Sports

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Muhammad Ali won another round of love and appreciation for his achievements as a fighter in and out of the ring. He even got the hardware to prove it.

The latest celebration of the three-time world heavyweight champion and self-proclaimed “Greatest Of All Time” featured former champions Larry Holmes and George Foreman, two notable opponents who gladly came to honour Ali as Sports Illustrated (SI) named its Sportsman Legacy Award after him Thursday night in his Kentucky hometown.

Friends, associates, dignitaries and former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal also were on hand for the ceremony on the 40th anniversary of Ali’s third fight with Joe Frazier in the Philippines, an epic 14-round battle known as the “Thrilla in Manila”. Ali earned his second victory over Frazier when the former champion didn’t come out for the final round and that fight is considered one of the greatest events in boxing and sports.

The 73-year-old Ali is battling Parkinson’s disease. Seated at a front table with wife Lonnie to his right, the champion wore sunglasses as a slide show of iconic photos played behind him. He did not speak and photos initially weren’t permitted during a ceremony in which he received a silver award plate from the magazine to a standing ovation.

The champ broke a big smile when O’Neal arrived and playfully took Lonnie’s place at the table.

Lonnie said before a packed room, “thank you for loving Muhammad as much as you have and that you still do.”

Ali’s presence was one of a few yearly visits home, as he spends most of his time in Arizona along with homes in several states.

Ali’s victory and other notable moments were highlighted on a backdrop of two dozen Sports Illustrated magazine covers at different points of his three-decade career as a fighter and half-century as a humanitarian. He has appeared on 39 covers overall.

This week’s issue features a cover of Ali as a young fighter. Other notable moments were featured in a video montage in which he described himself as “The Greatest”.

One SI cover included Ali and Foreman, who has come to grips with being a footnote in Ali’s legacy after his 1974 title loss in the “Rumble In The Jungle” in Zaire.

So much so that a trim-looking Foreman praised his onetime rival and added, “this is the greatest man I’ve ever met in my life. I get excited and my heart beats [fast] every time I meet him.”

Those tributes have been standard for Ali thanks to a career that included winning an Olympic gold medal and speaking out on many social, athletic and humanitarian issues. Fittingly, he was honoured in the centre bearing his name just 6.4km from his childhood home.

Wherever Ali is recognised, Holmes wants to be there.

“I hope we can do this next year and the year after that,” said Holmes, a onetime sparring partner who beat Ali in 1980.

AMMAN — The Kingdom’s U-19 football team lost to Iran 3-0 in the Asian Football Association (AFC) U-19 qualifiers on Sunday.

Jordan is playing in Group E alongside hosts Iran, and Nepal with group winners and best second-placed teams booking a slot to the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship set for Bahrain.

The top-four sides of the U-19 Championship advance to the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Jordan lost to Kuwait 2-1 on Friday and will next play Nepal on October 6.

ZURICH — Sepp Blatter defied calls from FIFA sponsors Budweiser, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa to quit immediately as president of world football’s governing body on Friday rather than cling on until the emergency election in February.

The seemingly coordinated interventions from the long-standing corporate backers came a week after the Blatter was interrogated by Swiss investigators and placed under criminal investigation for alleged financial wrongdoing at FIFA, which he has led since 1998.

It marked an escalation in the dual American and Swiss football corruption investigations, which burst into public view with the arrest of seven FIFA officials at a Zurich hotel two days before the presidential election in May. They are among 14 officials indicted in the US on bribery and racketeering charges.

The 79-year-old Blatter gained a fifth term only to announce resignation plans four days later in the face of private pressure from sponsors and the fear of a criminal investigation.

But Blatter is determined to remain in power until his successor is elected on February 26 and “respectfully disagrees” with the sponsors who demand his immediate departure, the president’s lawyer, Richard Cullen, said.

“[He] believes firmly that his leaving office now would not be in the best interest of FIFA nor would it advance the process of reform and therefore, he will not resign,” Cullen said in a statement.

Coca-Cola, which has advertised in stadiums at every World Cup since 1950, was the first of the sponsors to demand Blatter’s resignation, having previously just called for reforms at the scandal-battered governing body.

“For the benefit of the game, The Coca-Cola Company is calling for FIFA President Joseph Blatter to step down immediately so that a credible and sustainable reform process can begin in earnest,” Coca-Cola said in a statement.

“Every day that passes, the image and reputation of FIFA continues to tarnish. FIFA needs comprehensive and urgent reform, and that can only be accomplished through a truly independent approach.”

That call was echoed by fast-food giant McDonald’s, which has been a World Cup sponsor since 1994.

“The events of recent weeks have continued to diminish the reputation of FIFA and public confidence in its leadership,” McDonald’s said in a statement. “We believe it would be in the best interest of the game for FIFA President Sepp Blatter to step down immediately so that the reform process can proceed with the credibility that is needed.”

A further blow came from Visa, which has a FIFA deal through the 2022 World Cup.

“We believe no meaningful reform can be made under FIFA’s existing leadership,” Visa said. “And given the events of last week, it’s clear it would be in the best interest of FIFA and the sport for Sepp Blatter to step down immediately.”

The fourth statement was delivered by brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, whose Budweiser branding has appeared on advertising signage in World Cup stadiums since 1986 and its current deal runs until 2022.

“It would be appropriate for Mr Blatter to step down as we believe his continued presence to be an obstacle in the reform process,” the beer maker said in a statement.

Blatter’s own position has been weakened as lawyers oversee key decisions at FIFA and he waits to hear whether he will be suspended by the ethics committee.

Swiss prosecutors allege that Blatter undervalued World Cup broadcasting contracts for the Caribbean sold to disgraced former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner in 2005. Blatter was also questioned over an allegedly “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs (now $2.04 million) in 2011 from FIFA to UEFA President Michel Platini for work carried out at least nine years earlier.

Blatter has denied being corrupt but he is a target of US investigators.

Although the sponsors did not respond to Blatter rejecting their demands to resign with a threat to withdraw cash from FIFA, English Football Association Chairman Greg Dyke praised their intervention as “a game changer”.

“It doesn’t matter what Mr Blatter says now, if the people who pay for FIFA want a change they will get a change,” Dyke said. “What is important is that it isn’t just about Mr Blatter standing down, it’s about making sure there is a comprehensive and effective reform programme.

“So for those of us who want fundamental change this is good news.”

FIFA generated $5.7 billion in 2011-2014, which encompassed the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with sponsors and commercial partners contributing $1.6 billion.

The crisis is damaging FIFA’s attempts to attract new sponsors ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Only seven of 14 available positions in FIFA’s top two commercial categories have been filled. Two top-tier sponsors, Dubai-based airline Emirates and Sony, were among several commercial partners who did not renew last year.

AMMAN — The U-23 national men’s team lost to Qatar 2-1 in their second match at the West Asian Championship in Doha on Saturday.

The team left Amman over the Eid holiday to play the inaugural event in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Palestine and Yemen.

Iran, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will play in Group B while the UAE, Oman and Syria are in Group C. The team beat Yemen 3-1 in its opening match. The Kingdom will next play Palestine on October 6.

AMMAN — The Kingdom’s U-19 football team lost to Kuwait 2-1 in the Asian Football Association (AFC) U-19 qualifiers on Friday.

Jordan is playing in Group E alongside host Iran and Nepal with group winners and best second-placed teams booking a slot to the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship set for Bahrain.

The top-four sides of the U-19 championship advance to the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Jordan next plays Iran on October 4.

AMMAN — Jordanian trail runner Salameh Al Aqra participated in the 100km Ultra-Trail Cape Town race on Saturday in South Africa. Aqra finished the race in the 19th position out of 40 runners.

The race was won by South African Christiaan Greyling, followed by fellow countrymen Jock Green and Johnyy Young.

MADRID — Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed the 500-goal mark and Real Madrid hailed him as the club’s all-time leading scorer on Wednesday, while Manchester United and Manchester City rebounded from opening losses to remain in contention in the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus also won their matches in the European competition and remain in a good position after two rounds of group stage matches.

Ronaldo scored his 500th and 501st goals in Sweden, passing Raul’s mark of 323 goals according to the Spanish club, which counts a goal that has officially been awarded to Pepe. UEFA said the players are still level at 323.

“I’m very happy,” Ronaldo said. “First of all because the team won. But I won’t lie to you. I really wanted to beat Raul’s record.”

Ronaldo said Raul had sent him a message of congratulations.

The Portuguese forward took his Champions League record tally to 82 goals, five more than Lionel Messi.

“We are happy with Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals,” defender Alvaro Arbeloa said. “It’s incredible what he’s doing. He is a legend in Real Madrid. It seems there is no limit to what he can do.”

Here is a look at Wednesday’s Champions League matches:

Group A

Ronaldo ensured Real Madrid kept their share of the Group A lead, along with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Portugal forward scored in the 29th and 90th minutes against Malmo, which played with 10 men from the 78th minute as left back Yoshimar Yotun was sent off with a second yellow card.

Swedish police said 20 Madrid supporters were detained for disorderly conduct before the match.

PSG eased to a 3-0 win at Shakhtar after defender Serge Aurier scored a goal and set up another.

The Ivory Coast right back headed in PSG’s opener in the seventh minute and served up a corner kick for David Luiz to make it 2-0 in the 23rd minute.

PSG sealed victory when Zlatan Ibrahimovic unleashed a shot that ricocheted off Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna and flew into the net as an own goal in the 90th minute.

Group B

All four Group B teams are now level on three points after Manchester United defeated Wolfsburg 2-1 in England and CSKA Moscow edged PSV Eindhoven 3-2 at home.

Juan Mata scored one goal and set up another as United rallied to win its first group match. Daniel Caligiuri put Wolfsburg ahead after four minutes, but Mata won and converted a penalty to equalise before halftime and Chris Smalling slotted the ball past Diego Benaglio to seal the win in the 53rd minute.

In Russia, Seydou Doumbia scored twice as CSKA held off a second-half comeback by PSV. CSKA led 3-0 at halftime but PSV bounced back with two goals from Maxime Lestienne and had chances to level the score late.

Group C

Benfica moved into a comfortable position atop Group C with the surprise 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid, opening a three-point advantage after two matches.

Benfica have six points and Atletico have three, while Galatasaray and Astana, who drew 2-2 in Kazakhstan earlier Wednesday, have one point each.

Atletico Madrid went ahead with Angel Correa in the 23rd minute, but Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan equalised in the 36th minute and Goncalo Guedes put the Portuguese champions ahead in the 51st minute. Brazilian World Cup veteran goalkeeper Julio Cesar played well to keep the hosts from recovering.

There were three own goals in the match in Kazakhstan, including Astana’s 89th-minute equaliser. It was the first game in the main stages of the Champions League to be held in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, which has been considered part of Europe for football purposes since 2002.

Group D

Juventus and Manchester City cast aside their domestic woes to pick up important wins in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Juventus stayed ahead in Group D by defeating Sevilla 2-0 in Italy, while City’s first victory came at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Alvaro Morata equaled a Juventus club record by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match to put last year’s runner-up three points clear atop the group. Simone Zaza sealed the victory in the end.

Manchester City moved level with Sevilla after Sergio Aguero scored a last-minute penalty to help the Premier League side snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory in Germany.

Aguero was fouled by United States defender Fabian Johnson in the 89th minute and sent ‘Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer the wrong way to secure the win.

Moenchengladbach was playing European Cup football at home for the first time in 37 years.

AMMAN — More than 1,500 runners, mostly representing schools in the Kingdom, will take part on Friday in the 4.2km Amman International Kids Marathon.

The marathon, organised by Run Jordan, is divided according to age groups and aims at promoting sports as a lifestyle. The age categories included students between 6 and 8 years, 9 and 11, 12 and 14.

Race director Lina Al Kurd told The Jordan Times that the enthusiasm and dedication is unmatched.

“We are happy and absolutely amazed by the dedication of students and young runners who are devoting themselves to better living by adopting sports as part of their daily lives. We look at it as a major event for families and their children in addition to schools who are building a generation of runners,” she said.

“The race will start in front of the 5th football pitch inside King Hussein Park and will go up a long incline and continue towards King Hussein Mosque. Runners will pass by the Children’s Museum and the Royal Automobile Museum and then they will descend down a hill towards the car exit and go towards the entrance gate,” she added.

The celebration area and awards ceremony will take place inside the area where the Marathon Village is located.

“We are trying to make this a family event with activities fit for the whole family members. HRH Prince Firas, Run Jordan chairman, has always stressed on the benefits of running in the marathon, labelling it a family fun day,” she said.

“The huge number of participants shows that there are a lot of awareness from the runners and their families about sports and the culture of healthy living. We hope everyone will enjoy their time,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Amman Marathon kicks off on October 9 with the participation of thousands of runners in the 42km, the 21km half marathon and 10km fun run. 

The event is launched under the theme “Run to the Heart of the City of Amman” and will have a new route for the 10km fun run which will start at Princess Alia Street: Al Hussein sports City-Gate 1, down to Arar Street ending at the finish line at the Hashemite Square — Gate 1.

AMMAN — The Kingdom's U-19 football team starts the Asian Football Association (AFC) U-19 qualifiers when they take on Kuwait on Friday.

Jordan will play in Group E alongside hosts Iran and Nepal with group winners and best second-placed teams booking a slot to the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship. The top-four from the U-19 Championship advance to the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The U19 team regrouped earlier this year. It played a series of local friendlies and held a training camp in Turkey. Coach Islam Diyabat noted "friendlies in the past month helped boost our competitive edge and gave the squad much needed confidence".

Bahrain will host the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship with a total of 43 teams including the host competing in the qualifiers divided in two zones: the West Zone with 25 teams and the East Zone with 18 teams. Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals while host Bahrain received an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). The qualifiers will run until October 6.

If Bahrain finishes top of its qualifying group or one of the five second best-placed teams, the next (6th) second placed team will qualify for the final competition.

South Korea, which beat Iraq in the 2012 final has won the U-19 championship a record 12 times since it started in 1959. Qatar won the last edition in 2014.

The Kingdom previously reached the AFC U-19 Championship four times. In 2006, Jordan made headlines and achieved the country’s biggest sporting success when it qualified to the 2007 FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada after reaching the semis and eventually finishing fourth at the Asian U-19 Championship. It exited the group stages in 2008 and 2010 and reached the quarters in 2012. Jordan failed to qualify in 2014 when they exited Group B qualifiers in Amman.

AMMAN — Jordan dropped 8 spots to 99th in the latest FIFA World Rankings issued on Thursday as the team readies to host Iraq on Saturday.

Argentina leads the top 10, followed by Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Columbia, Spain, Brazil, Wales, Chile and England. 

Jordan is 10th in Asia trailing leaders Iran, who are followed by South Korea, Japan, Australia, the UAE, Uzbekistan, China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Jordan is readying to play Asian champs Australia on October 8 in its fourth Group B qualifier of the 2018 World Cup in Russia doubling as part of the qualification for 2019 Asian Cup. Forty teams are playing home and away in a round-robin format in the current second qualifying round which runs until March 2016. 

Jordan beat Bangladesh 4-0 after a disappointing 0-0 draw with  155th ranked Kyrgyzstan and an opening 3-1 win over Tajikistan. Australia led the group after it beat Tajikistan 3-0, Bangladesh 5-0 and Kyrgyzstan 2-1. Bangladesh held Tajikistan 1-1 after it lost to Kyrgyzstan 3-1.

In the Asian Cup, Jordan reached the championship three times since first taking part in qualifiers in 1972. The pinnacle was at the 13th Asian Cup, when they lost to Japan in the quarter-finals and jumped to the best ever FIFA Ranking of 37th in August 2004. In 2011, Jordan again reached the quarter-finals.