whether to run in the meet- questions over her testoster- “Doha is defi nitely the centre reasons to celebrate. We are cel- IAAF is responding to feedback IAAF Diamond League. win the World Championships ing that opens the Diamond one levels but unlike Semenya of the world for athletics in 2019 ebrating ten years of Diamond from the various stakehold- “It is exciting to be here in in Beijing later that year. League season. has not been forced to undergo considering the array of events League in Doha and the reloca- ers – athletes, fans, broadcast- Doha for the fi rst time and to Brianna McNeal on the other Semenya had challenged the tests for hyperandrogenism, and tournaments culminat- tion to the new home of athlete ers, administrators with the start my season at the same hand, the runner-up in 200m measures, introduced by the criticised the IAAF ruling. ing with the 2019 IAAF World at Khalifa International Sta- new format of the league which venue of the 2019 IAAF World at last year’s event, said she is International Association of “This life sometimes is so un- Championships to be held here dium. is scheduled to begin from the Championships. more motivated to perform bet- Athletics Federations (IAAF), fair”, Wambui wrote on Twitter: later in the year. “It is my pleasure to welcome 2020 season. “I can’t wait to compete on ter this year: that will force women with “Everything that happens, hap- The press conference was at- all participants to new venue The 2020 IAAF Diamond the beautiful tracks and I hope “I’m very focused on what higher than normal male pens with a reason Caster.” tended by the Qatar Athletics after nine years of hosting this League will include the very best all goes as planned tomorrow,” I need to do and I’m very pre- hormone levels — so-called “hy- She added: “This is life we Afri- Federation (QAF) President Dr global event at the Qatar Sports 12 meetings, based on the cri- said the British record holder in pared to give my best tomorrow. perandrogenic” athletes — to cans have nothing to say in this Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, Club. We are very pleased that teria developed in 2018, leading the 100m and 200m (10.85 and I hope to improve on my per- artificially lower the amount of world and (there is) nothing we triple European sprint cham- you will be joining us for what to a single fi nal at the end of the 21.89 respectively), achieved at formance last year and I think testosterone in their bodies if can do about it, so pole (sorry) pion, Dina Asher-Smith (GBR), promises to be another exciting season. An agreed 24 disciplines the European Championships I am in the right frame to win,” they are to continue compet- my dear – so painful.” Olympic long jump champion, time of athletics in Qatar.” (12 male and 12 female) will run last August. she said. ing. Indian sprinter Dutee Chand, Tianna Bartoletta of the USA, In his address, Coe said, “The across the 12 meetings and the On his part, Kendricks, who Tom Walsh believes that with The rules will come into eff ect who won a long battle with Olympic pole vault bronze med- IAAF Diamond League is in- fi nal, with the longest discipline is also appearing in Doha for the USA’s Ryan Crouser’s current on May 8 and will apply to authorities over her own allist, Sam Kendricks (USA), creasing in popularity every being the 3,000m. very fi rst time said: throw of 22.74m in 2019, which races over distances of 400m hyperandrogenism, told AFP New Zealand’s world shot put year and we now have about 370 Each meeting will be broad- “Every Diamond League is the longest throw in the world to the mile. that Semenya’s court defeat champion, Tom Walsh and Bri- million people from about 170 cast globally in a faster-paced is important and I’m glad to since 1990 – the bar has already Semenya hinted at quitting was “wrong”, but backed her anna McNeal of the USA, the Ol- countries watching the league 90-minute television event be here. Though for us in the been set so high early in the the sport in a tweet yesterday, to overcome the potentially ympic 110m hurdles champion, annually. which will link the events and States, the season starts a bit season and this is going to be a saying: “Knowing when to walk far-reaching ruling. with other athletes and offi cials. “We feel it there is a need to the athletes’ points so fans can earlier due to the spring season great challenge for every other away is wisdom. Being able to “This is wrong. I feel sad for her, This year’s leg of the IAAF make it bigger and better and more readily follow the road to but this is my fi rst major compe- person to meet up with: is courage. Walking away with she has been made to suff er Diamond League in Doha is pa- that’s what have necessitated a single fi nal at the end of the tition of the year.