MORSi ROAStS IRAN - Kuwait Times

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012 PARIS: Toulouse backs coach Jean- Baptiste Elissalde says he is not too worried by his side’s tepid start to the Top 14 season ahead of the top-of-the-table clash with much-improved Biarritz tomorrow. The two sides both won their opening two games, but reigning champions Toulouse failed to impress, with a onepoint win over Castres on the opening day followed by a 37-22 victory over bottom side Mont-de-Marsan last weekend. Biarritz defeated Mont-de-Marsan and won away at Agen to go top, level on nine points with Toulouse, and one point ahead of the only other undefeated side, Toulon. Former international scrum-half Elissalde said that it was still too early in the season to draw firm conclusions about who would be the top teams. “After just two games, you simply do not know enough,” he said. “After four games you start to get a better idea and after 10, then you have a really good idea of how things are panning out. So we will wait until then.” Still, Elissalde knows that the talentpacked Toulouse side will have to step up their game a notch if they want to keep their unbeaten record and go solo at the top of the league. “We are looking to improve week by week,” he said. “Against Mont-de-Marsan we made a lot of technical mistakes-too many mistakes. The new rules have something to do with it and if we lose so many balls at Biarritz, we are in for a tough time of it.” There was good news for Toulouse with the return to training of star utility back Maxime Medard, who needed a knee operation in February after tearing cruciate ligaments in the Six Nations game against Scotland. Biarritz backs coach Jack Isaac was in complete agreement with Elissalde that it was too early to say who would be the top teams this season or whether his side could continue to bounce back from last season’s struggles. “Of course it would be stupid to say that I am unhappy with our results so far, but quite honestly we are only two games into the season and now we face up to Toulouse and that will be a real test for us against a team who have the potential to again win the championship. We must not get carried away,” the Australian said. The Basque side have been hit with the news that international scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili will be out for two to three months with a slipped disc in his back.Toulon coach Bernard Laporte has Sports Toulouse set for early showdown Offence is the best N Z defence, says captain Taylor MUMBAI: Attacking the Indian spinners is the best possible way to survive against them, according to New Zealand captain Ross Taylor. The visitors lost by an innings and 115 runs in the first test in Hyderabad with the Indian spin duo of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha sharing 18 of the 20 wickets. New Zealand were bundled out for 159 and 164 in their first and second innings respectively and need to tackle the spinners better if they are to avoid a whitewash in the two-test series. “It’s never easy when you lose a test by over an innings,” Taylor told reporters on the eve of the final test in Bangalore. “We need to forget about it as quickly as possible, talk amongst the group and find ways of playing Ashwin and Ojha. “We have to be brave and courageous and attack them and hopefully put pressure back on them. “And when we attack them, there hopefully won’t be many men around the bat.” Ashwin picked up 12 wickets while Ojha bagged six as the match finished within four days in Hyderabad. But Taylor ruled out making any hasty changes for the second test. BANGALORE: New Zealand cricket team captain Ross Taylor (rear) yawns as he watches teammate Martin Guptill bat in the nets during a training session. —AP “We gave them faith in the first game and we’re going to give them a go in the next game as well,” Taylor said. “We didn’t play as well as we would have liked, but this is another opportunity to show how good we are as a team.” Taylor’s counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni will just try to stick to the tried and tested formula that worked perfectly for them in Hyderabad. “We don’t need to be overconfident... and whatever we did right in the first test, we have to repeat everything and try to stick to the basics and keep things simple,” Dhoni said. This is the first test series for India post the retirements of batting stalwarts Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman and the hosts chose Cheteshwar Pujara and Suresh Raina to fill the vacant spots in the batting order. While Pujara scored his maiden test hundred, Raina, who averages under 29 in the 16 tests he has played so far, could score only three. Dhoni threw his weight behind left-handed batsman, who is an integral part of India’s one-day side. “He has played just one game after Laxman has retired, so we have to give a fair amount of time to every individual who becomes the part of the side,” Dhoni said. —Reuters NEW YORK: Kim Clijsters’ illustrious singles career drew to an emotional close on Wednesday when the former world number one was knocked out of the second round of the US Open by Britain’s Laura Robson. Robson’s compatriot Andy Murray later made light work of Croatia’s Ivan Dodig to reach the third round but it was the 7-6 7-6 defeat of Belgian Clijsters that grabbed the attention as the first significant upset of the tournament. Murray’s 6-2 6-1 6-3 second round victory completed the third consecutive night of uncompetitive matches on the showcase Arthur Ashe Stadium. The big names have won six matches in prime time for the loss of only 24 games. Eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic earlier survived a major scare against Guillaume Rufin to be one of nine men to recover from two-set deficits in the opening round.Clijsters, threetimes a US Open champion, remains in the doubles and mixed doubles but the loss to Robson was her final singles match before she quits the tour to concentrate on family life. She saved two match points in the 12th game of the second set with a searing forehand volley and a huge first serve. The tiebreak was tense as Clijsters fought to extend her career but Robson, the world number 89 playing with fearless aggression and pinpoint accuracy, converted her third match point and it was all over for the 29 year old. “I have played some of my best tennis here and some of my best matches,” Clijsters said. “It is a place that has inspired me. This feels like the perfect place to retire - but I just wish already intimated that he will hand a call-up for the first time to the former golden boy of French rugby Frederic Michalek for a place on the bench for the trip to Mont-de-Marsan. The half-back returned to play in France in the close season after a stint with Super 15 outfit Coastal Sharks in South Africa, but was not included in the squad for the opening two games. Michalak is currently Toulon’s understudy at fly-half to England star Jonny Wilkinson, but is expected to get a place in the starting line-up soon. “The number 10 shirt is a difficult one to manage-very strategic,” former France coach Laporte said. “Fred has been with us for just three weeks and we do not want to ask too much of him too early. He has signed up with us for three years so we will give him the time to properly adapt.” — AFP NEW YORK: Andy Murray, of Britain, tracks the ball on a shot by Ivan Dodig, of Croatia, in the second round of play at the US Open tennis tournament. — AP Clijsters knocked out of US Open it wasn’t today. “I fought and gave it my all but just wasn’t good enough in the end.”It’s been a great adventure. It’s all been worth it but I’m looking forward to the next part of my life.” Robson paid tribute to Clijsters in an on-court interview. “I was just trying to play as well as I could because if I didn’t, I knew Kim would completely dominate,” Robson said. “I want to say thanks to Kim for being such a great role model for so many years. I have grown up watching you play and it has been an honour to finally play against you.” Other matches on Wednesday went mostly to script, the only mild surprises involving lower seeds. World number one Victoria Azarenka overpowered Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-2 6-2 in 65 minutes in a blustery Arthur Ashe Stadium before defending champion Sam Stosur recorded a routine 6-3 6-0 win over Edina Gallovits-Hall. Stosur met Redfoo of the music group LMFAO before he watched her match and his presence at courtside inspired a victory dance by the Australian. “I figured, well, there’s only going to be maybe one chance you can do that at the U.S. Open with him there,” Stosur said. “I’m sure I looked like a goose.” Russia’s third seed Maria Sharapova trounced Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6- 0 6-1 in the first of two night matches. Murray was equally untroubled in his win over Dodig and thousand of spectators walked out before the match was completed. Scratchy in his opening round match against Alex Bogomolov, the Scot had all guns blazing against Dodig. —Reuters
FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012 Man United rely on new signing Van Persie in Rooney’s absence LONDON: Manchester United will need new signing Robin van Persie to shoulder the goal-scoring burden when they travel to promoted Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday (1500 GMT) without the injured Wayne Rooney. Former Arsenal striker Van Persie scored on his first start for United in the 3-2 comeback win over Fulham last weekend and manager Alex Ferguson was delighted with the way the Dutchman linked up with fellow new signing Shinji Kagawa who was also on target. “I was pleased with both of them. It’s early on and they’ll have a better understanding as time goes on,” said Ferguson. Substitute Rooney suffered a deep gash to his thigh against Fulham and the England striker remained in the headlines this week as British media speculated the 26-year-old could be on his way out of Old Trafford after being left out of the starting lineup. “Read the nonsense in the papers and heard what people have to say,” Rooney said on Twitter. “Absolute rubbish. Here to stay.” United, who started the season with a defeat at Everton, could welcome back Jonny Evans after injury to ease their problems in defence. Southampton have been thrown in at the deep end in their first top-flight season since 2005 having opened the campaign against champions Manchester City. They gave City a scare before losing 3-2 and have yet to pick up a point from their two games. Fifth-placed City host Queens Park Rangers again on Saturday (1630) with the Londoners having a different look to the team that conceded two stoppage-time goals in May to hand their opponents the title after a busy time in the transfer market for manager Mark Hughes. QPR suffered a 5-0 home drubbing by Swansea City on the opening day before drawing 1-1 at Norwich City last week. “It’s important to remember there are a lot of new faces in this team,” striker Bobby Zamora told the club website (www.qpr.co.uk). “We are not all going to click straight away, it’s not going to be perfect from the get-go.” City drew at Liverpool last time out courtesy of a defensive error from Martin Skrtel which allowed Carlos Tevez to score his 100th goal in English football but it left manager Roberto Mancini conceding there was room for improvement. “We lost two goals from free kicks so I think we need to improve,” the Italian said. “We are not 100 percent for many reasons, for this it is important we didn’t lose this game.” Liverpool’s Turkey playmaker Nuri Sahin could make his debut in Sunday’s home match against Arsenal (1230). Sahin, on loan from Real Madrid, was not registered in time for the Europa League playoff against Hearts late yesterday. “We’ll assess the player and I’m sure he’ll be involved in the squad at the weekend,” manager Brendan Rodgers said. European champions Chelsea, top of the table with three wins from as many games, are not in action this weekend because they play Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup on Friday. — Reuters Kuwaiti swimmers top Arab tourney AMMAN: Kuwaiti national team taking part in a regional Arab swimming tournament being hosted here snatched five gold medals, four silver and three bronze. Some 85 swimmers of both sexes representing nine Arab countries are taking part in this Arab sport gathering. Head of the Kuwaiti delegation Ahmed Mohamed expressed, in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) appreciation for the results achieved by the team and its efforts to keep at the forefront of other teams. Kuwaiti swimmer Abdullah Thuwaini won three gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle and 50 backstroke categories, while Abbas Qali snatched the gold medal in the 50-meter butterfly while Salman Qali won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly category. The silver medal went to swimmers Salman Qali in the 50meter butterfly and Saud Al-Tayyar in the 400-meter medley, while Mohammed Madouh competed in the 100 free, while Abdullah Al-Thuwaini, Mohammed Madouh, Ahmed Hussein Mohammed and Shoaib Al-Thuwainy won the 200 meters freestyle relay. The bronze medals went to the players Mohamed Madouh in the 200-meter freestyle and Jarah Al-Bakhit in the 1500 meters and 800 meters freestyle. The head of the delegation praised the results of the Kuwaiti team which has contributed to the raising high of KUWAIT: The Minister of Information and State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdallah Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah hailed Kuwaiti Olympic double-medalist shooter Fehaid Al-Daihani on Wednesday in a ceremony organised by the Kuwait Shooting Club this evening, held to commemorate Al-Daihani for his accomplishment in snatching an Olympic bronze medal in double trap shooting, and his training team. “Fehaid Al-Daihani is one of the more accomplished Arab shooters, having succeeded in winning two medals in two Olympics,” said the minister. The sharp shooter had taken an earlier bronze in the Sydney 2000 Olympics in the same shooting discipline. The minister went on to commend Kuwaiti shooters for their international accomplishments, which led to a number of them qualifying for London. Shooters Talal and his father Abdullah Al-Rashidi “are the first (Kuwaiti) father and son to have both qualified for an Olympics,” he said. He also hailed Mariam Erzouqi for being “one of the first female shooters in the Gulf region to have achieved the feat.” Meanwhile, Director General of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS) Faisal Al-Jazzaf expressed joy at the accomplishment, which was able to happen after His Highness the Amir’s gesture in sending a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Kuwait to participate with its own flag, instead of that of the IOC. “This accomplishment bestows upon us a huge responsibility in making future decisions that serve Kuwaiti sports and national teams,” he said. On rewarding of athletes by PAYS, he said that “the time has come to change many rules on this, which do not give us room to urge larger financial support.” Sports KUWAIT: (Left to right) Abdullah Al-Rashidi, Fehaid Al-Daihani, Talal Al-Rashidi and Mariam Erzouqi. Sheikh Mohammad honors Kuwaiti Olympic medalist KUWAIT: Information Minister and State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdallah (3rd from right) with other officials during the honoring ceremony. Kuwait’s flag at this Arab sport gathering. — KUNA KUWAIT: Al-Daihani being Honored on stage by Infomation Minister and other officials. For her part, director of the Kuwaiti and Gulf Cooperation Council women’s sporting bodies Sheikha Naeema Al- Ahmad Al-Sabah also hailed the achievement. Later, Fehaid Al-Daihani told reporters he was gratified for being honored. On his earlier announced plans to quit the sport, he said “I had originally planned to quit after this medal, but I have now decided, at the behest of HH the Amir, to look forward to the upcoming Olympics in 2016”. —KUNA
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