SPORT Tuesday 6 February 2018 PAGE | 26 PAGE | 28-29 PAGE | 30 ResilientRes Barcelona Gutsy Eagles fly high Froome to start set sights on record with maiden Super season in Spain League start Bowl glory under doping cloudd Umm Salal banking on new coach Talal THE PENINSULA DOHA: Umm Salal’s new coach Talal El Karkouri got down to business by ready- ing the players, in the presence of the club’s Pres- ident Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani, ahead of their Week 16 game against Al Khor which will be played on Friday. RIGHT: Qatar Football Association (QFA) President, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed speaks during an event Umm Salal, currently hosted to honour Qatar Under-23 team which won the bronze medal at the AFC Under-23 Championship in China placed fifth in the QSL recently. TOP: Qatar Under-23 players attend the ceremony. Pictures by: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula standings with 21 points, had parted ways with Egyptian coach Mahmoud Jaber by mutual consent following their goalless draw with Al Arabi last week and handed QFA President fetes U-23 stars over his task to former Morocco defender El Kark- THE PENINSULA the stars of the Olympic team another significant milestone. I bright future, and that is what ouri, who is familiar with members including the 21-year- hope they will win the next touched him through his work Qatar football having played DOHA: The Qatar Football Asso- old Al Duhail striker Almoez Ali championship and qualify for the with them. The players showed for Qatar SC and Umm Salal. ciation (QFA) President, Sheikh who scored six goals in the Olympics. The achievement great performance during the Umm Salal Sports Club Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed championship and was named We wanted to compete obtained in China for Qatari championships notably that after Vice-President Sheikh Al Thani received the Qatar U-23 top scorer of the tournament. and win the title but football has been the result of the the tragedy against Vietnam in Tamim bin Mohammed Al national team yesterday to The QFA President wel- our Olympic team did hard work and effort of the tech- the semi-finals penalty shoot- Thani, who is also their Foot- honour the players following comed all the stars of the Annabi their best and worked nical and administrative staff as out, they quickly regained their ball Head, said, “Talal El their third place victory in the Olympic team as well as the hard and earned well as the players,” QFA Presi- balance and stood on their feet Karkouri knows a lot about AFC U-23 Championship which technical and administrative dent said. again to win the third and fourth Umm Salal and we are very was held in China recently. staff, and congratulated them for third place in the Ivan Bravo thanked the Pres- place match.” confident he’ll help us The ceremony was attended their achievement of winning championship: Sheikh ident of QFA for honouring the Saeed Al Misnad also achieve our target of finish- by Director General of Aspire Asian U-23 bronze medal. Hamad bin Khalifa bin Olympic team and said: “The thanked the QFA President for ing in the top four. After the Academy, Ivan Bravo, Technical He said: “We wanted to com- Ahmed Al Thani support of the QFA under the his support for the team and his last match, we decided to go Advisor of the National Teams pete and win the title but our leadership of Sheikh Hamad bin interest in this distinguished for a change for the good of Department of QFA, Saeed Al Olympic team did their best and Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani is group of players. the team.” Misnad, Project Manager of the worked hard and earned third who we will depend on, along one of the reasons for this suc- He said: “The team has made Sheikh Tamim thanked European Project for Players at place in the championship. with the youth team players who cess and the reasons for a great effort to achieve this Mahmoud for all the efforts Aspire Academy, Talal Al Kaabi, “The bronze medal is the will take part to the next AFC achieving third place in Asia.” achievement for their country, he had made with the team the technical staff led by Span- beginning of the road and not the U-23 Championship, which will Coach Sanchez said: “This but at the same time they must since the middle of last sea- ish coach Felix Sanchez, QFA end of it. There is a large number allow them to potentially qual- team includes a number of showcase ongoing effort to con- son and wish him success in Head of Media Ali Al Salat and of players in the Olympic team, ify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, promising players who have a tinue the journey.” his future endeavours. Neymar turnsturns 26 AFP PARIS: Former Brazil great Ronaldo turnedrned up alongside a host of Paris Saint-Germain starsars andand international team-mates to celebrate Neymar’seymar’s birthday at a glitzy reception in central ParisParis on Sunday. Edinson Cavani and PSG coach Unai EmeryEmery were notably among the reported 150 guestsuests in attendance, while Marseille midfielder Luizuiz Gus-Gus- Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari tavo and Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesussus alsoalso attended the event. President Nasser Al Khelaifi Al Sadd players in action during a training session on Sunday. (right) arrives at the Pavillon Neymar, the world’s most expensive footballerotballer Cambon in Paris to attend the following his €222m ($264m) move from BarceBarce-- birthday party of Paris Saint- lona in August, turned 26 yesterday. Germain’s Brazilian forward He has scored 27 goals in 26 matches in all com-com- Khoukhi ruled out, Neymar on Sunday. petitions for the Parisians in his first six monthsonths at the club. Akram joins training ahead of Qatar Clasico THE PENINSULA the Al Sadd ranks from Span- ish club Villarreal, were put Al Khulaifi wins bronze in Athens DOHA: Al Sadd’s Boualem through their paces on Sunday Khoukhi has been ruled out of evening by Portuguese coach their Qatar Clasico against Al Jesualdo Ferreira. Those who THE PENINSULA Khulaifi brothers who all are Rayyan as he is nursing a joined the practice session also into competitive swimming. muscle tear on his left foot, included Salem Al Hajri, who is ATHENS: Qatari swimmer The eldest, 18-year-old, Noah sustained during their 3-1 win back after representing Qatar Yousef Al Khulaifi (pictured) on Al Khulaifi, competed in the over Qatar SC in Week 15 of the at the recent Asian Under-23 Sunday won a bronze medal in men’s 100m backstroke at the QNB Stars League (QSL). Championship in China. the 50m backstroke at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and became A medical examination Meanwhile, left-back Greek International Swimming the youngest Qatari confirmed Khoukhi’s injury and Abdelkarim Hassan too under- Championship clocking 33.31 Olympian. he has to undergo rehabilita- went a medical check-up as he seconds. While Noah has dominated tion and physiotherapy. left the field injured during their The 12-year-old star had set GCC swimming competitions, Al Sadd are preparing for match against Qatar SC last a new record in the 50m free- setting 14 records in the proc- the crunmch tie which will be week. style with a time of 29.79 ess, some of his records have played at the Al Sadd Stadium Al Sadd have 37 points, two seconds in the same tourna- been broken by his younger on Thursday. less than leaders Al Duhail and ment on Saturday. brothers Yacoub and Yousef, The players, including as many more than third- Yousef is one of three who is 16 years of age. Akram Afif who has just joined placed Al Rayyan. 26 SPORT TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2018 Ligue 1: Race for second Resilient Barca set sights hots up as Monaco win on record League start REUTERS PARIS: Rony Lopes struck REUTERS late to give 10-man Monaco a 3-2 home victory over BARCELONA: Luis Enrique’s Olympique Lyonnais as the time at Barcelona was charac- race for second place in Ligue terised by a team that rolled with Barcelona have gone 1 intensified on Sunday. the punches, attacking with 22 league games Portugal striker Lopes abandon and rarely controlling unbeaten in La Liga, a found the back of the net two a game, but his successor Ernesto club record opening to minutes from time, complet- Valverde has gone back to basics. ing a fine Monaco fightback Since taking charge last year a season, and can set from two goals down. the coach has made Barcelona a their sights on Spain’s Olympique Marseille, far more solid side at the back, best start of 32 games who crushed Metz 6-3 away tough to break down and more without defeat set on Friday, are second with 51 resilient. points from 24 games, ahead Real Madrid thrashed Bar- by Real Sociedad in of Monaco on 50 and Lyon on celona 5-1 over two legs in the 1979-80. 48. Paris St Germain lead the Spanish Super Cup in August table with 62 points after a after the Catalans were rocked it will take something special to 3-0 win at Lille on by Neymar’s departure, but since beat the Catalans. Saturday. they have only lost once since. Meanwhile, Barcelona At Monaco’s Louis-II sta- A much-changed Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is poised dium, the visitors made a side were defeated 1-0 by Espan- to miss the King’s Cup semi-final flying start.