Author

Al Duhail midfielder Ali Afif has urged his teammates to put the AFC Champions League loss behind them and focus on winning the Sheikh Jassim Cup against Al Sadd Saturday. Qatar football’s season-opening contest between the two domestic giants has added an extra spice to the encounter, which kicks off at 7:15pm at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, after Sadd beat their perennial rivals to progress into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday. The two teams are expected to battle it out for the QNB Stars League this season, which begins this Wednesday. But before that, they would be keen to lay their hands on the Sheikh Jassim Cup. Undoubtedly, Sadd will go into the contest at their home ground as clear favourites but Duhail can spring a surprise as they did in the Amir Cup final in May. While Duhail will be hamstrung by the absence of key players – defender Mehdi Benatia and forward Almoez Ali, Sadd too will miss the services of Baghdad Bounedjah, Hamed Ismail and Tarek Salman, who are under suspension after being sent off in the Amir Cup final. Sadd still look stronger on paper, with Ali Afif’s younger brother Akram in prolific form, while South Korea playmaker Nam Tae-hee, who swapped Duhail for Sadd over the summer, running the show in the midfield. The Qatar league champions also look well settled under new coach Xavi, who announced his retirement over the summer and is leading the Wolves now from the dugout. Ali Afif asserted that Duhail will go into the match determined to win the title. “Al Duhail players always have the ambition to win matches and titles. So it is a very important match for us and we are seeking nothing less than a victory, because it will also boost our morale for the season ahead,” the 31-year-old said. “The loss against Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League is not the end for us. It will not affect our desire to win the matches for the club. One loss does not make us a bad team. We learn from our mistakes. We have young players in squad, who are talented and ambitious and want to do well for the club this season,” the Qatar international added. Rui Faria’s men made two major changes to their squad over the summer with Youssef El Arabi and Shoya Nakajima bidding adieu to the club, which has hampered their start to the season. Now it’s up to skipper Youssef Msakni, who returned after a short loan spell at KAS Eupen, to lead the charge along with impressive Edmilson Junior, who is sure to dominate the goal-scoring charts the season. Faria can also call upon Iraqi prodigy Mohanad Ali, who arrived from Al Shorta this summer. Ali Afif hopes to play a key role in Saturday’s match but emphasised the role of all the 11 players against a strong Sadd side. “All the 11 players will have to work hard for the team. I hope we can play as a team and present a good level against Sadd. When we start the match, you will see that we have forgotten our loss in the AFC Champions League,” he said. Meanwhile, Al Sadd midfielder Ahmed Sayyar believes that his side is fully prepared to get another victory over Al Duhail. Speaking to the media at the pre-match press conference, Ahmed said: “It will be a tough game for both sides. Our team is ready, mentally and physically, for this game, particularly after we qualified for the next stage of the AFC Champions League.” He added: “The Sheikh Jassim Cup title could be a good start for the team at the beginning of the season, and we are ready for it. We’ve had a positive phase recently, especially during the pre-season. The victory in the Champions League fixture will be a real boost for us, as we look to put more wins on board.” The Sheikh Jassim Cup, launched in 1977, over the years, has been played in the month of August and sets things in motion for an exciting season. The tournament is a one-off match between the winners of the QNB Star League (QSL) and Amir Cup. Al Rayyan won the previous edition of the tournament after beating Al Duhail 6-4. Al Sadd have the most impeccable record in the tournament with 14 trophies.

Misbah-ul-Haq still carries a calm demeanour off the field, just like he did during his playing days. It’s been two years since Pakistan’s most successful Test captain retired from cricket at the age of 43, and Misbah still continues to lead by example. His leadership skills helped lift Pakistan from the depths of the spot-fixing saga in England in 2010. Now, in what he calls his second and most important innings, Misbah is on a much bigger mission. Misbah has joined hands with Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) to establish Pakistan’s first hospital dedicated to congenital heart defects (CHD) among children. Despite his busy schedule these days, the former middle-order batsman, who played 75 Tests and 162 one-day internationals for Pakistan, still follows cricket like he did growing up in Mianwali. On a recent visit to Doha to raise awareness for the hospital, Misbah, like any cricket connoisseur was excited about the ongoing World Cup, which began in England last Thursday. In this freewheeling interview, Misbah gave his predictions on which four teams will make it to the semis. He also spoke about Pakistan’s chances, on why he considers India’s Virat Kohli as the best batsman and his opinion about single league format for the World Cup. Excerpts: Which are the four teams you think will reach the semi-finals at the World Cup, and who you consider as the favourite to win the title? For me, the three teams to qualify for the semis are England, India, Australia. The fourth team? I don’t know honestly. It could be any team because there is not much difference between them. England have been tipped to end their World Cup drought this time. What makes them favourites this time? I feel the most important thing for England is the way they are playing in home conditions. In the last two years they have beaten every opposition at home. The quality they have in their batting line up makes a huge difference to their favourite status. They have top class batsmen in their side and also they have players till No. 11, who can contribute with the bat. Then there is Jos Buttler who can finish off games for them. Previously, they have struggled to play against spin, but now they have players who can handle the spin bowling. They also have good spin bowlers. Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have done well for them recently and that adds a lot to their bowling. Now they also have (Jofra) Archer and Mark Wood back in the team, and with (Liam) Plunkett and (Chris) Woakes the way they have been bowling, I consider England as the favourites to win at home. Having said that, there is an another factor called pressure. And it will be interesting to see how England handle the pressure. The pressure of not winning the World Cup is big enough, so when you reach the semis and final, you have to cope with the pressure factor and if England can successfully do that, they will be worthy winners. What to do you make of India’s chances? India are my second favourites to win the title. They too are a powerful team, considering their recent performances and strength in batting and bowling. I don’t think India ever had such a rich bowling resources in the past, especially in seam bowling. They have No. 1 bowler in the world in Jasprit Bumrah and they have Bhuvneshwar (Kumar), who can swing the ball with new ball and he can bowl yorkers too in the death overs. Mohamed Shami is also there and is a different kind of seam bowler. Then they have wrist spinners Kuldeep (Yadav) and Yuzvendra (Chahal), who are attacking and wicket-taking spinners. There is some sort of mystery too in their spin attack. I think they have a balanced team and they know how to win the big tournaments and play in knockout matches. That will be an added advantage for India. Australia have found the form at the right time, having won their last nine matches, including the opener against Afghanistan. Do you think they can spoil England’s home party? My third favourite is Australia, who are always a force when it comes to World Cup. When a team has won five World Cups before and they have players who have experienced that triumph, it makes them one of the contenders. David Warner and Steve Smith are back for Australia and they both are dangerous players. Australia’s confidence is also high, having recently won the series in India and in the UAE against Pakistan. When it comes to handling the pressure in big events, I think they are the best. Pakistan lost to West Indies badly in their opening match. Do you think they can bounce back? Pakistan are mentally very down this time. They need a little bit of spark, the kind they had when they won the Champions Trophy in England in 2017. They started off badly, but after winning one match everything clicked for them and their confidence level and efficiency went up. So I feel they have to do well in the first three matches, otherwise it’s going to be very difficult for them to reach the semis. I think Pakistan came second to England by a small margin and because of their own mistakes. They missed simplest of chances while fielding, which I think is not acceptable even at Under-13 level. Pakistan’s bowling has always been good, but it’s the batsmen who have done well recently. If we can improve our bowling and fielding, then I think Pakistan has a good chance of making it to the semis. There has been much debate over the single league format at the World Cup, with only ten teams playing tournament. What do you make of it? I personally like this format, because it allows a good team to make it to the last four. Otherwise if there is a first round and then you have to come to the Super Eight, it’s always difficult if a team loses couple of matches and suddenly the top team is out of the tournament. And you don’t want that. I think it’s the best possible format and I always liked it. In the single league system, a team plays against all the other teams, and only four best qualify for the semis. It minimises the chance of a fluke, and only the best and most consistent team can win the tournament. India’s Virat Kohli has been the stand out batsman in the last few years. What do you attribute his success to? You can see how passionate Kohli is about the game, and that is why he works so hard on his game, skills and his fitness. When he is on the ground, he is competitive because he is passionate, the hunger is there and he wants to win every time. That passion gives him everything; that is why he is disciplined and more hard-working. He wants to be there till the last ball is bowled and wants to score big in every game. After scoring so many runs and centuries, he still has the hunger and passion for the game and wants to do better than last time. That’s the difference between him and others. Do you think Kohli is a product of fierce competition in Indian cricket? It varies from individual to individual. Some individuals are naturally different from others and their upbringing also plays a role in it. I think that fighting spirit is helping him. He always sets higher standards for himself in every series. Another component for Kohli playing well is because his basics are very strong, which is very important. If you look at his game, he just trusts his technique and plays normal cricketing shots even while playing T20. His consistency is far better than other batsmen. Other example of that is Pakistan’s Babar Azam. In all three formats the way he is performing, Babar is like Kohli technically, very sound and always wants to score runs.

Al Duhail staged a remarkable fightback to record a stunning 4-1 win over Al Sadd to defend their Amir Cup title last night. The star of the show was Edmilson, the Duhail winger lighting up the newly-built Al Janoub Stadium with two superb goals and setting up another, to announce his arrival on the big stage. After a 15-minute short, but dazzling opening ceremony, which depicted Al Wakrah’s heritage, the 2022 World Cup venue was renamed as Al Janoub by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The 38,678 crowd that packed the stadium then witnessed one of the feisty encounters in the history of Amir Cup. Al Sadd, gunning for a domestic double after winning the QNB Stars League last month, lost the plot completely after having taken the lead in just the sixth minute. By the end of the 90 minutes, three Al Sadd players - Tarik Salman, Hamad Ismail and Baghdad Bounedjah - were sent off on a forgettable night for Jesualdo Ferreira’s men. Duhail had to deal with their own disciplinary issues after some sloppy defending saw them trailing by a goal, before Qatar’s Asian Cup hero Almoez Ali was given the marching orders after two clumsy fouls led to red card in the 26th minute. Losing Almoez so early in the match could have easily led Duhail to defensive tactics, but Rui Faria’s men seemed rejuvenated without their key player. It was Al Sadd, the pre-match favourites, who started the match on front foot, pushing the Duhail defence deep. And the opening goal didn’t take long to come. Spanish legend midfield Xavi Hernandez, playing his last game of his glittering career, found Hassan al-Haydous on the right wing who then crossed the ball to Gabi. The Spaniard then just tapped the ball into Akram Afif, who had all the time in the world to shoot the ball into the net. Duhail did not take long time to respond. Edmilson proved a handful for the Al Sadd defenders, with the Belgian-born Brazilian shooting wide from a promising position. However, Duhail found the equaliser in the 16th minute through Ali Afif, the elder brother of Sadd forward, Akram. Ali slipped the ball past the Duhail players before it hit Bounedjah and landed in front of Almoez, who passed into Ali as the latter finished expertly to finish a move he had started. Duhail had the momentum then but Almoez’s red card put Al Sadd in the driving seat. But they couldn’t capitalise on the half-chances with their top-scorer Bounedjah off-colour on the night. Miguel Pedro came closest before half time but the Al Sadd defender’s shot flew past Amin Lecomte as teams went into break locked at 1-1. At resumption, Faria brought in his main weapon Youssef El Arabi for Assim Madibo after the Moroccan striker started from the bench with a hamstring niggle. And El Arabi played a crucial role along with Edmilson to lead Duhail to the title. The match’s turning point came in the 55th minute when El Arabi played a through ball to Edmilson, who was goal bound before being brought down by Tarik Salman at the edge of the box. Referee Abdulrahman al-Jassim showed a straight red to Salman, as Duhail players went in for the kill. Three minutes later, Duhail took lead the after Edmilson received a pass from Ali Afif and beat goalkeeper Saad al-Dosari. In the 62nd minute, El Arabi increased the lead with a neat finish before Edmilson piled on the misery for Al Sadd with another clinical goal. Al Sadd went all out for a comeback but were thwarted by Duhail’s solid defence. In the end frustration got the better of Sadd players. While substitute Hamid Ismail received two yellow cards in a short span, Bounedjah was shown a straight card after pushing Ahmed Yasser. While Ismail and Bounedjah went for the exit, Al Duhail players celebrated a famous triumph in the first match ever held at the Al Janoub Stadium. It was their first trophy under Faria, who took over in January from Nabil Maaloul. They also banished their disappointment of finishing second behind Al Sadd in the league and had also lost to Al Rayyan on penalties in the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup last August. The star of the day, Edmilson, was thrilled with the victory. “It was great to score against Al Sadd in the final. It was an amazing experience playing in a new stadium. I thank all my colleagues and coach for the victory,” the 24-year-old said. Ali Afif, who also had a terrific game, said: “We put out our best performance of the event in the final. The match was great. They also played well but we stuck to our guns and dominated the match. We were united on the pitch. We hope we can play even better when the next season starts. I applaud our team management for taking care of all the needs of the players.”

There is no bigger occasion than the Amir Cup football final in Qatar’s sporting calendar. But what makes the marquee clash of the tournament’s 47th edition somewhat unique is the involvement of various sub plots, each seemingly bigger than the other, depending on one’s point of view. The final will see one of the best midfielders to have graced the football field, former Barcelona and Spain great Xavi Hernandez, bid adieu to the game as the Al Sadd captain looks for one final hurrah as a player in Qatar. Al Sadd manager Jesualdo Ferreira, too, has announced he will leave Wolves after three years in charge, while Rui Faria is gunning for his first trophy as Al Duhail coach. For most in Qatar, though, the unveiling of the Al Wakrah stadium, the second venue to be completed for the 2022 World Cup and first to be built from scratch, will come first in their scheme of things. The final will kick off at 10:30pm but before that a 40,000 capacity crowd will witness an opening ceremony befitting the occasion, which is scheduled for 9:15pm.  The match itself should be electrifying. Al Sadd ended Al Duhail’s two-year dominance when they won the QNB Stars League title this season. It was Sadd’s first under Ferreira’s charge as they have played like a well-oiled machine in the season, making them favourites for the Amir Cup title. Having said that, defending champions Duhail will be seeking to end the season with a trophy of their own.While they finished seven points behind Al Sadd in the league, they also lost to Al Rayyan on penalties in the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup last August. The two times Al Sadd and Al Duhail have come face-to-face in the league this season, Ferreira’s men won the first leg 3-1 while in the second Duhail were heartbroken when an own goal by substitute Murad Naji at the stroke of final whistle helped Sadd draw the encounter 2-2. While the two are head and shoulders above rest of the teams in Qatar, there is not much to separate between them when they take on each other, which makes today’s contest an intriguing one. Ferreira said there are no clear favourites in today’s final. “Al Duhail are the defending champions and it is going to be a tough and intense game between the two sides,” the 72-year-old said. “The players are the most important part of the game. They are the ones who will be champions. They need to work as hard as possible to win the title. There is no clear favourite in this game, which is a knockout game with just 90 minutes, and not a number of matches. It will be a different game and an exciting final,” he added. The Portuguese coach hoped his players would give him and Xavi a triumphant farewell. “I’m very happy that we are taking part in the final. I hope we would do the same what we did before last year (Sadd beat Al Rayyan to win the title in 2017). We are here to win the title. “We know the importance of this trophy in this country and we know how much importance the media, the citizens and residents give to this tournament. This final will be an illustrious place in the careers of the coaching staff, the officials and medical staff as well. It will be an honour for us if we win the trophy,” he said. For Faria, who replaced Nabil Maaloul in January, this will be the biggest match of his career. The 43-year-old spent much of his career as assistant to Jose Mourinho, proving a valuable member to his fellow Portuguese’s coaching staff at Europe’s biggest clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. But having decided to go solo last year, it will be a test of Faria’s credentials in a high-pressure match. Despite a slow start, Faria has been able to rally his team. While they could only finish second in the league, Duhail have entered the AFC Champions League knockout stage and cruised past Al Sailiya in the Amir Cup semi-finals. “We know the importance of the match. Al Sadd are an organised team with an experienced coach. But we are ready. We have paid a lot of attention to the details and we have trained well for the match and we hope it will end in a good way,” Faria said yesterday. “It will be an opportunity for me to win my first title which hopefully would be the first of many. It will mean a lot to win at a World Cup stadium. We have improved a lot recently and the team is getting stronger. We have faced strong teams and are ready to take on Sadd, who are a very good team,” he said.

Sixteen-year-old Li Qi announced herself onto the world stage after the highly-rated Chinese won the Balance Beam gold at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup yesterday. Li Qi lit the Aspire Dome on the final day of the competition with a top class routine to beat Belgium star Nina Derwael for her maiden victory at the World Cup. The teenager made some wonderful connections, blending the really hard acrobatics with some beautiful jumps to finish with 14.333 points. Derwael, who was going for her second gold after winning the Uneven Bars on Friday, finished behind Li Qi. The Belgian, who will celebrate her 19th birthday on Tuesday, finished with a 13.633 on the Beam. Marine Boyer had to settle for bronze after the Frenchwoman had a few hobbles to earn 13.333 points. Boyer took over the top spot in the Olympic qualification rankings with 59 points, while Li Qi moved to third and Derwael to fifth. Li Qi, who flashed a victory sign as she walked to receive her medal, said she was anxious before the start of the final. “I was very nervous before the final, competing against the best gymnasts,” Li Qi said. “It’s my first gold medal in World Cup and I am very happy to achieve that. We have a tough competition in China and this win will give me a lot of confidence,” she added. Derwael, despite missing her second gold, was satisfied with her overall performance in Doha. “Li Qi was better and I am not surprised with her victory. Overall, I am happy. Coming to Doha always gives me a high as I have achieved a lot here. My next targets this year will be the European and the World Championships,” said the Belgian. Jade Carey, meanwhile, completed a brace of gold medals in two weeks. The American arrived in Doha having won both Floor Exercise and Vault gold at the Baku World Cup. The 18-year-old up followed up Friday’s gold medal in Vault, with a second gold medal on the Floor, scoring a 14.466. After qualifying for the final in first place, Carey nailed her tumbling passes, and was equally good in her dance sequences. She beat Italy’s Lara Mori by more than one point, with Mori scoring 13.433 to take silver. Italy’s Vanessa Ferrari was third with a score of 13.300. Carey now sits atop the World Cup rankings in both Vault and Floor Exercise as well. The top-ranking gymnasts on each apparatus at the conclusion of the world cup series will earn a spot at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Doha marks the halfway point of the eight-competition series, which also concludes in the Qatari capital in March 2020. “(It) feels pretty good. I think this week went pretty well,” said a modest Carey. “There definitely was some pressure (in the Floor final) since we all competed together last week so I knew it was going to be a good competition here in Doha as well. I was just focused on not getting nervous,” added the gymnast from Phoenix. In the men’s Horizontal Bar, the three-time and reigning world champion Epke Zonderland finished a disappointing seventh, with 2017 World gold medallist Tin Srbic of Croatia taking the top honours. With all eyes on him, Zonderland fumbled in his first series of flight elements and came off the bar too early. The Dutch was aiming for his third World Cup gold in the series, after having won earlier in Cottbus, Germany and Baku, Azerbaijan. “My first release was itself a mistake because I was too close to the bar and then the second was that you have to throw yourself over the bar and again I was too close thereby I couldn’t hold on to the bar properly and I fell down. I made a technical mistake and it’s highly disappointing,” a dejected Zonderland said later. Srbic, who was first in the qualifications, edged Japan’s Hidetaka Miyachi for gold by 0.100. The 22-year-old made a full twisting double layout dismount to notch 14.400 points. Miyachi with 14.300 finished second ahead of Cuba’s Randy Leru (14.000). “I am really excited and happy because it’s always hard to go last in the finals. I always like to be in Doha, I won here last year and was second the year before. I love competing here and really wanted to win again. I am glad I could do that,” said Srbic. “I did a harder routine than the one I did in the qualifications. But I can do even harder, so I have to train a bit more and compete to get better. There is still a room to improve,” he added. Meanwhile, Jingyuan Zou clinched victory in Parallel Bars, making China the most successful nation at the Doha event with three gold medals. Russia’s Vladislav Poliashov (15.066) and Australia’s Mitchell Morgans (14.566) took silver and bronze medals respectively.  In the Vault final, South Korea’s Hakseon Yang emerged as the winner with a score of 15.266 followed by Ukraine’s Igor Radivilov (14.916) and Armenia’s Artur Davityan (14.695). The four-day event, which the Qatar Gymnastics Federation hosted for the 12th consecutive year, witnessed a total of 128 male and 60 female gymnasts from 57 countries in action. FINALS RESULTS Men’s Horizontal Bar 1. Tin Srbic (CRO) 14.400 2. Hidetaka Miyachi (JPN) 14.300 3. Randy Leru (CUB) 14.000 Men’s Vault 1. Hakseon Yang (KOR)  15.266 2. Igor Radivilov (UKR)  14.916 3. Artur Davityan (ARM)  14.695 Men’s Parallel Bars 1. Jingyuan Zou (CHN)  15.700 2 .Vladislav Poliashov (RUS) 15.066         3. Mitchell Morgans (AUS)  14.566            Women’s Balance Beam 1. Li Qi (CHN)  14.333 2. Nina Derwael (BEL)  13.633 3. Marine Boyer (FRA)  13.333 Women’s Floor Exercise 1. Jade Carey (USA)  14.466 2. Lara Mori (ITA)  13.433 3. Vanessa Ferrari (ITA)  13.000

Nina Derwael, competing in her first event since becoming a world champion in Doha last October, made a winning return as the Belgian won gold at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup. Yesterday at the Aspire Dome, the venue of her world title, Derwael was in sublime form as she cruised to an easy win. The two-time European champion stuck to her routine which has given her success in the last two years.  Derwael, who will turn 19 on Tuesday, began with a full twisting double tuck and finished with a twist high above the bar for 15.033 points, the same score she achieved in the qualifying on Wednesday. The 2017 world champion Fan Yilin (14.933) took silver ahead of Russian Anastasiia Iliankova (14.700).  Derwael was pleased with her gold medal finish and admitted she did not have an ideal preparation as she was recovering from a broken finger. “I did not have an ideal preparation for the competition but I am very happy that I pulled it off. I had some little injuries that prevented me from doing other competitions. But now I am really happy to be back on the podium. I wasn’t really anxious; I was comfortable out there and I knew I could do it. I just did what I usually do in training,” she said. “I am really happy to be back here, I have won gold thrice now in Doha. I am going to prepare for the European championship now. I am very excited about Tokyo Olympics. The Belgium team still needs to qualify as a team so we are going to try and do that at the World Championship in Stuttgart this year,” added Derwael, who will be in action in the Balance Beam finals today.  Meanwhile, Jade Carey continued her rich vein of form as the American won the Vault gold. Carey, who had clinched both Vault and Floor gold at the Baku World Cup last week, put on a strong show once again. The 18-year-old controlled her landing perfectly to top score with 14.833 points, ahead of Russian Maria Paseka (14.766) and Frenchwoman Coline Devillard (14.549). Yesterday’s win boosted Carey’s World Cup series ranking points to 85, putting her first in the Vault race for Olympics qualifications. The 43-year-old Oksana Chusovitina finished fifth with 13.866 points. The Uzbek, who has competed in seven Olympic Games, is gunning for her eighth appearance as she looks to book her place at the 2020 Tokyo Games. World bronze medallist Lee Chih-Kai overcame nerves to flair his way to win the Pommel Horse. The Chinese Taipei gymnast beat 2013 world champion Kohei Kameyama of Japan to gold, after both had finished on same score of 15.400.  Chih-Kai was given the gold thanks to his superior difficulty scores. Kameyama’s compatriot Imabayashi took bronze after tallying 5.333. China’s Zou Jingyuan missed out on a medal after he missed his hand placement and came off early on. He also tumbled for a second time to finish seventh 12.866. In the men’s Floor Exercise, veteran Israeli gymnast Alexander Shatilov sprung a surprise by winning the gold medal. In a strong field which consisted of world championship bronze medallist Carlos Yulo and all-round silver medallist Xiao Ruoteng, Shatilov made it a memorable 32nd birthday with a superb show as he tallied 14.633 points. Rayderley Zapata of Spain was also a surprise runner-up with 14.433, finishing ahead of Filipino teenager Yulo, who had topped the qualifications but had to settle bronze medal after scoring 14.266 points. Ruoteng finished a disappointing sixth with a 13.166. RESULTS Men’s Pommel Horse  1. Lee Chih-Kai (TPE) 15.400 2. Kohei Kameyama (JPN) 15.400 3. Kaito Imabayashi (JPN) 15.333 Men’s Floor Exercise 1. Alexander Shatilov (ISR) 14.633 2. Rayderley Zapata (ESP) 14.433 3. Carlos Edriel Yulo (PHI) 14.266  Men’s Still Rings Final 1. Lan Xingyu (CHN) 15.100 2. Artur Tovmasyan (ARM) 14.833 3. Vahagn Davtyan (ARM) 14.825 Women’s Uneven Bars  1. Nina Derwael (BEL) 15.033 2. Fan Yilin (CHN) 14.933 3. Anastasiia Iliankova (RUS) 14.700 Women’s Vault  1. Jade Carey (USA) 14.883 2. Maria Paseka (RUS) 14.766 3. Coline Devillard (FRA) 14.549

Tin Srbic topped the Horizontal Bar qualifications at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup at the Aspire Dome yesterday, but the Croat knew it wouldn’t be easier for him in the final. For the difference between the 2017 world champion Srbic and Italian Carlo Macchini, who qualified eighth and last for tomorrow’s final, was a mere 0.333 points. Such was the quality of competition on display on Horizontal Bar, that any of the top eight could have topped the qualifying. “It is fascinating that from 1st to 8th place the difference of score was just 0.333. So the final will be even more difficult,” said a beaming Srbic, after tallying a score of 14.333. The 22-year-old, however, was confident he will be standing on top of the podium after the final. “I will be going all out in the final and will start with a difficulty score of 6.2. I’ve been training a lot and I am really happy I could put that to use in qualifications and come on top,” he added. Kazakhstan’s Miada Karim (14.300) was second followed by Russia’s Alexey Rostova (14.133). Surprisingly, the reigning world champion Epke Zonderland was fourth after his routine fetched him 14.100. But the Dutchman will no doubt look to make amends in the final. Zonderland, who won his third world title at the Doha World Championship in October, is in touching distance of qualifying for the Olympics. The 2012 London Olympic gold medallist will just need a podium finish to seal his place at the 2020 Tokyo Games. A gymnast, if he or she wins three of the eight World Cup series, qualifies for the Olympics. And Zonderland has already won two events in Cottbus, at the end of last year and last week in Baku, and if he reigns supreme again in Doha, he would have already punched his ticket to Tokyo. The ‘flying Dutchman’ was happy to be competing again in Doha. “It is good to be back in Doha,” Zonderland said. “I have a lot of good memories of competing in this arena not only from the World Championships, but also in World Cup events as well. The event’s organisation very well here and as an athlete you know you can perform well, when the organisation is perfect. I always look forward to coming here,” the 32-year-old said. Zonderland, however, failed to make the final on Parallel Bars, with Zou Jingyuan topping the qualifications. The Chinese gymnast appeared very strong on the Bars as he scored 15.866 with a routine which had a difficulty score of 6.6. Vietnam’s Phuong Thanh Dinh (14.733) was second followed by Turkey’s Ferhat Arican (14.633). The race for first place on Vault is going to be intense with Ukrainian Igor Radilov (14.916) edging past Korean Hakseon Yang (14.900) to the second spot in the qualifiers. Meanwhile, Nina Derwael made it to her second final of the World Cup, as the Belgian topped the Balance Beam qualifications. Today, the 18-year-old will compete in the final of the Uneven Bars, in which she had won the world title in Doha last year. Derwael scored 13.566 on Beam ahead of France’s Marine Boyer (13.366) and China’s (13.300) American Jade Carey also made it to her second final yesterday. After sealing a place Vault final on Day One, Carey was unbeatable on the Floor too as she tallied a score of 14.000. Carey is in good form having won gold medals in both Vault and Floor at the Baku World Cup last week. Today, the first medals will be awarded with finals scheduled for men’s Floor, Pommel Horse and Still Rings, while women will compete on Vault and Uneven Bars. Meanwhile, African Gymnastics Federation president Ali Zaatar was all praise for the excellent organisation by the hosts, Qatar Gymnastics Federation, and the participation of athletes from the African region. Qatar has been hosting the event for the last 12 years and Zaatar said there is no point talking about the standards of the meet in Doha for it is obviously world class. He was also happy that the championship provides a great chance for Arab and African gymnasts to participate and gain experience. “Even if the difference in class of performance is stark between the world stars and those aiming to match them, the common platform provides a chance to excel and learn and compete,” said Zaatar, while speaking to the media on the second day of the four-day World Cup. “There are African countries that are interested in gymnastics such as Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa and Nigeria, but ultimately the African Federation is trying to develop gymnastics despite the hardships,” he added. Results Men’s Qualifications Vault: 1. Igor Radivilov (UKR) 14.916 pts; 2. Hakseon Yang (KOR) 14.900; 3. Artur Davtyan (ARM)  14.849;  4. Jorge Vega Lopez (GUA) 14.762; 5. Christopher Remkes (AUS) 14.699; 6. Marian Dragulescu (ROU) 14.616; 7. Wei-Sheng Tseng (TPE) 14.599; 8. Giarnni Regini-Moran (GBR) 14.599. Parallel Bars: 1. Jingyuan Zou (CHN) D-Score 6.6; Total Points: 15.866; 2. Phuong Thanh Dinh (VIE) 6.2; 14.733; 3. Ferhat Arican (TUR) 6.3; 14.633; 4. Andrey Likhovitskiy (BLR) 5.5; 14.600; 5. Vladislav Poliashov (RUS) 6.3; 14.500; 6. Mitchell Morgans (AUS) 6.0; 14.333; 7. Vasili Mikhalitsyn (BLR) 5.4; 14.233; 8. Matteo Levantesi (ITA) 5.9; 14.233. Horizontal Bar: 1. Tin Srbic (CRO) D-Score: 5.9; Total Points: 14.333; 2. Milad Karimi (KAZ) 6.2; 14.300; 3. Alexey Rostov (RUS) 6.0; 14.133; 4. Epke Zonderland (NED) 6.1; 14.100; 5. Shudi Deng (CHN) 6.3; 14.100; 6. Hidetaka Miyahi (JPN) 5.9; 14.066; 7.  Randy Leru (CUB) 6.2; 14.033; 8. Carlo Macchini (ITA) 5.7; 14.000. Women’s Qualifications Balance Beam: 1. Nina Derwael (BEL) D-Score: 5.3; Total Points: 13.566; 2. Marine Boyer (FRA) 5.7; 13.366; 3. Qi Li (CHN) 5.7; 13.300; 4. Yumika Nakamura (JPN) 5.0; 12.900; 5. Hua-Tien Ting (TPE)     5.3; 12.800; 6. Adela Sajn (SLO) 4.9; 12.766; 7. Soyoka Hanawa (JPN) 5.9; 12.700; 8. Aneta Holasova (CZE) 5.1; 12.666. Floor: 1. Jade Carey (USA) D-Score: 5.9; Total Points:14.000; 2. Marine Boyer (FRA) 5.0;  13.200; 3. Kim Bui (GER) 5.2; 13.200; 4. Lara Mori (ITA) 5.3; 13.166; 5. Varvara Zubova (RUS) 5.1; 13.066; 6. Marta Pihan-Kulesza (POL) 5.2; 13.033; 7. Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) 5.3; 13.033; 8. Coline Devillard (FRA) 4.8; 12.833.

Returning to the Aspire Dome, where she became the Uneven Bars world champion last October, Nina Derwael was a bundle of nerves as she began her routine at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup yesterday.  After her historic feat at the Doha World Championships, the Belgian gymnast went on a four-month break as she basked in all the adulation she richly deserved in her home country.  What followed was countless media and promotional appearances for Derwael, which also meant she spent less time on the Uneven Bars.  Even as many of her compatriots started preparing for the 2020 Olympics by taking part in the World Cup series, which is serving as the qualification route for the Tokyo Games, Derwael was still coming to terms with being the world champion. The start to her 2019 season was pushed back even further as she suffered a broken finger.  So naturally, participating in her first competitive event of the year would have made her nervous and rusty. But Derwael allayed any such fears as the 18-year-old put in an exemplary routine to qualify for tomorrow’s final at the Doha leg of the World Cup at Aspire yesterday. The lanky Belgian, in fact, topped the qualifications by scoring 15.033. Starting her routine with a 6.5 difficulty score, Derwael went for a full twisting double tuck and then finished with a twist high above the bar.  Her French coach Marjorie Heuls believes Derwael is yet to hit the top form and that doesn’t augur well for her rivals. Ahead of the World Cup, Derwael had said she was relieved to compete again. “It took a while before I could understand what I had accomplished. In fact, even now I still find it strange that I am a world champion. At the training I was not my hundred percent. Then I became a little frustrated with myself,” Derwael said. “A few things could be better, but luckily I never lost the pleasure in my training. I still know what I’m training so hard for. And I am happy that I can finally take part in a competition again,” she added. China’s Yilin Fan was second with a score of 14.900, just a little over a tenth back off Derwael. Anastasia Iliankova qualified third with the Russian tallying 14.633. Meanwhile, Filipino teenager Carlos Yulo also displayed a dominating performance at the Aspire, where he had won his country’s first world championship medal – a bronze in the Floor exercise.  The 19-year-old has already won a bronze and gold in the first two events of the World Cup series, in Cottbus, Germnay and Melbourne. Yesterday, Yulo topped the Men’s Floor Exercise with a total score of 14.600 to finish ahead of Chinese star Xiao Ruoteng (14.533 points). Belgium’s Vrolix Jonathan was third with 14.500 points. Qatar’s Ahmed Mosa, who also featured in the event, claimed a respectable tally of 11.133.  Qatari youngster Raslen Saoud, 17, also made an impressive World Cup debut after earning 11.666 points in Pommel Horse, finishing ahead of his senior teammate Ahmed al-Dayani, who secured 11.600 points. The duo failed to qualify for the final but both were satisfied with their performances.  “I have gained a lot of valuable experience and I am happy with my performance. This event will give me a great deal of confidence in the future as I am looking forward to continue performing for Qatar,” Saoud said.  The qualification rounds will continue today with men vying for finals of Vault, Parallel bars and Horizontal Bars. The female gymnasts will compete in qualification of Balance Beam and Floor finals.       Results Men’s Floor Exercise 1. Carlos Edriel Yulo (PHI) D-Score 6.2; Points: 14.600; 2. Ruoteng Xiao (CHN); 6.2; 14.533; 3. Jonathan Vrolix (BEL) 5.9; 14.500; 5. Ahmet Onder (TUR); 5.9; 14.233; 6. Rayderley Zapata (ESP) 6.1; 14.200; 7. Christopher Remkes (AUS); 6.3; 14.133; 8. Emil Soravuo (FIN) 5.5; 14.100; 9. Marian Dragulescu (ROU); 6.2; 14.066; 10. Jorge Vega Lopez (GUA) 5.9; 14.033. Men’s Pommel Horse 1. Chih Kai Lee (TPE) 6.2; 15.166; 2. Harutyun Merdinyan (ARM) 6.3; 14.966; 3. Kohei Kameyama (JPN) 6.2; 14.916; 4. Kaito Imabayashi (JPN) 6.3; 14.900; 5.   Saeedreza Keikha (IRI) 6.1; 14.683; 6. Jingyuan Zou (CHN) 6.0; 14.558; 7. Filip Ude (CRO) 5.9; 14.533; 8. Stephen Nedoroscik (USA) 6.1; 14.483; 9. Robert Seligman (CRO) 5.8; 14.466; 10. Cyril Tommasone (FRA) 6.2; 14.466. Men’s Still Rings 1. Xingyu Lan (CHN) 6.4; 15.166; 2. Vahagn Davtyan (ARM) 6.1; 14.908; 3. Artur Tovmasyan (ARM) 6.1; 14.866; 4. Marco Lodadio (ITA) 6.3; 14.800; 5. Courtney Tulloch (GBR) 6.4; 14.800; 6. Samir Ait Said (FRA) 6.1; 14.733; 7. Ali Zahran (EGY) 6.2; 14.600; 8. Ibrahim Colak (TUR) 6.2; 14.533; 9. Trevor Howard (USA) 6.1; 14.516; 10. Igor Radivilov (UKR) 6.0; 14.366. Women’s Vault 1. Maria Paeka (RUS) 14.850; 2. Jade Carey (USA) 14.833; 3. Coline Devillard (FRA) 14.633; 4. Alexa Moreno (MEX) 14.449; 5. Marcia Vidiaux (CUB) 14.449; 6. Marina Nekrasova (AZE) 14.216; 7. Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) 14.183; 8. Emily Thomas (GBR) 13.800; 9. Gabriela Janik (POL) 13.733; 10. PaulaMejias (PUR) 13.700. Women’s Uneven Bars 1. Nina Derwael (BEL) 6.5; 15.033; 2. Yilin Fan (CHN) 6.3; 14.900; 3. Anastasiia Iliankova (RUS) 6.3; 14.633; 4. Diana Varinska (UKR)  5.7; 13.966; 5. Kim Bui (GER) 6.0; 13.900; 6.  Jonna Adlerteg (SWE) 6.0; 13.366; 7. Martina Rizzelli (ITA) 5.4; 13.233; 8. Yumika Nakamura (JPN) 5.1; 13.100; 9. Lisa Katharina Hill (GER) 5.4; 12.833; 10. Emily Thomas (GBR) 4.9; 12.700.

With Olympic berths available at the Artistic Gymnastics Individual Apparatus World Cup, the Doha leg of the series will see some high stakes competition. The four-day event, hosted by the Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF) for the 12th consecutive year, will begin today at the Aspire Dome, with first two days reserved for qualifications before two days of finals conclude the action. With 2020 Tokyo Games a little more than a year away, gymnasts are in a race to book their spots through the World Cup series, which will run until March 2020. Points will be awarded according to placement on each individual apparatus and Olympic berths will be distributed based on these totals. Qatar hosted a hugely successful World Championship last October and some of the leading names from that meet will be back to show their pyrotechnics at the World Cup.  A total of 128 male and 60 female gymnasts from 57 countries will be in action with World horizontal bar champion Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands one of the biggest draws.  Unlike other gymnasts, Zonderland will be under less pressure in Doha, with the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist in touching distance of qualifying for the Olympics. A gymnast, if he or she wins three of the eight World Cup series, qualifies for the Olympics. And Zonderland has already won two events in Cottbus, the end of last year and last week at Baku and if he reigns supreme again in Doha this week, he would have already punched his ticket to Tokyo. “After my victory in Cottbus - at the end of last year - and now Baku, my Olympic qualification goal is almost achieved. I also finished second in Melbourne last month. You receive 30 points per win. Out of the maximum number of 90 points, I now have 85 in my pocket. After Baku, the pressure is off me now and that’s nice. I have taken a giant step towards the Tokyo Games,” he said. The Dutch however is not taking his success for granted. “Of course there is always the possibility that someone else gets the same number of points. In that case, the highest score achieved in an apparatus counts so that means that I will go for a high score during the World Cup in Doha. This time I will not compete against my competitors, but for myself. It gives me a good feeling that I can now go for my best exercise,” added Zonderland, who completed his medical training to become a doctor earlier this year.  Other prominent names who have confirmed their participation in Doha includes world champions Xiao Ruoteng and Zou Jingyuan of China. Ruoteng had beaten Great Britain’s defending champion Max Whitlock in the tie-breaker to win the men’s pommel horse gold at the World Championships.  Jingyuan, winner of the men’s parallel bars at the 2017 Worlds and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, is hoping to warm up for the Tokyo Olympics by winning World Cup events along the way.  Romania’s 38-year-old Marian Dragulescu will also be back to compete with a younger generation of athletes. Ferhat Arican, who became the first Turkish male gymnast after 108 years to compete at an Olympics at Rio 2016, will also hope to pick up a medal on parallel bar. Among the women, seven-time Olympian Oksana Chusovitina will return to Doha in pursuit of her eighth appearance at the Games. The 43-year-old Uzbek took silver in Baku to lead the overall rankings after three events.  “I want to qualify for the Olympics and I will try all possible options. Since I don’t have a team, it’s a little bit easier for me to qualify compared to gymnasts from other countries. I can qualify both through the World Championships and the World Cups,” said Chusovitina. If Chusovitina gets to compete in Tokyo, she will become the only athlete in the world to have participated in eight Olympic Games since 1992. Jade Carey will be the in-form gymnast on floor exercise and vault. The American won both the events in Baku and she will look to cap off another good week at Aspire Dome. Known for her incredible skill on the uneven bars, Belgian gymnast Nina Derwael will be showcasing her talent which clinched her gold at the World Championship. Meanwhile, hosts Qatar will field three men’s gymnasts – Ahmed al-Dayani, Ahmed Mosa and Raslan Saoud – in the event. Al-Dayani and Mosa have experience of competing at the World Cup events while Saoud will make his senior debut at his home turf. “We are hoping for a good performance from our athletes as they have trained well for this important competition,” said QGF president Ali al-Hitmi. “Raslan Saoud is a talented gymnast from Aspire and we are happy to see him featuring in his first senior competition. We are thankful to Aspire, which is making huge contribution in promotion of gymnastics in the country,” he added.

It was a déjà vu moment for Andrea Dovizioso. The Ducati rider has had many close tussles with reigning world champion Marc Marquez in the past – including last year’s MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar — and more often than not had the better of the Honda rider. Last night at the Losail International Circuit, Dovizioso once again fended off the challenge of Marquez to win his second successive Qatar GP. The 32-year-old, in a repeat of last year’s thrilling race, crossed the finish line just 0.023s ahead of Marquez in what was a fitting way to start the new season. LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow was gifted the final podium spot by Alex Rins, after the Suzuki rider made a mistake with two laps to go. But the rider of the race was Italian legend Valentino Rossi, who conjured up his Sunday magic again to finish fifth after starting from 14th on the grid. His Yamaha team-mate and pole-sitter Vinales could only manage seventh, behind the second factory Ducati of Danilo Petrucci. For Dovizioso and Honda, it was an unexpected victory after having struggled in the pre-season Qatar testing, where they were at best 14th. Dovizioso, however, had shown the bike had enough pace when he had qualified second behind Vinales for the season-opening race on Saturday. Later he had admitted he ‘didn’t expect’ to claim a front row start and wasn’t considering himself a favourite to win. “I don’t know, it was a strange race. I was managing the rear tyre because everybody was struggling. In the end it was difficult to manage the tyre. I saw Marc in the last lap, struggle a lot with the rear tyre, so it was good for me to understand that and I pushed really hard in the last lap, but Marc never give up, he’s always there — but I was able to answer because I put him really on the limit,” Dovizioso said. Unlike in the qualifying, riders were greeted to less wind and cold conditions in the 22-lap race. Not much separated the riders as 10 bikes were neck-in-neck with five laps to go after Dovizioso had took an early lead. The highly-rated Rins had made the best start, moving up from 10th on the grid, and went out for an early attack on Dovizioso. The pair traded the lead many times before the 23-year-old Rins failed to keep up the pace as Marquez swiftly moved into second. Rins – touted as a future world champion – showed his quality as the Spaniard moved back to second on lap 15, before outbreaking at Turn 1 on lap 20, which spoiled his hopes of a victory. It was then a battle between Dovizioso and Marquez as it brought back memories of the 2018 race. Hoping not to take it to the last lap, Marquez made his move in the penultimate lap and passed his rival at Turn 10 but Dovizioso was quick to swoop in at Turn 11 and take back the lead. On the last lap, Dovizioso had to rebuff another attack from the reigning champion at Turn 10 before Marquez made a desperate lunge at the last corner. But the 26-year-old ran wide which allowed a determined Dovizioso to take the straight line and win by a whisker.  “It was exactly like last year. Exactly the same,” said Marquez, who had started from third place. “I tried to push but here in the circuit when you overtake on the dirty place, you just go wide, was so difficult to keep the line. Anyway I tried, I tried to be there, I tried to push, I tried until the end,” he added. Marquez was content with 20 points, conceding the Losail track is not suited for his Honda bike. “I am very happy, especially because it’s a circuit that we struggle on. This weekend we were struggling a lot with the front tyre. We put on a medium tyre and I wasn’t able to push like I would like in the brake points. But okay, we finish the race, 20 points. One race, that normally we struggle, is less from the calendar,” Marquez said with a smile.

In difficult conditions, Maverick Vinales mastered the Losail International Circuit to take the pole position for the VisitQatar Grand Prix yesterday. The Spaniard put in a blistering lap of 1 minute 53.546 seconds on his Yamaha YZR-M1 on an evening when several riders suffered crashes in cold and windy conditions. But Vinales was untouched on the night, as he dominated the Q2 in qualifying to secure a first pole of the year by almost two-tenths of a second over Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati. Last year’s winner in Qatar, Dovizioso managed to beat reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez on the Honda by just 0.001s. Marquez’s new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo failed to make past the Q1, so did Valentino Rossi, whose struggle on  Yamaha was even more perplexing after Vinales’ stunning show.  In the pre-season testing at the Losail circuit, Vinales had impressed and the 24-year-old continued his strong form. This is Vinales’ second pole in Qatar but only the first time he has topped the qualifying at Losail Circuit.  In 2017, persistent rain meant qualifying was called off and Vinales was handed the pole position then on the basis of practice times, where he was the fastest. He went on to win the rain-delayed and shortened race back then on his debut for Yamaha, and looks good to repeat the feat today. The Spaniard sounded out a warning to his rivals, saying he is at his best ahead of today’s opening race of the season. “I think I’m riding my best in my third season with Yamaha. I always try to work for the race set-up and I felt great after one lap. After setting the fastest time early, I just attacked and gave my best. We are bringing the bike to the limit all the time and that’s really positive,” he said. Vinales, though, was quick to add that Yamaha is far from the best. “We need to improve. In the last corner, we were pretty slow. We have two opponents (Dovizioso and Marquez) who can hit the top seed tomorrow in the race, but we have really good rhythm. And I’m confident we can deliver in the race,” he said.  Jack Miller briefly moved up to second with a 1:53.809s, only to crash at Turn 2 moments later, and the Australian was eclipsed by Ducati stablemate Dovizioso by 0.065s. Miller was then pushed out of the front row as Marquez vaulted up to third at the chequered flag. Dovizioso said he was pleased to start from second place, having come into the opening race of the season with some disappointing pre-season tests. “I’m really happy because we came here before the weekend with not a really good feeling after a strange testing,” the Italian said.   “This weekend we worked really hard and we are improving step by step, practice by practice, small things, but the key was to stay calm. We came into FP4 and in qualifying with a better feeling, and the lap time got better. We are very close to the fastest riders,” the Ducati rider added. Honda’s Marquez blamed it on the conditions for his struggle on the night. “The conditions on the track were not so good, really cold and windy. That is the reason all the riders wanted to start the qualifying and race one hour earlier because it gets very cold.  I had better pace and rhythm in practice, but we will work really hard for the race,” the Spaniard said.  Meanwhile, Rossi will line-up 14th ahead of Lorenzo, who crashed once again, having suffered similar problems in testing. Lorenzo was the first rider in qualifying to go down at Turn 2 during his final run in the opening session, while Rossi continued to struggle for one-lap pace on his Yamaha. Rookie Fabio Quartararo stunned on his MotoGP debut by taking fifth place for new squad Petronas Yamaha ahead of LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow who progressed through Q1 along with team-mate Takaaki Nakagami. Factory Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci, who topped FP4, heads up row three ahead of fellow countryman Franco Morbidelli on the Petronas Yamaha and Nakagami. Meanwhile, Sterilgarda Max Racing’s Aron Canet clinched the first Moto3 pole position of the new season in impressive fashion. The Spaniard was the only man the go beneath the 2:06 barrier, eventually finishing just under two tenths clear of the chasing pack with a 2:05.883. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) and Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) took second and third on the grid to grab debut front row starts for both riders.

Valentino Rossi left everyone in splits on more than one occasion during the press conference ahead of MotoGP’s season-opener in Qatar. Seated next to 19-year-old Fabio Quartararo, Rossi was asked the inevitable question – whether he feels old sitting next to the rookie, with the Frenchman becoming just the third rider to start a full MotoGP season as a teenager. Rossi, who turned 40 last month, now finds himself racing against a rider less than half his age. And the Italian saw a funny side to things. “We speak now exactly about this, I said that he could be my son!” “He’s very, very young. (Born in) 1999, so it means that he’s also two years younger than my brother (Luca Marini) and already in MotoGP,” added the Italian legend. Rossi is into his 24th Grand Prix season and there is no sign of him hanging up his helmet yet. While his longevity, love and dedication for the sport are unparalleled, he is without doubt past his prime with the Italian’s age reflecting in his recent results. All but four of his 24 years in MotoGP have been in the premier class, where Rossi has claimed seven championship titles and holds the all-time win record of 89 victories. But as he enters final stretch of his career, not many give him a chance to become a world champion again. Some even doubt that he will win a Grand Prix race again. Rossi finished a close third at Losail International Circuit last year, but – for the first time with Yamaha – didn’t win a race all season. In fact, the last time Rossi stood on the top of the podium was 20-months ago at Assen. Despite pre-season struggle of Yamaha, Rossi topped the opening practice session of the season yesterday at Losail Circuit. But under the lights in the second practice, he dropped to 17th and was the only rider not to improve in the second session, leaving him 16th on combined times. “And I hope to be there, I hope to be strong. Yamaha worked hard during the winter and we hope to be stronger than last year,” said Rossi before he took the bike out for practice yesterday. “Under some points of view our bike has improved, but I think that we still have something to improve for sure. It’s true also that on the last day of the test there were a lot of Yamahas in the top seven, so I think we are strong with the new tyres, but after we need to see what happens in the race during 22 laps,” he added. With Marquez and his teammate showing more pace than him yesterday, Rossi wasn’t sure of much success tomorrow.   “It’s difficult to say because in the last years here (Qatar) I did good results. Apart from one victory I was on the podium a lot of times, so we have to try. But if I have to think now, maybe we have seven or eight riders ready for the podium. I don’t know if we are stronger here than last year because anyway it was a good race. But we’ll see, we have to try. Also try to understand the conditions, with the grip, with the wind, we’ll see...,” he said. Rossi says the 2019 Yamaha bike is a step forward and very fast over a single lap but remains concerned about race pace. “The pre-season tests were very important. Both in Sepang and in Qatar we’ve taken steps forward and we can say that we’ve done positive tests. We still have to improve a lot, but the road we’re on is the right one.”

If the predictions are to be believed, then 2019 is set to witness the closest and the most thrilling season in MotoGP. The season-opening race will be held at the Losail International Circuit this Sunday, but there is no clear favourite heading into the new championship. Reigning five-time title winner Marc Marquez of Honda is still the man to beat but the recurring shoulder injury is major concern for the Spaniard. But if the 26-year-old can overcome his injury issues, then 2019 could be another glorious chapter in his burgeoning legend. Having said that, Honda also boast triple champion Jorge Lorenzo, who is set to give his new team-mate a tough time. But despite having the best line-up, Honda doesn’t seem to be in the best shape heading into this season, and Marquez will face his toughest campaign yet with Lorenzo as a teammate, as well as the other challengers around him. Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati will fancy his chances, having come the closest to challenging  Marquez in the previous years. If the Italian can repeat his form of the past few years this time round, he’ll still be a strong contender. Then there is Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, who has impressed in the pre-season testing. The Spaniard has changed some key pieces of his crew in order to find the balance this year and has outpaced his teammate and multiple world champion Valentino Rossi in testing. Rossi, who turned 40 recently, could be in the mix as well but consistency has been an issue with the legendary Italian. Rossi’s longevity, passion and dedication continues to amaze and inspire in equal measure but he is not the rider what he used to be, his reflexes having slowed down considerably. Rossi himself is going by the popular opinion in the paddock and reckons this year’s season could be the closest in the championship’s history. He went on to say that there are ‘seven or eight’ possible title contenders on ‘three or four’ different types of bike. Rossi said that Vinales, Ducati pair Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, Honda’s Marquez and Lorenzo, Suzuki’s Alex Rins and himself are contenders for the title. “On paper, I don’t think there’s ever been such an even championship, with seven or eight riders, and also three or four different bikes, that can fight for the title” said Rossi at the Losail Circuit yesterday. “The factory riders are all really strong. The two works Ducati riders are going strongly, the two from Honda are a little bit behind, but surely they will arrive. The two Yamahas are going quite well, and also Suzuki, especially with Rins. It seems to me the factory bikes are all quite strong. “Then we must not forget [Fabio] Quartararo, [Francesco] Bagnaia, [Cal] Crutchlow and [Franco] Morbidelli, who in the tests have been strong. Already there are 10 of us! Maybe in one race you are on the podium and in another you make a mistake and you are fighting for seventh place. It’s difficult,” he added. Dovizioso agreed with his countryman’s views. “I have seen many very competitive riders,” said the Ducati rider. “All the top four bikes are quite strong, and close, with different characteristics. We could see a lot of riders fighting for wins, a much more competitive season than recent ones. This is the first season in which we start with so much uncertainty, at least since I’ve been in MotoGP. In the past in Qatar we’ve seen very different results in the race compared with the tests. But, more than just Qatar, there is uncertainty for all the season. At the moment we need to focus day by day, then we will see,” he added. Marquez feels that all manufacturers have taken a step forward ahead of the new campaign, which he said make the season unpredictable. “Since 2017 I’m looking at everybody. I’m looking at all my opponents in the same way because for example, in 2017, we were here and not a lot of people spoke about Dovizioso and he was the man to beat,” the current champion said. “This preseason, it was interesting to see how Yamaha improved, Ducati improved, Suzuki improved with Rins and yeah, let’s see how we start this season. But of course, we will be very fast because we tested here, but the season is 19 races and we must be focused on our work, focused on ourselves and try and do what we know. Then we will see at the end of the season.” he added. Today, the Moto3 class will get the ball rolling with Free Practice 1, followed by Moto2 practice session before the MotoGP riders head out at 3:40pm and again under lights.

In-form Julien Epaillard will be keen to continue his golden run in Qatar when the prestigious five-star CHI Al Shaqab kicks-off at the magnificent Al Shaqab arena today. At the season opening round of the Global Champions Tour last week, Epaillard stunned the odds as he clinched the Grand Prix title. Apart from walking away with the big bounty of €123,750, the Frenchman had also finished runner-up twice and in third place once, during the three-day championship. Now the 41-year-old will be hoping he can carry the momentum into CHI Al Shaqab with his 11-year-old stallion Usual Suspect d’Auge, which had lit up the LGCT Grand Prix with a fantastic fluid clear in the jump-off. Epaillard will be joined by the usual star cast of the world’s top riders. Britain’s Ben Maher and  Emily Moffitt, Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer, Daniel Deusser of Germany and Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander will all be gunning for the CSI 5* 1.60m class Grand Prix glory on Saturday. Maher, who finished second to Epaillard in the GCT’s feature event, will be back with his 10-year-old gelding Explosion W. Maher, who won the  team gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Maher has high hopes from his horse, saying, “I think it’s just a matter of time before he becomes a showjumping household name.” The pair of Maher and Explosion W has been impressive since last year with some breathtaking jumping and they could be the star of CHI Al Shaqab over the next three days. “Explosion has experience beyond his years,” Maher had said. “His game face is always on and he believes he can win. He gives me as a rider the belief that I can also do anything. I think we’re just at the start of Explosion’s career, but I really feel that further down the line he could become one of the best showjumpers in the world,” added the 36-year-old, who is the reigning GCT overall champion and 2018 Grand Prix of Doha winner. Two-time GCT overall champion and Super Grand Prix winner Edwina Tops-Alexander will be the one to watch out for as the Australian has delivered at the favourite venue Shaqab. CHI Al Shaqab will see 91 riders and 139 horses from 23 nations participate in the event, which Al Shaqab is organising for the sixth time and is the only equestrian competition of its kind in the Middle East and Asia region. The  riders will compete in the Olympic equestrian disciplines of Showjumping, Dressage, and Para Dressage  Meanwhile, Qatar’s hopes will rest once again on its’ star riders Bassem Hassan Mohamed and Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani. The Olympians will lead Qatar’s challenge, with this year’s Amir’s Golden Sword winner Faleh Suwead al-Ajami, Khalid al-Suwaidi and Sultan Salmen forming the five-member team for the hosts. Bassem and Sheikh Ali failed to set the stage on fire at the GCT and will aiming to make amends at the CHI Al Shaqab.  The home riders will also feature in the ninth round of the Hathab national Series set to be held on the sidelines of the three-day championships. Omar al-Mannai, CHI Al Shaqab Event Director and Al Shaqab Commercial Manager, said: “Al Shaqab is extremely proud to be organising CHI Al Shaqab for the sixth time. This prestigious and world-class equestrian event has continued to grow in terms of popularity and success since the first CHI Al Shaqab was held in 2013. “CHI Al Shaqab has placed Qatar on the world’s equestrian map, and Al Shaqab’s successful organizing of the event has boosted Qatar’s status as an international sports destination. The event also showcases Al Shaqab as a premier international equestrian competition venue, capable of attracting the world’s top-ranking riders in three Olympic equestrian disciplines.” Meanwhile, the Asian Equestrian Federation (AEF) General Assembly will take place at Al Shaqab, with Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, president of both the Qatar Equestrian Federation and the Asian Equestrian Federation, standing for re-election. “This year is a unique year for the Asian body as we will be staging the General Assembly this week. At the same time, we will have world’s best riders competing at CHI Al Shaqab. We thank Al Shaqab for their close cooperation administratively and otherwise also,” al-Attiyah said.  “The meeting of the Asian Equestrian Federation is a very important addition to the agenda, as the elections will be held for the important positions such as that of President and Vice President,” the QEF president added. Other than the equestrian extravaganza, Al Shaqab will also host an exciting indoor and outdoor Entertainment Zone offering an array of fun activities for children to enjoy, including pony rides, magic and circus shows, gaming areas, interactive video and virtual reality games, and F1 and horse simulators. Other provisions include a food court and coffee corners. A latte art competition was also held yesterday with the winner walking away with $10,000 in prize money.

Having been the undisputed champion in the Qatar Touring Car championship (QTCC) for the last four years, it’s only natural that Abdulla al-Khelaifi is aiming to go to the next level. And the Qatari driver will be doing just that as he jets off to Europe in late April to take part in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series. Al-Khelaifi has shown that he is unbeatable in the QTCC as he has scorched the Losail International Circuit in his Honda S2000 in the last four years. And the 29-year-old is excited about what lies ahead in the coming months. Al-Khelaifi will be part of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation’s six member drivers’ and riders’ team, who will travel to Europe for the training and to participate in the regional championships. He said he is happy to get the opportunity to take part in the ‘most competitive series in the world’ and feels the Europe stint will be a steep learning curve for him. “I am looking forward to this summer’s activities,” said the soft-spoken Qatari champion. “TCR championship is the most competitive series in the world after WTCR. It’s a great opportunity for me to participate and learn from the drivers on those tracks. More than half of the tracks where this series is contested are part of the motorsport world. It will be a great learning curve for me, a steep learning curve. Hopefully I can manage to learn as I go along and long-term I can compete using that experience,” he added.  The five-round 2019 TCR Europe Touring Car Series will begin at the Hungaroring, Hungary in April and will end at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy in October. Al-Khelaifi will take part in all the rounds and will train in between the races in Europe. “By end of April, this series will start with the first round to be held at Hungaroring, a race track in Mogyorod, Hungary. That will be great. Before that – perhaps two weeks before the race – there will be a test session for me in order to get into shape. That would also be an opportunity to meet my team and team officials ahead of the first round,” he said.  “One thing I learned from QTCC is that I never better myself unless I have some competition. If I am leading comfortably then I don’t develop at all. So this gives me great motivation. I know I won’t be competing for bigger things in TCR but I know I have higher goals so from different competitors and that will push me harder so that I become better,” he added.  Al-Khelaifi says his target is to compete at the FIA World Touring Car Cup (known as the WTCR). He has already had a taste of World Touring Car Championship, which was held in Qatar until 2017. The World Touring Car Cup is the highest class of competition for touring cars. “I started from WTCC. Basically I always want to go to the highest level of competition which is the WTCR. We had some rounds here in Qatar. My goal, eventually, is to reach WTCR. I want to represent Qatar if we have one round here,” he said. The Qatari ace driver is keen to become the torch-bearer for young Qataris, who want to excel in motorsports. “Hopefully I can inspire the youth to follow this event and I want to spread the ‘motorsport mentality’ among the youth of the country. Eventually I will retire but we want to see new faces and new talent. I am sure we will get better drivers than me or they will do more than I would ever accomplish.  “I started rather late. The younger drivers have a better chance to learn more and faster. They develop faster. Hopefully I can inspire people with what I do,” al-Khelaifi said. Al-Khelaifi is yet to narrow down on the car he will drive in Europe.  “Still there is some debate on the car. Most probably it will be Cobra CTR. It is a great drive. There is another possibility of ODTCR RS3. For now, it is the Cobra. I can’t believe that I am going to feature in this championship. This was not on the table until last week. So it is unbelievable. It was only talks and there was nothing certain. I am going to enjoy and push myself and get maximum points,” he said.

Julien Epaillard wasn’t betting on himself to win the Grand Prix title at the Global Champions Tour last night. For, the Frenchman had finished runner-up twice and third once, on the opening two days of the event at the Al Shaqab arena. But Epaillard finally got lucky when it mattered as the 41-year-old clinched the feature class of the GCT season opener with his 11-year-old stallion Usual Suspect d’Auge. It was the Frenchman’s second Grand Prix title, after he had won the home event in Paris last year. The CSI5* 1.60 class had a total of five combinations in the jump-off, with Epaillard holding his nerve and marshalling Usual Suspect d’Auge expertly. The pair were first to start in the jump-off and they were off to a flier despite the windy conditions at the floodlit Al Shaqab arena.  Their solid faultless round in 40.11 seconds was a tough time to beat. Britain’s Ben Maher followed closely keeping the audience at the edge of their seats with a near-perfect round aboard Explosion W. They took second place in 40.54 seconds. Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts followed up his win on Friday by taking the third place with H&M Chilli Willi in 43.45 seconds. The fourth place went to Frank Schuttert of the Netherlands with Chianti’s Champion, followed by Italy’s Alberto Zorzi and Contanga in fifth. Both riders finished with 4 penalties, which spoiled their chances of a podium finish. Epaillard was surprised by his victory and gave himself a pat on the back after picking up a winner’s pursue of €123,750 from a total prize money €375.000. “I have to pay credit myself for my victory today,” he said. “It was crazy to ride in the Grand Prix. I had a little chance and I was surprised when I rode in the first round. In the Jump-Off there were only five riders and I tried my best and it worked. It’s a nice feeling,” Epaillard said. On missing out on first place three times this week, he said: “I wasn’t actually thinking about winning the Grand Prix but it’s fantastic. It’s my second LGCT win after Paris and I am very happy to win it.” He also became the first rider to qualify for LGCT Super Grand Prix at Prague Play-offs in November. Shanghai Swans won the second round of Global Champions League followed by Valkenswaard United and New York Empire. “It’s great. Prague is a nice place. I had a chance to ride there last year, it was special and I am already excited to be riding there again,” Epaillard said. Meanwhile, Shanghai Swans soared to the lead in Global Champions League team rankings, after experienced duo of Daniel Deusser and Pius Schwizer fired their team to victory. Both pulled out a flawless performance to deliver the only faultless score of the event, finishing ahead of Valkenswaard United’s pairing of Bertram Allen and Frank Schuttert, with New York Empire’s Scott Brash and Hans-Dieter Dreher taking third. A delighted Daniel said: “We have a very good team, but still in the end you have to get the job done. We had a strong day on Thursday, and two clear rounds today — I have a super partner with Pius, so we’re very happy.” Pius praised his teammates, both equine and human: “My horse jumped amazing, and in my mind Daniel is the best rider in the world at the moment, so thank you Daniel!” Despite their early win, Daniel remained humble about the long season ahead, and the strength of the teams this season. “I expected more teams on a double clear today, but it showed the course was tough. There were faults everywhere. It’s a long season, but the first step is done so we hope to continue like this.” In the GCL individual 1,55m/1,60m class, Kevin Staut astride ten-year-old Viking d’La Rousserie came out on top in 72.16 seconds. Ben Maher followed suit with Explosion W, while Bertram Allen and Harley vd Bisschop finished third in 72.7 seconds.   Results CSI 5* Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha - 1.60m (€375.000) 1. Julien Epaillard (FRA). Horse: Usual Suspect d’Auge. Round 1 time: 81.72 secs; Jump off time: 40.11 secs; Prize money: 123,750EUR 2. Ben Maher (GBR) Explosion W. 80.83 secs; 40.55 secs; 75,000 EUR 3. Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) H&M Chilli Willi; 80.65 secs; 43.43 secs; 56,250,00 EUR   CSI 5* GCL of Doha Round 2 - 1.55m (€95.000 to individual class winners) 1. Kevin Staut (FRA) Horse: Viking d’La Rousserie. Time: 72.16 secs; Prize money: 23,750 euros 2. Ben Maher (GBR) Explosion W. 72.33 secs; 19,000 euros 3. Bertram Allen (IRL) Harley vd Bisschop; 72.70 secs; 14,250 euros   GCL Team results 1. Shanghai Swans; Riders: Daniel Deusser (Calisto Blue) 76.56 secs; Pius Schwizer (Cortney Cox) 78.63 secs. Total time: 155.28 secs 2. Valkenswaard United. Bertram Allen (Harley vd Bisschop) 72.70 secs; Frank Schuttert (Chianti’s Champion) 76.95 secs. Penalties: 4. Total time: 149.65 secs 3. New York Empire. Scott Brash (Hello Senator) 76.44 secs; Hans-Dieter Dreher (Prinz) 75.62 secs, Penalties: 4. Total time: 152.06 secs.

Ireland’s Bertram Allen dazzled with 11-year-old stallion GK Casper to win the speed class in the Global Champions Tour yesterday. At the Al Shaqab arena, 16 combinations qualified for the jump off in the 1.55m main class but it was Allen and GK Casper who emerged on top. They were the only pair to go sub-33 seconds in the high quality field, with dusty conditions not making it easier. But GK Casper was all in his glory on the night. For a long time, it looked like Julien Epaillard would be walking away with the top honours. The Frenchman and 11-year-old gelding Usual Suspect D’Auge looked all class as they negotiated the course with ease to finish in 34.12 seconds. But Allen followed on with GK Casper with a clear plan, and was faster than Epaillard in the early section of the course and on par with him at the double. He and Casper galloped to the fence and stopped the clock at a blistering pace to come in 33.75 seconds. Allen was gushing in his praise of Casper, crediting the stallion for his victory, which made the Irishman richer by 36,450 euros.  “I have to give a lot of credit to my horse, it was very hard to beat Julien so I gave it everything. You had to catch everywhere exactly how you wanted it. If you had one place where you had one more stride, you were out,” said Allen. Belgium’s Karel Cox was the last rider to go in with 11-year-old Dublin van Overis, and the pair put in a scintillating run to push Epaillard to third spot. From the 16 starters in the jump off, 10 produced a faultless second round. Italy’s Alberto Zorzi and Danique were off to a flying start and jumped into the lead in 35.21 second setting up a tough time to beat. But they eventually had to settle for the fourth spot. Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet  and Qualido were quick with a huge effort at the finish, but at 35.64 they finished fifth. Earlier, Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts won the 1.50m class by a mere .03 seconds over Epaillard. Philippaerts, who had a sensational season last year, was on H&M Ikker and the pair cut corners and took out long strides to finish in 59.87 seconds. Epaillard and Usual Suspect D’Auge went all in pursuit of Philippaerts’s time but agonizingly fell short. New face on the Tour this year, Kim Emmen, of the Netherlands, put in a brilliant attempt but was pushed out of the final top they by Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and her 10-year-old mare, Veronese Teamjoy, who were last to go. The speed class had twenty-four starters and half of those jumped clear rounds, meaning the riders really had to step on the gas in order to be in the placings. Today the stage is set for GCL team final followed by the first Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of the new 2019 season.    Results LGCT CSI5* FEI Art. 238.2.2 1.50/1.55m 1. Rider: Bertram Allen (IRI) Horse: GK Casper; Jump Off: 33.75secs; Prize: €36,450 2. Karel Cox (BEL); Dublin van Overis; 34.07secs; €29,160 3. Jilien Epaillard (FRA); Usual Suspect d’Auge; 34.12secs; €21,870   CSI5* 1.50m Table A: Against the Clock 1. Nicola Philippaerts (BEL); H & M Ikker; 59.87secs; €12,550           2. Julien Epaillard (FRA); Usual Suspect d’Auge ; 59.90secs; €10,040                                  3. Edwina Tops-Alexander (us); Veronese Teamjoy; 63.60secs; €7,530  Today’s Schedule 9am: Open class Hathab National series in two phases 1.15/1.25m class 12pm Big Tour Hathab National Series 1.30/1.45m class At 2:30pm: CSI 5* GCL of Doha Round 2 - 1.55m (€95.000 to individual class winners) At 5:45pm: CSI 5* Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha - 1.60m (€375.000)

After his dominant victory in the Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally on Tuesday, Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah has set his sights on clinching the overall title. The Qatar leg was the opening round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and al-Attiyah, who won the Dakar Rally for the third time in January with French navigator Matthieu Baumel, is gunning for another title.  It was start-to-finish win for the local hero, as he conquered Qatar’s desert terrain for his sixth victory in the eight years that the event has been a round of the FIA series. Al-Attiyah had also won the candidate event when it was called the Qatar International Baja in 2011.  “This victory is a first step and it will serve me as a motivation to regain the World Cup title. Last year the car was in development but this year we have hit the stride and everything looks positive for the rest of the season,” said al-Attiyah, who the FIA World Cup last time in 2017. Al-Attiyah’s quest for World Cup title received further boost as defending champion and his main rival Jakub Przygonski was excluded from Qatar Cross-Country Rally. The Pole and his Belgian co-driver Tom Colsoul had finished third in their MINI John Cooper but at post-event scrutineering the car was found to be four kilogrammes underweight, which did not conform to FIA T1 regulations. “Qatar Rally is one of the most difficult rallies in the region because of its ruggedness. Overall it was not a difficult rally but the terrain was not easy. But we led from the beginning till the end. In the last stage I just wanted to finish the rally and not make any mistakes, since we had a healthy lead. I know the desert terrain here in Qatar, so that certainly helped and gave me an advantage over other drivers. For me physically it was OK, not too demanding,” al-Attiyah added. Now the 48-year-old will head to Abu Dhabi for the next round, which will be held from March 30 to April 4. When asked about travelling to Abu Dhabi, al-Attiyah said: “I am waiting for the green signal from QMMF before I go to Abu Dhabi. We are hoping to do well there.”  After the Abu Dhabi round, the long-distance FIA World Cup rallies will be held in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Morocco. The shorter Baja-style events in Russia, Dubai, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Jordan and Portugal constitute a new FIA Baja series. Meanwhile, al-Attiyah also praised Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) for holding the ceremonial and closing ceremony at Souq Al-Medina in Pearl-Qatar. “The atmosphere was wonderful. I want to laud QMMF for hosting the opening and closing ceremonies at Pearl-Qatar, it was a beautiful setting. Pearl is where people come for sightseeing and shopping, and it was good to see the crowd attend the event in large numbers,” he said.