BADMINTON | Page 4 MLB | Page 6 Holder Dodgers nail Axelsen falls seven home to China’s Long runs in rout in quarters of Brewers Saturday, August 4, 2018 GOLF Dhul-Qa’da 22, 1439 AH Tiger gets winning GULF TIMES feeling ahead of year’s last major SPORT Page 5 QNB STARS LEAGUE New-look Qatar SC, Arabi aim to start season in style ‘My ambition is to put Qatar SC in the top rung of the QNB Stars League. To be among the top four... must double our eff orts’ By Sports Reporter host Umm Salal. Doha Al Arabi overcame fi rst-phase slump and fi nished a creditable seventh last season. The Dream he new QNB Stars Team have recruited three new League season is upon professionals — Iraqi Ahmed Ib- us and Qatar SC will be rahim, Brazilian Mailson de Fari- hoping that they can lift as and Colombian Franco. Ttheir fortunes this time around. Arabi coach Luka Bonacic Having fi nished 10th last season, hoped that new players will im- Qatar SC have gone all out to im- prove the team’s fortunes and prove their performance by rop- said many changes in the squad ing in many players. was not in his control. On the eve of their season- “New season brings something opener against Al Gharafa at the new. We made many changes last Al Sadd stadium today, Qatar SC season, with seven or eight play- unveiled their new overseas play- ers being replaced. We have made ers – Hussein Ali, Alaeddin al- some changes this time as well. Dali, Ammar Hamsan and Dodo. But then, many changes have The Kings have also recruited been made at Al Arabi over the Qatari players Rami Fayez and past few seasons. Players leaving Ahmed Moeen. All six have been the club is not under my control. hired for one season. It is up to the team management,” Qatar SC coach Abdulla Mu- said Bonacic. barak set out his ambition for Meanwhile, Al Khor are under the new season, saying he wants a new coach — Tunisian Adel to see the club in top four. “My Sellimi who replaced compatriot ambition is to put Qatar SC in Nassif al-Bayawi when the latter the top rung of the QNB Stars left for Al Kharaitiyat. They will League. To be among the top four rely on Iraqis Ahmed Yasin and is a diffi cult target to achieve. For Rebin Sulaka, as well as Brazil’s that, we must double our eff orts,” Diego Oksta and Gabon’s Ulysse Mubarak said. Nadong to deliver the goods. The clash between Al Sailiya and Umm Salal will evoke keen interest among the fans. Al Saili- ya were in the fourth place for most part of last season, but were pushed behind by Umm Salal in the fi ght for the fi fth spot. In fact, The Orange Fortress were very much in the race for the fourth position, which they lost to Al Qatar SC roped in six players on the eve of their QNB Stars League opener yesterday, including four foreign players and two Qatari players — Rami Fayez and Ahmed Moeen. Gharafa. Al Sailiya retained the serv- He expects a tough match Dutch attacking midfi elder ices of Algerian Nadir Belhadj and against Gharafa and said his team Wesley Sneijder, Iranian striker signed Moroccan striker Rachid had a short period to prepare for Mehdi Taremi and Slovakian Tiberkanine from Al Kharaitiyat. the new season. “The prepara- midfi elder Vladimir Weiss, who Umm Salal have kept Ivorian Yan- tory period was very short. One missed most of last season with nick Sagbo, Syrian Mahmoud Ma- month was not enough for the an injury. Gourcuff who will be was and Moroccan Adel Rhaili on players to gear up for the sea- hoping the trio will deliver as he their roster while adding Nigerian son. However, we could make an makes his tactical plans around striker Christian Osaguona. elaborate plan for the tourna- the trio. ment. We made the best use of Gourcuff said: “All teams are SCHEDULE our time. We played six friendly staying focused, particularly at TODAY games and tried out three dif- the beginning of the new sea- 5:35pm: Al Gharafa vs Qatar SC ferent combinations. All players son. And we are no diff erent. We at Al Sadd stadium; Al Arabi vs were seen in action and I am so are concentrating much on our Al Khor at Khalifa International happy that they adapted well,” game against Qatar SC. We had stadium Mubarak said. a very good training camp in the 7:45pm: Al Sailiya vs Umm Salal “We have tried to strike the Netherlands ahead of the start at Khalifa International Stadium right balance in our squad. We of the new season. And then, we are up against a strong team in played in a tournament in Sala- TOMORROW the fi rst match. Gharafa had put lah, Oman. We want to see how 5:35pm: Al Kharaitiyat vs Al Sadd up a strong performance against Al Khor’s new coach Adel Sellimi and Al Arabi coach Luka Bonacic speak to the media. we can improve on our game fur- at Khalifa International stadium; CS Sfaxien (Tunisian club) at the ther” Al Shahania vs Al Duhail at Kha- Salalah tournament in Oman re- Al Gharafa, who just about the Qatar Cup, have Frenchman gun, who joined them midway enth position, where the team In the day’s other two matches, lifa International stadium cently. But we are confi dent,” he managed to fi nish fourth last Christian Gourcuff at the helm. through last season and helped stood at the end of fi rst phase. Al Arabi will open their campaign 7:45pm: Al Rayyan vs Al Ahli at Al added. season and thereby qualifi ed for He replaced Turk Bulent Uy- the Cheetahs go up from the sev- Al Gharafa have the likes of against Al Khor, while Al Sailiya Sadd stadium ATHLETICS Silver, bronze medals for Qatari table IAAF approves 2019 calendar with Worlds fi nale in Doha tennis at Arab Championship QNA Doha s part of the push to onships in Doha in September. pean indoor halls with the last with its fi nale at the 2019 World May 25: Shanghai, China establish a more co- “We are now seeing the results competition on February 20 in Championships in Doha. June 2: Stockholm, Sweden herent global competi- of the work that we have under- Dusseldorf. June 6: Roma, Italy he Qatar U-21 Youth Table Tennis Team won the silver tion calendar, the IAAF taken to review the calendar and The tenth Diamond League WORLD INDOOR TOUR 2019 June 13: Oslo, Norway medals in the 26th Arab Championship, which was held ACouncil has approved the dates ensure that athletes, fans, meet season will start in Doha on May January 26: Boston, USA June 16: Rabat, Morocco in Egypt, after losing 1-3 to Egypt in the final match. of the two major international organisers and media are better 3 and continue in Shanghai three February 2: Karlsruhe, Germany June 28-29: Eugene, USA (loca- Meanwhile, the Junior Table Tennis team won the circuits for the 2019 season, the served by a high quality season weeks later (May 25), begin- T February 6: Torun, Poland tion TBA) bronze medal after a 3-2 victory over Iraq in the third and fourth Diamond League and the World of events,” IAAF president Se- ning a stretch of nine weeks in February 8: Madrid, Spain July 5: Lausanne, Switzerland place match. Indoor Tour. bastian Coe said. which there will be one Diamond February 16: Birmingham, Great July 12: Monaco On the other hand, the regular general assembly of the Arab The schedules for the top-tier The 2019 World Indoor Tour League meeting per week. There Britain July 20-21: London, Great Britain Table Tennis Federation will be held today afternoon on the outdoor and indoor competi- will be composed of six indoor will then a four-week break be- February 20: Dusseldorf, August 18: Birmingham, Great sidelines of the Arab Championship in Cairo, under its chairman tions next year are designed to meetings, starting in the US on fore two more meetings and the Germany Britain Khalil Ahmed al-Mohannadi, the First Vice President of Interna- give athletes more consistent January 26 with the meeting in two fi nals in Zurich (August 29) August 24: Paris, France tional Table Tennis Federation, in the presence of representa- competition as they prepare for Boston. The following fi ve meet- and Brussels (September 6). The DIAMOND LEAGUE 2019 August 29: Zurich, Switzerland tives of 17 federations. the 2019 IAAF World Champi- ings will be hosted in the Euro- track season will then culminate May 3: Doha, Qatar September 6: Brussels, Belgium Gulf Times 2 Saturday, August 4, 2018 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT Vidal set to quit Bayern for Barcelona: reports Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal is report- edly on the verge of signing for Bar- celona after briefly leaving the Bayern Munich training camp yesterday. The 31-year-old midfielder was whisked Guardiola says City away from Bayern’s pre-season base with the club’s director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic, reportedly to finalise details. He returned for afternoon train- ing and several media outlets claim an announcement of his transfer to Barce- lona is imminent. According to Spanish newspapers, Barcelona are prepared to will only make a move pay a 30-million-euro transfer fee. Vidal would reportedly receive a three-year contract and earn around 9mn euros per season with the Spanish giants.