FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 Bounedjah, Afi f put Al Sadd in pole position for title Sunday, March 17, 2019 FORMULA 1 Rajab 10, 1440 AH Dominant Hamilton GULF TIMES snatches Australian Grand Prix pole SPORT Page 7 BOXING Unstoppable Sheikh Fahad stretches unbeaten record to 10-0 By Mikhil Bhat “A milestone has been left hands, which were very Going into the Friday’s bout, Doha achieved,” Sheikh Fahad told Gulf straight and accurate. However, Sheikh Fahad had told this news- Times yesterday, referring to his I tried to close the gaps, and put paper that he plans to fi ght in 4-6 tenth pro victory. more pressure, and moved side- bouts this calendar year. atar’s fi rst professional “I feel great and learned a lot ways to fi nd the openings for the Yesterday, he added, “It’s an- boxer Sheikh Fahad from the fi ght. It was a great ex- body shot.” other stepping stone, another bin Khalid al-Thani perience.” Giving some context to his day in the ring, good experience was unstoppable in his Talking about his bout, Sheikh strategy, he spoke about his fi rst and I look forward to continue. Qsuper-welterweight bout in Val- Fahad, who is coached by Ismael fi ght against Racaru. Hopefully the next fi ght is very ladolid, Spain, on Friday. Salas and has Franck Bohec as “When I had fought him the soon, before Ramadan. I will try The 31-year-old stretched his his trainer in Doha, said, “Going fi rst time, I had caught him with to squeeze one in. I need to sit unbeaten record to 10-0, pick- against Marius was very tricky; a very, very strong hook to the with my team and review the next ing up a dominant win over Ro- he is a southpaw with very, very body. However, this time he step forward.” mania’s Marius Racaru, after the good fundamentals and a strong managed to control the distance Sheikh Fahad made a winning southpaw retired in the second amateur background. He was very well. He didn’t allow me to debut against Hungary’s Bela round. tactically correct at the begin- come in close, to throw the same Sandor in May 2016. He has since This was the second time ning of the fi rst round, but I hook, and countered me. How- beaten a string of Romanians, in- that Sheikh Fahad had come up slowly adjusted and tried to fi nd ever, I found success with the cluding Adrian Parlogea (thrice), against Racaru, having fought gaps after weathering the initial right hook, after feigning the jab, Gheorghe Ghiompirica (twice), him two years ago, almost to the storm. which was quite good,” Sheikh Racaru (twice) Ionut Bogheanu day, in Barcelona. “Caught a few of his straight Fahad said. and Dumitru Nicu Manea. Qatar’s Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid al-Thani (left) in action against Romania’s Marius Racaru on Friday. MANATEQ QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY Al-Attiyah cruises to 14th Compatriot Abdulaziz al-Kuwari confirms second; crushing MERC 2 Qatar rally victory win for Kuwait’s Meshari al-Thefiri By Sports Reporter Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Volkswa- Lusail gen Polo GTI R5 1hr 56min 18.8sec 2. Abdulaziz al-Kuwari (QAT)/Mar- shall Clarke (GBR) Skoda Fabia R5 asser Saleh al-Attiyah 1hr 59min 48.4sec cruised through the fi - 3. Hamed bin Eid al-Thani (QAT)/ nal six gravel special Dale Moscatt (AUS) Ford Fiesta stages of the Manateq R5 2hrs 07min 22.4sec NQatar International Rally to seal a 4. Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah (QAT)/ convincing victory by the margin Nicola Arena (ITA) Ford Fiesta R5 of 3min 29.6sec yesterday. 2hrs 08min 58.5sec A record-breaking 14th victory 5. Khalid al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Adel in his home event also marked a Abdulla (QAT) Ford Fiesta R5 2hrs remarkable 70th MERC victory 09min 48.6sec in the 211-event history of the 6. Meshari al-Thefiri (KWT)/ FIA Middle East Rally Cham- Nasser al-Kuwari (QAT) Mitsubi- pionships since 1984. Al-Atti- shi Lancer Evo X (MERC 2) 2hrs yah’s French co-driver Matthieu 10min 47.5sec Baumel duly claimed his third 7. Stefano Marrini (ITA)/Nicolas win in Qatar and a career 18th in Garcia (ARG) Mitsubishi Lancer the MERC. Evo X (MERC 2) 2hrs 29min The success also marked the 21.6sec fi rst outright FIA championship 8. Rashid al-Mohannadi (QAT)/ rally win for Volkswagen’s Polo Yousef Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi GTI R5 that made its debut at the Lancer Evo X (MERC 2) 2hrs WRC in Spain last October and 34min 12.6sec claimed WRC 2 success in Swe- 9. Abdulla al-Kuwari (QAT)/Hugo den in February with Norwegian Magalhaes (POR) Subaru Impreza driver Ole Christian Veiby. Cus- (MERC 2) 2hrs 35min 25.0sec tomer Polos have already won 10. Abdullah al-Ruwahi (OMN)/ national events in Belgium, Nor- Ata Hmoud (JOR) Subaru Impreza way, Sweden and Latvia this year. (MERC 2) 2hrs 51min 04.1sec Al-Attiyah won each of the 11. Henry Kahy (LEB)/Musa Djiy- 11 special stages. He said: “The erian (JOR) Skoda Fabia (MERC 3) fi rst win for the Polo in history 2hrs 53min 19.2sec in the Middle East. The car and 12. Asem Aref (JOR)/Faris al-Tal the team were working very well. Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and his French co-driver Matthieu Baumel celebrate with their trophies on the podium after winning the Manateq Qatar International Rally yesterday. (JOR) Renault Clio (MERC 3) 3hrs We learn a lot from this race. It 35min 07.6sec was fun to drive. I get the feeling ful. It is fantastic to drive. I just with 11th overall and fi rst in the quickly, like I know the car very need a little more experience. I two-wheel drive category. Jor- MANATEQ QATAR well. Now we prepare for Jordan. also drive a little safe to go to the dan’s Asem Aref closed off the NATIONAL RALLY It’s important that we stay in the fi nish.” FIA fi nishers in 12th. POSITIONS AFTER SS11 Middle East Championship.” Veteran Nasser Khalifa al-At- Jarah al-Touqi began the last Baumel added: “I have 18 wins tiyah managed to stave off a late day with a 17min 26.1sec lead in 1. Jarah al-Touqi (OMN)/Issa al- but I am not at the level of Nasser challenge from Khalid al-Suwaidi the Manateq Qatar National Rally Wardi (OMN) Mitsubishi Lancer (70). The last two years we had to conserve fourth overall in the and fi nished with a winning mar- Evo VIII 2hrs 38min 22.3sec problems and we retired here in battle of the two Ford Fiesta R5s. gin of 20min 03.4sec. Hamid al- 2. Zakariyah al-Amri (OMN)/ Qatar. This year, with the new Kuwait’s Meshari al-Thefi ri Qasimi was on a charge over the Abdullah al-Amri (OMN) Subaru car, we were a little bit scared, but mixed it with the R5 cars for fi nal day and managed to pass Impreza 2hrs 58min 25.7sec the car was perfect. No punctures much of the rally before slipping Zakariyah al-Amri to take second also. A small scare with a sensor back to sixth overall after the pe- place before retiring on the last 2019 FIA MIDDLE EAST RALLY set-up last night but, I guess, this nultimate stage. The Mitsubishi stage. CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS was because it was a new car. It driver’s consolation was a mas- Oman-based Briton Shaun was a good week.” sive winning margin of 18min McGonigal failed to restart from 1. Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (QAT) Abdulaziz al-Kuwari got to 34.1sec in MERC 2. third after his Subaru sustained 39pts grips with his Skoda Fabia R5 as Italy’s Stefano Marrini was the suspension bush damage after a 2. Abdulaziz al-Kuwari (QAT) 30 the event progressed and he and leading non-Arab driver in sev- puncture on the fi fth stage. 3. Sheikh Hamed bin Eid al-Thani British co-driver Marshall Clarke enth overall and a distant sec- Action resumes in the region- (QAT) 24 fi nished in a comfortable second ond in MERC 2. Qatar’s Rashid al series in Jordan at the end of 4. Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah (QAT) place. Winners on the podium for the Manateq Qatar International Rally yesterday. al-Mohannadi and Abdulla al- April. 19 Al-Kuwari said: “Good rally Kuwari were eighth and ninth 5. Khalid al-Suwaidi (QAT) 16 and we enjoyed a lot. We were better than second place behind claimed his fi rst podium fi nish “I am so happy about the third and Oman’s Abdullah al-Ruwahi MANATEQ QATAR 6. Meshari al-Thefiri (KWT) 14 safe and clean. This is a good sign Nasser to help me to continue. I at the event since 2010 to give position. I also thank Dale (Mo- rounded off the top 10. INTERNATIONAL RALLY 7. Stefano Marrini (ITA) 7 that I am driving safe. We need congratulate him for the win.” the host nation a fi rst 1-2-3 fi nish scatt), my-co-driver. He taught Defending MERC 3 champion POSITIONS AFTER SS11 8. Rashid al-Mohannadi (QAT) 4 more time in the car in the desert Sheikh Hamed bin Eid al-Tha- since al-Attiyah’s last home win me so much inside the car. This Henry Kahy got the defence of 9. Abdulla al-Kuwari (QAT) 3 to improve the set-up. Nothing ni, the 1993 regional champion, in 2016.