Sport MONDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2020 NadalN not interested in excuses after Rome exit WeW can find excuses, but I didn’t play well enough. It was not my ninight. He played a great match, I think, and I didn’t. TheseTh things can happen. After such a long time without com- pepeting, I played two good matches, and now I played a bad one agagainst a good opponent. Spain's Rafael Nadal Sport |10 TOUR DE FRANCE FINAL STANDINGS: 1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) 87:20:05, 2. Primož Roglic (SLO) +59, 3. Richie Porte (AUS) +3:30, 4. Mikel Landa (ESP) +5:58 Table Tennis: Qatar to host Asian Championships in 2021 THE PENINSULA – DOHA that the new generation of Qatari table tennis players would benefit Qatar will stage the 2021 Men’s and from this historic hosting. Women’s Asian Table Tennis Cham- “I am confident that our youth will pionships, it was announced come into contact with the best- yesterday. ranked players in the region,” Al The Qatar Table Tennis Associ- Mohannadi, who is also the First Vice ation (QTTA) yesterday confirmed the Presidents of the Asian and Interna- much-sought after event will be held tional Table Tennis Federations, said. in Doha in September next year. “Also, it will be another oppor- The new decision has been con- tunity for Qatar to host yet another firmed following the withdrawal of world-class event. We have top-notch China and India who were part of the which was held via video South Korea. So it will be like a mini- sporting infrastructure in Qatar,” he bidding race. conference. world championship.” added. Qatar hosted the same event in President of QTTA and Arab Table He added: “We are very happy Al Mohanndi confirmed Doha will 2000 and will now stage the Asian Tennis Federation, Khalil bin Ahmed with the honour that the State of Qatar also host the next Annual General championships for the second time. Al Mohannadi, said: “We will have the has been chosen as the hosts for the Assembly of the ITTF during the same QTTA yesterday said the Asian honour to host the best players of the second time. I thank the members of week. Table Tennis Union (ATTU) chose region especially the ones from East the General Assembly for choosing us Doha has been hosting the annual President of QTTA and Arab Table Tennis Qatar to host the championships at Asian countries like China, Japan, after China and India quit the race.” Qatar Open table tennis event for Federation, Khalil bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi their ATTU Executive Office meeting India, Hong Kong, China Taipei and Al Mohannadi expressed the hope more than two decades. ACL: Xavi’s men eye spot in Round of 16 Holders Al Hilal SFC seal berth in ACL Goal-hungry Al Sadd target knockout stage AFC – DOHA win against in-form Al Nassr Reigning champions Al Hilal SFC confirmed their place in the 2020 AFC Champions League Round of 16 with a 0-0 draw against FAWADA HUSH SSAIN “AAl NaN sssr hah vev a goood defeencce anand Islamic Republic of Iran’s Shahr Our goal is to win and THEH PENINSSULAULL tht eye hava e nonot coconcn eeddedd anyy goalsls Khodro FC on Matchday Five of to qualify for the next heree so faf r.r. Butu we hahaveve a goood ata tat ckk Group B yesterday. round. We have to QQataar fof ottbaall giai ntn s AlA Saddd wiwilll be ana d ouo r aaim iss to ssccorore moorere goalsls When the two teams met YESTERDAY’S RESULTS givegive our best and we aimim ngng to secuurer theeir plaacec in ththe thana ouurr oppp ono ene tt.. Thaat isi ourr wayy. earlier in the year, Andre Carillo GROUP B Rounnd of 16 tooday when they clasa h Thheyey arere gooood inin defefeence, wew are and Bafetimbi Gomis found the Al Hilal SFC (KSA) 0-0 Shahr Khodro (IRN) cannotcannot relax,relax, wiw thh Saua dii Ararabib a’a s Al Nassrs in ththe ggoodd in ata ttackk. WWe waannt toto dominnate,e net in a 2-0 Al Hilal win, and especiallyespecially againstagainst GROUP A AFA C ChC ama piionons Leagueu (ACCL). crreeate chances to score. Thehe plal yerss Shahr Khodro have lost all their Esteghlal FC (IRN) 1-1 Al Shorta (IRQ) thesethese kindkind ofof teams.teams. The WoW lvveses – placec d second in arre coomfm ortablb e withh this wwayy,” heh games since. GROUP B ItIt couldcould be oneone ofof thethe Grouup D wiw th 8 pointn s beb hiindd Al saaid. A severely depleted Al Hilal Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) 0-0 Pakhtakor (UZB) bestbest games in the Naasss r (10 popointss) - willl entter theheiir “The challenge for us iss to sccoro e side with only three substitutes, TODAY'S FIXTURES hoh mem turf at Jassis m BiB n Haammaad annd also take care of defeennce.e Thihis is two of whom were goalkeepers, competition.competition. GROUP C StStada iuium seeeke ing vivicttory too advvaanncece whwhat happened in the seecond gaamme took to the pitch and looked Persepolis FC (IRN) vs Al Duhail SC (QAT) too the Rouo ndn of 166 with thhe SaSauddi aga aainst Al Ain. The prrobblelem isis not lively early on as they created At Education City Stadium (18:00) XaviXavi HernandezHernandez siided lookiing to contntinnue theh irr doomm- wiitth the defence, thhe reespsponnsis bbilil tyy chances in the first 20 minutes Al Taawoun FC (KSA) vs Sharjah (UAE) Al SaddSadd coachcoach ini atatioon in theh grooup afterr connfif rmining ooff not conceding lies withh thhee enntire without converting. At Education City Stadium (21:00) tht eir sps ot in tht e knoco kout stat ge. teteaam,”, Xavi added. It took 38 minutes for the GROUP D AlA Nasa srsr havve non t concn ededd a goaal MeM anwhile, Al Nassr hheeada cooachh first big chance to come, which Al Sadd SC (QAT) vs Al Nassr (KSA) sincce the coc ntn innentat l evvent resusumem d RuRui VVitoria yesterday saaidd hisi teeaam fell to Shahr Khodro but At Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (18:00) ini Qata ar and theh y arre thhe seecoondn sidde wwiilll look to continuue winnnninng rurun inn Madallah Al Olayan intercepted Sepahan FC (IRN) vs Al Ain FC (UAE) too cononceded lese s gooalals (3( ) inn thih s yey arar’ss today’s match. and headed away their shot At Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (21:00) edditi ioi n beehih nd Al HiH laal (2). Al Sadddd, “We have sealed qualiifficcaatioonn, but from the left flank, conceding a onn theh other hana d,d arere thee higi heh sts AlA Sada d still needd a ressulult heherer to corner. sccorinng teamm in thhe coompete ittioon wiithth qualify,y thoh uggh both teaammss arree in a Instantly after, Mansour Al Bishi missed a sitter after Nasser a doozez n ofof goaalsl , alalrereaddy.y sos mewhw at simmilaar poso iti ioonn. We wantt Al Dawsari regained the ball high up the field and a conse- All Sada d heh add coaoachh Xavavi Hernn- to keep winnini g to proovee ourur quaalil tyy quent string of passes ended when Hatan Bahebri intelligently ananded z raated Al Nasssr as ono e ofo theh top ana d mmeentn allitty,y ” sas id Vitororiiaa. cut the ball back to Al Bishi, who with the slightest of touches sidees inn Asiia, sayinng hih s teeam will haavee “TTheh game wiill be didifficcullt put it over the net from a few yards out. to be focuused too wiin theh matatchh. becausu e off the oppposittionn’’s quq alitty.y Shahr Khodro almost got their first ever AFC Champions “OOur goaal iss to wiw n and to qualiiffy WeW havve ququala ity too,o so wew cann League goal when Mohammad Khalatbary received a short foor the neextt roundnd. WeW havve to givive exexpep ct a goood gamem . We arer awaarer corner and lifted a cross over the penalty area which was met our beests and we cannn oto rellax, ese pee- ofof theeirir indndivividuaual and teeamm by a rising Farshad Faraji, but the latter headed high. cic allly agaaini stt theh ses kinnd ofo teae mss. Itt atattrtribi utu ese , sos we wiw lll enjoyy the gama e Bahebri missed a golden chance to put his team ahead coulu d bee onen of tht e beb st gammess in the annd hopefullly geet a gogoodo ressulult. Our and add his second of the tournament 20 minutes from time, coc mpm etittion,n ” saaidd Xavi aheae d of thhee phphililosopo hih eses do non t chchangee, bub t wew when Carillo received a ball on the edge of the area and mamatcch.h. mamakke minnoror tweeakks ttoo couunterr diff- dribbled inside before tapping it gently for the Saudi interna- “WWe arre sppeae kiing of a sts rongn teaam feferrent oppppossititioon.n ” tional who lashed a stinging shot at Mohammad Kia, but the ththata is cacapap blle ofo reaachchinng the “BBoth teeamams arre bibig,g boto h hah vev young keeper parried away. semi-finnalal, ana d sos we muusstt ssoomeme reaallly ggooodod pllayey rsrs, and bobothh The result sees Al Hilal through to the Round of 16, while beb wele l prprepeparreded,”, he sasaiid hhaavee a winnniningg menntaalil tyy. AlA l mym Shahr Khodro, already eliminated on Matchday Three, took bebeforee addd inng that hiss teeaam ppllayere s arre rereadady,y andn theh linne-e upup willl their first ever point in their AFC Champions League history. wiw lll hava e tot coonntitinun e bbee deccidedd as wee seee fitit tecchnici ala lyy,”” In other matches yesterday, Amir Arsalan Motahari can- plp aya inng atattat ckkiing fofoottbaallll.