Sports

AMMAN — Jordan’s watersports enthusiasts will have the chance to experience wakeboarding at its best at the upcoming IWWF Jordan’s Ayla Cable Wakeboard World Cup, taking place next month at Ayla in Aqaba. 

In collaboration with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, the event will witness the participation of more than 33 countries, a press release said on Monday. 

During a press conference held on Monday, Managing Director of Ayla Jordan Sahl Dudin announced the details of the 48th Wakeboard World Cup organised by the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF), which will take place during the period from May 10-12. 

“We are proud to host this international championship that will take place for the first time in Jordan and at Ayla in Aqaba with the participation of 50 riders from around the globe, competing for a $60,000 prize,” Dudin said. 

Dudin further noted that; hosting such international championships highlights Ayla’s ability to provide cutting-edge infrastructure to host world-class sporting events, in addition to promoting Jordan and Aqaba, 330km south of Amman, as premier destinations for large-scale events in the region. 

On the sidelines of the World Cup, visiting delegations will be introduced to Jordan’s “Tourism Triangle” (Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum) with Jordan Tourism Board-sponsored site visits, and will convey to the world their experience in Jordan through social media channels and through international media coverage of the international championship, according to the statement.

Chris White, director of operations at Ayla, said: “Ayla’s Wake Park, which was launched in May last year, has helped garner Jordan immense visibility within the global wakeboarding community and has drawn sports fans from around the globe to experience the seaside wonders of Aqaba.”

White noted that the Ayla Cable Wakeboard World Cup will take place on Ayla’s B12 Beach, and will feature Rixen cables extending as long as 442 metres. The Ayla Wake Park will provide all equipment and facilities necessary for the event, including obstacles, skis, cables and expansive areas for acrobatic displays. 

Key wakeboarding champions from around the globe are participating in the competition, including the winner of the Shanghai Cup Jula Rick and her opponent Sanne Meijer, German champion Ariano Blanik, and Dutch champion Sam de Haan, who currently ranks second on a global scale, the statement said. 

The launching ceremony of the tournament will take place at 5:00pm on May 9, while qualifying rounds will begin at 10:00am the following days, on May 10-11. Semifinals and finals will take place on May 12, leading up to the closing ceremony at 6:30pm later in the day, the statement added. 

Participating countries include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, China, Taipei China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan and Mexico, as well as The Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, the Republic of South Africa, Spain, Thailand and the US.

AMMAN — Just a year after suffering a heavy defeat to Saudi Arabia, Jordan showed just how much progress has been made in rugby by beating its neighbours on Friday, a statement from the Jordan Olympic Committtee said on Monday.

In the friendly Test played at the Petra University stadium, Jordan ran out 25-13 winners. It was “perfect preparation” ahead of their trip to compete at the West Asian Rugby Championships that will be hosted in Lebanon from April 22-28, the statement said.

AMMAN — Amman Club have clinched the Jordan Women’s Handball League after beating Wadi Al Seer 19-10 at Princess Sumaya Hall in Al Hussein Youth City, a Jordan Olympic Committee statement said on Monday.

Amman won the title in style by winning all of their league matches, while Kufersoum finished second and Wadi Al Seer third.

The league has given the Jordan Handball Federation the opportunity to pick up players who could represent the Jordan national team, according to the statement. 

AMMAN — Jordan’s Youth Olympic qualifier Sara Al Armouti has clinched two gold medals in the National Show Jumping Championship being held in Al Aryyan in Madaba, according to a statement from the Jordan Olympic Committee.

Armouti took first place in both the 140-145cm and the 130-135cm categories. The youngster has booked her place in the next Youth Olympic Games that will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October, the statement said.

SHANGHAI — Daniel Ricciardo made a string of thrilling overtaking moves to snatch a surprise Chinese Grand Prix victory on Sunday after a safety car strategy gamble by his Red Bull team paid off handsomely.

The Australian, who started sixth after almost missing qualifying, made the most of fresher tyres to finish 8.8 seconds ahead of Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes.

“I don’t seem to win boring races,” he grinned from the podium, before chugging the champagne from his racing boot in a trademark ‘shoey’.

“They are all pretty fun but that was unexpected.”

Kimi Raikkonen took third place for Ferrari but title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel both endured trying afternoons, the four times world champions ending up fourth and eighth respectively.

“I was in no-man’s land today,” said Hamilton. “I had no pace.”

Vettel, who won the first two races of the season for Ferrari, saw his lead over Hamilton slashed from 17 points to nine.

The German’s race unravelled spectacularly, a collision with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dropping him down the order, after the pre-race favourite had initially made a good start from pole and held the early lead.

Verstappen had a 10 seconds penalty applied post-race for causing the collision, dropping the Dutch youngster from fourth to fifth.

Vettel was also passed by the McLaren of Fernando Alonso two laps from the end.

Minor miracle

Ricciardo’s mechanics had performed a minor miracle to change a blown engine after practice on Saturday, getting him out just in time during the first phase of qualifying.

“Putting ourselves 24 hours ago, I thought we might be starting at the back of the grid,” said the Australian. “Today is the real reward for that work.”

Sunday’s win was Ricciardo’s first since a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix last June and it also broke Mercedes’ Shanghai stranglehold, with the champions having won the last six races there.

Mercedes are yet to win this year, the first time since the turbo hybrid era started in 2014 that they have been beaten for three races in a row.

Ricciardo and Verstappen were not early contenders, but the deployment of the safety car on the 32nd of 56 laps, after the Toro Rosso pair Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley collided and left debris on track, swung the race Red Bull’s way.

Bottas was in the lead at that stage ahead of Vettel, having overhauled the German during the pitstops, while Verstappen was fourth and Ricciardo sixth.

Red Bull pulled both their cars into the pits, “double-stacking” them and bolting a set of fresh soft tyres on each.

The advantage of fresh tyres allowed Verstappen and Ricciardo to scythe through the field.

“The safety car was so unlucky for us,” exclaimed Bottas over the radio.

Verstappen botched his chances of victory, and a possible one-two for Red Bull, with scrappy attempts to overtake the main title contenders.

The Dutchman ran wide and dropped back behind Ricciardo when trying to pass Hamilton and later spun his Red Bull and Vettel’s Ferrari while attempting to pass the German for third — an error he owned up to afterwards.

Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Renault, ahead of Alonso whose aggressive overtaking move on Vettel was ‘noted’ by stewards.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz was ninth for Renault with Kevin Magnussen rounding out the top 10 for Haas.

AMMAN — The 24th edition of the LG Dead Sea Ultra Marathon concluded on Friday on a high note with Jordanian runners taking top positions in an event that witnessed the participation of more than 3,000 runners from around the world.

Held under the patronage of HRH Prince Firas and organised by Run Jordan, the event witnessed Jordan’s runner Abdullah Harrathi taking the first spot in the Male Overall 50km after clocking 3h 09m 37s while Jordan’s Hanoia Hasaballa took the Female Overall 50km first place with 3h 43m 29s.

Lina El Kurd, general manager of Run Jordan told The Jordan Times that the event was a success.

“It was a great success due to several reasons headed by the number of participants who took part in the event considered one of the most popular family events in the Kingdom. And we did some changes, for example merging the 50km and 21km to start at the same time and crowning the first 5 runners in the 50km category — men and women — instead of only three which proved to be very competitive among runners,” she said.

“These changes proved to be a success as they increased the level of competition and runners just gave everything they got,” she added.

LG Dead Sea Ultra Marathon consisted of three main categories which are: the Ultra Marathon 50km, the Half Marathon at 21km, in addition to the 10km Fun Run race.

Results:

Male Overall 50km: 

First place: Abdullah Harrathi (3:09:37), 

Second place: Mithqal Al Abbadi — Armed Forces (3:09:57), 

Third place: Bashar Rahhel — Armed Forces/Al Arabi Club (3:10:34), 

Fourth place: Ahmad Sabbar (3:14:24), 

Fifth place: Mohammad Mohammad (3:14:53).

Female Overall 50km:

First place: Hanoia Hasaballa (3:43:29), 

Second place: Chris Peeters (4:22:55), 

Third place: Safa Hasan (4:27:20), 

Fourth place: Sharifa Al Saqqa (4:31:53),

 Fifth place: Ashwaq Badran (4:48:52).

Male Overall 21km

First place: Mohammad Abu Reziq (1:06:49),

 Second place: Aymad Suradi Armed Forces/Al-Arabi Club (1:09:41), 

Third place: Ahmad Hammad (1:10:26).

Female Overall 21km:

First place: Georgia Cottle (1:23:35), 

Second place: Meredith Byrne (1:31:50), 

Third place: Rory Kelly (1:32:32).

Male Wheelchair 21km:

 First place: Ali Sawalmeh (1:10:50),

Second place: Raed Hweiti (2:25:56). 

Male Overall 10km:

First place: Haitham Abu Jarad — Armed Forces (0:31:09),

 Second place: Yousef Mousa (0:31:24),

 Third place: Oqla Ghazi- Armed Forces (0:31:37).

Female Overall 10km:

First place: Lama Jaarat (0:40:54), 

Second place: Mai Osheibat (0:41:26), 

Third place: Tabarak Mahaftha (0:42:31)

Male Wheelchair 10km:

First place: Bilal Abu Mansi (0:33:59), 

Second place: Kamal Tawalbeh (0:36:39),

Third place: Ala’ AlDeen Al Quz’a (0:49:54).

Partially Visually impaired Male 10km:

First place: Abdul Raouf Khateeb (0:39:19), 

Second place: Ahmad Abu Zaid (0:54:46). 

Visually impaired 

Male 10km:

First place: Suhail Al Nashash (0:42:33),

 Second place: Hasan Tayyem (0:47:34), 

Third place: Tareq Tayyem (1:00:37).

Visually impaired Female 10km:

First place: Jumana AlZoubi (1:21:27), 

Second place: Isra’ Abul Heija (1:35:47).

Age Groups: 

50km Male :

(40 – 49 years): Khaldoun Mustafa (3:37:58) , 

(50 – 59 years) Salah Al Najjar (4:25:08).

50km Female:

(50 – 59 years) Chris Peeters (4:22:55).

Meanwhile, the children’s race which was held a week before the main event resulted in the following:

Male:

12-14 years: 

Mohammad Al Hussein (0:08:46), 

Hussein Al Miqdad (0:08:51), 

Salah Dgheimat (0:09:08).

9-11 years: 

Asem Jaarat (0:10:01), 

Suleiman Abu Shiyab (0:10:07), 

Salem Jaarat (0:10:21).

6-8 years: 

Hamzeh Jaarat (0:11:57), 

Kamal Ali (0:12:11), 

Suhaib Abu A’thra (0:12:19).

Female:

12-14 years: 

Lama Jaarat (0:10:23), 

Mai Sheibat (0:10:34), 

Abeer Al Asfar (0:10:58).

9-11 years: 

Ikhlas Al Shar’a (0:10:47), 

 Sereen Jaarat (0:11:16), 

Malak Sultan (0:13:11).

8-6 years: 

Alia Jaarat (0:12:41), 

Eman Al Tumeizi (0:13:36), 

Farah Jaarat (0:13:46). 

Special Needs category, Down Syndrome: 

Male: Abul Aziz Makhameh (0:25:18), Female: Salma Al Bitar (0:30:42).

Special Needs category, Wheelchair: 

Female: Areen Al Bataineh (0:09:00). 

AMMAN — Qatar’s 13-time FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) winner Nasser Al Attiyah tops the international entry for the Jordan Rally, which will kick off the regional rally series on April 26-28.

Jordan Motorsport released the official entry list on Wednesday evening and the 11-time winner of the Jordan Rally and his French navigator Matthieu Baumel face competition from drivers from  seven countries, including the Czech Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Jordan, a statement from the Jordan Rally Media Service said on Thursday.

Action will be fought out over 15 special stages through the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas.

Attiyah lists the Jordan Rally as one of his favourite events in the rallying calendar and has already stated that he would like to see the event return to the FIA World Rally Championship in the future, according to the statement.

The Qatari driver will drive a Ford Fiesta R5 over the demanding gravel stages that make this event such a challenge.

Making their first appearance in the Kingdom will be the Czech duo of Vojtech Štajf and Markéta Skácelová in a Skoda Fabia R5. The driver has considerable experience of rallying in his native Czech Republic and also took part in the Shiraz International Rally in Iran last year and the UAE national events in Fujairah and Al Dhaid.

In the battle for maximum points in the MERC 2 category Kuwait’s Meshari Al Thefiri will be hoping to get his challenge under way in winning style with Qatar’s Nasser Al Kuwari reading the notes in a Mitsubishi Lancer.

The Kuwaiti faces competition in the category from the likes of the Jordanian quartet of Ahmad Shaban, Ihab Al Shorafa, Amir Nassif and Khalid Juma and Omani youngster Abdullah Al Rawahi, the statement said. 

Shaban and his brother Shadi started rallying last year and won the opening round of this season’s local rally championship.

Lebanon’s Henry Kahy is hoping to tackle a full MERC campaign in a Skoda as he teams up with local navigator Musa Djiyerian, while local two-wheel drive hopes rest on the shoulders of Asem Aref and Faris Tal in the driver’s trusty Renault Clio.

Jordan Motorsport is also running a National category behind the MERC event. Amir Tareq Al Taher, Zeid Miqdad and Salameh Al Gammaz wheel out a trio of Mitsubishi Lancers, while Raed Al Edwan has entered the event in an Arctic Cat.

The event gets under way with a timed super special stage of two kilometres on the shores of the Dead Sea at 4:24pm on April 26th, the statement added.

The Jordan Rally was held for the first time in 1981 and has been present in the international rallying calendar ever since with the exception of 1989 and 1991.

MADRID — Real Madrid have suffered a number of nervy Champions League moments in recent seasons and could draw on a vast bank of European experience, as they survived a heart-stopping quarter-final second leg against Juventus on Wednesday.

Serie A leaders Juve staged a stunning fightback in the Spanish capital after losing the first leg 3-0, levelling the tie with two goals from Mario Mandzukic and a tap in by Blaise Matuidi.

Yet, Madrid, who are chasing a third straight Champions League title, were awarded a hotly-contested penalty in stoppage time which Cristiano Ronaldo hammered home to send them into the semifinals for a record-extending eighth year in a row.

Wednesday’s thrilling encounter ranks alongside three other close-shaves for Madrid in the competition’s quarter-finals.

They lost 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund in 2014, going through 3-2 on aggregate and scraped into the semis two years ago by the same aggregate score after a 2-0 defeat to VfL Wolfsburg.

Last year they suffered a 2-1 reverse at home to Bayern Munich before reaching the last four after extra-time.

Real went on to win the competition in each of those years and defender Dani Carvajal said those experiences helped his side keep their composure after they fell 3-0 behind after 60 minutes against Juve.

“Since I’ve been here there’s always been a bad performance in this competition and I always believed we would come through,” Carvajal said.

With Barcelona dramatically exiting the competition to AS Roma on Tuesday, after surrendering a three-goal advantage from the first leg, there was a real possibility Madrid would suffer the same fate.

‘Impossible dream’

Madrid left back Marcelo, however, said his side were made of sterner stuff.

“What happened to Barca was never going to happen to us, we’re Real Madrid,” said the Brazilian, channelling Madrid’s usual self-confidence, which has not waned even following a dismal domestic campaign, which has seen them drop down to fourth in the Liga standings, 15 points behind leaders Barca.

“The champions survive the resistance,” proclaimed Spanish newspaper Marca, also repeating late Real midfielder Juanito’s famous line: “93 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu is a very long time”.

Daily AS declared on its front page that Madrid went “from panic to the semifinals”.

“Juventus climbed towards their impossible dream and for half an hour walked over a confused, dazed and cowardly Madrid,” said their report.

“But Madrid came back. Madrid always come back.”

Real coach Zinedine Zidane made two early changes in bringing on wingers Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio for Casemiro and Gareth Bale at the start of the second half and said he gave his players a firm message.

“The most important thing is to keep believing,” said the French coach, who would become the first Real boss to lift three European Cups if his side go on to win the competition for a 13th time.

“At halftime I told them things had to change and we couldn’t continue like this. Juve beat us and made things very difficult for us with their tactics but our willingness to keep trying to get back in the game eventually gave us our goal.

“Now we have to forget all of this and focus on the semifinal.”

MANCHESTER, England — Liverpool showed they have developed defensive steel alongside their attacking flair as they withstood waves of Manchester City attacks to emerge with a 2-1 win and advance 5-1 on aggregate in their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Ever since their German manager Juergen Klopp took charge at Anfield 2-1/2 years ago, critics have questioned whether his team have the necessary defensive nous to go with their devastating forward line.

At The Etihad, Pep Guardiola’s wounded team got a boost from a second minute opener but Liverpool held firm, with a bit of good fortune at times, and the visitors then completed the job clinically with two second half goals.

“We mature constantly,” Klopp said after the game in which Liverpool became the first team to beat a Guardiola-managed side three times in one season.

“The boys are getting more and more used to this. If you could say something about us in the past, on an average day we lose cheap goals. We’ve worked at that,” said the German.

Guardiola played an attacking lineup, with just three defenders against Liverpool’s front trio, and the gamble looked as if it might pay off in the first half.

“They took all the risks they could take, we needed a bit of luck and a disciplined defending formation. I was not overly happy at halftime to be honest,” said Klopp.

“They could have scored two or three goals in the first half but it was 100 per cent clear that if we won the ball we’d have an opportunity.

“It’s not about perfection it’s about the result, the character, the mentality, really fighting for the result. We defended well, it’s not our best game but we deserved it at the end,” he added.

As well as a central defence that looks much stronger since the addition of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk in January and the emergence of Scottish full-back Andy Robertson on the left, Liverpool could again thank unheralded midfielder James Milner.

The former Manchester City player, viewed by many as simply a squad player at the start of the season, not only delivered with his work rate and tackling but clearly added some calmness and authority to the midfield.

Milner, captain in the absence of the suspended Jordan Henderson, thought the win showed the character of Klopp’s side.

“It says a lot about the boys that we soaked up that pressure in the first half that got the crowd up,” he said.

“To beat them in both games should be a confidence-builder for us. We knew we had to get the ball better and we defended better in the second half.”

GOLD COAST, Australia — South African flag-bearer Caster Semenya powered to the 1,500 metres title at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, keeping her bid for a golden double at the Gold Coast intact.

The 800m Olympic and world champion bided her time before burning away from the modest field to post a Games record time of four minutes and 0.72 seconds on a soggy track at Carrara Stadium.

Semenya, who will run for gold in the 800m, left Kenya’s silver medallist Beatrice Chepkoech (4:03:09) in her wake, with Wales’ Melissa Courtney taking the bronze.

Before arriving in Australia, Semenya promised to lead South Africa by example. She now hopes her commanding win will inspire her team mates.

“Basically I’m more like a captain so I need to show the guys that I’m a woman of my words,” the 27-year-old told reporters after an evening session punctured by rain showers.

“If I say I will do something I will do it. Also it’s just to motivate them so they can believe in themselves.

“With ten years of experience for me now I think I’m ready for anything.”

Semenya’s gold continued a proud Games for South Africa on the track, following Akani Simbine’s 100m gold when he upstaged Jamaica’s favourite Yohan Blake on Monday.

Another African nation, Botswana, also denied Jamaica in the men’s 400m as the flamboyant Isaac Makwala blitzed the field with a quality time of 44.35 seconds.

With another bumper crowd roaring support, Makwala crossed the line with mouth agape and arms spread like an aeroplane, well clear of runner-up compatriot Baboloki Thebe (45.09) and third-placed Jamaican Javon Francis.

He dropped to the track and did some trademark push-ups while his rivals stood around panting.

The 31-year-old was controversially barred from competing in the 400 final at last year’s world championships in London over illness fears, so the Commonwealth gold was some consolation for that disappointment.

“Disappointment is disappointment [in] 2017, now we are focused again on the 2018, so we forgot about what happened in 2017,” said Makwala, whose path to gold was smoothed by the absence of South Africa’s Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk.

Blake’s stumbling effort for a disappointing bronze put a dampener on the Jamaican team on Monday, but the athletics powerhouse hit back with golds in the 110 metres hurdles and the triple jump.

Ronald Levy led a Jamaican one-two in the hurdles ahead of former world silver medallist Hansle Parchment, with local runner Nicholas Hough claiming bronze.

Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams also led a one-two for the nation in the triple jump, leaping 14.64 metres on her final effort to pip her teammate Shanieka Ricketts by 12cm. Thea Lafond took the bronze for Dominica.

Olympic champion Elaine Thompson won her heat to qualify fifth fastest for the 200 metres semifinals. Her teammate Rasheed Dwyer, the defending champion, was also safely through to the men’s semifinal.

Grenada’s aptly-named Lindon Victor took gold in the decathlon with a total 8,303 points, capitalising on defending champion Damian Warner’s calamitous setback during the pole vault.

Canadian Warner, the Rio Olympic bronze medallist, held the lead before the vault but crashed out of medal contention after he failed to clear a height.

Canada’s Pierce Lepage (8,171) took the silver, with Australia’s Cedric Dubler clinching bronze.