I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y OCTOBER 21, 2019 SPORTS 15 Iran’s Moradi to participate Maghsoodloo keeps clean sheet at Grand Swiss at 49th Challenge “210” tournament 2019 IRNA — Iran’s young chess player Parham Maghsoodloo TEHRAN — Iranian SPORTS drew with two Russian rivals to maintain his clean sheet deskweightlifter Sohrab Moradi in FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss tournament 2019. has started his training in Hanover, Germany Parham Maghsoodloo drew against top seed Sergey to prepare for the 49th Challenge “210”. Karjakin and Nikita Vitiugov from Russia on Friday and The competition will be held in Tramelan, Saturday to keep a draw streak in the international event. Switzerland from October 24 to 27. The Iranian chess player has a rating of 2664 and This competition is a bronze tier qualifying stands 7th with 6 out of 9 points in FIDE Chess.com event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and acts Grand Swiss tournament 2019. as one of the six necessary competitions that Maghsoodloo is Iran’s second best chess player and the can fulfill qualification. only Iranian that has taken part in the prestigious event. The new system of Olympic Qualification FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss tournament 2019 is requires weightlifters to compete on six oc- taking place from 10th-21st October at the Comis Hotel casions in the 18-month qualification period, and Golf Resort in Isle of Man. which kicked off on Nov. 1, 2018 and runs The Winner of the FIDE Grand Swiss event qualifies through April 30, 2020. for the next 2020 Candidates Tournament. 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist Kianoush The event will be played in 11 rounds, Swiss system. Rostami (96kg) and 2017 Weightlifting World The time control is 100 minutes for the first 40 moves Championships silver medalist, Saeid Ali- followed by 50 minutes for the next 20 moves followed hosseini (+109kg), have been left off Iran’s by 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment weightlifting team for the 49th Challenge “210”. of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1. Moradi, Rio 2016 gold medalist, underwent Total prize fund of the event is 432,500 USD, with 70,000 shoulder surgery in Germany in August. He USD reserved for the Winner of the event. missed the 2019 Weightlifting World Cham- The FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss 2019 is organized pionships in Pattaya, Thailand in September by IOM International Chess Limited. due to lack of preparation. Moradi broke weightlifting›s longest stand- ing world record on his way to gold in the men›s 94kg class at the 2018 Asian Games. Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic He lifted 189kg in the opening discipline to better the snatch record set at 188kg in confident ‘scoring touch’ 1999 by Greece›s Akakios Kakiasvilis. Moradi has won World Championships will return two times at the 2017 Anaheim and 2018 Ashgabat. Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic said he is looking for He also won Asian Championships twice his “scoring touch” but is confident it will come back as he in 2009 Taldykorgan and 2012 Pyeongtaek. fights for more playing time with the Blues. Moradi claimed a gold medal in the 2018 The United States international didn’t get on the score- Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. board as a 64th minute substitute in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday but was involved in the buildup to Marco Alonso’s 74th-minute winner. Persepolis defeat Paykan in Iran Iran beaten by Bahrain at 2020 Pulisic’s surging run into the box drew several Newcastle defenders to him, his low centering feed found Callum Professional League Olympics qualification Hudson-Odoi, who set up Alonso’s low strike. Pulisic nearly scored himself later but instead fed it to Tammy Abraham, only for the forward’s shot to be deflected out by Newcastle defender and fellow U.S. international DeAndre Yedlin. “It was a really good game, happy for the team, had a strong performance, they defended really well, and I was happy to make an impact,” Pulisic told ESPN after the match. It was a solid performance for Pulisic, who is still search- ing for his first goal with Chelsea since his $73 million summer move from Borussia Dortmund. He scored 13 goals during his three-year stint with the German club, along with 14 goals on international duty. “I was going to shoot last-second, but I saw Tammy wide open and then DeAndre made an unbelievable block, so maybe I should have shot it,” Pulisic told ESPN on the scoring chance. “I just don’t have that scoring touch but I know it will come back.” Pulisic had a forgettable international break with the U.S., who beat Cuba in CONCACAF Nations League action SPORTS TEHRAN — Persep- but their strikers lacked of the cutting edge. SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran top of the group with this win. but then suffered a shock loss to Canada in Toronto. In deskolis football team de- In the 82nd minute, Ahmad Noorollahi deskhandball team lost to In Group A, Saudi Arabia defeat- the latter match, Pulisic was visibly frustrated after being feated Paykan 2-1 in Iran professional opened the goal with a header. Bahrain 29-26 at the Duhail Handball ed Hong Kong 41-6 and hosts Qatar subbed off early by U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter. League (IPL) on Sunday. Persepolis striker Mehdi Abdi, who Sports Hall in Doha at the 2019 AHF thrashed India 40-10. (Source: Soccernet) In the match held at the Azadi empty came off the bench in the 66th minute, Men’s Asian qualification on Sunday. The top two teams of each group stadium, Mehdi Torabi gave the hosts into was sent off in the 83rd minute for a vi- Iran, who had started the cam- advance to the semi-finals and then the lead in the 19th minute. olent conduct. paign with a 28-27 against South final, with the winner booking their Saeid Vasei equalized the match with Pars Jonoubi played out a goalless Korea in Group B, will play Kuwait ticket through to the Tokyo 2020 Official Emblem for Qatar a long-range shot in the 36th minute. draw with Sanat Naft. on Tuesday. Olympic Games. The runner-up will Persepolis put Paykan under pressure in Earlier on the day, Foolad defeated South Korea defeated Kuwait 36- qualify for the IHF Olympic quali- 2019 revealed the second half and created some chances Machine Sazi 3-2. 32 in the group. Bahrain remained fication in April. With just over 50 days to go until kick-off, the countdown is well and truly on for the upcoming FIFA Club World The race for the Golden Boot Cup Qatar 2019. When Bafetimbi Gomis bagged a brace in The attacking midfielder scored four The Official Emblem unveiled on Friday embodies the the first leg of the 2019 AFC Champions goals in his first three games, but sat pinnacle of global club football while highlighting the cul- League semi-final against Al Sadd, not only out from Matchday Five until the first tural history of the host country. did he make up for his earlier own goal en leg of the quarter-finals, returning to route to a 4-1 victory, he also moved joint score the decisive goal to oust holders top of the scoring charts. Kashima Antlers. Gomis and Leonardo – who has left Al However, the 25-year-old will need Wahda to join Shabab Al Ahli since the to perform wonders to help Guangzhou Emirati side were eliminated – are tied overhaul a two-goal deficit against Ura- with nine goals apiece, but with the Saudi wa and leave himself in with a chance of team potentially having three more games finishing as leading scorer. to play, the Frenchman is the favorite to win A goal every 122 minutes is superior the top scorer award come November 24. to Koroki and, despite playing four few- But, while one more goal would see the er games, he has registered more shots Al Hilal target man take pole position, there (22-19) than the Urawa striker. He will, remains a chasing pack who will have one though, need to improve a shooting ac- eye on the accolade. Ahead of the semi-final curacy of just 50%. second legs next week, the-AFC.com takes Leonardo Guangzhou Evergrande, Shinzo Koroki, Akram Afif a closer look at the contenders. (Al Wahda – 9 goals) two behind Gomis, remains a serious threat (Al Sadd – 4 goals) Bafetimbi Gomis The fact Leonardo remains in the race for the top scorer prize. Like Talisca, for Al Sadd’s leading (Al Hilal – 9 goals) to be crowned top scorer is largely down to The diminutive Japanese forward scorer Akram Afif to finish on top of the Having joined Al Hilal from Turkish a hugely impressive four-goal haul against netted four goals in his side’s victorious pile would take some doing given that the giants Galatasaray in mid-2018, the 34-year- Al Rayyan in the group stage. 2017 campaign but has hit even greater Qatari side start the second leg against Al The most striking element of the Official Emblem reima- old’s introduction to Asian football could The Brazilian registered eight goals in heights this time round, particularly in Hilal 4-1 down. gines a football as a pearl, in recognition of one of Qatar’s hardly have gone any better, with nine total in the group stage as the Abu Dhabi the knockout rounds.