FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 AATHLETICSTHLETICS | Page 7 Al Gharafa Bolt-inspired drub Qatar Blake puts Sports Club to one hand on secure fourth CWG title Monday, April 9, 2018 FORMULA 1 Rajab 23, 1439 AH Ferrari’s Vettel marks GULF TIMES 200th race with thrilling victory SPORT Page 4 EQUESTRIAN / GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR FOOTBALL Duhail and Qatar’s Bassem claims Tunisia star Msakni ruled second spot behind out of WCup Tops-Alexander Tops-Alexander and Bassem were the only riders who pulled off a double clear Al Duhail captain Youssef Msakni receives the QNB Stars League winning shield from Qatar Football Association vice-president Saoud al-Mohannadi on Saturday. The Tunisian will miss the 2018 World Cup after suff ering a cruciate ligament injury. AFP Doha unisia forward Youssef Msakni has been ruled out of the World Cup af- Qatari rider Sheikh Ali al-Thani cheers compatriot Bassem Mohamed on. ter agonisingly suff ering a cruciate ligament injury while playing his fi nal Grand Prix winner Brash — to qualify sixth place fi nish in Miami. Tleague game of the season. for the Super Grand Prix which will In a statement yesterday, his club, Qatar’s Al take place at the GC Prague Play Off s TOP SIX RESULTS LGCT MIAMI Duhail, said Msakni would not play until Octo- this December. BEACH ber at the earliest after injuring his knee. Victory was by no means assured 1. Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) on “Msakni will be absent for six months, and for the Australian rider. “I didn’t California with this injury he... will be absent from par- even know until 11am that I was go- 2. Bassem Mohamed (QAT) on ticipation with his national team in the World ing to ride her today. We all work hard Gunder Cup in Russia,” read the statement. and sometimes is pays off . You have 3. Darragh Kenny (IRL) on Cassini Z The World Cup begins on June 14. to believe in yourself,” said Tops-Al- 4. Pieter Devos (BEL) on Claire Z The 27-year-old, who had been instrumen- Qatar’s Bassem Mohamed rides Gunder at the Grand Prix of Miami Beach, part of Global Champions Tour, on Saturday. exander, who missed the majority of 5. Eduardo Alvarez Aznar (ESP) on tal in helping Tunisia qualify for the fi nals, last year’s Tour as she was pregnant Fidux announced on his Instagram page that he was By Sports Reporter for a record third championship title. than three seconds off Bassem’s and took a break from riding until 6. Gregory Wathelet (BEL) on Coree “very sad” to miss the tournament. Doha The ever-consistent Bassem Mo- time, handing her victory and September 2017. His absence is a major blow to Tunisia’s hamed and Gunder put in the fi rst €100,000, the lion’s share of the “I watched some of Bassem’s TOP SIX FROM GCL hopes of progressing from a group also includ- clear of the jump-off , making ab- class’s €300,000 prize-fund. Other round on the screen (in the warm- 1. Prague Lions: Anna Kellnerova, ing Belgium, England and Panama. atar’s Bassem Mohamed solutely sure every rail stayed up. than Tops-Alexander, Bassem was up) and I knew he could have gone Gerco Schroder Msakni was the team’s top scorer with three fi nished second with his It was a cautious, tactically ridden the only other rider who pulled off faster,” added Tops-Alexander, who 2. Valkenswaard United: Alberto goals in the team’s successful fi nal qualifying 12-year-old gelding Gunder round that did the job and put him a double clear. He was richer by has partnered California since taking Zorzi, Bertram Allen round for Russia. at the Longines Global at the head of aff airs with only one €40,000. Ireland’s Darragh Kenny over the ride from Egypt’s Abdel Said 3. Monaco Aces: Jérôme Guery, Julien Tunisia, known as the “Carthage Lions”, play QChampions Tour Grand Prix of Miami rider left to jump. But it wasn’t pedal rounded out the podium after an un- in 2016. “Still, I didn’t think I’d won their fi rst game against England in Volgograd Epillard Beach in Florida on Saturday. to the metal — as that one rider was lucky fence down with Cassini Z. or that I was going that fast and I kept 4. New York Empire: Georgina on June 18. The Olympic rider fi nished behind the formidable Tops-Alexander, who The overall LGCT Ranking bat- looking at the screen to check.” Bloomberg, Scott Brash Msakni injured himself playing in a match Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander, had the advantage of complete intel tle is already an intense aff air, with Meanwhile in the team event, Glo- 5. Scandinavian Kings: Christian against Al Sailiya on Saturday, which saw his Al who reigned supreme, triggering the about the course as the last to jump. Britain’s Brash leading the charge for bal Champions League, Sheikh Ali Ahlmann, Leopold van Asten Duhail team crowned as Qatari league champi- prospect of a thrilling contest with Her round on the 11-year-old Es- the 2018 season. Tops-Alexander is al-Thani and Bassem Mohammed 6. Doha Fursan Qatar: Sheikh Ali al- ons, fi nishing ahead of second-placed Al Sadd, current ranking leader Scott Brash prit mare California shaved more the second rider — after Mexico City led Doha Fursan Qatar to a creditable Thani, Bassem Mohammed captained by Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez. BOTTOMLINE Qatari champs set to delight home crowd at Doha Diamond League By Sports Reporter ries in Doha. promises to be a thrilling javelin fi nal, Manangoi of Kenya, who will draw huge Doha Haroun will line up in an incredibly featuring reigning Olympic champion interest as he drops down to the shorter strong fi eld that features last year’s world Thomas Rohler of Germany, reign- distance in Doha. silver medallist Steven Gardiner of the ing world champion Johannes Vetter, Abdalla will start his 2018 outdoor eam Qatar will be out in full Bahamas and 2017 Diamond League also of Germany, reigning World silver campaign full of confi dence following force at this year’s Doha Dia- champion Isaac Makwala of Botswana. medallist and 2018 Diamond League his gold medal-winning performance at mond League with 2017 world Another rising Qatari star, Mohamed champion Yakub Vadlejch of the Czech the 2018 Asian Indoor Championships. bronze medallist Abdalleleh Nasir Abbas, will also be looking to get Republic, and reigning Olympic silver Meanwhile, teammate Hairane enters THaroun, 2017 Doha Diamond League his outdoor season off to a strong start medallist Julian Yego of Kenya. the 2018 season following a successful winner Abderrahaman Samba and ahead of this year’s Asian Games in In- Rohler stole the show and wowed the 2017 that saw him win gold at the Asian Olympian and World Championship donesia. The 2014 U20 Asian Champion crowds at last year’s Diamond League Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ash- fi nalist Ahmed Bader Magour in the claimed bronze behind Haroun at this when he threw the second furthest dis- gabat and silver in both the 800m and 14-strong squad for the May 4, 2018, year’s Asian Indoor Championships with tance in history and broke the IAAF 1500m at the Asian Championships in event. a personal best time. Diamond League record with 93.90m. Bhubaneshwar. Tickets for the event, which will be “I was so proud to win bronze for Qa- Bader used his incredible experience of Other Team Qatar athletes compet- held at Qatar Sports Club, are on sale tar in the London World Championships fi nishing fi fth in that historic competi- ing on May 4 include 2010 Youth Ol- now online at https://bit.ly/2GVnHqN last year but I want to achieve even more tion to win gold at the 2017 Islamic Soli- ympic Games silver medallist and 2012 and at Virgin Megastores. success in the future,” Haroun said. “This darity Games in Baku, and will be looking World Under 20 Champion, Hamza Young talent, 21-year-old Haroun, season is big and important one for me to gain further experience competing Drioch, who will join Asian Under got his 2018 season off to an electric and I have been training hard and stay- Abdalleleh Haroun won his first senior outdoor honour with bronze at the London against the very best in the world in May. 20 5000m and 3000m Steeplechase start at the Asian Indoor Champion- ing very focussed on achieving my goals. IAAF World Championships in August last year. He will be joined by aspiring Team Qatar Champion Adam Ali Mousab and Said ships in Tehran in February when he I can’t wait to get out on the track at Qa- athlete, Mohamed Ibrahim Kaida. Aden in the Men’s 1500m; 2018 Asian became the fi rst back-to-back win- tar Sports Club and compete in front of Diamond League, beating reigning Ol- last year’s IAAF World Championships. Two Team Qatar athletes, Jamal Indoor silver medallist in 1500m and ner of an Asian indoor 400m title. The the home crowd in the Diamond League. ympic Champion, Kerron Clement of Samba, 22, will be looking to over- Hairane and Abubaker Haydar Abdalla, 3000m, Yaser Salem Bagharab, and 2016 Under-20 world champion and This always motivates me to push myself the USA, by over a second with a time of come his disappointment and use will feature in an exciting Men’s 800m, 2012 Under 20 3000m steeplechase world Indoors silver medallist claimed harder and achieve even more and I hope 48.44s.