Sports

AMMAN  — The U-16 national football team has ended a disappointing competition and now has about a month before the next regional event.

Jordan failed to score a single win and finished last at the 5th West Asian Championship which ended in Amman over the weekend. Iraq won the title, Saudi Arabia took second place followed by the UAE, Palestine and Jordan.

Jordan finished bottom of the table after losing 1-0 to the UAE, 5-0 to Iraq, 1-0 to Palestine, before tying Saudi Arabia 2-2.

Following the West Asia event, Jordan will prepare for Group B qualifiers of the 2016 AFC U-16 Asian Championship where the Kingdom will play alongside Nepal, Oman and Kyrgyzstan from September 12 -20 in Kyrgyzstan.

The squad had only played four friendlies ahead of the West Asian competition losing to the UAE 3-2 and 4-2 and two matches against Palestine  whom they beat 2-0 after losing the first match 3-2.

India will host the 2016 AFC U-16 championship with a total of 45 nations, including the hosts participating in the qualifiers and the draw seeding based on the rankings from the last edition in 2014 won by North Korea.

The 45 nations were divided into two qualifying zones — West Zone with 24 teams and East Zone with 21 teams. Eleven group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts India receiving an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). In case India finishes top of its qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the next (5th) second best placed nation will qualify for the final competition.

Last edition, Jordan was eliminated from the 2014 AFC U-16 qualifiers held in Amman after finishing last in Group D. Jordan lost to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia 2-1 and drew 4-4 with Syria.

AMMAN — The third round of the Jordan National Rally Championship kicks off on Friday with the participation of seven drivers.

Khaled Juma is heading the standings with 50 points after winning the first and second rounds with hopes on sailing smoothly towards the title.

“We are happy that drivers are excited for this round as it represents the final test before the big event in October, the Jordan Rally,” Othman Naseef, Jordan Motorsport CEO, told The Jordan Times. “The list of competitors is really impressive with Juma heading the standings with 50 points. I expect a lot of challenge and dedication in the third round.”

“We have a new face, Yaman Abu Adas, who will be taking part for the first time,” Naseef added.

One woman driver will be taking part in the event.

“We have Lina Hadidi who is teaming up with a veteran driver Barkev Shadian.” Meanwhile another female participant, Marina, will join her father Raed Habaybeh as his co-driver,” Naseef said.

Shadian, an experienced driver and champion of Speed Test events, said that he is really excited to join hands with an inspiring female driver.

“I believe that women are getting more into rallying and auto sports in general and we, as experienced drivers, should have the responsibility to encourage and advise them as much as we can. Lina is a great driver and I am sure she has an excellent future,” Shadian said. 

Drivers have to cover a total distance of 207.74 km with six special stages (74.94km). Drivers will pass through Turky, Nebo and Maeen on gravel stages considered one of the toughest rounds.

Juma and co-driver Imad Juma clocked 42m55s in their Mitsubishi Evo 7 in the second round which was held in Madaba, followed by Amjad Sheikh and co-driver Abdullah Abdah (44m33s) in their Subaru Impreza, and Ihab Shurafa and co-driver Rakan Khair (48m06s) in their Mitsubishi Evo 9.

AMMAN — Seventeen-year-old Khader Baqlah made history by becoming the first Jordanian swimmer to make the B qualifying time for the Olympic Games, according to a statement from the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Baqlah was competing at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, and swam a new Jordan record of 1:51.67 in the 200m free-style.

With no Jordanian swimmer making an A time in Kazan, it means the youngster is virtually guaranteed a spot at next summer’s Rio Olympics and swimming chiefs have labelled the achievement as “massive” for the sport’s development.

Baqlah also smashed the Jordan record for the 400m free-style which he swam in 3:58.71, just 0.2 of a second from the Olympic B time. He smashed the previous record by nearly three-and-a-half seconds.

Jordan has been represented in the swimming events at previous Olympics through ‘wild card’ invitations for nations of swimmers who have not met the qualifying times.

Elsewhere in the pool, 15-year-old Mohammed Bedour set a new personal best time of 1:02.33 in the 100m backstroke.

NOTTINGHAM — Many pre-series predictions had Trent Bridge as the ground where the Ashes would be clinched.

Few, though, guessed it would be England heading to the fourth Test at Nottingham starting on Thursday with the famous urn within reach.

An oscillating, unpredictable series swung back England’s way with an eight-wicket win inside three days at Edgbaston last week, putting the hosts 2-1 up against Australia. One victory for the English in the final two matches will see them regain the Ashes.

The momentum is on England’s side — although that may not be a reliable guide.

The team’s record over the last seven Tests reads: Win. Loss. Win. Loss. Win. Loss. Win. No other team in Test history has registered such a bizarre sequence.

“We are consistently the most inconsistent side,” England bowler Stuart Broad said. “We have to change that.”

If they succeed in doing so at Trent Bridge, England will have won a fourth straight Ashes series on home soil. That’s no mean feat considering the Australians arrived in Britain in June as the heavy favourites and still buoyant from a 5-0 whitewash of their old foes Down Under 18 months previously.

However, cracks are appearing in what was initially viewed as a tight unit. Players are struggling for form with the bat — notably captain Michael Clarke, with just 94 runs in six innings this series — and paceman Mitchell Johnson is carrying the bowling attack.

Australia showed its class in a 405-run win in the second Test, but was thrashed in the first and third Tests.

“We need to really improve in this game,” Johnson said Tuesday. “It’s like a grand final for us.”

Trent Bridge is known to be a swing bowler’s paradise, which makes the absence of injured paceman Jimmy Anderson all the more tough to take for England.

The country’s all-time leading wicket-taker has a side strain, picked up during the third Test, that deprives him of the opportunity of adding to his record of 53 wickets in eight Tests in Nottingham — at an average of less than 20. Anderson had a 10-wicket haul here in the 2013 Ashes.

“It’s a massive loss for them,” Johnson said.

Mark Wood is likely to replace Anderson after having treatment on an ankle injury that ruled him out of the Edgbaston Test. Wood practiced in the nets this week, and England captain Alastair Cook said the paceman was fit and in pole position for a recall.

“It looks really good for Woody,” Cook said on Wednesday. “He has looked fit and ready. He is excited to have the opportunity he has got.”

Liam Plunkett and uncapped left-armer Mark Footitt are other pace options for England.

Adam Lyth will retain his place as opening batsman, despite only averaging 12 this series and looking tentative outside his off-stump.

Australia may opt for a change in personnel, with Peter Siddle potentially returning to the bowling attack and Adam Voges’ place in the batting line-up looking shaky.

One thing is for sure: Clarke will remain in the team.

“I have no intention to walk away from cricket,” Clarke wrote in his column in The Daily Telegraph, “... I want to keep playing for Australia beyond this series, however I will be judged on performance like everyone else.”

The experienced Brad Haddin is once again set to miss out, with Peter Nevill likely to be preferred as wicketkeeper for a third straight Test. Australia coach Darren Lehmann has dismissed suggestions that Haddin’s demotion has caused tension in the touring party.

“To lose someone like Hadds, and I guess in the situation it was, it’s very difficult for everyone. More so for him. I’ll probably just leave it at that,” Johnson said in an uneasy remark about the issue.

WASHINGTON — Andy Murray is back on hard courts for the first time in four months — and back at the Citi Open for the first time in nine years.

The two-time major champion is seeded No. 1 at the US Open tuneup that began Monday, getting his game in gear on the surface on which he won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2012.

Like other seeded players, Murray received a first-round bye, and his initial match in Washington, where he hasn’t played since he was the 2006 runner-up, comes Wednesday against 53rd-ranked Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia. That will be Murray’s first competition on a hard court since losing in the final at Miami to top-ranked Novak Djokovic in early April.

“It does take a while, especially coming from the grass. This morning was the first time when I hit and started to feel more comfortable on the courts, feel like I’m starting to get used to them again. Obviously the conditions here, when compared with Wimbledon, is completely different. Extremely humid. Very high-bouncing courts,” said the third-ranked Murray, who lost to No. 2 Roger Federer in the semifinals at the All England Club last month.

In the Citi Open’s first completed match, Louisa Chirico beat Heather Watson 6-3, 6-0. It was Watson’s first tournament appearance since she pushed eventual champion Serena Williams to three sets in the third round at Wimbledon. Yulia Putintseva got past Kurumi Nara 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), and sixth-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu defeated Madison Brengle 6-4, 6-0.

In men’s action, Gabashvili outlasted Benjamin Becker 4-6, 6-1, 6-3; Donald Young beat Tommy Haas 6-3, 6-4; Hyeon Chung defeated Dudi Sela 6-2, 6-1 and now faces reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic; James Duckworth eliminated Ryan Harrison 6-1, 7-6 (4) and will meet US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori; and Victor Estrella Burgos edged Nicolas Jarry 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to set up a match against eighth-seeded John Isner.

In doubles, the second stop on Mardy Fish’s farewell tour began with a victory. Fish, who plans to retire after the US Open, teamed with Grigor Dimitrov to beat last year’s Wimbledon champions, Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil.

Murray and Daniel Nestor lost in doubles at night.

In singles, Murray’s season so far: three titles and a 48-7 record.

“The year as a whole, obviously, has been good. It’s been much, much better than last year. So there’s been some progress there,” Murray said. “But obviously I want to keep trying to do better and hopefully these next few weeks, I can go on a good run on hard courts and finish the year strong.”

At the majors, Murray reached one final (losing to Djokovic at the Australian Open) and a pair of semifinals (losing to Djokovic again at the French Open).

“In terms of goals, one of the things I spoke about at the beginning of the year was consistency, and trying to make sure I did better at more of the events than I had done in the past. And I feel like that’s obviously been a positive,” Murray said.

“The Grand Slams are tournaments I want to win. Haven’t quite managed to do that yet this year, but I feel like I’ve played well in all of the Slams. The French Open was the best I’ve ever played on the clay. The Australian Open, I was very close there, I felt. And unfortunately at Wimbledon, Roger played an unbelievable match. He served extremely well there and was just too good on that day.”

AMMAN — With support from the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), the first women’s football festival in Lebanon titled ‘Our Game, Our Goals’ concluded on Monday following a week-long tournament organised by Discover Football and the Girls Football Academy (GFA) of Beirut, according to a statement from AFDP.

Teams from Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Lebanon and Germany came together to play football at the Beirut Nejmeh Stadium and participated in 4 days of workshops and football practice led by World Vision and Right To Play. They were joined by over 200 girls from rural areas between the ages of 11-18, in four different regions: North (Salam Zgharta), South (Sour), West (Bhamdoun) and central (Nejmeh).

The festival aims to promote gender equality, raise awareness about women’s football in the region and increase media exposure of women’s football in Lebanon and neighbouring countries, and is timed to lead up to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which is to be held in October 2016 in Jordan. 

The ground-breaking initiative also serves as a kick-off for long-term girl’s football projects with the GFA.

“Organisations such as Discover Football and the Girls Football Academy are playing a key role in encouraging girls in our region to put on their sports shoes and score some goals, and we at the AFDP are incredibly proud to be a part of that,” HRH Prince Ali, AFDP founder and chairman, was quoted as saying in the statement.

“The excitement around women’s football here has never been more palpable and it is a remarkable time ahead of the U-17 World Cup in Jordan next year,” Prince Ali added.

The GFA also received 500 footballs from AFDP to be used in football activities for girls residing in marginalised areas across Lebanon.

AFDP, with the support of its official partner PepsiCo, continues to focus its needs-based support on promoting women’s football in Asia and empowering women through the game, in addition to social development through football, grassroots and youth development, and protecting and developing the sport.

ATLANTA — John Isner won the Atlanta Open for the third straight year, beating Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday at Atlantic Station.

The top-seeded former University of Georgia star has reached the finals in Atlanta in five of the past six years and is 20-3 in the event. He has 10 ATP Tour titles.

Even his dog, an English Cocker Spaniel named Magill (after Georgia’s former sports information director and tennis coach, Dan Magill), was in Atlanta. His parents brought the dog to Atlanta from their home in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“I love this tournament. It’s obvious,” Isner said. “[Magill] is a good size to travel with, a little too big to fly. He’s awesome, my best friend. He puts me at ease.”

Isner beat an injured player.

The fifth-seeded Baghdatis began struggling physically early with a bothersome groin muscle/tendon that first flared up more than a month ago.

Shortly into a 59-minute match, the fifth-seeded Baghdatis knew he had a problem, and he felt it was worse because he had limited recovery time after his three-set win late Saturday night vs Gilles Muller.

The 30-year-old Isner by that time was about six hours removed from a straight-set semifinal win over qualifier Denis Kudla.

“It’s not a new injury… the muscles got really tight. I felt it immediately on my second serve and volley,” said Baghdatis, who was playing in his 12th ATP final after falling in his previous seven semifinals. “I didn’t want to show anything, but it was impossible to control it.

“It’s always tough to have a match in [17] hours, especially when your opponent has [22]. We are humans, you know, and you want to be able to play a final with the crowd loving it.”

After scoring off Isner’s second serve to start the match, Baghdatis was finished.

From there, he lost all 15 points on Isner’s first serve in the first set and scored just twice against Isner’s final 38 service games. Plus, Isner registered whopping return win per centages of 39.1 and 45.2 per cent in the two sets.

“I kept getting stronger and stronger,” Isner said. “It was obvious that he was hurt on his second serve and volley. He’s not a serve and volley guy... I just tried to stay aggressive.”

Isner ripped 13 aces for 90 in four matches.

He jumped a spot in the world rankings, to No 18, became the third American to win an ATP title this year (joining Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram), and the man American to win an ATP tournament three consecutive times since Andy Roddick prevailed at Queens Club in London from 2003-’05.

Baghdatis will move to No. 44 in the world rankings with a goal of finishing in the top 50 for the first time since 2012. He was ranked No. 8 in August 2008.

The Cypriot apologised to fans after the match, saying he plans to play at Washington.

“I’m sorry,” he said when given a microphone to speak over the public address system. “My body was not able to keep up.”

Bob and Mike Bryan won the doubles final for their record 107th title, beating Gilles Muller and Colin Fleming 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

KUALA LUMPUR — As the candidates hoping to succeed FIFA’s outgoing President Sepp Blatter continue to lobby for support, the political kingmaker who could have a big influence on who gets the job says world football has more to worry about than picking its next boss.

Having been conspicuously quiet on the topic of who he thinks should lead FIFA when Blatter stands down next year, Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait told Reuters that FIFA’s problems were much bigger than just the leadership.

Rather than worry about who the next chief will be, Sheikh Ahmad said FIFA’s top priority was getting its house in order before the February 26 election.

“I think the first thing we have to see is that the reforms are going in the right direction,” he told Reuters at the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) session in Malaysia on Monday.

“I think FIFA needs reforms before anything else.”

Although he keeps a relatively low public profile, Sheikh Ahmad is one of the most influential people in sports politics, holding key positions on both the International Olympic Committee and FIFA.

A former officer and oil minister in Kuwait, Sheikh Ahmad joined the IOC in 1992, and has risen to the role of president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and president of the powerful Association of National Committees (ANOC).

Earlier this year, he extended his influence into world football when he was voted on to FIFA’s executive committee, elected unopposed as one of Asia’s representatives.

Mooted as a possible FIFA president himself one day, Sheikh Ahmad has not thrown his hat into the ring to replace Blatter, leaving the other applicants vying for his endorsement.

Although FIFA has never elected an Asian as its president, the world’s most populated region has a big influence on football’s global governing body because of the high number of votes it gets.

Frenchman Michel Platini is considered the early favourite to win the election next February, but two Asian candidates could possibly challenge him.

HRH Prince Ali, who stood against Blatter at the last election, has said he will run again, and has been joined by South Korean billionaire Chung Mong-joon.

Asia’s football chief Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa last week called for the region to unify behind one candidate, but stopped short of saying who.

Asked by Reuters whether he wanted Asia to back Platini or one of the Asian candidates, Sheikh Ahmad was coy, again insisting FIFA had bigger issues to sort out.

“It’s too early to speak about anything,” he said.

“Of course most experts will be always happy to support him [Platini], but now we have to focus on the reform of the future.”

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Two things were certain when the New England Patriots put on pads for the first time at training camp on Saturday: The home fans sure do love Tom Brady, and the quarterback’s suspension and court case haven’t affected his accuracy.

In between raucous cheers that started when he ran onto the field, Brady was strong and precise with his passing. He completed 12 consecutive passes during 11-on-11 work, and lofted a nifty touchdown pass to Danny Amendola during a goal-line drill.

“Tom’s our leader,” Amendola said.

And he’s loved by Patriots fans, many of whom donned No 12 jerseys and chanted “Brady! Brady!” as he jogged onto the practice field. Brady raised his hand and acknowledged the crowd. He later signed autographs, then once again shunned the media.

Since the NFL upheld the four-game suspension for his role in allegedly tampering with football air pressure in last season’s AFC title game, Brady has remained mum outside a Facebook post in which he maintained his innocence.

The issue is expected to be decided in a New York court before the start of the season. Meanwhile, coach Bill Belichick and the Super Bowl champs are insisting it’s business as usual.

“You’re just trying to do what you have to do for that play at that particular time,” rookie guard Tre Jackson said, “no matter if Tom Brady or Jimmy Whoever is behind you.”

That would be Jimmy Garoppolo, the 2014 second-round pick who would likely replace Brady if the suspension holds. Garoppolo took some snaps with the first team, although continued to do the majority of his work with the backups.

Garoppolo also looked sharp, with Aaron Dobson a trusty target.

“Jimmy’s continuing to improve,” Amendola said. “He’s learning the ways of the NFL.”

The Patriots also had a new look in the backfield, as LeGarrette Blount made his debut. The running back worked with the starters after being on the physically unable to perform list for the first two days of camp.

Blount, who will serve a one-game suspension in the season opener September 10 against Pittsburgh for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, failed his conditioning test, according to The Boston Globe. But Blount declined to specify why he was out.

“I don’t know,” he said.

What, exactly, does the conditioning test entail?

“Conditioning,” Blount said.

Combine that with Belichick not speaking to reporters and it seemed like a normal day for the Patriots: Tight-lipped and led by their dynamic quarterback.

“He’s been doing it for a long time on a very high level,” Amendola said of Brady. “He gets a lot of guys going and we love playing with him.”

AMMAN — Tareq Sukhtian on Friday was crowned champion of the Jordan Karting Championship (Rotax Max Challenge) after winning the fifth and final round at the Jordan Speed Centre.

Sukhtian expressed his happiness after winning the title saying: “It was a great championship and very tough. I managed to secure the title and hopefully I’ve gained more experience.”

The Jordan Karting Championship includes several categories: Micro Max (7-10 years), Mini Max (10-13 years), Junior Max (13-16 years), Senior Max (15 years and older), DD2 (15 years and older) and Masters Max (32 years and older).

Abdullah Dasouqi won the Micro Max category while Ameer Najjar won the MiniMax and junior Max categories.

The DD2 category went to Mohammed Helo.

Oman’s Abdullah Al Rawahi reserved the only spot at the prestigious Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF) which will take place at the International Karting Circuit of Portimão in Algarve, Portugal, November 8 to 14, 2015 after winning the Senior Max category of the championship.

 “The level of competition and the organisation in addition to the huge fan base made it an almost perfect championship. We are happy that Oman’s Al Rawahi will be competing in Portugal as he did compete well here and in Europe, so he deserves to be there,” said Othman Nassef, CEO of Jordan Motorsport.

“We are getting a lot of positive vibes regarding karting competitions and we are happy for that as many regard it as the mother of all auto sports,” he added.

The RMCGF hosts more than 300 drivers from more than 50 countries and it follows strict regulations starting with the technical specifications of the engines in which only Rotax Max kart engines are allowed. The track is 1,532m in length and 8m wide and karts average speeds of 94 km/h at the event.