Masters Champions League: Muralitharan and Razzaq cast a spell for Arabians and Commanders

Score: Gemini Arabians 133-2 (Brad Hodge 65*, Kumar Sangakkara 41*, Robin Peterson 1-23) beat Leo Lions 132-7 (James Franklin 35, Scott Styris 32, Muttiah Muralitharan 4-19) by eight wickets

It was one of the duels that lit up the early years of this millennium, never more than when Brian Lara and Muttiah Muralitharan faced off in Sri Lanka towards the end of 2001.

It was an epic battle, one of the great individual battles between two singular match-winners; Murali ended on top, with 24 wickets in a 3-0 series sweep. But Lara played him as only a genius could, pillaging 688 runs across the three Tests, with three hundreds. Murali did dismiss him twice.

On Saturday, 14 years later in Dubai as Murali’s Gemini Arabians took on Lara’s Leo Lions, the setting was rather less gladiatorial. Still, though it carried the promise of a recreation. It did not last, but it was a beautiful moment anyway.

Masters Champions League: The National’s preview coverage and reporting

Murali, in his first over, from round the wicket pitched on Lara’s middle stump, broke it away from him sharply, squared him up and found the edge. Virender Sehwag, adding the little flourish, took a wonderful catch at slip, diving forward.

One ball is what this battle was reduced to; Lara was Murali’s second wicket in successive balls and one of four the spin legend took to set up a convincing second win for the Arabians.

He could even have had a hat-trick. The ball after Lara’s dismissal James Franklin almost lobbed a drive straight back to Murali. He got Franklin later anyway and having dismissed Brendan Taylor too, it really did make you wonder: surely he has not still got it has he?

There was still some sharp turn and the doosra was coming out nicely, more threateningly at least than his partner today and the creator of the doosra, Saqlain Mushtaq. The pair bowling briefly in tandem was another little nostalgic tug, but played out in a sparsely-populated stadium.

Murali restricted the Lions to a wholly inadequate 132, in itself a recovery given how they had started.

For a batting order that includes Kumar Sangakkara and Brad Hodge, that was never going to be any kind of challenge. The surface was slow and not given to strokeplay, so Sangakkara and Hodge simply bided their time, picking off the phalanx of Lions spinners.

They timed it perfectly, accelerating late in the innings. Hodge finished with a flourish, an unbeaten 65 seeing the Arabians home to a second consecutive win. Sangakkara was unbeaten on 41; they are not going to be easy to beat.

RAZZAQ RULES FOR THE COMMANDERS

Score: Capricorn Commanders 146-5 (Saleem Elahi 43*, Abdul Razzaq 39, Nathan Hauritz 2-20) beat Sagittarius Strikers (Adam Gilchrist 57, Yasir Hameed 32, Jeetan Patel 2-19) by three runs

Abdul Razzaq may have retired from international but you can be sure he still thinks he can do a job for Pakistan. In fact, once the Masters Champions League (MCL) is over, he will stay behind in his role as a supplementary player for Lahore Qalandars.

He carries a little more weight these days than the lean, chiseled allrounder who starred for Pakistan for a decade in the noughties. But his impact at this level is still evident.

He was called upon to bowl just one over for the Capricorn Commanders – the last one as it happens and he had to defend 9 runs against the Sagittarius Strikers. He used to be a gun death bowler at his peak, having conjured a number of remarkable last-over triumphs for Pakistan.

He did so for the Commanders here, conceding just five, picking up a wicket to secure a nerve-wracking 3-run victory. It was their first win of the league.

That he had a few runs to play with had mostly to do with Jeetan Patel. The Strikers were cruising when Patel came on to bowl the 16th over of the innings. Unafraid to flight the ball, he found good turn and dismissed both Jonathon Trott and, more significantly, Adam Gilchrist to derail the chase.

The Strikers were 106 for 2 at the start of that over, needing just 41 with plenty of wickets in hand. Gilchrist was reminding us all of what a freak batsman he was but instead, Patel spooked them, sparking a mini collapse of three wickets for four runs from which they never really recovered.

Razzaq was merely finishing off what he had begun earlier in the evening. The Commanders had struggled to get away on a slow track, especially against the spin of Nathan Hauritz. They only took off once Razzaq joined fellow Pakistani Saleem Elahi at the crease, putting on 64 for the fourth wicket to ensure they had a respectable total to defend.

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Red Sox, reshaped into relevancy, and Cubs, on the cusp, are MLB’s winter winners

Baseball’s Hot Stove League, the ancient term for off-season manoeuverings, does not generate actual standings, just opinions.

That noted, with less than three weeks before spring training, we have our designated biggest Hot Stove winner and loser from each league.

American League Winner: The Boston Red Sox finished at the bottom of the AL East last year, but with several moves, have reshaped themselves into relevancy.

For the sum of US$217 million (Dh797m) spread over seven years, the Sox landed prize left-hander David Price.

Their ace-less, suspect rotation of 2015 now becomes, at least, respectable. Better still, the bullpen, which had been adequate, becomes commanding, thanks to trades for Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith.

American League Loser: The Seattle Mariners list 10 fresh, big-league players on their team, as new general manager Jerry DiPoto spent the winter in a signing-trading frenzy hoping to move them up the AL West ladder from fourth place. The makeover, however, appears astonishingly unremarkable. Not an impact player in the bunch.

New slugger Adam Lind might be an improvement over the parade of recent flops at first base. But he still cannot hit lefties. And centrefielder Leonys Martin, from the Texas Rangers, should catch a few extra fly balls and steal some bases. Big deal. They went for quantity over quality, replacing Who’s That with Who Cares.

All of that activity and the new Mariners look a lot like the old Mariners – non-contenders.

National League Winner: The Chicago Cubs turned themselves into a play-off team a year ago, and decided they were not satisfied just getting to the party. The Cubs – with three solid free agent signings – now look like the team to beat in the NL Central, if not the entire league.

Kudos to Chicago who got stronger at the expense of division rival St Louis Cardinals. Pitcher John Lackey and outfielder Jason Heyward were Cardinals last year, Cubs this year.

Chicago also filled their biggest question mark at second base by convincing Ben Zobrist to ignore a reported 19 other suitors and leave the Kansas City Royals, the World Series winners.

National League Loser: The Los Angeles Dodgers spent more money on salaries the past three years than any other team. This winter, however, they would not pony up the market rate for their own superstar free agent, pitcher Zack Greinke, and lost him to NL West rival Arizona Diamondbacks.

New pitchers Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda from Japan are poor substitutes.

Next, the Dodgers crafted a trade for closer Aroldis Chapman, then backed out when news of a domestic abuse issue surfaced. Baseball’s continuing investigation did not scare off the New York Yankees, who signed him up.

The Dodgers also let their free agent second baseman Howie Kendrick depart, and may have to rely on ageing, injury-risk Chase Utley.

Meanwhile, Arizona and the San Francisco Giants aggressively bolstered their pitching. Talent-wise, those two appear to have surpassed the oddly passive Dodgers.

Luckily for them, Hot Stove hot air evaporates on Opening Day.

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California Chrome to run 2,000m Meydan handicap to prepare for Dubai World Cup

California Chrome will run in a handicap over 2,000 metres at Meydan on February 25 after connections decided that the 2014 US Horse of the Year needed more time before the Dubai World Cup.

California Chrome arrived in Dubai to much social media fanfare on Friday and cantered gently over a mile at Meydan on Tuesday, having had a stretch of his legs in the quarantine barn on Monday.

Assistant trainer Alan Sherman is overseeing all of California Chrome’s work in Dubai and has been accompanied by exercise rider Dihigi Gladney, groom Raul Rodriguez and vet Chuck Jenkins.

“I want to run him in the handicap and not on Super Saturday because it gives us another week before the World Cup.” Sherman said.

“The World Cup will be his third race after a long layoff and I just think it suits our schedule better.”

The Dubai Racing Club have amended the entry criteria of dirt handicaps for horses rated 95-108 and 100-113 to 95-118 and 100-123 respectively.

California Chrome will have his first serious workout in around 10 days time to put him spot on for the prep run over the World Cup course and distance ahead of his bid to go one better than last season in the world’s most valuable race.

Curlin was the last American horse to prep in a handicap in Dubai before winning the World Cup when he successfully ran in the 2008 Jaguar Trophy.

Four of the six Dubai World Cup winners at Meydan had run at the UAE’s flagship track previously before they won.

It looks increasingly likely that California Chrome will be joined on March 26 by Japanese raider Maurice, after connections of the outstanding Japanese miler confirmed that the $6m Dubai Turf is very much on the colt’s agenda.

This week Maurice was crowned Japan’s Horse Of The Year.

Maurice won the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship in Japan before he proved himself on the world stage with a commanding victory in the Kong Kong Mile under Ryan Moore, who reported his mount was not even in his best form.

It was thought that trainer Noriyuki Hori preferred a domestic campaign leading up to the Takarazuka Kinen in June, but it appears owner Kazumi Yoshida has steered his trainer in favour of Meydan.

“He is at the Northern Farm in Shigaraki and recovering nicely from his Hong Kong Mile win,” Hori said.

“I can’t say when he will return to my yard and which race is his first one, though it will become clearer next month.

“The Dubai Turf is definitely in our plans though.”

Hori added in an interview with the Racing Post that Duramente, last season’s top three-year-old colt in Japan, could possibly run in the Dubai Sheema Classic.

Blog and Image source : http://www.thenational.ae/sport/horse-racing/california-chrome-to-run-2000m-meydan-handicap-to-prepare-for-dubai-world-cup

Sunday cover: Same Old Trafford story for Manchester United

The National’s Sport cover for the Sunday, January 24 issue, featuring Southampton’s Charlie Austin as he scored the goal to down Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Richard Jolly writes of, after another dour United performance, Louis van Gaal’s culpability in his club’s often listless displays:

“Some managers sign specialist goalscorers. Others sell them.

“Louis van Gaal is the man who dispensed with Javier Hernandez and who argued he did not want competition for places in attack. He has spent £285 million (Dh1.5 billion) without buying an out-and-out finisher, perhaps rationalising that his side create them too few chances to flourish.

“How damning that he was condemned to defeat by Southampton’s striking substitute, Charlie Austin, a newcomer flourishing at Old Trafford.

“What a start for Austin, delivering a winner seven minutes and 43 seconds into his debut. What a reward for Koeman, Van Gaal’s protege turned enemy, who signed Austin for a cut-price fee of £4m, and saw the newcomer secure Saints’ second successive win at Old Trafford.

“This provided a microcosm of the problems under Van Gaal.

“Devoid of ideas, invention or incision, lacking ambition or attacking football, failing to excite or entertain, United are barren and boring. They mustered one shot on target. That, from Daley Blind, was tame and saved easily by Fraser Forster.

“They were booed off after the final whistle.”

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Friday cover: Fantastic three fire up Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Day 1

The National’s Sport cover for the Friday, January 22 issue, featuring Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler bringing a buzz to the start of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

Paul Radley reports on the interaction between the trio during their headline-act-grouping on Thursday:

“Two players shooting for greatness of the all-time variety. And a third not far back, by his own reckoning, in their slipstream.

“Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler. Can you play here every week? Please.”

Instead of a quiet first nine holes, trying to play your way into it, you’re concentrating from the get go,” McIlroy, the world No 3, said.

“It’s very rare to get it, so we’re soaking it in. It’s fun feeding off each other,” Spieth added.

And Fowler summed it up: “Why can’t we play this threesome all the time?”

As for the actual leader, American amateur Bryson DeChambeau, John McAuley has his whole story, too.

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Thursday cover: Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy face off in Abu Dhabi

The National’s Sport cover for the Thursday, January 21 issue, featuring Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy at the start of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

Golf’s new guard is on full display for the first time in 2016 in the UAE capital, where Rickie Fowler is also among the trio of young hotshots at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Ahead of Thursday’s opening round John McAuley details the budding Spieth-McIlroy rivalry:

“The duo have been paired together for the first two rounds in Abu Dhabi, with world No 6 Fowler for company, which is sure to attract eyeballs not only around the National Course but also across the planet.

“McIlroy admits he gets a buzz from contesting such heavyweight groupings.

“At world No 3, McIlroy ranks two behind the game’s top dog, and is expected to represent the American’s chief challenge this year.”

But, McAuley quotes Spieth noting he isn’t taking his place atop the sport’s pecking order for granted:

“Tiger [Woods], Phil [Mickelson], Rory: these guys have done more in the game of golf than I have and I want to strive to get to what they have done.

“I want my name to go down in history for as many things as it can. That’s where my mind is: I’m less satisfied with what’s happened and more hungry to try and keep it going.”

As for the suddenly hunting, instead of hunted, McIlroy:

“I made no secret about I want to get back to that position, and I’d like to do it as quick as possible,” he said. “That’s definitely a motivation.”

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Friday cover: South Africa and England fight for control

The National’s Sport cover for the Friday, January 15 issue, featuring South Africa and England as they embarked on the third Test in Johannesburg.

English bowlers put in a good spell on the first day, led by Steven Finn and Ben Stokes:

“When you lose a toss and you have the opposition seven down you’ve done all right,” bowling coach Ottis Gibson said.

“We struggled early on to find the right length I think, and then after that I thought Finny was outstanding the way he bowled and we had to keep going.

“They played quite well, they left well in the first 20 minutes, half an hour. Perhaps we didn’t find the right lengths but as the day went on we got better and better.”

On Day 2, England finished off the hosts for 313 before the Proteas struck back for two wickets by Lunch.

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Horse racing in focus: Richard Mullen does not have to teach an old Reynaldothewizard new tricks

There is plenty left in the tank of old stager Reynaldothewizard.

That is the opinion of jockey Richard Mullen, who is looking forward to the 10-year-old sprinter making his return to the racecourse in the Dubai Stakes at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday.

Reynaldothewizard has been off since he denied old rival Krypton Factor by a neck in a driving finish to the Al Shindagha Sprint in February, with Speed Hawk back in third.

All three renew rivalry in the $US150,000 (Dh550,900) dirt event on Thursday night, although Speed Hawk enjoys race fitness after he was left for dead on turf by the impressive Ertijaal last week.

Reynaldothewizard was forced to miss the opportunity of reclaiming his 2013 title in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March because of an abscess on his throat.

Trainer Satish Seemar considered running him in the $US2m dirt dash, but estimated at the time that at 80 per cent fit his charge would not have done himself justice.

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As a result Reynaldothewizard has enjoyed the time off and is fresh as a veteran of his vintage can be ahead of what could transpire to be a battle royal with Muarrab, who he beat by nearly four lengths in the Listed contest 12 months ago.

“He may be ten years of age but he still thinks he is a two-year-old,” Mullen said.

“I ride all of his fast work and he looks well, moves well and is bucking and kicking, which is all you need to worry about.

“When you see him in the mornings you would never pick him out as a Group 1 winner, and we deliberately work him with the lesser lights in the yard to give him confidence.

“As he isn’t the best work horse there is a concern then that he may not be as good as before, but the only way we are going to find out is by racing him.

“He does have a good record fresh and he obviously will improve for the run.”

This will be Reynaldothewizard’s 18th run at the UAE’s leading racecourse, and such is his renown that last month Philip Parham, the British ambassador, paid a visit to Zabeel Stables and was granted an audience with the bay gelding.

He is one of only a handful of horses left running in the yellow and red silks of Zabeel Racing International after the death of Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed last year.

Surfer ran fifth in the first round of the Al Maktoum Challenge last week, while Tiz Now Tiz Then also runs tonight in the Mina Rashid. Spin Cycle has yet to be seen this season but is also a ten-year-old.

Reynaldothewizard faces a a tricky draw in gate eight, two in from Krypton Factor who is the other former Golden Shaheen winner in the field and who is drawn widest in gate 10.

Muarrab, who has won eight of his last nine starts for Musabah Al Muhairi and is reportedly better than ever, is perfectly placed to emerge from the second gate.

Seemar’s other runner, Indianapolis, ran Shared Belief, one of America’s best thoroughbreds in 2014, to within three lengths when trained by Bob Baffert.

Prior to that run, Indianapolis was sluggish at the start to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita two seasons ago.

He clearly has talent, but needed the run badly when thrashed by Muarrab last month over course and distance.

Dark horse status is conferred on Swedish raider Let’sgoforit, who has won his last three on the dirt of Jagersro Racecourse and makes his debut in Dubai for first-time trainer Bodil Halencreutz.

Blog Source: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/horse-racing/horse-racing-in-focus-richard-mullen-does-not-have-to-teach-an-old-reynaldothewizard-new-tricks

Kidney for sale: Indian squash player offers vital organ to raise Dh43,902 before South Asian Games

MUMBAI // An Indian squash player has taken the unusual step of putting his kidney up for sale to raise funds ahead of next month’s South Asian Games, according to local media reports.

Ravi Dixit, who will turn 23 this week, is part of the home squad for the event taking place in northeast India and has used social media to offer up an organ for an asking price of 800,000 rupees (Dh43,902) due to a lack of sponsors.

His father’s employer, the Dhampur Sugar Mill, has provided financial assistance in the past but according to Dixit, the funds were no longer enough to support him.

“I need at least Rs 1 lakh to participate in the South Asian Games but have not been able to find any sponsor,” Dixit was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times newspaper on Tuesday.

“So, I have decided to sell my kidney for Rs 8 lakh so that I can participate in other tournaments as well for the rest of the year.”

Cricket is an obsession for many Indians and around 90 percent of advertising revenue targeted at sports goes to the country’s most popular game, analysts say.

When contacted by Reuters, the governing Squash Rackets Federation of India, did not immediately respond for comment.

Dixit’s attempts to sell the kidney, forbidden by law in India, is also a cause of concern for his parents.

“I have spoken to Ravi. He is in Chennai right now but I spoke to him on the phone. His mother and I are imploring him not to take the step,” Ravi’s father, Ramkailash, told the Times of India newspaper.

“Together, we will figure out a way to deal with this crisis. This way, he will ruin both his life and career.

“I funded my daughter’s wedding with Ravi’s winnings. Since he has to support the family as well, he cannot use much of what he gets for himself.”

Blog Source : http://www.thenational.ae/blogs/kit-bag/kidney-for-sale-indian-squash-player-offers-vital-organ-to-raise-dh43902-before-south-asian-games

‘The goals will come’: Kenwyne Jones vows to fire Al Jazira up the AGL table

DUBAI // Kenwyne Jones is confident Al Jazira have the talent to turn around their season having seen enough positives during his debut on Friday.

The Cardiff City striker joined the club last week on loan until the end of the campaign and has been tasked with scoring the goals to lift Jazira from their current position of 10th in the Arabian Gulf League.

Jones did not find the net in his first match although he played a key role in the 2-2 draw at Al Wasl, helping create his new side’s second goal. The Abu Dhabi club, who also had coach Henk ten Cate in the dugout for the first time, twice took the lead despite being largely outplayed by their fourth-placed hosts, but showed enough fight to suggest they can soon climb the table.

Jones agrees, with the Trinidad and Tobago captain sure Jazira possess enough ability to improve upon what has been a hugely disappointing season.

Transfer talk: Thiago Neves determined to prove himself at Al Jazira despite Saudi interest

“I see enough room for progress, I don’t see any problem for this team,” he said. “They can progress easily. We just need to tighten up a few things and we’ll be fine.

“It’s like anywhere in the world. You have moments where you lose a bit of concentration and don’t do things to stay on top of the game. But it’s OK — I believe 100 per cent in this team, we have a lot of talent.”

Jones cited the need for Jazira to be stronger in defence, with the capital club conceding from two set pieces against Wasl. They have been breached 29 times in 14 league matches this campaign — a problem that extends back to last season even though Jazira eventually finished runners-up to Al Ain.

That places more emphasis on Jones to excel up front. The former Premier League forward will carry much of the goalscoring brunt, but has Ali Mabkhout, fellow new signing Angel Lafita and either Thiago Neves or Jefferson Farfan in support.

Jazira are willing to listen to offers for Neves, while Farfan is recovering from an ankle injury. Jones, though, is convinced he can repay the faith the club have shown in him.

“I hope so, that’d be nice,” he said. “Wasl was my first time getting used to the team, the players and who we’re playing against. I feel quite positive and I’m hopeful in the next 12 to 13 games the goals will come.”

Jazira now have almost two weeks until their next match, a time in which Jones says he will use to smooth the transition to UAE football.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “It’s important for me and the team. We have one or two injuries coming back now so the team will get stronger over the next two weeks and then we can push forward again.”

Blog Resource: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/arabian-gulf-league/the-goals-will-come-kenwyne-jones-vows-to-fire-al-jazira-up-the-agl-table

Federer and Raonic to meet in Brisbane final, Kyrgios leads Hopman Cup triumph

Roger Federer reached his third successive Brisbane International final Saturday when he crushed Dominic Thiem in a lopsided semi-final.

Federer took just 60 minutes to down the eighth-seeded Austrian 6-1, 6-4 and said afterwards it was the best he had played all week.

“I’m getting used to conditions, which is usually the case after a couple of matches,” he said.

“You understand the speeds more and you’re more comfortable. Plus I’m definitely also feeling a bit better now.

“I was very pleased with how I played. I think it was the best match of the week so far, or most consistent maybe.”

The first set lasted just 22 minutes as a shell-shocked Thiem struggled to match the 17-time Grand Slam champion on Pat Rafter Arena.

Thiem, 22, settled into the match in the second set and took the fight to his 34-year-old opponent, but a lapse in the seventh game saw him drop his serve and Federer easily held on to book a place in the final.

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Federer lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the 2014 title-decider and beat Canadian Milos Raonic to win the title last year.

Sunday’s final will be a rematch of 2015 after the huge-serving Raonic edged local hero Bernard Tomic in two close sets.

“I played some tough matches (against him) in the last 16 months or so,” Federer said of Raonic.

“I thought he played really well against me here and Indian Wells last year.

“So he’s been looking good. Clearly with a serve like that things are always complicated.”

The big-serving Raonic hit 13 aces on his way to a 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) win in one hour, 47 minutes. Tomic had his chances against Raonic, and had four break points in the fifth game of the first set.

But Raonic served his way out of danger and neither man was troubled on his own serve thereafter.

With such a huge serve Raonic was always favoured in the tie-breaks and he opened a 5-1 lead on both occasions. Tomic fought back to 5-5 twice but in the end Raonic closed out the match with a lunging backhand volley.

Raonic pushed Federer in three close sets in 2015 and although he said he was playing better now than 12 months ago, he conceded facing the Swiss great was always difficult.

“He can do a lot of things differently,” Raonic said. “You know what you want to do against him and what you should do (but) he can just make this part difficult for you.

“Each time he can come out playing in different ways and he’s able to do a lot of different things.

“But what I need to do is very clear for myself. So that’s what I’m going to strive for and try to play it on my terms as much as possible, rather than his.”

Azarenka marches on

Victoria Azarenka displayed the kind of form that could lead her to a hat-trick of Australian Open titles later this month by brushing aside German fourth seed Angelique Kerber 6-3 6-1 in the Brisbane International final on Saturday.

The former world No 1 has been plagued by injury over the last two years but the world No 22 showed little sign of rust this week on her way to a second Brisbane crown.

The Belarusian dropped only 17 games over five matches during the tournament and claimed her first title since the Cincinnati Masters in August 2013.

Azarenka, 26, won her maiden Brisbane title in 2009, and took control of the match against world No 10 Kerber after an early trade of breaks in the first set and then peppered the court with her powerful groundstrokes.

Article Resource : http://www.thenational.ae/sport/tennis/federer-and-raonic-to-meet-in-brisbane-final-kyrgios-leads-hopman-cup-triumph

Here is what is in store in the coming week

Ahead of a busy week of sport across the globe, Graham Caygill highlights five of the leading events going on over the coming seven days.

1. NFL: Wild card play-offs, today and tomorrow, OSN Sports

 Business picks up in the NFL as the play-offs begin this weekend. Today’s action sees the Houston Texans host the Kansas City Chiefs followed by the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tomorrow’s first game has the Minnesota Vikings go up against the Seattle Seahawks, who are bidding for a second Super Bowl victory in three years and a third successive appearance in the event. The Green Bay Packers complete the weekend’s busy schedule as they travel to the Washington Redskins.

2. Cricket: Australia v India, first ODI, 7.20am, Tuesday, OSN Sport 

The current world champions in the 50-over form of the game go up against the previous winners in what should be an entertaining five-match series, with the action beginning in Perth on Tuesday. Steve Smith leads Australia into action fresh from guiding them to a 2-0 Test series victory over the West Indies, and he will be hoping for a repeat of the last time they met in an ODI, which was the World Cup semi-final in March last year, when his 105 helped his side win by 95 runs.

3. Premier League: Liverpool v Arsenal, midnight, Wednesday, beIN Sports 

Leaders Arsenal travel to Anfield with a two-point lead at the top of the table, but while Liverpool have failed to find much in the way of consistency this season, they will still be a dangerous prospect for the London side. Jurgen Klopp’s men have played some of their best stuff against the bigger named teams in the division. The 4-1 win at Manchester City in November was one of the performances of the season and Arsene Wenger would do well to be way of the Merseyside club.

4. Cricket: South Africa v England, third Test, 12.30pm, Thursday, OSN Sport 

The teams head to Johannesburg with England still having the advantage at 1-0 in the four-match series. If Alastair Cook’s men can win at the Wanderers Stadium for the first time since 2005 they will clinch the series. The pressure is on the Proteas, who have AB de Villiers taking over as captain after Hashim Amla stepped down from the role following the drawn second Test in Cape Town last week.

5. Motorsport: Dubai 24 Hours, Thursday to Saturday 

The 11th staging of the annual endurance race takes place at the Dubai Autodrome next weekend. The teams will begin arriving in the UAE early in the week for the event, which not only tests driver speed, but the ability of their car to last for 24 hours of racing. Last year’s event was won by the Black Falcon team of Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Hubert Haupt, Yelmer Burrman and Oliver Webb, and Faisal, Haupt and Buurman are back again, this time with Bernd Schneider and Michal Broniszewski. Qualifying is on Thursday, with the race beginning at 2pm on Friday and finishing at the same time on Saturday.

Blog Source: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/here-is-what-is-in-store-in-the-coming-week

Sebastian Tagliabue twice on target for Al Wahda in Arabian Gulf League win over Dibba

ABU DHABI // Al Wahda got their New Year and second half of the Arabian Gulf League off to a positive start on Thursday evening.

Sebastian Tagliabue was on target either side of half time while Jorge Valdivia added a third in between as Wahda overcame an own goal from Sultan Al Ghafri to record a 3-1 victory over Dibba at the Al Nahyan Stadium. Dibba ended the game with 10 players after Ali Mohammed was sent off seven minutes from time after collecting a second yellow card.

Tagliabue’s double took his season’s tally to 15 from 13 league games. The Argentine, unmarked at the far post, opened the scoring on 24 minutes with a neat header off a cross from Mohammed Bargash but the lead was shortlived, Al Ghafri’s sliding effort to intercept a Sanad Ali cross only succeeded in knocking the ball past his own goalkeeper with 38 minutes on the clock.

Valdivia restored Wahda’s lead midway through the second half. The Chilean play maker launched a curling shot that bounced awkwardly in front of Humaid Abdullah before nestling in the far corner of the net. Tagliabue made sure of the result nine minutes from time, collecting a pass from the second-half substitute Khalil Ibrahim and knocking in his second of the match.

Man of the match

Valdivia not only scored but played an influential role in creating space to put the Dibba defenders under pressure throughout. He did it despite being heavily marked and withstanding some harsh tackles.

What the managers said

Javier Aguirre, the Wahda coach: “We didn’t start the game in a good way but we saw a better second half, but we could have won much better than we did.

“We have lost about 10 players, four of them – Mohammed Al Shehhi, Abdullah Al Noobi, Mohammed Saif and Fahad Al Dhanhani – are in the military services; four of them – Mohammed Al Akbari, Ahmed Rashid, Salem Sultan, Sultan Saif – are in the UAE Olympic team, and a couple of injuries.

“However, I expect every player in the squad when provided with the opportunity to play to their true potential because our objective is still to finish in the top four in the league.”

Theo Bucker, the Dibba coach: “For a small club like Dibba it was an OK performance. It will take a while for us to reach the level of a team like Wahda. We have to play within our limited resources and when up against stronger opponents, as in most cases, there is not much we can do.”

When asked if they the club were on the lookout for new signings during the transfer window, Bucker said: “I have recommended some changes to the squad but this is not in my hands.”

The National’s verdict

Wahda looked a bit rusty after the mid-season break but are clearly a side on the up with a victory that keeps them fifth in the AGL table. They enjoyed both possession and territory for the majority of the game, and could have won more convincingly at the end had they not been so

Blog Resource : http://www.thenational.ae/sport/arabian-gulf-league-match-reports/sebastian-tagliabue-twice-on-target-for-al-wahda-in-arabian-gulf-league-win-over-dibba

‘Pakistan need to be sensible against India’

LAHORE: Former Olympian and Pakistan head coach Khwaja Junaid reckons the national hockey team need to play sensibly against India in their crucial match of the Hockey League Semi-finals in Antwerp on Friday.

Talking to Dawn on Thursday, a day after Pakistan were thrashed 6-1 by Australia, Junaid said: “We need to play a very sensible game against India.

“We played an ill-planned game against the Australians and now we need to avoid letting emotions get the better of us against India. We need to avoid forced errors as the Indians will go all out in involving our players in a physical game.”

The HWL semi-finals present Pakistan a last chance to qualify for next year’s Rio Olympics and Junaid said that Pakistan shouldn’t have gone for a victory against Australia.

“Australia and India have already secured their berths in the Olympics and our priority should’ve been to lessen the margin of defeat against Australia,” he said.

“Pakistan are a better side than India but the only difference is that the Indians have already punched their tickets to Rio so they can be more relaxed.

“Against India, attacks should be coordinated and the whole team should go forward rather than a lone individual. Pakistan should start with a counter-attacking approach against India and not allow them to build up pressure.”

Junaid added that Pakistan have a solid goalkeeper in Imran Butt and have good experience in their ranks.

“Imran was great against Australia and saved no less than four goals in the opening two quarters,” he said. “We capitulated afterwards though and couldn’t hold onto possession against the Aussies.”

India qualified for the Olympics after beating Pakistan in the final of last year’s Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Pakistan, however, won the last game between the two sides when they beat India 4-3 in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in December.


Blog Source: http://drasifshahid.blogspot.com/2015/06/pakistan-need-to-be-sensible-against.html

Two Indoor Trampoline Parks Now in Dubai for Fitness and Fun

The Bounce trampoline facility is not a gym but an indoor park set inside a warehouse that has been fully converted into sprung floors and trampolines. It has eighty-six trampolines laced with 12,000 springs, three trampoline basketball hoops (for slamming balls into a net) and two trampoline dodgeball courts.

The Jump Boxx complex will have over 22,000 sq. feet of interconnected American-manufactured trampolines with 100 of them used for bouncing/jumping. The venue will also contain trampoline dodgeball courts with angled trampolines, basketball dunk stations with wall-to-wall trampolines and foam pits for aerial jumping.

Both indoor trampoline Dubai parks are said to be safe and fun outlets for spending hours of fun entertainment and will offer a truly memorable experience for all ages. Such facilities are intended to be great sources of joy and leisure for many children and families.

As seen from the number of  trampoline parks built across the U.S., this is entertainment that has gained much popularity in recent times. Trampolines also offer the ultimate cardio workout; many people use them as part of a healthy regime. The benefits of trampolining are many in terms of good physical cardio activity; people have been known to achieve great conditioning results, get fit, lose weight, and increase muscles’ strength. Many types of trampoline exercises are done to target specific muscles.

Unlike other indoor exercise equipment, trampolines offer alow-impact activity that protects joints, because the trampoline pad is bouncy and soaks up a large proportion of the impact of a users’ landing, whilst exercising muscles.

Apart from the fun of spring-powered flight, the two unique venues offer trampoline fitness classes(instructor-led) where participants can be part of group sessions to burn calories and improve balance and coordination.

Today, trampolines are part of many people’s lives and they are quickly becoming the new trend in the emirate. An indoor trampoline park is one of the newest and most exciting things to do while in Dubai. Surely, residents and visitors will spring out of the heat this summer and head to one of the two indoor trampoline centers to jump to their heart’s content! 

Source : http://www.dubayblog.com/two-indoor-trampoline-parks-now-in-dubai-for-fitness-and-fun/

Don’t Miss These 5 Amazing Water Sports In Dubai

If there’s one thing you’ll love about Dubai, it’s the endless kilometers of white sandy beaches waiting to be experienced. As the weather cools down, there is no better place to be than on the coastline, challenging yourself with the Emirate’s most exhilarating water sports. From windsurfing to wake boarding, Dubai has it all.

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding has become one of the world’s most popular board sports in recent years because it allows for amazing tricks and is very easy to learn as well as provide good exercise. Whether you want to learn to ride, jump the wakes or advance to flips, the best instructors can get you there. With practice you’ll be skiing across the water like a boss.

Wakesurfing

Wakeboarding in Dubai changes the game. Warm water all year round will have you riding hours on hours until you are hitting the wake and landing way out in the flats on all your manoeuvres. Whatever type of riding style, we have a wake that will suit you.

Jet Ski Tours

Dubai is an extraordinary city offering a stunning skyline which you can enjoy properly from the sea. Jetski’s give you the chance to refresh during the day on the sea, enjoy the speed of our new Yamaha Jetski 1050cc, jump the waves and feel the amazing sensation of this exciting watersport. Choose between our jetski trips and ride near the Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, his highness Sheikh Island, JBR and much more.

Flyboard

Flyboard is a water jet pack that goes on your feet and allows you to surf the sky, swim like a dolphin and explore the blue water sea. The Flyboard is attached on to the powerful motor of a jet ski, drag you towards the magnificent water routes with a connection to a pair of jet boots. The Flyboard arrangement and connection provides you an opportunity to fly into the sky up to 10 meters or dive and explore underwater.

X-Jet Pack

Walk or dive on water, or fly like a bird or superhero. The X-Jet Pack is perfect for adventure lovers seeking new water adventures. The half hour water ride and dive allows plenty of time to enjoy the thrill under a safely controlled environment. The X-Jet Pack is a backpack unit strapped in by a 5 point safety harness and water is forced from the powered unit which in turn lifts you above the water. Glide using 2 hand controls to steer left, right, up and down. Fly up to 30 feet above and make it one of the most thrilling experiences of your life.

Blog and Images Source : http://blog.gameplaysport.com/dont-miss-these-5-amazing-water-sports-in-dubai/