Rodgers praises Celtic after League Cup glory. Advani storms to another world title in Doha

Transcription

1 FOOTBALL Page 4 Rodgers praises Celtic after League Cup glory NBA Page 6 Nets defeat Grizzlies, halt three-game losing streak Rabia I 10, 1439 AH GULF TIMES SPORT CRICKET Warner, Bancroft pile on Gabba misery for England Page 2 IBSF WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS Advani storms to another world title in Doha Wendy Jans wins the women s world title for sixth straight year By Mikhil Bhat Doha It s all about momentum, Pankaj Advani said yesterday. And the momentum was with the Indian champion, who won his second world title in a span of three weeks in Doha yesterday. The 32-year-old won his 18th world title when he beat Iran s Amir Sarkhosh 8-2 in the IBSF World Snooker Championship men s final at Al Arabi Sports Club Indoor Hall yesterday. The men s final, that saw Advani lift his third IBSF world snooker title, lasted more than five hours. Earlier, Belgium s Wendy Jans tightened her stranglehold on the women s crown, winning her sixth straight IBSF world title and seventh overall, while Welshman Darren Morgan picked up his fourth Masters title. Jans beat Thailand s Waratthanun Sukritthanes 5-2. It was the first time in the tournament she lost more than one frame to her opponent. The 34-year-old opened with two 40-point breaks going 2-0 up, before her 23-year-old opponent levelled the final up India s Pankaj Advani kisses the winner s trophy after he won the IBSF World Men s Snooker Championship at Al Arabi Sports Club yesterday. at 2-2 armed with breaks of 59, 38 and 37. Jans then won three straight frames, with the penultimate one going the closest at It is great to have another title but I think it will be more difficult in the future because the younger players are getting better and better. But we will see what happens next year. This year, I am happy that I have won my seventh title. Over the moon, Jans told Gulf Times yesterday. Talking about younger players, her final opponent was 11 years her junior. Maybe it s my experience that has got me through the last couple of years, but I think it will end one day. Hopefully not too soon, Jans, who has won the European and the Belgian titles too this year, said. Morgan too remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, beating England s Aidan Owens 6-3 in the final yesterday. With mighty breaks of 112, 83, 58 and 55, 51-year-old Morgan won his fourth Masters title, and first since Even as both Jans and Morgan celebrated their victories, Sarkhosh had won the first frame 71-19, and Advani had a few close calls in the frames after that winning the second and third frames and respectively. The fourth frame had to be decided by repotting the black, with the scores tied at 62-62, before Advani went 3-1 up, and eventually 4-1. Sarkhosh then struck back with a 134-point break to pull one back to try and shift the momentum. I thought to myself that I have to win the next frame, because I got to keep my nose ahead, Advani told Gulf Times later. I think that frame that I played, I gave it my all to make it 5-2. And from there really there was no looking back. Four straight frames and Advani was all smiles regaining the title he had last won in I couldn t have asked for a better trip. Obviously, three titles are better than two, it would have been an icing on the cake but I am human, said Advani, who won the 150-Up billiards title almost two weeks ago at the same venue before losing out in the semi-finals of the long-up format. IBSF World Snooker Championships men s winner Pankaj Advani (fifth from right), women s winner Wendy Jans (fifth from left) and Masters winner Darren Morgan (fourth from left) pose with their respective trophies, and QBSF president Mohamed Mubarak al-ramzani (foreground), secretary general Mohamed Salem al-nuaimi (left), IBSF president Mubarak al-khayarin (fourth from right) and other officials yesterday. PICTURES: Ram Chand There are days when you don t really have such a great run. Nonetheless, it s been a great run over the period of three weeks. I am so relieved and excited and happy that I have ended on a high note. Sarkhosh rued the three close games he had to endure on his way to the finals. His marathon semi-final against compatriot Ehsan Heydari Nezhad gave him less than 12 hours before the finals after he mounted a fightback from a 3-6 deficit to eventually win 7-6 on Sunday night. I started well but then I should have won the first two or three frames, but I didn t, Sarkhosh said through a translator. That would have given me a good lead. But yesterday, I had a really tough match in the semi-finals. I was a bit tired. It took all my energy away. Advani, however, was all praise for the 26-year-old from Iran. He has had a great tournament really. This was his first final. We are good friends, we have mutual respect for each other. So you know I would like to congratulate him as well for a wonderful event, he said. After 18 world titles, does it ever get easier? The pressure is always on you because everyone expects you to win. I played three young guys in the last three rounds. In the quarters, I played a Chinese kid (Luo Honghao, 17, in quarter-finals), then I played the Austrian kid (Florian Nüßle in semi-finals) who was even younger, barely 15, and Amir is about 26, six years younger than me. I feel a little bit like a veteran now really, he said. Advani himself is no stranger to knocking the doors of international snooker stardom, having won his first IBSF world snooker title at the age of 18 in I remember how those years were. I played fearless. I played a different brand of snooker then. There is more finesse, more refinement (now). Back then I went for shots that I wouldn t go for today. So I am more measured in my approach. Well at the same time, there is a good and bad with it. You are gaining experience, but sometimes you are too guarded, too conscious, he said. For now, he is going back to his family, enjoy my Christmas and New Year. LIGUE 1 Neymar puts PSG on cloud nine at Monaco Paris Edinson Cavani and Neymar were both on target as Paris Saint-Germain edged champions Monaco 2-1 to climb nine points clear atop France s Ligue 1 on Sunday. But it was a frustrating night in the principality for the world s most expensive teenager, as Kylian Mbappe missed a raft of chances on his return to the club who will bank $214.8mn when his switch to PSG becomes permanent at the end of the season. PSG now have 38 points from 14 games and are unbeaten, nine points clear of Lyon and Monaco, with Marseille one further adrift. We ve won at the champions, that s good, said PSG coach Unai Emery. Now we have to continue the work and improve further. Cavani struck the opener, his 16th league goal this season and 22nd in all competitions, when he met a cute cutback from Julian Draxler on 19 minutes and toe-poked it into the top corner. Neymar had rattled the post and Monaco nerves swiftly after the restart before winning a penalty as Almamy Toure ran into him. Cavani had promised reporters Neymar would take PSG s next spotkick and so it was. The Brazilian, who had inspired a 7-1 Champions League thrashing of Celtic in midweek, coolly sent Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic the wrong way with a confidently-struck penalty on 52 minutes. The home side may have sold several of their title-winning stars in the close season, but Leonardo Jardim s men rallied. Radamel Falcao, with 13 goals from ten Ligue 1 starts ahead of this game, managed a fine header when surrounded by four PSG defenders and also fired a free-kick narrowly over. Veteran Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho pegged Paris back with a free-kick nine minutes from time that struck Mbappe s head on the way into the corner, but Monaco could not find an equaliser. It s difficult against this team with so much quality in it, Monaco midfielder Fabinho told French television. It s working very well in midfield with Marco (Verratti) and (Julian) Draxler, PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot said, after all three were impressive. Earlier Sunday, Memphis Depay starred with a double as Lyon thumped Nice 5-0 on Sunday to move into second behind Paris. France forward Florian Thauvin scored a first-half winner as Marseille stretched their unbeaten run to nine games and stayed just a point off the Champions League places with a 1-0 home win over Guingamp. Paris Saint-Germain s Neymar (second from right) celebrates with teammates after scoring off a penalty kick during the Ligue 1 match against Monaco on Sunday. () PSG to return to Qatar for winter training camp Paris Saint-Germain will head to Qatar for a short training camp during the French league winter break in December, the club confirmed yesterday. The PSG squad will fly to Doha after their final Ligue 1 game of 2017 at home to Caen on December 20 and will stay there until December 23. The Qatar-owned club will stay and train at the Aspire Zone facility. PSG spent time in Tunisia during last season s winter break but this will be their fifth trip to Qatar since the Qatar Sports Investments takeover in Unai Emery s team are unbeaten this season and moved nine points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after beating reigning champions Monaco 2-1 away on Sunday. The winter break in France lasts for just over two weeks until the first weekend of January, when top-flight clubs enter the French Cup.

2 2 Gulf Times CRICKET ASHES Warner, Bancroft pile on Gabba misery for England The duo got the required runs in a 173-run opening stand to smash an 87-year-old record Australian batsman David Warner celebrates after the victory against England in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane yesterday. () Brisbane A record-breaking opening partnership between David Warner and Cameron Bancroft cemented a crushing 10-wicket victory for Australia yesterday, leaving England with pressing issues to resolve to salvage the Ashes series. Warner and newcomer Bancroft got the required runs in a 173-run opening stand to smash an 87-year-old record for the all-time highest unbeaten opening partnership in a successful Test chase. Warner finished unbeaten on 87 off 119 balls with Bancroft hitting the winning boundary to remain 82 not out from 182 deliveries. It was the seventh time Australia had vanquished England by 10 wickets in the Ashes and leaves the home side unbeaten at their Gabba fortress in 29 years. The first Test of an Ashes is very important, there was a bit of pressure but I m really pleased with how we played, Australian skipper Steve Smith said. The way we pulled it back to win from the position we were in, it s extremely pleasing. I m proud of the way the boys fought. The Australians only needed 56 runs on the final morning go one up after England imploded on Sunday s fourth day, leaving captain Joe Root with issues to resolve ahead of Saturday s first-ever Ashes day-night second Test in Adelaide. I think the most important thing is we stay strong and tight as a group of players and that we continue to keep doing the hard work that we have done throughout the whole trip, Root said. For three days, we played some excellent cricket. Unfortunately, when we got into good positions, we didn t quite capitalise on it. Much of the post-match reaction centred on Bancroft allegedly being headbutted by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow in a late-night altercation in Perth last month, which only came to light on Sunday. Both parties worked to play it down Monday with Bancroft saying it was a weird and random greeting instead of a traditional hand-shake, while Bairstow said there was nothing malicious about it and no animosity between the pair. It was Warner s 25th Test fifty and ninth in the Ashes, while Bancroft posted his first half-century in only his second Test innings. Great to get a win with the guys. I know everyone s really excited and hopefully we can carry this momentum forward, Bancroft said. Warner said it was heartening to get the win without losing a wicket. That s what we cherish, coming out being disciplined to try and get the job done as best as possible, he said. England s doleful defeat was played to the background sounds of the travelling Barmy Army supporters singing We ll Take the (Ashes) Urn Home in the sparsely-populated ground. England first innings 302 (J. Vince 83, D. Malan 56, M. Stoneman 53; M. Starc 3-77, P. Cummins 3-85) Australia first innings 328 (S. Smith 141 not out, S. Marsh 51; S. Broad 3-49) England second innings 195 (J. Root 51; J. Hazlewood 3-46, M. Starc 3-51, N. Lyon 3-67) Australia second innings SCORECARD (114-0 overnight) D.Warner not out 87 C. Bancroft not out 82 Extras (lb2, nb1, w1) 4 Total (0 wicket; 50 overs) 173 Bowling: Anderson (1nb), Broad , Ali , Woakes , Ball (1w), Root Result: Australia won by 10 wickets It was an attritional battle between the traditional rivals over the first three days of the Test, raising England s hopes of a first win at the Gabba in just over three decades. But man-of-the-match Smith s Test-defining unbeaten 141 over eight-and-a-half hours gave Australia a 26-run innings lead and Josh Hazlewood s two late wickets on Saturday swung the momentum firmly Australia s way. England were subsequently knocked over for 195 off 71.4 overs, losing their last six wickets for 82, to set Australia an unthreatening target to chase down in the remaining four sessions of play. England have now not won in Brisbane in 31 years, a stretch of eight Ashes Tests. Looking ahead to Adelaide, Smith said: This team has the potential to do some really good things. The Adelaide wicket might bring some of the bowlers into the game a little bit but, having said that, it s probably one of the quickest wickets in the country at night, he added. We saw how effective our bowlers could be when this wicket quickened up a little bit, so that s exciting. Bancroft recounts Bairstow s headbutt greeting Brisbane New Australian Test opener Cameron Bancroft described a headbutt greeting by Jonny Bairstow as weird yesterday as bizarre details emerged of the late-night incident during England s Ashes tour. The washup of Australia s thumping 10-wicket win over England in the first Test in Brisbane was dominated by questions about the incident involving England s wicketkeeper and Bancroft in a Perth bar late last month, which only came to light over the weekend. There is sensitivity within the England camp about off-field behaviour given the controversy surrounding suspended star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who is facing a police inquiry into a fight outside a Bristol nightclub in September. Bancroft was matter-of-fact about their coming together. I got into a very amicable conversation with Jonny and he just greeted me with a headbutt, the Australian opener told a post-match media conference, calling it weird. I was expecting a handshake. It wasn t the greeting of choice that I was expecting, a deadpan Bancroft added. We got along for the rest of the night quite well and I let it go and moved on it from it, it was fine. Bairstow, whose actions were slammed as dumb by team coach Trevor Bayliss, faced reporters to make a short statement but took no questions. The England wicketkeeper said the incident was blown out of proportion. We were in the bar having a good laugh and a good evening out, it was very enjoyable. Cameron Australian captain Steve Smith (right) is in splits as teammate Cameron Bancroft speaks during a media conference at the Gabba in Brisbane. () (Bancroft) and I enjoyed the evening and continued to do so, Bairstow said. There was no intent, nor malice about anything during the evening. As you could see out there today (in the Test) there was no animosity between myself, Cameron and any other of the Australia players. Bairstow said it was time we move on from there, but an irritated Bayliss expressed his disappointment, saying it gave the Australian team ammunition to put undue pressure on England. There was absolutely no malice in it. Are we disappointed that some small incident gets blown up and put in the press and bought up? Yes, the England coach said. I am sure the will be further discussion between myself, management and the players. England skipper Joe Root also played down the incident, saying it was a bit of joshing around boyish behaviour. Australian captain Steve Smith said his team had used the incident to help get Bairstow out for 42 in England s second innings of the Test. It was basically about trying to get Jonny off his game, to be honest with you, Smith said. And I think it worked, with the way he got out. He got caught at third man playing a pretty ordinary stroke. We were just trying to get in his head and it happened to work. Smith warns England of more Aussie aggression Brisbane England can look forward to further aggressive cricket in the second Test in Adelaide, Australia captain Steve Smith said, after his team found their mean streak to rout the tourists by 10 wickets at the Gabba yesterday. Australia were matched by England for three days, with the unusually slow Gabba pitch blunting their bowlers pace and their batsmen struggling in the first innings barring a magnificent, unbeaten 141 by the skipper. The hosts hit back on day four, however, as their pacemen grabbed seven wickets in a furious short-pitched assault to skittle England for 195. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft then mowed down 170 for victory before lunch on day five to give Australia a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Really pleased with the way we played this Test match. It s great to go up 1-0 in this Ashes series, said man-of-thematch Smith. We re going to continue to play the same way we have, nice and aggressively. We ve played some really good cricket we had to fight after the first couple of days to get the result we re after. No doubt there will continue to be some good, hard, aggressive cricket throughout the series. A small media storm was generated by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow s headbutt greeting of Bancroft at a bar in Perth in the leadup, an incident both teams played down. Smith revealed his team had used the incident as ammunition to throw Bairstow off his game when he was batting on the field and believed the tactic had worked when the wicketkeeper was dismissed softly for 42 when he hit straight to third man. The incident had proved to be a distraction to the England camp, with their coach Trevor Bayliss saying staff would meet with players to potentially discuss tighter curfews. Smith shrugged when asked whether Australia s exploitation of the incident might fuel animosity between the teams. It s always played hard out on the field. There s a line you re not to cross. I don t think it makes any real difference, he said. Adelaide Oval will offer a different challenge for both teams, with the pink ball likely to move far more in the first day-night Ashes test than at the Gabba. England s veteran pacemen Stuart Broad and James Anderson may be best placed to exploit the conditions but Smith was also excited what his pacemen might do under lights. The Adelaide wicket might bring some of their bowlers into the game a little bit but having said that, it s probably one of the quickest wickets in the country at night, he said. We saw how effective our bowlers could be when this wicket quickened up a little bit. so it s exciting. Smith also praised Bancroft after the opener scored an unbeaten 82 as Australia chased down the target of 170. His 173-run stand with Warner the all-time best unbeaten opening partnership in a successful Test chase. They were magnificent," Smith said. Cam the way he came out in the second innings, he had really good plans, he left really well, played nice and straight, and put the loose ball away. Obviously Davey was played nicely, like he does. BOTTOMLINE Keep backing yourselves, captain Root tells beaten England Brisbane Captain Joe Root has urged his players to keep backing themselves as Ashes holders England head into a crucial second Test after their demoralising loss to Australia at the Gabba. The Australians romped to an emphatic 10-wicket victory early on the fifth day in Brisbane after breaking free of an attritional opening three days, leaving questions for the tourists over the remaining four Tests. England s inability to capitalise on a strong start in the first innings where they crashed from 246 for four to 302 all out and a belowpar 195 in the second innings cost them any winning chance in Brisbane. We ve got to keep believing and trusting the work we ve been doing, and backing ourselves and backing each other as a group, said Root, on whom much depends with the bat and team strategy. For three days we played some excellent cricket. Unfortunately, when we got into good positions, we didn t quite capitalise on it. The series now heads to the Adelaide Oval for the first-ever day-night Ashes Test, starting on Saturday, where England cannot afford to lose again. Root defended his elaborate fielding placements at the Gabba for Australia captain Steve Smith, who turned the Test with a painstaking unbeaten 141 over eight-and-a-half hours to give his side a narrow but crucial innings lead. His field strategy for Smith was likened to Bodyline, a notorious leg theory bowling tactic devised by England on their tour of Australia to counter the great Don Bradman. The England skipper placed six fielders on the leg-side with three in the deep and no one in front of the bat on the off-side as his pacemen ripped in short-pitched deliveries to Smith for a time. We made him (Smith) work extremely hard for his runs. Credit to him, he played extremely well, Root said. Sometimes you ve got to say well played to the opposition. Root, ranked the world s second-best Test batsman, was out leg before wicket in both innings at the Gabba for 15 and 51, but is confident of making big scores in the rest of the series. I feel like I ve got a good understanding of how I play and I ll make sure that I prepare very well in terms of getting ready, Root said. England coach Trevor Bayliss said he was confident the tourists will bounce back. Unfortunately, we ve been in this situation before over the last few years where we ve put in a bad performance but we were able to come back from it, he said. England captain Joe Root and teammates are dejected after their loss in the first Test. ()

3 Gulf Times CRICKET 3 SECOND TEST Ashwin breaks record as India inflict innings defeat on Sri Lanka India to rest star Kohli before South Africa tour Spinner becomes the fastest bowler to reach 300 Test wickets Nagpur Spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin played down comparisons with Dennis Lillee after his recordbreaking feat yesterday helped India crush Sri Lanka by an innings and 239 runs in the second Test. Ashwin became the fastest bowler to reach 300 Test wickets, taking 54 matches to reach the mark two fewer than Aussie pace legend Lillee who terrorised batsmen in the 1970s and early 1980s. The off-spinner was all humility when asked to comment on the enviable record, saying any comparison with the greats would be unfair. We are a bit more blessed than the other greats. We have technology to help. We have help with our fitness. So we shouldn t compare, he said after the top-ranked hosts wrapped up the win inside four days to stamp their class. I really hope I can go on to double these 300 wickets. I ve only played 50-odd Tests, said the 31-year-old, who finished with a match haul of It s not easy bowling spin, it looks like you re just ambling up. But there s a lot behind it. We have bowled a lot of overs, me and Jaddu (fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja) in the last 24 months. I am a lot more experienced now. The victory equalled India s biggest Test win, achieved against Bangladesh in Dhaka 10 years ago. Sri Lanka, who started the day on 21-1 after conceding a 405-run first innings lead, crashed to 166 all out, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with the first game having ended in a draw. Skipper Dinesh Chandimal put up some resistance with 61 but the rest of the batsmen fell by the wayside without showing much application. Left-arm spinner Jadeja and fast bowlers Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma took two wickets each to underline India s all-round dominance. Jadeja struck early in the morning session when he had opener Dimuth Karunaratne caught at short leg for 18. The left-handed Karunaratne, who resumed the day on 11, got an inside edge on a tossed-up delivery from Jadeja and Murali Vijay took a sharp close catch. Karunaratne s overnight partner Lahiru Thirimanne played a careless shot way outside off stump to hand a simple catch to Jadeja off Yadav for 23. Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit a majestic double century on Sunday before India declared their first innings on to take a firm grip on the match. Kohli made 213 from 267 balls for his fifth double century in 62 Tests and won the man of the match award. His innings featured big partnerships with Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma which pulverised the opposition. Pujara made 143, Rohit Sharma 102 not out and opener Vijay 128 in a brutal statement of intent from India which was later emphasised by the bowlers. It s all India's Ravichandran Ashwin (centre) celebrates with teammates after the hosts beat Sri Lanka in the second Test match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur yesterday. () about creating pressure and that s what we did... All out four bowlers looked like getting a wicket any time, Rohit Sharma said. For me personally it was very important because it s been nearly 500 days since I played my last Test match. I am glad that I could put some runs on the board for myself and the team, added Rohit Sharma, who was included in the team in place of paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Sri Lanka squandered the advantage of winning the toss and batting first as they were skittled out for 205 on the opening day. It was a good toss to win. Unfortunately we were outplayed from the first day. Our batting let us down again. When you re playing against India, you ve got to score 350-plus, said Chandimal. The bowling unit has done a really good job. But if you have no runs on the board, they can t do anything. The third and final Test starts in Delhi on December 2. SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka 1st innings 205 (D. Chandimal 57, D. Karunaratne 51; R. Ashwin ) India 1st innings dec (V. Kohli 213, C. Pujara 143; D. Perera ) Sri Lanka 2nd innings (overnight ) D. Karunaratne c Vijay b Jadeja L. Thirimanne c Jadeja b Yadav...23 A. Mathews c Rohit b Jadeja...10 D. Chandimal c Ashwin b Yadav...61 N. Dickwella c Kohli b Ishant...4 D. Shanaka c Rahul b Ashwin D. Perera lbw b Ashwin...0 R. Herath c Rahane b Ashwin... 0 S. Lakmal not out...31 L. Gamage b Ashwin... 0 Extras (lb2)... 2 Total (all out, 49.3 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Samarawickrama), 2-34 (Karunaratne), 3-48 (Thirimanne), 4-68 (Mathews), 5-75 (Dickwella), (Shanaka), (Perera), (Herath), (Chandimal), (Gamage) Bowling: Sharma , Ashwin , Jadeja , Yadav Result: India won by innings and runs Series: India lead the three-match series 1-0 Nagpur India s captain and star batsman Virat Kohli will be rested for the one-day matches against Sri Lanka after the ongoing Test series ends, selectors said yesterday. Kohli has stepped up calls in recent weeks for a break from cricket because of the workload. India, the world s top Test nation, start a demanding tour of South Africa in January. I m not a robot, you can slice my skin and check if I still bleed, Kohli said before the Sri Lanka series started. He has played more international cricket in 2017 than any other Indian player nine Tests, 26 one-day internationals and 10 T20s. India will go into the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in New Delhi on Saturday with Kohli leading the squad that hammered the visitors in the second Test. The return of batsman Shikhar Dhawan, who opted out of the second Test due to personal reasons, is the only change. The squad for the South Africa tour is to be named before the game starts. Kohli will be replaced as captain by batsman Rohit Sharma for the three-match one day series after the Tests. Sharma, who hit 102 not out in the Nagpur Test, is expected to remain captain for the T20 games too, as ISC Challengers Trophy final on Friday Doha: Indian Sports Centre under the patronage of Embassy of India - Qatar, is currently hosting the Qatar National Bank - Indian Sports Centre Challengers Trophy cricket tournament at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium, Industrial Area. The final will be held on Friday, 1st December from 5.30 pm, which is expected to an exciting contest. Indian Ambassador P Kumaran will be the chief guest for the finals, Qatar Cricket Association President and QNB GM as guest of honour. A special trophy is being Kohli rests and prepares for the South Africa tour. All-rounder Hardik Pandya and fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who pulled out of the second and third Sri Lanka Test to get married, return to the 15-man squad. Uncapped fast bowler Siddarth Kaul and young batsmen Shreyas Iyer, who has represented India in three T20 games, are also part of the one-day team. Senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja continue to stay out of India s limited-overs plans despite their superb run in the five-day format. Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal remain the team s three spinners in the 50- over matches against Sri Lanka. The first of the three ODIs will be played in Dharamsala on December 10. INDIA SQUAD FOR THIRD TEST AGAINST SRI LANKA: Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar INDIA SQUAD FOR ODI SERIES AGAINST SRI LANKA: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul flown in from India to be presented to the winners and runner-up team. The organisers have also arranged to have a raffle draw for the spectators with prize including a return air ticket to India, gold rings, mobile phones, travel bags, mixer juicers and other gift hampers. The organisers a turnout of more than 5,000 for the title clash, creating a carnival atmosphere with DJ playing to the crowd. The entry is free to the spectators, with a special sitting area for ladies and families from VIP Gate. Coach Pothas slams Sri Lanka over loss Nagpur Sri Lanka coach Nic Pothas warned his players there would be repercussions after the country s worst-ever Test defeat, at the hands of India yesterday. The South African could barely contain his anger after Sri Lanka lost the second Test by an innings and 239 runs in four days in Nagpur. It s embarrassing, players should be embarrassed in their own performances. Practising in the nets means nothing if you do not go out and put runs on the board, Pothas said. As a player your currency is runs, wickets and catches. You can do all you like but if you are not producing them, obviously there will be repercussions. That s the world of professional sport. Sri Lanka s previous worst Test defeat was an innings and 229-run loss to South Africa in Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat against India in Nagpur but were skittled out for 205 on the opening day. They crashed out for 166 in the second innings as India wrapped up victory in four days. Pothas, who took over as coach after Graham Ford s abrupt exit this year, highlighted the Indian squad s depth in bowling and batting. If you are going to be successful at the top of any sport your bench is important and India has a very strong bench, said Pothas. Not only have they got pace but a huge amount of skill. Same with batting and bowling: it s all about execution, he added. Sri Lanka lost all nine Tests, one-day and T20 games at home to India in a recent series but followed that up by winning two Tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. Personally as a coach I find it hugely exciting, I ve learnt a lot in the last series and in the short time we have been here, and continue to learn more, Pothas said of the current tour of India. Cricket is a game of chess. When you play a team like India, if one team makes a move you better have a counter move, if you don t you will fall off that bus. At the moment we have got a few in our changing room who keep making the same move and losing pieces off the chess board. INTER-SCHOOL CRICKET Al Khor International emerge U-14 girls champions Al Khor International School emerged as the champions of the Qatar Inter-school under-14 Girls cricket tournament, with a comprehensive 31-run victory over Birla Public School in the final. The three-team event was played at the West Bay Grounds under the banner of the Qatar Cricket Association. Apart from Al Khor International and Birla Public School, the third participating team was Noble International School. Heta stamped her class on the 12-over-a-side final, as she top-scored with a responsible 25 and bagged a wicket. Batting first, Al Khor International School posted 108 in 12 overs. Heta batted exceptionally well and struck the bulk of the runs for her team. Hardi was another player to get into double digits as she hit 11. During the chase, Birla Public School lost the wickets regularly before getting to 77 in 12 overs. Simruti (9) and Sajal (8) were the best scorers for them. BRIEF SCORES: Al Khor International School: 108 in 12 overs (Heta 25, Hardi 11) bt Birla Public School: 77 in 12 overs (Simruti 9, Sajal 8, Heta 1 wkt) Winners Al Khor International School and runners-up Birla Public School pose with the officials after final match of the Qatar Inter-school under-14 Girls cricket tournament, organised by the Qatar Cricket Association, at the West Bay Grounds.

4 4 Gulf Times FOOTBALL Rodgers praises Celtic after Scottish League Cup glory We came back after midweek and it was a sore one to take. But the culture we ve created allows us to come into the game with a real positive attitude and to work well SERIE A AC Milan turn to Gattuso to bring back glory days Milan Fallen Italian giants AC Milan made combative former player Gennaro Gattuso their new boss yesterday after sacking Vincenzo Montella following a disappointing start to the season. The seven-time European champions released Montella after a goalless draw against Torino on Sunday left them seventh in Serie A, 18 points behind leaders Napoli. In 39-year-old Gattuso, the Chinese-owned club have turned to a member of one of their most successful sides, but he has little coaching pedigree. Milan thanked Montella for his efforts and said in a statement: Management of the first team is entrusted to Gennaro Gattuso. Gattuso made a total of 468 appearances for AC Milan between 1999 and 2012, winning a reputation as a rugged defensive midfielder and earning the nickname Rino, on account of his verbal raging and rampaging playing style. He won the Serie A title twice and helped Milan to Champions League glory on two occasions. Gattuso was such an integral part of Marcello Lippi s lineup when Italy clinched the 2006 World Cup in Germany that he was named in FIFA s team of the tournament. AC Milan have not finished higher than sixth in any of the last four seasons in Serie A but new Chinese owner Li Yonghong funded a 230-millioneuro ($270 million) signing spree in the summer. Leonardo Bonucci arrived from Juventus for 38 million euros in an eye-catching move, while Portuguese player Andre Silva came for a similar sum from FC Porto and Hakan Calhanoglu was signed from Bayer Leverkusen. But even with those reinforcements, Montella failed to put the club that was once the jewel in former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi s business empire in contention for a Champions League place. He leaves after 17 months at the San Siro. Slapped Ibrahimovic There will be heavy pressure on Gattuso, who has always had a controversial edge he once slapped the then Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the back of his hand. On another occasion that his temper spilled over, he infamously grabbed Tottenham assistant coach Joe Jordan greying and 26 years Gattuso s senior by the throat before head-butting him, picking up a heavy UEFA ban. Gattuso spent a season at Walter Smith s Rangers before joining AC Milan and won the Scottish double alongside English midfielder Paul Gascoigne. Since retiring as a player he has been working within the AC Milan structure as youth team coach after a stuttering coaching career elsewhere, with short stints at Sion in Switzerland, at Palermo and Pisa in Italy and at Greek minnows OFI Crete. With Juventus now the main force in Italian football and Barcelona and Real Madrid dominating Europe in recent years, Gattuso faces a huge task to restore Milan to their former heights. He was a key cog in the team featuring Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo and Filippo Inzaghi which won the 2003 Champions League by beating Juventus on penalties. He was on the losing side in the dramatic 2005 final in Istanbul when AC Milan blew a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Liverpool and then lost in the penalty shootout, but he got his revenge two years later when Milan beat Liverpool in Athens. He made 72 international appearances for Italy. Milan also face a fight to convince UEFA that they comply with financial fairplay regulations designed to prevent clubs from overspending. In order to meet the criteria, Milan are gambling on making a sharp increase in profits in China. For that, they need to qualify for the Champions League. Celtic s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Scottish League Cup. () Glasgow Brendan Rodgers praised the character of his Celtic stars after they recovered from their European disappointment to clinch the Scottish League Cup with a 2-0 victory over Motherwell. The Hoops, who only had three days to prepare for the final following their 7-1 midweek Champions League mauling from Paris Saint-Germain, seemed to be nursing a European hangover in the first half of Sunday s final at Hampden Park. However, a James Forrest strike three minutes into the second half and a controversial Moussa Dembele penalty on the hour, which saw Motherwell s Cedric Kipre sent off, helped the Glasgow giants lift the League Cup for a second successive season. We had to tick a few character boxes after the result in midweek and once again the players produced, said Celtic manager Rodgers, whose side s unbeaten domestic run now extends to 65 matches. The players deserve a huge amount of credit. We came back after midweek and it was a sore one to take. But the culture we ve created allows us to come into the game with a real positive attitude and to work well. The players showed that with the energy they put into the game and the quality of their football at times was very good. It was always going to be difficult for us with the way Motherwell have started the season and the confidence they have in the way they play. We had to be patient and wait for our moment but once we got the first goal we settled into our rhythm. It is our fourth trophy in 12 months a phenomenal achievement really and the players deserve credit for their hunger and desire to keep playing and having that belief. Special win Celtic s 17th victory in the competition helps Brendan Rodgers becomes the first Hoops manager since Jock Stein to win four trophies in a row for the Scottish champions after leading the Hoops to a domestic treble last season. I didn t know that until yesterday when someone mentioned it, Rodgers said. Of course, it is a very special thing to have happened to me following in the footsteps of some many great managers. But I think today is a trophy for everyone at the club. Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson couldn t hide his anger about the disputed penalty decision, which saw Kipre ordered off after Scott Sinclair went down in the box following the slightest of touches from the Motherwell defender. The game was over when the penalty decision was made, said Robinson. It was no penalty and that decision completely changes the game. For me there is no contact and the red card means the game is effectively over as a contest as they are hard enough to play against with 11 men. The kid s crying in there. He s 20 years of age and he hasn t touched him. It s hard to take in that manner. I d rather have got pumped 6-0 or 7-0 by them than that. But we ll deal with it. We re not a team to lie down and we ll pick ourselves up. This file photo taken on July 07, 2017 shows former Italian player Gennaro Gattuso during The Gianni s game, the match of legends, a football match with football legends in honour of FIFA s president in Brig, Switzerland. () Crisis at Everton deepens with no end in sight London Everton s search for a new manager entered its sixth week yesterday after the team suffered two heavy defeats in four days and former players expressed anger at a club apparently in free fall. The Merseysiders are one of only seven sides never to be relegated from the Premier League in its 25-year history and have competed in England s top flight for a record 114 seasons. But Sunday s abject 4-1 defeat at Southampton means Everton have conceded 28 goals in their first 13 league matches their worst start since They were also thumped 5-1 at home by Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday. On Wednesday they host West Ham United, managed by former Everton boss David Moyes, with caretaker manager David Unsworth calling for supporters to rally round his under-performing players. We re in a tough moment and we re desperate to get back to some home comforts and play in front of our home fans because I ve never known a team that needs their fans more than our team does at the moment, said Unsworth, who says he wants to be permanent successor to Ronald Koeman, who was sacked five weeks ago. But even playing at home does not bring relief as Everton, who may drop into the relegation zone if they are beaten and have lost more games, five in all competitions, at Goodison Park than in the whole of last season. No wonder former striker turned TV pundit Gary Lineker called the situation a shambles while Andy Hinchcliffe, a former Everton team mate of Unsworth, said on Sky Sports after Sunday s defeat: There s no game plan going forward or defensively. I m struggling to work out what Everton are looking to do with the team that they put out. Everton narrowly escaped the drop in 1994 and 1998 but to be facing another relegation fight now, having lavished 150 million pounds ($200 million) rebuilding the squad under Koeman last summer, is a major surprise. The club appear rudderless as Everton s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, continues to scramble around for a new manager. He said an appointment was close last week but they have been knocked back by rivals Watford over an approach for manager Marco Silva and failed to reach agreement with former England boss Sam Allardyce. Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone ruled himself out, leaving Ireland boss Martin O Neill as the favourite although Football Association of Ireland (FAI) officials believe he will stay. The contract is agreed and it is just a question of signing it. As of now, there is no reason to believe that he won t, FAI honorary treasurer Eddie Murray told the Irish Independent yesterday. Unsworth also has mounting injury problems to deal with. A calf injury to Leighton Baines means Everton are likely to be without a recognised left back for one of their most important games of the season. Defender Michael Keane, a 30 millionpound signing from Burnley, is also struggling to be fit. Local passions are so inflamed that even the mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, has joined the debate. Would love the opportunity to take over, I know it s not just about bottle and fight, but there is no passion, the life-long Everton fan said on Twitter. Not one leader, not one on the pitch. I am disgusted with those on and off the pitch. Everton s Michael Keane, Ashley Williams and Morgan Schneiderlin look dejected after Southampton s Charlie Austin scores a goal during their EPL match. ()

5 Gulf Times FOOTBALL 5 FIFA boss vows racism crackdown at Russia WC Moscow FIFA President Gianni Infantino vowed yesterday to crack down hard on racist incidents when Russia hosts the World Cup next year. This is a very high priority and we will make sure no incidents will happen, Infantino said in a video statement. It is absolutely not tolerable and we will be very, very firm on that, so we can expect fair play in Russia. Racism became especially pronounced in Russian football with the influx of foreign players that occurred after the Iron Curtain fell and the Soviet Union collapsed in Brazilian striker Hulk said he heard monkey chants at almost every match when he led Zenit Saint Petersburg to a title and two second-place finishes between 2012 and Infantino said the 2018 World Cup will be the first at which referees will be allowed to halt or even abandon matches should anything similar happen during matches. We expect fair play in Russia, he said. He was speaking ahead of Friday s draw for the World Cup in the concert hall of the Kremlin. Russia s preparations for the tournament have also been marred by doping allegations that might see the country banned from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea s Pyeongchang. Infantino did not address British media reports that members of the Russian national football team are also allegedly involved in the scandal, a charge Moscow firmly denies. But he stressed that all players on every team knew in advance that they would be tested in competition and out of competition in Russia. We are sure that everyone is well aware of this situation, he said. Infantino also pushed ahead with his campaign to employ virtual assistance refereeing technology at the World Cup for the first time. I think that it is absolutely normal that in 2018, we can explore and see how can help the referee and the team to take the right decision. He said FIFA will decide the issue in March, adding: The experience so far has been extremely positive. This file photo taken on September 09, 2017 shows FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) and Russian president Vladimir Putin smiling during the opening of the trophy tour ceremony at Luzhniki stadium in Moscow. Russia is gearing up to host the World Cup for the first time while facing the herculean task of eradicating racism and hooliganism and warding off the threat of a terror attack. () LA LIGA Barcelona draw at title rivals Valencia after goal-line row It was a good game and it was defined by a controversial play, but we know Valencia s potential. We re not satisfied with everything but we ve managed to take something positive Bale finally back for Real Madrid Madrid Gareth Bale is set to feature for the first time in two months when Real Madrid host third-tier Fuenlebrada in the Copa del Rey today, but Zinedine Zidane has pleaded for patience with the Welshman s fitness. Bale s four-year spell in the Spanish capital has been dogged by injuries, particularly in the past year as he has completed 90 minutes just four times. I want Gareth to be fully-fit but I can t say when that will be, Zidane said yesterday, as Bale returned to full training following a thigh injury. The idea is that tomorrow he can play and he looks good. As always he needs game time and how the matches go will determine what the best route for us to take is. He will play tomorrow, but I don t know for how long. Zidane is expected to make wholesale changes for the clash at the Santiago Bernabeu (2030GMT) with Real already leading the Madrid-based minnows 2-0 on aggregate. Bale is yet to play a single minute this season alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as injury and suspension have blighted all three early in the season. Real have paid a heavy price as the European champions have fallen eight points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga and finished second in their Champions League group behind Tottenham Hotspur. However, Zidane is hopeful of reunited Real s famed BBC front three in time for the Club World Cup and an El Clasico clash with Barca next month. I want to see Gareth, Cristiano and Karim, added the Frenchman. It has been a long time since I have seen them together. Alaves sack coach again after just seven games Trigger happy La Liga strugglers Alaves have sacked their coach for the second time this season as Italian Gianni de Biasi was dismissed after just seven games in charge yesterday. De Biasi oversaw Alaves only two La Liga victories this season against Levante and Espanyol, but defeats to Real Sociedad, Real Betis, Valencia, Getafe and Eibar have left the Basques rooted to the bottom of the table, six points off safety. The club has decided to terminate the contract of Gianni de Biasi after the latest results obtained in La Liga, Alaves said in a statement. Javier Cabello, who took charge for defeats to Deportivo la Coruna and Real Madrid earlier in the season after Luis Zubeldia s sacking, has once again be put in temporary charge. Under Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino, Alaves reached the Copa del Rey final last season and finished ninth in La Liga on their return to the top flight after a decade. However, following the departure of Pellegrino and the likes of Real Madrid pair Marcos Llorente and Theo Hernandez, a number of new recruits, including former Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic and Zinedine Zidane s eldest son Enzo Zidane, have failed to make the desired impact. Alaves face Getafe once more in the second leg of their Copa del Rey last 32 tie on Thursday, leading 1-0 from the first leg. Barcelona s defender Jordi Alba (centre) celebrates after scoring with Barcelona s Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez, Barcelona s Brazilian midfielder Jose Paulinho and Barcelona s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (left) during the Spanish league match at Mestalla stadium in Valencia yesterday. () Valencia Barcelona s Jordi Alba haunted his former club Valencia with a stunning late equaliser in a 1-1 draw on Sunday in a top-of-thetable Liga clash that preserved the Catalan side s four-point lead but was overshadowed by a goal that was not given. Barca were denied the opener as Lionel Messi s tame shot after half an hour was spilled by goalkeeper Neto and bounced over the line before the Brazilian dragged it back over but referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva allowed play to continue. The Argentine forward and his team mates remonstrated with the officials to no avail but still had a big say in the game, laying on a perfect pass for Alba s 82nd minute leveller. Spain striker Rodrigo Moreno put Valencia ahead on the hour, sneaking ahead of Barca defender Thomas Vermaelen to score from close range before putting on an orange wig in tribute to the club s late president Jaume Orti who passed away on Friday. Barcelona lead the standings on 35 points, Valencia have 31 while Atletico Madrid are third on 27, level on points with fourth-placed champions Real Madrid. It was a good game and it was defined by a controversial play but we know Valencia s potential. We re not satisfied with everything but we ve managed to take something positive from the game, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said. Valencia assistant coach Ruben Urria added: We struggled at first because Barcelona are a great team and came here to win against the second best team in the league. Everything changed in the second half and we were the better team. These players are making history. Before kick off, Valencia paid tribute to Orti, president during the club s last two Liga titlewinning seasons in 2002 and 2004, and an electric atmosphere gripped The Mestalla. TITLE TILT Marcelino s revitalised Valencia side were searching for a ninth consecutive league win to cement their first title tilt in 14 seasons but Barca took command in the first half, puncturing the atmosphere with long periods of possession. Still, the leaders failed to create any clear chances until the game s flashpoint when Messi celebrated his goal only for Valencia to break straight down the other end and almost open the scoring when Simone Zaza flashed a shot just wide. La Liga is the only one of Europe s top five leagues not to have goal-line technology, although it will implement the video assistant referee (VAR) system from the start of next season. La Liga has the best players in the world. It s the best league in the world and it deserves the best technology. The goal was over the line, but neither the referee nor the assistant saw it, said Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets. Valencia grew in confidence after the break, pressing high up the pitch. Zaza shot wide again and Barca defender Nelson Semedo gifted the ball to Rodrigo, who failed to capitalise. The striker found the target soon after, poking home to complete a sweeping move between left back Jose Gaya and winger Goncalo Guedes, putting Valencia on course for a first home win over Barca in over a decade until Alba struck. Zaza could have struck a winning goal deep in added time but his shot bounced over the bar. Elsewhere, Sevilla battled back from two goals down to win 3-2 at Villarreal in the first game since the news that coach Eduardo Berizzo has prostate cancer. Fifth-placed Sevilla have 25 points and are now four ahead of Villarreal in sixth. Seventh-placed Real Sociedad drew 2-2 at home to second-bottom Las Palmas, while Athletic Bilbao were held by the same scoreline at fellow strugglers Deportivo La Coruna. Lamela set for Spurs return Erik Lamela is in line to make his Tottenham Hotspur return after over a year on the sidelines through injury, manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed yesterday. Argentinian winger Lamela, a 30 million ($40.1 million, 33.6 million euros) signing from Roma in August 2013, last played in October 2016, having since undergone surgery on both hips. He returned to training at the beginning of last month and is expected to be on the bench for Spurs trip to Leicester City in the Premier League today. It is very good news because he is in contention for tomorrow, Pochettino told a press conference at Spurs north London training centre. It s because after the training today he felt good and said, OK, I am ready to move on and be available if you want. Lamela s recovery period has been less than straightforward, with the 25-year-old even spending time undergoing treatment at former club Roma in January. He also had to rush to Argentina last December after his brother was hospitalised. Despite Lamela s long absence, Pochettino says he never lost faith in his compatriot s chances of making a full recovery. No, never doubts. We trusted in our medical staff and him that he s a very competitive player, always focused on his recovery, Pochettino said. After a year it s difficult for a player to be fit. It s not easy and the expectations need to be low. Maybe similar to Danny Rose, after 10 months or a year it s similar. You need to provide them the time to be fit. There s no pressure on him, only to feel he s a player in the competition again, he said.

6 6 Gulf Times SPORT NFL Goff shines as Rams stop Saints win streak Los Angeles Jared Goff threw for two touchdowns and kicker Greg Zuerlein booted four field goals as the Los Angeles Rams snapped the New Orleans Saints win streak at eight games with a victory on Sunday. Los Angeles won for the fifth time in six contests to improve to 8-3 on the season. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for just one touchdown for the Saints who dropped to 8-3 atop the NFC South Division. Goff, who lost to the Saints last year in his rookie season, completed 28-of-43 attempts for 354 yards, connecting for touchdowns with Sammy Watkins and rookie Josh Reynolds. You can see Jared get better week in and week out, Rams coach Sean McVay said. He was making good decisions, we got the running game going later and the offensive line played well. Zuerlein added 12 points, kicking three field goals from at least 46 yards. New Orleans was smothered by the Rams defence, which sacked Brees three times. The Saints entered the game averaging 415 yards but were held to 346 on Sunday. Brees, who directs the NFL s second-best passing offence, was 22 of 32 for 246 yards and a score. They put us in some tough situations at times, Brees said. We were just unable to find a rhythm and maintain our drives. Elsewhere, Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, two to tight end Rob Gronkowski, and the New England Patriots breezed to their seventh straight win with a rout of the Miami Dolphins. Running back Rex Burkhead also scored twice as the Patriots sent the Dolphins to their fifth straight defeat. Fighting on pitch Brady had a streak of 189 straight passes without an interception snapped, but went on to complete his 83rd game with at least three touchdown passes. The Patriots improved to 9-2 on the season as Sunday s win ensured their 17th straight winning season. Brady grew up in the San Francisco area as a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, a team that racked up 16 straight winning seasons starting when he was just six years old. I was a kid growing up in San Mateo when the Niners were doing that, too, Brady said. Winning seasons are great. Obviously, we re trying to win every game we play. We started 2-2 and to be 9-2 with seven straight wins is pretty good, but we know our biggest games are ahead of us. In Oakland, quarterback Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes, Marshawn Lynch ran for a score, and the Oakland Raiders gave their playoff hopes a boost with a physical victory over the Denver Broncos. The Raiders (5-6) pulled to within one game of the firstplace Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) in the AFC West. The Broncos (3-8) lost their seventh straight game and trail Kansas City by three games. The game was marked by a heated skirmish on the sidelines that broke out with 11:56 left in the first quarter. Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib were ejected after fighting along the Denver side of the field as players from both teams raced toward the battle. Talib and Crabtree have a history. When the Raiders and Broncos met last season in Denver, Talib ripped Crabtree s chain off his neck on one play. The two started fighting Sunday after Talib grabbed Crabtree s chain, again. In Atlanta, Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones caught 12 passes for 253 yards and two scores as the Atlanta won their third game in a row, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers RESULTS Buffalo Kansas City...10 Carolina NY Jets...27 Chicago...3 Philadelphia...31 Cleveland Cincinnati...30 Miami...17 New England35 Tampa Bay...20 Atlanta Tennessee Indianapolis...16 Seattle...24 San Francisco13 Denver...14 Oakland...21 Jacksonville...24 Arizona...27 New Orleans.20 LA Rams...26 Green Bay...28 Pittsburgh...31 Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff rolls out to pass against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports NBA Nets defeat Grizzlies, halt three-game skid We re both scrambling for a win game. That s what it comes down to Brooklyn Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (right) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons during their NBA game. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports By Greg Logan Newsday The war of attrition continued for the Nets as they lost two more starters, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe, to injuries. But they overcame those setbacks plus their recent late-game meltdowns to score a victory over Memphis on Sunday night at FedEx Forum. The Nets led by 19 points late in the third quarter, but the Grizzlies put together a 20-6 run that cut their lead to early in the fourth quarter. Suddenly, their recent struggles holding late leads came to the fore again. But they regained a cushion with an 11-5 burst, including nine points from Trevor Booker. The Nets (7-12) snapped a three-game losing streak at the expense of the Grizzlies (7-12), who lose their eighth straight. DeMarre Carroll topped the Nets with 24 points, Booker had 16 plus 11 rebounds, and Joe Harris scored 13. The Grizzlies were led by Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans with 18 points each. Asked before the game about his team s resilience, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said, The last two seasons I love (it). That s what I like about these guys. They don t hang their heads; they bounce back, they fight, they compete. Both teams came into the game beset by injuries that fed into a losing streak. Grizzlies star Mike Conley is out indefinitely, missing six of the seven losses they had entering the game. The Nets had lost three straight and four of five since D Angelo Russell suffered a knee injury that led to arthroscopic surgery. Russell traveled with the Nets on their three-game road trip for the first time since undergoing surgery. We re both scrambling for a win, Atkinson said before the game. That s what it comes down to. The Nets task grew more difficult when Crabbe was scratched from the starting lineup with a sore lower back. Then, starting center Tyler Zeller picked up three fouls in less than four minutes and sat for the remainder of the first half. The Grizzlies jumped out to an early eight-point lead, but the Nets battled back despite losing Hollis-Jefferson, who landed awkwardly on a drive to the basket but was able to walk slowly off the court with 8:16 left in the second period The Nets trailed at that point but finished the half on an run to tie the game at 47. Carroll and LeVert each scored seven points in that span. But the best was yet to come in an explosive third quarter as the Nets opened it on a 20-4 run, including seven points from Dinwiddie for a lead. That margin extended as high as 19 points before the Grizzlies cut their deficit to at the end of the third quarter. But the Nets made 12 of 22 shots, including a 5-for-8 effort from 3-point range in the period, outscoring the Grizzlies, RESULTS Heat Bulls...93 Timberwolves119 Suns Nets...98 Grizzlies...88 Parker to make season debut today San Antonio point guard Tony Parker will make his season debut when the Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks tonight. Parker has been sidelined since rupturing his left quadriceps tendon during May s playoff series against the Houston Rockets. Parker began the announcement of his return with a #ImBack headline on social media. Get ready #SpursNation, I m coming back on tomorrow s game against Dallas! Parker wrote. I m really excited to play again. It has been some tough months with a lot of recovery, patience and mental strength. I wanted to thank everyone who believed in my return. The 35-year-old Parker underwent surgery after the injury and there were concerns about his future. Parker, a six-time All-Star, said he didn t consider retirement. Steve Snapper Jones, the former pro basketball player who became a renowned broadcaster, died Saturday night in Houston after a lengthy illness, according to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was 75. Jones played for Portland of the NBA after being a three-time All-Star in eight seasons in the ABA. His overall scoring average between the two leagues was After his playing career ended in 1976, Jones became a popular broadcaster and was the lead analyst for the NBA on NBC for more than a decade. Former Trail Blazers teammate Bill Walton was often part of the same crew. Jones called his last game in 2006 after 26 seasons as part of the Trail Blazers announcing team. The NBA family mourns the passing of Steve Snapper Jones former Portland Trail Blazer, ABA All-Star and one of the NBA s all-time great TV analysts, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. We send our deepest condolences to his family and many friends. NHL Hurricanes slip past Predators 4-3 in shootout By Chip Alexander The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) Hockey games aren t always won on slick offensive moves or acrobatic goaltender saves. It isn t about style points. Sometimes, it s a player gritting his teeth and stepping in the way of a heavy slapshot. Then, doing it again. Joakim Nordstrom did that Sunday for the Carolina Hurricanes, blocking back-toback shots in overtime by the Nashville Predators PK Subban. It allowed the Canes to kill off a penalty against Jordan Staal and the Preds four-onthree power play, and allowed them to escape overtime and eventually win 4-3 in a shootout at PNC Arena. Blocking those two bombs, we rallied around it, Canes forward Justin Williams said. To stay in the thick of the playoff chase in the Eastern Conference, the Hurricanes (10-8-4) need more of that a willingness to accept the pain to make a play, to do whatever is necessary to secure two points. It hurts way more to see a puck go into the back of the net than to get hit by it, Nordstrom said. It s an easy choice for me. No one appreciated it more than Canes goalie Scott Darling, who once played with Nordstrom in Chicago and said, That s Nordy through and through. He would do that in the first minute of a game against any team. And not just Nordstrom. Marcus Kruger and Jaccob Slavin also blocked shots in the overtime. But for a team like the Hurricanes, that s what it s going to take. Everyone has a job to do and must do it. Victor Rask, for example. The centre recently was made a healthy scratch for two straight games, something of a comedown for the quiet, proud Swede. But he had a plus-3 rating Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs albeit in 5-4 loss and then contributed a goal and assist Sunday in being named the game s first star. We need that out of him, and we need that each and every night, and that s part of being a pro, Canes coach Bill Peters said. Few know more about being a pro than Williams. After more than 1,100 games in the NHL, after winning three Stanley Cup rings, Williams has as good a handle on how to win games as anyone in the league. On Sunday, Williams was a big part of it. His power-play goal in the third period came when he went to the front of the net, slipped to the side, then returned to bang the puck past Juuse Saros for a 3-2 lead. Earlier, when Subban began bumping and harassing the Canes Jeff Skinner in an increasingly chippy second period, Williams more or less put an end to it, going after Subban. Williams was called for an interference penalty and defenseman Mattias Ekholm s power-play goal gave Nashville a 2-1 lead. But Rask tied it 2-2, backhanding a rebound, and Williams scored in the third. It was a game of hard checks and tough puck battles. Once, when crowded by the Preds Calle Jarnkrok, Darling reminded him that he is a 6-foot-6, 232-pounder, swatting Jarnkrok away. Darling s low point this season came last week against the New York Rangers, when he muffed Mika Zibanejad s highfloating flip from outside the blue line for a stunning goal in a 6-1 loss. RESULTS Rangers...4 Canucks 3 (SO) Hurricanes...4 Predators 3 (SO) Oilers...4 Bruins... 2 Carolina Hurricanes forward Josh Jooris scores a first period goal against Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros at PNC Arena. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports

7 Gulf Times SPORT 7 FORMULA ONE Massa makes his point right to the very end The farewell was one of several for Massa, who also retired last year before being brought back hurriedly by Williams in January Kremlin vows to defend Russian athletes after lost Sochi medals Moscow Russia will take steps to defend the interests of its athletes who were disqualified and stripped of their medals from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics for doping, the Kremlin said yesterday. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) this month annulled the results of 14 Russian athletes who competed in Sochi because of doping violations. They were stripped of their medals and banned for life from participating in future Olympics. The decisions followed an IOC investigation into allegations of statebacked doping among Russian competitors and sample tampering by laboratory and security officials at Sochi. The main thing is to persistently and energetically take all possible measures to protect our legitimate interests and the legitimate interests of our athletes together with international sports organisations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a conference call. One can hardly steal a victory that has already been won, especially a victory that will forever stay with our hero athletes, he said. Russia was first in the medal table at the end of the Games but the IOC decisions bring down their number of gold medals to nine, behind Canada and Norway. The bans have so far targeted athletes in four disciplines: cross-country skiing, skeleton, bobsleigh and speed skating. Those banned and stripped of their medals include double gold medallist Alexander Zubkov, who also serves as president of Russia s bobsleigh federation, and cross country skier Alexander Legkov, who won gold in the 50km freestyle and a silver medal in the 4x10km relay event. Peskov did not spell out what measures Russia could take. But the federations governing these sports in Russia have said they will seek to contest the IOC s decisions at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Despite calls to co-operate with international bodies to help rid Russia of doping, the Russian authorities have never acknowledged any state role in the scandal. The IOC is re-testing all Russian athletes samples from the 2014 Games following revelations by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow s discredited anti-doping laboratory, of a scheme to cover up home competitors positive samples. The Sochi scandal is part of a broader doping affair that has led to the suspension of Russia s anti-doping agency RUSADA, its athletics federation and Paralympic Committee. The IOC has said it would decide during its executive board meeting next month on the participation of Russian competitors at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February. GOLF Rose says wife to make caddy debut at Indonesian Masters Williams Brazilian driver Felipe Massa takes a picture of his helmet during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix last week. Abu Dhabi Felipe Massa bowed out of Formula One in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with his head held high and one last point in a career that brought him 11 wins and almost a world championship with Ferrari. The 36-year-old Brazilian said he was ready for the next step, whatever that might be. For sure, I will miss many things racing against amazing drivers and competing in the best car and the best category in the world, he said after finishing 10th for Williams under the Yas Marina floodlights. The farewell was one of several for Massa, who also retired last year before being brought back hurriedly by Williams in January as a replacement for Valtteri Bottas when the Finn went to Mercedes. He had also said goodbye to his home fans in Brazil two weeks ago. But there was still plenty of emotion as the sport saluted a man who lost out to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 championship by a single point and then endured life-threatening head injuries in Hungary in 2009 when hit by a bouncing spring in qualifying. You wouldn t meet a more universally-liked driver, I think, said longtime friend and colleague Rob Smedley, now head of performance engineering at Williams after a stint at Ferrari as the Brazilian s race engineer. It will be weird coming to a grand prix and not having him there, he told Sky Sports television. We re mates so we ll see lots of each other. That won t change. He ll carry on racing because it s in his blood. I think this is now definitely, undoubtedly, the right time to retire from Formula One. Massa ends the season 11th overall, with 43 points compared to his teenage rookie Canadian teammate Lance Stroll on 40. But while the bulk of Stroll s points came from a third place finish in Azerbaijan and sixth in Mexico, Massa has been a more consistent scorer with 13 top 10 finishes in 20 races compared to the Canadian s seven. He s been unlucky, he hasn t got all the points he should have done, he should have won in Azerbaijan, said Smedley. But weekend in and weekend out we rely on him and to have a driver like that who is loved by the team, loved by the paddock and is still performing at the top of his game, there s no better way to go out. BOTTOMLINE FIA president Todt says leaving F1 would hurt Ferrari Abu Dhabi Leaving Formula One would hurt Ferrari if the Italian team were to follow through on a threat to quit the sport, International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt has said. The sports car manufacturer s chairman Sergio Marchionne this month warned that the team could walk away if the sport took a direction contrary to Ferrari s interests. Ferrari are Formula One s most successful and Former UN climate chief to advise Formula E London: Former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres is to join retired four-times Formula One world champion Alain Prost in leading Formula E s Global Advisory Board, the electric motor racing series announced yesterday. The board is made up of leading names from various sectors to advise on topics such as sustainability, the media and business. Members include Formula E founder Alejandro Agag, the chairman of Chinese telecoms company SINA Charles Chao, Jaguar Land Rover s chief marketing officer Gerd Mauser, and former McLaren F1 team boss Martin Whitmarsh. Brazil s reigning Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi and Swiss private bank Julius Baer s head of global sponsoring Marco Parroni are also on the board. glamorous team and the only one to have competed in the world championship since the first season in I do not want to see Ferrari leaving, but I am not sure it will be a good thing for Ferrari to leave Formula One, Todt, a former Ferrari boss, told reporters at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Ferrari is a unique brand, combined between racing and road car, added the Frenchman, who was team principal when Ferrari were at their most dominant with seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher behind the wheel in the early 2000s. So I think it will be painful for Ferrari not to be Costa Rican diplomat Figueres was executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and helped broker the 2015 Paris accord signed by nearly 200 countries. In order to meet the objectives set out by the Paris agreement and prevent global temperatures spiralling out of control, we must have a need for speed and react quickly, she said in a Formula E statement. This unique forum at Formula E will allow us to bring great minds together with the same common goal, speeding-up the transition and use of electric vehicles in everyday life. Formula E, a city-based series sanctioned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), starts its fourth season in Hong Kong on Dec. 2. in Formula One. Marchionne s warning came after the FIA and commercial rights holders Liberty Media unveiled plans for a cheaper, louder engine, with more standardised parts to replace the current power units from Liberty also wants to level the playing field and distribute revenue more equally to teams after current commercial agreements expire in Ferrari, celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, receive special payments for their historical status and also have some powers of veto under their current contract. File photo of Justin Rose with his wife Kate Phillips, a former international gymnast. Hong Kong Justin Rose and his wife have devised a novel way of celebrating their wedding anniversary she will caddy for him at the Indonesian Masters next month, he has revealed. Speaking after his final round at the Hong Kong Open on Sunday, where he finished tied 10th, he said: I enjoy [playing in] Asia. Going to have the missus caddy for me. It s over our wedding anniversary, so it s going to be a whole different type of challenge. Finish with a flourish and all that, he joked. When asked if his wife former British gymnast Kate Phillips was a strong reader of golf greens, he added: She knows as much about golf as my little eight-year-old. We ll make it fun. The English world number six announced last week that he would play in the Jakarta event in December, which is the finale of the Asian Tour. There s going to be a lot of guys grinding to have a good week and it s an important week for a lot of guys, said Rose. For me, it s a nice week to continue to play right before Christmas, but more of a fun trip for us than anything else. The Indonesia event which will be the first time Rose s wife has carried the bag for him wraps up a busy schedule for the Olympic champion, who shot a solid but unspectacular 273 on the par- 70 Hong Kong Golf Club course. In the past month he has won tournaments in China and Turkey, before being pipped to the European Tour title in Dubai by Tommy Fleetwood last week. On Thursday he plays in the exclusive invitational Hero World Challenge, which takes place close to his home in the Bahamas, and features the hotly anticipated return of Tiger Woods. I m playing in the Bahamas next week, which is at home, so feels like a bit of a week off, he said. I try not to think about time off at the minute because I think once you mentally get there, it s hard to get up for a tournament round. So, I m just trying to go day-to-day at the moment. The tournament will be Woods first since February, when he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic before undergoing back surgery for the fourth time.

8 GULF TIMES SPORT WORLD ARABIAN HORSE CHAMPIONSHIPS Al Shaqab adjudged best farm in the world Two of Al Shaqab s horses Wadee and Gazal also bagged individual honours in Paris By Sports Reporter Doha Al Shaqab Stud was adjudged the best farm at the World Arabian Horse Championships in Paris over the weekend, boosting Qatar s reputation as a leading breeding hub. Two of Al Shaqab s horses also bagged individual honours with Wadee adjudged the Senior Male World Champion and Gazal declared the Platinum World Champion. Wadee, born in 2010, beat a field of top horses from all over the world. Wadee s other achievements have been: MENTON Best head stallions 7 years old and above; Paris most beautiful head CM6A; Paris Highest Score in the World Championship; MENTON Best in Show Male Gazal, born 1995, is a World Champion as well as a sire and grandsire of World Champions, including Marwan Al Shaqab. The titles won by Gazal Al Shaqab include the 2005 US National Arabian Championships - Reserve Champion Stallion; 2005 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show - Reserve Champion Stallion; 2004 Qatar International Arabian Championships - Reserve Champion Stallion; 2001 World Arabian Horse Championships - Champion Stallion; 2001 Qatar International Arabian Championships - Reserve Champion Stallion; 2000 Qatar International Arabian Championships - Reserve Champion Stallion; 1999 Middle East International Championships - Champion Senior Stallion; 1999 Qatar International Arabian Championships - Champion Stallion; 1997 US Egyptian Event - Champion Colt; 1997 US Egyptian Event - Reserve Supreme Champion Malep and 1996 Qatar International Arabian Championships - Champion Colt. Al Shaqab s Wadee was adjudged the Senior Male World Champion and Gazal declared the Platinum World Champion at the at the World Arabian Horse Championships in Paris. Al-Tamimi in final of Qatar Circuit squash Doha: Qatar s Abdulla al-tamimi defeated Youssef Soliman of Egypt in a tough match to enter the final of the Qatar Circuit squash tournament at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. Al-Tamimi won 11-3, 11-7, 4-11, 9-11, 11-7 in a match lasting an hour and will take on Karim El Hammamy, also of Egypt, in today s final. El Hammamy, on his part, ousted Sanjay Singh of Malaysia 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, The 22-year-old al-tamimi is ranked 40th in the world and has won three titles so far. BASKETBALL Qatar lose in FIBA WC qualifier Doha: Iran bounced back from their shock loss to Iraq last Friday with a win over Qatar in their Asian qualifier for the 2018 FIBA World Cup in China. This was Qatar s second straight defeat in qualifying, having lost their opening match in Group D to Kazakhstan in Doha. Yesterday at the Azadi Gym in Tehran, the hosts kept the Qataris in check with a strong defensive performance to record an easy win. M Mirzaeitalarposhti with 14 points and S Mashayekhi with 13 excelled for the hosts, while Abdulrahman Sadd was the only Qatari player to score in double figures with 18. Iran led after the first quarter and never looked back. They restricted Qatar to just seven points in the second quarter before closing out the match with a great degree of comfort. Qatar need to finish in the top three in the four-team group to make the second round of the qualifying process. They now play Iraq next. The competition was fantastic: IBSF chief By Sports Reporter Doha Over the last three weeks, the world s best nonprofessional billiards and snooker players were at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha for the IBSF world championships. For someone like India s Pankaj Advani, switching between the two games, with only a day s break in between was a challenge. A challenge he stood up to with purpose, winning the 150-Up format in billiards and the snooker title yesterday. As much as it was difficult for the players, it was challenging for the organisers too, including the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) and the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation (QBSF). I think it was a lot of hard work for the Qatar team to organise two back-to-back tournaments. The feedback I have received, everybody is happy about this tournament. All the players have supported. I am happy about how everything has come together, IBSF president Mubarak al-khayarin told Gulf Times yesterday. I am really happy with the way the Qatar federation has put this up together. It is never easy to organise one championship after the other, Advani agreed. Talking about the level of competition, al-khayarin said, Whether you look at the venue, the technical side, the conditions, the equipment, everything has been great. Then there were the high level of the games that the players put up. It has been fantastic. I think the level of this tournament, even in terms of the games and players, is much higher than the last tournament. For QBSF president Mohamed Mubarak al-ramzani, it is still not over with the World Men s 9-Ball Championship, which begins on December 5. It is a lot of work to host three tournaments in such a short span of time. But we are doing it, he said. Asked about the performance of the Qatari players, he said, If I said that I am satisfied, I have to say I would be lying. We have been working for many years. Yes, we have made progress. No doubt about that. But we can make more progress. But in future, God willing, we shall have better results. In the IBSF World Snooker Championships, Qatar s Bashar Abdulmajeed, Ahmed Saif and Ali al-obaidli made it to the knockouts, with Bashar reaching the last 32 stage. WTCC Richard gets second chance to shine Qatar beach handball team in the US The Qatar and US beach handball team pose after a joint training session in California, US. The Qataris are gearing up for next year s World Championship in Kazan, Russia, with a joint camp with the US national team. Qatar are ranked third in the world in beach handball. They played several friendly matches in California and will return to Qatar early in December. Qatar finished third at last year s World Championship held in Budapest. They are also the Asian champions. Kris Richard has been rewarded for his impressive FIA World Touring Car Championship debut in Japan last month by earning a call-up for the season-closing WTCC Race of Qatar this week. Richard, whose outing in Japan was his prize for winning the 2016 FIA European Touring Car Cup, placed P14 and P12 in the two rain-hit races at Twin Ring Motegi, scoring WTCC Trophy points on each occasion. For the night racing spectacular at the Losail International Circuit to be held this Thursday and Friday, the 23-year-old Swiss will make his second appearance for Campos Racing in place of Esteban Guerrieri, who continues as Tiago Monteiro s stand-in at Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team. I m really happy to get this opportunity again, said Richard. It s good for promoting myself but of course it s good for the experience and I really hope I can drive a TC1 World Touring Car in dry conditions to really try to prove what I can do. I know where the buttons are and I know how the car works and this helps the confidence, especially after Japan. Of his target for Qatar, Richard said: The first goal is to get into Q2, the second to catch Tom Coronel because he has the same car as me and he s a very experienced driver. After this I want to show some good skills, some good manoeuvres and have some nice fights. Of course I have to be realistic but a top 10 would be perfect for me. I know it will be difficult but if we can bring everything together I am optimistic I can do something. As well as the expertise of the Campos Racing team, which has a proven track record of guiding young drivers during their early WTCC forays, Richard s father Andi will provide additional onsite support as the younger Richard gets his first taste of racing at night. I ve looked at some onboards several times and the first impression is I like this track, said Richard. Racing at night will be a new experience but I ve seen from the footage the floodlights mean it s close to being like daylight. Francois Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCC promoter, said: Kris did a good job in Japan with very little experience so it will be interesting to see how he can build on that experience.