SSWIMMINGWIMMING | Page 2 FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 7 Dressel and Atletico Ledecky strike humble Real gold for US at Madrid 7-3 in Worlds friendly Sunday, July 28, 2019 ATHLETICS Dhul-Qa’da 25, 1440 AH Coleman eyes gold GULF TIMES at Doha 2019 aft er US trials win SPORT Page 3 HORSE RACING SPOTLIGHT Qatar Goodwood Festival to kick off on Tuesday QCA announces By Sports Reporter tar Nassau Stakes. trained Taymour and the Frederic Dee Ex Bee had won two ner in Japan, is trained by Mit- Doha Entries for the Qatar Inter- Sanchez-trained Hayyan. Group 3 contests over two suru Hashida. national Stakes (Group 1 PA) A rematch between Stradivar- miles in 2019 — Ascot’s Sagaro Frankel’s three-year-old fi lly include top performers of the ius (John Gosden) and Dee Ex Bee Stakes and the Henry II Stakes Mehdaayih will take her chance thrilling new T10 or fi ve days, starting calibre of 2017 winner Tayf and (Mark Johnston) is set to provide at Sandown Park. in the £600,000 run, a race her Tuesday, over 100,000 2019 Qatar Gold Sword win- the best possible start to the Qa- Gosden also has Too Darn trainer, Gosden, has won four people would fl ock ner Yazeed, both owned by His tar Goodwood Festival. The two Hot set for Wednesday’s £1mn times already. Meydaayih won to what is one of the Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin stayers head 13 confi rmations feature Group 1 Qatar Sussex the Group 2 Prix de Malleret on cricket league Fworld’s most famous festivals — Khalifa al-Thani and trained by for the highlight of day 1 — the Stakes. The three-year-old reg- June 30. Qatar Goodwood Festival — to Alban de Mieulle; His Highness £500,000 Qatar Goodwood Cup istered his fi rst victory of the There will also be three Group enjoy some top class horse rac- The Amir Sword winner Ebraz, (Group 1) over two miles. A length campaign in the Group 1 Prix 2 races, namely, the seven-fur- ing action. owned by His Highness Sheikh separated the duo last time out in Jean Prat at Deauville earlier this long Qatar Vintage Stakes and The 2019 edition of the event, Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani the Group 1 Gold Cup over two month. the seven-furlong Qatar Len- which includes four Group 1 and trained by Julian Smart; and a half miles at Royal Ascot on Aidan O’Brien’s Circus Max- nox Stakes on Day One as well as races, will run from July 30-Au- and last year’s Qatar Derby win- June 20, with Stradivarius coming imus has been supplemented the six-furlong Qatar Richmond gust 3 and Qatar continues its ner Amir Al Cham, owned by Al out on top. for the mile contest. The three- Stakes on Day Three. generous support with the prize Shaqab Racing and trained by Stradivarius is going for a year-old Galileo colt took the Qatar Goodwood Festival will money totalling over £5.5mn. Thomas Fourcy. record third straight win in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes also feature fi ve Group 3 races, The highlights of the rac- The £400,000 mile-long con- opening day highlight. He has at Royal Ascot last month. including the Goodwood Mar- ing extravaganza are the Group test will be run on Wednesday, looked as good as ever in two The star Japanese Deirdre is kel Insurance Molecomb Stakes 1 races — Qatar International July 31, with the entry list also fea- starts this season, capturing the set to run in the Group 1 Qatar on Wednesday. Trainer Joseph Stakes for pure Arabians, the turing Francois Rohaut-trained Group 2 Yorkshire Cup at York in Nassau Stakes over 10 furlongs Patrick O’Brien has entered the Qatar Goodwood Cup, the £1mn Muraaqib, winner of this race last May before a second successive on Day Three. The fi ve-year-old Qatar Racing-owned Air Force Qatar Sussex Stakes and the Qa- year, the Antoine de Watrigant- Group 1 Gold Cup victory. Harbinger mare, a Group 1 win- Jet in this fi ve-furlong race. CYCLING Qatar Cricket Association president Yousef al-Kuwari. (Othman Khalid) By Mikhil Bhat Given the Qatar national Doha team’s recent exploits, he said, “We have a lot of talent, not only in the national team, but also Bernal all but wraps iding on the passion of at under-19 and under-16 lev- Qatar’s big cricket crazy els. The potential is huge but we population, an exciting need to facilitate and help them recent World Cup and rise to the international level. For Rwith an aim to take the game in the new league, we would like to the country to the next level, the choose players with potential to Qatar Cricket Association has play alongside the more experi- announced the Qatar Premier enced international names, be- up Colombia’s fi rst T10 Cricket League (QPL). cause we also hope to build teams The Qatar national team has of the future.” been making waves at various He added: “We need a lot of continental level tournaments backing, our resources are lim- and qualifi ers in recent years, ited, without help and assistance making it to the Asian division it will be diffi cult. Not just the of the ICC World T20 Qualifi - Qatar Olympic Committee, but ers, picking up a thrilling victory we are also looking for backing of Tour de France title recently in a T20 international major sponsors, TV channels like series at home against Kuwait, beIN Sports, Al Kass.” ‘We still have to make it to Paris.... I will need a few days, it’s incredible’ among other achievements. Cricket has a “massive reach” “I would like to announce that among the population in Qatar, Reuters the Qatar Cricket Association will he said, and with some “great Val Thorens, France be organising a T10 professional umpires, offi cials”, “a good league competition towards the ground” in Asian Town Cricket end of this year,” Qatar Cricket Stadium, and more importantly limbing phenomenon Association president Yousef Je- “a lot of passion among people Egan Bernal was poised ham al-Kuwari said, adding that here”, it is a “great opportunity”. to become the fi rst Co- the tentative dates will be around “Qatar is a sporting nation lombian to win the Tour November-December. with great advantages, includ- Cde France when he retained the “We already have the approval ing infrastructure, experience to overall lead after yesterday’s from the International Cricket host big events, backing of the 20th stage, a 59-km ride from Council (ICC). Our intention is electronic media, the tourna- Albertville. to have around 4-6 teams, with ment will provide an all-round The Team Ineos rider, 22, fi n- as many as eight professional benefi t,” al-Kuwari said. ished fourth in the stage won by players from overseas, and of Citing the recent World Cup 2014 champion Vicenzo Nibali, course three domestic players. which provided some thrilling the only man to interrupt the It will be a great opportunity for cricket action, including in the British outfi t’s reign on the Tour Qatar players to play alongside fi nal between New Zealand and since 2012. and against some of these ex- hosts England, he said, “Cricket His teammate and defend- perienced international players, as a game is growing. The excit- ing champion Geraint Tho- which in turn will help them and ing World Cup games have only mas is second overall ahead of us to take the players to get to the expanded the reach of the game Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk next stage.” across the world. It is an unpre- after France’s Julian Alaphilippe Al-Kuwari also said that dictable sport. You could score cracked in the fi nal ascent to the the Association had spoken to 300 runs one day and not even ski resort of Val Thorens. former Pakistan captain Sha- 80 the next day, and you still Today’s fi nal stage from Ram- hid Afridi to come on board as have a big opportunity to win in bouillet to Paris is a largely pro- a brand ambassador and that either cases. cessional ride with only the fi nal the famous all-rounder, known “In Qatar, cricket cuts across sprint being contested. around the world as one of the socio-economic lines, with eve- Bernal, who claimed the yel- best hitters of the cricket ball, ryone from a doctor to a con- low jersey when he was the fi rst earning him the nickname Boom struction worker playing the at top of the Col de l’Iseran in Boom Afridi, had agreed. game, sometimes on their only the truncated 19th stage, was Egan Bernal (left) of Colombia is congratulated by his Team Ineos teammate Geraint Thomas of Great Britain as he crosses the finish line of With the approvals and fi rst few day off irrespective of the weath- never bothered in a stage that the 20th stage of the Tour de France in Val Thorens, France, yesterday. (AFP) baby steps taken, al-Kuwari said er outside. had been shortened due to land- the hard work to host a successful “Parents from countries where slides on the initial course. and never looked in a position Valverde, who took second place week long races. 3. Mikel Landa (MOV) +0:14 tournament will begin now. cricket is big, like India and Pa- “We still have to make it to Par- to threaten him on his favourite 10 seconds behind with his Mov- He will become the youngest 4.