SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 SPORTS Fu into last eight at Red Star match postponed India’s Kapur closes World championships after fan killed in fight in on victory in Japan LONDON: Hong Kong’s Marco Fu reached the quarter-finals of the World BELGRADE: Red Star Belgrade’s match at Serbian top division TOKYO: India’s Shiv Kapur fired a two-under-par 69 to grab a one-stroke Snooker Championships in Sheffield late Friday with a 13-9 win over Scottish rivals Borac Cacak was postponed yesterday after one of their lead from Japan’s Kodai Ichihara at the Panasonic Open after yesterday’s qualifier Anthony McGill. The 14th seed was the first player to reach the last supporters was killed in a fight with rival fans. “The third round. After 14 straight pars, Kapur carded back-to-back birdies on 15 eight, the third time he has reached that stage in his career and the first time in Superleague’s director made the decision after consultations and 16 to reach the clubhouse at nine-under 204 at the $1.25 million event 10 years. The 38-year-old Fu took a 9-7 lead into the evening session and won with the representatives of both clubs, the Football sanctioned by the Japanese and Asian tours. Overnight leader Ichihara, four of the next six frames, aided by a superb century break in the Association of Serbia and the Interior Ministry,” Red Star said chasing a maiden career victory in Chiba, southeast of Tokyo, finished in fourth frame of the night, to see off his younger opponent. The 25- on their website (www.crvenazvezdafk.com). “In a tragic event regulation to lie one adrift with Australia’s Marcus Fraser-the cur- year-old McGill, who defeated last year’s runner-up Shaun Murphy that occurred on the night between Friday and Saturday, a rent Order of Merit leader-a further shot back after a 67. in the first round, closed the margin to 9-8 but Fu responded with Red Star fan lost his life. “The club extends its sincere condo- Helped by a 40-foot save on the eighth hole, Kapur put a break of 56 to regain a two-frame lead at 10-8. Fu looked unsure lences to the fan’s family. The new date for the match will be himself in prime position to become the third Indian to as McGill sealed the next frame 62-15 to make it 10-9, but rallied announced in due course.” Belgrade media reported that fans win in Japan after Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa. with breaks of 100, 55 and 69 to take the next three and finish off clashed in the central Serbian city in the early hours of “That save was a bonus and kept my head in it,” said the contest. In other ties former two-time champion Mark Williams, Saturday after Red Star supporters arrived in droves. Cacak Kapur. “You can’t play average golf and win. I have to go pushed hard by qualifier Michael Holt, will take a 10-6 lead into the hospital spokeswoman Biljana Kocovic said two fans were out and play good golf.” South Korea’s K.T. Kim, bidding to final session of his second round match on Saturday after- admitted with stab wounds at around 3.30 am CET (0130 win for the second week running, Taiwan’s Hung Chien- noon and Ali Carter will take a two-frame lead into the GMT) local time, adding that one had died. “A young man yao, Korean Lee Sang-hee and Thailand’s final session of his second round match against veteran born in 1995 succumbed to his wounds while the other is in Khrongpha Thanyakorn were tied with Fraser at Alan McManus yesterday morning. —AFP intensive care but his life is not in danger,” Kocovic was quoted 206, along with Japan’s Yuta Ikeda. — AFP as saying by the B92 website (www.b92.net). —Reuters Ace aims to put badminton Legendary David seeks and Guatemala on map GUATEMALA CITY: In a football-mad that badminton was opening doors for world title on home soil nation of Spanish-speakers like me, and in order to avoid injury, I Guatemala, it is hard for people to even decided to dedicate myself to it,” pronounce badminton, much less take Cordon said. KUALA LUMPUR: Squash legend Nicol David an interest in a sport more associated Luis Barrios, a sports analyst with defends her world title on Malaysian home soil with Asia than the Americas. the digital daily Soy502, said Cordon beginning tomorrow, but this time in the unfa- So hats off to Kevin Cordon-report- had made a dent in Guatemalans’ foot- miliar position of underdog. edly named after English former foot- ball obsession and opened up some The eight-time world champion dominated baller Kevin Keegan-who has been room for racquets and shuttlecocks. the sport for the past decade but has seen her playing since he was 11 and has surged “Before Kevin, badminton was not aura of invincibility fade. She has won just one to number 49 in the badminton world widely played or well known in tournament in the past year and surrendered rankings. Guatemala, although it is present in the sport’s top rank last September after a his- He has enjoyed international suc- some areas,” Barrios said. Jose Maria toric nine-year run. As a result, one of the more cess, winning the Pan Am singles Solis, Cordon’s coach since he was 16, competitive fields in years is expected for the championship twice in a row, also com- said Cordon has inspired more young PSA Women’s World Championships, led by cur- peting in the Beijing and London people to play badminton in rent world number one Laura Massaro of Olympics, and will proudly represent Guatemala. Cordon won gold at the England. David, the second seed in Malaysia and his Central American nation in Rio de Pan Am games in Guadalajara, Mexico fifth-ranked player in the world, admits she has Janeiro come August. And to think all in 2011, then defended his title in had to adjust her expectations. of this almost did not happen. Toronto in 2015. At London 2012, he After losing her top rank, the 32-year-old “I got to know badminton by acci- went out in the knockout rounds, but vowed to win it back, but now says she is dent,” Cordon, 29, told AFP before a his two wins to get there were the first focussing simply on keeping her game sharp. “It session at the Olympic training village by a Guatemalan in the sport at any was an amazing achievement for me to be the in Guatemala City. Badminton buffs in Olympics. world number one for nine years, but now for me it’s more about personal development,” she his town of La Union, in eastern Solis urged authorities in said yesterday. Guatemala, put on an exhibition at his Guatemala, a poor country wracked by “People will want me to chase the top spot, and other schools, and Cordon was gang and drug violence, to earmark but the better I understand myself, the better I smitten. “I went, and I started to play,” more money for sports federations, will play.” said the slight Cordon. “I began to which are starting to make a name- “It’s wonderful to have the tournament in practice, and three months later I had albeit a small one-on the world stage. Malaysia again and I’m just looking for a strong won my first tournament.” Over the One sport in which this is happening is start and to feel good right away.” David, known past decade, as Cordon’s trophy case racewalking. Erick Barrondo won silver simply as “Nicol” in Malaysia, where she is a KUALA LUMPUR: Current world number one Laura Massaro of England (L) speaks as Malaysia’s filled, mainly thanks to championships at the London games-the only Olympic national heroine, is yet to win the title on home Nicol David (R) looks on during a promotional event in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, ahead of the in the Americas, the Guatemalan press medal Guatemala has ever earned. turf despite two previous attempts. Her last tour PSA Women’s World Championships squash tournament. — AFP began to notice and cover him closely. “For us it is very clear that sports victory came in December when she secured her Normally, it only has eyes for foot- such as badminton, racewalking, gym- 10th consecutive Hong Kong Open title. enough for me to win it,” said the Briton, who er claimed security concerns in Malaysia pre- ball-hence why his father reportedly nastics and others are doing a lot for Massaro, however, won the last time Malaysia won the British National Championship in vented it being staged. Malaysian officials, how- named him after Keegan. Guatemala, and it is a matter of raising hosted the worlds, in 2013. “I have always February. The women’s world championship ever, denied there was any security threat and “My whole family loved football. As awareness to give them more support,” played well here and as the top seed I hope to finally opens after the 2015 event was called off accused the promoters of a ploy to secure more an adult I kept playing, but when I saw said coach Solis.— AFP play my best squash, which will hopefully be in December amid controversy when its promot- financial support. —AFP Nissan Al Babtain sponsors tourney under supervision of the PAYS KUWAIT: Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al Babtain for Youth and Sports (PAYS) and ended on Holland Academy.