The Bangladesh Today (12-02-2018)

SPORTS
MONDAy, FEBRUARy 12, 2018
9
Herath isn't battling father time, he has cut a deal with him.
Pakistan gears
up to host PSL
final in Karachi
KARACHI: Foreign experts on
Sunday inspected security
arrangements in Karachi,
which is scheduled to stage the
final of Pakistan's Twenty20
league next month -- the city's
first international match in nine
years, reports BSS.
The third season of the
Pakistan Super League starts in
the United Arab Emirates on
February 22. The tournament
will move to Pakistan for two
play-offs on March 20-21 and
the final in Karachi on March
25. Security experts Reg
Dickason and Richard Dennis
witnessed a full dress rehearsal
for the final in Karachi. They
were also briefed by Pakistani
security and government
officials on the arrangements.
"Whatever we have
witnessed today, it's as good
as I have seen in all my years
of work but I can't say a final
word (on hosting the final)
now and will submit my
report within the next seven
days," Dickason told media.
The team's report will be
integral to paving the way for
the final. International cricket
in Pakistan was suspended
after a 2009 militant attack on
the Sri Lankan team in Lahore
killed eight people and injured
seven visiting players.
Pakistan's national team has
since played nearly all its
home matches in the UAE.
The country has been battling
Islamist militants for over a
decade, and insurgents have
carried out several highprofile
attacks across the
country. Authorities have been
trying to gradually return
international cricket to
Pakistan. The final of the PSL
last year was played in Lahore.
Some foreign players made the
trip, but many stayed away
because of concerns about
security. That was followed by
three T20s against a World XI
in September, and one T20
against Sri Lanka in October --
all in Lahore. Pakistan made
unprecedented security
arrangements for these
matches, with 20,000 military
and police officials guarding the
visiting players and the
stadium.
Photo: Internet.
Postponed men’s downhill
to be raced Thursday
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea: The blue
riband men's downhill, scheduled to open the
Olympic alpine skiing programme, will be
raced Thursday after high winds forced its
postponement Sunday, reports BSS.
"Due to the strong wind and unfavourable
forecast for today, the men's downhill is
postponed," the International Ski Federation
(FIS) announced. "The jury has decided to
switch the official programme and has
rescheduled the men's downhill for Thursday,
February 15, and the men's super-G on Friday,
February 16," FIS said, with the downhill set to
start at 0200 GMT. The downhill training for
the men's combined event scheduled for
Monday has also been cancelled.
It is not the first time Mother Nature has
played havoc with the best laid plans for alpine
skiing at the Olympics. Four years ago in
Sochi, the latter part of the programme was
rescheduled because of poor weather while
the downhill in Vancouver in 2010 was put
back two days because of heavy snow and
rain.
The downhill at the 1998 Nagano Games
was rescheduled on three occasions, also
because of heavy snow and rain. Just prior to
the postponement, FIS said the "hill is closed
to everyone", meaning that the gondola that
transports athletes, their backroom staff,
timing and course officials up to the
Jeongseon slope would not be running.
Luckily for the male racers, they managed to
get three downhill training sessions in under
their belts, racing the third in similarly gloomy
weather forecasts that eased at the last
minute.
- Contingency plans -
Given that skiing is an outdoor event, at the
mercy of the elements, its Olympic
programme is always designed with
contingencies at hand. The 11 medal events in
Pyeongchang are run over 17 days, with racers
having to have completed at least one
downhill training run in order to be able to
compete in the downhill proper. The
scheduling allows FIS to be able to tinker with
the line-up, often bringing forward more
technical events like slalom and giant slalom
which can at a push be raced in heavy snow for
instance.
"We kind of expected this downhill to be
postponed due to wind, but at the same time
the guys were charged up and ready to go,"
said Sasha Rearick, the men's alpine head
coach of the US team.
"With this being an outdoor sport, it is not
abnormal." Rearick said racers now have to
"harness (energy), stay relaxed, and then be
able to ramp back up". France's Brice Roger,
one of the outsiders for the downhill, added:
"We downhillers are used to it, it happens
quite regularly. "It's now a question of not
losing energy," he said. "We'll keep busy, get
the cards out, do a bit of sport and the day'll
pass quietly. "We've just switched on the
television so we'll watch a bit of the ice
skating."
Coleman puts on speed show
at Boston Grand Prix
BOSTON: Christian Coleman, who won the
100 metres silver medal last year at the
World Championships, cruised to victory in
the men's 60 metres on Saturday at the
Boston Indoor Grand Prix, reports BSS.
The 21-year-old Coleman clocked 6.46
seconds as he easily beat Xie Zhenye of
China, who finished in 6.54 at the Reggie
Lewis Center.
Last month, Coleman ran a 6.37 indoors in
his season-opening race to record the fastest
time in history over the distance.
"I am just trying to fine tune and stay on top
of things," Coleman said. "I have really been
focusing on my start and it is paying off.
"I don't like to put a limit or specific time on
how fast I can go. I just try to compete every
race." Coleman, of the US, stumbled slightly
out of the blocks but was still able to hold off
a late charge from Xie, who was runner-up
for the second straight year. American Noah
Lyles placed third in 6.57.
Xie is rounding into form ahead of Indoor
Worlds next month in Birmingham,
England, as he also ran a 6.57 last week in
New York.
The Boston indoor meet is the fourth stop
on the IAAF World Indoor Tour circuit and
it comes just one week before the US indoor
championships which start Friday in
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Coleman says he is looking forward to
running the 60m in Albuquerque.
"I wanted to come out today and execute.
Make sure everything is a go for next week,"
he said. Kenyan Olympic hero Edward
Cheserek capped the day's races with a solid
victory in the men's 3,000m.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed Real Sociedad to warm up for
Wednesday's Champions League tie with Paris St-Germain. Photo: BBC.
Japan Olympic
ice hockey
forward Ukita
banned for
one game
GANGNEUNG, South
Korea: Japanese women's
forward Rui Ukita was
suspended for one game
of the Pyeongchang
Winter Olympics on
Sunday by the
International Ice Hockey
Federation due to a
kicking incident against
Sweden, reports BSS.
Ukita will miss
Monday's group-stage
contest
against
Switzerland but will be
able to return for
Wednesday's game
against the United North
and South Korean women.
The violation came with
48 seconds remaining in
Japan's loss Saturday to
Sweden. During a puck
battle in front of the
Swedish bench, Sweden's
Annie Svedin pushed
Ukita to the ice.
While Svedin was over
Ukita, the Japanese player
made a kicking action
directed to the lower body
of the Swede.
A disciplinary panel,
based on videos and other
evidence, determined the
kick was not mere
momentum of the play but
a clear leg movement in
Svedin's direction.
Although
the
announcement said the
panel did not believe
Ukita intended to injure
Svedin, the swinging kick
so near a rival was a
violation.
Newcomer Klassen becomes new Pink-Day hero.
Olympics hit
by cyberattack,
source not
revealed
PYEONGCHANG: Olympic
officials on Sunday said a
cyberattack
was
responsible for an internet
and wifi shutdown during
the Pyeongchang Winter
Games opening ceremony,
but refused to say who was
responsible, reports BSS.
Internal systems crashed
just before Friday's
ceremony but didn't
disrupt the high-tech gala,
which was attended by
VIPs including the sister of
North Korean leader Kim
Jong Un, and US Vice-
President Mike Pence.
Cyber security experts
had warned of potential
attacks on the Winter
Olympics, with both North
Korea and Russia touted as
possible sources. In
January, a malware attack
targeted organisations
involved with the
Olympics.
South Korea's defence
ministry and cybersecurity
experts are included in the
taskforce investigating
Friday's attack, but the
possible culprit is being
kept under wraps.
"We are not going to
reveal the source," said
Sung Baik-you, spokesman
for the Games' local
organisers.
Wenger fears
Arsenal’s top four
chances are in peril
LONDON: Arsene Wenger conceded
Arsenal's hopes of ending their Champions
League exile are in severe danger after Harry
Kane condemned them to a damaging 1-0
defeat against bitter rivals Tottenham,
reports BSS.
Kane's second half header at Wembley on
Saturday left Wenger's sixth placed side
languishing six points adrift of the Premier
League's top four.
Worryingly for Wenger, that gap could
grow even bigger on Sunday when fourth
placed Liverpool play their game in hand at
Southampton. Failing to qualify for next
season's Champions League via a top four
finish would be another hammer blow for
beleaguered Arsenal boss Wenger, whose
team had to settle for a berth in the far less
attractive Europa League this term.
Wenger acknowledged that depressing fate
is staring Arsenal in the face again following
Kane's latest act of vengeance against the
club that rejected him as a youngster.
"It's a game we couldn't afford to lose, it
makes it much more difficult," Wenger said.
"We have to fight, there was more at stake
than just the derby, that's why it's so
disappointing.
"It's very disappointing because the
priority is to be in the Champions League via
the top four. "I'm not a big fan of the Europa
League winner getting into the Champions
League. It's not right, but if it is an
opportunity we have to take it."
It was a frustrating afternoon for Wenger,
whose side were out-played for long periods
as new signings Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan
failed to shine in their first taste of the north
London derby. Arsenal's wretched away
record against teams in the top five -- they
haven't won their last 16 of those fixtures --
left Wenger cursing a lack of cutting edge
and a defence that wilted when Kane rose to
head home from Christian Eriksen's cross.
- Wenger woes -
"We missed chances on the counter attack
that are not acceptable at this level. Then at
the start of the second half we should have
lost the game by more," he said.
"At the top level you have to be mentally
strong enough to take the chances.
"We can only look at ourselves at the goal,
but I don't think we lack hunger in defence.
"We were caught by a super striker, he is
one of the best in the world. he scores against
everyone. "The away record is very poor. we
don't score enough goals away from home."
In contrast to Wenger's woes, Tottenham
manager Mauricio Pochettino was searching
for fresh ways to praise Kane. The England
star's 32nd club goal of the season means he
has now scored seven times in seven leagues
games against Arsenal.
Not for the first time, Pochettino made it
clear Kane deserves to be ranked among the
world's best strikers. "Of course Harry is one
of the best in the world. I have repeated that
for the last few years," he said. "Sometimes
you believe that he is my player and I try to
boost him. I'm telling you and I tell again, in
my experience in football, he is one of the
best. "He deserves to be one of the best. It's
so good to have him in our side.
Harry every game he has the same energy."
In the first north London derby at
Wembley for 25 years, Tottenham extended
their recent mastery over Arsenal, who have
won only once in the last eight league
meetings with their hated neighbours.
Tottenham are unbeaten in their last nine
league matches and remain in a good
position to qualify for the Champions
League. Damaging Arsenal's hopes was an
added bonus and Pochettino added: "If you
analyse the game, we created many chances.
"My players were fantastic, they deserve
the full credit, now keep going. "We are
doing a fantastic job. It's important for the
belief of the team and confidence."
Photo: Internet.
Kohli rues missed chances as South
Africa keep series alive
JOHANNESBURG: Indian captain Virat
Kohli lamented two crucial errors which
effectively cost his team a chance of
wrapping up the series in the fourth
one-day international against South
Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on
Saturday, reports BSS.
"You have to take your chances in this
game," said Kohli after David Miller
escaped twice in one over at a time when
India seemed to have taken control.
South Africa chased down a rainreduced
target of 202 in 28 overs with
five wickets and 15 balls to spare to keep
alive their hopes of sharing the sixmatch
series after losing the first three
games.
But the home team's chances looked
slim when returning star AB de Villiers
was fourth man out with 100 runs still
needed and only 67 balls remaining.
In the next over David Miller, on six,
was dropped by Shreyas Iyer at deep
square leg off leg-spinner Yuzvendra
Chahal. Back on strike in the same over
he missed a sweep and was bowled --
only to be recalled when a replay
showed Chahal had sent down a no-ball.
Miller went on to hit 39 and shared a
quickfire stand of 72 with Heinrich
Klaasen, whose 43 not out off 27 balls
earned him the man of the match award.
Two weather interruptions played a
key role. India were 200 for two, with
Shikhar Dhawan on 107 not out when
the threat of lightning caused a
stoppage after 34.2 overs.
Dhawan added only two runs after the
resumption and India lost five wickets
for 89 runs to finish with a slightly
disappointing 289 for seven.
South Africa were 43 for one after 7.2
overs when lightning, followed by rain,
caused a lengthy delay. They came came
back needing another 159 runs off 20.4
overs.
"It basically became a T20 game," said
Kohli. "We did not grab our chances so
we did not deserve to win."
Indian spinners Chahal and left-armer
Kuldeep Yadav, who took 21 wickets
between them in the first three matches,
conceded a combined 119 runs off 11.3
overs on Saturday as they struggled to
control a wet ball against aggressive
batting.
"It was nice to put some pressure on
the Indians. The message today was to
put fear aside," said South African
captain Aiden Markram.
Kohli, the star of a series in which
India hold an unbeatable 3-0 lead,
played another valuable innings, hitting
75 in a second-wicket stand of 178 with
Dhawan. His 83-ball innings took Kohli
to 393 runs for a series in which he has
only been dismissed twice.
It was the third successive big
partnership between Dhawan and Kohli.
They put on an unbeaten 93 in chasing
down a small target in the second match
in Centurion and added 140 in setting
up a win in the third match in Cape
Town.
This time, though, it was the lefthanded
Dhawan who made the biggest
contribution, hitting his 13th ODI
century in his 100th match in the
format. His 109 runs were scored off
105 balls, with ten fours and two sixes.