THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Baghdad Bounedjah seems to have regained his golden 2018 form when he scored record-equalling 13 goals for Al Sadd at the AFC Champions League. After scoring three goals in two games against Al Ain, the feared striker struck a late equaliser against Al Nassr yesterday to secure a 1-1 draw for the Wolves at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

The draw gave a much-wanted point to Al Sadd, taking them to a tally of nine, two behind Group D points leaders Al Nassr, who are yet to taste defeat.

Khalid Al Ghannam had put Al-Nassr ahead in the 22nd minute before Bounedjah equalised for Al Sadd in the 87th minute.

Al Sadd started the game slowly, before creating their first chance in

the 13th minute. After being set up by Nam Tae-hee, Hassan Al Haydos tried a shot from the edge of the box but Al Nassr keeper Brad Jones kept it out for a corner. Khoukhi Boualem also had a go moments later, shooting from distance but Jones was once again able to parry the ball.

At the other end, Al Nassr started making inroads and Abdul-fattah Adam went clear on goal in the 19th minute, only to see his shot kept out by a great save from Saad Al Dosari, who had raced off his line to meet him.

Three minutes later, however, Saad was beaten. Al Ghannam sent a low strike from a tight angle, that slipped in past the keeper to give Al-Nassr a 1-0 lead.

After that shock goal, Al Sadd pressed forward in search of an

equaliser but despite their efforts, the first half would end with Al Nassr carrying the narrow advantage.

At halftime, Xavi Hernandez decided to send on Musaab Khidir in place of Abdelkarim Hassan, while Ahmed Suhail replaced Khoukhi Boualem.

There were few real chances at either end in the second half as well, with the only opportunity of note coming in the 58th minute, when Guilherme sent a powerful shot at goal, only to see it fly over the crossbar.

In the 71st minute, Rodrigo Tabata replaced Al Haydos to freshen up Al Sadd’s attack, while Tarek Salman was also substituted for Yousuf Abdurisag, who played as the right-back, while Pedro moved to the centre of the defence.

Going into the final few minutes of the game, the Al Sadd players pushed forward with urgency and their efforts finally paid off in the 87th minute, when a loose ball fell to Bounedjah at the edge of the box. Bounedjah gifted his side a point when he curled the ball into Jones’ net after Afif had played a ground pass to Nam, the number 10 beau-tifully played the Algeria interna-tional in to finish off.

After the equaliser, Bounedjah had another chance late on, as he managed to nudge the ball of a defender in front of goal, but it rolled away and wide of the post. Moments later, the referee signalled for full time, and the Wolves had to be satisfied with a point.

Al Sadd face Sepahan, while Al Nassr will face the already elimi-nated Al Ain FC on Thursday.

GOLF: US OPEN (TOP FIVE) Bryson DeChambeau (274), M. Wolff (280), L. Oosthuizen (282), H. English (283), X. Schauffele (284)

TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2020

Top-seeded Simona Halep wins Italian Open after Pliskova retires from finalIn 2013 here I started to reach the top of world tennis. Since then I started to play really well and finally, after two finals, I could win this title.

Sport |08Simona Halep

Sport

Djokovic wins fifth Italian Open to make Masters historyREUTERS — ROME

World number one Novak Djokovic overcame a sluggish start to lift his fifth Italian Open title yesterday, defeating Argentine Diego Schwartzman 7-5, 6-3 for a record 36th ATP Masters crown.

Playing in his maiden ATP 1000 final, eighth seed Schwartzman raced out of the blocks to convert two break point opportunities for a 3-0 lead as Djokovic’s usually clinical backhand offered up some errors.

An on-and-off drizzle at Foro Italico, which included a smattering of fans, added to Djokovic’s frustration but he still found a way past

Schwartzman’s serve to draw level at 3-3.

Djokovic’s relentless baseline hitting came to the fore when he broke Schwartzman in the 12th game to take the opening set, despite committing

18 unforced errors .Schwartzman, who outplayed defending champion Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals, snatched another early break in the second set but Djokovic was quick to respond.

The top seed stepped up the intensity to break Schwartz-man’s serve twice before serving out the match com-fortably to seal victory -- clinching it with a drop shot.

“It was a great week, a very challenging week,” Djokovic, who was playing his first event since being defaulted at the US Open for inadvertently hitting a line judge with a ball, said on court.

“I found my best tennis when I needed it most.”

“I’m proud that I managed to find the fifth gear when I needed it.”

Djokovic’s win moves him clear on the list of Masters 1000 titles, one ahead of rival Nadal, and sets him up perfectly for an assault on next week’s rescheduled French Open.

“Now we turn to Paris and I couldn’t ask for a better tour-nament here in Rome,” the 33-year-old Djokovic, the oldest male winner of the Italian Open title, said.

Heading into Roland Garros, Djokovic has won 31 of his 32 matches this season, and will be among the favourites alongside 12-times winner Nadal and US Open champion Dominic Thiem.

Novak Djokovic poses with his trophy after winning the final of the Italian Open against Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman.

It was a great week, a

very challenging week. I

found my best tennis

when I needed it most.

I’m proud that I managed

to find the fifth gear

when I needed it:

Novak Djokovic

ACL: Almoez strikes as Al Duhail edge Persepolis for crucial win CHINTHANA WASALA THE PENINSULA

Star striker Almoez Ali made the most of a penalty kick and struck his third goal in this season’s AFC Champions League (ACL) as Al Duhail clinched a crucial 1-0 win against Iran’s Persepolis FC in their Group C encounter which took place at the Education City Stadium, yesterday.

The Qatari forward’s goal which came in the 60th minute also took the QNB Stars League winners to top of the table in their Group.

The fixture was of great importance to both the teams as only three points separated the top and bottom placed teams in Group C before the kick off yesterday, with Perse-polis occupying the top spot with seven points.

A victory was the ‘only option’ according to Al Duhail’s coach Walid Regragui,

who had emphasised the importance of a win against the former ACL finalists, fol-lowing their shock defeat in the hands of Sharjah in their previous fixture.

The first half of the match saw a keen tussle for the ball possession, with both teams defending well against each other while not many chances were created.

With just three minutes to the break, Persepolis were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area after

dangerous play from Ali on Shojae Khalilzadeh. Bashar Resan curled it over the wall but could not get it down in time to hit the target.

A quick exchange of passes at the other end saw Ramin Rezaeian break free in space down the right, but the former Persepolis player watched as his effort was parried by goal-keeper Hamed Lak.

Upon restart, the hosts stepped up their efforts and continued to put pressure on the Iranian side.

That resulted in a penalty in the 58th minute after an aggressive challenge by Khalil-zadeh on Al Duhail’s Belgian midfieldr Edmilson inside the box.

Al Duhail captain Ali then fired home his third goal from three matches to put the Qatari side in front.

Persepolis almost levelled the scores six minutes later when Resan tested goalkeeper Mohammed Al Bakri, but the Al Duhail custodian made a bril-liant save to spoil the effort.

The Iranian side continued to push forward for an equaliser but failed to break the Al Duhail momentum until the final whistle.

The result means Al Duhail now have nine points and sit above the rest of the pack in their race to the knockout stage with one more match to go.

Persepolis also remain in contention with their fate to be determined in their final encounter against Sharjah.

Additional inputs from theafc.com.

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS GROUP C

Al Duhail SC (QAT) 1-0 Persepolis FC (IRN)Al Taawoun FC (KSA) 0-6 Sharjah (UAE)

GROUP DAl Sadd SC (QAT) 1-1 Al Nassr (KSA)

Sepahan FC (IRN) 0-0 Al Ain FC (UAE)

Al Duhail’s forward Almoez Ali (left) scores from a penalty spot against Iran’s Persepolis, yesterday.

Baghdad Bounedjah celebrates his goal, yesterday.

Bounedjah gives Al Sadd valuable point

Al Shorta’s Fayyadh rues missed opportunity

THEAFC.COM — DOHA

Forward Mazin Fayyadh was left to reflect on missed chances after Al Shorta played to a 1-1 draw against Islamic Republic of Iran’s Esteghlal FC in their 2020 AFC Champions League Group A match on Sunday.

Fayyadh gave Al Shorta the lead in the 25th minute but a series of missed chances cost the Iraqi side heavily after sub-stitute Amir Arsalan Motahari equalised for Esteghlal

A win would have sealed Al Shorta’s place in the Round of 16 but they now need group winners Al Ahli Saudi FC to deny Esteghlal a win tomorrow to advance.

“We dominated the first half but missed many scoring chances, We also had opportu-nities to seal the tie in the second half but failed to take them.

“This is football as you get punished if you don’t take your chances to score goals,” said the 23-year-old forward.

“We were affected by the lack of official matches for a period of six months,” Fayyadh said.

“It was very hard for us to play in the AFC Champions League which is more difficult than the local league.

“Add to that the fact that we played three matches in only seven days was very hard for us as players in term of fitness,” he added.

11TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2020 SPORT

Royal Challengers Bangalore players skipper Virat Kohli (second left) and team-mates congratulate Yujvendra Chahal after the spinner took a wicket during their IPL match against SunRisers Hyderabad, yesterday. PIC: TWITTER/@RCBTWEETS

IPL umpire ‘man of the match’ after short-run howlerAFP – DUBAI

Former India star Virender Sehwag led the criticism yesterday after an umpiring error that may have affected the outcome of an Indian Premier League game.

Kings XI Punjab lost to Delhi Capitals in a super over on Sunday after the teams were tied at 157 each at the end of the Twenty20 match.

But in the 19th over of Punjab’s chase, square-leg umpire Nitin Menon had signalled Chris Jordan for a short run -- not grounding his bat inside the crease when running between the wickets.

TV replays showed Jordan’s bat was in the crease. But nothing could be done as the third umpire does not the have authority to overturn an on-field call, unless it is referred for review. In the super over, South African quick Kagiso Rabada struck twice to limit Punjab to just two runs, a total that Delhi overhauled in just three balls.

As social media erupted over the short-run decision, Sehwag tweeted: “I don’t agree with the man of the match choice. The umpire who gave this short run should have been man of the match.

Umpiring standards also came into question in last year’s IPL, during which India captain Virat Kohli tersely commented: “We are not playing club cricket.” Kohli’s team Royal Challengers Bangalore were denied a win when the umpires missed a clear no-ball by the Mumbai Indians’ Lasith Malinga on the final delivery.

The world’s richest T20 league is being played in the United Arab Emirates after being shifted out of India due to rising coronavirus cases.

Kings XI Punjab appeal over umpiring errorAFP – DUBAI

Kings XI Punjab lodged a formal complaint yesterday over an umpiring error which proved critical in their narrow Indian Premier League loss to the Delhi Capitals. The second match of the world’s richest Twenty20 tournament ended in a tie on Sunday before Punjab lost out in a super over.

But in the 19th over of Punjab’s chase, square-leg umpire Nitin Menon had sig-nalled Chris Jordan for a short run -- not grounding his bat inside the crease when running between the wickets.

TV replays showed Jordan’s bat was in the crease. But nothing could be done as the third umpire does not have the authority to overturn an on-field call, unless it is referred for review.

“We have appealed against the decision which could have been corrected had technology been brought into play,” a senior Kings XI official told AFP on con-dition of anonymity.

Appeals are made to the match referee, who in this case was India’s Javagal Srinath. However, there is no pro-vision for overturning an on-field decision after a match.

Smith set to lead Royals after passing concussion test in the UAEAFP – NEW DELHI

Australia’s Steve Smith is set to lead his IPL club side Rajasthan Royals in their first match today after passing a concussion test in the United Arab Emirates.

Smith was struck on the side of the helmet during training early this month and was ruled out of the three England one-day interna-tionals with signs of concussion.

“Been in Dubai for a couple of days now with some good rest and then got into a bit of running,” Smith was quoted saying in a franchise statement on Monday.

“Yesterday I did a bit of zig-zag running, which is part of the protocols to pass to get back to play and today I’ll have a hit in the nets.

“Hopefully, pull up well from the hit and be good to play tomorrow.” Royals, winner of the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 tournament in 2008, will face Chennai Super Kings in Sharjah.

“Fantastic news that Steve is available. It’s fantastic espe-cially on the back of some set-backs back in the UK,” Royals coach Andrew McDonald said.

“It’s obviously great to have your skipper available for the first game as I’ve said before we are in really good hands.” Royals though will miss England’s Jos Buttler in the first game due to his quar-antine after arriving in the UAE and fellow countrymate Ben Stokes, who is in New Zealand with his ailing father, for a few more matches.

Alli must earn his place at Spurs or risk exitAFP – LONDON

One of Jose Mourinho’s top priorities when he became Tottenham boss was to bring back the “real Dele Alli (pictured)”. But he is still waiting for the midfielder to rediscover his best form.

The England international, who has the prized ability to unlock defences, has played just 45 minutes of football this season and his future at Spurs is in doubt.

Alli was substituted at half-time during the defeat against Everton in his side’s Premier League opener and did not travel to Bulgaria for a Europa League qualifier against Lokomotiv Plovdiv.

He was not in the matchday squad for the 5-2 win at Southampton on Sunday, instead forced to train at the club’s north London base while Son Heung-min scored four and Harry Kane added another.

Mourinho put Alli’s absence down to an unbal-anced squad. The 24-year-old faces competition from Erik Lamela, Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura,

Son, Giovani Lo Celso and now Gareth Bale or a place in the team.

“I want a balanced squad, that’s what I want,” Mourinho said when asked whether he wanted Alli to stay.

“He doesn’t need to be sacrificed, but the squad is a puzzle. The only thing I can say is that I left eight players behind,” he added.

“They stayed and trained this morning because they are a big group and Dele is amongst these players.”

Alli was linked with a move to Real Madrid as part of the deal that eventually saw Bale rejoin Tot-tenham on loan. Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested in the attacking midfielder.

It is understood that Alli wants to stay and fight for his place but

the return of Wales star Bale and the improving form of Tanguy Ndombele place even greater pressure on him.

Mourinho was quick to identify a drop-off in Alli’s form when he became Tottenham boss

last November, demanding he start playing “like Dele”.

And he subsequently accused his player of being “lazy” in training during the “All or Nothing” documentary that captured life behind the scenes at Tottenham last season. The midfielder has struggled to put together a consistent run over the past two years after

impressing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and has also fallen out of

favour with England boss Gareth Southgate.

Alli is likely to appear in today’s League Cup third-round match with Leyton Orient as Mourinho wrestles with a packed fixture list.

team.a balanced squad, that’s what I want,”

aid when asked whether he wanted

sn’t need to be sacrificed, but a puzzle. The only thing I can left eight players behind,” he

ayed and trained this morning ey are a big group and Dele is ese players.”s linked with a move to Real part of the deal thataw Bale rejoin Tot-loan. Paris Saint-are reportedlyn the attacking

erstood that o stay andplace but

form of Tanguy Ndombele ppressure on him.

Mourinho was quick to idAlli’s form when he becam

last November, demand“like Dele”.

And he subsequentlof being “lazy” in traininNothing” documentarbehind the scenes at ToThe midfielder has struga consistent run over the

impressing at the Russia and ha

favour wGareth So

Alli itoday’s round OrO ient awith a

Padikkal, Chahal shine in RCB’s winIANS – DUBAI

A brilliant half-century from debutant Devdutt Padikkal followed by some class spin bowling from Yujvendra Chahal helped Royal Chal-lengers Bangalore (RCB) beat the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 10 runs in their opening game of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Monday evening.

The RCB first posted 163/4 in their allotted 20 overs and then defended the total by causing a sensational batting collapse at the Dubai Interna-tional Cricket Stadium.

Chasing 164, the SRH didn’t have the best of starts to their chase as they lost skipper David Warner (6), who was run out. Manish Pandey, who came in next, stitched a 71-run partnership with opener Jonny Bairstow. However, just when things seemed to be sailing smoothly for the SRH, Pandey got out while trying to hit a maximum against Yujvendra Chahal after scoring 34 runs.

Priyam Garg, making his IPL debut, then joined forces with Bairstow who kept on smashing boundaries at will and scored 61 runs off just 43 balls before he was bowled by

Chahal in the 16th over. Vijay Shankar, the next batsman, went back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers as he was undone by a beau-tiful Chahal googly.

The SRH then lost two quick wickets and their chase went off the track. Right-arm pacer Navdeep Saini picked two wickets in his final over and sealed the win for Kohli & Co. The SRH got bundled out for 153, falling short of the target by 10 runs.

Earlier, put into bat, the RCB had posted 163/4 in their allotted 20 overs, riding on half-centuries from Padikkal and AB de Villiers. Padikkal,

who opened the innings for the RCB, scored 56 runs off 42 balls, with the help of eight fours. de Villiers, on the other hand, played a 51-run knock which came of just 30 deliveries.

The RCB will next play the Kings XI Punjab on Thursday while the SRH will lock horns with the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.

Brief scores: RCB 163/4 in 20 overs

(Devdutt Padikkal 56, AB de Villiers 51; Abhishek Sharma 2/16) beat SRH 153 all out in 19.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 61, Manish Pandey 34; Yujvendra Chahal 3/18) by 10 runs

Rakitic bids farewell to Croatia careerAFP – ZAGREB

Croatia international Ivan Rakitic yesterday bid farewell to the national team with whom he reached the final at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the country’s football federation said.

“Saying goodbye to Croatia squad is the most difficult decision in my carrier.

“But I felt that is the moment when I have ... to make this decision,” the 32-year-old Sevilla midfielder said in a Croatian Football Federation (HNS) statement.

“I enjoyed every match I have played for my homeland and unforgettable moments from the World Cup will remain among favourite memories of my life.” Rakitic, who did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision, made his debut for Croatia in 2007. He won 106 caps and scored 15 goals. His last appearance came against Wales in a Euro qualifying game last October.

HNS recalled that Rakitic converted the final penalties in the shootouts against Denmark in the round of 16 and Russia in the quarterfinal in 2018 as Croatia advanced to their first ever World Cup final.

Croatia lost 4-2 to France.

Coach Zlatko Dalic said he talked with Rakitic about his decision and added that, despite regrets, respected it.

“Ivan had a great career in the national team and no one will forget his cold-bloodedness during decisive penalties at the World Cup,” Dalic said in a statement.

Croatia’s next match is a friendly against Switzerland on October 7.

Barcelona agreed to sell Rakitic back to Sevilla in early September for 1.5 million euros ($1.8m).

Rakitic, who had a year left on his contract at the Camp Nou, spent three seasons with Sevilla and won the Europa League in 2014 right before moving to the Camp Nou.

He was one of several Barcelona players who were reportedly told they were not part of new manager Ronald Koeman’s plans.

ES Tunis win 5th Tunisian Super Cup title

QNA – TUNISIA

Espérance Sportive de Tunis won the Tunisian Super Cup for the fifth time in its history and the fourth in a row, after beating Club Sportif Sfaxien on penalties 5-4 on Sunday evening at the Olympic Stadium in Rades.

The two teams resorted to penalty kicks after the original time ended with a draw. EST suc-ceeded in achieving the local double after winning the Tunisian League title this season.

With this victory, EST strengthened its record as the most successful team in

the championship, after scoring for the fifth time in its history,

two titles ahead of its closest opponents, Club African (CA) and Etoile Sportive du Sahel (ESS).

Esperance Sports was able to achieve the Tunisian Super Cup for the fourth time in a row after winning the championship with its new title for the first time in 1993 by beating Club Mostakbal Almarsaa (AS) 2-0, and the second time in front of the Sports Club in Hammam-Lif 3-1 in 2001, and in the third time against CA Bizerte 2-1 last year.

EST won the Tunisian League title in 2019-2020 season for the 13th time in its history, while Sfaxien won second place in the competition ranking. The two teams reserved a seat in the next edition of the African Champions League.

Celtic, Aberdeen fined over virus breachesAFP – LONDON

Celtic and Aberdeen have each been fined £8,000 by the Scottish Professional Football League following breaches of coronavirus protocols.

Both clubs received £30,000 ($38,000) fines in total following disci-plinary hearings but the bulk of the pun-ishment is suspended and will only be invoked if there are further breaches.

Eight Aberdeen players were instructed to self-isolate, and two tested positive for Covid-19, following a night out.

Celtic’s Boli Bolingoli played against Kilmarnock days after failing to quar-antine following a trip to Spain.

Saying goodbye to

Croatia squad is the

most difficult decision

in my carrier. But I felt

that is the moment

when I have ... to make

this decision

Ivan Rakitic

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Ten Olympic medallists from Rio 2016 and 17 World Championship medallists from Doha 2019 will star at the Wanda Doha Diamond League on Friday, September 25, 2020.

Across a high quality pro-gramme, event highlights are expected to include the men’s pole vault and 1500m, and the women’s 100m and 3000m.

In the men’s pole vault, world record holder Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) - World Championships silver medallist in Doha 2019 - will again be the one to watch.

Having set an outright world record of 6.18m at the World Indoor Tour meeting in Glasgow in February, he is now officially the best vaulter in history fol-lowing his incredible 6.15m clearance at the Wanda Rome Diamond League on 17 Sep-tember. His outdoor best exceeds Sergey Bubka’s previous record of 6.14m which stood for a remarkable 26 years.

Duplantis is joined in Doha by reigning world champion Sam Kendricks (USA), in addition to London 2012 Olympic gold med-allist Renaud Lavillenie (France).

The men’s 1500m includes Olympic and world 3000mSC champion Conseslus Kipruto (Kenya), world silver medallists over 5000m (Selemon Barega) and 3000mSC (Lamecha Girma), both Ethiopia, and world 3000mSC bronze medallist Sou-fiane El Bakkali (Morocco).

Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica) and multiple World Championships medallist Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Ivory Coast) will go head-to-head in the women’s 100m.

Thompson-Herah’s 10.85 season’s best - set at the Wanda

Diamond League meeting in Rome - is the fastest time of the year to date.

Olympic silver medallist Dafne Schippers (Netherlands) has withdrawn.

In the women’s 3000m, an exciting field brings together Kenyan quartet Hellen Obiri and Beatrice Chepkoech, 2019 world champions over 5000m and 3000mSC respectively, in addition to Olympic 3000mSC silver medallist Hyvin Kiyeng; world 5000m runner-up Mar-garet Chelimo Kipkemboi; world 1500m bronze medallist Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia); and world 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Jebet Tirop (Kenya).

Obiri, Olympic 5000m silver medallist and 2019 World Cross Country champion, proved her recent good form with a world-leading 14:22.12 to win the 5000m at the Wanda Monaco Diamond League in August.

In total, six reigning world champions and three reigning Olympic champions will return to Doha for the Wanda Doha Diamond League.

In addition to those noted

above, Timothy Cheruiyot (Kenya), world 1500m champion, will race over 800m.

The 24-year-old, who has a best of 1:43.11 from August 2019, clocked an impressive 3:28.45 to win the 1500m in Monaco, just four one-hundredths of a second outside his lifetime best.

Mike Rodgers (USA), 4 x 100m world relay gold medallist, will line up in the 100m.

Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), Olympic 1500m champion, will star in the women’s 800m. The 2017 world 1500m champion, runner-up in Doha 2019, set a national record of 2:29.15 for 1000m in Monaco, narrowly missing the world record for the rarely-run distance.

“In spite of incredibly chal-lenging circumstances, I’m proud of the fantastic fields we’ve put together for this event,” says Khalid Al Marri, Wanda Doha Diamond League Meeting Director.

“It’s been a tough summer for everyone, yet we’ve witnessed some exceptional track and field performances. I’m confident that in Doha, the fourth and final competitive meeting of this shortened 2020 Wanda Diamond League series, that we’ll provide a fitting finale.”

Doha’s Qatar Sports Club will host the revised 12-event pro-gramme for the Wanda Doha Diamond League which includes sprint hurdles and 800m for both men and women; 100m, 3000m and long jump for women; and 200m, 400m, 1500m and pole vault for men.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the 2020 Wanda Diamond League does not form a structured series of events leading to a final and athletes will not earn Diamond League points this season.

10 TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2020SPORT

Six reigning world champions

and three reigning Olympic

champions, including pole

vault world record holder

Mondo Duplantis, Doha 2019

winner Sam Kendricks, Double

Olympic sprint champion

Elaine Thompson-Herah,

Olympic and world 3000mSC

champion Conseslus Kipruto,

will return to Doha for the

marquee event.

QNA – DOHA

The President of Qatar Athletics Federation, Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari under-lined that the “Doha Diamond League”, which will be held next Friday at the Qatar Sports Club, is exceptional because it is the first global tournament the country will host during the COVID-19 crisis.

In a press statement, Dr. Al Kuwari said: “Hosting the championship at this time rep-resents a great challenge for us, but we are able to accomplish this difficult challenge through great cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and the responsible and rel-evant authorities in the country, and through full compliance with local and international requirements and following the health pro-tocol required to produce this version of the Diamond League in the best possible way.”

He noted that the challenge lies in how dif-ficult it is to hold the championship in Qatar compared to the rest of the other rounds, because most of the tours were held in Europe and it was easy for the athletes in Europe to travel and move between the European coun-tries, but it is not easy to move and travel to the Middle East at the present time and this was the big dilemma.

On the champions taking part in the tour-nament, Dr. Al Kuwari said that there are a group of prominent stars who will participate in the Doha Meeting, including 10 champions who won Olympic medals in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 17 medallists from the Doha World Championships.

QAF President said that the Qatari partic-ipation will not be present in this tournament, adding that all players must be prepared to participate in the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

Al Kuwari affirmed that everyone in the organising committee is at the top of readiness

for all possibilities, and that everyone is com-mitted to the requirements, and all the players are professional and abide by the health requirements, and they will leave Doha two days after arrival.

Star cast set for Doha Diamond League

27 champion athletes to take centre stage as action returns to Qatar

FROM LEFT: Kenya's Conseslus Kipruto, Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis of Sweden, Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah and Helen Obiri of Kenya.

QAF ready to host 'exceptional' Doha meet: Dr. Thani

ion,der-hich orts obalthe

aid: rep-

are nge

Hosting the championship at this time

represents a great challenge for us, but

we are able to accomplish this difficult

challenge through great cooperation

with the Ministry of Public Health and

the responsible and relevant authorities

in the country, and through full

compliance with local and international

requirements and following the health

protocol required to produce this

version of the Diamond League in the

best possible way.

Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari

President of Qatar Athletics Federation

Tokyo consulting firm paid $370,000 to IOCofficial’s son: ReportAFP – TOKYO

A consulting firm hired by Tokyo’s Olympic bid committee paid some $370,000 to the son of an International Olympic Committee member before and after Japan was picked to host the Games, reports said yesterday.

The claims come as French authorities probe an alleged vote-buying scandal, centring around $2m paid by the Tokyo bid committee to Black Tidings, a Singapore-based firm linked to Senegalese national Papa Massata Diack.

Diack is the son of the former head of the International Asso-ciation of Athletics Federations, (IAAF) -- now renamed World Athletics -- Lamine Diack.

Lamine Diack was also a member of the IOC and said to have influence over African votes at the time of the Tokyo bid in September 2013 to host the 2020 Games, Japan’s Kyodo News said.

According to Kyodo, the now-defunct Black Tidings had

transferred more than $150,000 to the personal account of Papa Massata Diack and wired $217,000 to a company run by him by January 2014.

The findings, based on financial documents and reporting by the International Consortium of Investigative Jour-nalists, including Kyodo, may shed light on allegations that the Tokyo bid committee engaged in vote-buying, the news agency said.

In an interview with Kyodo, Papa Massata denied the allegations.

Tsunekazu Takeda, former head of the Tokyo bid committee, has also denied any wrongdoing. Last year Takeda stepped down from the head of Japan’s Olympic Committee following the French investigation.

Last week Lamine Diack -- who led the IAAF for 16 years -- was found guilty by a French court of corruption in covering up Russian doping cases and sen-tenced to four years in prison, two of which were suspended.

German F1 GP to allow up to 20,000 fansREUTERS – BERLIN

Next month’s Eifel Grand Prix at Germany’s Nuerburgring track can have as many as 20,000 fans in attendance, local authorities said on Monday, with the region’s coronavirus infections under control.

“The permission for 20,000 fans is within the decision of the state that allows up to 20 percent of stadium capacity for major sports events if infection figures are inconspicuous and the public infrastructure allows for social distancing rules to be met,” Ahr-weiler district council said.

Tickets for the Oct. 11 race went on sale shortly after the decision. The Nuer-burgring can normally accommodate more than 100,000 spectators.

Germany reported 922 more pos-itive coronavirus cases on Monday with the overall death toll at 9,386.

The old Nuerburgring was a famous pre-World War Two venue for grand prix racing and the remodelled circuit last featured in the Formula One world championship in 2013.

The circuit sank into insolvency in 2012 and changed ownership in 2014.

Six-times world champion Lewis Hamilton has won six of nine races this season and is 55 points clear of second-placed Valtteri Bottas in the standings with eight rounds remaining,

July 5 - Austrian Grand Prix (Valtteri Bottas)July 12 - Styrian Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton)July 19 - Hungarian Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton)Aug. 2 - British Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton)Aug. 9 - 70th Anniversary Grand Prix (Max Verstappen)Aug. 16 - Spanish Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton)Aug. 30 - Belgian Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton)Sept. 6 - Italian Grand Prix (Pierre Gasly)Sept. 13 - Tuscan Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton)Sept. 27 - Russian Grand Prix, Sochi.

Oct. 11 - Eifel Grand Prix, Barcelona.Oct. 25 - Portuguese Grand Prix, Portimao, Portugal.Nov. 1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Imola, Italy.Nov. 15 - Turkish Grand Prix, Istanbul.Nov. 29 - Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir.Nov. 29 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.Dec. 6 - Sakhir Grand Prix, Sakhir.Dec. 13 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

FORMULA ONE SCHEDULE-WINNERS

09TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2020 SPORT

Rip-roaring Tour de France a litany of cautionary talesAFP - PARIS

Cycling’s rescheduled Tour de France made a proud entry into Paris on Sunday with its boyish champion Tadej Pogacar the figurehead of a storied 21-day extravaganza crowned by a twist in the tail.

Many predicted the Covid-19 pan-demic would prevent the race making it the 3,400 kilometres from the Med-iterranean city of Nice to the French capital.

And that ever constant tension provided the drumbeat for the series of cautionary tales and the modern day David slaying Goliath reenactment that unfolded before a stunned global audience.

Saturday’s gut-wrenching penul-timate stage time trial saw the 21-year-old Pogacar rip the yellow jersey from his 30-year-old Slovenian compatriot Primoz Roglic on the slopes of the Planche des Belles Filles climb.

Dressed from head to toe in black, Roglic looked a broken man as the dust settled.

“I cried, I’ll cry again,” said the leader of Dutch team Jumbo-Visma. “I just seemed to have no power,” he explained.

But the stark warning was written large in the Tour de France official programme.

“Anybody with little left in the tank could lose two or three minutes here,” the race designer himself, Thierry Gou-venou, predicted.

Pogacar won three stages but was racing with a depleted team on his first Tour de France.

So just how did the team that had appeared to dominate a Tour, destroying the hopes of the home nation and ending the reign of Dave Brailsford’s British outfit Ineos, let victory slip from their grasp?

All-time great Eddy Merckx didn’t mince his words.

“They were asking for it riding defensively like that. Imagine letting yourself get taken like that,” said the five-time Tour de France winner.

Jumbo failed to twist the knife with Pogacar trailing behind at the end of the first week, on a stage their powerhouse roller Wout Van Aert won a bunch sprint.

A stage win that unwittingly undid their best laid plans.

The Jumbo horror story provides Brailsford with convenient cover but his Ineos team can point to a number of mitigating circumstances.

The 2019 champion, Colombia’s Egan Bernal, came into the race nursing a bad back, and was robbed of his two key mountain sherpas when a deluge in Nice saw Pavel Sivakov and Richard Carapaz fall heavily.

It must also be said the team were mourning the loss of one of their own, after the untimely passing of sports director Nicolas Portal in March.

Brailsford opened up about this loss in Pau on stage nine, and the impression was of a man whose heart might not have been fully on the task at hand.

Bernal’s collapse on a moun-tainside with Jumbo skipping towards a summit was agony to watch.

Brailsford withdrew his leader and refocused the team that earned some scant recompense on the final Alpine stage with a stage win and the polka dot jersey.

The French cycling community were lulled into believing their beloved but emotional climber Thibaut Pinot was about to finally deliver.

He too fell in the deluge at Nice where a fellow rider hit him square in the back.

He struggled on into the Pyrenees but soon fell off the pace.

“There have been too many failures,” he said when his 2020 chances were over.

“This might be it for me,” Pinot said.

Julian Alaphilippe did get the yellow jersey on stage two in the hills behind Nice, but was stripped of it a couple of stages later with a petty time penalty for taking on water in the wrong place.

Pogacar’s crushing of Roglic on the Planche des Belles Filles is not only one of the sports stories of the year, it also marks a generational shift to the ascendency of younger riders, following as it does the now dated story of Bernal’s success a year ago at 22.

“I’m just a kid from Slovenia,” the Tour’s youngest post-World War II winner said on Saturday, unaware of the extent to which his life is likely to change.

CyclingBryson DeChambeau of the United States celebrates with the trophy after winning the 120th US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.

Will young Bryson’s victory change golf? Rivals dividedAFP - NEW YORK

Whether Bryson DeChambeau’s US Open victory will revolutionize golf or just give a few people a new edge, it had other players talking after Sunday’s final round at Winged Foot.

Ignoring fears of deep rough in favour of pure distance, DeChambeau fired a three-under par 67 to win his first major title by six strokes, jumping from ninth to fifth in world rankings.

“Revolutionize? Maybe he’s just exposing our game,” American Xander Schauffele said. “If he keeps hitting it further and further, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to win many more US Opens.”

DeChambeau’s scientific approach, now including a bulked-up body bolstered by protein shakes and exercise over a three-month coronavirus layoff, has proven a winning formula: drive long, wedge from the rough, sink your putts.

“I don’t really know what to say because that’s just the complete opposite of what you think a US Open champion does,” said four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who shared eighth after a closing 75 left him 12 adrift.

“He has found a way to do it. Whether that’s good or bad for the game, I don’t know, but it’s just not the way I saw this tour-nament being played.

“It’s kind of hard to really wrap my head around it.”

DeChambeau hit only 23 fairways for the week but also became the first player since 1955 to win with the only sub-par score in the last round. He humbled a course that crushed foes.

“He’s sort of trending in the new direction of golf,” Schauffele said. “Everyone talked about hitting fairways. It’s not about hitting fairways. It’s about hitting on the correct side of the hole and hitting it far so you can kind of hit a wedge instead of a 6-iron out of the rough.

“The only way to make a golf course really hard is to firm up the greens and grow the rough... You’d rather be the guy in the rough with a lob wedge than with an 8-iron.”

Then there are those who settle for the old-fashioned fairways, like two-time major winner Zach Johnson.

“If he’s not hitting fairways, the short

game has been very good and this place is not easy around the greens,” Johnson said.

“Is it the proper way? I don’t know, but it’s a way to play. And it’s not wrong at all. It’s just very different but also very effective.”

With new club and ball technology to stress distance and big muscles to propel them, DeChambeau has “taken advantage of where the game is at the minute,” Mcilroy said.

“Whether that’s good or bad, it’s just the way it is.”

American Harris English, fourth on 283, notes the short-game skill required to max-imize the advantage in the strategy.

“It’s incredible what he can do out of the rough,” English said. “It’s a game that we’ve really never seen before.

“John Daly changed it a little bit during his time, Tiger (Woods) changed it and Bryson is changing it again. It’s really impressive what he’s doing.”

McIlroy, hoping to complete a career Grand Slam at the Masters in November, says DeChambeau’s strategy could pay off at Augusta National.

“I don’t shudder, but if he can do it around here, and I’m thinking of Augusta and thinking of the way you sort of play there, yeah,” McIlroy said.

“The game has moved on a lot in the last 14 years since the US Open has been played here, and you’re seeing what the game has become, what he’s doing out there.”

McIlroy had been skeptical before, thinking what might work at a PGA Tour event wouldn’t pay off at a major, especially a US Open, due to the punitive rough.

“I sort of said, ‘OK, wait until he gets to a proper golf course. He’ll have to rein it back in,’” McIlroy said.

South African Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, saw no hope for the US Golf Association to defend a course from DeChambeau.

“I don’t think they can set it up for him,” Oosthuizen said.

“I don’t know what they can do really because he’s hitting it so far. He’s so strong out of the rough and he’s probably one of the best putters out there.

“He went out on this journey, and he’s pulling it off.

“He’s playing great.”

DeChambeau muscles his way to US Open win

REUTERS - MAMARONECK, NY

A bulked-up Bryson DeChambeau bashed his way to a six-shot US Open victory on Sunday, silencing any lingering questions as to whether his brawny game could translate to the major stage.

World number nine DeChambeau, who began the day two shots back of US Open debutant Matthew Wolff, clinched his first major title with a mix of jaw-dropping drives and clutch putts, shooting a virtually flawless three-under-par 67 to reach six under for the tournament.

“I did it. I did it. As difficult as this golf course was presented, I played it beautifully,” DeChambeau said of Winged Foot, on one of the hardest layouts the United States Golf Association has to offer.

Wolff (75), appearing in only his second major, was one shot back of DeChambeau at the turn but fell apart over a back nine that included two bogeys and a double-bogey.

A fearless DeChambeau, whose final round included an eagle, two birdies and a bogey, attacked at every chance and for his efforts was the only player to break par in the final round as he cruised to a maiden major at his 16th attempt.

The 27-year-old, who re-emerged from the PGA Tour’s three-month COVID-19 suspension in mid-June packing serious muscle and hitting a startling distance off the tee, attacked Winged Foot all week like few other golfers can.

So confident in his approach, DeChambeau unleashed his driver on practically every par-four and par-five hole as he figured the birdie chances would outweigh the risk that Winged Foot’s nasty rough creates.

“I hope that inspires people to say, hey, look, maybe there is a different way to do it,” said DeChambeau. “Not everybody has to do it my way. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying in general that there are different ways to do things.”

DeChambeau grabbed the solo lead after five holes, hit a per-fectly-paced 40-foot eagle putt at the ninth to maintain a one-shot cushion in a tournament that came down to a two-horse race between him and Wolff as they made the turn.

Yet the 21-year-old Wolff, who was bidding to become the first player to win the US Open on his tournament debut since Francis Ouimet in 1913, bogeyed the 10th and 14th holes before a double-bogey at 16.

“I battled hard. Things just didn’t go my way,” said Wolff. “But first US Open, second place is something to be proud of and hold your head up high for.”

Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (73) birdied the last to finish alone in third place, a distant eight shots back of DeChambeau and one shot clear of Harris English (73), who made a double-bogey at the first where he lost his tee shot.

Xander Schauffele (74) looked ready to make a back-nine charge after making the turn fresh off back-to-back birdies but the world number seven made five consecutive bogeys from the 13th and finished in fifth place.

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (75), who finished in a share of eighth place, was almost left in a state of disbelief at DeCham-beau’s win given his inaccuracy off the tee at a tournament renowned for its thick rough.

“I don’t really know what to say because that’s just the complete opposite of what you think a US Open champion does,” said McIlroy.

“Look, he’s found a way to do it. Whether that’s good or bad for the game, I don’t know, but it’s just - it’s not the way I saw this golf course being played or this tournament being played. It’s kind of hard to really wrap my head around it.”

US OPEN CHAMPIONS2020_Bryson DeChambeau, United States2019_Gary Woodland, United States2018_Brooks Koepka, United States2017_Brooks Koepka, United States2016_Dustin Johnson, United States2015_Jordan Spieth, United States2014_Martin Kaymer, Germany2013_Justin Rose, England2012_Webb Simpson, United States2011_Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland2010_Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland2009_Lucas Glover, United States2008_Tiger Woods, United States2007_Angel Cabrera, Argentina2006_Geoff Ogilvy, Australia2005_Michael Campbell, New Zealand2004_Retief Goosen, South Africa2003_Jim Furyk, United States2002_Tiger Woods, United States2001_y-Retief Goosen, South Africa2000_Tiger Woods, United States1999_Payne Stewart, United States1998_Lee Janzen, United States1997_Ernie Els, South Africa

1996_Steve Jones, United States1995_Corey Pavin, United States

1994_y-Ernie Els, South Africa1993_Lee Janzen, United States1992_Tom Kite, United States1991_Payne Stewart, United States1990_Hale Irwin, United States1989_Curtis Strange, United States

DeChambeau ‘playing his own little course’: Oosthuizen

Bryson DeChambeau (center) of the United States, caddie Tim Tucker (second right) and team celebrate with the trophy after winning the 120th US Open on Sunday.

REUTERS -MAMARONECK

Louis Oosthuizen was left with little choice but to doff his hat to Bryson DeChambeau after the muscle-bound American battered the Winged Foot course into submission to win his first major at the US Open on Sunday. South African Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 British Open, started the day four strokes off the pace but his hopes of landing a second major quickly faded and he finished a distant eight shots behind DeChambeau in third place.

“Finishing third in a major is always great (but) it was going to be tough,” the 37-year-old said after signing for a two-over 73. “Bryson is playing his own little golf course at the moment. This golf course definitely showed its teeth today with the firmness of the greens and the fairways and the wind, and it was just tough.”

While Oosthuizen struggled in the conditions, DeChambeau ramped up his power game to romp to a final-round 67 and victory by six shots over fellow American Matthew Wolff.

“I think he’s busy setting his own little way of playing. He’s hitting it so far. He’s probably one of the best putters out there. (In) a week that he really putts well, you’re going to have a lot of trouble,” Oosthuizen added.

08TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2020Sport

Davis’ buzzer beater lifts LA Lakers over NuggetsAFP — LOS ANGELES

Anthony Davis drained a three-pointer as time expired to seal the Los Angeles Lakers’ 105-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets for a 2-0 lead in the NBA Western Conference finals.

“People talk about (I’ve) never been in this moment before, pressure, am I ready for it,” Davis said. “I want to take those shots.”

Davis scored 31 points and pulled down nine rebounds, and LeBron James added 11 rebounds as the Lakers turned back the determined Nuggets -- who had taken a 103-102 lead on Nikola Jokic’s driving basket with 20.8 seconds remaining.

Jokic scored 11 straight points for the Nuggets down the stretch, finishing with 30 points, six rebounds and nine assists to lead Denver.

Jamal Murray added 25 points, and the Nuggets battled in a furious fourth quarter but finally came up short.

Davis and Jokic traded baskets down the stretch, Jokic tipping in a miss from teammate Murray to put the Nuggets up 101-100 with 31.8 seconds left, only for Davis to answer at the other end.

After Jokic scored to put the Nuggets ahead by one again, the Lakers’ Alex Caruso missed a three-pointer, and Murray blocked a shot by Danny Green, giving the Lakers a chance to inbound the ball.

Rajon Rondo found Davis, and the All-Star forward drained the game-winner over Jokic.

The Lakers will try to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series on Tuesday in the NBA’s

quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.

James powered the Lakers early, scoring Los Angeles’ first 12 points.

But the rest of the Lakers warmed up and Los Angeles put together an 18-3 scoring run that included a galvanizing dunk from Caruso.

The Lakers pushed the lead to as many as 16 points in the second quarter, but the Nuggets never surrendered.

Murray scored nine of his 25 points in a Nuggets surge that spanned the third and fourth quarters.

His reverse layup gave Denver an 87-86 lead with 7:26 left in the fourth quarter -- the Nuggets’ first lead since the first quarter.

“We put the effort, we put the fight,” Jokic said. “Maybe we

lost the game, but I think we played well.

“Most of the game we were down, but we came back again, so we’re going to keep our heads up and (go) on to the next one.”

For Davis, the game-winner was a career moment for a player who sought a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans so he would have a chance to

challenge for an NBA title.“Special moment for a

special player,” James said. “It’s not about making the

shot, it’s about having the belief of just taking it, and living with the result.

“You’re not going to make them all. Tonight was his moment -- Rondo was able to find him and he knocked it down -- big-time play.”

The only thing that might have made it better, both James and Davis said, was if the big shot had come at Staples Center before a packed house of Lakers fans instead of in the bubble where only some friends and family of players are in attendance.

“I wish we were playing at Staples,” James said.

“I miss our fans so much. I would have loved for him to have that moment.”

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (right) and Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray go for the ball during game two of the Western Conference Finals.

Anthony Davis drains a

three-pointer as time

expired to seal the Los

Angeles Lakers’ 105-103

victory over the Denver

Nuggets for a 2-0 lead in the

NBA Western Conference

finals.

Halep claims Rome title after Pliskova retires with injury

Romania’s Simona Halep poses with her trophy, yesterday.

REUTERS — ROME

Top seed Simona Halep gave her French Open preparations a boost when she claimed the Italian Open in Rome yesterday after second seed Karolina Pliskova retired from the final with injury when she was down 6-0 2-1.

Victory gave Halep her first title in Rome and her third con-secutive title of the year after wins in Dubai -- before the COVID-19 hiatus -- and Prague last month.

Pliskova attempted to con-tinue playing after receiving treatment on her lower back and leg between sets but eventually decided to retire, not willing to take any chances before the French Open which begins on Sept. 27.

“I know that’s not the way

how Karolina wanted to finish the tournament and the final,” Halep said at the trophy presentation ceremony.

“Good luck in the French Open, hopefully we will meet again there in the final.

“Finally, after two finals I could win this title. I love this tournament and I’m really happy that I have this beautiful trophy in my hands now,” she added, having lost the final in 2017 and 2018.

Halep raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, breaking the Czech defending champion three times and the Romanian also saved three break points at 0-40 down in the fourth game.

Halep, who even shook off a hard fall in the second game, was at her aggressive and disciplined best while Pliskova looked sluggish with her on-court

movement, failing to hit a single winner as she was bagelled in 20 minutes.

The limited number of fans allowed into Foro Italico’s centre court urged Pliskova to make it a contest, applauding the rare points she got on the score board, and it seemed to work as the second set started with the pair breaking each other.

However, Pliskova was clearly struggling with the injury and retired after she was broken for a fifth time to give Halep the trophy.

Halep, who chose to skip the hardcourt swing in the United States to practice on clay, will head to Roland Garros as one of the firm favourites with world number one Ash Barty and US Open champion Naomi Osaka both skipping the tournament this year.

Tennis world No.1 Barty aces Aussie golf tourneyAFP — SYDNEY

Multi-talented Ashleigh Barty has conquered tennis, been a profes-sional cricketer and has now added another string to her sporting bow by winning a golf tour-nament.

The world number one Australian would ordinarily be in Europe preparing to defend her French Open crown on the Roland Garros clay.

But she pulled out over coronavirus fears, having also missed the US Open, and instead of swinging a racquet picked up her golf clubs.

The 24-year-old proved she has what it takes on a course designed by Greg Norman, claiming the Brookwater Golf Club women’s title near Brisbane with a com-manding 7 and 5 triumph in the matchplay final.

“Champions,” she wrote on Instagram yes-terday accompanying a picture of herself holding a trophy alongside men’s winner Louis Dobbelaar.

“Is there anything you can’t do?,” asked one social media user, while another equally in awe wrote: “Wait...what? Tennis-Cricket-Tennis-Golf? @ashbarty - you beauty!”

Barty, who played cricket for Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League in 2015-16, has been working on her golf game.

MLB: Padres clinch rare play-off berthREUTERS — SAN DIEGO

Mitch Moreland’s bloop double down the left-field line scored Manny Machado with the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning as the San Diego Padres clinched their first National League play-off berth in 14 years with a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park.

Wil Myers hit a three-run homer for the Padres (34-20), who captured at least a wild-card berth.

Right-hander Trevor Rosenthal (1-0) got the victory with two innings of relief. Mar-iners right-hander Casey Sadler (1-1) took the loss.

Red Sox 10, Yankees 2 Michael Chavis homered in

consecutive at-bats and rookie Tanner Houck pitched six innings of one-hit ball as host Boston ended a 12-game losing streak to rival New York with an easy win at Fenway Park.

The Yankees saw their first 10-game winning streak since June 2012 halted.

New York missed a chance at clinching a play-off spot on its own but booked its spot in

the postseason a few hours later when the Seattle Mariners lost to the San Diego Padres.

The Red Sox beat the Yankees for the first time since September 6, 2019, as Chavis

recorded his third career multi-homer game after entering the game hitless in his previous 14 at-bats.

Astros 3, Diamondbacks 2 George Springer hit a pair

of solo home runs and Carlos Correa delivered a redemptive sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as Houston won the rubber match of its three-game inter-league series with Arizona at Minute Maid Park.

Astros closer Ryan Pressly notched his 12th save with a perfect 14-pitch ninth. Left-hander Blake Taylor (2-1), the third pitcher of the game for Houston, earned the win in relief.

Indians 7, Tigers 4 Jose Ramirez hit two home

runs and Carlos Carrasco tossed seven shutout innings as Cleveland took three of four from host Detroit to tighten its hold on the first American League wild-card slot.

The Indians broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs.

The first run came on an RBI single to left by Jordan Luplow, then Delino DeShields added a two-out, two-run single to make it 3-0.

San Diego Padres players celebrate after defeating the Seattle Mariners.

Taking a knee has become PR stunt, says FerdinandREUTERS — LONDON

Former England striker Les Ferdinand believes ‘taking a knee’ in support of the Black Lives Matter cause has become nothing short of a PR stunt and that the real message is being diluted.

Ferdinand, who is Black, is now Director of Football at Queens Park Rangers who were criticised after both sets of players opted not to take the knee before their match against Coventry City in the Championship on Friday.

The London club issued a statement yesterday saying that it in no way suggested a lack of support for the campaign.

Ferdinand, who made his name as a prolific striker at QPR and enjoyed successful spells at Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, said the criticism of a club he calls one of the most diverse in England was unwarranted.

“This should not be about QPR. Many clubs did not take the knee on the opening weekend, yet this was not reported,” Ferdinand, 53, said in a club statement.

“Taking the knee was very powerful but we feel that impact has now been diluted.”

The Black Lives Matter cause was taken up by Premier League clubs on the resumption of last season fol-lowing the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minne-apolis on May 25.

“The taking of the knee has reached a point of ‘good PR’ but little more than that. The message has been lost. It is now not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge.” Premier League players have continued to take the knee before games since the start of the new season, he said.

Sanders set to become Jackson State coach

AP — JACKSON

Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders says he will become Jackson State’s football coach.

Sanders made the announcement on the first episode of the “21st & Prime” podcast with Jamie Dukes on Barstool Sports.

The player known as “Prime Time” during his career added, “Isn’t the time? Isn’t this the moment? Isn’t this what’s needed? It’s a match made in heaven.”

Currently the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian School-Cedar Hill in Texas, it will be Sanders’ first head coaching job at the college level.

“I’ve been offered pro jobs,” Sanders added, “so people know I could be an assistant in any college.”

The move was first reported by the Clarion Ledger in Mississippi.

On the podcast, Jackson State President Thomas Hudson called the hiring “the grace of God” and cited the football’s program history in being able to land Sanders.

“These things just come together,” Hudson added, crediting athletic director Ashley Robinson and alumni.

“ We’re just so very for-tunate to really be in this space and have a man like this joining us.”

Sanders replaces John Hendrick, whose contract was not renewed this summer after going 6-9 and 5-5 in SWAC play.

Sanders will begin coaching this spring after the SWAC postponed fall sports because of the COVID-19 pandemic.