SKIING | Page 4 Ribs hurting, but Vonn still has another gear left Saturday, February 9, 2019 FOOTBALL Jumada II 4, 1440 AH Klopp excited by GULF TIMES title fight with Manchester City SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL TENNIS South Korean Federer more interested in star Nam joins titles, not top ranking Reuters Federer said he plans to play the Sadd from Duhail Dubai Championships in February Geneva and Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami in March before deciding The 27-year-old will join compatriot Jung Woo-young at Al Sadd. He will oger Federer is no longer which tournaments he would play in chasing the top ranking and the leadup to the French Open. also team up with Spanish stars Xavi Hernandez and Gabi Fernandez would rather be a contender Federer, speaking at a launch for Rat Grand Slams than battling the Laver Cup which is being held in Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal to be Geneva from Sept. 20-22, hoped that world number one, the Swiss tennis compatriot Stan Wawrinka and world great said yesterday. number one Djokovic would join him The 20-times Grand Slam champi- and Spaniard Nadal on the European on has held back the clock in the twi- team. light of his remarkable career and be- Federer, who is from Basel, said he came the ATP’s oldest world number was happy to be back in Switzerland one last year a few weeks after clinch- for a few weeks, spending time with ing his sixth Australian Open at the friends and family while training. age of 36. Sweden’s Bjorn Borg is captain of Federer saw his bid for a seventh the Europe team at the event named title at Melbourne Park crushed last after Australian tennis great Rod month by up-and-coming Greek Ste- Laver. fanos Tsitsipas in the last 16 and hav- Nadal has announced he will join ing slipped to sixth in the rankings, he his perennial rival in the Laver Cup, says his priorities have shifted. which pits the best of Europe against “For me the ranking, at 37 years old, a world team still to be named. is no longer really the priority,” he told “I can’t wait. We talked about it in a news conference in Geneva. Melbourne, we talked about how ex- “But the idea for me is to be in good cited he (Nadal) was and me too that health, to know that I can win tourna- we’re going to be on the same team ments, to know that I can beat them again,” Federer said. (Djokovic and Nadal), and after that it “We don’t know the opponents’ is a pleasure. team quite yet, it’s a good thing Rafa “As soon as you feel that you have is going to be on my team, and it’s on no chance and all, then it’s a problem. home soil for me in Switzerland, it’s Even if my ranking goes down further, indoors, I like indoors,” he said. it’s not a problem for me. As long as Tickets for the third edition of I say I can win a Grand Slam as I did the tournament, following events two years ago with a world ranking of in Prague and Chicago, went on sale 17, everything is in place. I prefer to be yesterday, with the best seats at the ranked 17th than third and not win a fi ve-session event going for a whop- Grand Slam or tournament.” ping 2,820 Swiss francs ($2,817.46). Nam Tae-hee poses with Al Sadd GM Turki al-Ali after inking a deal with the top Qatar side for three years. AFC Nam suff ered the torn ACL in his do on the pitch. I want to contribute Doha right knee during South Korea’s friend- in every match,” Nakajima, who will be ly match against Uzbekistan in Novem- wearing the No 10 jersey, said. ber, forcing him to miss the AFC Asian The former FC Tokyo player was in- atar’s Al Sadd have signed Cup UAE 2019, where the East Asians cluded in Japan’s AFC Asian Cup UAE South Korean attacking mid- campaign ended in the quarter-fi nal. 2019 squad but a calf injury forced his fi elder Nam Tae-hee from Nam has six goals in 44 appearances for withdrawal. After having missed out on domestic rivals Al Duhail on Korea Republic. the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, Naka- Qa three-year contract. Meanwhile, Japanese international jima has emerged as a key player under Nam, who is currently recover- Shoya Nakajima is eager to get his Al Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu. ing from a torn anterior cruciate liga- Duhail career started after signing for Ironically for Nakajima, Japan lost ment (ACL) injury, will join Qatar Stars the Qatar Stars League champions. 3-1 to Qatar in the UAE 2019 fi nal and League (QSL) leaders Al Sadd in the Al Duhail recently announced the among his teammates at Al Duhail will 2019-20 season. signing of Nakajima from Portuguese be tournament MVP Almoez Ali, whose Nam, who made his pro debut with top-fl ight side Portimonense on a four spectacular opener against the Samurai French side Valenciennes in 2009, is and a half years contract, having earlier Blue saw him setting a new AFC Asian highly regarded in Qatar. strengthened their ranks by bringing in Cup record of nine goals, one more than He won fi ve QSL titles and two Qatar Morocco international Medhi Benatia the previous record of eight held by Is- Amir Cup trophies since moving there from Italian giants Juventus. lamic Republic of Iran’s Ali Daei. in 2012. In 2017, Nam was named the Nakajima said he was excited about Besides helping Al Duhail’s domes- MVP of the league. the transfer. “I made the decision be- tic campaign, Nakajima will also be The 27-year-old will join compatriot cause everything about the club was at- counted on to spearhead the Qatar’s Jung Woo-young at Al Sadd. He will tractive,” the 24-year-old attacker said. club’s 2019 AFC Champions League also team up with Spanish stars Xavi Nakajima is a welcome addition to challenge. Hernandez and Gabi Fernandez. Shoya Nakajima is eager to start the Al Duhail ranks as they get set to They are in Group C with Saudi Ara- Al Sadd currently have a two-point his Al Duhail career. resume their league campaign follow- bia’s Al Hilal, Al Ain of the UAE and lead over reigning QSL champions ing a two-month break for the AFC Iran’s Esteghlal FC, who they face in the Al Duhail with the 2018-19 season to Iran’s Persepolis, Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli Asian Cup. opening tie on March 6. resume on February 15 after a two- and a play-off winner. Al Duhail went into the break in sec- Al Duhail’s 2018 campaign was end- month break. Nam’s exit from Al Duhail was some- ond place, two points behind Al Sadd ed by Iran’s Persepolis in the quarter- Their 2019 AFC Champions League what expected as the club recently after 15 matches. They will play their fi nals but with Nakajima in the ranks, season will also kick-off next month signed Japanese attacker Shoya Naka- fi rst game at home on February 16. the Qatar club will be aiming for a more Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer pose on a boat during a promotion event for with Al Sadd drawn in Group D with jima. “It’s important to show what I can successful 2019. the Laver Cup tennis tournament on Lake Geneva in Geneva yesterday. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, February 9, 2019 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT French Football congratulates al-Khelaifi on election to UEFA committee rench football’s major stake- executive committee. I am sure that commitment to developing European committee. It is a great honour and, to- holders congratulated Paris the presence of Florence Hardouin and football.” gether with ECA President Andrea Ag- Saint-Germain chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi will enable us to bet- Al-Khelaifi ’s election to UEFA’s ex- nelli, we will continue to work closely Nasser al-Khelaifi for his ter co-ordinate our messages for the ecutive committee is an acknowledge- with UEFA to develop professional Fnomination as ECA representative on harmonious development of competi- ment of his work at the helm of PSG football in the interests of all stake- the UEFA executive committee. Noel tions and European football. I would over the last eight years and as part of holders. Le Graet, President of the French Foot- also like to congratulate Aleksander the Executive Board of the French Pro- “Today was my fi rst UEFA Congress ball Federation, said: “I am very pleased Ceferin on his re-election, as he will fessional League since 2015. Al-Khelaifi and it was extremely informative. The about Nasser al-Khelaifi ’s election. be able to continue the mission he em- will represent the clubs’ interests at a fi gures presented have shown an im- The presence of Paris Saint-Germain’s barked upon two years ago.” crucial time for the future of profes- pressively balanced structure between chairman on the executive committee Premiere Ligue, the association sional football in Europe, marked by the clubs and national associations. I was can only be a bonus.” of professional French clubs, stated: emergence of new media and the over- also struck by all the inspiring work Nathalie Boy de la Tour, President of “Premiere Ligue is delighted about the haul of European competitions.