NBA | Page 5 FFORMULAORMULA 1 | Page 7 James shines Mercedes’ again as Cavs Bottas takes win seventh fi nal pole of straight game the season Sunday, November 26, 2017 CRICKET Rabia I 8, 1439 AH Vijay, Pujara GULF TIMES pummel Lankan bowlers on day two SPORT Page 2 SPOTLIGHT RAYYAN INTERNATIONAL SHOW JUMPING Messi to end career at Barca aft er extending deal to 2021, buyout ‘Unbelievable’ clause set at $835mn feeling as Tebbel wins Grand Prix ‘I arrived here just a day ago, just for these two classes. I have come to Qatar many times before, but had never ridden here at QEF. It’s a beautiful place’ By Sahan Bidappa Doha secs. “It was a great competition over- Barcelona’s Argentine superstar Lionel Messi poses with FC Barcelona president all,” said the 23-year-old Demirsoy. Josep Maria Bartomeu during the signing of his new contract in Barcelona “Everything went well and I am very yesterday. aving arrived in Doha just a pleased with this outcome. We had day before, Rene Tebbel stole two fantastic weeks though we were a AFP with a buyout clause adjusted to the the thunder at the QNB Al bit unlucky at times. It’s a great facility Barcelona current transfer market,” said Bar- Rayyan International Show here in Qatar and I am very happy to be tomeu. HJumping Championship as the Ukrain- part of it,” he added. “The buyout clause is 700mn. It ian won the Grand Prix title yesterday. The Turkish rider listed out his fu- ionel Messi hopes to end allows us to keep Leo Messi where he At the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s ture plans, and was looking forward to his career at Barcelona after should be.” Without Neymar, Messi’s outdoor arena, Tebbel took out an im- returning to Qatar next March. “I have ending months of specula- role as a creator and goalscorer has pressive victory with 10-year-old stal- international shows indoors in Hol- tion yesterday by signing a increased in a Barca side that has lion Cosun taking long strides around land. That’s an indoor event as it will Lcontract extension to 2021, sealing unusually built its stunning start to the course to give the rider his maiden be freezing outside. There are some an agreement reached in July, the the season on a defensive record of 13 win in Qatar. young horses. I will ride them. Then I club announced. clean sheets in 18 games. Just like the rest of the fi eld, the have a big show in Austria after that. Barca had said in the summer that “The departure of Ney has meant 48-year-old Tebbel was clearly Hopefully I will be back in Doha, may- Messi, 30, had committed his future a change in the way we play,” Messi, stunned by his unexpected victory. be next March,” he noted. to the club but the Argentine had not who has 16 goals in 19 games this “It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” said In the 135cm class, Kuwaiti rider Ali signed the new deal. campaign, told Spanish sports daily Tebbel. “I arrived here just a day ago, al-Khorafi continued his good run in With his previous contract set to Marca yesterday, a day after picking just for these two classes. I have come Qatar as he led Loki Doki to victory. expire in 2018, Messi could have left up his fourth Golden Shoe as the top to Qatar many times before, but had The winning time was 56.53 secs. Qa- Barca for free next summer had he goalscorer in Europe last season. never ridden here at QEF. It’s a beau- tar’s Awad al-Qahtani was second with not extended his deal. “We lost a huge amount of attack- tiful place. I was thinking I may fi nish Gerenice of Colors in 57.65 secs, while “We have needed to do the signa- ing potential, but that has benefi ted second or third, but the jump off was Yara al-Hunaidi capped off a wonder- ture for some time. It is done and I us in a defensive sense. Now we really good. I knew it’s really a good ful day for Kuwait as she fi nished third am happy to remain tied to the club,” are more solid in midfi eld, we have horse. I just came for two days and I with Dinky Toy Van De Castershoeve in Messi told Barca TV. more structure and that has made us had hoped to do well. But this is really a 58.92 secs. “I have always said I wanted to end stronger defensively.” surprise,” he added. my career here, it is my dream to fi n- Barca fi rst announced an agree- Only four of the 12 riders made it Results ish at Barcelona and we are on the ment with Messi back on July 5, but to the jump off for Grand Prix title, GRAND PRIX - World Cup right track.” pressure has been mounting on Bar- the biggest prize money event of the Competition| Two Rounds 160cm Barcelona president Josep Maria tomeu to get Messi to put pen to pa- championship. Tebbel and Cosun were class €91,900 Bartomeu said the club needed to per after a turbulent summer for the last to go, with Edwina Tops-Alexan- 1. Rene Tebbel (Ukraine) Cosun. Time: change the deal agreed in June to Catalans. der and Inca Boy Van T Vianahof’s time 48.18 secs. €22,975 increase Messi’s buyout clause to Neymar’s departure sparked a of 51.81 seconds to beat. The pressure 2. Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia) 700mn euros ($835mn) and prevent crisis and Bartomeu was heavily was on Tebbel put he kept his com- Inca Boy Van T Vianahof. 51.81 secs. the danger of a repeat of Neymar’s criticised for failing to ward off PSG posure and found a perfect sync with €18,380 departure when Paris Saint-Ger- with a higher buyout clause and for Cosun, which fl ew around the course 3. Alexandra Thornton (Great Britain) main payed the Brazilian’s 222 mil- a haphazard search for replacements as the pair came home fastest in 48.18 Cornetto K. 60.00. €13,785 lion-euro buyout clause in August. in the fi nal weeks of the transfer secs. “We agreed to sign a new deal window. Tebbel, who earned €22,975 for his Table A, One Round + Winning Round victory, was gushing in his praise of FEI Art. 276.2.1, 2.3 | Max. 145 cm | Cosun. “The horse is owned by (Rus- Prize Money € 24,600 FOOTBALL sian rider Vladimir) Tuganov. I just 1. Derin Demirsoy (Turkey) Dadjak ride him on the shows. He is trained Ter Puttenen. Time: 49.03 secs. Prize by Tuganov. I have ridden him in many money: € 6,150 shows and I know how good he is. I had 2. Edwina Tops-Alexander (Australia) Silva secures Asian a good result this time. I was thinking Veronese Teamjoy. 51.89 secs. € 4,920 maybe I won’t be fast enough in jump Ukraine’s Rene Tebbel rides 10-year-old stallion Cosun to Grand Prix title during 3. Athina Onassis (Greece) Vannan. off . But after Cosun took few strides I the QNB Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Championship at the Qatar 64.01 secs. € 3,690 Champions League felt could beat the time. My previous Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena yesterday. PICTURES: Lotfi Garsi best was fi fth here. This is my fi rst win Table A, Against the clock FEI Art. in Qatar,” said Tebbel. K, made it to the podium. It was a dis- were comfortable winners, with more 238.2.1 | Max. 130/135 cm | Prize title for Urawa Reds Edwina, who had won on Friday to appointing night for star Qatar rider than two and half second margin over Money: €7,000 break her victory drought, fi nished Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani, who Edwina Tops-Alexander and Veronese 1. Ali al-Khorafi (FEI) Loki Doki. Time: Reuters control the ball more and that’s why runner-up, her second on the day. She failed to make jump off with First De- Teamjoy. Demirsoy’s winning time was 56.53 secs. Prize money: €1,750 Tokyo we were able to win.” had also taken second spot in 145cm vision, to fi nish fi fth. 49.03 secs, while Edwina came home 2. Awad al-Qahtani (Qatar) Gerenice of The home side started with the class. The third place went to Great Earlier, Derin Demirsoy of Turkey in 51. 89 secs. The third place went to Colors. 57.65 secs. €1,400 same line-up that drew 1-1 in the Britain’s Alexandra Thornton, who won the 145cm class with his 14-year- Greece’s Athina Onassis, who mount- 3. Yara al-Hunaidi (FEI) Dinky Toy Van apan’s Urawa Red Diamonds fi rst leg, Brazilian forward Silva despite making a fault with Cornetto old bay Dadjak Ter Puttenen. The pair ing Vannan fi nished her round in 64.01 De Castershoeve. 58.92 secs. €1,050 won the Asian Champions having shaken off an ankle injury. League when a 1-0 win over Al Nawaf Al Abed started for Al Hi- Hilal of Saudi Arabia at Saita- lal in place of Carlos Eduardo, who Jma Stadium yesterday handed them suff ered a serious knee injury in the the title 2-1 on aggregate. fi rst leg. Urawa made the brighter Rafael Silva scored two minutes start with Kazuki Nagasawa twice from time to give Urawa the win going close in the opening eight having also scored his side’s vital minutes as the Saudi side froze in away goal in the fi rst leg in Riyadh the chilly evening air at Saitama.