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Jonathan Rea had to wait for seven years to win his maiden World Superbike championship (WSBK) title. A switch in 2015 to Kawasaki from Honda, where he had won 15 races but had failed to crack the championship, has done wonders for the Northern Irish rider’s career. Having finally realised his dream of winning the WSBK title in 2015, Rea has not looked back since. He repeated the feat in 2016, becoming the first champion of this millennium to win a back-to-back title. This season has been no different for Rea. In fact, he has gone out and decimated the field to become the first rider to clinch three successive Superbike titles. Rea, 30, seems to be only getting better with age. The Ulsterman has been at his dominant best this season, as he wrapped up the title in September in Magny Cours, France, with two and a half rounds to go. He didn’t slow down after his historic feat, as he scored a double in Jerez, Spain, claiming his 14th win of 2017 and 52nd of his career. That took him level with three-time world champion Troy Bayliss and just seven behind Carl Fogarty’s record of 59. The win also sealed the manufacturers’ championship for Kawasaki. Now in Doha for the last round of the WSBK season, which will be held at Losail International Circuit tomorrow and Saturday, Rea has one more record in his sights. The Kawasaki rider will need to take a double win in Qatar this weekend if he is to beat Colin Edwards’ long-standing 15-year-old points’ record of 552 set by the American in 2002.  Rea currently sits on 506 points and he has been on the podium in every race he has finished this season. On the eve of the last round of WSBK championship, Rea looked relaxed as he sat down for an interview at the Ritz-Carlton yesterday. A modest and a complete family man, Rea, who hops from one circuit to other with his wife and two young sons, credited his total domination of WSBK to being consistent and said he has been living a dream the last three years. “In the last three seasons, the opening three races of the calendar have suited my style of racing. So after two-three races, I have had a small gap in the championship. And I have been the most consistent too,” Rea said yesterday. “Of course the other guys have been really fast, like Tom Sykes and Chaz Davies. But Chaz especially has made many mistakes throughout the year. Tom has had a problem with injury and some other issues. For me consistency has been the key, not building a good lead at the start. I don’t know maybe next season I will have a lot more pressure, we have to see. But these last three years are like a dream because the bike and the team have been working really good. Next year maybe it will be someone else’s turn. So we have to be ready to face difficult moments,” Rea added. With the challenge of winning the title off his shoulders, Rea said he will go out and enjoy his ride under the floodlights of the Losail circuit this weekend. Should he manage to take away a perfect 50 points tomorrow and Saturday, Rea would set a new all-time points scoring record in WSBK. “After I won the championship in France three weeks ago, last weekend in Spain I had a double win. So for me it’s less pressure. I can really enjoy the race and not worry about the points,” the champion explained. “It’s difficult all the year to try and manage and think about the championship. Now I’m free of all that. I can be 100 percent. If I make a mistake or crash, it’s not a big problem. So this is how I raced in Spain and it was really nice. I hope to do that in Qatar too,” he said. In recent times, there have been talks of Rea switching to the more popular and glamorous world of MotoGP. The Northern Irishman has had a brush with MotoGP in 2012, when he replaced the injured Casey Stoner for the Honda team. He finished 8th and 7th in two races, before returning to World Superbike duties. Rea dismissed a move to MotoGP next year, since he is contracted with Kawasaki till 2018. But said he has kept his options open for a switch to MotoGP, adding he would only do so at the right opportunity and with a good manufacturer. “Superbike has been incredible for me since 2009. I’m only thinking about next season. Also it would be nice to have an opportunity to go to MotoGP with a top bike. I have no interest to go there with some satellite machine or private bike,” he said. “I am sure with a really good bike, I can do a very good job. Unfortunately, Kawasaki are racing only in Superbike. But I feel at home. They have given me a great opportunity and I feel really valued there. In 2019 and 2020, I have no idea what I will do,” he said. One was tempted to ask if there had been any feelers from the top MotoGP teams. “I am sure all the teams understand the situation I am in. I am one of the top riders right now in the world. They know the situation. Next season 90 percent of riders in MotoGP and Superbike are under contract. So during the middle of the season there will be lot of talking between teams, management and riders. Until then no one knows. It’s too early to say anything,” he said. Rea, however, was quick to add that he was very happy at Kawasaki, calling the team a family. “I am very happy where I am. That winning feeling every weekend with Kawasaki is incredible no matter what championship it is, whether it is crossing the line here in the Qatari Superbike race or whether in MotoGP. The winning feeling wants to keep you wanting more,” he said. Rea was also surprised how far he has come in his WSBK career, having started slow. “I am surprised because in the last race I equalled Troy Bayliss’ record. And for me Troy was a legend, one of my heroes. So I never thought I would be in the same bracket. When somebody said it, I was quite surprised. When you are living in the moment, enjoying your work, it’s hard to take stock of situation. Maybe in 10 years’ time I can look back and understand what I have achieved,” he said. Before rushing off to join his family in the swimming pool, Rea opened up on his life away from racing, and said it was rewarding to share his success with his wife and two young sons. “I’m really happy because I am one of the last guys going to race circuits with my family, my wife and two kids. And we do all of it together, travelling and other things. It’s really difficult. If anyone has kids, they will understand how difficult it will be,” said Rea, who as a child was exposed to racing as his father was a road racer, specialising in Isle of Man TT race. “It’s really rewarding as well because when you win, it’s not just for yourself but also for your family. These are the best moments of my career and to share it with my family is really nice. So that’s something I can look back on in the future and really be happy that we did all together.” Paddock entertainment set to light up Qatar experience There is plenty of entertainment in store for the fans heading to the Qatar Round of the Superbike World Championship at the Losail International Circuit this weekend. Other than getting to watch three-time world champion Jonathan Rea of Kawasaki Racing Team make history on track, there is even more to keep one excited off track. With every ticket purchased, there is free access into the paddock, which gives a chance of meeting the riders out and about in between sessions. One even can make it a family affair as children under the age of 11 can gain free access, with free parking available at the circuit.  As the paddock is open to everyone, there will be plenty to do inside the travelling WorldSBK village over the weekend. From today till Sunday, one will be able to enjoy some chill out time in the Arabic tent. Show your support for your favourite rider, or even the WorldSBK series as a whole with the official merchandising tents, which one can sport while cheering on the riders on track.  There is also a motorbike exhibition or a ride in the Red Bull Car Simulators to fuel that need for speed.  The star of the 2017 show will no doubt be the paddock show stage, which will be full of action from tonight till Saturday evening.

It was a double delight for Hamad Nasser al-Qadi as the impressive rider clinched both the first and second place in the feature class of the second leg of Hathab Equestrian series yesterday. At Al Shaqab’s indoor arena, Hamad was in great form as he piloted two of his horses to podium finishes in the Big Tour 130/140 class. Riders were allowed to compete with two horses and Hamad grabbed the opportunity with both the hands. First, in the company of 12-year-old gelding SIEC Lonnie, Hamad flew around a tricky course to stop the clock in 44.67 seconds. Then he returned with St. Lucia, a 15-year-old grey mare, to snatch the second place as well, clocking 45.21 seconds. To make it a grand celebration for al-Qadi family, Hamad’s brother Saeed completed the podium, taking the third place with Daydreamer, the pair coming home in 45.41 seconds.  It was an excellent two days for Hamad, who leapfrogged the overall leaderboard. He had also finished second and third in two separate events on Friday. “I’m very thrilled with my results today,” said Hamad, who scooped a combined prize money of QR 15,300 for the double finish. “I was first and second today. Also yesterday I finished second and third, which has put me on the top of points table. All the riders today were very strong competitors and were well prepared. I am really honoured to compete against with such riders,” he added. Hamad praised Hathab series for giving an opportunity to riders like him to gain valuable experience. “All the riders were really strong and ready to compete. Someone like Faleh al-Ajmi (who finished fifth and seventh) has a great experience in such championships and I admire him. This competition gave a great opportunity to exchange experience with well-established national riders. I am looking forward for the next leg of Hathab,” the Qatari noted. Al-Qadi family dominated in the Medium Tour 120/130cm class too, as Saeed emerged triumphant with Jessico 4. Mohamed Sultan al-Suwaidi (Numero Uno T) came second, while Bandar Mansoon al-Hoban (Tagfart 111 Z) was third. In the Dressage competition, women riders excelled as five of them finished on the podium in two events. In the Level 1 class, Amana Ahmad al-Saffar (Drum Mousse) topped the score sheets with 69.792 points. Iris Nijboer (Wait and Seeze, 68.958) and Jessica Waldon (Jacquard, 68.750) took the second and third place respectively Amana was delighted with her win. “I am very happy with my results. I would like to thank the organising committee for this great opportunity as this is the first national dressage event in Qatar,” she said. Meanwhile, Saad Ahmed al-Saad (Toberlina T) bagged the first place in the Level 2 class. He was followed by Mennatallah Hesham Mourad (Quick Dance) in second place and Aisha Ahmed al-Ahmadi (Juste D’adaelle) in third.   Amana al-Saffar poses with her trophy after winning the dressage competition yesterday. PICTURE: Mohamed Tinakicht Results Big Tour Table A, Special two phases 130/140cm Prize money: QR 30,000 1. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi (SIEC Lonnie) Time: 44.67 seconds. Prize money: QR 8,4000 2. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi (St. Lucia) 45.21 secs. QR 6,900 3. Saeed Nasser al-Qadi (Daydreamer) 45.41 secs. QR 5250 Medium Tour: Table A, One round against the clock 120/130cm 1. Saeed Nasser al-Qadi (Jessico 4) Time: 64.36 seconds. Prize money: QR 5,000 2. Mohamed Sultan al-Suwaidi (Numero Uno T) 62.27 secs. QR 4,000 3. Bandar Mansoon al-Hoban (Tagfart 111 Z) 68.18 secs. QR 3,000 Dressage level 1 1. Amana Ahmad al-Saffar (Drum Mousse) 69.792 score. Prize money: QR, 2,800 2. Iris Nijboer (Wait and Seeze) 68.958. QR 2,300 1. Jessica Waldon (Jacquard) 68.750. Q 1,750 Dressage Level 2-Results 1. Saad Ahmed al-Saad (Toberlina T) 2. Mennatallah Hesham Mourad (Quick Dance) 3. Aisha Ahmed al-Ahmadi (Juste D’adaelle)

Riccardo de Luca was crowned as the International Modern Pentathlon Union Champion of Champions, after the Italian put in a dominating performance to clinch men’s title. At the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab Arena yesterday, De Luca enjoyed one of the finest wins of his career. The 31-year-old upset the 16-man strong field which included 2016 Olympic champion Alexander Lesun of Russia. De Luca was so strong that the 2016 Champion of Champions, Patrick Dogue of Germany, had to settle for silver despite a very impressive performance of his own. Frenchman Valentin Belaud, who was second last year, went down one rung finishing third yesterday.  The victory should be a source of great confidence for De Luca, who until yesterday had a tough 2017. He also had missed a podium finish at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, finishing fifth after a sprint finish. The 2012 European champion and winner of the World Cup Final in 2015, however, was determined to make it count yesterday. After the victory, De Luca said that it had been a ‘long day’ but a fruitful one and praised the facilities at Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab and also the local organising committee. “I had already competed twice in the Champion of Champions here in Qatar and everything works well – the food, the timings, the venue – it’s very well organised and I think it would be great to see some more pentathlon competitions come here in future,” he said. De Luca used his fencing prowess to take control of the competition. He took the lead after a score of 22V/8D, with Lesun proving his closest challenger. Italy’s Daniele Colasanti, the 2017 junior world champion and  Dogue ensured they would be in the mix with 18V/12D each. Each of the main contenders stayed on course for the podium during the Riding, with Lesun incurring the most damage with 18 penalty points. Dogue and Colasanti enjoyed the only two clear rounds while De Luca dropped only six points to ensure he would start the combined event (running and shooting) in first place. Going into the final event, De Luca enjoyed a 17 second advantage ahead of Colasanti, who was under pressure on the start line from Dogue, Lesun and Joseph  Choong, and whose nerves on the shooting range ultimately cost him a medal. Belaud started sixth but made up lots of ground and moved into third place after the second shoot, where Lesun began to drift back. De Luca and Dogue moved unchallenged through their laps and the only suspense was reserved for the battle for bronze, as Colasanti fought tenaciously to catch Belaud but ultimately in vain. Olympic champion Lesun finished 5th with Pavel Ilyashenko of Kazakhstan, Joseph Choong of Britain, and Taishu Sato of Japan completing the top eight. UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann was full of praise of Qatar and called the event a success. “I congratulate all the athletes, the women yesterday and today the men, and to everyone who has been involved in making this UIPM Champion of Champions such a big success. The organizational level was top class as ever, as one would expect in Qatar,” Schormann said. Qatar had no representation this year as Khalid al-Nuaimi, who had participated in the last edition, was out with a shoulder injury. Qatar hosted the event for the fourth consecutive year. This was the first time the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation organised the event after both the bodies merged earlier this year. Champion of Champions series brings together the best UIPM ranked athletes from around the globe for a spectacular event to crown the best male and female Modern Pentathletes in the world.  Top 10 Results 1. Riccardo de Luca (Italy) 1403 points; 2. Patrick Dogue (Germany) 1394; 3. Valentin Belaud (France) 1369; 4. Daniele Colasanti (Italy) 1366; 5. Aleksander Lesun (Russia) 1348; 6. Pavel Ilyashenko (Kazakhstan) 1343; 7. Joseph Choong (Great Britain) 1335; 8. Taishu Sato (Japan) 1328; 9. Sergio Villamayor (Argentina) 1280; 10. Manuel Padilla (Mexico) 1278

Lina Batuleviciute of Lithuania emerged as the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) Champion of Champions, winning the women’s title at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab Arena yesterday. Batuleviciute topped in the swimming and riding events, while finishing a creditable fourth in the combined (shooting and running) event. She was a distant 14th in the swimming, but the 28-year-old tallied 1273 points to clinch the title.  Italian Alice Sotero, one of the contenders, came second with 1266 points, seven behind the winner. The 2016 Olympic silver medallist Elodie Clouvel of France took the final podium spot with 1261 points. The result continued an intriguing season of transition in women’s pentathlon, with a number of athletes claiming their first major titles such as world champion Gulnaz Gubaydullina of Russia and World Cup Final gold medallist Tamara Alekszejev of Hungary. Yesterday, in the absence of Gubaydullina, the Olympic champion Chloe Esposito of Australia and her celebrated compatriot Laura Asadauskaite, Batuleviciute seized her chance to scale the top of the podium. Batuleviciute was delighted having won her second individual title of her career in Doha. “I am surprised that I won,” said the beaming  28-year-old. “This is the second title of my career and the first was last month in the World Military Championships. I know that I am a good fencer but I am surprised that my riding went so well after a bad day yesterday at the jumping test. The facilities are very good here in Doha, probably the best of anywhere I have competed. It’s is a very high level of completion in Doha. There are some strong competitors out there, so I am glad I could win the title,” added Batuleviciute. The Lithuanian had already claimed victory in one UIPM Category A competition this year when she won gold at the CISM World Military Championships in Drzonkow, Poland. She also finished 14th in the World Cup Final in Vilnius in her homeland, where the 2012 Olympic champion Asadauskaite was the star attraction. Only three of the 17 participating athletes managed a clean round in Riding, but one of them was Batuleviciute  whose perfect round kept up her momentum in the race for gold. Sotero could have snatched the title from Batuleviciute if the Italian had finished higher than the Lithuanian in the combined event, but she could only manage a fifth spot. Sotero performed consistently well in all her events yesterday but never managed to take a top spot in any of the five Olympic disciplines. The Italian’s best finish came in swimming, where she was second. Clouvel, meanwhile, was delighted to have come third. The Rio Olympic silver medallist too had a chance to grab the winner’s trophy. But the Frenchwoman could only manage 12th place in the combined shoot and run using a laser pistol. Clouvel started Laser-Run in first place 15 seconds ahead of Sotero and 16 more than Batuleviciute. Clouvel protected her lead until the second shooting range, where Sotero and Batuleviciute stole the initiative. Batuleviciute proved she had the greater composure on the day as she edged ahead of Sotero to win by seven seconds, with Clouvel crossing the line five seconds later. Clouvel, however, was content to have finished in the podium. “It was a very good competition. I love Qatar, it’s an amazing place. I had just a one week of training for this event. I wanted to finish in podium this year because it’s my second time in Qatar. I want do much better next year,” Clouvel said. “Having said that, I am happy with my performance here. My fencing was good today, swimming was ok. I loved competing with my horse. I want to come back here again win gold,” she added. The 28-year-old Clouvel has already set her sights on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “Now I have to start preparing for the next season. My main goal is to do well in the 2020 Olympics. I want a gold medal this time as I have won silver in Rio Games,” she noted. Meanwhile, the men’s competition will be held today, with another strong field of 18 athletes battling for the honours. The 2016 Olympic champion Alexander Lesun of Russia will be the star attraction, who will look to dethrone last year’s champion Patrick Dogue of Germany. The 29-year-old Lesun has also won gold at the World Championships in Rome (2012) and Warsaw (2014). Frenchman Valentin Belaud, who is currently ranked No. 9, will also be seeking his revenge from Dogue, having finished second to the German last year. Qatar will have no representation this year as Khalid al-Nuaimi, who had participated in the last edition, is out with a shoulder injury. Qatar is hosting the event for the fourth consecutive year. This is the first time the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation will organise the event after both the bodies merged earlier this year. Top 10 Results 1. Lina Batuleviciute (Lithuania) 1273 points; 2. Alice Sotero (Italy) 1266; 3. Elodie Clouvel (France) 1261; 4. Shino Yamanaka (Japan) 1241. 5. Janine Kohlmann (Germany) 1237; 6. Ekaterina Khuraskina (Russia) 1236; 7. Anna Maliszewska (Poland) 1226; 8. Ronja Steinborn (Germany) 1217; 9. Sophia Hernandez (Guatemala) 1205; 10. Gloria Tocchi (Italy) 1182.

The two-day International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) Champion of Champions will be held today and tomorrow at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab arena, with the sport’s best athletes competing at the season-ending event. A strong field is guaranteed as only the top 18 men’s and women’s athletes are invited to compete. The women’s competitions will be held today, while the men will be in action tomorrow. Qatar is hosting the event for the fourth consecutive year. This is the first time the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation will organise the event after both the bodies merged earlier this year. The action takes places in a single day, which differs from the usual UIPM competition format when competitions are hold over several days.  The event begins with a 200 metres freestyle swim. A round robin of epee fencing will then take place before the fencing bonus round, with show jumping following on a course with 12 obstacles. Champions will then be crowned after a combined shoot and run using a laser pistol. Last year, the Germans dominated the event with Patrick Dogue winning the title, while Annika Schleu emerged as the women’s winner. The 24-year-old Dogue had held off the challenge of world champion Valentin Belaud to triumph in 2016. This time he will face stiff competition from Rio Olympics gold medallist and World No. 6 Alexsandr Lesun of Russia. The 29-year-old Lesun has also won gold at the World Championships in Rome (2012) and Warsaw (2014). Frenchman Belaud, who is currently ranked No. 9, will also be seeking his revenge from Dogue. Qatar will have no representation this year as Khalid al-Nuaimi, who had participated in the last edition, is out with a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Schleu will be missing in action this time from the women’s field. The German had won the last two editions of the competition in Doha. It will be interesting to see who takes the top spot in Schleu’s absence. However, there is no dearth of high class athletes who will be in action today. Last year’s Olympic Games silver medal Elodie Clouvel of France will be the one to watch out for. The 28-year-old, who also won silver at the 2016 Moscow World Championships, will be up against Hungarian Tamara Alekszejev, who is ranked four. World No. 10 Italian Alice Sotero is also a strong contender. Competitor’s list Women: Bian Yufei; Elodie Clouvel; Joanna Parker Muir; Ronja Stelnborn; Alexandra Bettinelli; Janine Kohlmann; Tamara Alekszejev; Gloria Tocchi; Alice Sotero; Tomoyuki Ono; Shino Yamanaka; Lina Batuleviciute; Anna Patrycja Maliszewska; Anna Buriak; Ekaterina Khuraskina; Isabella Isaksen; Ana sophia Hernandez Cuellar; Kat Bridgid Coleman Lenehan. Men: Sergio Ali Villamayor; Luo Shuai; Valentin Belaud; Joseph Tzen Zhun Choong; Patrick Ibrahim Dogue; Marvin Faly Dogue; Riccardo de Luca; Daniele Colasanti; Taishu Sato; Pavel Ilyashenko; Vladislav Sukharev; Manuel padllla Lazcano; Szymon Piotr Staskiewicz; Jaroslaw Tadeusz Swiderskil; Pieter Barend Francois Oosthulzen; Aleksandr Lesun Revised Today’s Schedule Women * Swimming (QF Recreation Centre, 10am) * Fencing round-robin (QFRC, 11am) * Fencing bonus round (Al Shaqab, 1:45pm) * Riding competition (Al Shaqab, 3pm) * Running & Shooting Combined event (at Al Shaqab, 4:15 pm) * Award ceremony (Al Shaqab; 4.45pm).

Two-day event will see top athletes compete in five Olympic disciplines Qatar will host the annual International Federation of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) Champion of Champions event, tomorrow and on Sunday at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab arena. The tournament, first hosted by Doha in 2013, will see the top 34 UIPM ranked athletes – 17 men and women each – compete to claim the crown for the best modern pentathletes in the world. The women’s competitions will be held tomorrow, while the men will be in action on Sunday. The two-day competition will see top athletes from 16 countries compete in five Olympic disciplines –- Swimming, Fencing, Riding, Running and Shooting. Last year, the Germans dominated the event with Patrick Dogue winning the title, while Annika Schleu emerged as the women’s winner. In fact, Schleu has won the last two editions of the competition. The event is organised by the Qatar Equestrian & Modern Pentathlon Federation for the first time after both the bodies merged earlier. At a press conference yesterday, Ali al-Rumaihi, Event Director of Champion of Champions, said the aim is to stage the event successfully like in the previous years. “We are excited for this fantastic opportunity to host this event in Qatar again, allowing us to build on previous editions of the Modern Pentathlon Champion of Champions competition. Working closely with the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon, we hope to showcase this sport in Qatar and across the whole of the Middle East, supporting Qatar national vision 2030 to develop Qatar into an international sporting hub,” he said. “In addition to being an international world class sports event, our hosting of the COC competition, provides the opportunity for the community to discover and understand the sport, especially those who are not familiar with it,” the Event Director of QEF added. Al-Rumaihi also reckoned the event was an Ideal stage to encourage the youth in Qatar through the sport. “Promotional plans are being put together to encourage the younger generation to attend such a competition, to generate an interest in sports among the young and develop a healthy lifestyle. Through organising such international competitions, we hope to inspire the community and realise more participation from local residents in Qatar,” he added. President of UIPM, Dr Klaus Schormann was effusive in his praise of Qatar for hosting the event successfully in the last three years. “The magical city of Doha is staging this competition for the fourth time and we know that this is always a highlight of the season for our athletes, coaches and fans watching all around the world,” he said yesterday. “One year ago during the 2016 Champion of Champions, we witnessed a very special moment of sportsmanship and also this year I welcome you all to celebrate together wonderful moments through Modern Pentathlon in the spirit of friendship and peace. “For the first time we saw an athlete from Qatar participate at this high level and when he completed his final lap of the Laser-Run, all the other athletes gathered at the finish line to applaud him. This was a true expression of the values of Olympic sport, as established by the founder of the Modern Olympic Games and Modern Pentathlon, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. These values remain central to our sporting movement today,” he added Schormann said the high class field will be in action in Doha. “These are top class athletes of our sport. They all have participated in the Olympics are one of the toughest contenders. We can expect a high-class Modern Pentathlon event amid the high-quality facilities in the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab Arena. Doha is a special pillar of our movement and I thank our hosts for conducting this magnificently over the last three years,” added the German, who has been the head of the global Modern Pentathlon movement since 1993. Schedule Tomorrow Women: Swimming (at QF Recreation Centre 9am) Fencing round-robin  (QFRC 10am) Fencing bonus round (Al Shaqab at 1.15pm) Riding competition (Al Shaqab at 2.55pm) Running & Shooting Combined event (at Al Shaqab, 5pm) Award ceremony (Al Shaqab; 5.45pm).

Hassan al-Thawadi, the Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), has said there will be no restrictions on fans from any country to travel to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.  Hundreds of thousands if football fans from GCC are expected to pour into Qatar to watch the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East.  Al-Thawadi said fans from all countries – including Saudi Arabia – are welcome to watch the mega tournament, despite the blockade of Qatar, which has entered the third month. The SC secretary-general was not concerned that because of the GCC crisis many Gulf fans would not travel to Qatar, even though the World Cup is five years away.  “This is a World Cup. The nature of the football is it’s a game for the people. It’s a game that is meant to differentiate between political ideology and it’s actually promoting unity, more than anything else. From our side everybody is welcome. The whole world is welcome, we have always said that,” al-Thawadi said on Thursday at the unveiling of the Al Thumama Stadium design at the Hamad International Airport.  “This is a World Cup and a platform to bring people together at a time when unity is of utmost importance. Therefore we are not restricting anybody from attending. As a matter of fact, today everybody is welcome. We have not restricted anyone from coming. It will be a shame if people from any GCC country miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch football World Cup in the Middle East. If anyone takes a unilateral action, that is something out of our control,” he said.  The SC secretary general said the 2022 World Cup is an opportunity to promote Middle East unity. “This is a World Cup to bring people together, to promote Middle East unity, culture and heritage. And more importantly it is a platform to bring the east and the west together among many other initiatives that we have, that is the need at this point in time in the world,” he said. “We are in co-ordination with our Arab brothers. In the end, simply put the rest of the Arab world is still supporting this World Cup and they are with us,” al-Thawadi added.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is still five years away but the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) is on track to complete the infrastructure projects well ahead of the event, Supreme Committee Secretary General Hassan al-Thawadi said on Thursday. He was speaking to journalists at the Hamad International Airport where a model of the Al Thumama Stadium, the sixth World Cup stadium to be launched by Qatar, was installed at the main departures hall. The stadium’s design is inspired by the ‘gahfiya’, a traditional woven cap worn for centuries by males in many Arab countries. In Qatar and surrounding countries, men wear the ‘gahfiya’ beneath the ‘ghutra’ (flowing cotton cloth) and ‘agal’ (decorative black rope). The style and even the name of the ‘gahfiya’ varies slightly from country to country, yet it still binds Arab nations together through shared tradition. Designed by renowned Qatari architect Ibrahim al-Jaidah, the Al Thumama Stadium is set to be completed by 2020.  The design of the Al Thumama Stadium Al-Thawadi insisted that the illegal blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt has had no impact on the massive infrastructure projects that are under way to prepare for the World Cup. “Our projects are on track, they are on schedule,” said al-Thawadi. “Projects are being delivered on time. As you can see this is one of the milestones, and we just finished another milestone with the Khalifa Stadium opening. We are on track to complete two more stadiums in 2018. As I have said before, all out projects are on track,” he added. Al Thumama Stadium will seat 40,000 spectators and will host matches leading up to the quarter-final stage when the FIFA World Cup kicks off on November 21, 2022.  “Most of our designs are based upon our unique heritage and culture. This one in particular is based upon our traditional gear. It actually represents what is common between many of our family members and within the GCC and Arab world. And it represents a significant portion of who we are and is part of our tradition,” al-Thawadi said. “Every tournament has its own unique way and flavour, representing its culture. From the very beginning we have said, this is the World Cup for Middle East and Arab world. And it is critical to showcase the richness of heritage, culture and hospitality the Arab world is known for. Therefore every element we have is to promote who we are to the outside world and is part of our vision and commitment towards delivering a successful 2022 and leave a legacy beyond,” he added. The innovative arena is being built by a Qatar-Turkey joint venture (JV) between AlJaber Engineering and Turkey’s largest construction company, Tekfen, with enabling works successfully completed in 2016. Architectural Design Consultant Heerim, who recently worked on the stunning Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan, will also be working on the stadium. The stadium will be equipped with both world-class standards of disabled access and the SC’s revolutionary cooling technology to enable year-round sporting activities after the tournament. The stadium capacity will decrease to 20,000 thanks to demountable modular seating sections which the SC will donate to developing football nations after the tournament. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker, architect Ibrahim al- Jaidah and other dignitaries attended the airport ceremony.

Qatar sealed their spot in the 2018 AFC U-23 championship after a 1-1draw against Syria in their final qualifying match yesterday. The hosts needed just a point to progress to the next year’s event in China as the Group C toppers, and they achieved it after a gruelling battle against Syrians at the Al Sadd stadium. Sultan al-Breik gave Qatar the lead in the 37th minute with a sublime free kick, before Mohamed Muhtadi gave the Syrian dugout a sigh of relief by scoring through a header in the 61st minute.  Around 300 Syrians who cheered for their side at the Al Sadd were also delirious in the end as Syria too qualified for the main event as one of the five best runners-up across all groups. A loss would have been disaster for Syria but they managed to hung in right till the end. While Qatar were clearly a superior side, the physical nature of the game played by Syrians left the hosts exhausted. The game was interrupted many a time with Syrian players lunging at the Qataris and couple of them had to be substituted after picking injuries. The first casualty was Qatar captain Ahmed Moein, who had to be stretchered off the field in the 20th minute with a shoulder injury. Qatar had more possession and threatened the Syrian defence on a number of occasions. They had their first real chance in the 28th minute, but Akram Afif’s shot sailed well above the post. The breakthrough for Qatar came in the 37th minute after Almoez Ali was brought down just outside the box. Qatar had been poor in set-pieces so far in the tournament, but Sultan al-Breik produced an immaculate free kick to the right of the top post, with Syrian goalkeeper Mohamed Yazan Ourabi’s outstretched hands failing to even come close to the ball.  Syria responded with some quick counter-attack, but Qatar defender Tarek Salman, who was outstanding on the night, cleared the danger on two occasions in the 42nd minute. In the very next minute, Syria had a chance to equalise. Substitute Mohamed Srour played a perfect through ball to Al Rahman Barakat, who only had to beat the goalkeeper. But the midfielder while attempting to control the ball handled the ball, which was spotted by the linesman. After the break, Syria started to press more in search of an equaliser and their wait to came to an end in the 61st minute. Moumen Naji wreaked havoc on the left, catching the Qatari defenders unawares. And one such moment came when Naji lobbed into the box, where Mohamed Muhtadi leapt between Qatar defenders Salman and Tameem al-Muhaza to head the ball into the net.  The Syrians, knowing well that a draw would be enough to confirm their ticket to China, were overjoyed as they joined their supporters in celebration. Understandably, both the teams tightened their defence thereafter and were happy to play out a draw.  Syria, however, still had a chance to snatch the game from Qatar. In the 79th minute, Barakat made a delightful pass to Najii, but the forward failed to react quickly as the ball went out of play. Qatar coach Felix Sanchez was pleased with his team’s qualification. “I am very happy for my team. They worked hard during the tournament. Tonight we were good in the first half, but they came back strongly in the second. I want to congratulate the Syrian team too for their qualification,” he said. The Spanish coach said the next year’s AFC Championship will be a golden opportunity for the Qatar under-23 players to learn and graduate to the next well. “My players are fortunate to play in these kinds of tournaments. It will only make them better players. Most of them are born after 1995, so they are still young and they have a lot to learn by playing at this level,” Sanchez said.

Qatar took a giant step towards qualifying for the Asian Under-23 championship after overcoming a resolute India 1-0 in their Group C qualifying match yesterday. The victory at Al Sadd stadium put Qatar in a pole position to qualify for next year’s championship in China, after Syria were held to a 0-0 draw by Turkmenistan in another Group C match. Qatar and Syria were jointly occupying the top spot after their opening fixtures. But after last night’s win over India, the hosts will just need to draw against Syria tomorrow to book their ticket to China. Only group winners will automatically qualify for the AFC U-23 Championship. The five best runners-up across all groups will also qualify for the finals. However, if hosts China win their group or are among the best five runners-up, the sixth best runner-up will also qualify. Despite the victory, it was a lacklustre performance from Qatar, with the inexperienced but spirited Indian team making Felix Sanchez’s side sweat for victory. Qatar wasted plenty of opportunities, and were especially poor in converting corners and set-pieces. Qatar were lucky to get the breakthrough after a lapse of concentration from the Indian goalkeeper, rather than any individual brilliance. After having kept his composure to thwart the Qatari attack in the first half, Vishal Kaith’s misjudgement resulted in a goal for the hosts in the 53rd minute. After receiving a long ball, Ahmed Mohamed al-Sadi headed the ball into the box, where Almoez Ali was stationed. Kaith at that moment rushed in to collect the bouncing ball but only to miss it completely as Ali positioned himself to slot the ball into an open goal. It was much-needed a strike for Qataris but the game was not over yet. Unlike during their loss against Syria, where Indian players fizzled out in the second half after a competitive first-half performance, Stephen Constantine’s boys did not let their guard down this time. They went on offensive in search for an equaliser and were unfortunate not to find the net on couple of occasions. The last ten minutes were particularly frantic as Qatari defenders were kept on tenterhooks. India came closest in the 80th minute when substitute Manvir Singh’s fierce shot hit the crossbar. As the ball bounced back into the box, Qatar were let off again as Jerry Lalrinzuala’s header just went over the bar. With around 1,000 Indian supporters cheering on vociferously, Indians intensified their attacks but were unable to get past Qatar goalkeeper Mohamed al-Bakari. In the 83rd minute, Golui Sarthak went for a header from a corner but al-Bakari managed to latch on to it. The visitors had a couple of goal-scoring chances in the dying minutes from corners and free kicks but failed to deliver a knockout blow. Despite a resolute show, Constantine’s men will miss out on a qualification after having lost both their encounters, with the match against Turkmenistan tomorrow an inconsequential one. For Qatar coach Sanchez the result was bitter-sweet as his star striker Akram Afif, who had a quiet night, went off in the 79th minute after sustaining what looked like an ankle injury. “It was a tough match but we got all three points,” said a relieved Sanchez after the match. “India played a tough game and we didn’t play our game. In the second half we had some good moments but in the last twenty minutes, we had a tough time. Our aim is to ensure qualification in the next game. Syria have very strong potential and it’s going to be a tough game against them,” the Spaniard added. Constantine, who is India’s senior team head coach but took charge of the young guns for the qualifiers in order to ensure a place in the continental elite, was left frustrated after having come so close to taking a point. “Congratulations to Qatar. They were fortunate to score a goal. I am proud of my players,” said the 54-year-old. The British coach rued a silly mistake, albeit a costly one from his goalkeeper, but took heart from another brave performance from his boys. “Some of the boys were playing international football for the first time and they didn’t deserve to lose this game. We lost because of another silly mistake. Another day it would have hit the crossbar and gone inside. They have shown fantastic determination,” Constantine said.

Despite blowing many chances, Qatar scored a comfortable 2-0 win over Turkmenistan in the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers here yesterday. In sweltering conditions at the Al Sadd stadium, Qatar were off to an impressive start, opening up a 2-0 lead within 15 minutes. But as the match progressed, the hosts wasted plenty of opportunities to score, which would have frustrated coach Felix Sanchez on the night. Qatar’s both goals came from the highly-rated Akram Afif, who showed his calibre with a slick display of technique as he found the net with ease. However, the 20-year-old benefited from some impressive build-up play and passing from his teammates. Afif first found the net in the fourth minute but Qatar were lucky to keep the goal, after the ball had clearly gone out of play. A throw-in from the touchline by Abdulrahman Anad was collected by Moez Ali, who ran past two Turkmenistan defenders into the box. But in doing so the Qatar forward clearly took the ball out of play, which was not picked up by the officials. Ali then picked up an unmarked Afif with a great pass, and the forward slotted home to the right of the top post to give Qatar a head-start. Qatar’s play brimmed with belief, with Afif, Moez Ali and skipper Ahmed Moein troubling the opposition. Moein had a golden chance to double the lead, but the captain fired wide, from just inside the box. The second goal, however, was around the corner and it was gifted by the Turkmenistan skipper Atayev Selim in the 15th minute. Anad intercepted a mistimed pass from Selim and laid it on to Moein, who played a perfect through ball to the waiting Afif, who took a couple of deft touches and found the net with ease. From thereon, it looked like it would rain goals from Qatar. But to the dismay of Sanchez and a sizeable home crowd Qatar wasted numerous chances to increase the lead. Moez Ali, playing as central forward, ran in hard with his speed catching the opposition unaware on many occasions but he lacked the finesse to finish as he glanced his header wide off the post, with plenty of open space available. Moez Ali was also brought down in the box couple of times, but the referee waved off the penalty shouts much to the relief of Turkmenistan.  With just three minutes remaining for the half-time, Qatar’s Bassam Alrawi came close in the 43rd minute but his free kick sailed just wide of the right post. Qatar continued to threaten after the break, with Afif carrying much of the workload. Five minutes into the second half, Afif, who plies his trade for Belgian club KAS Eupen on loan from Villarreal, found Moein with just goalkeeper to beat. But the captain sent the ball wide. Turkmenistan, which played most of the game in their own half, defended stoutly, relying on counterattack to score. And their first real chance came in the 53rd minute, when Rejebov Berdimyrat’s left-footed shot was well saved by Qatar goalkeeper Mohammed Ahmed al-Bakari. Afif, meanwhile, was prowling in the opposition box for his hat-trick and he almost had it in the 58th minute. But his low shot was anticipated by keeper Berdiyev Dovletyar, who dived to the left to make a neat save. In the 66th minute, Afif once again looked dangerous as he ran past Turkmenistan defenders after a nice pass from Abdullah Abdulsalam. But Dovletyar was there to deny Qatar’s talisman his much-deserved hat-trick. Sanchez soon replaced Afif by bringing in Nasser Ibrahim al-Nasr, as the Qatar coach chose to preserve his star striker’s energy from the sapping humidity for future matches. Even in the closing stage, Qatar had slew of chances but failed to find the net, which left Sanchez shaking his head in disbelief at the touchline. Qatar’s next match is tomorrow against India, who lost to Syria 0-2 earlier in the day. While Qatar will go into that match too as the overwhelming favourites, Sanchez will hope his boys will show more clinical display than they did against Turkmenistan.

Stephen Constantine is used to the underdog tag. The Indian football national team coach, presently in charge of the India U-23 team, doesn’t mince words when he says his main focus is to produce fine talent than qualify for the AFC U-23 Championship.  Constantine and his boys are in Doha for the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers, where they will battle with hosts Qatar, Syria and Turkmenistan for a place in the main event in China next year.  Only group winners will qualify automatically, with the five best runners-up across all groups also making it through. But Constantine knows what is in front of him and his boys and says he prefers the ‘long-term goals’ rather than churn out quick results.  “I’ve been a person who have always preferred to build a team for the future. I’m working with this bunch of guys so that a few may come up the ranks and land up with the senior national team in the coming days,” said Constantine ahead of his team’s Group C opener against Syria today at Al Sadd stadium.  Unlike in Qatar, where the Under-23 teams play plenty of matches home and away in preparation for the big tournaments, Constantine only had three weeks to assemble the team. A proposed tour to United States was cancelled and they had to contend with two friendly matches against Singapore, in which they won one and lost another.  Unlike Syria, who appeared at the 2014 and 2016 U-23 finals, India are yet to progress further than the qualifiers. And Constantine was keeping the expectations to bare minimum. “There will be difficult matches for us over the next five days, but these are the games you want to play. We will give everything we have and hopefully we can get some positive results,” he said.  The Englishman has been the bedrock of Indian football in his two stints. Under Constantine’s tutelage, India have risen to 96th spot in the FIFA rankings, which is their best in the last two decades.  India were ranked 171 when Constantine took over for the second time in February 2015 but under the 54-year-old there has been meteoric rise. Still more needs to be done, especially at the age-group level, says the Indian senior coach. “India’s FIFA ranking doesn’t have anything to with Under-23 level. It’s a completely different aspect,” said Constantine as a matter of fact. “The reason India doesn’t do well at U-23 level is because we don’t give importance to age groups as we should. In the league we don’t have too many U-23 players.  “We have players with us here who don’t have teams. We have some players who have played just maybe 5-6 games the whole season,” the Englishman, who has also coached Sudan, Malawi, Rwanda and Nepal national teams, noted.  “So if you don’t give importance to these age groups, then we won’t qualify for the major tournaments. This time we have assembled the boys barely three weeks ago. There are players with whom I have not worked before. So it will be very difficult for our players against bigger teams. From this group I expect one or two players to come into the national team and that will be the objective,” Constantine added. The weather in Qatar has been extremely hot throughout but that hasn’t bothered Constantine much. “I don’t think the weather will be a problem. It has been hot in India and we are physically ready for the games,’’ he stated. India have two or three players to watch out for in the tournament. One such player is forward Lalianzuala Changte. The teen sensation from Mizoram, having trained at Liverpool’s youth academy at Kirkby, made his mark, when aged 18, he became the second youngest Indian to score in an international match against Nepal in the SAFF Championship in 2015.  Changte has already made four appearances for the senior side and has drawn comparisons with the Indian great Baichung Bhutia. Top scorer in his debut season in the U-19 I-League, Changte did, though, suffer a setback with the national side when they failed to qualify for the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship in Qatar. However, with football on the rise in India – headlined by the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup the nation will host in October– a new star to lead the beautiful game’s revolution is needed: Changte could be that man. India’s 23-member squad  Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Kamaljit Singh, Sukhadev Patil Defenders: Salam Ranjan Singh, Lalruatthara, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Davinder Singh, Nishu Kumar, Sairuathkima, Sarthak Golui, Kamalpreet Singh Grewal Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Nikhil Poojari, Nandha Kumar, Germanpreet Singh, Mawihmingthanga, Vinit Rai, Robinson Singh, Lallianzuala Changthe Forwards: Hitesh Sharma, Alen Deory, Manvir Singh, Daniel Lalhlimpuia.

Felix Sanchez looked unperturbed on the eve of the Asian Under-23 Championship qualifier yesterday. The Spanish coach has too many things on his plate these days. Besides managing the Under-23 Qatar team, Sanchez has also been the given the task of overseeing the Qatar national team, albeit temporarily, after Uruguayan Jorge Fossati resigned abruptly last month. Sanchez will prepare Qatar for their remaining 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Syria and China. But before that, the Spaniard has tough task of ensuring his U-23 team qualify for next year’s AFC U-23 Championship in China 2018. With the Group C qualifying matches to be held in Doha over the next five days, starting from today, the pressure will be on Sanchez to deliver. However, on the tournament eve, the Spanish coach was calm and composed, confident his team can deliver on the home turf.  “We have been training for the last few weeks for the competition. All the three matches are going to be tough but we are ready in terms of preparation. We want to win all three matches and qualify for the Asian Cup,” said Sanchez in the press conference yesterday.  Qatar will take on Turkmenistan in their opening match today at Al Sadd stadium today, followed by India on Friday and Syria on Sunday. Only group winners will automatically qualify for next year’s main event. The five best runners-up across all groups will also qualify for the finals. However, if hosts China win their group or are among the best five runners-up, the sixth best runner-up will also qualify. Sanchez, who has been involved with U-23 boys for a long time, having coached them at the U-16 and U-18 level, said his team had the ability to win all three matches and take the direct route to the qualification. “The boys are very motivated to play these matches. A lot of these players played for Qatar in the under-18 and under-16 age groups and they know what they are going to face. And they are looking forward to playing the first game tomorrow,” he said. The Qatar coach said his boys were ready after intense preparations which included a few practice matches.  “We have been preparing for these games for the last few weeks and we are looking forward to the qualifiers. These three games are surely going to be tough, but we’ll try to perform well and we’ll try to reach our first objective which is to qualify for the Asian Championships. We have to stay very competitive for that,” said Sanchez. In the previous edition of the championship held in Qatar, the hosts finished fourth, losing to Iraq in extra-time in the third place play-off. And some of the players who featured in the 2016 tournament, will also be available this time, which will give Qatar much-needed experience of big competitions. Asim Madiboo and Akram Afif again form the core of the team and Sanchez said their experience would be invaluable. “The boys have performed well last edition but this is a new tournament and we’ve to start from the scratch. It’s time for us to execute our plans on the pitch. There are few players who play in the senior national team. While for the rest it’s an opportunity to show they can also represent the senior team,” Sanchez said. Turkmenistan are missing few players to injuries but coach Agamyradov Ahmet was hopeful the available squad can spring some surprises in the tournament.  “We have three difficult matches. We have some players who have not travelled because of injuries. But we will try to do well with the players we have,” said Ahmet.   “Qatar has some good players. I have some information and know some of their players. I know Afif is very a good player but there are others too. It will be a good match. They have players with good mentality and it will be a huge challenge for my side,” added the Turkmenistan coach.   Schedule  Today:   India vs Syria at 5pm Qatar vs Turkmenistan at 8pm  Friday      Turkmenistan vs Syria at 5pm India vs Qatar at 8pm Sunday  India vs Turkmenistan at 5pm Qatar vs Syria at 8pm (All matches at Al Sadd Sports Club)

Having been labelled as the rising star of gymnastics, teenager Liu Tingting justified the tag yesterday by winning the two gold medals at the 10TH FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha. Barely 16 years of age, Tingting made heads turn when she performed at the Aspire Dome on the final day of the championship. Despite being very short, the Chinese is sensational in her movements and that was on display in abundance yesterday. She first struck gold in the Balance Beam, where Tingting was second last to perform. With Catalina Ponor, a triple gold medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, already occupying the top spot, Tingting needed something special to usurp the Romanian. And the teenager executed it to perfection, not losing her balance in the highly difficult apparatus, where not falling of the beam is essential. The Chinese star picked up highest execution score of 8.366 and a total of 14.466 to pip Ponor, who had collected 13.900 points. The third place also went to China with Huan Luo finishing on 13.700. Australia’s Emily Little, who won a bronze at the Melbourne leg last month, came fourth (13.200). “I am satisfied with my overall performance,” Ponor told reporters after collecting her silver medal. “Tingting is a star in the making. She has been very impressive and I wish her luck,” added the Romanian.        Tingting claimed her second gold of the evening in the Floor Exercise, her strongest and also most favourite apparatus. Twisting and turning like a spring, she performed brilliantly to amass 13.366. Australia’s Emily Little (13.133) came second followed by Croatia’s Ana Derek (12.900). Uzbekistan’s 41-year-old Oksana Chusovitina, who won gold in Vault on Friday, was unable to produce any magic as she finished last (12.266) among eight finalists. Tingting would have been delighted with her performance in Doha, having had to a difficult last year. The Chinese girl had missed out on Rio Olympics participation after suffering a hand injury while training on Parallel Bars. And she seems to making up for that misfortune. She had also qualified for the Uneven Bars final, but had failed to finish on the podium on Friday. Meanwhile, China also won two of the three gold medals on offer in the men’s section. Zhou Jingyuan picked up his second medal in the competition, winning gold in the Parallel Bars. Zhou, who won a bronze in the Rings on the first day, collected an impressive 15.900 points. Germany’s Marcel Nguyen came second (15.066), while Switzerland’s Pablo Braegger finished third (14.800). In the last event of the Championship, Ruoteng Xiao completed China’s domination, when he won in the Horizontal Bar with 14.533 points. Tin Sribic of Croatia took bronze (14.400) and Switzerland’s Christian Baumann silver (14.166). Meanwhile, Vietnam’s Thanh Tung Le had a perfect landing to win the men’s vault final, where there was no Chinese participation. Tung Le scored 14.733 points, to push Armenia’s Artur Davytan, a crowd favourite, to second spot. Davytan executed his Vault perfectly, but could not match Tung Le and came second with 14.433 while Finland’s Heikki Saarenketo (14.366) finished third. Around 240 gymnasts and officials from 30 countries participated in the four-day championship. Apart from the World Cup next year, the Qatar Gymnastics Federation will also host the World Championships in October 2018.        RESULTS (FINALS) Men’s Vault 1. Thanh Tung Le (VIE) 14.733 2. Artur Davytan (ARM) 14.433 3. Heikki Saarenketo (FIN) 14.366 Women’s Balance Beam 1. Liu Tingting (CHN) 14.466 2. Catalina Ponor (ROU) 13.900 3. Huan Luo (CHN) 13.700 Men’s Parallel Bars 1. Zhou Jingyuan (CHN) 15.900 2. Marcel Nguyen (GER) 15.066 3. Pablo Braegger (SUI) 14.800 Women’s Floor Exercise 1. Liu Tingting (CHN) 13.366 2. Emily Little (AUS) 13.133 3. Ana Derek (CRO) 12.900 Men’s Horizontal Bars 1. Xiao Ruoteng (CHN) 14.533 2. Tin Srbic (CRO) 14.400 3. Christian Baumann (SUI) 14.166

The lifespan of a gymnast is known to be very short. Try telling that to Oksana Chusovitina and she will beg to differ. At 42, the Uzbek is breaking all the barriers associated with the sport. At the Rio Olympics last August, Chusovitina became the oldest Olympic gymnast in history, appearing in her seventh Games. While she returned empty handed from Rio and announced her retirement, a few months later she had a change of heart and was back in the gym, getting ready for the new season. Yesterday at the Aspire Dome, Chusovitina showed why she is one of the miracles of sport as she clinched gold in the 10th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha. The 1992 Olympic team gold medallist blasted her competition on Vault with a solid performance, even if she didn’t attempt the uber-difficult Produnova vault that she showed last summer in Rio. This was her second consecutive World Cup gold, repeating her feat from Baku, Azerbaijan last week.   In front of a packed, weekend crowd, Chusovitina leapt, twisted and swung to a thunderous applause. The Uzbek stunning vault shot her onto to the top of leaderboard with 14.166 points and pipped Australia’s emerging star Emily Little to second place. Little tallied 14,099, only 0.067 points behind Chusovitina. Just 0.016 points adrift was Slovenia’s Teja Belak, who took home bronze medal. “I do a lot of mental training,” Chusovitina, who has a 16-year-old son, had said recently. “I typically put in two hours in the gym. Then I visualise exactly how the skill needs to be done, and I know exactly what my body needs to be doing.” There could be more magic from Chusovitina today, as she is in the fray for her second gold in Doha when she competes in the Balance Beam final. Meanwhile, Chia-Hung Tang of Chinese Taipei produced a stunning show in the Floor Exercise to win gold. The 20-year-old’s perfect routine impressed the judges as he aggregated 14.366 points, just 0.100 more than second-placed Kazakhstan’s 17-year-old Milad Karimi. Marian Dragulescu of Romania had to settle for silver, after accumulating 14.100 points. The 36-year-old Dragulescu is one of the legends of the sport, having won an impressive tally of 29 Olympic, World or European Championships medals in his illustrious career. He was fancied to win gold in Doha yesterday, but had no answer to his younger opponents’ skills. The podium finishers of the event received their medals from Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Dr. Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari who also watched the proceedings of the finals.    There was no surprise in the Pommel Horse apparatus as Krisztian Berki, the 2012 Olympics gold medalist, won in his favourite discipline after registering 14.933 points. China’s Ruoteng Xiao (14.800) and Armenian Artur Davtyan (14.066) completed the podium line-up. In women’s Uneven Bars final, Huan Luo of China took gold medal with 14.433 points. Hungary’s Kovacs Zsofia (13.066) and Aussie Georgia-Rose Brown (13.033) claimed silver and bronze medals respectively. In men’s rings final what was the last event of the day, Armenia’s Artur Tovmasyan outstanding performance fetched him the gold with 15.133 points. Igor Radivilov of Ukraine grabbed silver with 15.066 points followed by China’s Zou Jingyuan, who got 15.033 points for bronze medal. Today, the final day of the championship, will see five finals - three in men’s and two in women’s. The male gymnasts will be battling for honours in vault, parallel bars and horizontal bars while women’s events include finals of balance beam and floor exercise.     Results Women’s Vault 1. Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) 14.166 2. Emily Little (AUS) 14.099 3. Teja Belak (SLO) 14.083 Men’s Floor Exercise 1. Chia-Hung Tang (TPE) 14.366 2. Milad Karimi (KAZ) 14.266 3. Marian Dragulescu (ROU) 14.100 Men’s Pommel Horse 1. Krisztian Berki (HUN) 14.933 2. Ruoteng Xiao (CHN) 14.800 3. Artur Davtyan (ARM) 14.066 Women’s Uneven Bars 1. Huan Luo (CHN) 14.433 2. Kovacs Zsofia (HUN) 13.066 3. Georgia-Rose Brown (AUS) 13.033 Men’s Rings 1. Artur Tovmasyan (ARM) 15.133 2. Igor Radivilov (UKR) 15.066 3. Zou Jingyuan (CHN) 15.033

A host of World and Olympic Champions will take centre stage when the 10th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup begins at the Aspire Dome from today. For the first time in tournament’s history, the event will be held over four days – with the first two days reserved for qualification and the last two for the finals. The championship is part of a two-year FIG Individual Apparatus World Cup circuit, which began in November last year and will conclude in March 2018.  Based on their rankings at World Cup stops, gymnasts gain points in the Individual standings. A gymnast with the highest points at the end of the series is crowned World Cup champion in their discipline.  The Qatar Gymnastics Federation has hosted the annual event from 2008. The 10th edition has attracted 111 gymnasts – 80 men and 31 women – from 31 countries, and is just a glimpse of what Doha can offer, with the city hosting the World championships in October 2018. Gymnasts are coming off after participating in Baku, Azerbaijan last week. And once again all eyes will be on five-time Olympic medallist Catalina Ponor in Doha. At 29, the Romanian veteran is not showing any signs of slowing down. After a disappointing Rio Olympics, where she failed to get into the podium, Ponor has begun 2017 in splendid fashion. She won the gold in both the Balance Beam and Floor Exercise in Baku and will be hoping to repeat the same this week.  Ponor is preparing for next month’s European Championships, which will be held in her home country Romania for the first time in 60 years and the gymnast is upbeat about her chances.  Interestingly, Ponor is not the oldest gymnast to take centre stage in Doha. With a record seven Olympic Games under her belt, 41-year-old Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan is still going strong. The 1992 Olympic team gold medallist topped the Vault event with a solid performance in Baku, even if she didn’t attempt the uber-difficult Produnova vault that she showed last summer in Rio. In the men’s, 2012 Olympic champion Krisztian Berki lost out on Pommel Horse to China’s Weng Hao last week. Though Hao will not be in action in Doha, Berki will be attempting to make amends for his second place finish in Baku. Lithuania’s Tomas Kuzmickas is another one to watch out for, having qualified for three event finals and winning a gold on Floor Exercise and bronze on Horizontal Bar in the last event.  In the Vault, Australian Chris Remkes is in fine form. After finishing second before his home crowd in Melbourne a month ago, Remkes finally got gold in Baku.  Remkes will be in action in floor, pommel horse and vault and will lead a strong Australian contingent, with other members being Mitchell Morgans (Parallel and Horizontal), Clay Stephens (Floor, Vault and Parallel Bars) and Michael Tone (pommel horse and rings). “It’s going to be an exciting World Cup in Doha. I hope to do well,” said Remkes, who was born in the Philippines, but moved to Australia at a young age. In the women’s section, Australian challenge will be held by Emily Little, who claimed gold in floor, silver in vault and bronze medal in balance at the Melbourne leg of the FIG World Cup. Little will lead a four-member Australian women’s team that also includes Georgia-Rose Brown, Rianna Mizzen and Emma Nedov. Last month Meanwhile, two young Qatari gymnasts Ahmed Mosa and Jana Elkiki will make their senior debut. Mosa and Elkiki will join Ahmed al-Dayani, who has been regular at the World Cup for the last few years. Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF) president Ali al-Hitmi believes it will be a good opportunity for the local gymnasts to rub shoulders with the international athletes and gain some valuable experience.  “This will be a great event for our gymnasts. The Qatar squad has been preparing well and we expect them to shine at the home event. We will be hosting the 10th edition of the event and every year we field our own gymnasts. We have made significant progress over the years,” al-Hitmi said.

Scottish star Scott Brash and his brilliant 16-year-old mare Ursula XII clinched the Grand Prix title with a commanding run at the CHI Al Shaqab yesterday. The formidable combination took top honours in the CSI5* 1.60m class, which carried a whopping €500,000 in prize money, jumping double clear and then setting the fastest time in the four-way jump-off. Brash was first to go in the jump-off and he produced a daring performance, drawing gasps from the crowd, as he delivered the winning round. The two-time Global Champions Tour winner Brash and Ursula XII negotiated the highly technical course with ease to stop the clock in 45.21 seconds. “Quite excited to have won and delighted that she (Ursula XII) did very well. It was a tight contest and glad to have come through. I couldn’t be happier with Ursula’s performance tonight. This top mare delivered three spectacular clear rounds to take the win,” said Brash, who is a London Olympic gold medallist in the team event. “With all the upkeep of the horses, the money goes away quite quickly,” the 31-year-old said of what he would do with his winning pursue of €165,000. “I will be heading to Stuttgart, Germany for a competition next. We have some very good horses including one bred by my father so I am looking ahead to that event,” the Scott added. Turkey’s Omer Karaevli tried to beat Brash’s time with his 12-year old gelding Roso au Crosnier, but could only come home in 45,98 seconds. The runner-up finish gave Karaevli €100,000 and he would be happy with his effort as it came in a star-studded field of 41 combinations. The fastest time in the jump-off was set by Spain’s Pilar Lucrecia Cordon, who with 10-year-old mare Galihne La Cour Zichelhof crossed the finish line in 44.46 seconds. But the pair picked up a penalty, which pushed them to third place, as Cordon had to be content with €52,500. Christian Ahlmann was also faster than Brash as well, but his 17-year- old Taloubet Z hit one fence and the German rider and his stallion ended in fourth place. It was another masterful performance by World No. 1 Isabel Werth of Germany as she won the dressage Grand Prix Freestyle yesterday. Riding Don Johnson Frh, Werth scored a number of 8s and 9s in her test to finish on a score of 81.275%. Werth is the most successful equestrian Olympian ever having contested in five Olympics, winning ten medals and six of those gold. Catherine Dufour gave Werth a run for her money with Atterupgaards Cassidy to score 80.775% but the Danish rider had to settle for second place. Anna Kasprzak, also of Denmark, took third spot with Donperignon tallying 78.700%. Earlier, university student Khalid Mohammed A S al-Emadi secured a superb win in front of his home crowd in the CSI3* 1.45m class. The Qatari partnered his 17-year-old mare Tamira IV to set a winning time of 39.63 seconds. Italian Emanuele Gaudiano won the CSI5* speed class with his stallion Chestnut in a time of 60.34. Jordan’s Ibrahim Hani Bisharat and his mare Brown Sugar finished just a fraction behind Gaudiano on 60.61. The Netherlands’ Markell va der Vlueten had his best result of the show with a third place finish on VDL Group Quatro in 60.94 seconds. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ramzy Hamad al-Duhami finally got his big break in the CSI3* Accumulator class, having previously finished second twice with his horse High Quality J. Al-Duhami pulled out all the stops to record the maximum number of points in the fastest time of 46.79 seconds. The second place went to Columbian Andres Penalosa, who finished in a time of 65.00 seconds with Tenor de Rouhet. Qatari rider Jabber Rashid al-Amri came third with Canavaro de Muze (E.T), stopping the clock in 48.47 seconds.

Martin Fuchs produced a masterful performance with his stallion Chaplin to win the CSI5* 1.55m class, the feature event of yesterday’s CHI Al Shaqab. The Switzerland rider and his 10-year-old horse were in the class of their own as they trumped nine other riders in the jump-off to clinch the €154,000 money event at the Al Shaqab arena. Fuchs was second last to get off the blocks with Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels’ time of 37.47 seconds to beat. And Fuchs knew exactly what to do, as he marshalled Chaplin with some breathtaking turns and speed to stop the clock in 36.91 seconds and pocket €38,500. Bruynseels had himself put in an immaculate round with 11-year-old mare Gancia de Muze in a highly technical course, which had many difficult twists and turns. Another Belgian rider Pieter Devos was the last to go with 12-year-old gelding Apart Larino and looked good for most of the course, but the pair could only finish in 37.64 seconds and settle for third spot. CHI Al Shaqab will conclude today with another full day of competitions. The marquee event – CSI5* Grand Prix, which carries a whopping €500,000 in prize money is the one to watch out for and will bring curtains to the championship. Meanwhile, Kevin Staut won the CSI5* 1.50m class as the Frenchman blazed across the course aboard his 13-year-old Elky van het Indihof Hdc. The pair finished more the two seconds ahead of Henrik Von Eckermann, who claimed the second spot. Staut pushed the paddle with his bay and produced a clear round in 63.24 seconds. Von Eckermann followed with his stallion Chacanno but was not quite as fast coming home in 65.38 seconds. “I finished fifth yesterday with this mare so I was really pleased to win in this class. It is a great venue with a big arena and good facilities. It is nice to come here in the winter as in France and Europe it is cold at the moment. I will be riding my other horse Aran in the Grand Prix tomorrow,” said Staut. The third spot went to Ibrabim Hani Bisharat, the Jordan rider and his mare Brown Sugar finishing in 65.50, just hundredths of a second ahead of Italian Piergiogio Bucci and the gelding Hearthbraker vd Achterhoe.   In the CSI 3*, which is part of the second and final leg of the Doha Tour conducted by the Qatar Equestrian Federation and is held concurrently with the CHI Al Shaqab, Qatari rider Salman Mohammed A S al-Emadi delighted the home crowd cruising to victor in the Against the Clock 1.45m class. Al-Emadi, riding his 16-year-old gelding Zorro Z, was one of the only three to jump clear. The Qatari posted a winning time of 67.10 seconds, which was nearly four seconds ahead of second-placed Ramzy Hamad al-Duhami. Saudi Arabia’s al-Duhami astride High Quality came home in 70.89 seconds. He had finished in runner-up in one of Thursday’s CSI3* classes and will be hoping to go one better today. Finishing some five seconds behind in third was Frenchman Frederic David with stallion Baloussini.   After tasting a victory at the magnificent Al Shaqab arena, al-Emadi was hoping to take part in the CSI5* events next year. “I have been riding for a long time and started show jumping because my father was a big supporter of the sport. It is great to see how the sport has grown in Qatar. I hope to compete in the five star next year,” said the Qatari.