Idea Transcript
ARAB TIMES, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2015
SPORTS
35
IAAF sets strict conditions for reinstatement
Russian athletic stars face new hurdles ahead of Oly MOSCOW, Dec 11, (AP): Russia has been told what it will take to get its track and field athletes back in the Olympics, and it entails extra doping tests. The country’s track federation was suspended last month after it was accused of operating a state-sponsored doping program. The suspension could keep Russia out of next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but the IAAF said Friday that even if the ban is lifted athletes cannot be
US Olympic boxers struggling with cuts cant cuts during the first three days of the US Olympic trials in Reno this week, including heavyweight favorite Cam F. Awesome and Vargas, the Pan Am Games champion who might be the Americans’ best chance to end their 12-year gold medal drought. They both fought on, but three other boxers were cut badly enough to force them out of the tournament.
In this photo taken on Dec 9, Derae Crane and Cam Awesome (left), compete in the US Olympic Boxing Trials in Reno, Nev. (AP)
RENO, Nevada, Dec 11, (AP): Antonio Vargas never had a cut in his boxing life until blood trickled down his forehead Wednesday during his most important bout. The touted flyweight fought through the surprise and pain, but his Olympic dreams were imperiled when he lost a split decision at the US team trials. “It happened so fast,” Vargas said. “It was just a clash of heads. I had that fight, man.” Vargas didn’t blame his loss on the blood, but facial cuts are a growing problem worldwide for Olympic-style boxers fighting for places in Rio de Janeiro at the first Olympics since the International Boxing Association (AIBA) decided male boxers will no longer wear protective headgear. Seven fighters developed signifi-
Mark Dawson was done after he needed 18 stitches in his forehead to seal a grotesque cut, also the first of his career. Even Chris Ousley’s Olympic dream died because his opponent, Carlos Monroe, was cut down to the skull and couldn’t continue, yet still won
their bout on the scorecards. The problems aren’t confined to the US, with serious cuts reported from tournaments around the world since the 2013 rule change. AIBA reportedly reassessed its headgear decision during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow when Australian boxer Daniel Lewis was cut too badly to continue, but quickly confirmed the plan would move forward to Rio. Even AIBA’s detractors realize the absence of headgear has made Olympic boxing more television-friendly. While AIBA acknowledges the danger of cuts, it claims the change was made because concussions will decrease without the heavy protective padding, although many American coaches and fighters chuckle at the science used to justify the decision.
comment on whether he considered the criteria to be fair. “It doesn’t matter what we think of them, we have to comply with them,” Zelichenok told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “Once we accept that we’ve been suspended, then we have to return, and to return we have to fulfill
these criteria. It’s all very simple.” The IAAF also fleshed out its previous calls for reform of the Russian track federation, which was accused of overseeing widespread doping in last month’s report by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission. The Russian federation must carry out its own investigation into doping, including
interviewing any athlete who has represented the national team in the last four years. Evidence from whistleblowers, including former national team runner Yulia Stepanova and marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova, was crucial to the WADA commission’s report, and the IAAF is pushing for reforms to make it easier for
athletes to give evidence of doping. The Russian federation must create “a mechanism for whistleblowing to the IAAF or WADA,” while athletes who fail doping tests could be allowed to cut a deal with both organizations for reduced punishment if they provide evidence of other doping cases.
ATHLETICS readmitted to international competition without “at least three no-notice out-ofcompetition tests.” There are extra requirements in place for endurance events, which have seen dozens of Russians banned for doping in recent years. Endurance athletes must also give three samples to the biological passport program. With Russia’s national drug-test agency and laboratory also suspended for reportedly covering up doping, all samples will be taken abroad for testing, the IAAF said. No date was set as a target for Russia’s readmission, but the IAAF confirmed its delegation would visit the country next month. “The conditions we have announced leave no room for doubt,” IAAF President Sebastian Coe said in a state-
ment. “Russia must demonstrate verifiable change across a range of criteria, and satisfy our taskforce that those criteria will be met permanently.” The Russian track federation said Friday it would comply with any and all conditions set by the IAAF. But acting president Vadim Zelichenok declined to
‘It’s a tough competition but we push hard’
Black Falcon 3rd in 1st half of The Gulf 12 hrs ABU DHABI, Dec 11: Team Abu Dhabi Racing Black Falcon moved up from third to first place in the first of the 5th edition of the Gulf 12 hours at Yas Marina Circuit with Jeroen Bleekemolen aboard the No. 1 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3. The places changed rapidly over the flying laps with Team Abu Dhabi Racing Black Falcon chasing three other rivals. Team ADR Black Falcon fell back to 4th at one point but eventually managed to end the 1st 6 hours in 3rd place which means the team will start the final part of the race from the same position. The 1st lap was interrupted by a full course yellow flag due to an accident between a Ferrari and a Porsche; the race ran behind the safety car for 8 laps as a result. Bleekemolen was the first to start the race for Team Abu Dhabi Black Falcon followed by UAE Champion Khaled Al Qubaisi with 2015 FIA GT World Cup Champion Maro Engel (Germany) taking over the 3rd stint. It was Al Qubaisi who drove the 4th stint followed by Engel, who finished the first part of the 12 hour race. On the first part of the race, AlQubaisi said: “It was a good part although it didn’t go as we wanted it to be, the full course yellow interrupted the first lap and the battle with the Aston Martin was big in my stint we lost a lot of
Action shot taken from the event.
Photo from the event.
Al-Othman takes 2nd place
Al-Musallam wins Third Barrier Jumping Contest KUWAIT CITY, Dec 11: Knight Abrar Al-Musallam with the horse Falaskio from Kuwait Equestrian Center won the Third Barrier Jumping Contest (115-125 cm) free of flaws, and Knight Latifa Al-Othman took second place. With four mistakes registered in his name, Knight Ahmad Al-Modhahaka came third in the same category, and Knight Abdullah Al-Rawdhan booked the fourth place followed by Knight Ali Al-Khorafi in the fifth position. On the advanced level of 130-140cm, Knight Ali Al-Khorafi came first after completing the tour within 38-42 seconds and without making any mistake. He also won second
place with another horse, and Knight Abdulrahman Al-Fezaa claimed the third prize while Knight Abdulaziz AlAjeil came fourth. In the 100-110cm contest, Knight Monica took the first position without flaws, and Knight Rakan AlHasawi came second, followed by Knight Abdulrahman Al-Fezaa, Abdulrahman Al-Ajeil, and Knight Fawaz Al-Subai’e in fifth position. For beginners, Knight Ghanima Al-Othman claimed the first prize while Knight Manna Al-Ajmi came second, followed by Knight Abdullah Al-Qattan, then Knight Mohammed Al-Marzouq, and Khalifa Al-Khorafi in the fifth place.
CAR RACING time, the competition is very tough with 3 or 4 cars but we will keep pushing ahead till the end of the race.” Bleekemolen added: “I had a nice stint, good start, we took the lead with no issues; the car feels great. Looking back at the 1st 6 hours I think we are still in there. Everybody is very close but we have a good chance.” Engel said: “We did what we need to do, we had a clean race with a great car, the fight will continue in the 2nd half and we will push and try to win the race.” Al Qubaisi added: “I would like to thank our sponsors Sanad, Omeir travel agency, Kaspersky lab, Injazat, BearingPoint and Roger Dubuis for their support in this race.”
Barcelona aim for one billion euro goal
La Liga raises $3.25 bln with soccer TV rights LOS ANGELES, Dec 11, (Agencies): Marking the start of a new era for the commercialization of Spanish soccer TV rights, Spain’s LFP Professional Footbal League Assn has raised at least EUR2.95 billion ($3.25 billion) after selling to Telefonica, Mediapro and a Vodafone-Orange joint-venture the three main batches of LaLiga TV rights from the 2016-17 to the 2018-19 seasons. For the first time ever, the LFP, under prexy Javier Tebas, has auctioned Spain’s Liga and Copa del Rey soccer competitions in blocks, in an attempt to maximize returns on Spanish soccer TV rights, approaching sales levels of the English Premier League, Europe’s richest soccer championship. Through its pay TV service Movistar Plus, giant telco Telefonica will pay $0.83 billion for broadcasting, under the slot El Partidazo, at least one match of Leo Messi’s Barcelona or Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid each match day, plus a crunch Barcelona-Real Madrid game each season.
Barcelona-based rights broker Mediapro will pay $2.1 billion for the highest price lot, an eight-match package per match day - in a third choice, after Movistar’s El Partidazo and a freeto-air game - plus the matches of the Copa del Rey competition, excepting its semifinals and final. The games acquired by Mediapro will air on channel beIN Sport, a joint-venture with Qatar-based network Al Jazeera. ❑
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Barcelona are aiming to become the world’s highest earning club in the next
SOCCER six years and are determined to counter England’s Premier League, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said in an interview published Friday. The Spanish giants will make about 600 million euros ($658 million) this year but Bartomeu told the Financial Times newspaper he was aiming to lift this to
one billion euros ($1.1 billion) by 2021. “We want to be the first club to reach one billion euros in revenues,” said Bartomeu, who won an election for a six-year term in July after Barcelona overcame team divisions to win the Champions League. A Deloitte survey said that Real Madrid (549 million euros) and Manchester United (518 million) were the top world football revenue earners in 2014. The president said he wants to increase Barcelona’s presence abroad and embark on a 600 million euro renovation of the 93,000 capacity Camp Nou Stadium. It has one overseas office in Hong Kong and plans to open more in New York, Sao Paulo and Shanghai by 2017, Bartomeu said. Barcelona, which is owned by its 145,00 members, also wants to set up its own university and move into women’s sports. But the Barcelona boss acknowledged that the shadow of England’s Premier League hangs over his club’s plans.
OLYMPICS
India’s Nehwal misses an unexpected last chance Marin’s shock loss pushes her to the verge of exit DUBAI, Dec 11, (AFP): Saina Nehwal said her body had let her down as she missed out on an unexpected place in the Super Series semifinals on Friday. The former world number one from India got the chance to progress against the odds because Carolina Marin, the world champion and favourite to win the Super Series finals for the first time, was pushed to the edge of exit by a second defeat in two days. But when Nehwal was faced with an opponent, the former holder Tai Tzu Ying, who had not won a game let alone a match in her two previous encounters, her physical resources failed her as she fell to a painful 16-21, 21-18, 21-14 loss. Just a handful of extra points in the second game, in which Nehwal repaired an eight-point deficit to reach 16-16, would have scraped her through. Instead it was uncomfortable to watch her attempts at dragging her heavy limbs around the court as the effects of recent injuries took their toll. “I thought I could make it but my legs just wouldn’t let me,” she said. “I’ve not
BADMINTON been able to train since the China Open three weeks ago and after the first game I could feel I was getting tired. “It was a very, very big match and it was tough. But I am happy with how I tried. And I will look back on what’s been a very good year.” It means Marin could yet win the Super Series title for the first time, despite a 21-9, 21-15 loss earlier on Friday to the almost overlooked but brilliantly mobile Japanese player Nozomi Okuhara, which it seemed might have put paid to her chances. This followed the Spaniard’s stunning three-game loss to Nehwal on Thursday, an encounter which may have undermined her belief that she can deliver her best in Dubai in slowish conditions which do not suit her attack-minded game. Her formidable smash hardly ever found the floor and after one long rally which Marin nearly but not quite won several times, she ended flat on her back for several seconds. This left Okuhara 1311 up, and after her third straight win she announced that she was just trotting off for a bit more training as she really hoped to get still fitter. Okuhara and Marin will be joined in the semi-finals by Wang Yihan, the former world champion from China who did not need to win to qualify, and Ratchanok Intanon, the former world champion from Thailand, who played enterprisingly well to deny Wang Shixian, the former world number one from China, by 21-14, 21-19. The men’s semi-finalists are Chen Long, the titleholder and world champion from China, Kento Momota of Japan, and two Danes, Jan Jorgensen, the world number two, and Viktor Axelsen, the world number six. Chen completed his unbeaten threematch sequence with a 21-14, 21-17 win over Jorgensen. As both were already sure of qualifying they just “enjoyed themselves out there,” Chen said. That did not prevent him from accelerating impressively from a 10-13 deficit to win the first game, or from producing another well-timed surge of five points out of six in the middle of the second game, which ensured his control of the match. He still looks an odds on favourite. Earlier the tournament saw a premature exit for Zhao Yunlei, the Olympic champion in both women’s and mixed doubles, with a knee injury, ending hopes of Super Series titles here for her great partnerships with Tian Qing and Zhang Nan.
Nozomi Okuhara of Japan returns a shot against Carolina Marin of Spain during their women’s singles match as part of the Dubai World Superseries Finals badminton tournament in Dubai on Dec 11. (AFP)
Pinnacle of achievement
Top players eye ‘Rio Olypic’ Games with contrasting views LOS ANGELES, Dec 11, (RTRS): It will be no more than an exhibition sport; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; it will be awesome; let’s wait and see how it feels once you get there. These are among the wide ranging responses from top players as they prepare for golf’s return to the Olympics at next year’s Rio Summer Games after an absence of more than a century, a return embraced by many and panned by others. For backers, the prospect of golfers walking beside swimmers and athletes at the opening ceremonies in Rio is an intoxicating one but critics argue that Kuchar golf, like tennis, already has its four blue riband events and should not be an Olympic sport. Those critics firmly believe that golf’s major championships and the grand slams in tennis represent the pinnacle of achievement in their respective sports and that the allure of an Olympic medal would always rank lower. American golfer Matt Kuchar, a seventimes winner on the PGA Tour who has played amateur tennis at a high level, expressed mixed feelings about the impact of his sport’s return to the Olympics. “Most of the Olympic sports have their ‘big event’ either once every four years — at the Summer Games — or once every two years with the World Cups and world championships that go on,” Kuchar told Reuters. “In the golf world and the tennis world, we have our four majors and our four grand slams every year, and then every other week there is a big event going on with major attention.
“So historically you would say, ‘Gosh, I want to win the Masters or I want to win Wimbledon, the US Opens, the British Opens that players really gear up to.’ The fact that we have an event every week, the Olympics will be another event.” However, Kuchar felt it would be very difficult to rank a major championship victory over an Olympic gold medal without ever experiencing the “uniquely special” atmosphere of a Summer Games. “It’s hard to say without being there in the moment,” said the 37-year-old, who
OLYMPICS has represented the US a combined six times at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, and twice at the two-man World Cup of Golf. “Once you get there, there’s always something special about representing your country. You always get goose bumps when you see the American flag that you are playing for ... it’s uniquely special, it gets your attention more so than normal. “For the fact that this is going to be the first time in over a hundred years for golf to be played at the Olympics, we will certainly be awfully excited. But would you rather win one of the majors or an Olympic medal? I don’t know exactly.” Golf most recently featured as an Olympic sport in St Louis in 1904 and leading players such as American world number one Jordan Spieth and fifthranked Swede Henrik Stenson have warmly embraced its return to the Games agenda. “When I was really young, I always thought of the Olympians that walked in the opening ceremonies as the greatestathletes-in-the-world type of thing,” said Masters and US Open champion Spieth.