Sport THURSDAY 27 MAY 2021 Nasser aims to rewrite his own history at Jordan Rally I have a lot of nice memories here. My start of racing was here in Jordan in 1989 in the Desert Challenge. We are ready and are so happy to see our friend Hamed Al Wahaibi come back to do the race and to compete in the Middle East Championship. I hope all the drivers con- tinue to come back each year. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah Sport | 19 NBA RESULTS: Brooklyn Nets 130 - 108 Boston Celtics; Los Angeles Lakers 109 - 102 Phoenix Suns; Dallas Mavericks 127 - 121 LA Clippers Qatar ready to host Diamond Doha: Five things to look out for League round: Dr. Al Kuwari DIAMONDLEAGUE – DOHA Mutaz Essa Barshim, Sha’Carri Richardson and Timothy THE PENINSULA – DOHA Cheruiyot are among the athletes with their eyes on a first Wanda Diamond League victory of 2021 when the season Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al continues in Doha tomorrow. Kuwari, Second Vice President The second Wanda Diamond League meeting of the 2021 of the Qatar Olympic Committee season begins at from 17:58 (GMT+3), with a number of inter- (QOC) and President of the national stars and Diamond Trophy holders taking their first Qatar Athletics Federation step on the Road To The Final. Here are five things to look out (QFA), yesterday said the Local for: Organizing Committee (LOC) is ready to host the Doha round of Barshim and Samba on home soil the 2021 Diamond League. Doha wouldn’t be Doha without Mutaz Essa Barshim. The The Second Round of the high jump superstar is Qatar’s most successful athlete on the 2021 season will be held Diamond League circuit, with three Diamond Trophies under tomorrow at the track and field his belt. After taking it easy last year, he now returns to action venue of the Suheim Bin Hamad on home soil this Friday. Stadium. He will be joined by another local star in Abderrahman Dr Al Kuwari said that the Samba. The 400m hurdler wowed the word when he broke Doha Round will witness par- the Diamond League record four times in five appearances ticipation of world champions in 2018, and will be looking to reassert himself at the top of and Olympic Games stars the pile alongside world champion and Diamond Trophy holder besides athletes who sparkled Karsten Warholm this season. Tomorrow, Samba will line up at the 2019 World Athletics against a testing field which includes Rai Benjamin and double Championships that were held Diamond Trophy winner Kyron McMaster. in Doha 2019. He said the medals winners Richardson after first Diamond at the Olympic Games in Rio de League win Janeiro in 2016 will also be After kicking off her season with a strong second-place warming up in Doha for this Owab Barrow finish in Gateshead, US sprint prodigy Sha’Carri Richardson summer’s Games in Tokyo. (100m), Jamal will be hoping to pick up her first ever Diamond League win “The Doha Round is a major The Doha Round is a major event that will be Hairane, Abdi- when she lines up in Doha. event that will be watched by watched by millions of people around the world rahman Saeed Beaten by Dina Asher-Smith at the season opener last millions of people around the especially in light of these exceptional circumstances Hassan, Mahdi El week, the 21-year-old faces a strong field in the Qatari capital, world especially in light of these that the world is going through due to the outbreak Hafez, Musaeb with Diamond League veterans such as Shelly-Ann Fraser- exceptional circumstances that Abdulrahman Pryce, Blessing Okagbare and Murielle Ahouré also looking the world is going through due of the COVID-19: Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Balla, Rabi to notch up their first wins of the season. to the outbreak of the COVID- Kuwari, Second Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Mohamoud 19,” Dr Al Kuwari said. Committee and President of the Qatar Athletics Mubarak Pole vault champions (800m) The QAF President said the Federation , Abder- Just under two years ago, the world’s best female pole LOC is ready to conduct the rahman Samba, vaulters did battle in Doha at the World Athletics Champion- event providing safety to ath- Doudai Ismail ships, with Anzhelika Sidorova (gold) beating Sandi Morris letes, officials and fans. Bakar, Amor (silver) and Katerina Stefanidi (bronze) to the ultimate prize. “Doha is ready to host this since we decided to subject all athletics in particular. We have Ebed Abdalmujied, Ashraf The three-way rivalry will be resumed tomorrow. Ste- global sporting event, and God participants to be part of a taken special care of the ath- Hussen Osman, Muhand fanidi, Sidorova and Morris lead a high-quality pole vault field willing, we will fulfil this chal- bubble environment and that letes from the moment they Khamis Saifeldin (400m as they once again vy for superiority in the Qatari capital. lenge through great cooperation will help us conclude a suc- landed at the Hamad Interna- hurdles), Mohamed Moussa It is a battle which is too close to call. Stefanidi has dom- with the Ministry of Public cessful event,” the first VP of tional Airport from where they Abdulrahman, Hussein Ibrahim inated the series and held the Diamond Trophy since 2016, Health (MOPH) and the relevant QOC said in an interview posted reached the accommodation Issaka, Abdel Madjid Mohadjir but has not won in Doha since 2017. Both she and Morris have state authorities in the country. on Al Kass website. and now they have access to top Ammar Ismail Yahia Ibrahim already jumped 4.80m this year, while Sidorova has form in We are fully committed to keep Khalifa Abdul Malik, Deputy training facilities.” (400m),Musab Adam Ali, Doha with her World Championship triumph. athletes and fans safe during Director of the Meet, said: “All Khaled Rashid Al Marri, Hamza Driouch, Mohamed Al and after the event,” he added. things are going well at Suhaim Director of the Championship Garni (1500m) and Yaser Walsh and Cheruiyot launch Diamond “We are following all health Bin Hamad Stadium. The and a member of the Board of Baghrab (3000m Trophy defence protocols underlined by MOPH presence of some of the world’s Directors of QAF, said Qatar Steeplechase). With three Diamond League titles since 2016, Tom Walsh and state authorities. We want best athletes here this week will be represented in the Al Marri said Olympic and remains the man to beat in the men’s shot put, and the New to deliver a safe and best version reflects how Qatar remains one Diamond League and sup- world champion Mutaz Essa Zealand star faces an in-form field in Doha. As well as world of a Diamond League round. It of the most popular destinations porting events by Tossin Barshim will feature in the high junior record holder Konrad Bukowiecki, Walsh faces two is possible to do that especially for sports events in general and Ogunode, Femi Ogunode, jump competition. athletes - in Filip Mihaljevic and Armin Sinancevic - who have thrown further than he has this yea. Also launching his title defence on Friday is 1500m master Timothy Cheruiyot, who has held the Diamond Trophy for the last three years. This year, he may face a challenge from rising star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who got his campaign off to a winning start in Gateshead. Obiri aiming for Doha quadruple Hellen Obiri has fond memories of Doha. The city was the scene of her second successive 5000m gold medal in the World Athletics Championships in 2019, and the two-time Diamond Trophy winner has also clocked up three victories in the Doha Diamond League, in 2014, 2019 and 2020. The Kenyan star will looking to get her campaign off to a Doha's Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium is ready to host the second round of the Diamond League. winning start as she looks to regain her Diamond League title from Sifan Hassan this season. Qatari players prepare for next month's joint Qualifiers against India and Oman Qatari players cool themselves down during a practice session as they gear up for their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers Group E matches against India and Oman to be played next month. Qatar will play India on June 3 before meeting Oman four days later. Both the matches will be played at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. RIGHT: Goalkeeper Youssef Hassan during a practice session. THURSDAY 27 MAY 2021 SPORT 19 Second round of 2021 FIA Middle East Rally Championship flags off today Nasser aims to rewrite his own history at Jordan Rally THE PENINSULA – DEAD SEA, Qatari driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah on his way to win the Jordan Rally in this file photo. The Jordan event has the car on Monday in the Pan- JORDAN attracted 13 entries in the FIA orama stage before we went to category and competitors from the recce. We did a 30-kilometre The 2021 edition of the world- nine nations. They completed test to fine tune everything and renowned Jordan Rally, round their two days of stage recon- the plan was to do another test two of this year’s FIA Middle East naissance yesterday before cars today. The stages look good. The Rally Championship, gets pass through the mandatory FIA organisers have done a really underway at the Dead Sea today. technical checks on this good job of planning. We have Record-breaking Qatari rally morning. won the Group N category in the driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah Several drivers, including last three years and, of course, will be aiming to rewrite his own Abdullah Al Rawahi and Hamed we want to finish the rally history and win the event for a Al Wahaibi of the Oman Rally without problems.” 14th time as he bids for a 17th Team, also managed to fit in a Several of the leading drivers regional rally title and a 78th shakedown of their cars at the will attend the official pre-event victory on a round of the cham- start of the week to iron out any press conference on the podium pionship since 2003.