THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Noor Al Hawa, Mon’nia and Tarek Du Soleil yesterday clinched top honours on the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle Day by winning the feature races in the eventful 29th Race Meeting at the Al Rayyan Park.

Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Noor Al Hawa (FR) stormed to fourth victory in a row, winning the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle, with jockey Alberto Sanna getting a lucrative win in yesterday’s final race.

The Georges Mikhalides-trained 8YO horse recorded a length win over Hellenistique, ridden by jockey Marco Casa-mento in the $100,000 race to pocket $57,000 with the runners-up receiving $22,000. Seeyoubyme, with Ivan Rossi, in the saddle grabbed third spot for a prize purse of $11,000.

In yesterday’s penultimate feature race, Tomas Lukasek rode H E Sheikha Yasmeen bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Mon’nia to victory in $100,000 H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (Gr3 PA). The Julian Smart-trained

5YO mare defeated Al Naama, helmed by Soufiane Saadi by 3L to win $57,000. Team Al Naama bagged $22,000 for second finish with team Ginkeau, steered by Sanna to third place getting richer by $11,000.

Ridden by Faleh Bughanaim, Tarek Du Soleil topped the $100,000 H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al

Thani Trophy – yesterday’s third feature race - after defeating Hadjira De Flauzins - helmed by Casamento, who sealed his hat-trick of title wins earlier last evening. The Debbie Mountain-trained and Eng. Hassan Ali A M Alabdulmalik-owned colt’s neck win lent the side a handsome winning purse of $57,000. The runner-up side

received $22,000 while team First Classs, who finished third, got richer by $11,000.

In first of yesterday’s several races offering $40,000 as prize money, jockey Casamento clinched first of his three titles by guiding Jassim Ghazali-trained 8YO horse Ateej to ¼-length win at the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani

Trophy (P/A). There was also a tough fight in the $40,000 H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (T/B), which saw Dominus (IRE), with Sanna in the saddle, taking the title with a half-length win to bag top prize of $22,800.

Soufiane, teaming up with Black Pearl, registered thrilling 1/2 –length win in the 1850m run victory to win the H E Sheikh J’oaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (L T/B). The Bader Al Balushi-trained 5YO gelding lent his team a top prize of $22, 800 in the $40,000 competition.

There was success for Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari’s Soldierpoy too as the Jason Watson-rode gelding recorded a neck win over Thunderstone, ridden by Sanna, to capture the $40,000 H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (3YO T/B).

Earlier, Casamento rode

Injaaz Stud’s Izzthatright to win in the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy to claim top prize of $22,800 in the $40,000 race. The Zuhair Mohsen-trained 9YO gelding was in fine form as it outpaced Taxiwala, helmed by JP Guil-lambert. Also yesterday, H H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani’s homebred Khata-faynee clinched the Local Purebred Arabian Novice Cup defeating AJS Berline by a length in the 7f run to bag top prize in the $20,000 race. Lukasek was at the helm of 5YO horse trained by Julian Colin Smart.

In the $10,000 Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate – yesterday’s first race – Ali bin Thamer bin Ali Al Mehshadi’s homebred Khanoor emerged victorious with Casamento in the saddle.

SportFRIDAY 29 JANUARY 2021

Late wickets spoil South Africa’s good workThe wicket has started to take turn and there is also some bounce for the spinners. Tomorrow, we will try to bowl them out quickly so that we do not have to chase that many runs for victory.

Sport | 15Pakistan spinner Yasir Shah

LTsbth

PPPPP

NBA RESULTS: Indiana 116-106 Charlotte; Brooklyn 132-128 Atlanta; Utah 116-104 Dallas; Denver 109-82 Miami; Golden State 123-111 Minnesota

Al Duhail can reach FIFA Club World Cup final, says Ali Afif

FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers: Qatar to host 3 groups in February windowTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

The location of Group A games in the upcoming February window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers has been changed to Doha. The FIBA Regional Office Asia yesterday confirmed the change of the original venue - Clark, Philippines - to Qatari capital due to the extension of the travel ban imposed by the Filipino author-ities. FIBA had earlier announced the change of Group B venue to Doha from Tokyo, Japan. Group E (Qatar, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia) matches will also take place in Doha. The qualifiers will be held from February 17-23.

Jockey Alberto Sanna guiding Noor Al Hawa to win the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle (T/B).

H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle (T/B)Horse: Noor Al Hawa (FR), Trainer: Georges Mikhalides, Jockey: Alberto SannaH E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (Gr3 PA)Mon'nia (FR), Julian Smart, Tomas LukasekH E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (4YO P/A)Tarek Du Soleil (FR), Deborah Mountain, Faleh BughanaimH E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (P/A)Ateej (USA), Gassim Ghazali, Marco CasamentoH E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (T/B)Dominus (IRE), Stefano Ibido, Alberto SannaH E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (L T/B)Black Pearl (QA), Bader Al Balushi, Soufiane SaadiH E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (3YO T/B)Soldierpoy (GB), Mohammed Hussain Afroz, Jason WatsonH E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (T/B)Izzthatright (IRE), Zuhair Mohsen, Marco CasamentoLocal Purebred Arabian Novice CupKhatafaynee (QA), Julian Smart, Tomas LukasekLocal Purebred Arabian Maiden PlateKhanoor (QA), Zuhair Mohsen, Marco Casamento

Noor Al Hawa, Mon’nia and TarekDu Soleil clinch top honours

Qatar Olympic Committee President, H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani gestures after presenting His Excellency’s Rifle to Ali Bin Hamad Bin Ali Al Attiyah - representative of Al Wasmiyah Farm-owned Noor Al Hawa.

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Al Duhail star Ali Afif is ready to make his second appearance at the FIFA Club World in exactly a week, but with a different team this time.

The former Al Sadd player who made his first appearance in the premier club com-petition a decade ago, told FIFA.com that believes this time Al Duhail can do what his previous team couldn't.

“I’m delighted to be one of the few Qatari players to play in the Club World Cup twice, which is not some-thing many players can say,” Afif told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview.

“It’s always pleasing to equal records but we’ve got the ability to reach the final and go one step further than Al Sadd did in 2011. We need a bit of luck to do that. And when it comes to knockout matches you also need to use your head some-times,” Afif, brother of Al Sadd star Akram, added.

Afif, aged 23 then, played an important role for Al Sadd who won the AFC Champions League title which helped them book

the ticket for FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011.

Though he missed Al Sadd’s 2-1 win over ES de Tunis and a 4-0 semi-final defeat to Barcelona – Afif came on for the last 18 minutes of the match for third place against host team Kashiwa Reysol, a game Al Sadd won 5-3 on penalties.

A month after his maiden FIFA Club World Cup appearance, Afif joined Lekhwiya Club, which later became Al Duhail SC. Since then, he has been playing a key role in his

team's success, helping the club to win six QNB Stars League title.

Al Duhail's latest title win came last

season which e v e n t u a l l y

earned them a place at the FIFA Club World Cup

Q a t a r 2020.

A l

Duhail received a bye into the second round of Qatar 2020 when their first-round opponents Auckland City, pulled out due to the nation’s coronavirus restrictions.

Afif and Al Duhail will now face the reigning African champions Al Ahly.

Afif told FIFA.com that Al Ahly is one of the biggest sides in Africa, but Al Duhail will set their eyes beyond the February 4 clash which will take place at the Education City Stadium.

"They were named the continent’s club of the 20th century. We’ll see what happens against the African champions but it’s 11 versus 11,” he added.

“If we beat Al Ahly, we’ll then play Bayern Munich, but we have to face the African champions first. We have to prepare and focus on how to play them because they’re a great side too,” Afif said.

Afif was part of the Qatar team that won the country’s first ever AFC Asian Cup title in 2019 and now his aim is to use his expe-rience and help his young Al Duhail team-mates make history.

“I’d like to thank Al Sadd, Al Duhail and the Qatar Football Association for showing faith in me and my football career. I’ll use all my experience for the good of the team. It makes me really happy that the players are proud of me and proud of having me by their side at Al Duhail,” Afif said.

H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle Day at Al Rayyan Park

Representatives of Tarek Du Soleil celebrate after their H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani 4YO P/A victory.

Al Duhail's Ali Afif celebrates with a team-mate in this

file photo.

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The 2021 Qatar International Rally roars into life at Katara this evening with the cere-monial start podium set to be held at 8:15pm before teams will tackle two runs and two laps of a purpose-built super special stage from 9:30pm.

Then, ahead of an impressive field of drivers and co-drivers from 12 nations are two days of high-speed com-petition across the northern deserts of the State of Qatar that will make the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Cham-pionship (MERC) such a challenge.

Run under the rigorous pro-tocols put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, all nec-essary precautions have been taken. Teams have now com-pleted their reconnaissance of the desert special stages and attention turns to setting the cars up in preparation for the rigours that lie ahead over the weekend.

Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani works for the Qatar Olympic Committee, but international rallying is a far cry from the member of the Qatari Royal Family’s normal day-to-day routine. Al Thani has decided to venture into the world of motor sport and has teamed up with Motorsport Italia to run a Škoda Fabia Evo with co-driver Hamad Al Yafei.

Sheikh Suhaim has never taken part in a rally before and has never driven competitively either.

He’s not expecting to be pushing his R5 rivals at all and the goal is to finish the rally and gain experience over some of the most challenging desert terrain in the Middle East. He managed to work with his team and test the car for the first time earlier this week.

The big guns at the head of the entry list have also found time to carry out a shakedown test in an area of desert close to the Losail Sports Arena.

This marked an excellent opportunity for international

rally star Kris Meeke to get up close and personal with the challenges he will face on his MERC debut.

The Ulsterman and his regular WRC navigator Sebastian Marshall are rallying in a privately-entered Škoda Fabia Evo run by Sports Racing Technologies (SRT).

“It is nice to see the Qatar desert on a small test in the SRT Škoda” said Meeke.

“It looks nice to drive here, a new challenge in more open and fast terrain. For sure, I need good notes on the recce to understand the road and see the visibility of the stages and make good lines. It’s a big challenge to race the guys with Qatar experience, but I’ll bring my best to the stages.” SRT is a Latvia-based operation and works in numerous motor sporting disciplines, including special stage rallies and cross-country events, and is also running Qatar’s Khalid Al-Suwaidi on his home event.

Al Suwaidi teamed up with Adel Abdulla to finish fifth in the 2019 rally and the 2012 Kuwait International Rally winner has returned on this occasion with the Portuguese co-driver Hugo Magalhães.

The latter finished ninth and third in MERC 2 with Abdullah Al Kuwari at the Qatar Interna-tional Rally in 2019.

Defending regional champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah also made use of the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of his Autotek

Motorsport-run Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 after spending much of January battling his way across the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia to finish second in the Dakar Rally in a Toyota Hilux.

Al Attiyah won the Qatar International Rally for the 14th time when it was last held in 2019 and that marked the first regional success for the Volkswagen.

That victory set the winner of a record-breaking 75 MERC event wins up for his 15th regional title and he made it 16 during a 2020 season that was shortened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al Atya and Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and Oman’s Abdullah Al Rawahi drive the other three R5s in a formidable line-up that opens the door for some fascinating competition over the weekend.

Al Atya was a regular com-petitor in the MERC throughout the 1990s and finished as runner-up in the title race to the late Sheikh Hamed bin Eid Al-Thani in 1993.

He moved into senior FIA officialdom throughout the early 2000s and made a return to the hot seat a few years ago and has been a regular sup-porter of the regional rally series ever since.

Al Atya teams up with Leb-anese co-driver Georges Nader in a Ford Fiesta R5 run by Motortune under the man-agement of 14-time Rally of Lebanon winner Roger Feghali.

Al Rawahi is a young talent on the MERC scene and grad-uated from MERC 2 to drive a fully-fledged R5 car.

The Omani is working with his Oman Rally Team and Jor-danian navigator Ata Al Hmoud

with technical advice from Feghali.

The pairing finished 10th and fourth in MERC 2 in Qatar in 2019 and Al-Rawahi finished as runner-up to Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah in last year’s MERC.

The new FIA T4 category is now permitted on gravel rounds of the MERC and, subject to scrutineering checks, Qatar’s Khalid Al-Mohannadi (Polaris), Lebanon’s Jad Al Aawar (Can-Am) and the talented Saudi driver Saleh Al-Saif (Can-Am) will give their light-weight vehicles an airing in the desert.

These cars are normally seen on cross-country events, such as the Dakar or the Qatar

Cross-Country Rally, but are a welcome inclusion in the MERC.

This weekend’s Qatar Inter-national Rally will be held under the chairmanship of QMMF President Abdulrahman Al-Mannai, senior committee member Abdulrazaq Al-Kuwari and the QMMF’s Executive Director Amro Al Hamad.

Today vehicles will be checked for compliance with FIA technical checks in scruti-neering at Losail. Subject to conforming with the require-ments, crews will then head to Katara for the start ceremony and opening super special stage. There will also be a National Rally category running behind the main event.

Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani’s new team.

15FRIDAY 29 JANUARY 2021SportAl Attiyah the man to beat as Sheikh Suhaim eyes strong show on debut

Stage set for Qatar International Rally

Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah tests his VW before the Qatar International Rally.

Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani

2021 QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY – LEADING STARTERS (TOP 10)1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Volkswagen Polo GTI R52. Kris Meeke (GBR)/Sebastian Marshall (GBR) Škoda Fabia R53. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/James Fulton (IRL) Škoda Fabia R5 Evo 4. Meshari Al Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser Al Kuwari (QAT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X (MERC 2)5. Henry Kahy (LEB)/Carlos Hanna (LEB) Škoda Fabia 1.66. Abdullah Al-Ruwahi (OMN)/Ata Hmoud (JOR) Ford Fiesta R57. Nasser Khalifa Al Atya (QAT)/Georges Nader (LEB) Ford Fiesta R5 8. Khalid Al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Hugo Magalhães (POR) Škoda Fabia R59. Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani (QAT)/Hamad Al-Yafei (QAT) Škoda Fabia R5 Evo10. Jassim Al Muqahwi (KWT)/Thamer Al Mutairi (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X (MERC 2)

Late wickets spoil South Africa’s good workREUTERS — KARACHI

Aidan Markram and Rassie van der Dussen produced patient half centuries but Pakistan grabbed three late wickets as South Africa reached 187 for four in their second innings at the close on day three of a see-saw first Test in Karachi.

The tourists lead by 29 runs and have wiped out a first innings deficit after they trailed by 158 having earlier yesterday bowled Pakistan out for 378.

Captain Quinton de Kock has yet to score and will resume on the fourth morning with night-watchman Keshav Maharaj

(2 not out), the pair looking to push South Africa towards a total that will give them something to defend in Pakistan’s fourth innings.

Their situation looked a lot brighter 30 minutes before the close but Paki-stan’s spinners grabbed three big wickets as the shadows lengthened on the day.

Markram (74 from 224 balls) put on 127 for the second wicket with Van der Dussen (64 from 151) to get their team into the lead, but the latter was caught at silly mid-off by Abid Ali from the bowling of leg-spinner Yasir Shah (3-53).

The tourists were dealt a

further blow when Faf du Plessis (10) was trapped leg before wicket by the dan-gerous Shah, but worse was to come as the set Markram was dismissed in the next over, also caught at silly mid-off, though from the bowling of Nauman Ali.

Opener Dean Elgar (29) was the other wicket to fall having earlier taken a nasty

blow on the hand. He never looked settled after that and was caught by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan off Yasir. X-rays have revealed no fracture.

Pakistan’s lower order frustrated the visitors in the morning session as they took the attack to the bowlers.

After they resumed on 308 for eight, seamer Kagsiso

Rabada (3-70) picked up his 200th Test wicket when he bowled Hasan Ali (21), becoming the fourth youngest player to reach the milestone.

But the final Pakistan pair of Yasir (38 not out) and Nauman (24) added 55 for the final wicket before the latter was leg before wicket to spinner Maharaj (3-90).

Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan

takes a catch to dismiss South Africa's

Dean Elgar off Yasir Shah's delivery during

third day of first Test in Karachi.

South Africa 1st innings 220 Pakistan 1st innings (overnight 308-8)Imran Butt c sub b Rabada ........................................ 9Abid Ali b Rabada ...................................................... 4Azhar Ali c de Kock b Maharaj ..................................51Babar Azam lbw b Maharaj ....................................... 7Shaheen Shah Afridi b Nortje .................................... 0Fawad Alam c Bavuma b Ngidi .............................109Mohammad Rizwan c du Plessis b Ngidi ............... 33Faheem Ashraf b Nortje ...........................................64 Hasan Ali b Rabada .................................................. 21Nauman Ali lbw b Maharaj .....................................24Yasir Shah not out ..................................................... 38Extras (b1, lb7, nb10) .............................................. 18Total (119.2 overs, all out) ....................... 378 Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Abid), 2-15 (Butt), 3-26 (Azam), 4-27 (Shaheen), 5-121 (Azhar), 6-176 (Rizwan), 7-278 (Fawad), 8-295 (Ashraf), 9-323 (Hasan)Bowling: Rabada 27-7-70-3 (nb3), Nortje 27-4-

105-2 (1nb), Ngidi 17-1-57-2 (3nb), Maharaj 32.2-4-90-3 (3nb), Linde 13-4-38-0, Markram 3-0-10-0 South Africa 2nd inningsA. Markram c Abid b Nauman ................................. 74 D. Elgar c Rizwan b Yasir ..........................................29R. van der Dussen c Abid b Yasir ............................64Faf du Plessis lbw b Yasir ........................................ 10K. Maharaj not out ...................................................... 2Q. de Kock not out .......................................................0Extras (lb1, nb6, w1) ................................................... 8 TOTAL (75 overs, for four wkts) ............... 187Still to bat: T. Bavuma, G. Linde, K. Rabada, A. Nortje, L. Ngidi Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Elgar), 2-175 (Dussen), 3-185 (Du Plessis), 4-185 (Markram)Bowling: Shaheen 13-1-48-0 (3nb), Hasan 12-1-50-0 (2nb), Nauman 20-7-27-1 (1nb), Yasir 24-6-53-3, Asrfa 6-3-8-0Toss: South Africa, elected to batUmpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)

SCOREBOARD

Australian Open players begin leaving quarantine

REUTERS — MELBOURNE

Australian Open players were given the green light to begin exiting COVID-19 quarantine yesterday after spending two weeks strictly confined to a biose-curity hub.

The first group among the 960 players, coaches and officials isolating at three Melbourne hotels were allowed to leave from 6 pm local time (0700 GMT), with the rest expected to depart by Sunday, Victoria state health offi-cials said.

Players isolating in South Australia state, including Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, were also to be released ahead of an exhibition tour-nament in Adelaide today.

Players will be free to move around the cities and surrounding regions so long as they abide by local social dis-tancing restrictions.

Australia has not had a case of com-munity transmission for 11 straight days and residents have regained most of their pre-COVID freedoms.

The first group among the 960 players, coaches and officials isolating at three Melbourne hotels were allowed to leave from 6 pm local time (0700 GMT), with the rest expected to depart by Sunday, Victoria state health officials said.