Soner Demirtas of Turkey (Blue) and Cebrail Hasanov (Red) of Azerbaijan compete during the 74 kg weight freestyle final match at the European Wrestling Championships in Riga, Latvia on March 10, 2016. (Photo: Ömer Hakan Kibar/Anadolu Agency)
Archery
World Archery Indoor Championships, Ankara, Turkey (March 1-6): Omid Taheri from Iran seized a bronze medal at the World Indoors. Compound men’s bronze at the world indoors went to surprise finallist Taheri. The Iranian beat Beijing 2001 World Archery Champion – outdoors – Dejan Sitar by five, 147-142. Gold medal went to Sebastien Peineau from France who defeated his Dutch rival Mike Schloesser.
Cricket
England all-rounder Moeen Ali heaped praise on Indian Premier League (IPL), ahead of the World Twenty20 cricket tournament saying that being a part of the cash-rich competition would help him learn from Indian spinners.
“I would like to be a part of IPL someday. It is a big and glamorous tournament. I will get chance to learn from top spinners and bowlers there and get to share dressing room with them,” Ali said at a press conference here.
The 27-day tournament got underway in Nagpur on March 8 and will be played at eight venues across India with Eden Gardens in Kolkata scheduled to host the final on April 3.
Football
Zlatan Ibrahimovi has again hinted at a move to the Premier League – after knocking Chelsea out of the Champions League on March 9.
Ibrahimovic scored the winner as Paris Saint-Germain beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. The Swedish superstar helped PSG progress to the last eight 4-2 on aggregate over Chelsea. And with Ibrahimovic out of contract at PSG in the summer, the 34-year-old gave a timely reminder of his effectiveness at the highest level.
The Striker has been tipped for a move to Major League Soccer in 2018, when David Beckham’s Miami franchise are ready. Ibrahimovic has admitted through his agent he is keen on playing in the Premier League. “I would like to see him in the Premier League,” said Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola.
The Palestinian sports ministry called on FIFA to put pressure on the Israeli occupation to stop its violations against Palestinian footballers after 3 players were arrested on March 6.
Ahmed Muheissin said: “two of them from the Gaza Strip.”
“They stormed the apartment of Sami Al-Da’our in the Samou neighbourhood in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. He is from Gaza and plays for Al-Samou team.”
“Just 24 hours before arresting Al-Da’our, they arrested Fadi Al-Sharif, who plays for Al-Hilal team in Gaza, at the Erez Crossing while he was on his way back home after treatment.”
He also said: “We are in contact with international human rights organisations to update them about the latest series of Israeli violations against Palestinian sports and athletes. All of them expressed their deep concern about these violations.”
Squash
Egypt’s Ali Farag came through a spectacular final showdown with compatriot Karim Abdel Gawad to secure the Montreal Open.
The 23-year-old hit the headlines towards the end of the January where he stunned World No1 Mohamed Elshorbagy and World No.3 Nick Matthew to win his biggest ever title at the Motor City Open.
All four corners of the court were hit with regularity as both players exhibited a swashbuckling style of squash in a free-flowing and engaging spectacle. Gawad surged to the opener but Farag navigated a mammoth second game to take it 18-16 on the tie-break.
Farag, one of the most in-form players on the PSA World Tour at present, then went 2-1 behind but refused to give up and produced a magnificent comeback that belied his tender years as he took two games without reply, wrapping up a gruelling 3-11, 18-16, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7 victory to lift his second PSA World Tour title of 2016.
Tennis
Top ranked women’s doubles pair Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza had their 41-match winning streak halted on February 25 after they were beaten in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.
The Swiss and Indian, the current Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champions, were beaten 2-6, 6-4, 10-5 by Russian duo Elena Vesnina and Daria Kasatkina.
Wrestling
European Wrestling Championships Riga, Latvia, (March 8 -13): Turkey’s Yasemin Adar won a gold medal in the women’s 75-kilogram freestyle category by beating Russia’s Alena Starodubtseva 7-0. Another Turkish wrestler, Soner Demirtas, also scored a gold in the men’s 74-kilogram freestyle category. Demirtas beat Azerbaijani rival Jabrayil Hasanov 2-1.
Muslim Medalists:
Men’s freestyle:
86k g: Gold, Shamil Kudiyamagomedov (RUS).
74kg: Gold, Soner Demirtas (TUR), Silver, Jabrayil Hasanov (AZE), Bronze, Zaur Makiev (RUS)
70kg: Gold, Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (POL).
65kg: Silver, Mustafa Kaya (TUR): Bronze, Israil Kasumov (RUS).
61kg: Bronze, Haji Aliyev (Aze). 57kg: Gold, Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS).
Men’s Greco-Roman:
130kg: Gold, Rıza Kayaalp (TUR).
98kg: Bronze, Cenk İldem (TUR).
71kg: Bronze, Hasan Aliyev (AZE).
66kg: Gold, Islambek Albiev (RUS), Bronze, Kamran Mammadov (AZE).
59kg: Bronze, Donior Islamov (MDA)
Muslim women’s freestyle :
75kg: Gold, Yasemin Adar (TUR).
69kg: Bronze, Buse Tosun (TUR)
