P 4 | FOOTBALL IT’S AuSTRALIA VS KOREA P 26 | GOLF POISE AND GRACE! Hosts Australia and East Asian heavyweights South Korea defeat UAE and Iraq respectively in the last four to set up the Asian Cup title clash. South African Branden Grace stays all focused and produces a moment of magic to win the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters title. WEDNESDAY, JANuARY 28, 2015 | Vol IX | No.52 | QR2.00 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com Follow us on Historic! DSP/Fadi Al Assaad Qatar become only the second Asian team, since South Korea in 1997, to book a quarterfinal berth at the Handball World Championship. PAGES 18-19 UK ...................................... £1 Europe ............................. €2 Oman ...............200 Baisas Bahrain..................200 Fils Egypt .............................LE 2 Lebanon..........3,000 Livre Kuwait....................250 Fils Morocco ......................Dh 6 UAE ...............................Dh 5 Yemen..................75 Riyals Sudan ...................1 Pound KSA.......................... 2 Riyals Jordan ....................500 Fils Iraq .................................... $1 Palestine ......................... $1 Syria.............................LS 20 P 22 | HANDBALL EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Importance of being Onesta! P 20 | POSTER ZARKO MARKOVIC WE WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY FROM THE GAME Catch every pulse of action... Stay tuned www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com Publishers: ASPIRE Printing, Publishing and Distribution P O Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar. Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 e-mail: [email protected] Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 e-mail: [email protected] www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar 3 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 OPINION » The writer can be contacted at: Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi [email protected] Kumar Ravi Senior Editor/Writer Aswin Abraham Senior Sports Writer N Ganesh Sports Writers Sajith B Warrier Aju George Chris Mohammad Amin-ul Islam Sarath Pookkat Photographers Mohan Vinod Divakaran Fadi Al Assaad Mohammed Dabboos A K BijuRaj Graphic Designers Abhilash Chacko Gopakumar K Joice Michael Technical support Shaheen Mohammed Abdul Naser M IOC needs to offer alternate window for Olympic Games Q ATAr Olympic Committee Secretary General Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani last Monday dropped enough hints to believe that Doha may make yet another bid to host the Summer Olympic Games. Talking to journalists on the sidelines of the Handball World Championship, he said hosting the Olympics was just a ‘small’ part of our nation’s massive future sports development plan. He said it wasn’t a matter of wanting to bid for it or not, but it was a question of whether to bid for the 2024 Games or for a later edition. Of course, having lost out twice in the bidding race (for ’16 and ’20 Games), we’ve to make sure that the next time we bid, we should be able to clinch it. As per the International Olympic Committee (IOC) communique, bidding cities have time till September 15 this year to submit their candidacies. It may be recalled that the IOC had recently approved a wide-ranging reform package, including a more affordable bidding process for the Games. It has also offered the option of holding some events outside the host city or country, leaving the door open for joint bids. It goes without saying that hosting the Olympics is hugely expensive, running into billions of dollars, and P.O. Box: 24598, Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 44138065, Fax: +974 44138597 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com Editorial: Tel: +974 44138522, Fax: +974 44138593 e-mail: [email protected] Marketing & advertising: Tel: +974 44138566 e-mail: [email protected] Distribution: Tel: +974 44138535/36, Fax: +974 44138597 e-mail: [email protected] www.twitter.com/dohastadiumplus www.facebook.com/dohastadiumplusqatar www.flickr.com/photos/dohastadiumplusqatar Publishers: ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution Printed at ASPIrE Printing Press several cities, who had expressed initial interests, have withdrawn later. The reforms have been introduced mainly to reduce the cost. Fortunately, money isn’t a big issue for us, but what went against us in the previous attempts was the timing. The traditional window for the Summer Games is July-August and let’s be realistic that we just can’t organise it then because of the summer heat. FIFA, in all likelihood, is set to allow Qatar to host the ’22 World Cup during winter. If the IOC is sincere and serious to take the Games to new territories and uphold Olympic values and ideals, then it should give some concession to Doha and allow it to organise it during winter. unless we get a guarantee that this’ll be favourably considered, I don’t think we should bid simply for the sake of it. The Games will’ve to come to the Middle East one day or the other. And I don’t see a better candidate than Doha to host it. Dr Ahmed Al Mohannadi Editor-in-Chief © Stories and photographs appearing in this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of ASPIrE Printing, Publishing and Distribution. INSIDE P 10 | FOOTBALL P 28 | CYCLING P 33 | BOXING Get ready for Challenge 22! Wild is firm favourite again Khan to fight Pacquiao? The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy launches Challenge 22, an award aimed to inspire, challenge and unite the region’s brightest minds. Kirsten Wild starts as the favourite at the Ladies Tour of Qatar as she looks to become the first rider to win a hat-trick of titles in Doha. P 29 | MOTORSPORT P 31 | TENNIS Schmid shines at Porsche GT3 Cup Azarenka happy despite defeat Clemens Schmid wins both races in the third round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Middle East Challenge at the Losail International Circuit. Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, who crashed out of the Australian Open, is happy that her comeback from injury and depression has gone so well. British welterweight boxer Amir Khan reveals a fight against the Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao could be on the cards after a meeting with his former sparring partner. 4 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com FOOTBALL BATTLE ASIA! NUMBERS AND HISTORY WILL COUNT FOR NOTHING WHEN HOSTS AUSTRALIA TAKE ON EAST ASIAN HEAVYWEIGHTS SOUTH KOREA IN THE BATTLE ROYALE, WRITES SAJITH B WARRIER FROM SYDNEY. H ŢŢAustralia hope Tim Cahill will fire on all cylinders. AS the time finally come for South Korea to break their 55-year title jinx? Or is it Australia’s chance to make the big breakthrough? That is the question going through the minds of pundits and fans as the tournament reaches its climax. South Korea and Australia, who both cantered to victories by an identical 2-0 margin over Iraq and the uAE respectively in the semifinals, have a lot at stake in Saturday’s title clash at the Stadium Australia in Sydney. Both sides have met 32 times previously, but never before in a cup final. In terms of numbers, the Taeguk Warriors have an edge over the Socceroos. They have won 12 of their meetings, which include a 1-0 result in the group stage at Brisbane. Australia have had the last laugh 11 times while nine matches have ended in draws. But numbers and history count for nothing in football as it all boils down to the 90 minutes, or more if needed, of action on the field. Four years ago at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar, Australia were felled by the brilliance of Tadanari Lee, who fired a long-ranger in extra time for Japan’s record fourth title. Australia, who are playing in only their third Asian Cup and their second final in a row, will be keen to make amends this time in front of NO HOST NATION HAS WON THE TOURNAMENT SINCE JAPAN CLAIMED THEIR FIRST TITLE IN 1992. vociferous home fans. Much is expected from the likes of veteran Tim Cahill, skipper Mile Jedinak and robbie Kruse while South Korea will rely heavily on the brilliance of Ki Sung-Yeung, Lee Jeong and Son Heung-Min. At the beginning of the tournament, South Korea’s German coach uli Steilike had spoken about the need to come out of the defensive rut and the players responded in style. reaching their first final since 1988, the Koreans have impressed so far and remains the only unbeaten team in the tournament. In the semifinal against Iraq in Sydney, they looked comfortable, with Lee and Kim Young-Gwon finding their names on the scoresheet. Australia, who were helped by goals from defenders Trent Sainsbury and Jason Davidson in their last-four win over the uAE in the lashing rain in Newcastle, will surely be egged on by a capacity crowd in Sydney. No host nation has won the tournament since Japan claimed their first title in 1992. Now Australia look to seal their first continental triumph in their third attempt. Their coach Ange Postecoglou is known to be a master tactician. The Australian preferred to rest some of his key players in the group tie against South Korea which they lost by a single goal. But that does not count much as it has come down to the last stop. Who will have the final hurrah? South Korea, the once most powerful force in Asian football but have not won the tournament in more than five decades, or Australia, the new face of Asia, who want to stamp their authority? šŢSon Heung-Min is expected to shine for South Korea. SOUTH KOREA VS AUSTRALIA FIFA RANKING South Korea Australia 69 100 ASIAN RANKING South Korea Australia 3 10 BEST PERFORMANCE IN ASIAN CUP South Korea Australia Champions 1956, ’60 runners-up 2011 HEAD-TO-HEAD Matches 32 South Korea won 12 Australia won 11 Drawn 9 RESULTS SEMIFINALS Australia bt uAE 2-0 South Korea bt Iraq 2-0 QUARTERFINALS South Korea bt uzbekistan 2-0 (0-0 after regular time, Korea win 2-0 in extra time) Australia bt China 2-0 Iraq bt Iran 7-6 (3-3 after extra time, Iraq win in sudden death) uAE bt Japan 5-4 (1-1 after extra time, uAE win in tie-breaker) FIXTURES Kick-off in Doha time. THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF FRIDAY, Iraq vs uAE JANUARY 30 Newcastle Stadium, 12noon. FINAL Australia vs South Korea SATURDAY, Stadium Australia, Sydney, JANUARY 31 12noon. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 5 We’ve been very good: Postecoglou C OACH Ange Postecoglou wants Australia to be fully focused on the job as they aim to go one better than what they achieved four years ago. “It’s a massive game. We reached the final four years ago which was great for our nation. We’ve been in Asia for a while now and haven’t won anything major. This final gives us an opportunity to achieve something,” said Postecoglou, after his team’s 2-0 win over the uAE in the semifinal in Newcastle. South Korea have maintained a clean slate throughout the tournament winning all five games while Australia’s only reversal came against them in the group stage, in a match where they preferred to rest key players. “We’ve to score. We didn’t score last time despite having a number of opportunities to do it. But we had a different line-up that day. There certainly wasn’t anything negative coming out of it from our perspective. “I think we’ve been very good the whole tournament. There haven’t been too many periods in any games where I’ve felt we’ve been dominated, so for the most part we’ve been pretty solid. The players have got real belief now and they’re getting the rewards. So hopefully that means they keep progressing and challenging themselves to be better,” Postecoglou added. Ange Postecoglou AFC dismisses Iran’s complaint against Alaa There was high drama off the field after the quarterfinal between Iran and Iraq. Iran, who had lost to Iraq on penalties in the quarterfinal, lodged a complaint with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) asking it to strip their arch-rivals of victory for fielding Alaa Abdulzahra, a player who failed a dope test while playing for Iranian club Tractor Sazi. Alaa, who has played for Qatari clubs including Al Khor and Al Kharaitiyat, is currently plying his trade with native side Al Shorta. Iraq spearhead Younis rolls back the years Koreans urged to go a big step forward S OuTH Korea had beaten Australia in the group phase, but that does not count for much, says coach Uli Stielike. The Taeguk Warriors entered their first Asian Cup final in 27 years with a 2-0 win over Iraq and Stielike is well aware of the fact that Australia will be much more stronger in the final. In their last Group D tie, Australia were depleted without injured skipper Mile Jedinak while Tim Cahill, Mathew Leckie and robbie Kruse came off as second-half substitutes. “We’re realistic that in the first game, we didn’t play the best Australian team,” said Stielike, who added that the victory against Socceroos, even though it was against an under-strength team, was very important for his side. “For us in this tournament, we had two important games,” Stielike said. “The first was against Australia, who I believe are the strongest team in the tournament. By beating Australia, we became the group toppers. That gave us the advantage of having one more day before the final. The second big win was against Iraq.” South Korea, who won the inaugural Asian Cup in 1956, added one more title to their kitty four years later. However, since then, they have failed to add to their tally. The closest they came was when they lost 3-4 to Saudi Arabia on penalties in the ’88 edition in Qatar. Stielike said there was a lot of work to be done in Korean football. “When we came to Australia, South Korea were third in Asia,” said the German World Cupper. “When we embarked on our long journey, I said we wanted to be back with a better result. We’ll try to get this cup, no doubt about it, but the team did what they’ve to do. Now, they’ve to go one big step forward.” Hoping to get the quarterfinal result overturned, Team Melli had even cancelled their original departure plans and set up camp at a hotel in Terrey Hills in Sydney. However, the AFC dismissed the case 24 hours before Iraq’s semifinal against South Korea. “The Disciplinary Committee heard the evidence from two officials of the Iran Football Federation, deliberated the matter based on its merits, and decided that the protest was unfounded. The protest therefore stands dismissed,” an AFC statement read. O Younis Mahmoud NE of the most important factors behind Iraq’s impressive run in the tournament is the re-emergence of Younis Mahmoud. Though Iraq lost to South Korea 0-2 in the semifinal, they had given a great account of themselves Down under and Younis played an important role in that. Out of favour with former coach Zico, the veteran striker had fallen from the lofty standards which saw him score the winning goal for the war-torn nation when they claimed their maiden Asian Cup title in 2007. The 31-year-old was without a club since prematurely ending his contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli last September. It was a big gamble by new Iraqi coach radhi Shenaishil to bring Younis back to the team and give him the captain’s armband. Younis vindicated the faith radhi had in him with a string of consistent performances, including in their thrilling victory over arch-rivals Iran in the quarterfinal. “My team has many young players in it and for most of them, this was a big tournament. This Iraqi team has great potential and we look forward to the future with these new players,” said Younis, who is providing the much-needed experience to a young side. The confidence radhi had in the veteran striker can be gauged from the manner in which he assigned Younis to take a kick in the tiebreaker against Iran, despite him having missed a penalty against Palestine in the group stage. The way Younis steered the team YOUNIS VINDICATED THE COACH’S FAITH IN HIM WITH CONSISTENT PERFORMANCES. in the quarterfinal, where tempers frayed both on and off the field, speaks volumes about his character. radhi spoke about the value that Younis brings to the team. “We’ve a young squad and we need a leader. He’s the type of player who opponents hate to play against and team-mates love to play with,” said radhi. “There were talks in the media about whether he should play or not, but I don’t listen to it. As a coach, I see what the player produces during training time and on the field. I wish him all the best; he’s a star and very important player for Iraq.” 6 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com FOOTBALL Omar shines brightest Sajith B Warrier O MAr Abdulrahman was the brightest star as the uAE gatecrashed Japan’s party at the Stadium Australia in Sydney last week. The quarterfinal between holders Japan and the uAE pitted two of the biggest playmakers of the Asian Cup against each other. Keisuke Honda had scored in all of Japan’s group matches while Omar was also in terrific form, winning the man-of-the-match award in their 2-1 win over Bahrain that sealed the uAE’s quarterfinal berth. He also played an instrumental role in the team’s 4-1 victory over Qatar in the first group match. However, as Honda missed the target in the shoot-out, Omar, who has grown in stature since the start of the tournament, did his reputation no harm by converting his kick. Omar, who is playing in an advanced role in the midfield, has been at the centre of all uAE attacks and was a contender for the Player of the Tournament award. The Al Ain winger is difficult to stop when in full flow as Qatar, Bahrain and Japan found out. Predominantly a left-footed player, Omar mostly operates on the right wing. “I always try to do my best. Then the results will take care of themselves,” said Omar, who has been the toast of international media and local fans ever since he arrived Down under. The 23-year-old had received an offer from current English Premier League champions Manchester City 18 months ago, though the move did not materialise as he did not get the work permit. The rumour mill is strong that he is still very much on the radar of top clubs like Liverpool and Galatasaray. However, Omar remained tight-lipped about the big leap abroad. “At the moment, I’m concentrating on this tournament only. There’ll be another time to discuss such things, not now,” he said. With him becoming a hugely popular figure in Australia, thanks to his distinctive Afro hairstyle as well as exceptional ability with the ball, Australian media could not help asking the inevitable question as to whether he would make a plunge into the A-League. Looking at coach Mahdi Ali, who was sitting beside him at the DESPITE ALL THE ADULATION HE HAS BEEN RECEIVING, HE REMAINS PRETTY GROUNDED. post-match Press conference, Omar came up with a funny reply. “We follow coach Mahdi’s orders,” he said, laughing. “If he wants me to play here, I won’t say no,” said Omar. Making his mark at the 2012 London Games, Omar’s stock rose during the uAE’s victorious ’13 Gulf Cup triumph in Bahrain, where he was adjudged the Player of the Tournament. In Australia, Omar struck a good rhythm with strikers Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil. Against Bahrain, Omar set up Ali just 14 seconds into the match to score one of the best goals in the tournament. “I’m very close to Ali. He’s one of those top strikers I like working together. Me, Ali and Ahmed have been playing alongside each other for a long time. We played together from the youth team level. So we know each other very well. Not just Ali and Ahmed, the whole team is like a family. We’re all very close to each other on and off the pitch,” added Omar. If Omar were to join a European club in the near future, that would certainly add a lot of marketing value as well. But at the moment, the classy player is content to be the shining star of Middle East football. How important Omar is to the uAE’s scheme of things can be gauged from the fact that despite injuring his ankle in their Gulf Cup semifinal defeat to Saudi Arabia in November, coach Mahdi persisted with him in the Asian Cup. Omar reposed the faith Mahdi had in him with stellar performances against Qatar and Bahrain. Even in the match against Iran to decide the group toppers, Omar showed his flashes of brilliance with a solo run into the box that needed four opposition defenders to check him. The sight of Australian boys queuing up to get his autographs was an indication of how much Omar is popular Down under. But one good thing about him is that despite all the adulation he has been receiving, he remains pretty grounded. “Thanks to God, I’m very happy for that. This’ll give me more motivation to do my best,” was all he would say about his new-found stardom. WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT OMAR “Omar (Abdulrahman) is a top-class player. I’m sure leading European teams are eyeing him. “He’s incredible. He keeps the ball on a string and is always in control. He’s technically sound too. Javier Aguirre, Japan coach. Alex Brosque, ex-Australia international. Omar Abdulrahman www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 7 We were complacent at start of the game, says Aguirre AFP/Craig Golding H ššJapan’s Shinji Kagawa reacts after his team’s defeat against the uAE in the quarterfinal. OLDErS Japan’s campaign, which started under a cloud over coach Javier Aguirre’s reported involvement in a match-fixing scandal, came to a grinding halt following the shock defeat to the uAE in the quarterfinal. Aguirre, who replaced Alberto Zaccheroni after Japan’s dismal campaign at the World Cup, where they failed to go past the group stage, was under immense pressure on and off the field and it looked as though it had rubbed on to the players. The Mexican was among the 41 people named by Spain’s anti-corruption prosecutor, who filed a case in a Valencia court in December following a probe into real Zaragoza’s 2-1 win at Levante UAE favourites to host 2019 edition T HE uAE’s sports ambitions will get another major facelift if the country gets a chance to host the tournament’s next edition in 2019. The uAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Thailand are the countries who have submitted the final bids for Asia’s premier competition. Initially, 11 countries had expressed their interests to host the event, but when the deadline for bid presentations concluded in May, ’14, only four were left in the fray. Australia was the sole bidder for the ’15 event and it was expected that a final decision on the ’19 host nation would be made at the AFC Congress held in Melbourne prior to the start of the ongoing edition. But it was put off and is now expected to be made by the middle of this year. A major change for the 17th THE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF HOSTING SUCH EVENTS WILL TILT THE SCALE IN THEIR FAVOUR. edition of the tournament includes expansion of teams from the current 16 to 24. uAE Football Association chief Yousuf Al Serkal believes his country, which previously hosted the event in 1996, can deliver a standout tournament. “I believe we’ve put together a really good file, meeting all requirements. In the end, it’s going to be a fair competition between all bidding member associations. But we’re hoping to get the nod in the end since we’ve good infrastructure, experience and ability to host such events,” Al Serkal was quoted as saying in the uAE media recently. The proposed venues for the tournament includes the Mohammad bin Zayed Stadium and Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, the Hazza bin Zayed and Khalifa bin Zayed stadiums in Al Ain, the cricket stadium in Dubai Sports City and a new 60,000-capacity stadium, which will be ready by ’18. Since the ’96 Asian Cup, the uAE have played host to four more FIFA events — the Youth World Cup in ’03, the ’09 and ’10 Club World Cups, and more recently the under 17 World Cup in ’13. Al Serkal believes the previous experience of hosting such events will tilt the scale in their favour. “Our chances are high. FIFA and the AFC have seen how efficient we’re in hosting such big events and we are now hoping to get the ’19 Asian Cup as well,” Al Serkal added. Iran, which previously hosted the event in ’68 and ’76, is the main challenger to the uAE. Tehran has two stadiums — Azadi and Takhti. The West Asian nation had presented an unsuccessful bid to host the ’11 edition, but it lost out to Qatar. Saudi Arabia are bidding for the first time while Thailand hosted the ’72 edition and was a co-host along with Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia in ’07. on the final day of the 2010-11 campaign. Aguirre attributed his team’s failure to the luck factor in penalties. “In the end, it went to penalties and that’s a 50 per cent probability of success. We were complacent at the BOTH KEISUKE HONDA AND SHINJI KAGAWA MISSED THE TARGET IN THE SHOOT-OUT. start of the game and that’s why we conceded an early goal and we had to fight to score because of that until the last minute,” said Aguirre. Four-time champions Japan are bowing out before reaching the semifinal stage of the Asian Cup for the first time since 1996, when they lost to Kuwait in the quarterfinal played in Al Ain. Aguirre was all praise for the opponents. “The uAE played the match of their lives,” he added. Keisuke Honda, who was in good form in the group stage, did get a few scoring opportunities, but failed to finish. Both Honda and Shinji Kagawa missed the target in the shootout and Aguirre will now be under even more pressure. But for the time being, he can breathe easy as the Japan Football Association has reposed its faith in him. » The writer can be contacted at: [email protected] Mahdi all praise for team’s resilience T HE uAE coach Mahdi Ali believes his team’s upset win over Japan will boost the morale of the players, even though they lost to hosts Australia in the semifinal. The uAE beat Japan 5-4 on penalties after the teams were level at 1-1 at the end of regulation and extra time. The uAE took the lead in the seventh minute through Ali Mabkhout before second-half substitute Gaku Shibasaki drew level for the champions in the 80th, taking the game to extra time and shoot-out. Ismail Ahmed converted the winning penalty for the uAE after Japanese stars Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa failed to find the target. “We played a fantastic game. Winning against Japan is a great thing and that’ll give my players more confidence in future tournaments,” said Mahdi after his team surprised the Samurai Blue at the Stadium Australia in Sydney. The uAE were making it to the semifinal for the first time since the 1996 edition at home and Mahdi praised his team’s resilience. “I keep telling my players that we don’t always have to play very nice football to win. Sometimes you’ve to play with your heart and spirit as we showed in the game against Japan,” he added. Mahdi singled out star winger Omar Abdulrahman as a player for the future. “Of course for us, it would be very good to see one of our players playing in Europe. Omar has a good future, he’s a talented player and we hope to see him in Europe very soon.” 8 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com FOOTBALL Shaikh Salman is genuinely excited ŠŠChinese players acknowledge the cheers from fans after their quarterfinal match against Australia. A STuNNING group stage, where all 24 matches yielded results without a single draw. Edge-of-the-seat knockout fixtures and it does not get bigger than this. Tournament organisers are happy with the way it has thrilled fans all over the world. “I’m genuinely excited by the level of enthusiasm that’s being displayed all around the competition. I’ve been to all the stadiums and I, like so many fans, have had a thoroughly enjoyable experience,” said Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa. “These teams have represented Asia proudly, playing some of the best football the tournament has ever seen. I can only wish them good luck and may the best team win.” The AFC chief lauded the fans for their rousing support, stating he was proud to witness such multicultural crowds at the stadiums. “The spectators really stand out in most matches. The numbers speak for themselves and the atmosphere inside the stadiums have been amazing. We want to give fans a memorable experience and I’m confident we’ve been doing just that,” he said. The Bahraini dwelled further about the positives of the tournament. “The game has been really entertaining. There’ve been 61 goals in the first 24 matches, which is an average of more than 2.5 goals per game and we’ve achieved an amazing feat of 24 games without a draw in a major tournament, beating the previous record of 18 set at the 1930 inaugural FIFA World Cup in uruguay. “There were competitive matches played in a really good spirit and at the same time there’ve been some outstanding goals as well. So overall the football has been beyond expectation, which is excellent,” he said. Though some of the refereeing decisions during the course of the tournament came in for sharp criticism, with players like Japan’s Keisuke Honda openly expressing their angst, Shaikh Salman reiterated his faith in the match officials. “I’ve complete trust in the referees’ ability. I hope they would continue their positive contributions to the tournament, something which would greatly help further enhance the reputation of referees in Asia,” Shaikh Salman said. He added that the bidding for the ’19 edition, with the uAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Thailand in the fray, is a tight race. “Of course the decision isn’t in my hands as there’s an Executive Committee that’s responsible for studying all the bids. We’ll leave it to those people responsible for it. It’s a tight race and the final decision will be announced in the middle of the year.” Positives galore for Perrin & Co Sajith B Warrier C HINA, who made it to the Asian Cup as the best third-placed team in the qualifiers, were impressive during the group stage, before losing to Australia in the quarterfinal. And the man who is credited with their success is Alain Perrin, who took over the reins last February. The Frenchman’s first task was to instil a winning mentality in the team. Though Perrin did not exactly trigger a Chinese revolution, there are plenty of positives for him and his boys to take from their performances Down under. It was for the first time since 2004, Alain Perrin when they hosted the tournament, that China made it to the last-eight phase. They finished as runners-up to Japan that year, their best-ever performance in the event. “Honestly saying, I think our team wasn’t the best in this tournament,” Perrin admitted. “But we still put up a good fight and challenged each and every opponent. This is the top tournament in Asia and we did our best. If we keep it up like this, I think in the future we’ll do well,” he said. China, who edged Lebanon on goal difference to qualify for the tournament, stunned Saudi Arabia WE BEAT A STRONG TEAM LIKE UZBEKISTAN WHO’RE NOW THE FOURTH-BEST SIDE IN ASIA. 1-0 in the opening encounter and followed it up with 2-1 victories over ’11 semifinalists uzbekistan and North Korea to top Group B. However, in the quarterfinals, the rampaging Socceroos, who rode on a brilliant display by veteran Tim Cahill, were too good for them. “My players are very disappointed. We had high hopes here. After we finished the group stage, we had to rethink how we play. I’ve a variety of tactics for different opponents, and I pick the fittest players and the ones who want to fight,” said Perrin. “I don’t think defence was the problem. The problem was that we couldn’t find a way to equalise and play the opposition once they scored first. Australia played well and we did our best,” he added. Perrin, the first Frenchman to coach China, does not have not much time to recoup as the ’18 World Cup Asian qualification is his next target. Much of Perrin’s success has come in Europe, especially in his home country. He won the French Cup with Sochaux in ’06 before moving to Lyon, where he helped them annex the league and cup double. He has plenty of Asian experience as well. He was in Qatar from ’10 to ’13, coaching three different clubs — Al Khor, Al Gharafa and umm Salal — apart from being in charge of the country’s Olympic team for a while. “The pressure in Asia is much similar to the one when I won the French Cup with Lyon and Sochaux. It’s a pleasure to work with this Chinese team. The players are very disciplined and always willing to learn. We believe in ourselves and have the spirit to fight it out till the end,” Perrin said. Perrin, who started his career as an assistant to current Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger at AS Nancy, spoke about his coaching philosophies. “As professionals, we must always be ready to face challenges. Players should know their responsibilities well. Football is a team game of course, but individual development is equally important,” he said. Despite oodles of talent, China have been the perennial under-achievers in international football. They are currently languishing 96th in FIFA rankings and have qualified for the World Cup only once, in ’02, where they failed to advance past the group stage. Perrin believes there is plenty of scope for improvement. “The Asian Cup was a chance to reassess the team’s strengths and weakness. We beat a strong team like uzbekistan who’re now the fourth best side in Asia in terms of rankings. In the past, Chinese players use to buckle under pressure. “The experience gained at the Asian Cup will help with our World Cup qualification,” he added. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 Record TV rating for China-Australia match REUTERS/Edgar Su of predictions. Even during the group stage, China experienced its highest audience for live sports since Li Na reached the Australian Open tennis final in 2013. Meanwhile, the tournament’s reach in social media tools, like Facebook and Twitter, is showing a significant increase. The official Twitter hashtag #AC2015 has been used more than 1.82 billion times, making it one of the most talked about Asian football events in history. Video plays on YouTube have clocked more than 3.3 million, with over five million minutes watched. Followers on Facebook have grown by 73 per cent and, in sync with all these, there has been an outstanding turnout of fans at the stadiums. ššAustralia’s Mathew Leckie vies with China’s Cai Huikang. Checked in! One of Australia’s favourite footballers Alessandro Del Piero, an official brand ambassadors of the event, has been missing right from the start. The Local Organising Committee was keen on having his presence at the Opening Ceremony or at least in the opening week of the tournament, but Del Piero was busy at the Ballon d’Or in Zurich. The Italian legend, who played for Delhi Dynamos FC in the Indian Super League, finally made the trip Down under, and was seen talking to fans and clicking selfies with them. One Goal, one noble goal! As Asia’s top teams battled it out for top honours on the pitch, 150 children from Sydney competed in the Dream Asia unity Football Festival in support of One Goal — a campaign that uses the sport as a catalyst to improve the nutritional status of children in Asia and Australia. The three-day festival, which took place at the Hockey Centre in Sydney’s Olympic Park, combined football, family entertainment, health promotion and education. A main attraction of the festival was the One Goal AFC Asian Cup Legacy Forum held on the concluding day, which brought together leading players, civil society, government, academics and food industry stakeholders to discuss child malnutrition. Commenting on the initiative, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary Alex Soosay said, “World Vision has programmes in the majority of AFC Member Associations. We’re excited to be working together through One Goal to help make the right kind of nutrition a reality for children in the region.” S DELINES! C HINA’S quarterfinal match against Australia attracted the largest TV audience for a football match in the country in recent years. A whopping average audience of 27 million people watched China’s loss to the hosts on CCTV-5. With a crowd of 46,067 inside the Brisbane Stadium as Australia posted a 2-0 win, thanks to two goals from Tim Cahill, the peak viewership reached 32 million on CCTV-5. The average audience exceeded the previous record of 23 million, which was set for the second leg of the 2013 AFC Champions League final between China’s Guangzhou Evergrande and South Korea’s FC Seoul. TV viewing figures for the Asian Cup group matches are well in excess Testing times! Jordan coach Ray Wilkins may be a favourite with the English media as he has played for big clubs like Manchester united and Chelsea in the past and had even managed the Blues. But in Australia, he had to endure tough times on and off the field. First, he had a bitter fight with the organisers regarding the procedure followed for the doping test on one of his players. As if that was not Sun is shining bright for China S uN KE was instrumental in China’s progress into the second round of the Asian Cup. After missing the Group B opener against Saudi Arabia due to a knee injury, Sun came off as a second-half substitute against uzbekistan and he scored the winning goal. The 25-year-old also netted both the goals in his team’s 2-1 win over North Korea and won the man-of-the-match award in the process. “Playing in the Asian Cup is a great honour. All players tried their best. Players adjusted quickly and for me personally, the goals have certainly made me feel more confident. I think they’ve also brought more confidence to the entire team,” said Sun, who made his national team debut in March, 2013. “There’s no way to predict THE EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING IN THIS MAJOR TOURNAMENT WAS REALLY AWESOME. the result in this sport. That’s what makes it interesting and so enjoyable to watch. We just have to prepare for any difficulties that we may run into,” he said. Alain Perrin has a lot of faith in Sun and the Frenchman would 9 be expecting more from him, especially during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. In the last two Asian Cups, China failed to move past the group stage. Having set that record straight in Australia, Sun, who plies his trade with Jiangsu Sainty club, looks to the future with full of confidence. “I think every team has its low point but now we’ve turned a corner here. The experience of playing in this major tournament was really awesome. “Personally I’ve learnt a lot given that this is the first time I’m playing in such a big event. I’ve improved mentally and have learnt a lot of crucial tactics,” added the rising Sun. Sun Ke enough, the security guards stopped him from entering a Press conference room which he himself was supposed to address after he forgot his accreditation card! Jordan’s failure to enter the knockout phase compounded his woes further. Greener pastures The Asian Cup in Australia provides an opportunity for players from countries like Palestine to look out for an opening in the A-League. No wonder, despite their early exit, players from Palestine were found desperately seeking agents to pursue their A-League ambitions. Most of them were hoping to catch the eye of local clubs and return to Australia in the near future. 10 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com FOOTBALL | QATAR ‘Nov-Dec best suited for ’22 World Cup’ T HE 2022 World Cup in Qatar looks increasingly likely to be played in November and December to avoid the region’s summer heat, Asia’s football supremo said. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who heads the FIFA taskforce charged with investigating potential dates for the 2022 World Cup, told reporters in Sydney that it also made sense to avoid a calendar clash with the ’22 Winter Olympics. “The period best suited for hosting the ’22 World Cup in Qatar will be in November and December because, for sure, it needs to be played in the winter,” he said on the sidelines of the Asian Cup in Australia. The Bahraini official added that his working group had decided that a winter World Cup was in the best interests of all parties. “The matter (winter timing) is resolved,” he said. International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach had expressed confidence that FIFA boss Sepp Blatter would ensure the World Cup did not overlap with the Winter Games. FOR SURE, IT NEEDS TO BE PLAYED IN THE WINTER. THE MATTER IS RESOLVED. Blatter has acknowledged that the ’22 World Cup could not be played in its traditional June-July window due to the summer heat in the Gulf. While a winter World Cup now looks likely, the game’s world governing body has also been asked to consider a spring option, on the urging of European clubs. Blatter and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke favour playing the tournament in November and December while uEFA boss Michel Platini would prefer January to avoid clashing with the Champions League. Not only the timing of the tournament has been difficult — the bidding process for hosting rights has also been investigated over allegations of corruption. Get ready for Challenge 22! N Ganesh T HE Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SCDL) launched Challenge 22, an award aimed to inspire, challenge and unite the region’s brightest minds. The award has been instituted in association with Silatech, an initiative to create jobs, and the Qatar National research Fund (QNrF), an organisation that supports education. Challenge 22 is established to engage the region’s innovators and provide them with a forum to explore solutions that could directly benefit the World Cup in Qatar. Challenge 22 has sought entries from within the Gulf Co-operation Council. They should be solutionbased proposals related to three key themes that address the challenges while hosting major events. The themes are sustainability, event experience, and sports and health. Successful applicants will be provided with a professional mentor network consisting of research, academic and business leaders, who will assist them in giving a proper shape to their ideas. Winners will also receive prizes worth $20,000. The deadline to submit entries is March 3, 2015. There will be a screening phase, with the successful entries being invited to submit more comprehensive proposals at a later date. Addressing the gathering, which formed a cross-section of people in the Middle East, SCDL Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi said, “We’re extremely proud to launch Challenge 22 and invite people across the region to think big and come up with inventive solutions to the challenges associated with hosting major events. “The ’22 FIFA World Cup in Qatar THE BENEFITS WE’LL SEE FROM CHALLENGE 22 WILL GO BEYOND THE WORLD CUP IN QATAR. is more than a tournament. It’s an opportunity for us to build a legacy that supports the entire region. By recognising and supporting emerging talents, we hope to inspire the next generation of innovators from the Middle East. Through this initiative, innovators can develop practical solutions to global challenges,” he added. The organisers will launch a three-week GCC road show, including information sessions, to attract more participation. SCDL’s Strategic Development and Assurance Executive Director Mahmoud Qutub emphasised Challenge 22’s role in creating a tangible legacy for the ’22 World Cup. “The benefits we’ll see from Challenge 22 will go beyond the World Cup in Qatar and prove a lasting legacy in social, human and economic developments in Qatar and the region,” said Mahmoud. Silatech CEO Dr Tariq Yousef said, “Challenge 22 will shed light on some of the extraordinary talents and outstanding minds of our region, enhancing innovation and serving a platform to catalyse future breakthroughs.” QNrF Executive Director Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taei said, “By investing in cutting-edge research, the QNrF is enhancing a culture that supports the Qatar Foundation on its mission to build the country’s innovation and technology capacity, and to help it develop itself into a hub of research excellence. “Challenge 22 therefore provides a tremendous opportunity for innovators in Qatar and region to showcase their talents while contributing solutions to the success of the region’s first FIFA World Cup,” he said. For more information about Challenge 22 and the application process, log on to www.222. challenge.qa. WHO CAN APPLY The applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. Teams must have at least one member of Arab origin. Individual applicants must be of Arab origin. All individual applications and members of teams must be legally resident in one of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries at the time of application. Future editions of Challenge 22 will be open to all Arab countries. ŠŠHassan Al Thawadi speaks at the launch. THE THEMES SUSTAINABILITY Energy-efficient stadiums Propose solutions to use space and materials in an efficient manner that will complement the construction work taken by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. Using green materials Propose innovative solutions that incorporate green materials into the design and construction of stadiums and precincts. EVENT EXPERIENCE Making matches accessible Propose integrated solutions to make sports facilities accessible to all fans. Enhancing fan experiences Develop interactive solutions that enhance the overall fan experience. SPORTS AND HEALTH Arabic sports content Identify practical solutions that will increase the use of and accessibility to sports-related information in Arabic. Healthy lifestyles Propose new solutions that will result in a healthier Middle East as the region prepares for the World Cup. 11 DSP/Mohammed Dabboos www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015 Everton give away ‘gift’ to Sampdoria Martinez is all praise for Doha conditions E VERTON coach Roberto Martinez hopes their weeklong winter training camp at the Aspire Zone in pleasant weather conditions will help them arrest the slump and resume their English Premier League campaign on a positive note. Martinez, who had replaced David Moyes last season, had guided them to a fifth-place finish, but they have been a pale shadow of themselves this time and are currently placed 12th, 29 points adrift of leaders Chelsea. Martinez found Doha as an ideal place to rejuvenate the squad and said the players’ improvement was quite visible. “The welcome we received from the people of Qatar was phenomenal and the facilities at the ASPIRE Academy are terrific,” said Martinez. “We’re working in the best facilities you can imagine and we can stay outside for hours because the weather is always what you want it to be. “We’ve had a few Everton fans coming to the training sessions and that has given us a feeling of home,” said the 41-year-old. The Spaniard said the team’s training in Qatar had been a mix of high-intensity and tactical-based sessions. “It’s important now that we’re working hard as we’re getting into the key months of the season, especially with our Europa League last-16 tie (against Swiss side Young Boys) and the league games coming up. “Certain groups in the squad THE WELCOME WE RECEIVED FROM THE PEOPLE OF QATAR WAS PHENOMENAL. will need more specific work, but our work has been more of high intensity. We’re feeling the benefits of being out there because the sessions give longer preparation for the players. “It’s like a pre-season within a season and we’ve got a lot of high intensity into our work, but we aren’t treating all players the same way. “Certain players are working more than others because of the amount of games they’ve played this season. The facilities here are second to none and they’ve really helped towards our work,” said the former Swansea and Wigan Athletic manager. Everton manager Roberto Martinez had described Samuel Eto’o as a gift from footballing Gods, but the former Cameroonian international has now left for Sampdoria after a five-month spell. “His finishing is of the highest calibre, but it’s important that we give him the right amount of playing time. I’m really excited to see how he’ll adapt in the second half of the season. His experience and knowhow have been important,” Martinez had said. But his stint at Everton did not turn out to be successful for both parties. Eto’o, 33, who is a free agent, had joined Everton from Chelsea last August after spending a year at Stamford Bridge. In the same month, he announced his international retirement after winning 118 caps and scoring a record 56 goals for Cameroon. Eto’o has won four league titles, seven domestic cups, a FIFA Club World Cup medal and three Champions League trophies, two with Barcelona and one with Inter Milan. ššEverton players train at the Aspire ground. Al Ansari new QFA general secretary M ANSOOR Al Ansari is the new general secretary of the Qatar Football Association (QFA). The QFA Executive Committee, presided over by its chief Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani last week, made the decision in this regard. Al Ansari will also carry out the functions of executive director of the Qatar national teams. Meanwhile, Hamad Abdulla Al Kuwari has been appointed as the director of marketing and communications, and acting executive director of operations. ŠšQatar’s Nasser Saleh Khalfan tries to get past a UAE player. Qatar bow out of Gulf tournament Q ATAR crashed out in the group stage of the GCC Under-23 tournament in Manama last week. In their second Group A game, they played out a goalless draw with the UAE. Qatar had lost 0-3 to Kuwait in their opener, thus winding up their campaign with just a single point. While Kuwait and the UAE progressed to the semifinal from Group A, Oman and Saudi Arabia made it to the last four from Group B. 12 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com FOOTBALL | INTERNATIONAL Shock & relief! CHAMPIONS ARSENAL ADVANCE TO THE FIFTH ROUND, BUT OTHER PREMIERSHIP CLUBS CHELSEA, MANCHESTER CITY AND TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STUMBLE IN THE ENGLISH FA CUP, WRITES MICHAEL HAN. A rSENAL, Aston Villa and West Ham united reached the fifth round of the FA Cup as calm returned to the competition last Sunday, ending a weekend, which reminded spectators that David can beat Goliath. While Chelsea and Manchester City were stunned by Bradford City 4-2 and Middlesbrough 2-0 respectively and Manchester united were held 0-0 by fourth tier Cambridge united, holders Arsenal beat Championship side (second tier) Brighton and Hove Albion 3-2, West Ham overcame League One (third tier) Bristol City 1-0 and Aston Villa toppled Championship leaders Bournemouth 2-1. Chelsea appeared on course for a routine win after 38 minutes with goals from Gary Cahill and ramires. SOUTHAMPTON SUFFERED A 2-3 DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF CRYSTAL PALACE. Bradford, 49 places lower than Chelsea and with a squad made up of journeymen and bargain signings, had other ideas when Jon Stead beat Petr Cech before half-time. Former Chelsea player Filipe Morais side-footed an equaliser after the break, before an improbable script was completed by Andy Halliday thumping the ball past Cech with 10 minutes left and Mark Yeates side-footing a fourth in stoppage time to send the visiting fans delirious. City only arrived back from a warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi the evening before taking on Middlesbrough and looked groggy against fluent opponents who struck after halftime through Chelsea loan player Patrick Bamford and Spaniard Kike. West Bromwich Albion avoided an upset at Birmingham City, winning the Midlands derby 2-1, but a poor day for the elite continued when Bolton Wanderers drew 0-0 at Liverpool and Sunderland were held 0-0 at home by Fulham. Tottenham lost 0-1 to Leicester City 1-2 and Southampton suffered a 2-3 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace. Derby County beat Chesterfield 2-0 while Preston North End and Sheffield united drew 1-1. West Ham united had substitute Diafra Sakho to thank for sparing their blushes against League One Bristol City as the Senegal international headed Andy Carroll’s cross home in the 81st minute to send the Hammers through to the fifth round. Aston Villa also secured their place in the next round, thanks to their victory over Bournemouth. Carles Gil, who signed from Valencia earlier this month, scored a stunning effort to put Villa in front on 51 minutes before Andreas Weimann added a second. Callum Wilson scored a late consolation for Bournemouth. Goals from Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Tomas rosicky helped Arsenal conquer an obdurate Brighton side and remain on course to defend the trophy they won last season after going nine years without silverware. Arsenal fans would have been forgiven for feeling a little uneasy at a trip to the south coast after watching Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester City fall in round four. But their nerves were calmed just 89 seconds in when Walcott neatly controlled Calum Chambers’s cross and fired a shot past David Stockdale to score his first goal in over a year after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle problem. Arsenal continued to pin Brighton back in their own half and Ozil, making his first start since October, doubled the lead. Brighton gained a lifeline when Chris O’Grady held off Mathieu Flamini’s challenge and kept his composure to strike the ball past Wojciech Szczesny. rosicky restored Arsenal’s twogoal advantage with an exquisite volley from the edge of the box, but Brighton striker Sam Baldock set up a nervy finish for the holders when he delicately clipped the ball over the oncoming Szczesny. RESULTS As of Sunday. Brighton & Hove Albion lost to Arsenal Aston Villa bt AFC Bournemouth Bristol City lost to West Ham Liverpool drew Bolton Wanderers Birmingham City lost to West Brom Cardiff City lost to reading Chelsea lost to Bradford City Derby County bt Chesterfield Man City lost to Middlesbrough Preston North End drew Sheffield united Southampton lost to Crystal Palace Sunderland drew Fulham Tottenham lost to Leicester City Blackburn rovers bt Swansea City Cambridge united drew Man united 2-3 2-1 0-1 0-0 1-2 1-2 2-4 2-0 0-2 1-1 2-3 0-0 1-2 3-1 0-0 TOP 10 FA CUP UPSETS 1972 1973 1984 1988 1989 1992 2003 2013 2015 Hereford united bt Newcastle united Sunderland bt Leeds united AFC Bournemouth bt Manchester united Wimbledon bt Liverpool Sutton united bt Coventry Wrexham bt Arsenal Shrewsbury Town bt Everton Wigan Athletic bt Manchester City Chelsea lost to Bradford City Manchester City lost to Middlesbrough 2-1 1-0 2-0 1-0 2-1 2-1 2-1 1-0 2-4 0-2 Balotelli must improve in training: Rodgers Out-of-favour Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli needs to improve in training if he wants to get back into the squad, said manager Brendan rodgers. “He knows exactly what’s required to be in this squad before he can be in the team,” said rodgers. “I’m judging it every day in training. Mario is exactly the same as every other player, there’s no special treatment for anyone,” he added. Balotelli, who is yet to score a league goal in 12 appearances since his £16m move from AC Milan in August, was left out of the squad that drew 0-0 with second-tier Bolton Wanders at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round last week. Liverpool started the game without a recognised striker on the pitch, later introducing forward Fabio Borini while target man rickie Lambert remained on the bench. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 şşArsenal’s Tomas rosicky, second left, celebrates with team-mates after scoring against Brighton & Hove Albion. 13 Cambridge to earn £1m from replay C AMBrIDGE united are flush with cash after securing a lucrative FA Cup fourth-round replay at Manchester united and will spend their Old Trafford windfall on new toilets, the fourth tier club’s chairman said. The club is set to earn upwards of £1m from shared gate receipts and TV revenue from the replay on February 4. Cambridge chairman Dave Doggett said they would use the money to update the run-down Abbey Stadium, which has been their home since 1932. “Hopefully we can get the stadium done and start putting in some proper toilets,” said Doggett. “Some toilets and tea bars and more hospitality. That’s what we’ll do.” We played against the odds: Van Gaal M Record sackings on the anvil M OrE managers will be sacked in the English Premier League (EPL) and Football League than ever before if the current trends continue, according to the League Managers Association’s (LMA) quarterly report. As of December 27, 2014, more than a quarter managers in the EPL and Football League’s 92 clubs had been dismissed from their clubs this season. The tally is three more than at the same stage last time around. A further seven managers resigned or departed by mutual consent. “If the trend continues we’re on course to exceed the total dismissal record of 46 set in 2006-’07,” the LMA report stated. “The managers dismissed so far this season have been in post for an average of only 1.04 years.” Dismissals in the EPL are down six from last season, however, as only Crystal Palace’s Neil Warnock and West Bromwich Albion’s Alan Irvine were sacked by the New Year. Twelve clubs in the Championship (second tier) dismissed managers up to December 31, with the average tenure of current managers in the division standing at an alarming 0.82 years. Leeds united are on their third permanent manager of the season having appointed Neil redfearn redknapp, who has spent at West Ham, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur, holds the record for most games managed by a current manager at 1,383 matches. Mourinho hits out at his players A ARSENAL’S ARSENE WENGER REMAINS THE LONGEST-SERVING CURRENT MANAGER. in November after the sackings of David Hockaday and Darko Milanic. Five managers were sacked in League One (third tier) and eight in League Two (fourth tier). Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger remains the longest-serving current manager at more than 18 years while West Ham united’s Sam Allardyce is second at 3.5 years. Queens Park rangers boss Harry ANCHESTEr united were happy to survive a difficult challenge by coming away with a 0-0 draw at fourth-tier Cambridge united in the FA Cup fourth round last week, said manager Louis van Gaal. Cambridge did not manage a single shot on target, but that was little comfort to the contingent of united fans who braved the cold to watch their team held in an embarrassing stalemate. However, Van Gaal said he was happy to still be in the competition after moaning that everything went against his team. “We’ve to come here and the pitch wasn’t so good. The opponents are always giving a lot more than normally and defending is always easier than attacking and then you’ve the referee,” said Van Gaal. Alan Irvine BEMuSED Jose Mourinho described Chelsea’s performance as unacceptable and a disgrace after the English Premier League leaders slumped to a 2-4 home defeat against third-tier Bradford City in the FA Cup fourth round. Mourinho, twice Champions League winner, who has led teams to titles in his native Portugal, Italy and Spain as well as at Chelsea, said the defeat was one of the worst of his career. “It’s a sporting disgrace. I feel ashamed and the players should feel the same,” he said. It was the first time a Mourinho-coached Chelsea side had lost to a lower league opposition during his two spells in England. 14 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com FOOTBALL | INTERNATIONAL INTERVIEW With me, what you see is what you get! I T WOuLD be fair that Diego Simeone is very much in vogue these days. Over the last three seasons, his Atletico Madrid side, the very epitome of sacrifice and teamwork, has won titles in Spain and Europe, and begun writing a glorious chapter in the club’s history. It was, therefore, a fitting reward to see the Argentinian on the threeman shortlist for the 2014 FIFA World Coach of the Year award. In an interview with www.fifa. com, the 44-year-old, nicknamed Cholo, spoke about his coaching philosophy at Atletico, a possible future as national team coach and his particular relationship with fans of arch-rivals real Madrid. ЂЂYou made the three-man shortlist for coach of the year... ЃЂIt’s nothing definitive, as football is all about your next game, the need to keep producing the goods. But when it’s the opinion of footballers, I definitely place greater store on it. I’m pleased to be in a trio that includes (Joachim) Loew and (Carlo) Ancelotti, but more than anything, it gives me the impetus to work hard and improve in the future. In Spain, many people used to be divided on the playing styles of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Now a lot of the talk is about ‘Cholismo’. We’ve a clearly identifiable playing style, that’s true. I’ve always said that the teams that best espoused those ideals have been Estudiantes de La Plata, where I coached for a year and a half, and this Atletico side. That said, I wouldn’t go so far talking about ‘Cholismo’, even if my teams do play in a particular way. ЂЂA lot is written about Cholo’s warriors and their selflessness. Are the media underestimating the team’s other qualities? ЃЂThe great thing about football is that it’s so open to interpretation: there’s no definitive right and wrong and, in a sense, everyone is right. There’re myriad ways of playing but, as I’ve said before, I base things on the qualities of the players I’ve, empowering individuals for the betterment of the team. In all the finals we’ve competed in, we’ve used our top players, but we don’t believe that you can win with talent alone. Talent has to be accompanied by effort. ЂЂYou’ve always maintained that sacrifice is non-negotiable, so what things are negotiable? ЃЂThe human aspects. So long as people are upfront about things, I’m willing to discuss anything. I always say, ‘When we’re both on the same RIGHT NOW, I FEEL ENERGETIC, SO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, I PARTICIPATE IN THE GAME. ЃЂNo, on the contrary. It was a very considered decision given that the final of the Champions League was at stake. The day before, Costa was doing 100M sprints and looked like an athlete! I reasoned that if he could give us 45-50 minutes, then it would be worth playing him in the final, especially given his importance to us. Alas, fate had other ideas. ЂЂAs a coach, your character is just page, then we go for it. If you’re in one place and I’m in another, then no. I don’t like that scenario. like it was as a player. There’s no sign of that abating… ЃЂNo, they’re traits of mine. Every coach has them. Obviously when I’m older, I’ll probably have different mannerisms. right now I feel young and energetic, so one way or another, I participate in the game. ЂЂDo you regret any decisions you ЂЂNot long ago, Atletico were took in 2014? ЃЂregret? No. With any possibly erroneous decision, you can always look back and think you could’ve done something differently — but always with the benefit of hindsight. looked upon as a perennial bridesmaid. How about it now? ЃЂJust after I was appointed coach here, I said I wanted Atletico to become a team that causes problem for others. Taking on two giants like real Madrid and Barcelona is very hard. If you think about it, in our domestic league we’re up against two clubs who’re always expected to ЂЂWould the decision to risk Diego Costa in the UEFA Champions League final be in that category? Diego Simeone SPECIAL COLUMN Can ‘New FIFA Now’ do away with corrupti Andrew Warshaw Real Madrid top revenue chart A leap in commercial and broadcast revenue lifted Manchester united into second place behind real Madrid on the list of the world’s richest clubs in 2013-14, according to Deloitte’s latest Football Money League. Following are the top 10. revenue in 2013-14 in million euros. Last year’s ranking in parenthesis. 1. (1) real Madrid (ESP) 550 2. (4) Man united (ENG) 518 3. (3) Bayern Munich (GEr) 488 4. (2) Barcelona (ESP) 485 5. (5) Paris St Germain (FrA) 474 6. (6) Manchester City (ENG) 414 7. (7) Chelsea (ENG) 388 8. (8) Arsenal (ENG) 359 9. (12) Liverpool (ENG) 306 10. (9) Juventus (ITA) 279 A LOAD of hot air or a genuine challenge to FIFA’s authority? Just as those considering whether to become candidates to take on Sepp Blatter for the top job in world football were making their decisions one way or the other ahead of this week’s deadline for official nominations, so a group of well-intentioned reformists were making it clear that FIFA’s governing body had to clean itself up — whoever is next in charge. I was there last week to witness the launch of the ‘New FIFA Now’ at the European Parliament in Brussels. It’s an initiative which hopes to change the way world football body functions after years of controversy and scandal. I heard speech after speech, criticism after criticism and attack after attack. To say FIFA received a bloody nose would be an under-statement. But will the new campaign, spearheaded by British MP Damien Collins, have any effect? Many, you see, believe the only way FIFA can be changed is from within and that no amount of outside pressure will get the job done. Collins and his colleagues accept that argument, but counter forcefully that the scale of the problem at FIFA has become so grave that something has to be done. To that end, although FIFA has been conducting its own reform programme under Blatter, the Brussels summit issued a hard-hitting communique stressing that what had been achieved didn’t go far enough and called for the establishment of a more accountable so-called FIFA reform Commission that would be overseen by an independent authority with a 10-point plan for change. Part of its mandate would be to publish “all current and outstanding corruption inquiries”, oversee an audit of “all football development programmes” across the world, MANY BELIEVE THE ONLY WAY FIFA CAN BE CHANGED IS FROM WITHIN. publish the minutes of all its main meetings, allow former players to become ExCom members and permit fans to vote for five ExCom positions. The new coalition said it would be lobbying sponsors and governments and contact everyone of FIFA’s associations to explain the rationale behind the new ideas. That’s quite a task given that ‘New FIFA Now’ has no actual power and teeth. That doesn’t mean, of course, it has no worthwhile raison d’etre. Theoretically, it could influence the way FIFA is governed in the future and it does represent so many different groups who’ve come together to publicly state their lack of faith in Blatter’s organisation. “The time has passed for evolution, we need a revolution. People tore down the Berlin Wall and it’s time for us to do the same and rebuild a new FIFA,” declared Bonita Mersiades, the infamous whistleblower who for a time was part of the failed Australian bid for the 2022 World Cup which was awarded to Qatar. Former English FA chairman David Triesman, who was in charge of England’s failed bid to stage the ’18 tournament, was equally scathing of FIFA. “We’ve reached the absurd situation where the leaders of the www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 ЂšHow do you think Real Madrid fans see you? ЃšI imagine they’ve got mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m sure they don’t like me but, on the other, I get a lot of respect when I’m out on the street. I get a lot of people coming up to me saying ‘I’m a real Madrid fan, but I would honestly like to congratulate you. I like the way your guys work and how much of a team they’re’. I think that recently Atletico have shown something that people need in their everyday lives — energy. ЂšCould you see yourself becoming the Sir Alex Ferguson of Atletico, in terms of longevity? ЃšI always say that my approach is to think that I might get sacked tomorrow. For me, it’s the best way of making sure I live for the moment, because in football what matters, aside from what you’ve already achieved and which nobody can take away from you, is what’s coming next. I see Atletico as a club that’s growing very strongly and which has greater financial clout, thanks to the success we’ve had. ЂšAre you ever able to take your foot off the pedal? ЃšI’m not a fan of “switching off” because I know that when I find myself in that situation then I end up losing. Of course, so often it happens, but I try and fight against it because it’s not a feeling I’m comfortable with. ЂšBut you do get the chance to do things like going to the cinema and reading books? ЃšYes, I lead a normal life like any other man on the street, but I also see myself as shouldering a major responsibility. The game is my life and I’m so passionate about it. When you see your life so intertwined with football, it can make things very difficult. You might go and watch a film and start imagining footballers running across the screen, you know? It’s not easy (to switch off). ЂšHand on heart, were you offered the Argentina job after the World Cup in Brazil? ЃšNo, but I know it’ll happen one day. I’ve always said in the national team you’ve room for what I call the son, father and grandfather types. In coaching terms, I think it’s a place for a grandfather — someone more serene and composed. I still feel I need to be on the pitch, doing training and being with players day in, day out. The national team can’t give you that. Is it something I would like to do one day? Absolutely! ЂšIf there was a Ballon d’Or awarded for one aspect of life, what would Diego Simeone win it for? ЃšFor being a straightforward guy. With me, what you see is what you get. ion in the world body? world game go around as if they were the Heads of State, which isn’t the way the sport should be governed,” he told delegates. Triesman made the point that FIFA’s hierarchy couldn’t possibly have survived if they had been running a private company or a corporation. He spoke for many in the sport who believe FIFA has arrived at a watershed moment. The aim is certainly a noble one: to build a consensus of external opinion that’ll ultimately make FIFA more accountable for its conduct. The ‘New FIFA Now’ charter described it as “one of the most discredited organisations in the world” with a crisis of leadership, governance and accountability. Everyone present agreed that more transparency was needed, that action was required. Yet, who were they actually addressing? Although there were observers from uEFA, CONCACAF and Qatar 2022 in the room, there was not a single representative from any of FIFA’s 209 national federations. No leagues either, no clubs. Of course no one from FIFA to listen and report back. Why was that? It’s obvious really — fear. No one wanted to be seen to be joining in and run the risk of being blacklisted by FIFA. Instead, we had a collection of usual suspects gathered in front of a primarily western European media to throw the kitchen sink at Blatter and his cohorts. I can see considerable merit in an independent body keeping the heat on FIFA. After all, according to New FIFA Now’s charter, “The people who run FIFA don’t own the organisation or the sport.” But if it’s to have a serious impact, it has to be more than an antagonistic talk shop that’ll hardly strike fear into FIFA’s old guard. WEEKLY ROUND-UP RESULTS LA LIGA Athletic Club drew Malaga Espanyol bt Almeria Valencia bt Sevilla Deportivo drew Granada Atl Madrid bt r Vallecano Cordoba lost to real Madrid Elche lost to Barcelona real Sociedad bt Eibar Villarreal bt Levante 1-1 3-0 3-1 2-2 3-1 1-2 0-6 1-0 1-0 Fiorentina drew AS roma Inter Milan lost to Torino Juventus bt Chievo Parma lost to Cesena Sampdoria drew Palermo Verona bt Ata Bergamo Cagliari bt Sassuolo Lazio bt AC Milan 1-1 0-1 2-0 1-2 1-1 1-0 2-1 3-1 Evian TG bt Toulouse Oly Lyon bt Metz Stade rennes lost to Caen Saint Etienne lost to PSG Stade de reims drew racing Lens EA Guingamp bt FC Lorient Lille lost to Monaco Montpellier bt Nantes Bastia drew G Bordeaux Nice bt Oly Marseille 1-0 2-0 1-4 0-1 0-0 3-2 0-1 4-0 0-0 2-1 SERIE A LIGUE 1 Ronaldo sees red in Real’s victory Tim Hanlon C rISTIANO ronaldo was sent off for kicking out at an opponent, but real Madrid still beat Cordoba 2-1 away last week while Barcelona kept on their heels with a 6-0 romp at Elche. ronaldo kicked out at defender Edimar with seven minutes to go and also appeared to throw a punch as the visitors struggled to create chances, but they were gifted the BARCELONA KEPT ON REAL MADRID’S HEELS WITH A 6-0 ROMP AT ELCHE. STANDINGS As of Sunday. real Madrid Barcelona Atl Madrid Sevilla Valencia Villarreal Malaga Eibar Espanyol r Vallecano r Sociedad Celta Vigo Athletic Club Cordoba Deportivo Getafe Elche Almeria Levante Granada LA LIGA 19 20 20 18 19 20 19 20 19 20 20 19 19 20 20 19 20 19 20 20 16 15 14 12 11 11 9 7 6 7 5 5 5 3 4 4 4 4 3 2 0 2 2 3 5 5 4 6 5 2 7 6 4 9 6 5 5 4 7 9 SERIE A 3 3 4 3 3 4 6 7 8 11 8 8 10 8 10 10 11 11 10 9 64 54 40 30 35 33 22 24 22 21 20 18 15 16 16 14 18 17 13 13 16 9 19 17 17 17 20 26 29 36 24 21 25 30 33 27 41 30 35 33 48 47 44 39 38 38 31 27 23 23 22 21 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 win when a Gareth Bale free-kick was handled by Fede Cartabia in the area. real remain top with 48 points, one more than Barca and also with a game in hand, but the loss of world player of the year ronaldo through a ban could cause problems. His great rival Lionel Messi and Neymar hit second-half braces for Barca after Gerard Pique celebrated his 200th La Liga appearance with a volley that clipped off Domingo Cisma and into the roof of the net 10 minutes before the break. Pedro got the sixth from close range after being found by Neymar. Livewire Antoine Griezmann hit a Juventus 20 15 4 1 44 9 49 AS roma 20 12 6 2 33 15 42 Lazio 20 10 4 6 36 23 34 Sampdoria 20 8 10 2 26 18 34 Napoli 19 9 6 4 34 24 33 Fiorentina 20 8 7 5 28 19 31 19 7 7 5 27 23 28 Genoa Palermo 20 6 9 5 32 32 27 Inter Milan 20 6 8 6 29 26 26 AC Milan 20 6 8 6 28 25 26 Sassuolo 20 5 10 5 24 28 25 Torino 20 6 7 7 17 21 25 udinese 19 6 6 7 23 26 24 Verona 20 6 6 8 22 32 24 Atalanta Bergamo 20 4 8 8 15 25 20 Empoli 19 3 10 6 17 23 19 Cagliari 20 4 7 9 27 38 19 Chievo Verona 20 4 6 10 14 24 18 Cesena 20 2 6 12 19 40 12 Parma 20 3 1 16 19 43 9 Parma were docked one point for missing payment on taxes and wages. Oly Lyon Oly Marseille PSG St Etienne Monaco Montpellier G Bordeaux Nice Nantes Stade rennes Stade de reims EA Guingamp Lille Bastia FC Lorient ET Gaillard Toulouse Caen racing Lens Metz LIGUE 1 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 15 14 12 11 11 10 9 9 8 8 8 9 7 5 7 7 6 5 5 5 3 2 8 7 6 5 6 4 7 6 5 1 6 8 2 2 4 6 5 5 4 6 2 4 5 7 7 9 7 8 9 12 9 9 13 13 12 11 12 12 47 42 39 24 25 30 27 28 19 23 27 26 17 21 25 24 23 30 20 19 17 22 19 14 18 22 29 29 22 29 36 35 19 26 32 38 34 35 28 32 48 44 44 40 39 35 33 31 31 30 29 28 27 23 23 23 22 21 20 20 double as third-placed champions Atletico Madrid beat rayo Vallecano 3-1 at home and moved up to 44 points. Elsewhere, a Luciano Vietto strike gave Villarreal a 1-0 victory over Levante and Xabi Prieto headed home in real Sociedad’s 1-0 win over Eibar. Juventus draw seven clear Juventus went seven points clear at the top of Serie A after second-half goals from Paul Pogba and Stephan Lichtsteiner gave them a 2-0 win over lowly Chievo. Juve, aiming for a fourth successive title, have 49 points, with AS roma on 42 and Lazio and Sampdoria joint third on 34. roma drew 1-1 at Fiorentina, Adem Ljajic salvaging them a point early in the second half after Mario Gomez had given Fiorentina a halftime lead. Olympique Lyon extend lead Olympique Lyon extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to four points as Alexandre Lacazette scored from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win against 10-man Metz last Sunday. Lyon have 48 points from 22 games, ahead of second-placed Olympique Marseille after they lost 1-2 to Nice. Champions Paris Saint-Germain are third, level on points with Marseille, after they beat Saint Etienne 1-0, thanks to a 60th-minute penalty from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. AFP/Cristina Quicler win the Champions League. We’ve managed to break that hegemony — just as we did in 1996 when I was a player — and triumph over the kind of financial muscle and great players that they acquire. 15 ššreal Madrid’s Cristiano ronaldo is shown a red card during their game against Cordoba. 16 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com FOOTBALL | INTERNATIONAL Cash and peace, the lure of China Andrew Downie B ETTEr infrastructure and bigger salaries paid on time are prompting a new wave of Brazilians to emigrate to China, with players and coaches making the move for cash and relative football stability. Two of the top players in Brazil’s Serie A signed for Chinese clubs this month, joining more than a dozen who are already there. Diego Tardelli, 29, left Atletico Mineiro for Shandong Luneng recently for more than $5m and Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande paid almost three times that for ricardo Goulart, the attacking midfielder who was third top scorer in the premier domestic league last year. He is only 23. Both players featured in recent Brazil squads and their departure is seen as an indication of China’s growing allure. “China reminds me a lot of Japan in years gone by,” said Cuca, the former Atletico Mineiro coach who signed Tardelli for Shandong Luneng. “The Japanese market was strong and they looked to Brazil to learn (footballing) values. “That’s what’s happening with China now. They’re trying to learn from the different schools and have players from lots of different countries,” he said. Cuca, who moved to China after guiding Atletico Mineiro to their first ever Libertadores Cup in 2012, said working conditions in China are light years ahead of even the biggest Brazilian clubs. “No team in Brazil has an infrastructure like the team I’m at in China,” he said last week after Shandong lost 1-3 to Palmeiras in a pre-season friendly. “The field is easier in China, we’ve seven pitches, each one better than the next, there’s all-weather pitches, full size, seven-a-side. Each player has his own suite. We all have the latest you can imagine in terms of physical infrastructure,” he said. The Chinese Super League has imported foreign players from countries as diverse as Bosnia, Jamaica and Zambia — each team can sign up to five — and securing the right personnel remains a serious challenge, both on and off the field, Cuca said. “I’m taking back a kit man we hired,” he said. “Every player there (in China) washes his own kit. We’re taking over a doctor, too. “They’ve good doctors there but they’re inexperienced. They don’t have nutrition, it’s not balanced like here. Before the games they eat stuff you wouldn’t believe. So it’s up to the coach to help that kind of professional evolution as well,” he said. But money and peace of mind are the biggest lures. China may become a football force in the future, but the game there has taken time to develop. They have only reached the World Cup finals once, in ’02, when they lost all three matches without scoring. Despite their huge promise and potential to excel, China have never won the Asian Cup title, with their best-placed finishes runners-up in 1984 and ’04, when they hosted CHINA ARE TRYING TO LEARN FROM THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. the event. This time in Australia they lost out to the hosts in the quarterfinal. However, the average attendance at domestic league matches is higher than in Brazil without making the same demands on players. Players say they work in peace and get huge salaries in return. “I’m getting four times what I got at Sao Paulo,” Aloisio, Shandong’s Brazilian winger, said. “It was an offer I couldn’t turn down, it was my future and the future of my family.” The Chinese clubs pay the players’ tax bills and they are paid on time, unlike in Brazil, where the financial mismanagement of most clubs means players frequently go unpaid for months. “In Brazil, almost a third goes on taxes and it’s difficult to get paid,” Cuca said. “In China you’re guaranteed to get your money on time. I’m not going to lie, I went to China firstly to ensure my financial independence.” Cuca said the cultural aspects were also appealing. He has visited South Korea, Thailand, and Japan for Asian Champions League games and he is able to brush shoulders with personalities such as Marcello Lippi, the man who guided Italy to the ’06 World Cup and is now director of football at Guangzhou. However, he warned his compatriots to weigh up the consequences before making the move east. “Brazilians who go, as I do, have to realise that you disappear,” he said. “The media doesn’t see what you do. If you score three goals in China and one here in Brazil the one is worth much more. The players have to give it a long thought about it, with their families.” Ricardo Goulart FAST FACTS Diego Tardelli One-third of the Chinese Super League’s (CSL) 66 current foreign players are from Brazil. The CSL is now the ninth biggest league in the world when it comes to spending on players. Brazilian clubs play in front of banks of empty seats at home, where the average Serie A crowd was just more than 16,500 in 2014. Guangzhou Evergrande’s average spectator turnout was 42,000. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 17 Juniors Cup, a parameter for looking into Brazil’s future S OME of Brazilian football’s most illustrious names landed their first taste of stardom in the Sao Paulo Juniors Cup. And many more are hoping to follow them after this year’s competition ended with a ninth title win for Corinthians. In recent years, Barcelona’s Neymar, Chelsea’s Oscar and the Paris SaintGermain pair of Marquinhos and Lucas Moura have been among those who were blooded in the Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior, as the annual under-20 tournament is formally known in Portuguese. Yet, as Brazil agonises over its football future following last year’s World Cup debacle, the nation is still unsure about the quality of tomorrow’s hopefuls. Indeed, some critics say the standard has never been lower. Especially since the national team was hammered 7-1 by Germany in that numbing World Cup semifinal, Brazilian football has increasingly been accused of being outdated and slow, with too much emphasis on stamina, physicality and results. The level of play in this year’s junior tournament was slated by Alvaro Oliveira Filho, a columnist in ššBrazil’s Oscar, left, and Neymar first caught the eye at the Juniors Cup. “No team in Brazil has an infrastructure like the team I’m at in China. We’ve seven pitches, each one better than the next, there’s all-weather pitches, full size, seven-aside. Each player has his own suite. We all have the latest you can imagine in terms of physical infrastructure. Cuca, Shandong Luneng coach. the Lance! sports newspaper, who warned there were few outstanding youngsters compared to earlier years. “If this SP Juniors Cup is the best parameter for evaluating the quality of Brazilian football in the future, then prepare yourselves,” Oliveira Filho wrote in a column last week. Not everyone is so gloomy. Edu Gaspar, the former Arsenal player who scored the winning goal for Corinthians in the 1999 final against PLAYERS ARE AWARE THIS IS A CHANCE THEY MIGHT NEVER GET AGAIN. Vasco da Gama, said the tournament was crucial to his development as a young player and he believes it remains so now. “It’s a tournament that brings visibility for players,” he said. The competition is played in January, close season for Brazil’s top leagues, and features 104 teams playing at 16 towns and cities across the state of Sao Paulo. The top 32 teams qualify for the knockout phase with the finalists ‘Did what I liked the best, now I’ll be fan’ F OrMEr Argentina and Boca Juniors playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme announced his retirement last Monday. The 36-year-old, who had spells in Europe with Barcelona and Villarreal, excelling particularly with the latter, last played for Argentinos Juniors, recently helping the Buenos Aires side earn promotion to the top division. He had been expected to join Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno, but decided instead to call time on his career. riquelme said, “I’ve decided to stop playing football. Sunday used to be the most beautiful day of the week, I went on the pitch and did what I liked best. Now I’ll be a fan.” He added, “To carry on playing there would’ve had to be something that interested me. I thought it was best to say that I won’t play anymore.” riquelme won 51 caps for Argentina, his first as a 19-year-old in 1997, and played for his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He began and ended his career with Argentinos Juniors, but spent his best years at Boca Juniors, where as a goal-scoring and creative midfielder, who specialised in set-pieces, he was widely admired. Barcelona were persuaded to sign him in ’02, but he struggled to find his best form for the Camp Nou side and moved on to Spanish rivals Villarreal, where he spent two years on loan before permanent terms were agreed between the clubs. riquelme moved back to Boca Juniors in ’07, initially on loan, and stayed for seven years, before the final chapter of his career was played out in the second tier. facing off on January 25, the anniversary of the foundation of the city of Sao Paulo. For coaches, particularly those outside the big cities, it’s a chance to compare themselves with betterknown rivals. Figueirense coach Marcio Coelho said, “The teams from north and northeast are a bit left out and it’s an opportunity for the teams outside the states of rio, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais to have that exchange.” Players such as Chelsea’s Filipe Luis and former Arsenal full-back Andre Santos started with Figueirense, and Coelho uses those examples to encourage today’s youngsters. “We try to inspire them using those good examples,” he said. With no top-flight games as a distraction, the Copa is the only source of live competitive football in January and it has grown in popularity. Many of the games are broadcast live on television and 36,000 fans attended last Sunday’s final to see Corinthians beat Botafogo 1-0. Whatever the standard, players are aware this is a chance they might never get again. 18 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com HANDBALL JANUARY FEBRUARY 15 1 TO COVER STORY Making ASIAN CHAMPIONS QATAR OVERCOME AUSTRIA IN THE PRE-QUARTERFINAL TO CONTINUE THEIR EMPHATIC MARCH, WRITES AJU GEORGE CHRIS. sitting out for most of the first round. I’m proud to be part of this history-making side. We worked hard for 60 minutes for the win and earned it. The match was very close and could’ve gone either way. I feel the better side won,” said Vidal. With a few seconds still left in the game, rivera had started hugging his players and assistants. But by the time he arrived at the post-match Press conference, he was his usual serious self. “We had a clear game plan and we executed it well. Neither sides could take more than a three-goal lead at any point and that itself shows how tough the match was. We gave our everything on the court and the result was certainly there for everyone to see,” said rivera. He acknowledged that Vidal’s return had done the team’s confidence a world of good. “He’s a huge influence on our players. His return gave them a lot of DSP/Mohan T HE Lusail Multipurpose Hall was jam-packed much before the start of the International Handball Federation’s (IHF) World Championship pre-quarterfinal between Qatar and Austria. Tension hung thick in the air and the anticipation was palpable. The crowd had a hunch that they were about to witness history in the making. And Qatar did not disappoint. Though they took their own sweet time to get going, once they did, there was no stopping Valero rivera’s boys. Qatar trailed 13-14 at the end of first half, but came back roaring to clinch the tie 29-27. By qualifying for the last eight, Qatar achieved their best-ever result at the biennial event. For the record, their previous best had been a 16th-place finish at the 2003 Worlds in Portugal. It was also only the second time, since South Korea in 1997, that an Asian team qualified for the quarterfinal. The Koreans had lost to Spain in the seventh-place play-off. Marko Zarkovic was once again the star for Qatar, scoring eight times from 13 attempts. rafael Capote, who also attempted 13 shots at goal, converted seven. The duo’s consistent form will give Qatar plenty of confidence in the coming days. The return of line player Borja Vidal from an injury to his left knee also bolstered the side’s confidence. rivera, who did not want to push the tall player too much, used him for a mere 11 minutes in the entire game, during which he scored twice. “I was relieved to come back after confidence. I used him only sparingly as I didn’t want to push him too hard. He’ll be gradually reintegrated into the team. I’m hopeful we can go further in the tournament,” he said. WE HAD A CLEAR GAME PLAN AND WE EXECUTED IT WELL. Qatar’s Danijel Saric, who blocked seven of the 18 shots that came his way, was also a vital influence in the team’s win. He felt the side was ready for greater glory. “All matches in the knock-out stage will be touch-and-go affairs. We’ll fight for victory every single minute of the game. That the crowd is on our side will definitely be another advantage,” he said. Austrian players, who resorted to rough tactics, were penalised with 12 offensive fouls. raul Santos missed five clear shots at goal, which only added to their frustration. Qatar will face Germany in the quarterfinal on Wednesday. rivera sounded confident in his team’s chances. “I really don’t have a problem facing them. My team has trained hard and they’re ready for any challenges,” he signed off. ŢŢQatar’s Eldar Memisevic is blocked by Austrian players. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 19 Our team can go the distance: Al Shaabi W QUARTERFINAL FIXTURES All matches on Wednesday. LUSAIL MULTIPURPOSE HALL Qatar vs Germany, 6.30pm. Spain vs Denmark, 9pm. ALI BIN HAMAD AL ATTIYAH INDOOR HALL Croatia vs Poland, 6.30pm. Slovenia vs France, 9pm. RESULTS PRE-QUARTERFINALS Spain bt Tunisia 28-20 Croatia bt Brazil 26-25 Slovenia bt Macedonia 30-28 Qatar bt Austria 29-27 Germany bt Egypt 23-16 Poland bt Sweden 24-20 France bt Argentina 33-20 Denmark bt Iceland 30-25 GROUP PHASE Austria drew Tunisia 25-25 Argentina bt Saudi Arabia 32-20 Egypt by Czech republic 27-24 Poland bt russia 26-25 Denmark drew Germany 30-30 France drew Iceland 26-26 Sweden bt Algeria 27-29 Belarus bt Chile 34-23 Austria bt Iran 38-26 Slovenia bt Brazil 35-32 Tunisia bt Bosnia and Herzegovina 27-24 Croatia bt Macedonia 29-26 Spain bt Qatar 28-25 Germany bt Argentina 28-23 Poland bt Saudi Arabia 32-13 Sweden drew Egypt 25-25 France bt Algeria 32-26 Czech republic bt Iceland 36-25 Denmark bt russia 31-28 Brazil bt Chile 30-22 Spain bt Slovenia 30-26 Tunisia bt Iran 30-23 Croatia bt Bosnia and Herzegovina 28-21 Macedonia bt Austria 36-31 Qatar bt Belarus 26-22 Iceland bt Egypt 28-25 Argentina bt russia 30-27 Germany bt Saudi Arabia 36-19 Czech republic bt Algeria 36-20 Denmark bt Poland 31-27 France bt Sweden 27-25 Qatar look to keep springing surprises Q ATAr will bank on home advantage and look to continue their good run when they take on world’s No.1 ranked side Germany in the quarterfinal at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall on Wednesday. In the other last-eight fixtures, Croatia, holders Spain and Slovenia will meet Poland, Denmark and European champions France in that order. QATAR SHOULD WORK ON THEIR DEFENCE AND PRAY ZARKO MARKOVIC AND RAFAEL CAPOTE DO WELL. The championship is sure to get more exciting as almost all major teams have made it to the last-eight stage. While Qatar, who created history by making it to the quarterfinal for the first time, are the surprise package at this level, russia, who failed to get past the group stage, will be conspicuous by their absence. Qatar have stunned everyone to put up their best-ever performance in the event’s history. However, they will have their task cut out against Germany, who qualified as an IHF wild card. The Germans have gone from strength to strength after every game. Qatar should work hard on their defence and pray that their strike duo of Zarko Markovic and rafael Capote fire on all cylinders once again. Croatia advanced after a tough 26-25 win over Brazil. Though the Europeans were pushed to the limits, their better experience at this level helped them through. Spain did not have to toil much against Tunisia as they virtually killed the game by halftime by taking a 18-9 lead. Slovenia survived a tricky clash against Macedonia and ran out 30-28 winners. Germany easily overcame Egypt 23-16 while Poland had to fight hard to beat Sweden 2420. Denmark were pushed hard by Iceland before winning 3025 while France steamrollered Argentina 33-20. The quarterfinals will be held at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall and the Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah Indoor Hall on Wednesday. ILL the hosts be able to prove the pundits wrong and win their first-ever World Championship title? Despite the team’s quarterfinal entry, the notion may still seem a little far-fetched to many. After all, their previous best show was a 16th-place finish at the 2003 Worlds in Portugal. But Qatar Handball Association President Ahmed Mohammed Abdulrab Al Shaabi, who is also vice-president of the tournament organising committee, did not seem to entertain any doubts. “Before the start of the tournament, we said our goal was to progress from the group stage. We’ve done that and now we want to finish higher than ever before. We’ve a dedicated team that is willing to do everything to make the impossible happen. I believe they’ve it in them to go the distance,” he said. The key factor in the team’s success, according to the ŢŢSpain’s Joan Canellas is challenged by Tunisia’s Jaleleddine Touati. former Al Sadd player, is the presence of faithful home fans on the sidelines. Praising them, he encouraged the people to stick with the side until the end. “Everyone can feel proud of the way our team has been playing at the tournament. Our team has fought hard and the support of our fans have been invaluable. I’m WE’VE A DEDICATED TEAM THAT’S WILLING TO DO EVERYTHING TO MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE HAPPEN. sure they’ll motivate our boys to try harder,” said the official. He felt that the IHF event, being held in the Arab world for the first time, would accelerate the game’s development in the region. “Three Arab sides — Egypt, Tunisia and Qatar — qualified for the knockout phase of the tournament. This is an unprecedented achievement, one which I’m sure will help the game attract more talent and crowds,” he said. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com QATAR’S STAR AT HANDBALL WORLDS ZARKO MARKOVIC DSP/Mohan 22 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com HANDBALL JANUARY FEBRUARY 15 1 TO EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Being Onesta! Aju George Chris F rANCE have been a powerhouse for more than a decade. They won the 2008 and ’12 Olympic gold medals, ’01, ’09 and ’11 World Championships as well as European Championships in ’06, ’10 and ’14. Players have come and gone in these years, but one factor has remained as a constant — coach Claude Onesta. Except for the ’01 triumph, the 58-year-old masterminded all of the team’s biggest successes. The coach, who took charge in ’01, cuts a powerful figure on the court and the players derive a lot of confidence from him. And it is no surprise that the French team progressed to the quarterfinal MANY DOMESTIC LEAGUES, ESPECIALLY SPANISH, WERE HIT HARD BY THE CRISIS. IHF photo of the ongoing IHF World Championship in Doha without losing a game. Last week, they were stretched to the limits by Algeria in a Group C match and were held by Iceland, leaving many observers wondering whether they were at their best. However, Onesta entertained no doubts. “Yes, we faced unexpected problems against Algeria, especially in the second half when they Claude Onesta came back strongly. But how we perform in the first round really doesn’t matter. It’s during the knockout phase that the men are separated from boys. Personally, I haven’t felt better about my team than I feel now,” Onesta told Doha Stadium Plus in an exclusive interview. Being two-time defending Olympic and triple European champions brings with it a lot of expectations and pressure. France were given the favourites’ tag even before the start of the tournament. With hundreds of travelling fans cheering them on from the sidelines and millions more following their progress on television, the pressure was huge. But Onesta easily took things in his stride. “In every competition we enter, we do so as the favourites. So we’re quite used to these situations. We play against other European teams frequently and know almost all of their styles by now. We’re prepared to face any side. Our focus is on the court. We’ll try not to disappoint our fans,” he said. Onesta pointed out that the French League had played a huge role in building a strong national side. “Even during the financial crisis, the French League underwent significant growth. It’s now one of the strongest competitions in Europe, with many professionals plying their trade there. Many domestic leagues, especially Spanish, were hit hard by the crisis. But the competition thrived. Now we’re almost as strong as the German Bundesliga,” he said. Despite a strong Bundesliga, the presence of too many overseas professionals is pointed out as a reason for the German national team’s dismal shows in recent times. Germany, ranked as the world’s No.1 team by a complex system that takes their historic performances (from ’38) into consideration, qualified for Doha as wild cards. The French tactician admitted that more www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 Brothers turn rivals on the court ONESTA FACT FILE Claude Onesta was born on February 6, 1957, in Albi, France. He has been the French national team coach since ’01. He boasts of one of the best track records in the game’s history. He helped France win the ’08 Beijing and ’12 Olympic Games gold medals. He was at the helm when they won the ’09 and ’11 IHF World Championship in Croatia and Sweden respectively. He also led them to three European titles in ’06 (Switzerland), ’10 (Austria) and ’14 (Denmark). He led France to bronze medals at the ’03 (Portugal) and ’05 (Tunisia) World Championships. They also finished third at the ’08 European Championship in Norway. In January, ’10, he became the first professional players meant weaker national teams and said steps were being taken to ensure France did not go Germany’s way. “It’s definitely possible that French players may lose their positions to professionals in the team. But we’re acutely aware of Germany’s recent plight and want to avoid a similar scenario at home. “Hence, we’re talking with the French Handball Federation to put up checks and prevent that from happening. We’ll ensure that each national club should sign and field a specific number of young French WE FIRST NEED TO EDUCATE PLAYERS FROM NEW REGIONS BEFORE LETTING THEM PLAY. players. That way, we can ensure a constant flow of talent to the top,” he said. Onesta was appreciative of Qatar’s investment in French sports and credited the nation for helping bolster handball’s popularity. “Big investments are necessary to help any sport grow. In that sense, the Qatar Sports Investments’ (QSI) commitment to Paris Handball has made a huge difference. It brought in the much-needed capital and added star value to our league. “But the QSI took over the side only two years ag0. My only concern is whether they’re looking to stay with the team in the long term. If they do, that’ll 23 coach in history to help his team hold all three major titles — Olympic, world and European Championship — at the same time. He played all his life with French club side Toulouse Handball. From ’68 to ’87, he was a youth player with the team and later turned professional. He coached Toulouse Handball from ’87 to ’01 before taking charge of the national side. His daughter Marina plays for the women’s team of Toulouse Handball. help attract even more lucrative sponsorships to our teams. It’ll help the sport grow,” he said. Over the years, handball has become a mostly European affair. Sixteen of the 24 sides competing in Qatar are from that continent. Onesta, who felt the World Championship should eventually expand to give chances to more countries from other regions, said popularising the sport was the key to helping it grow. “There’s no denying handball has become a largely European sport. Development projects in other parts of the world is the need of the hour. There’s a great push for the game in the Gulf region and I expect these teams to become really strong. They seem to be the future. “Expanding the World Championship to include more teams should be a later step. We first need to educate players from new regions before letting them play in major events. Since they’ll be no match for bigger sides, the dismal show will only have the opposite effect on them,” he signed off. » The writer can be contacted at: [email protected] Y uGOSLAVIA was a superpower in handball. After its disintegration in 1991, several new countries took shape, including Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. When the two met in their Group B clash at the IHF World Championship in Doha last week, journalists dubbed it as a ‘game between former brothers.’ What made the match even more interesting and intriguing was that it featured a clash between two brothers, playing on opposite ends of the court. Eventually, Croatia’s Igor Karacic got the better of his brother Ivan, representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, after a 28-21 win. The brothers, born in the Bosnian town of Mostar, went their separate ways after coming into the sport. “We never thought we would play against each other at the World Championship level,” said Ivan, who is three years older than Igor. “Bosnia and Herzegovina had always been far away from the big Igor Karacic stage. On the other hand, Igor was always ambitious and badly wanted to represent Croatia. It was destiny that we met again on the court,” he said. Igor, who is 26, recalled the time the brothers went their separate ways. “Actually, it didn’t happen at once. In ’05, I got a call from coach Irfan Smajlagic to join the Croatian youth team. That was how it started. Ivan had already played in the Bosnian youth team by then. Our rivalry Ivan Karacic started when we played for rival clubs in the Bosnian championship — Bosna Sarajevo and Borac Banja Luka,” he said. Irrespective of who won or lost, the brothers can be proud that they created history in Doha. A similar scenario has happened only once before, when the Klimovets brothers — Andrej and Vladimir — who played for Germany and Belarus respectively, faced each other at the ’08 European Championship in Norway. French coach blasts naturalisation rules L EFT-BACK Bertrand Roine has played a huge part in turning Qatar’s dreams into reality. He was instrumental in helping the side win the Asian Championship and Asian Games gold medals last year. But French coach Claude Onesta gets a strange feeling every time roine turns out in a Qatar shirt. After all, the 33-year-old was his player when they won the World Championship in 2011. “I admit it’s strange to see him play in a shirt other than the French blue. But since the International Handball Federation’s (IHF) regulations allow switching of national teams, there’s little we can do about it. Personally, he’s a very good man. We respect him as a player and a human being,” Onesta told Doha Stadium Plus. “For several years, handball has faced the problem of players changing their nationalities. We aren’t entirely happy with it, especially as it goes against our culture and everything we’ve learnt. unfortunately, we’ve to accept it,” he said. Onesta was critical of the IHF rule which states that a player who has not represented his side for three years can play for another team. “There’s a huge difference between professional club system and national team selections. One can understand if a club player moves base once or even twice a year. But when it comes to national teams, they’re focused on building players according to a particular system. “Handball has faced this problem for some time now. I can understand if a junior or youth player moves to a new country in search of a better life. But seniors shouldn’t be doing it. In my opinion, senior players shouldn’t be allowed to switch allegiance. 24 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com HANDBALL JANUARY FEBRUARY 15 1 TO Party time for fans Aju George Chris T HOuSANDS of travelling fans are in Doha for the International Handball Federation’s World Championship, with many draped in national colours, and their faces painted. While some made plans in advance, for many others, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to see a different part of the world, another tick on their bucket list. For some, like Iceland’s Einar Gudlaugson, this is nothing new. The 60-year-old, a veteran of six World Championships and four European competitions, said he found the Doha experience fascinating. “I’m a huge fan of our team. I used to play the game. Every year, I save enough money to travel around the world on my team’s campaigns. Most of our national players know me. It’s a special feeling when they recognise me and give me hugs after matches,” said Gudlaugson. “I had never been to the Middle East before and I’m pleasantly surprised with the experience. While our team’s fortunes have fluctuated wildly on the court, I haven’t had any bad experience. It’s a very safe country,” said Gudlaugson, who runs a few hostels back in his country. Handball is not as popular as football in Qatar. Irrespective of that fact, the 2015 Worlds is the biggest single-sport team event the country has “On the organisational front, Qatar is second to none. I’ve reported a few international events and I still can’t believe I don’t have to pay for using anything here, be it the Internet or food. The in-house tournament news system is of Olympic standard. It helps me research stories and complement them with a lot of additional information. Clement Domas, French journalist. ever hosted. And with Qatar gearing up for the ’22 FIFA World Cup, organisers stand to gain a lot of insights into what they’re likely to experience in seven years. One issue the western media has highlighted is the possible unavailability of alcohol at the stadiums. But Miguel Angel, who hails from Spanish capital Madrid, felt it was unnecessarily hyped up. “I’ve been a part of many sports events and is used to having beer at matches. In Qatar, though they don’t serve it at the venues, I don’t think it has taken away anything from my experience. We always celebrate after returning to the I HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE MIDDLE EAST BEFORE. I’M PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WITH THE EXPERIENCE. hotel. My team has been successful on court and that’s what matters. The alcohol issue has been blown out of proportion by the Western media,” he opined. However, Swedish professional sailor Emil Aberg felt there were some things Qatari officials definitely had to work on. “Travelling from the hotel to the venue at Al Sadd and back has been very easy. The biggest problem I faced was that the security personnel at the venue didn’t know how to direct us to our seats. We had printed tickets in hand, with seat and row numbers, but had to walk around in circles thrice before finding the right entrance. “Once we reached the seat, we found it had already been taken by someone else. We once again approached the security, but they didn’t even speak English. It was all unnecessary hassle. Finally, we started coming to the venue at least three hours prior to our matches,” he said. Tatiana Poberezskaja, a Belarusian teacher, travelled to Qatar with a 70-member strong contingent. She said that made things a lot better. “Qatari organisers should be appreciated for giving travelling fans so many offers and discounts. For example, our group availed of an attractive Qatar Airways package that took care of our travel and boarding. We got an additional discount as they had tied up with the ’15 IHF Worlds organisers. I can’t imagine us getting so many concessions had it been any other host,” Poberezskaja said. The tournament has also been a huge hit with the travelling journalists. Frenchman Clement Domas, who works with www.handballnews.fr, could not hide his delight. “On the organisational front, Qatar is second to none. I’ve reported a few international events and I still can’t believe I don’t have to pay for using anything here, be it the Internet or food. The in-house tournament news system is of Olympic standard. It helps me research stories and complement it with a lot of additional information,” said Domas. “Qatar has raised the bar for the future IHF Worlds organisers. I hope my country will be able to do something similar when we host the competition in ’17,” he added. “Qatari organisers should be appreciated for giving travelling fans so many offers and discounts. For example, our group availed of an attractive Qatar Airways package that took care of our travel and boarding. We got an additional discount as they had tied up with the ’15 IHF Worlds organisers. I can’t imagine us getting so many concessions had it been any other host. Tatiana Poberezskaja, Belarusian fan. “Travelling from the hotel to the venue at Al Sadd and back has been very easy. The biggest problem I faced was that the security personnel at the venue didn’t know how to direct us to our seats. We had printed tickets in hand, with seat and row numbers, but had to walk around in circles thrice before finding the right entrance. Emil Aberg, Swedish fan. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 ŠŠSheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, centre, receives the certificate from Gulf Organisation for research and Development Chairman Dr Yousef Al Horr as Qatar Olympic Committee Assistant Secretary General for Technical Support Khalid Hamad Al Mohannadi looks on. şŠA Danish fan cheers her team on. 25 Injuries, prevention in the spotlight S Olympic hopes alive Mohammad Amin-ul Islam Q ATAr Olympic Committee (QOC) Secretary General Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani reiterated Doha’s plans to again bid for the quadrennial Games, but was noncommittal about which edition it would go for. “We’re definitely thinking about bidding again for the Games. It could be for ’24, ’28 or ’30,” said Sheikh Saoud. “It’s not a matter of Doha wanting to bid for the Olympics or not. But it’s about deciding when to go for it. No decision has been made on ’24 yet.” Sheikh Saoud was speaking to reporters after collecting the Gulf Organisation for research and Development’s 4-star Global Sustainability Assessment System rating certificate for the Lusail Multipurpose Hall and Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena. The host city for the ’24 Games will be announced at the 130th IOC Session in Lima, Peru, in ’17. “On January 15, the International Olympic Committee had sent a circular to all National Olympic Committees asking to decide on the bidding by September. So there’s still time and everybody will know about our interest for the ’24 Games” he said. Doha had failed in its bids for the ’16 and ’20 Games, but Sheikh Saoud hinted at organising more international championships like the IHF Worlds so as to create a multi-sport stature. “In the last few years, we’ve hosted several World Championships. Many more are being lined up now. The Boxing Worlds will be held later this year. Then we’ve the World road Cycling Championship in ’16 . It’ll be followed by the Athletics Worlds in ’19,” he added. IHF President Hassan Moustafa had said earlier last week that Doha was capable of hosting the Olympic Games. “For any country, hosting a World Championship means it has laid down the foundations it can rely on when organising other major multi-sport events, like the Olympics. By organising the IHF Worlds, Qatar proved it’s a capable host. Future organisers are sure to struggle to match this event,” Moustafa said. OME of the common injuries sustained by players and the ways to prevent them were in focus at the ‘Conference on New Sports Medicine Concepts in Handball’, organised jointly by Qatar’s orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital Aspetar and International Handball Federation (IHF) at the Ladies Hall last week. The two-day event was held on the sidelines of the ongoing World Championship. While the first day focused on shoulder, hand, wrist, knee and ankle injuries, the second day shed light on muscle and groin strains as well as their prevention and doping control. Eminent speakers, including IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa, Aspetar Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Nebojsa Popovic, research scientist Dr Karim Chamari as well as experts Jacques Prioux, Grethe Myklebust and Mats Bittberg, led the discussions. “At Aspetar, we’re keen to develop new treatment methods. The conference facilitated the exchange of expertise and ideas between specialists from different countries, aimed at improving the methods of prevention of injuries and treatment,” said Aspetar Director General Dr Khalifa Al Kuwari. Dr Popovic made a presentation on elbow injuries while Dr Chamari led the discussion titled ‘Demands and player characteristics — training, osteoarticular and muscular constraints in handball’. Myklebust spoke about ‘epidemiology in handball injuries’ while the topic of ‘dental injuries’ was handled by Dr Mohammed Alsaey, Director of Sports Dentistry at Aspetar. Bittberg’s session on ‘Cartilage repair in handball — current methods and future trends’ was also well received. WORLD WATCH! Qatar-Spain conundrum The Pharaohs rule! “Every year, I save enough money to travel around the world on my team’s campaigns. I’ve never been to the Middle East before and I’m pleasantly surprised with the experience. Einar Gudlaugson, Icelandic fan. When the first round of the tournament drew to a close, Egyptian fans won the race for being the most passionate followers. Chanting songs, banging drums and waving flags, thousands of fans celebrated ‘The Pharaohs’ wins over North African rivals Algeria and the Czech republic. Their joy knew no bounds after the side qualified for the pre-quarterfinals. Handball is the second most popular sport in Egypt, after football, and that was evident in their support of the team. They cheered their players on after every move and stayed until the final buzzer. They also showed considerable restraint after losing matches, filing out of the stadium in neat rows. The tournament was certainly richer by their presence. As the Group A match between hosts Qatar and defending world champions Spain progressed at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall, a group of fans faced a dilemma as to who to cheer for. The 60-strong contingent were members of the Spanish supporters’ group Furia Conquense. Coming to the country as guests of the Qatar Handball Association, they had been cheering for Qatar at every match. But when the match was against their home side, they made a little compromise and cheered both sides on. Happy, happy, happy days! Music lovers in Doha were in for a special treat last week when American singers Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefany performed live at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall. The two singers, the biggest entertainment stars to have performed in the country, sent everyone into a tizzy. Like father, like son The match between Spain and Qatar had a special significance for Qatar’s Spanish coach Valero rivera, whose son Valero Rivera Folch was playing on the opposite side. The 63-year-old, who was Spain’s trainer before moving to Qatar, had helped the side win the 2013 IHF World Championship at home. He also gave several Spanish players their first shots at the club and international levels. Valero kissed his son and hugged many of the Spanish players before the start of the game. 26 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com GOLF POISE GRACE! SOUTH AFRICAN BRANDEN GRACE STAYS ALL FOCUSED AND PRODUCES A MOMENT OF MAGIC TO WIN THE COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS TITLE, WRITES KUMAR RAVI. tournaments I wanted to win, so I’m proud of myself that I managed to do it,” said Grace. “The Middle East is one of the places I’ve always wanted to win. I’ve thought my game suits these types of courses and I play well when I come here. I started off the season well in 2012 as well, so hopefully it’s a good season and it just continues forward.” Grace, who shared the lead after the second and third rounds, THE MIDDLE EAST IS ONE OF THE PLACES I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WIN. moved to an aggregate 14-under after a birdie on his opening hole in the final round. This was followed by eight straight pars to finish his outward journey on one-under par 35. On the back nine, he had pars on the first two and that stage he shared the lead with five others. It was then that the South African really found his magic touch. He sank a birdie on the 12th and, after a par on the 13th, repeated the feat on the 14th. He maintained his bogey-free run on the 15th and then came up with an eagle putt on the 295-yard 16th. He drove to six feet from the flag and then came up with a stunning putt for an eagle. But by then, Warren, who was following Grace, had birdies on the 16th and 17th to draw level with him on 18-under and it all boiled down to the par-five 18th hole for the South African. While walking to the green, Grace became aware that Warren had drawn level and he had to save at least a shot and hope for his rival not to match him. ultimately, that is what happened. He nailed his third shot to six feet and then sank a birdie putt while Warren could only get a par. » The writer can be contacted at: [email protected] ŢŢBranden Grace holds aloft the trophy in the presence of Qatar Golf Association and other officials. DSP/Vinod Divakaran I N THE end, it was all about poise and Grace! South African Branden Grace concentrated with great poise and produced a moment of magic with an eagle on the par-4 16th hole to steal a march over the rest of the leading pack and win the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters title at the Doha Golf Club last week. With three holes to go in the final round, it appeared there could be a three-way tie and a play-off loomed large as Grace, runner-up Scot Marc Warren and third-placed Austrian Bernd Wiesberger were tied on 15-under. However, Grace, only 26 but undoubtedly one of the most promising stars on the horizon, pulled off that eagle which proved decisive, making him richer by €353,257 and landing him this year’s second title on the European Tour, following his triumph in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at home. This was Grace’s sixth European Tour title and he became the fourth South African to lift the striking Mother of Pearl Trophy, following the triumphs of Darren Fichardt (‘03), Ernie Els (‘05) and retief Goosen (‘07). “This is definitely one of the www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 INTERVIEW WITH BRANDEN GRACE ЂЂTell us how it was from your perspective. ЃЂYeah, it was good. Obviously any day you win is a great day. It was nice. You know, this morning, I woke up, I went through a little bit of the previous videos of when I won just to try to get me in the right frame of mind and it worked. ЂЂThe crucial moment was on the 16th. Just tell us about that. ЃЂAt that stage, we weren’t really familiar with what was going on behind us. I thought when Bernd (Wiesberger) made birdies on 10, 11 and 12, to go to under-16, I thought well he’s definitely the one to catch. So it was kind of like a little match play situation between the two of us, and you know, then towards the end, Marc (Warren) just fired up the birdies. When we got to, I think it was 13, that par 3 was playing tough. Especially that pin tucked back right, I saw the two guys going straight at the flags and I thought, geez, that’s some golf shots. Then I got to 16. I made a birdie on 12 and 14 that got me tied. Yeah, I’ve actually been feeling good over the driver the whole day. Again, it was one of those where it wasn’t a big, big drive, just a smooth, solid swing and I just managed to hit it left of the pin. One thing led to another, hit it to a good distance and managed to trickle it up there. ЂЂYou were hitting into the green on 18, how aware were you of Warren behind you and his getting birdie? Did that put pressure on you? ЃЂI actually had no idea. I saw he hit it pretty close on 17 before we walked off to the tee. And you know, I got there and I knew there was no chance I would go for it. round three was a little bit different. We had a little bit more of a down breeze and on the fourth day it was more off the left. We got to the ball and actually it wasn’t lying too bad. I just tried to get it to a good sand wedge distance, and then I still wasn’t aware that Warren made birdie. I thought we were going to hear a little bit of a roar from behind, but we didn’t hear anything. I thought he missed and then I hit the shot on 18, and as I walked up, I saw, geez, he made a birdie. So I told my caddie Zack rasego, “We need this one.” As calm as he is, he said, “Listen, what happens, happens. You played well, so just make a good stroke and see what happens.” And I managed to make a good stroke and get in the hole. GRACE FAST FACTS His sixth European Tour international schedule victory in his 124th event. He moves to 629,653 points in the race to Dubai. Grace could move back into the top 50 (from 69th) in the official world golf ranking. This was his second victory of the 2015 European Tour season after the Alfred Dunhill Championship. The second time during his European Tour career, he has recorded multiple victories in the same season. The other year was ’12 when he won his first four titles — Joburg Open, Volvo Golf Champions, Volvo China Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. His six victories have only taken him 54 tournaments, dating back to the ’12 Joburg Open. In ’12, he won his first two events from his first three appearances of that season. In the ’15 season, he won two events from his first four tournaments. Victory comes in his fourth appearance in the Qatar Masters. This win beats his previous best finish of tied sixth in 2013. This was his first European Tour win in the Middle East and he became the fourth South African to win the Qatar Masters. 27 Champion bites the dust S PANIArD Sergio Garcia’s hopes of winning back-toback titles were shattered on a disastrous third day of the tournament. After posting a threeunder par 69 each in the first two rounds, he had a nightmarish third, shooting a five-over 77. The defending champion, who was among the top 10 after the first two rounds, plummeted 52 spots on the leader board, to a tie for 62nd after the third round. Though he carded a 69 in the fourth round, all he could achieve was to eventually finish a joint 46th with five others, including two-time winner Paul Lawrie of Scotland. Garcia had a forgettable back TOP SCORES Branden Grace rSA Marc Warren GBr Bernd Wiesberger AuT Eddie Pepperell GBr An Byeong Hun Korea Emiliano Grillo ArG Gregory Bourdy FrA Alejandro Canizares ESP Alexander Noren SWE Oliver Fisher GBr Benjamin Hebert FrA 67+68+68+66 71+65+67+67 69+66+68+68 69+71+65+67 67+69+72+65 67+69+67+70 70+68+70+65 67+70+68+69 67+71+72+65 65+73+69+69 72+68+69+67 269 270 271 272 273 273 273 274 275 276 276 nine in the third round. He made the turn in one-under 35 and had a birdie on the par-5 10th, but an inexplicable lack of concentration saw him making a double bogey on the par-4 11th, considered one of the most difficult holes at the Doha Golf Club and one ALL HE COULD ACHIEVE WAS TO EVENTUALLY FINISH A JOINT 46TH WITH FIVE OTHERS. that requires a lot of perfection and accuracy in the shot to the green. Garcia’s shot ended up in the rough and he could not recover, finishing the hole with a double bogey. Worse followed on the par-4 15th where he had a triple bogey, so much so that he ended up playing 42 strokes for the back nine (par 36). It was one of those days when nothing went right for him, leaving the Qatar Masters yet to throw up a back-to-back champion. Sergio Garcia An does Asia proud by finishing fifth S OuTH Korea’s An Byeong-Hun did Asia proud by finishing joint fifth along with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and France’s Gregory Bourdy at the Qatar Masters last week. An, as he is popularly known, posted a brilliant seven-under 65 in the final round for an aggregate 15-under-par 273 to record his best-ever finish on the European AN, A DEBUTANT IN QATAR, WAS THE LEADING ASIAN ON ALL FOUR DAYS. Tour. Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, a six-time European Tour winner, shared the 23rd place on eight-under 280 while his compatriot Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Indian duo Jeev Milkha Singh and Shiv Kapur finished in a group sharing the 38th place, on an aggregate score of 283. An, a debutant in Qatar, was the leading Asian on all four days. He started the final round trailing by five shots off overnight leaders Grace, Grillo, Marc Warren of Scotland and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger. After soaring up the leaderboard with birdies at three, four and six, the tall 23-yearold then challenged the leaders after an eagle on the par-five 10th and a birdie on 11. Although a bogey on 15 set him back, the laid-back Korean responded with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 before a par at the last helped him set an early clubhouse lead which, however, was surpassed by others later. “I played pretty well today. I’m happy with it,” said An, competing in his rookie season on the European Tour after three years on the Challenge Tour. An moved to the uS a decade ago and claimed the 2009 uS Amateur Championship at the age of 17. The tall Korean surprised many when, a year after turning pro in ’11, he started to ply his trade on the Challenge Tour in Europe before earning a full European Tour card this year. 28 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com MIXED ZONE | QATAR ֫ CYCLING Wild starts firm favourite again Aju George Chris T HE Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild, the most successful rider at the Ladies Tour of Qatar with four titles (2009, ’10, ’13 and ’14), once again starts as the firm favourite as she looks to become the first person to win a hat-trick in Doha. Wild, who was with German side Argos-Shimano during her ’13 and ’14 triumphs, will compete for Norwegian side Hitec Products this year. She was a Cervelo Test Team rider during her first two outings. “A win in Qatar is a good way to get ready for the rest of the season, not only at a personal level, but also as a team,” Wild said. She has a remarkable track record ROLL OF HONOUR 2014 Kirsten Wild (NED) in Doha, having won nine of the 20 stages she has taken part in. Italy’s Giorgia Bronzini, who will race for British side Wiggle Honda, is the next most successful rider, with three stage victories. Dutch Ellen van Dijk, who won in Qatar in ’11, is also expected to A WIN IN QATAR IS A GOOD WAY TO GET READY FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON. put up a stiff fight. The 27-year-old is with native side Boels Dolmans Cycling Team. Qatar Cycling Federation President Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Thani said the event had grown in stature. “The Ladies Tour of Qatar is an 2013 Kirsten Wild (NED) 2012 Judith Arndt (GEr) “The Ladies Tour of Qatar is an excellent example of gender equality in the sport. Our country has embraced the Olympic spirit, not only in cycling, but also in other sports. excellent example of gender equality in the sport. The race is now as famous and successful as the Tour of Qatar. Our country has embraced the Olympic spirit, not only in cycling, but also in other sports, like tennis. Sports, in this peninsula, is for everyone,” said Sheikh Khalid. The 98km-long opening stage will start at the Museum of Islamic Art and end at Dukhan Beach on February 3. The second stage (112km), between the Al Zubarah Fort and Madinat Al Shamal, will be the longest. The third stage (93km) will be from the Souq Waqif to Al Khor Corniche while the last (101km) will start at Sealine Beach resort and end at Doha Corniche. 2011 Ellen van Dijk (NED) 2010 Kirsten Wild (NED) Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Thani, President, Qatar Cycling Federation. LADIES TOUR OF QATAR STAGE 1 TUESDAY, FEBruArY 3 Kirsten Wild şşEl Jaish athletes with QAF and other officials. E L JAISH created a flutter by winning the Qatar Indoor Cup for Youth and Girls at the ASPIrE Academy last week. The club, which came into existence only in 2011, scored 96 points to emerge on top. They had to ward off stiff competition from traditional powerhouse Al Sadd, who finished four points behind. Al Gharafa were third on 67 while Al Khor (55), Al Arabi (49), Al rayyan (38), Al Ahli (15), Al Shamal (14) and Al Wakrah (six) finished in that order. Jaish’s athletics team head Sultan Al Dossari was pleased with the team’s achievement. “Ever since we formed the team, our aim was to unseat traditional powers Sadd. I’m glad our boys won the youth title. It means we’re progressing in the right direction. However, only if we clinch the junior and senior titles can we say we’ve fully succeeded. We’ll keep striving for it,” he said. Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) Board member Abdulrahman Al Noubi and Head of QAF Technical Committee Abdulhakim Al Omari awarded the winners. STAGE 2 WEDNESDAY, FEBruArY 4 STAGE 4 FrIDAY, FEBruArY 6 Al Zubarah Fort to Madinat Al Shamal Sealine Beach resort to Doha Corniche Souq Waqif to Al Khor Corniche 101km ֫ TENNIS Wozniacki gets wild card for Qatar Open W Jaish lift Qatar Indoor Cup 93km 112km Kirsten Wild (NED) ֫ ATHLETICS 98km Museum of Islamic Art to Dukhan Beach. 2009 STAGE 3 THURSDAY, FEBruArY 5 OrLD No.8 Caroline Wozniacki has been granted a wild card for the Qatar Total Open, to be held at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex from February 23 to 28. The Dane won her 22nd career singles title last season in Istanbul and was also a finalist in Tokyo as she finished the year in the top 10 rankings for the seventh straight time. The 24-year old started this year with a final appearance in Auckland, where she lost to Venus Williams. Wozniacki has played in Doha five times, with her best result being a runner-up finish in 2011. Defending champion Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Agnieszka radwanska, Angelique Kerber, Sam Stosur, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ekaterina Makarova are the other leading players to have already confirmed their entries. Qualifiers for the tournament will be played on February 21 and 22. Tickets are available at City Center, Landmark, Lagoona, Villaggio malls as well as the tournament venue. To purchase tickets online, log on to www. qatartennis.org. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 Sheikh Hassan to compete in Kuwait 29 Qatar Marine Sports Federation President Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani will compete in the inaugural Kuwait Extreme Powerboat run on Friday. He will be in action in his Outerlimits boat which, at 52 feet, is the biggest in the competition. Sheikh Hassan will be the only non-Kuwaiti driver in the 14-boat race, to be held over an 80 mile-long course. Gulf Agency Qatar are the team’s official logistics partner. ŠšWinners of the Qatar Junior Championship with officials. Sergey Shalunov ֫ MOTORSPORT C LEMENS Schmid won both races in the third round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Middle East Challenge at the Losail International Circuit last week. In the first race, the Al Nabooda racing driver led from the start and finished ahead of Saeed Al Mehairi of Skydive Dubai Falcons. In the second, he won in 24:25.857sec, 0.662sec ahead of Zaid Ashkanani. Mark Holroyd extended his lead in the Qatar Challenge after his third win of the season. Pavel Nedobity, who started in pole position, pushed him all the way, but could not put it past Holroyd, who finished the race in 7:35:90sec. “It has been the most exciting race I’ve ever seen at the Qatar Challenge. Pavel and the others pushed me hard. I’m glad I came first. I’m really looking forward to the next race,” said Holroyd. Meanwhile, russian driver Sergey Shalunov won both races in the radical Middle East Cup. The next round of the Porsche GT3 Cup, radical Cup and Qatar Challenge will be held at Losail on February 5 and 6. DSP/Vinod Divakaran Schmid shines at Porsche GT3 Cup ֫ WATER POLO Wily Dolphins rule the pool! D OLPHINS won the inaugural Qatar Junior Championship, defeating Eagles 9-8 at the Hamad Aquatic Centre last week. Al rayyan finished third after being awarded a 5-0 win over Al Sadd, who failed to turn up. Qatar Club edged Al Khor 5-4 in another thrilling match to finish fifth. rayyan’s Abdullah Hassan was chosen as the tournament’s best player and Dolphins’ Abdullah Al Hamadi the best goalkeeper. Qatar national coach Wouly de Bie was optimistic the tournament would help unearth new talent. “We’ve faced a lot of difficulties IT TAKES AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS TO DEVELOP A GOOD PLAYER. in the last few years. Water polo is one of the toughest games to master because it’s very technical ֫ HORSERACING RESULTS Thawi scripts impressive win WEDNESDAY Al Dabor (Alberto Sanna) 1, Takfaa 2, Ammon 3, Tiryag 4. Won by: ½, Nk, Distance. Time: 2:00.63. Owned Race 1 and trained by: Mohammed bin Ali Al Attiya. Turflight Race 2 ABDULHADI MANA AL HAJRI-OWNED TORTONI WON THE UMM TAQA CUP. & Sons-owned Thawi galloped resolutely in the last 200M to win by one-and-a-quarter length from Haashed. Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri-owned Tortoni won the umm Taqa Cup, a Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 76 to 96. Ibido-trained Tortoni Photo/Juhaim Babu J ASSIM Al Ghazali-trained Thawi was brilliantly ridden by Harry Bentley to an impressive victory in the Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah Cup, a Local-Bred Pure Arabian race at the Qatar racing and Equestrian Club last week. Jassim Mohamed Al Ghazali Race 3 Race 4 ššHarry Bentley rides Thawi to victory. was ridden to victory by Marco Monteriso while Janoub Nibras came second, ahead of Edith Cowan. Mohammed Hussain-trained Copleys (Excellent Art-Silk Slippers) made a winning start to his career with a thrilling victory in the Thoroughbred Maiden Plate. Barry Dolye was astride the winner. Earlier, Hassan Ali Hassan Al Matwi-owned and trained Majd Al uraiq (Marco Monteriso up) put up a commanding performance to clinch the Al Mafiar Cup, a Local-Bred Pure Arabian Conditions race. Sheail bin Khalifa Al Kuwariowned Lupie registered a fluent victory in the Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 60 to 80. Al Ghazali-trained Lupie (Harry Bentley astride) shot to the lead inside the final furlong and stretched away to win by five lengths from ridge Wood Dani while urban Dreamer finished third, ahead of Yes We Can Dream. Abdulaziz Ali Al Qhathiriowned and trained Pure Amber was a runaway winner in the Thoroughbred Graduation Plate. and can be very exhausting,” Wouly told Doha Stadium Plus. “It takes at least five or six years to develop a good player. We’ve been working hard to build a team from scratch since 2013 and our efforts have finally started paying off. We now have a few good teams. That’s the reason why we decided to start a competition. It’ll now be held on a regular basis,” said the French coach. The next tournament will be held at the same venue from February 16 to 18. Race 5 Taghya (Harry Bentley) 1, Al Waab 2, Qaa’ed 3, Dorotheus 4. Won by: 6, 2 ½, 1 ½. Time: 1:19.72. Trained by: Jassim Al Ghazali. Owned by: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani. Ghizwan (richard Mullen) 1, Al Nefor 2, Al Taweel 3, Ankor Class 4. Won by: 5, 1, Nk. Time: 2:07.52. Trained by: Julian Smart. Owned by: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani. Pure Amber (Marco Monteriso) 1, Hymenaios 2, Anticipated 3, Makinson Lane 4. Won by: 5, 2, 3 ½. Time: 1:55.15. Owned and trained by: Abdulaziz Ali Al Qaithri. Katja (Harry Bentley) 1, Disco Inferno 2, The Smart One 3, Sefaat 4. Won by: 2, Nk, 3 ½. Time: 1:11.75. Trained by: Jassim Al Ghazali. Owned by: Khalid Yahya Al Khussal. Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Marked Card (Declan Cannon) 1, Big Gees 2, Maliha 3, Gaazwa 4. Won by: Race 6 1 ¼, ¾, ½. Time: 1:57.20. Trained by: Race 6 Osama Omar Al Dhafa. Owned by: Nasser Ahmed Mohammed Al Kuwari. Lupie (Harry Bentley) 1, ridge Wood Dani 2, urban Dreamer 3, Yes We Can Dream 4. Won by: 5, 1 ¼, Shd. Race 7 Race 7 Time: 1:11.40. Trained by: Jassim Al Ghazali. Owned by: Sheail bin Khalifa Al Kuwari. Majd Al uraiq (Marco Monteriso) 1, Tuyoorna 2, Maazouz 3, AJS Qahir Race 8 4. Won by: 1 ½, ½, ½. Time: 1:57.20. Race 8 Owned and trained by: Hassan Ali Hassan Al Matwi. THURSDAY Copleys Walk (Barry Doyle) 1, red Connect 2, Beach Samba 3, Tumut 4. Won by: Nk, Shd, 1 ½. Time: 1:13.18. Trained by: Mohammed Hussain. Owned by: Hamad Adel Al Muslimani. Tabasheer (Pier Convertino) 1, Thabit 2, Naamah 3, Khamas 4. Won by: ¾, Nk, 1. Time: 2:09.00. Trained by: Alban de Mieulle. Owned by: umm Qarn. Tarrafal (Pier Convertino) 1, Sherston 2, Soebroto 3, Inis Ains 4. Won by: 1 ¼, ¾, Nk. Time: 1:25.27. Trained by: Hassan Al Jehani. Owned by: Ahmed Hassan Al Malki Al Jehani. Nomaas (Cedric Segeon) 1, Qassy 2, Al Khattaf 3, Wahchey 4. Won by: ¾, 1 ¾, Nk. Time: 1:46.31. Trained by: Mohammed Hussain. Owned by: Saeed Mohammed Al Shafi. Leaf Cutter (Marco Monteriso) 1, Itorio 2, Mind Of Madness 3, Lightning Launch 4. Won by: Shd, 1, Shd. Time: 1:24.20. Trained by: Mohammed Hussain. Owned by: Khalid rashid Saif Al Khayarin. Victory Laurel (Gary Carter) 1, Hearts Of Stone 2, Captain Cleo 3, Sejalaat 4. Won by: 1, ¾, 1. Time: 1:11.62. Owned and trained by: Ibrahim Saeed Al Malki. Tortoni (Marco Monteriso) 1, Blackdown Fair 2, Janoub Nibras 3, Edith Cowan 4. Won by: ½, 1, ¾. Time: 1:52.37. Trained by: S. Ibido. Owned by: Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri. Thawi (Harry Bentley) 1, Haashed 2, rasan 3, Mekhbatt 4. Won by: 1 ¼, Shd, Nk. Time: 2:14.04. Trained by: Jassim Al Ghazali. Owned by: Jassim Mohammed Al Ghazali and Sons. 30 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com MIXED ZONE | INTERNATIONAL ֫ CRICKET Kiwis are soaring! R OSS Taylor and Kane Williamson fell agonisingly short of centuries, but New Zealand’s imposing total ensured they beat Sri Lanka by 120 runs in the sixth One-Day International last Sunday to take an unassailable 4-1 lead in their seven-match series. Both batsmen fell in their 90s after combining in 117-run partnership that powered New Zealand to 315 for eight wickets. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara tied the record for most ODI dismissals by a wicketkeeper and then returned to top-score for his team with 81, but their meek chase ended in the 41st over when they were shot out for 195. Sri Lanka lost their last seven wickets for just 49 runs with New Zealand all-rounder Corey Russell rocks in Windies’ thrilling win Anderson added a quick-fire 40, while Grant Elliott was 21 not out with Kyle Mills run out for nought on the final ball of the innings. It was the second successive score in excess of 300 by the hosts at the university Oval in Dunedin after they ran up a massive 360 for five in the fifth game earlier last week to take a 3-1 lead. Sangakkara, 37, who is expected to retire from international cricket after the World Cup, joined Adam Gilchrist on 472 dismissals as a wicketkeeper when he caught opening batsman Martin Guptill for 28 off Thisara Perera. Anderson taking four for 52 and Mitchell McClenaghan picking up two in a strong bowling display by the hosts. Taylor and Williamson came together with New Zealand on 59 for two and were not separated until the latter was run out for 97 due to a communication SRI LANKA LOST THEIR LAST SEVEN WICKETS FOR JUST 49 RUNS. breakdown. Taylor sought to make amends by anchoring the hosts through to the final overs and was in sight of his 12th one-day century when he was trapped leg before by Tillakaratne Dilshan for 96. All-rounder Andre Russell smashed a match-winning half-century as West Indies claimed a nail-biting one-wicket victory over South Africa in the fourth One-Day International at St George’s Park at Port Elizabeth last Sunday. The hosts’ David Miller had earlier struck his first ODI century as he caressed 11 fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 130 from 133 balls to take the Proteas to 262 for eight in their 50 overs. russell took West Indies past their victory target with nine balls and just a single wicket remaining, hitting five sixes in his unbeaten 64 from 40 balls. He put on 27 for the final wicket with Sheldon Cottrell (one) as the tourists pulled a game back in the series to go into the fifth and final match in Pretoria on Wednesday trailing 1-3. Kane Williamson ֫ CYCLING Hardly any menace for this Dennis! S ššAustralia’s rohan Dennis rides at the Stage 6 of the Tour Down under. OuTH Australian rider rohan Dennis stayed out of trouble on the final stage to win the uCI season-opening Tour Down under by two seconds from fellow Australian richie Porte last Sunday. Dennis finished in the leading group behind stage winner Wouter Wippert of the Netherlands to win the race, which finished with a 90km stage through the streets of Adelaide. Dennis, from BMC racing, headed an all-Australian podium, with Porte (Sky) second and his BMC team-mate Cadel Evans 20 seconds behind in third. Dennis took the leader’s ochre I HAD TO MAKE SURE I KEPT WITHIN DISTANCE OF RICHIE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT LITTLE SPILL. jersey last week after a stunning win on top of Paracombe Hill, then managed to cling to the lead when Porte claimed the penultimate stage up the notorious Willunga Hill. Dennis, along with all the leading overall contenders, avoided a crash on the second last lap of last Sunday’s street circuit, which took out stage favourite Marcel Kittel. “I had to make sure I kept within distance of richie, especially after that little spill,” Dennis said. “It was just about following him and making sure if there was a split it wasn’t too hard to come across.” Last Sunday’s final stage win by Wippert was a triumph for Australia’s second team Drapac. 31 www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 ‘F1 needs to be more spectacular’ ššSebastien Ogier and co-pilot Julien Ingrassia steer at the 83d Monte-Carlo rally. ֫ MOTORSPORT Ogier reigns supreme at Monte Carlo Rally F rENCHMAN Sebastien Ogier successfully defended his Monte Carlo rally title last Sunday, winning the opening round of the World Championship with a masterful display in the snow and ice of the French Alps. Double world champion Ogier, who saw off an initial challenge from returning 10-time Monte Carlo winner Sebastien Loeb, eventually cruised home to win by 58 seconds from Finnish team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala. Driving a Volkswagen Polo r in the difficult, slippery conditions, Ogier led home Latvala and Norway’s Andreas Mikkelsen, as the trio secured a podium sweep for the German manufacturer. Ogier prevailed after some tremendous early battles with his illustrious compatriot Loeb, making a one-off appearance after a 15-month absence, over the first seven special stages, until the nine-time world champion hit a rock and broke his Citroen DS 3’s rear suspension. Ogier, who is hunting a third consecutive global crown, held a 43-second lead going into the final day and, though controlling his pace with safe tyre choices, still extended his lead to seal his third Monte Carlo triumph. Formula One needs to go through a ‘real revolution’ by 2017 with cars making the sort of noise that heavy metal rock fans would appreciate, according to Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene. The principal, who took over the team in November, told the Ferrari website last week that the show needed to be more spectacular to win back fans who had fallen out of love with the sport. “By ’17, I would like to see cars that win over the fans that are aesthetically more appealing, maybe even producing a noise that gets your hair standing on end, like that produced by a heavy metal band,” said Arrivabene. The Italian, who has a marketing background and arrived from team sponsor Philip Morris, agreed with former triple champion and Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda that big changes had to be made. ֫ TENNIS Azarenka happy despite defeat T WO-TIME champion Victoria Azarenka might be out of the Australian Open, but she is not upset, and instead happy that her comeback from injury and depression has gone so well. The former world No.1, who won the title in 2012 and ’03, was unseeded at Melbourne Park after a horror injury-plagued ’14 and lost to last year’s finalist Dominika Cibulkova in three tough sets last Monday. But she reminded people of her credentials, counting eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki and dangerous American Sloane Stephens among her conquests on the road to the fourth round. “I take it as progress. I think there’re a lot of the positive things to take from here,” said the Belarusian after losing 2-6, 6-3, 3-6. “It’s a good start. There was some good quality of tennis today, even though the result isn’t the one that I wanted and not what I was looking for. “But I need to be realistic a little bit and keep working hard and try to sharpen my game. I need to be more consistent and I need to be able to take my opportunities when I’ve them. Azarenka’s trials last year included a string of foot injuries and a broken romance with musician and reality television personality redfoo that left her at a low point, admitting she suffered depression. RESULTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Sebastien Ogier (FrA) VW 3:00:39.9 Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) VW at 58 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOr) VW 2:12.3 Mads Ostberg (NOr) Citroen 2:43.6 Thierry Neuville (BEL) Hyundai 3:12.1 ֫ GOLF American Bill Haas the last laugh! Bill Haas B ILL Haas survived a scare at the final hole to earn a one-stroke victory over five players at the $5.7m Humana Challenge in the California desert, the uS, last Sunday. Haas took the sole lead with a 10-foot birdie at the 16th hole at the PGA West Palmer course at La Quinta on his way to his second victory in the event formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic. He carded a 67 to finish at 22-under-par 266 for his sixth PGA Tour victory, leaving the 32-year-old only three short of catching his father, Jay Haas. Fellows Americans Matt Kuchar (67), Charley Hoffman (64), Brendan Steele (64), Steve Wheatcroft (67) and South Korean Park Sung-Joon (65) tied for second on 21-under. Kuchar had the best chance to get to 22-under, but he missed a 10-foot birdie at the par-five 18th. Haas parred the final hole, but it was anything but routine after he pushed his drive and his ball stopped in the short rough just a couple of inches above the lip of a bunker. Victoria Azarenka 32 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com PEOPLE Richard Davey, who oversaw Boston’s mass transit system before becoming a state transportation secretary, was named as chief executive officer of Boston’s 2024 Olympic bid organising group. The uS Olympic Committee had recently chosen Boston as its candidate in bidding for the 2024 Summer Games. Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir could return to first-class cricket as early as next month after a relaxation of the conditions of his ban for spot-fixing. Amir, 22, was banned for five years along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in a spot fixing case in England in 2010, and the trio were jailed by a uK court in ’11. Four-time NASCAr Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who ranks third in all-time race wins, said the 2015 season would be his last as a full-time driver. Gordon, 43, has three Daytona 500 victories and a record five Brickyard 400 wins. Gordon’s 92 victories rank third on the all-time NASCAr list behind Hall of Famers richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105). Andreas Herzog, an assistant to uS national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann and his former team-mate at Bayern Munich, was named as coach of the American under-23 team. That puts the all-time Austrian caps leader in charge of directing uS talent into the 2016 rio de Janeiro Olympics. united States women’s team goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended for a month by uS Soccer following an incident during a training camp. It was found she was a passenger in the car when her husband Jerramy Stevens was arrested for drink driving. STAR OF THE WEEK BRANDEN GRACE S OuTH African Branden Grace held off a spirited challenge from Scotland’s Marc Warren to land his sixth European Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. He produced a magic drive to five feet on the par-four 16th hole to set up a decisive eagle as he shot a final round of 66 for a 19-under par total. His final-day heroics came after a miraculous snap-hook wedge from the trees at the fifth hole in the third round. The Doha title was Grace’s second of the 2015 race to Dubai, having already captured the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil. “It was a great day, a great week, and it’s another trophy to put in the cupboard,” said Grace. “I’m going to thank Callaway (American sports goods manufacturers) again — that driver again on 16 to four feet. Without that it wouldn’t be possible,” he added. “That wedge on the fifth hole, that was a shot that you want to hit, but you don’t always manage it. The form has been there, I played great and I managed to get in on top. “This is one of the big wins that’s really putting me back on the map now. I think I’ll be in the top 50 or just outside on the official world ranking. “These’re the things that we need as golfers to push us to the next level — it’s just nice that I could do it at a place like this and in a special way like this,” he concluded. Grace enjoyed a season beyond his wildest dreams in ’12, winning four times en route to finishing in sixth place in The race to Dubai, having earned his card at the ’11 qualifying school final stage. He came close to adding a fifth title in ’13, at the Scottish Open, and in ’14, at the Volvo Championship, but finally did it at the start of the ’15 season, winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil by a whopping seven shots. Grace comes from a golfing family, as he is related to Michiel Bothma and Darren Fichardt. His technique has drawn praise from the legendary Gary Player, who has accrued more than 100 titles around the world. Formula One’s governing body took legal action against French former F1 driver Philippe Streiff for defamatory comments he made about an investigation into compatriot Jules Bianchi’s horrific crash when his Marussia skidded off and hit a recovery tractor in fading light in October at the Suzuka circuit in Japan. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 33 SPORT THIS WEEK QATAR Steven Smith on Tuesday capped a remarkable season by sweeping the main awards, including Australian player of the year, at the annual Allan Border Medal ceremony. He polled 243 votes, ahead of David Warner (175) and Mitchell Johnson (126). The prolific batsman, who was promoted to national captain in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke, also bagged the one-day and Test player awards. MOVERS&SHAKERS Podolski to hang up boots after Euro ’16 G played in the group stage and has not held down a regular starting place since Euro ’12. “The European Championship will be the last major tournament for me,” said the Inter Milan star. “I’ve already achieved my main goal of winning the World Cup. No one can take that away from me.” Germany have struggled in their Euro ’16 qualifying campaign and are third in the group after a shock defeat to Poland and draw at home with the republic of Ireland. Khan to fight Pacquiao? B rITISH welterweight boxer Amir Khan revealed a fight against Manny Pacquiao could be on the cards after a meeting with his former sparring partner last week. Khan trained alongside Pacquiao for several years under his old mentor Freddie roach and had previously maintained they would never fight. But, despite their warm relationship, both men are now open to a bout following their gettogether at the Fitzroy Lodge boxing club in London. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 HANDBALL HANDBALL 2015 IHF World Championship quarterfinals, Qatar vs Germany, 6.30pm and Spain vs Denmark, 9pm, at Lusail Multipurpose Hall; Croatia vs Poland, 6.30pm and Slovenia vs France, 9pm at Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah Indoor Hall. 2015 IHF World Championship, third-place match, 4.30pm and final, 7.15pm at Lusail Multipurpose Hall. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 CYCLING FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 HANDBALL South Korean Olympic swimming star and national icon Park Tae-Hwan fought to clear his name on Tuesday as he reeled from the shock news that he failed a doping test. The four-time Olympic medallist blamed an injection given by a hospital for the result, the second high-profile Asian swimming case in recent months, after China’s Sun Yang. ErMANY forward Lukas Podolski says he plans to retire from international football following Euro 2016 in France after more than a decade of playing for the reigning world champions. The 29-year-old midfielder has made 121 appearances for Germany, having made his debut in ‘04, and the France tournament would be his fourth European Championship. He was a part of the World Cup-winning Germany squad in rio de Janeiro last July, but only WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 “He’s a good friend and we chatted about the past when we were training together, his visit to London and also a bit about future,” he said. They could meet each other in the ring after Khan, 28, delivered arguably a career-best performance when he won a landslide decision victory over American Devon Alexander in December. Pacquiao, 36, seems to be past his peak, but remains a massive draw in the sport and he too would be happy to fight Khan. Ladies Tour of Qatar, Stage 1, Museum of Islamic Art to Dukhan Beach, 1.45pm onwards. 2015 IHF World Championship semifinals, 6.30pm and 9pm at Lusail Multipurpose Hall; Placement matches, 6.30pm and 9pm at Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah Indoor Hall. SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 MOTORSPORT Qatar National Endurocross, 10.30am at Sealine. HANDBALL 2015 IHF World Championship placement matches, 6.30pm and 9pm at Lusail Multipurpose Hall. INTERNATIONAL WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 FOOTBALL CRICKET Asian Cup, final at Sydney, Australia. South Africa vs West Indies, fifth ODI at Centurion. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 FOOTBALL ODI Tri-Nations final at Perth. CRICKET Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea (till February 8). MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2 TENNIS GOLF uSLPGA at Ocala, Florida (until Saturday). GOLF ATP at Montpellier, Quito, Zagreb (till February 8). EPGA at Dubai Desert Classic, uSPA at Phoenix Open (until Sunday). TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 New Zealand vs Pakistan, second ODI at Napier. CRICKET England vs India, Tri-Nations ODI at Perth. TENNIS FOOTBALL ATP and WTA at Australian Open (until Sunday). Asian Cup, third-place play-off at Newcastle, Australia. THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 CRICKET CRICKET New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, seventh ODI at Wellington. New Zealand vs Pakistan, first ODI at Wellington. CRICKET 34 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com MOSAIC LIFESTYLE A uSTrALIAN Open tennis top seed Serena Williams’s fashion sense has once again been making waves on the court, with other players enthusiastic about the backless dress she sported at the Melbourne Park. “Love Serena’s outfit,” Canadian seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard tweeted about the neon green dress with pink highlights that Williams wore. Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka was also a fan, tweeting, “Serena is rocking that outfit! Cut out back #sexy #outfit.” Williams, whose fashion statements in the past included moon boots and leopard-skin prints, explained that her backless outfits this year were designed to send a message about female empowerment. “Nike did these wonderful green colours and we decided to do something,” she said. “This whole year is about the back and strength and women and power. We wanted to look at my back all year, so all year you’ll be seeing my back.” Two-and-a-half hours is too much? U NITED Nations’ recommendations that people should do at least two-and-a-half hours’ physical activity a week are unworkable for some individuals, health experts argued last week. In 2013, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a ‘Global Action Plan’ seeking to reduce incidence of lifestyle THE AGENCY SET A TARGET OF 150 MINUTES OF ‘MODERATE INTENSITY’ ACTIVITY. diseases by ’25. It identified four areas — smoking, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity — where doctors’ recommendations to patients could make a difference. On the latter goal, the agency set a target of 150 minutes of ‘moderate intensity’ activity, including walking or cycling to work and household chores, per week for people above 18. According to the WHO’s Global Health Data for ’08, more than a third of people aged above 15 — 35.6 per cent — fail to meet the benchmark. Specialists argued in the online British journal BMJ that the target was focused far too narrowly on people who already did some sort of physical activity. It did not speak to sedentary people for whom a goal of 150 minutes of walking, cycling, swimming or jogging per week may seem discouragingly over-ambitious, they contended. She said the dress showed “you can be beautiful and powerful at the same time.” The five-time Australian Open champion joked that the revealing outfit forced her to watch what she ate. “I feel like I don’t want to eat too much — one peanut and I’m going to break the dress, so I try not to eat that much,” Williams said. SPONSORSHIP PSG sign deal with Indonesian firm P ArIS Saint-Germain (PSG) signed a new deal with Indonesia’s GarudaFood Group. The agreement was signed by Commissioner of GarudaFood Group Hartono Atmadja and PSG’s Business Operations Deputy Managing Director Frederic Longuepee. It is based on the company’s new oxygenated water Super 02 Sportivo, which will be the club’s ‘official water in Indonesia’. A television advertising campaign will shortly be launched in Indonesia with the slogan ‘super sport water’ featuring PSG players, to support the launch of Super 02 Sportivo. The signing of the agreement was in line with the series of events organised by PSG in Indonesia over the last two years, to bring together and interact with the club’s fans in the country. The club has more than two million fans on Facebook in the country, with a growth of 160 per cent in one year, the majority of whom are men under the age of 24. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 OFFBEAT Taking injury count, in royal style! B OXING star Amir Khan met Prince Charles last week and discovered the heir to the British throne had sustained more injuries playing polo than HE’D HAD MORE INJURIES IN THAT THAN I’VE IN BOXING. the former world champion had suffered in the ring. The pair met in Sunderland, north-east England, where the Prince of Wales was visiting a National Citizen Service project backed by Khan where youngsters help older people learn to use social media. “He’s a very nice guy,” Olympic silver medallist Khan said afterwards of Charles. “I’ve met him two or three times before and he seems like a boxing fan. “We had a bit of a chat about boxing and we had a chat about his polo and how many injuries we’d had. He’d had more injuries in that than I’ve in boxing,” the former world light welterweight champion added. CAMEO QAFCO stays with Qatar Masters golf Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO) announced an extension to its sponsorship of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and its association with the Family Zone. The deal was signed by QAFCO Chief Administration Officer Hamed Al Marwani and Commercial Bank CEO Abdulla Saleh Al raisi. Sho time in sumo! United sign deal with KamaGames Mongolian grand champion Hakuho Sho became the most successful sumo wrestler in history last week, bagging a record 33rd title and snatching the honours from a Japanese legend in the sport. The 29-year-old blasted out fellow championship contender Kisenosato Yutaka, sealing the title with a now-unbeatable 13-0 record in the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. His other closest rival, fellow-Mongolian Harumafuji lost his bout to Kakuryu rikisaburo, another Mongolian and the most recent wrestler to be elevated to the status of ‘yokozuna’ (grand champion). Hakuho has now sailed past the late Taiho Koki, a man widely regarded as the greatest yokozuna of the postwar era, whose record of 32 Emperor’s Cups had stood unbeaten for 44 years. Taiho, born on the far northern island of Sakhalin to a Japanese mother and an ethnic ukrainian father who had fled the Bolshevik revolution, won his 32 tournaments between 1960 and ’71. Coca-Cola backs European Games Coca-Cola announced it would become a top tier Official Partner of the 2015 European Games to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in June and will release limited edition packaging dedicated to Baku 2015. MediaCorp is host broadcaster Singapore-based MediaCorp has been announced as the host broadcaster for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games to be held in Singapore from June 5 to 16. The deal is reported to be worth $10.9m. CNN boost for McLaren CNN International has struck a multiyear partnership deal with McLaren Technology Group. As part of it, CNN International branding will appear on the front-wing endplates of the new McLarenHonda MP4-30. HEALTH Mobile game helps in treatment of lazy eye C HILDrEN who had their ‘lazy’ eye treated with an experimental mobile game continued to benefit for an entire year, according to a new study in the uS. ‘Lazy’ eye, known medically as amblyopia, occurs when the eye cannot clearly focus. Sometimes, it is caused by a person’s eyes being misaligned. The usual treatment is to wear a patch over the ‘strong’ eye, “to force the use of the amblyopic or weak eye,” said Eileen Birch, the study’s senior author. “That does work, but there has been some research lately (suggesting) that’s not really the right approach,” added Birch, a senior scientist at the retina Foundation of the Southwest in Dallas. For the new study, the researchers continued to follow children who were treated for amblyopia in an earlier study using an experimental game on an iPad. After a few weeks, the researchers found children who used it had improved visual acuity, which is how much detail they are able to see. 35 KamaGames agreed a sponsorship deal with English Premier League club Manchester united to become the club’s Official Social Games Partner. united Group Managing Director richard Arnold said “Manchester united are lucky to have a huge global following and we understand the importance of engaging with and entertaining our fans.” NEC partners Force India Sahara Force India team announced a sponsorship deal with Japanese ICT company NEC. The deal is thought to be driven by the Mexican division of the company which is keen to support Sergio Perez, the only driver from the North American country in Formula 1. It also coincides with Mexico City hosting a round of the World Championship in November. — Courtesy CSM Sport & Entertainment www.csm.com @FastTrack_ME Catch ’em young? Not really! I N A STuDY of Dutch professional footballers, a bone deformity at the hip was much more common among men who started playing the sport at least four times a week before age 12. If the bones of the hip do not develop normally during childhood, a so-called cam deformity can occur, with extra bone growing near the ball-shaped top of the femur, potentially leading to joint damage and pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Cam deformities begin to show up on X-rays in early adolescence, and tend to be more common among males and athletes in high-impact sports, the authors of the new study note in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. “It’s in youth, during growth, that bone activity is high and bone is very responsive to loading,” said lead author Igor Tak of the Sports rehabilitation and Manual Therapy Department at Physiotherapy utrecht Oost in the Netherlands. “For girls, this is between 10 to 14 and, for boys, this is on the average 1.5 years later,” Tak said. 36 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com CLOSE-UP | QATAR MASTERS GOLF 37 DSP/Vinod Divakaran www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 38 5 WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 | www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com 2 7 9 MIND SQUARE 7 6 4 3 9 4 8 9 2 3 SUDOKU-457 9 2 7 S 7 1 5 puzzle 2 based on a udoku is a number-placing 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Solution-456 2 3 4 7 8 5 9 1 6 7 9 8 1 3 6 5 4 2 5 1 6 9 4 2 3 7 8 3 7 2 5 9 1 6 8 4 8 6 9 2 7 4 1 5 3 4 5 1 3 6 8 7 2 9 1 4 5 6 2 9 8 3 7 6 2 7 8 5 3 4 9 1 9 8 3 4 1 5 2 7 9 8 4 9 3 9 2 5 9 4 7 6 7 2 6 5 6 2 7 9 1 7 9 8 1 3 3 7 2 5 9 8 6 9 2 7 Ben Rothenberg @Benrothenberg Nadal gives great answer on if he would’ve won fourth, fifth sets: “‘If’ doesn’t exist in sport. That’s the real thing. ‘If’ never comes.” SportsCenter @SportsCenter 18th time’s the charm. Tomas Berdych had lost previous 17 matches vs rafael Nadal before win in Australian Open. Jonathan Liew @jonathanliew Last time Nadal and Federer were both knocked out before the semi-finals here, the last four were roddick, Schuttler, Ferreira and Agassi. Corby Davidson @corbydavidson As Federer can attest to, these things don’t get easier as u get older. Nadal found his game & still couldn’t get it done. And he’s balding. Jessie Stailey @Jessie_Stailey Kinda salty Nadal is out of the @AustralianOpen. Lilithia KatyCat @lilithia I wonder how many Aussie tennis basics will hand back their ticket now that Kygrios, Federer & Nadal are out of the race. #ausopen. o’hara 2 5aidan 6 1 @oharaa Nadal remains three Grand 9Slams 5behind3Federer.6He might have to catch him in French Opens. 1P I Y U4S H 7 8 @writetopiyush that 6Now 2 Nadal8is also4 out of @AustralianOpen, I am feeling much better. a typical die hard Federer fan. #Confession. Trish Holmes @mrdarnley Already 2015 is looking better than 2014 for @ andy_murray and poor Nadal, but the quarters after 7 months out is pretty amazing. #ausopen. Nick McCarvel @NickMcCarvel “It was not my day,” #Nadal www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com Follow us on Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah displays abundant mental and physical toughness en route to regaining the gruelling Dakar Rally title with ease. PAGES 24-25 3 UK ...................................... £1 Europe ............................. €2 Oman ...............200 Baisas Bahrain..................200 Fils Egypt .............................LE 2 Lebanon..........3,000 Livre Kuwait....................250 Fils Morocco ......................Dh 6 UAE ...............................Dh 5 Yemen..................75 Riyals Sudan ...................1 Pound KSA.......................... 2 Riyals Jordan ....................500 Fils Iraq .................................... $1 Palestine ......................... $1 Syria.............................LS 20 P 10 | FOOTBALL EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Villas-Boas at peace in Russia P 20 | POSTER HANDBALL WORLDS OPENING CEREMONY Amazing Nasser does it again at Dakar Rally 5 Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah proved just why he’s one of the top sportspersons in the Gulf region (Doha Stadium Plus, January 21). The ace Qatari rally driver has been known as someone who is always in pursuit of new challenges and the 2015 Dakar rally title was another milestone in his impressive career. With his second crown in four years, Nasser joins an elite list of multiple Dakar winners, including rene Metge, Ari Vatanen, Pierre Lartigue, JeanLouis Schlesser, Hiroshi Masuoka and Stephane Peterhansel. I wish him all success in future competitions. Hussain Nejad, Doha. 2 4 5 1 3 6 1 4 5 6 2 6 2 7 8 5 Rafael Nadal crashing out of the Australian Open, or any tournament for that matter, is a big shock. Even though the Spaniard had just come back from a lengthy absence due to injuries to his back, knees and what not, Nadal losing, that too before the title clash, is too tough to digest for the fans. Against Tomas Berdych on Tuesday, Nadal took an eternity to take off, and by the time he did, the Czech went too far and won 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5). Twitter was flooded with emotions ranging from grief at his loss to relief from Roger Federer fans, who fear Nadal has the best chance of overtaking the Swiss maestro’s 17 Grand Slam titles. Here are some reactions. Australian Open @AustralianOpen Some days you climb the mountain. Some days others get the chance. #Nadal out of the #ausopen. Beaten by #Berdych. Hosts Qatar book a berth in the pre-quarterfinal of the World Championship with a cent per cent record after the first three matches. 9 4 8 7 1 5 1 6 9 4 P 18 | HANDBALL QATAR LIVING A DREAM Gulf champions Qatar end their Asian Cup campaign without a single victory as they lose to Bahrain in their last group match. WEDNESDAY, JANuARY 21, 2015 | Vol IX | No.51 | QR2.00 TOP TWEETS 2 3 4 7 8 P 4 | FOOTBALL QATAR EXIT WITHOuT WIN DSP/Mohan 8 6 5 9 4 9 1 9 8 3 4 1 in 4says 8press. “I9did not3play 7 with the right intensity. The opponent was better than 1me.” #AusOpen. 7 8 4 2 australia agent 5@australia_agent 2 3 9 6 Nobody, not even Nadal, beats Berdych 18 times in 3a row.9 7 1 5 Veitchy on Sport @veitchynz Not sure we are stunned by this? Nadal has not been himself all tournament since returning from injury... Melissa @athena1949 You fought like a lion, @ rafaelNadal! I’m proud of you. rest up and come back healthy. You are always my champion. #respect #Nadal. Al Annabi disappoint Gulf champions Qatar failed to impress at the Asian Cup in Australia, losing all their group games (Doha Stadium Plus, January 21). After winning the Gulf Cup in riyadh in November last year, it was a mighty fall for Djamel Belmadi’s boys. The competition was tough, but the team didn’t show any fighting qualities. The Qatar Football Association will now have to reassess its plans to prepare the squad for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Mohammed Hassan, Doha. Handballers impress Qatar gave fans something to cheer about when they maintained a good run in the group stage of the Handball World Championship (Doha Stadium Plus, January 21). Qatar’s Spanish coach Valero rivera, who was recruited in April, ’13, after helping Spain win the World Championship at home, has instilled immense confidence in his players. Hope the players will sustain the momentum. Rafael Costa, Doha. Cracker of a knock! Pyrotechnics was at its stunning best as South Africa’s A B de Villiers hit the fastest century in One-Day International history, against the West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg (Doha Stadium Plus, January 21). De Villiers raced to his century off just 31 balls, five balls fewer than the previous record of New Zealander Corey Anderson, on his way to an astonishing 149 off 44 deliveries. A Gunasekara, Doha. www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com | WEDNESDAY, JANuArY 28, 2015 39 YOUR PAGE It is your turn now. Tell us about sports events in your neighbourhood, send us photographs too and get them published in DSP. Our e-mail is [email protected] SCDL hosts German fan forum The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SCDL) hosted the second annual fan forum with German supporters of Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich during the Bundesliga teams’ winter camps at the Aspire Zone recently. As many as 35 fans joined the German Ambassador to Qatar Angelika Renate Storz-Chakarji and SCDL Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Nasser Al Khater on a traditional dhow boat trip. They had the chance to ask questions, give inputs and learn more about the SCDL’s plans and build-up towards the 2022 World Cup, to be held in Qatar. The fans gave positive feedbacks on their experiences and said the tournament in the Middle East was an ideal opportunity to witness different cultures. SCDL sent the details and photographs. Ladies Aerobic programme all set to start on February 8 Vodafone supports UIM Qatar Cup The Active Qatar Campaign, an initiative by the Qatar Olympic Committee to make exercise and healthy living fun and easy for everyone, will organise the Ladies Aerobic Programme at the Lycee Voltaire School in Doha. Vodafone Qatar will be the official communications partner for the UIM Qatar Cup powerboat racing festival, to be organised by the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) at the Doha Corniche and Pearl Qatar from February 4 to 7. QMSF President Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani and Vodafone Qatar CEO Kyle Whitehill signed the deal. The event, the world’s biggest offshore powerboating championship, will see 50 boats in action over six racing categories, in addition to 30 jetskis. While entry for the public will be free, VIP tickets can be purchased at the QMSF’s stand at the Landmark Mall. Ashraf El Bay sent the details and photograph. Classes will run from February 8 to April 9. For more information, call Tel: 44943035 or 50498359. To register, log on to www.olympic.qa. Lionel Gomez sent the details. Colour Run Qatar is put off to February 7 The Colour Run Qatar, which was originally scheduled for January 24, will now be held on February 7 on the Qatar National Convention Centre premises. The Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar’s Your Health First initiative was postponed following the death of Saudi QSL donation for Syrian refugees The Qatar Stars League (QSL) donated QR121,800, raised from ticket sales from the friendly between Bayern Munich and Qatar Stars team, to Syrian refugees. The cheque was presented to the Qatar Charity at the QSL headquarters last Monday. Qatar Stars captain Talal Al Balooshi, Qatar Charity Executive Director of Collections Abdullah Al Dossari and QSL Executive Director for Marketing and Communications Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon were present on the occasion. “The partnership between the QSL and Qatar Charity demonstrates that the collaboration isn’t merely symbolic, but effective in helping people who really need it,” said Al Haroon. Fay Smith sent the details and photograph. Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The untimed 5km race, where the participants will be covered in colour at every kilometre, is open to the public. More than 5,000 runners have confirmed participation. Mohammed Hassan sent the details.
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