AFP – PARIS

Argentine 12th seed Diego Schwartzman defeated US Open champion and third seed Dominic Thiem in a five-hour epic yesterday to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals, his first ever Grand Slam last-four appearance.

T h e 2 8 - y e a r - o l d Schwartzman triumphed 7-6 (7/1), 5-7, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 and will face either 12-time champion Rafael Nadal or Italian teenager Jannik Sinner for a place in the final.

It was one marathon too many for Thiem, the runner-up in Paris for the last two years, who had needed five sets and three and a half hours to down world number 239 Hugo Gaston in the fourth round.

The 5ft 7in (1.70m) Schwartzman’s success came on the same day that compa-triot Nadia Podoroska, the world 131, reached the last-four of the women’s singles.

“Dominic is one of the great players. He is my best friend and I have a lot of respect for him,” said Schwartzman.

“So this win is very important for me. In the second and third sets, I was going a little crazy and I was screaming at myself because I had so many chances.

“But, come on, I deserved to win tonight,” added Schwartzman who defeated Nadal in the Rome quarter-finals on the eve of the French Open.

Thiem had been attempting

to reach a fifth successive semi-final in Paris.

H o w e v e r , d e s p i t e crunching 65 winners to his opponent’s 47, he committed 81 unforced errors in a match which featured 19 breaks of serve and at five hours and eight minutes was the second longest of the tournament.

Schwartzman recovered from a break down in the 65-minute first set to sweep through the tiebreaker.

But Thiem kept hammering away forcing the Argentine to save seven break points in the ninth game of the second.

The Austrian broke through for a 6-5 edge before wrapping up a 71-minute set.

In a tie of dramatically fluc-tuating rallies, eight breaks of serve punctuated the third set.

Schwartzman even had a set point but couldn’t convert and Thiem pounced in the breaker to sneak ahead.

The Argentine blinked again in the 10th game of the fourth as three more set points went begging, but he clung on, snatching the breaker after a 73-minute set.

By this stage, they had been on court for over four and a half hours.

However, a weary Thiem was broken in the sixth and final game of the decider as Schwartzman celebrated becoming the 10th Argentinian man to make the semi-finals of a major.

The epic match meant that Nadal and Sinner were facing a late night in Paris yesterday.

Longines Qatar Equestrian Tour - Hathab

OOREDOO CUP: ROUND 2 (RESULTS) GROUP A: Al Sailiya beat Al Duhail 3-1, Qatar SC beat Al Sadd 3-2, Al Wakrah beat Al Khor 2-1

WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020

Australia’s IPL stars to be short of red-ball practice before India: Paine These are guys that have transferred from white-ball to red-ball, from Test cricket to Twenty20 cricket, within a matter of days. It’s never been an issue and we wouldn’t expect it to be.

Sport | 11

Ar

fI

Tim Paine

Sport

Social and SportContribution Fund partners with Al ShaqabTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

The Social & Sport Contribution Fund (Daam) and Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation, will cooperate to support the devel-opment of equestrian sports, particularly among the youth.

The agreement is for a period of one year, with Daam’s vision to make a positive difference in the community by sup-

porting social and sports activities, and enhancing sus-tainable social development, in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030.

Daam is a Supporter of Longines Qatar Equestrian Tour – Hathab, which focuses on young riders and aims to inspire

Qatar’s next generation of equestrian champions. Preparations are under way for the start of Season 4 of the

popular annual equestrian series, which is co-organised and hosted by Al Shaqab.

Abdulrahman bin Abdulatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer, Social & Sport Contribution Fund, said: “I’m delighted to announce Daam’s agreement with Al Shaqab, an organisation of tremendous cultural and traditional significance in the State of Qatar, and pas-sionately committed to preserving and promoting Qatar’s rich equestrian heritage."

“Equestrian sport truly represents Qataris, our tradition, and our culture, and this is reflected in the competitions and events

undertaken by Al Shaqab. The Social & Sport Contribution Fund and Al Shaqab will develop equestrian sports in Qatar,

especially among the youth. This investment in the youth, in terms of helping them to understand and appreciate

Qatar’s culture and traditions, will play a positive role in enhancing social development,” Al Mannai

said.Khalifa Al Attiya, Executive Director, Al

Shaqab, was similarly pleased about the new partnership between The Social & Sport Con-

tribution Fund and Al Shaqab.“We are honored to welcome The Social

& Sport Contribution Fund on board as sup-porter of Al Shaqab, and we look forward

to a collaborative and rewarding partnership.

“Al Shaqab, as a centre of equestrian excellence, greatly values Daam’s commitment to the development of horsemanship in Qatar, particularly among the youth.”

“This level of support will play a great role in encouraging young riders, and ultimately keeping alive an invaluable part of Qatar’s history, culture and tradition,” Al Attiya said.

Stage set for start of new show jumping seasonTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

The stage is set to launch the start of the new show jumping season at Qatar Equestrian Federation’s (QEF) Indoor Arena from this week, details showed yesterday.

According to the calendar made public by QEF, the first round of 12 will begin tomorrow with the first leg ending on Saturday.

The hugely popular series - now into its fourth year - is the brainchild of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Chairman H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Hathab series was launched in 2017 with the first edition that offered a total prize of QR1.2m.

Hathab meaning ‘Canter’ in Arabic, is aimed at improving the standard of horse riding among Qatari youths while encouraging the involvement of private stables and individual horse owners to grow awareness of horsemanship as part of Qatar’s history and tradition.

The QOC and QEF are keen to build a strong rider base in the country that has featured at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero.

One of the key legs of the

season will be the Amir’s Sword Championship round set to be held in February next year.

The season finale will be held at Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab, QEF said while releasing the calendar details yesterday.

The 12-round series will have the first four legs at QEF’s Indoor Arena followed by eight rounds at Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab.

Individual and team compe-titions will be held in three cate-gories namely Small, Medium and Big Tour. Future Riders’ Class competitions will also be held.

Oarganised chiefly by QEF and Al Shaqab, the popular series is sponsored by Longines, Exx-onMobi l , and S a la m International.

Round 1: October 8-10 (QEF Indoor Arena)Round 2: October 22-24 (QEF Indoor Arena)Round 3: November 5-7 (QEF Indoor Arena)Round 4: November 19-21 (QEF Indoor Arena)Round 5: December 3-5 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab)Round 6: December 10-12 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab)Round 7: December 31-January 2 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab)Round 8: January 14-16 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab)Round 9: January 28-30 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab)Round 10: February 25-27 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab)Round 11: March 4-6 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab) Round 12: March 25-27 (Longines Outdoor Arena Al Shaqab)

HATHAB TOUR 2020-21

FRENCH OPEN RESULTSMEN'S SINGLES - QUARTER-FINALSDiego Schwartzman (12), Argentina, def. Dominic Thiem (3), Austria, 7-6 (1), 5-7, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-2.WOMEN'S SINGLES - FOURTH ROUNDDanielle Collins, United States, def. Ons Jabeur (30), Tunisia, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.WOMEN'S SINGLES - QUARTER-FINALSNadia Podoroska, Argentina, def. Elina Svitolina (3), Ukraine, 6-2, 6-4.

Last year's Big Tour overall winner Hamad Nasser Al Qadi in action in this file photo.

Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska celebrates after winning her quarter-final match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

Investigation opened into match-fixing at Roland Garros

AFP – PARIS

French prosecutors said yesterday they had begun an investigation into suspected match-fixing at the French Open, reportedly involving a women’s doubles match.

“It’s a first-round match featuring players that are not well-known,” a source within France’s National Gaming Authority (ANJ) told AFP on condition of anonymity, without specifying which match was targeted.

French sports daily L’Equipe and German news-paper Die Welt reported that the match in question was the first-round encounter on Sep-tember 30 between Romanian pair Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig and opponents Yana Sizikova of Russia playing with US player Madison Brengle.

Suspicion surrounds the fifth game of the second set which the Romanian duo won by love after Sizikova served two double faults.

L’Equipe reported that large sums of money were bet on the Romanians winning that game and that the wagers were placed in several coun-tries. The Romanians went on to win the match 7-6, 6-4.

Director-General of French tennis Jean-François Vilotte would not confirm which match was under inves-tigation but was upbeat about the ongoing procedures.

“It means that these warning systems are working. It’s good that everyone is doing their part in the exchange of information,” he said.

Schwartzman shocks Thiem infive-hour battle to reach semis

Podoroska becomes first qualifier to make women’s French Open semi-finalsAFP – PARIS

Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska became the first qual-ifier in the Open era yesterday to reach the women’s semi-finals at Roland Garros after stunning third seed Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4.

World number 131 Podoroska had never won a Grand Slam main draw match before the tournament and is the first Argentine woman to reach the last four

of a major since Paola Suarez in Paris in 2004.

The 23-year-old Podoroska will play Polish teenager Iga Swiatek or Italian qualifier Martina Tre-visan for a place in Sat-

urday’s final.“It’s a little bit dif-

ficult for me to speak now after the match,” said Podoroska, whose only other Slam appearance came at the 2016 US Open. It was the first

time Podoroska had even faced a player inside the top 20, having started the year ranked a lowly 255.

Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman reacts during his quarter-final match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem yesterday.

11WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020 SPORT

'Financial oblivion' avoided: HarrisonREUTERS - LONDON

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had avoided “financial oblivion” from the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering on its broadcast commitments during the home summer, Chief Exec-utive Officer Tom Harrison said.

England returned to action following the novel coronavirus shutdown in July with three tests against the West Indies in bio-secure venues at Southampton and Manchester.

They also hosted matches against Ireland, Pakistan and Australia in various formats.

“There is some pride at what has been achieved this year but there is also concern for the future,” Harrison told reporters.

“Being able to deliver on those broadcast commitments has frankly saved us from financial oblivion, and obvi-ously not just us but the rest of the game too. It’s as stark as that.”

The ECB said last month it planned to make 62 posi-tions within the organisation redundant due to the eco-nomic impact of the pandemic and Harrison said the game sustained severe losses.

“The ECB has lost more than 100 million pounds ($129.88m) of revenue and 800 days of live spectators in stadia,” Harrison added.

“The consequences of that are now being felt by people across the game who are losing livelihoods and are going through some very dif-ficult moments in their lives.

“Right now at the ECB we’re going through the painful process of becoming a smaller organisation coming out of this summer.”

Afghan cricketer Tarakai dies at age 29AP - KABUL

International batsman Najeeb Tarakai has died from injuries sustained in a traffic accident last week, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said yesterday. He was 29.

The ACB posted a tribute on Twitter, saying the cricket board and the country “mourns the heart breaking & grievous loss of its aggressive opening batsman & a very fine human being.”

The Afghan cricket board earlier said Tarakai had surgery in Nangarhar last Friday after the accident and had been in a critical condition.

Afghanistan international cricketers including Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi expressed condolences on social media for Tarakai, who played one one-day interna-tional and 12 Twenty20 Internationals.

“It’s very sad to learn Our Friend and Very Fine Cricketer Najeeb Tarakai lost his life to the injuries he was suffering from the recent accident. His loss kept us all stunned and speechless. My deepest con-dolences to his family and all friends. May his Soul Rest in Peace,” Nabi said.

Tarakai played his only ODI against Ireland at Greater Noida in India in 2017. He was involved 12 T20 internationals over a period of six years after making his debut against Bangladesh in 2014. He scored 258 runs in the format at an average of 21.50 and a strike rate of almost 123.

Tarakai also played 24 first-class games, scoring 2030 runs at an average of 47.20. He hit six first-class centuries and ten fifties, including a career-high score of 200.

Australia’s IPL stars to be short of red-ball practice before India: PaineREUTERS - MELBOURNE

A number of Australia’s leading Test players, including batsman Steve Smith and paceman Pat Cummins, look set to face India in the home series without warming up in the Sheffield Shield due to quarantine restrictions, captain Tim Paine (pictured) said yesterday.

Smith, Cummins, opening batsman David Warner and leading quicks Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson are playing in the Indian Premier League, which runs until the final on November 10.

The opening four-round block of Australia’s domestic Sheffield Shield starts this weekend, with the last match of the block between New South Wales and Victoria starting November 17.

Australia has a mandatory 14-day quarantine for interna-tional arrivals to curb the

spread of COVID-19. Paine said there would not be enough time for the IPL players to play Shield cricket ahead of the first India Test at the Gabba, which is pencil led in for early-December.

“I wouldn’t have thought so, with restrictions coming back into the country,” the Tasmania skipper told reporters in Hobart yesterday.

However, Paine dismissed

concerns that they would go into the four-Test series against V i r a t K o h l i ’ s I n d i a underprepared.

“These are guys that have transferred from white-ball to red-ball, from Test cricket to Twenty20 cricket, within a matter of days,” he added.

“It’s never been an issue and we wouldn’t expect it to be.”

Australia had planned a one-off Test against Afghan-istan in Perth in November before the India series, but it was postponed last month.

Wicketkeeper Paine will lead Tasmania against Queensland in their first Shield match this weekend and said he had no plans to reduce his workload behind the stumps, having recovered from a ham-string strain.

“I feel like the more I do it, the better my body feels,” he said.

Trent Boult of New Zealand celebrates with his Mumbai Indians players during an IPL match against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi yesterday. PIC: @MIPALTAN

Dutch football legend Cruyff to get his own musicalAFP - THE HAGUE

A musical about the life of legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff (pictured) is set to start late next year, paying tribute to one of the game’s greatest-ever players.

“14 de musical”, referring to the famous number on the back of Cruyff’s jersey, is expected to open at the AFAS Theatre in Leusden, southeast of Amsterdam in September, Dutch producers announced yesterday.

Theatre editor Tom de Ket has “turned the life story of the legendary footballer with a paradoxical personality into a script about ambition, love, and friendship but also about jealousy, loneliness and betrayal,” the Out Of Office Productions company said.

Cruyff, 68, who died of lung cancer four years ago, is still widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest innovators and the inventor of Total Football, a tactical theory in the game where any outfield player can play in any other position on the pitch with ease.

His death in 2016 brought tributes from across the world including by legends including Diego Maradona, Pele and Michel Platini.

“We’ll see Cruyff playing football, but he doesn’t sing himself. The performance will contain rock, opera and hip-hop and the design is a challenging combination of digital projec-tions and physical set pieces,” the company said in a statement.

Cruyff’s partner Danny “one of the first women who became known in the media as a player’s wife and played a very important role in Cruyff’s life, gets a major role in the performance” the pro-ducers added.

The musical also had the backing of the company that manages the great player’s legacy.

“14 the musical is an inspiring new adventure for us,” said Carole Thate, general manager at the World of Johan Cruyff.

To the biggest question: who will play the role of Cruyff -- the producers said the names of the actors “will be announced at a later stage.”

The play will open on Sep-tember 25 next year and will run on a weekly basis from Wednesday to Sat-urday “assuming that no more measures are needed against the coronavirus,” the producers said.

Asian Champions League East Zone set to resume on November 18: AFC

QNA - KUALA LUMPUR

The Asian Champions League’s rescheduled group stage matches for clubs in the East Zone will take place from November 18-December 4, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed yesterday with the release of the fixture list.

Asia’s elite club competition was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in the West Zone hub of Qatar on September 14, with Iran’s Persepolis reaching the final after a penalty shootout win over Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr on Saturday.

They will meet the top team from the East Zone in the title clash on December 19. Perth Glory, one of three Australian teams in the competition, kick off the East Zone restart with a Group F game against China’s Shanghai Shenhua on November 18.

Fixtures in Groups G and H resume the following day, with Malaysian champion Johor Darul Ta’zim facing Guangzhou Ever-grande and Sydney FC meeting Shanghai SIPG.

Group E leader FC Seoul take on second-placed Beijing Guoan on November 21. Teams in Groups G and H will to play in a cen-tralised location in Malaysia, while the venue for clubs in Groups E and F has not been determined. Clubs in the East Zone could face difficulties with their fixtures due to rescheduled domestic league campaigns, border closures and COVID-19 protocols.

f s life, gets a major role in the performance the prod.ical also had the backing

pany that manages ayer’s legacy.

musical is anew adventure forrole Thate, generalthe World of Johan

ggest question: who role of Cruyff -- the

aid the names of the be announced at a

y will open on Sep-next year and will run on sis from Wednesday to Sat-ming that no more measures against the coronavirus,”

ers said.

IPL: Mumbai Indians post win over Rajasthan RoyalsIANS - ABU DHABI

Mumbai Indians (MI) yesterday beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 57 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Suryakumar Yadav (79 not out) and Jasprit Bumrah (4/20) starred with bat and ball as MI scored 193/4 wkts in 20 overs and then dismissed RR for 136 in 18.1 overs.

Trent Boult struck with the second ball of the RR innings, swinging the ball away from Yashasvi Jaiswal and getting a nick off him as it flew to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock.

Bumrah then dismissed RR captain Steve Smith for six and Boult then sent back the dan-gerous Sanju Samson for a duck to reduce MI to 12/3 in the third over.

Mahipal Lomror and Jos Buttler then ensured that RR lost no more wickets in the powerplay.

But the former was dis-missed in the ninth over, thanks to a screamer of a catch from substitute fielder Anukul Roy.

Jos Buttler kept RR in the chase before he departed for another stunning catch, this

time by Kieron Pollard in the 14th over.

RR were 98/5 at the time and they crumbled in the next four overs.

Earlier, 30-year-old Surya-kumar Yadav hit 11 fours and two sixes, one of which was off Jofra Archer after he was hit in the head by a bouncer off the previous delivery by the English bowler.

He smashed 76 runs in just 38 balls to propel MI close to the 200-run mark.

Brief scores: MI 193/4 wkts in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 79 not out, Rohit Sharma 35; Shreyas Gopal 2/28) beat RR 136 all out in 18.1 overs (Jos Buttler 70, Jofra Archer 24; Jasprit Bumrah 4/20) by 57 runs

Kumar out of IPL

with thigh injuryAFP -DUBAI

India and Sunrisers Hyderabad paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been ruled out injured for the rest of the Indian Premier League season, his franchise said yesterday.

Kumar, 30, limped off the field in his team’s match against Chennai Super Kings last week with a muscle strain in his thigh, and missed the next game on Sunday.

“Bhuvneshwar Kumar is ruled out of #Dream11IPL 2020 due to injury. We wish him a speedy recovery!,” Hyderabad said in a statement.

Indian left-arm quick Prithvi Raj Yarra will replace Kumar for the remainder of the season, which is being played in the United Arab Emirates.

The loss of Kumar, who has played 21 Tests and 114 ODIs for India, is the second blow to the David Warner-led side.

Earlier Australia’s Mitchell Marsh was ruled out of the Twenty20 tournament due to an ankle injury sustained in the first week.

Reports in Indian media suggested Kumar’s injury could rule him out for at least six to eight months, putting him in doubt for India’s tour of Aus-tralia in December.

Delhi Capitals leg-spinner Amit Mishra has also been ruled out of the IPL season, with a finger injury.

Afghanistan’s Najeeb Tarakai (left) leaves the field as Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and his team-mates celebrate his dismissal during their ICC Twenty20 World Cup match in Dhaka in this March 16, 2014 file photo. Tarakai has died from injuries sustained in a traffic accident last week, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said yesterday.

Action during the Ooredoo Cup Group A Round 2 match between Al Duhail and Al Sailiya at Qatar SC Stadium, yesterday. Al Sailiya defeated Al Duhail 3-1. In other matches yesterday, Qatar SC beat Al Sadd 3-2 while Al Wakrah beat Al Khor 2-1. BOTTOM: Action during the match between Al Wakrah and Al Khor.

Ooredoo Cup: Al Sailiya beat Al Duhail 3-1 in Round two

RIZWAN REHMAT THE PENINSULA

World Cup hosts Qatar are powering ahead with their infrastructure development - that includes delivering eight world-class stadiums - ahead of the first kick-off in November 2022.

Qatar’s infrastructure devel-opment for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is ‘85 percent com-plete’, a top official said yesterday.

The hosts of the next football spectacle have already delivered three World Cup venues with another three slated to be completed by the end of next year.

And that’s not all - two venues built from scratch - Al Bayt Stadium and Al Rayyan Stadium - are getting their final touch-ups.

The two imposing structures will be ready for use before the year is out, Khalid Al Naama, official spokesperson of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, told The Peninsula in an exclusive interview.

“Work on FIFA World Cup infrastructure is proceeding as per schedule. Overall, project completion stands at more than 85%, with over two years to go until kick-off,” Al Naama said.

“Later this year, and in early 2021 we also plan to announce the official completion of two more stadiums,” he added. “We will have three stadiums remaining which will be com-plete in 2021,” Al Naama said while tackling a Q&A session from The Peninsula.

Here’s what he had to say:

Q: Qatar, as we know, is way ahead of time when it comes to preparations for the FIFA World Cup in terms of stadiums’ construction and the training sites preparations. Can you tell us in percentage terms how much work is done and how much of the work remains with more than two years still left?

A: Work on FIFA World Cup infrastructure is proceeding as per schedule. Overall, project completion stands at more than 85%, with over two years to go until kick-off. We have announced the readiness of three stadiums so far. Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar’s oldest stadium, which was ren-ovated and reopened in 2017 with a 40,000 seat capacity. Zaha Hadid’s iconic 40-000 seat stadium, Al Janoub Stadium became the first FIFA World Cup ready venue to be built from scratch when it opened in 2019. In June, we announced the official completion Edu-cation City Stadium with its ‘Diamond of the Desert’ design and a capacity of 40,000 seats.

Later this year, and in early 2021 we also plan to announce the official completion of two more stadiums. Al Bayt Stadium which has a capacity of 60,000 seats and was recently announced to be the opening ceremony venue and Al Rayyan Stadium, which has a capacity of 40,000 seats and will host matches from the group stages until the quarter-finals. Both are more than 99.5% complete.

We will have three stadiums remaining which will be com-pleted in 2021. These are Al Thumama Stadium, with its iconic 'gahfiya' design and a capacity of 40,000 seats, Lusail Stadium, the biggest of all the FIFA World Cup venues with 80,000 capacity and host of the final FIFA World Cup match; and Ras Abu Aboud; the first fully demountable FIFA World Cup venue history with a capacity of 40,000 seats. These three stadiums are respectively 80.5%, 67% and 57% complete.

The construction of all the training sites is complete and has now moved to the tour-nament preparations mode to prepare for the Team Base Camps. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC will have 40

Team Base Camps Training Sites from which teams can select, in addition to one Training Site for match officials.

Q: What are the hin-drances (if any) in prepara-tions for the FIFA World Cup? Has the coronavirus pandemic slowed down the preparation of the 2022 venues in any way?

A: Despite the coronavirus pandemic, we remain ahead of schedule when it comes to delivering all the infrastructure required for the FIFA World Cup and are well on course to deliv-ering everything well in advance of the tournament.

We have had to adapt in recent months. Strict social dis-tancing measures have been implemented at all our sites, including construction sites and our head office in Doha.

The SC took all necessary precautions for workers, in line with the coronavirus prevent-ative measures and interim guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). We have utilised our existing network of medical clinics across all sites and accommodation. Some of the actions these teams helped implement include:

* Delivering Awareness sessions to educate workers on the importance of prevention.

* Taking workers’ temper-atures twice daily.

* Distributing masks and sanitisers across all SC projects.

* Prohibiting any non-essential visitors to SC con-struction sites

* Establishing isolation rooms on all SC sites and accommodation.

* Implementing interim disinfection protocols at site and accommodation medical facilities.

* Workers with chronic disease and those above 55 years have been temporarily demobilised, remaining on full pay, from site due to them being more vulnerable to coronavirus.

Q: The launch of Edu-cation City Stadium had a special theme to it. Why is it

important to applaud the health workers around the world? How was the inaugu-ration received by the FIFA family as a whole?

A: Announcing the official completion of Education City Stadium digitally, and in com-pliance with the protective measures implemented by the

State of

Qatar, affirms the SC’s com-mitment to deliver its projects on schedule – despite the current circumstances. The sta-dium’s successful completion

was dedicated to frontline workers

who have worked tire-lessly during the ongoing C O V I D - 1 9 pandemic.

Announcing the stadium while the world is overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, shows everyone that there is light at the end of the tunnel and brighter days ahead. We are proud to pay tribute to the frontline workers who remain at the forefront in the battle against coronavirus and who have given us a remarkable example of resilience during such a difficult moment.

And we look forward to bringing the world together – at this stadium and others – using the unifying power of football in 2022.

T h e c o m p l e t i o n announcement was received really positively from all the people who worked on this milestone, our stakeholders in addition to the local, regional and international media outlets.

Q: What was the plan behind staging the Pan-Arab Tournament as a preparatory event in 2021? Which of the countries will be invited to take part in the tournament?

A: The pan-Arab Tour-nament has been proposed to act as a preparatory event for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The tour-nament will be held from 1-18 December 2021, taking place during the same timeslot as the FIFA World Cup 2022, with the final taking place exactly one year before the Qatar 2022 final is scheduled to kick-off.

This 22-team invitational tournament for men’s national teams will be contested by Arab nations from Africa and Asia and we hope that fans, players and officials will get a real taste of what’s to come in 2022.

It will allow the local organ-isers to use facilities and run operations that are planned for the FIFA World Cup 2022; all tournament matches will be played at Qatar 2022 stadiums.

In addition to using stadiums and training sites, the tour-nament will provide a vital opportunity for fans, players and officials to experience host country facilities, including transport and accommodation.

The competition proposal was presented to FIFA Council members by H E Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and Chairman of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC.

The FIFA Council subse-quently approved the formation of the competition.

The creation of this pan-Arab tournament also reinforces our longstanding commitment that the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be a tournament that ben-efits the entire Arab world, one that showcases the beauty of the region and the immense passion that exists for the game.

10 WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020SPORT

Qatar powering ahead with 2022 World Cup preparations

Two venues built from scratch -

Al Bayt Stadium and Al Rayyan

Stadium - are getting their

final touch-ups.

Khalid Al Naama, official

spokesperson of the Supreme

Committee for Delivery &

Legacy, says Qatar remain

ahead of schedule when it

comes to delivering all the

infrastructure required for the

FIFA World Cup and are well

on course to delivering

everything well in advance of

the tournament despite the

coronavirus pandemic.

The hosts of the next football

spectacle have already

delivered three World Cup

venues with another three

slated to be completed by the

end of next year.

The construction of all the training

sites is complete and has now

moved to the tournament

preparations mode to prepare for

the Team Base Camps. The FIFA

World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC will

have 40 Team Base Camps

Training Sites from which teams

can select, in addition to one

Training Site for match officials.

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whwhw o have wwowow rkkkked tire-llelelesssss lyyyy duringththhhe ee oooongoingC OC OOO VVVV IV D - 1 9 paaanndnddddndeemic.

We have announced the readiness of three

stadiums so far. Khalifa International

Stadium, Qatar’s oldest stadium, which was

renovated and reopened in 2017 with a

40,000 seat capacity. Zaha Hadid’s iconic

40-000 seat stadium, Al Janoub Stadium

became the first FIFA World Cup ready

venue to be built from scratch when it

opened in 2019. Last month, we

announced the official completion

Education City Stadium with its

‘Diamond of the Desert’ design

and a capacity of 40,000

seats: Khalid Al Naama official spokesperson of the

Supreme Committee for

Delivery & Legacy

A general view inside Al Bayt Stadium.

An aerial view of the new Al Bayt Stadium.

PICTURES: SC

A general aerial view of the Education City Stadium.

09WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020 SPORT

IOC gets official look at simplification for GamesAP — TOKYO

The IOC and local organisers are trying to “simplify” the post-poned Tokyo Olympics, prom-ising to save money in what one study says is already the most expensive Summer Olympics on record.

The executive board of the International Olympic Com-mittee is expected to review the proposed cuts today. They include about 50 changes to fringe areas that leave the number of athletes - 15,400 for the Olympics and Paralympics - and all sports events untouched for next year.

Also largely untouched will be the opening and closing cer-emonies, the heavily sponsored 121-day torch relay, and com-petition areas that will be seen on television broadcasts. This means the so-called field of play, and areas immediately adjacent.

Some of the proposed cuts listed in a detailed document from the organisers include:

fewer decorative banners; a 10-15% reduction in “stake-holders” delegation sizes; five fewer international interpreters from a staff of 100; fewer shuttle buses; reduction in hospitality areas; suspension in production of mascot costumes; cancel-lation of official team welcome ceremonies.

Organisers and the IOC say they had already slashed several billion dollars in costs before the Olympics were

postponed six months ago because of the COVID-19 pan-demic. This included moving events to existing venues rather than building new facilities.

Most of the big-ticket spending had already taken place, such as the $1.43bn national stadium, and the $520m swimming venue.

“We have many measures, and sometimes they look small. But when you take them all together it will represent a large result in terms of both simpli-fication and hopefully ... produce some significant savings,” Christophe Dubi, the IOC executive director for the Olympic Games, said late last month when the plans were presented in Tokyo.

Dubi said a search for more cuts would continue.

Tokyo and the IOC have not offered an estimate of the savings, but estimates in Japan put them at 1-2% of official spending of $12.6bn. However, a government audit last year said the real cost of the Olympics might be twice that much.

All of the costs for putting on the Olympics come largely from public money with the exception of $5.6bn from a pri-vately financed local operating budget. About 60% of the income in this budget - $3.3bn - comes from payments from 68 domestic sponsors.

Organising committee CEO Toshiro Muto acknowledged

last month for the first time that some sponsors have backed out in the midst of a slumping economy, the pandemic, and uncertainty around the Olympics really happening.

“I can’t say that all contracts have been renewed,” he said.

Any shortfall in this pri-vately funded operating budget will have to be made up from somewhere else. The document handed out last month by organizers showed them con-sidering “measures to increase” donations to make up for lost income.

To keep sponsors on board, the IOC and local organisers have talked confidently in the last several months about the Olympics opening as planned on July 23, 2021.

Yoshiro Mori, the president of the organising committee, acknowledged last month that some were hoping for more cuts, while others will be sat-isfied with the modest savings.

“It’s like a glass half-filled, or half empty,” he said. “We wanted to save, but there were so many thing that have already been determined.”

Organisers have said it won’t be until the end of the year, or early in 2021, when detailed steps will be announced about how to hold the Olympics in the midst of a pandemic. This will include decisions about attendance by local fans, non-Japanese fans, and rules under which athletes will enter Japan, vaccines, quar-antines, and so forth.

Japan has reported about 1,600 deaths from COVID-19 and has had strict entry rules in place for citizens from 159 countries.

Toshiro Muto

The executive board of the IOC is expected to review the proposed cuts today.

* Some of the proposed cuts

listed in a detailed

document from the

organisers include: fewer

decorative banners; a

10-15% reduction in

“stakeholders” delegation

sizes; five fewer

international interpreters

from a staff of 100; fewer

shuttle buses; reduction in

hospitality areas;

suspension in production of

mascot costumes;

cancellation of official team

welcome ceremonies.

* Most of the big-ticket

spending had already taken

place, such as the $1.43bn

national stadium, and the

$520m swimming venue.

Amir Cup: Qatar SC blank Al Khor; Al Gharafa claim win over Al Ahli THE PENINSULA — DOHA

DOHA: Qatar SC yesterday beat Al Khor 3-0 for their second win of the Amir Cup Table Tennis Championship.

The event - which will conclude on October 12 - is being staged with strict safety protocols imple-mented by Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and the Qatar Table Tennis Associ-ation (QTTA) under the guidelines issued by the

Ministry of Public Health. In other fifth-round

competitions, Al Gharafa beat Al Ahli 3-1. Qatar SC now have a tally of four points to be at the top of Group A.

Al Khor have three points while Al Gharafa are third and Al Ahli at the bottom. The final round of matches in this group will decide the semi-finals line-up of the prestigious event. The current event is

being staged to complete the 2019-20 season that was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe.

After football, volleyball and show jumping, table tennis is the fourth beat to resume activities to com-plete the season that was halted in March this year.

Last week, Secretary General of the QOC Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain joined offi-cials of the International Table

Tennis Federation (ITTF) at its AGM held in Doha. Durban won the hosting right for the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships during the meeting held in Doha last week

President of QTTA and the Arab Table Tennis Asso-ciation, and Vice-President of the Asian Table Tennis Union and the ITTF, Khalil Ahmed Al Mohannadi headed the series of meetings held in Doha.

Action from the Amir Cup Table Tennis Championship, yesterday.

Demare edges Sagan to win fourth Giro stageREUTERS — SICILY

Frenchman Arnaud Demare edged out Peter Sagan in a bunch sprint to claim victory in the fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday, the final stage in Sicily.

The last 30km of the 140km stage were flat, offering opportunities for the top sprinters and it was Demare who powered across the line fractionally ahead of Sagan.

Slovakia’s Sagan had to settle for second place again as he did on stage two. Italian Davide Bal-lerini was third.

Portugal ’ s Joao Almeida (Deceuninck-QuickStep) retained the pink jersey and opened a two-second lead over Ecuadorean Jonathan Caicedo courtesy of picking up a couple of

bonus points in an inter-mediate sprint 25km from the finish line.

Earlier in the day, pre-race favourite Geraint Thomas abandoned the event after his crash in the neutral zone on Monday left him with a fractured pelvis.

“It’s so frustrating,” Thomas said.

“I’d put so much work into this race. I did every-thing I could and feel like I was in just as good, if not better, shape than when I won the Tour.

“So for it just to end like this is gutting,” added the 34-year-old Welshman who claimed the Tour de France title in 2018.

Sagan’s Bora-Hans-grohe piled on the pressure on the day’s main climb, the Portella Mandrazzi, hoping to soften up the Slovakian’s main sprint

rivals. It worked to some extent but there was still enough threat to Sagan in the final sprint, as Groupama-FDJ’s Demare showed.

“I wasn’t sure that I’d won when I crossed the line. It was so tight. It’s fan-tastic to have won a Giro stage already in the first days of the race,” said the Frenchman, who also won a Giro stage last year.

Sagan now has an incredible 30 second-place stage finishes in Grand Tours, along with 16 stage victories.

“Today, I went all out for the win. I didn’t know who was first, second, or third, we all came to the line together and we had to wait for the photo-finish,” he said.

“At times I won by a few centimetres, and at times it was like today.”

France’s Arnaud Demare (centre) waves from the presentation podium, yesterday.

New-look Wallabies more focused on kicking game, says flyhalf ToomuaREUTERS — MELBOURNE

Australia are placing more emphasis on kicking in their planning under new attack coach Scott Wisemantel but will not become a “copy and paste” version of England, Wallabies flyhalf Matt Toomua said yesterday.

Australian Wisemantel helped Eddie Jones’ England reach the World Cup final in Japan before joining the Wallabies under new coach Dave Rennie. Toomua said Wisemantel’s influence had rubbed off on the group as they prepare for Sunday’s season-opening test against the All Blacks in Wellington.

“There’s definitely a little bit more of a focus there,” Toomua told reporters from Christchurch.

“You look at our attacking coach... Scott Wisemantel has just spent a lot of time up in England.

“He’s aware of what an effective kicking game... looks like. But once again, we’ve got to keep to our strengths. We can’t just copy and paste from another team because it would

be ignoring a few obvious factors that influence it.”

Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika largely eschewed the kicking game during his six-year tenure and stuck doggedly to ball-in-hand rugby at the World Cup, saying he would rather lose than “kick and defend” to victory.

The Wallabies were thrashed 40-16 by England to exit at the quarter-finals, their equal-worst finish at the tournament.

Australia have not beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2001 but claimed a 47-26 win over them in Perth last year, when the visitors played the second half with 14 men.

Toomua said that while quick ball and a low turnover count were key to the Perth win, England had shown in the World Cup semi-finals that the All Blacks could be beaten with smart kicking and set-piece pressure.

“For us it’s about finding the right blend, the right mix that will work to our strengths but also will be efficient and work against them,” he added.

Australia’s James Ramm working out at a gym in Christchurch, yesterday.

Swimming: Nine cities to host US Open in November

AP — COLORADO SPRINGS

Nine cities will host the US Open in November, allowing over 1,800 swimmers to compete, with results from each location combined by USA Swimming.

The national gov-erning body said yes-terday that instead of the usual 700 to 800 swimmers competing in one location, the event on November 12-14 will feature four timed finals sessions and a men’s and women’s flight per session.

All federal, state and local health guidelines will be followed at each site and entry limits will r e f l e c t l o c a l restrictions.

The anticipated meet will be live-streamed from the Irvine location on USA Swimming’s website and a one-hour broadcast will air on NBC on November 15.

The long-course event’s host cities are: Beaverton, Oregon; Des Moines, Iowa; Green-sboro, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Indianapolis; Irvine, Cal-ifornia; Richmond, Vir-ginia; San Antonio, Texas; and Sarasota, Florida.

08WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2020Sport

Mahomes shines as Chiefs make historyAFP — LOS ANGELES

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes as the unde-feated Kansas City Chiefs beat the Cam Newton-less New England Patriots 26-10 in a game postponed by positive COVID-19 tests.

The game was pushed from Sunday after both teams reported positive tests for the coronavirus, including New England’s quarterback Newton.

Mahomes passed for 236 yards, completing 19 of 29 attempts and spearheading the Chiefs to two touchdowns in the final 16 minutes. Kansas City is the first team in league history to start the season 4-0 four straight years.

“You’ve seen it this season. You’ve seen it last season. Even if you hold us down, we can go out there and make plays when they count,” said Mahomes.

“When your number is called you have to make plays, and I thought enough guys made plays that we were able to get out of there with a win.”

Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman caught touchdown passes for the Chiefs, both on easy six-yard short passes from Mahomes in front of 12,700 fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Chiefs safety Tyran Mathieu

helped seal the victory with a 25-yard interception and return with 8:48 left in the fourth quarter.

So far, Newton is the only Patriot to have tested positive for the virus. Organisers moved the game from Sunday to Monday so more tests could be conducted.

Chiefs practice squad quar-terback Jordan Ta’amu also tested positive.

New England’s travel plans on Monday were altered to allow the players to travel in two aircraft.

One carried the 20 players who have had contact with Newton, who was placed on the COVID-19 list on Saturday.

Damien Harris came off injured reserve to gain 100 yards on 17 carries. Harris had

missed the first three games due to a hand injury.

The Patriots were missing running back Sony Michel who is out with a quad injury.

In the later game, Aaron Rodgers and Robert Tonyan connected on three touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers routed the Atlanta Falcons 30-16.

Rodgers completed 27 of 33 passes and finished with four touchdowns for the Packers, who improved to 4-0 on the season. Tonyan caught a career-high three touchdowns and six passes for 98 yards.

“He is a very consistent guy,” Rodgers said of Tonyan.

“Every year he is getting better. He’s a really good player.”

Jamaal Williams caught eight passes for 95 yards and Aaron Jones gained 111 yards, including 71 rushing.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan completed 28 of 39 passes for 285 yards for the Falcons, who dropped to 0-4.

Falcon’s Todd Gurley rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, while receiver Julio Jones caught four passes in the first half to become the franchise’s all-time receptions leader with 812. He surpassed Roddy White, who had 808 from 2005-15.

Kansas City Chiefs' Mecole Hardman (17) is tackled by New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore during their NFL game.

Mahomes passed for 236

yards, completing 19 of

29 attempts and

spearheading the Chiefs

to two touchdowns in the

final 16 minutes. Kansas

City is the first team in

league history to start the

NFL season 4-0 four

straight years.

Stanton powers Yankees past Rays; Astros clinch winAFP — LOS ANGELES

Giancarlo Stanton blasted a grand slam homer in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees overpowered the Tampa Bay Rays 9-3 in the opening game of the American League Division Series.

Stanton’s grand slam was the second in as many games in the play-offs for the Yankees who have belted 11 home runs in the club’s first three games of the postseason.

Gio Urshela also smacked a grand slam on Wednesday as the fifth seeded Yankees earned a 10-9 victory over Cleveland in game two of the wild-card round.

“This is what I signed up for. This is the time where you’ve got to step up and do your job,” Stanton said.

Clint Frazier led off the third inning with a homer, Kyle Higashioka and Aaron Judge also went deep for the Yankees in the first postseason playoff between the two clubs.

Pitcher Gerrit Cole allowed three runs on six hits and struck out eight in six innings for New York.

The Yankees will try to take a 2-0 series lead in game two of the best-of-five series.

Tampa took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning on Monday after a two-run homer by Choi Ji-Man.

But New York turned the

tables in the fifth. Higashioka led off the fifth by hitting a Blake Snell pitch over the out-field wall.

Two batters later, Judge ripped a home run over the wall in left field for his 10th career play-off homer.

Elsewhere, Carlos Correa blasted two homers as the Houston Astros used a four-run sixth inning to come from behind and beat the Oakland Athletics 10-5 in the opening game of their AL Division Series.

Jose Altuve hit the go-ahead two-run single in the sixth and George Springer added four hits for the Astros, who won in their first playoff game at Dodger Stadium since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the contro-versial 2017 World Series.

The series is being played at the same stadium where Houston beat the Dodgers to win the 2017 World Series in seven games.

The Astros drew the ire of the rest of the league and espe-cially Dodgers fans after it was revealed they were helped by a sign-stealing scandal that rocked baseball.

Trailing 5-3 in the sixth inning with two outs, A’s shortstop Marcus Semien made a fielding error on a grounder by Astros Josh Reddick. After a Martin Maldonado single, Springer connected on an RBI double.

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (right) hits a grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays.

NBA: Lucas a candidate for Rockets’ opening, say reportsREUTERS — NEW YORK

Former NBA head coach and current team exec-utive John Lucas has emerged as a candidate for the Houston Rockets’ coaching vacancy, according to reports.

T h e H o u s t o n Chronicle and The New York Times both reported that Lucas, who hasn’t led an NBA team in 17 years, joins a growing list of can-didates to replace the departed Mike D’Antoni.

T h e C h r o n i c l e reported late last week that Rockets have scheduled meetings with former Brooklyn Nets floor boss Kenny Atkinson, Denver Nuggets assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr., Dallas Mav-ericks assistant Stephen Silas and Los Angeles Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue. Jeff Van Gundy has also been linked to the post.

Lucas, 66, currently the team’s director of player development, is poised to get an interview, too, per the reports.

Lucas has been the team’s development coach since 2016 and has a strong relationship with stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Rockets players, per the reports.

Lucas has NBA head coaching experience. He compiled a 173-258 overall record with the San Antonio Spurs (1992-1994), Philadelphia 76ers ( 1 9 9 4 - 1 9 9 6 ) a n d Cleveland Cavaliers (2001-2003).

Lucas played 14 seasons in the league, including three stints with the Rockets, who drafted him No. 1 overall out of Maryland in 1976.

Uganda's Cheptegei targets 10,000m record in Valencia

REUTERS — VALENCIA

Less than two months after breaking the 5,000 metres world record, Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei (pictured) is setting his sights on the 10,000m mark at a special event in Valencia today.

Gold medallist in the 10,000 at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Doha, Chep-tegei is hoping to beat the 26 minutes, 17.53 set by Kenenisa Bekele in 2005.

Cheptegei, 23, took Ethi-opian Bekele’s 5,000m record at the Diamond League in Monaco in August, wiping 1.99 seconds off the 16-year-old mark when he crossed the line in 12:35.36.

His Dutch-based NN Running Team has organised the World Record Day and he will count on pacers who

include former Dutch champion Roy Hoornweg as well as Aus-tralian Matt Ramsden and Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorir, both world championship finalists in 2019.

Although there will be little support from the largely empty stands, Cheptegei will be helped by Wavelight technology, which flashes lights on the inside of

the track to indicate a specific pace.

Cheptegei has already made history over the distance in Valencia, smashing a 10-year 10km world record last December by six seconds, wearing the Nike Zoom Vaporfly shoes which have caused a huge debate in athletics.

“I am very excited to be given the opportunity to target the 10,000m world record,” Cheptegei said last month.

“As my performance in Monaco showed, I am in out-standing form, so I would like to make the most of my current shape.

“Kenenisa’s 10,000m world record is one of the toughest in the books, but my training con-tinues to go well and this gives me real confidence I can set another world record.”

Oilers' McDavid tests positive for COVID-19AP — EDMONTON

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid (pictured) has tested positive for COVID-19.

McDavid, a 23-year-old forward, is self-quarantining at home and experiencing mild symptoms, according to the Oilers.

“He will continue to be monitored and will follow all associated health protocols,” the team said on Monday night in a statement.

McDavid, the No. 1 overall

pick in the 2015 draft, is widely considered the best player in the NHL.

The captain of the Oilers had 34 goals and 63 assists in 64 games during the pandemic-shortened season.

The NHL made it through its postseason in bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton without one positive test in August and September.

McDavid’s Oilers were eliminated in the opening round of the postseason in Edmonton in early August.