Sports

AMMAN  — The national football team lost 2-1 in a friendly against Uzbekistan in Dubai on Sunday as the team started the final phase of preparations for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2015 Asian Cup in Australia.

The team will continue their training camp in Dubai until December 23 and will leave for Australia to play two friendlies against the UAE and Bahrain ahead of the Asian Cup.

Ahead of the team’s departure to the UAE, head coach Ray Wilkins was quoted by the local media as saying the upcoming phase was “very crucial as the team strives to be competitive in the Asian Cup”.

Wilkins acknowledged the task was a tough one as Jordan was drawn in Group D and will play Iraq on January 12, Palestine on  January 16 and Japan on January 20.

The Kingdom qualified to the AFC Asian Cup after finishing second in
Group A qualifiers behind leaders Oman. Jordan reached the Asian Cup quarters in 2004 and 2011.

The Kingdom went up five spots to 81st in the latest FIFA Rankings after dropping 12 places the month before. 

Jordan last played Estonia and  South Korea losing 1-0 to both. Earlier, they hosted Kuwait in two matches, losing the first  1-0 and tying 1-1. They held China 1-1, lost to Uzbekistan 2-0 and Columbia 3-0.

VAL GARDENA, Italy — Steven Nyman wants to become more than a one-race wonder.

The 32-year-old claimed a third career World Cup downhill victory on Friday, all of which have come on the testing Saslong course at the Italian resort of Val Gardena.

Now, the man who used to cut American actor and director Robert Redford’s lawn for pocket money wants his talents to shine on an even bigger stage — with this season’s World Championships in Colorado.

“A major goal of mine is to get the men’s downhill title, something no American man has done before,” he told Reuters after his spectacular downhill victory on Friday.

That would be a story worthy of a Hollywood movie to match the 1969 film Downhill Racer which starred Redford and inspired Nyman to become a skier.

“It’s funny the relationship I have with Redford and to be able to experience that movie as a real life thing,” he said.

“He grew up in the Sundance ski resort and I went there two years ago and he said: Look, Steven’s here! When everybody was staring at him. He recognises me and my passion and it’s kind of cool.”

Nyman is aware he faces many challenges if he is to become the leading man.

“When I came in on the World Cup, I was a hungry, fearless kid. Then I crashed, I had a lot of health issues, ups and down. Now I feel I’m on the best shape of my life,” he said.

“I feel more balanced than ever, I have the ability to push and charge, to go straighter and be creative with my skis instead of being scared and holding on to the mountain.

“I just feel comfortable and strong and I want to take this feeling beyond Beaver Creek and Val Gardena,” he said.

Those two mountains still matter a lot to the Utah-born Nyman, raised a Mormon, as he finished on the podium in Beaver Creek two weeks ago, a hill hosting the world championships.

Extra motivation

His fine start to the season has put him in contention for the World Cup downhill title, although Norway’s Olympic Super-G champion Kjetil Jansrud, who was second on Friday, has been setting a searing pace so far.

“Given the form Kjetil’s in right now, I knew I needed to bring up my game, to go hard and try and win by 1.5 seconds. I made a big step forward today but he’s still way ahead of me,” Nyman, who trails by 105 points in the standings, said.

“I have to chip away at that. It’s going to be a tough battle but if I keep performing, it’ll be fun to watch.”

Nyman had to pay $20,000 of his own money to be part of the US ski team this season after losing his automatic spot.

“If you’re not in the best 25 in the world you have to pay. I face that reality. Our team’s standards are high and it’s not a government-funded organisation,” he said.

“To pay that money is a great motivation. It makes you a bit angry. But a lot of people helped me with big cheques because they believed in me.”

In the next World Cup bidding process, a vastly different set of FIFA rules should be in place.

It had to be that way after the fallout from the 2018 and 2022 bidding contests, which were finally resolved Friday.

At a meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, FIFA President Sepp Blatter closed Michael Garcia’s investigation of World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar, and also looked ahead to the next bidding contest — and fresh rules of engagement.

“I am focused on the future,” said Blatter, and pointed to a list of proposals that world football’s governing body is considering for the 2026 bids.

Blatter said FIFA wants to make sure everyone “can be confident that the 2026 bidding process will be fair, ethical and open.”

This might be Garcia’s long-term legacy at FIFA. It’s his recommendations that have now been endorsed by German law professor Martin Nolte, who was consulted by FIFA.

Here’s a look at how future votes are expected to be handled:

No collusion

Never again will FIFA choose two World Cup hosts together, which some say invites vote trading pacts. These were widely alleged in the 2018-2022 contests, but not proven.

FIFA has also taken the ultimate voting decision away from the much-discredited executive committee. In the future, the ruling board will propose up to three candidates for a vote by FIFA member federations. There are currently 209.

However, Garcia also recommended that board members be barred from visiting bid nations, or being visited by bid officials.

Garcia also wants bid nations barred from voting, as happens in Olympics Games and UEFA European Championship hosting contests.

Tighter rules

The FIFA code of ethics, and bid conduct rules specific to the 2018-2022 campaigns, seemed to leave gaping loopholes.

That should now change.

According to FIFA, Nolte advised that reporting requirements for “gifts, procedures for friendly matches and the role of consultants need to be tightened”.

Payments linked to a friendly match hosted by Qatar between Brazil and Argentina were flagged by Garcia’s report but not judged to have influenced the hosting outcome.

Other bidders were also prepared to send national teams to play matches in voters’ countries.

Garcia has opened proceedings against then-FIFA voter Franz Beckenbauer, the German great whose business associates were employed as consultants by Australia’s 2022 bid.

Projects curbed

No World Cup bid has seemed complete without a budget to spend on projects across the football world, in the name of leaving a legacy.

That should stop, according to Nolte.

“The promotion of football development projects by bid teams outside of the country or member association concerned should no longer be permitted,” FIFA said Friday.

Budget audit

One idea seared into the 2018-2022 saga is that Qatar “bought the World Cup”.

The phrase was written by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke in a May 2011 e-mail to now-disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner.

Valcke later explained it meant Qatar’s “very important budget and [to] have used it to heavily promote their bid.”

Exactly how much Qatar spent is unclear as the bid was not obliged to open its books.

In the future, “bid teams should be subject to a strict legal obligation to allow an audit upon completion of the application and award procedure and to send the corresponding report to FIFA”, the legal advice stated.

Save. Don’t delete

Russia’s winning 2018 bid denied Garcia’s investigation team key evidence by simply not having it. The Russians said they used computers that were leased and then destroyed, and e-mail accounts were not retrieved.

“The bid teams should be subject to a strict legal obligation to store all documents relating to their activities and to keep them available for FIFA for a specified period,” FIFA said Friday.

Garcia has suggested all documents should be stored at least five years.

LONDON  — Rejuvenated Manchester City can pile the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea for the first time this season if they beat struggling visitors Crystal Palace on Saturday.

With Chelsea not playing at Stoke City until Monday, a City victory at the Etihad Stadium against a Palace side who have failed to win their last four Premier League matches would put the champions level on 39 points with Jose Mourinho’s men.

Having trailed leaders Chelsea by eight points at one stage this season, City have won their last five league matches, with Frank Lampard’s strike enough to give Manuel Pellegrini’s side a 1-0 victory at bottom club Leicester City last weekend.

However, City will be without a recognised forward against 16th-placed Palace as Sergio Aguero, Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko all have knocks, while captain and key central defender Vincent Kompany limped off at Leicester with a hamstring injury.

Despite a lack of attacking options, Pellegrini is confident his injury-hit squad can find the perfect striking remedy within their ranks against Neil Warnock’s Palace.

“We’ll work this week with the players that can play in that position,” Pellegrini told reporters. “At the moment we are trying to recover all the players because we have no strikers.

“David Silva, Samir Nasri and the rest of the midfielders can all score so we must see during the week which is the best way to play in the future until we recover our strikers.”

Chelsea, who beat visiting Hull City 2-0 last weekend, have no striking woes but, after allowing their healthy advantage over City to be cut, midfielder Cesc Fabregas has called on his team mates to keep improving in their quest for the title.

“You can always get better,” the Spaniard told the club’s website. “We know that and we are trying to improve in training by doing what the manager tells us to do.

“Everyone is very focused and everyone is very professional. Now the next two or three weeks are really important in our season and we have to be up for it.”

Third-placed Manchester United, buoyed by a 3-0 demolition of archrivals Liverpool at Old Trafford last weekend, travel to Aston Villa on Saturday when fourth-placed West Ham United host basement side Leicester.

On Sunday, Newcastle United fans will give Sunderland a hostile reception in the Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park, before floundering Liverpool, perhaps lifted by their 3-1 Capital One Cup win at Bournemouth in midweek, host sixth-placed Arsenal.

AMMAN — Patience is a virtue but one National Federation is set to reap the rewards after major investment, according to a statement from the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) News Service.

Jordan is set to become a regional hub for an Olympic sport which is undergoing an exciting boom time in the Kingdom.

The sport of fencing may be down in the pecking order in terms of mass-participation and popularity, but it has not stopped the Jordan Fencing Federation from undertaking an ambitious long-term plan which is starting to bear fruit.

Earlier this year it opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Al Hussein Youth Sports City which is transforming the sport from an elitist past time to a popular alternative for the nation’s young.

“We have noticed an immediate boost in terms of interest and numbers now taking part,” Khaled Atiyat, president of the Jordan Fencing Federation, was quoted in the statement as saying. “It has been a long time coming but we are delighted with the response to the new facility which we believe is now the best across the whole Arab world.”

And it is clear to see why he is happy. When the JOC visited one evening, there were dozens of participants from the age of six up to 50, all enjoying top-notch guidance from coaches who have been brought up to international standards.

“We used to have a facility with two piste [playing areas] but now we have 20, along with ample room for warm up and exercising. It has transformed the sport in Jordan with more than 200 people now practicing regularly,” Atiyat said in the statement.

Particularly pleasing for the Federation has been the early interest from schools with two now sending students to play on weekday mornings. This number is set to expand. It has also benefited from the hostel built as a part of the facility which is proving attractive for overseas teams looking to camp, providing a vital source of additional revenue along with the cafeteria where parents gather to await their kids.

But rather than expect Olympic champions immediately, the Federation has continued its slow but sure approach to nurturing the sport.

“It has taken us seven years to reach this point,” explained Atiyat. “We set aside a little of our budget each year and along with excellent support from institutions including the Jordan Olympic Committee, we were finally able to build this facility.

“It has given us the platform from which to build on. We are realistic that it will take a long time to produce champions but we are working with the best fencing nations, like the Italians, to develop our sport here.”

The Italian link could result in three of their coaches dispatched to Jordan next year to work with the local coaches who have already benefited from the Jordan Olympic Committee’s National Coaching Certification Programme.

Listening to Atiyat’s enthusiasm whilst watching the dedication and effort put in by those attending training instils a confidence that this is a sport going places. And 2015 looks like being a busy year for the federation, and the facility.

“We have several big events happening here throughout the year. These are events we wouldn’t have been able to host previously,” Atiyat said. “There is not a better facility in the region and we want to make Amman the fencing hub for the Arab world.”

With a clear focus on grass roots development and identifying and training the next generation of champions, it is clear to see that fencing is in it for the long run.

Kevin Costner was told in that memorable film Field of Dreams that “If you build it, they will come” and the best ending to this adventure would be a Jordanian success at a future major international event, according to the statement.

Now that would be a story worth following.

GENEVA — Russia and Qatar appear to be the big winners on the day American prosecutor Michael Garcia lost his appeal against FIFA.

Garcia, a former US Attorney, had objected to ethics judge Joachim Eckert’s summary of his World Cup bid investigation into the 2018 and 2022 hosting votes, claiming there were “numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations” of his report.

The appeals committee of football’s governing body ruled Tuesday that Garcia was unable to challenge Eckert’s summary because they were only Eckert’s opinions.

The German judge’s summary “does not constitute a decision... and as such is neither legally binding nor appealable,” FIFA said Tuesday in a statement.

Still, Garcia’s loss does not necessarily end the World Cup bid corruption case, nor finally dispel doubts about the integrity of a vote which chose Russia and Qatar as the next two hosts.

It did, however, signal a difficult week ahead for those seeking reforms within FIFA as Sepp Blatter and his executive committee gather in Morocco for a two-day session starting Thursday.

The main business for Blatter and the executive committee in Marrakech on Friday is deciding what to do with Garcia’s investigation report.

Is it strong enough to justify keeping the corruption case open? And how much of Garcia’s 430-page dossier should be published when the FIFA Code of Ethics demands that it stays sealed?

When Garcia and Eckert met for peace talks at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, they agreed to involve Domenico Scala, the Swiss-Italian pharmaceutical executive who chairs FIFA’s audit and compliance committee.

Scala must decide how much of it he will present to the 27-member FIFA executive committee.

Blatter’s ruling committee should then decide if the case against bid candidates — also including much-criticised bids from Australia and England — has anywhere to go.

In a separate discussion, the FIFA board will debate publishing the Garcia report — a document which has a sure place in FIFA lore given how critics have clamoured for its release.

Some board members believe FIFA needs to publish Garcia’s work in full to have a chance of restoring shattered public faith in football’s traditionally secretive governing body.

Garcia himself has called for “appropriate publication” — getting key evidence out in the public domain while redacting names to protect some of the 75 witnesses who cooperated with his two-year probe.

That view is supported by Michel Platini, who as president of UEFA is a FIFA vice president, even though veteran European officials are in Garcia’s crosshairs.

Publication could fuel public disquiet at the choice of Russia and Qatar by a widely discredited FIFA executive committee which, in December 2010, contained several now disgraced members.

Or it could hit Garcia’s own reputation if some allegations which have been widely reported were not nailed.

MARRAKECH, Morocco — Goals from Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale helped Real Madrid coast to a 4-0 victory over Cruz Azul of Mexico on Tuesday and a place in the final of the Club World Cup.

Sergio Ramos and Benzema made it 2-0 at halftime, with further strikes from Bale and Francisco “Isco” Alarcon putting the result beyond doubt after the break.

Madrid’s opponents in Saturday’s final will be either South American champion San Lorenzo of Argentina or Auckland City, a New Zealand team of amateurs and semi-pros that is the Oceania champion. 

Cruz Azul, the
CONCACAF champion, proved no match for the pace and penetration that Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale provided for Madrid up front. Daniel Carvajal also was exceptional, marauding with Bale down the right.

Cruz Azul captain Gerardo Torrado missed a chance to make the score more respectable when Iker Casillas saved his first-half penalty that lacked conviction.

A win on Saturday would secure Madrid their first Club World Cup and cap an exceptional year when they also won the Champions League and Copa del Rey, while Ronaldo collected his second World Player of the Year award.

“Only a match away from a new opportunity, we’ll be ready 100 per cent,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “I think the team deserves this title.”

Ronaldo did not add to his total of 56 goals in 2014 for Madrid, including 32 this season. But the match was so comfortable for Madrid that their star player allowed himself a showboat second-half shot so cheeky that Ancelotti’s assistants were laughing behind him on the bench.

Ronaldo tried flicking in Bale’s cross from the left by wrapping his right foot around his left ankle to connect with the ball. Cruz Azul goalkeeper Jose Corona easily scooped up the attempt that would have been another fine addition to Ronaldo’s highlight reel had it gone in.

“I’ve never seen a shot like this, but from Ronaldo we have to expect everything,” Ancelotti said.

Conceding that Madrid were “highly superior”, Cruz Azul manager Luis Fernando Tena had no complaints.

“It’s been a joy to play such a skilful team, individually and collectively,” he said.

Down Madrid’s right, Bale and Carvajal gave a torrid lesson in speed, guile and mobility to Fausto Pinto, the Cruz Azul left-back at fault for three of the goals.

Pinto’s first-half body-check on Carvajal, who winced and rolled away convincingly enough to get referee Enrique Osses to blow his whistle, gifted Madrid a free kick that Toni Kroos curved in with venom. Ramos decisively headed it past Corona, who was made to work hard all night, for Madrid’s opener.

Pinto was then guilty of ball-watching as Carvajal wriggled past him and sent in a looping short cross for Benzema. The striker hared onto the ball and poked it home with an outstretched tip of his right foot after 36 minutes.

Five minutes into the second half, Pinto left Bale too much space and time to head in Ronaldo’s cross from the left.

After tormenting his markers with multiple step-overs, Ronaldo fed the ball to Isco, who dribbled through the defence to complete the scoring on 72 minutes.

This was Madrid’s 21st consecutive victory in all matches, a record run that has seen it score 79 goals to just 10 in reply. Ancelotti’s men have not lost since September 13, a 2-1 defeat by Atletico on day three of La Liga.

Saturday’s final will be Madrid’s last competitive match of 2014. And what a year: Madrid ended their 12-year wait for a 10th European Cup title, beating Atletico 4-1 in the Champions League final, and lifted its 19th Copa del Rey with a 2-1 win over Barcelona.

In January, Ronaldo broke down in tears when he picked up the World Player of the Year award for 2013. In the crowd of 34,862 in Marrakech, some held up signs saying he should retain the Ballon d’Or again this year against Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer, the other finalists.

After a December 30 friendly against AC Milan, the La Liga leader picks up its domestic campaign again on January 4 against Valencia.

AMMAN — Jordan returned from the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Doha with a staggering seven new national records, won by a brother and sister, according to a statement from the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. Talita Baqlah, the 19-year-old London 2012 Olympian, and her 16-year-old brother, Khader, broke seven records between them to underline the steady progress being made by the sport in Jordan. Khader set new times in the four freestyle events he took part in (100m, 200m, 400m, 1,500m) and also set a new national mark for the first 800m of the 1,500m discipline, with his sister breaking two records in the 100m and the 50m freestyle. Their form has delighted the Jordan Swimming Federation (JSF) which has a long-term plan in place to improve Jordan’s performances in the pool. “What is particularly pleasing about Khader’s times is that they are quick enough to qualify for the World Championships in 2015,” Ibrahim Naddeh, secretary general of the JSF, was quoted in the statement as saying. “Talita is getting very close too and we are confident that both will also give it a good shot to qualify for the Rio Olympics with their times also improving in the 50m pool.” It has been a remarkable year for the sport with 33 national records broken in the pool.

AMMAN — There is a well-known saying that “success does not come overnight” but a Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) programme should ensure that when it does come, it will be sustained.

Following a disappointing Asian Games this year, and the fact that Jordan is still one of the few nations without an Olympic medal, the spotlight has fallen on what is being done behind the scenes to move forward positively, according to a statement from JOC New Service.

A JOC investigation is under way to find out what went wrong in Incheon, South Korea, when Jordan sent its largest ever delegation but returned home with just four medals.

The performances draw criticism for sports administrators as a whole, but it has underlined the importance of JOC’s National Coaching Certification Programme that was launched in 2009.

“It is never a quick fix for results to change but through careful nurturing of talent by better trained coaches there will be a difference,” Narin HajTass, manager at JOC’s Knowledge, Education and Training Department, was quoted in the statement as saying.

“We are still in the very early stages of a national programme that can help to improve our performances at all levels. We have to be patient but the wait should be worthwhile.”

The journey started back in 2008 when His Royal Highness Prince Feisal, JOC president, commissioned the Coaching Association of Canada to conduct a full review into Jordan sport to identify weaknesses and to propose solutions.

The review outcomes were of no surprise to many. Jordan’s coaches as a whole were not of a standard that could produce results on the global stage. It meant that our athletes were not receiving the sort of coaching enjoyed by their counterparts in other parts of the world. How could we then expect them to be winners?

Actions followed immediately with HajTass’ department set up to launch the Canadian national certification programme which began with a two-year programme to train up 13 facilitators.

“These are the coaches who drive the programme forward so it took two years to ensure they were fully up to speed and qualified,” explained HajTass in the statement. “They were recommended by our National Federations and then trained by the Canadians to cascade their programme across Jordan.”

With the basics in place, it was time to put the programme to work and in 2009 the first Level One course was held featuring coaches from across the sporting sector.

“I think the coaches were probably very sceptical at first, but the feedback once they have completed the courses is very positive,” HajTass said. “The course does not focus on their technical ability in their individual sport, but the broader picture of bio-mechanics, nutrition, coaching science, leadership and so on.

“Changing the mindset takes time but I would say that from all of the coaches we have trained, more than 70 per cent truly believe in its value. Some coaches have been working for more than 30 years and yet they too have praised the new techniques and training that they have been taught.”

The programme takes coaches from a Level One grade through to Level Five, with Level Three split into two stages. So far, more than 150 coaches have followed the programme, with 27 reaching Level Three (advanced).

The results are starting to show on the playing fields too. Several athletes, trained by the newly certified coaches, have excelled at Arab and Asian levels, but HajTass said there is much more to come.

“In 2015 we will hold our first Level Four course featuring 25 coaches. This is extremely high performance stuff with brand new modules introduced. It is a big next step for the programme and for those enrolled.”

Also on the horizon as the Jordan team develops its own capabilities is an ambitious plan to create JOC’s own long-term athlete development programme.

“We are ambitious and believe in the programme,” said HajTass. “It can only help sport develop collectively with more qualified coaches involved. It’s a long road but we are well on our way.”

It is not often sport gets to see what is going on behind the scenes, but this programme proves that JOC will not settle for anything less than the best and is playing its part to achieve it.

AMMAN – Having girls take part in football in particular and in sports in general is a step forward for both Jordan and rest of the Middle East region, former Real Madrid player Michel Salgado said.

The Chevrolet brand ambassador said he was fascinated seeing so many girls playing football in the Kingdom.

“It is really fascinating especially in this part of the world as life is really complicated for them,” he told The Jordan Times during an interview.

Salgado played for Real Madrid for 10 years, joining the Spanish team in 1999. The right-back player helped his team win several trophies including four La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League title.

During a 15-year period in Spain, Salgado — who appeared in 343 La Liga games, scoring seven goals — represented the Spanish national team, collecting more than 50 caps and appearing in one World Cup and one European Championship, according to Wikipedia.

The Spanish ex-player, in Jordan for the second time, ran a training session in the Kingdom on Monday and Tuesday as part of the delivery of 5,000 ultra-durable footballs to 50 schools in Jordan by the Asian Football Development Project, Asian Football Confederation, and One World Play Project and its partner Chevrolet.

 “I am really happy to see them [girls] get into sports and compete to be good in football,” Salgado said.

He stressed the importance of Jordan hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2016.

“The opportunity of hosting the World Cup in Jordan will be massive and a great exposure for the country and the region as well,” he added. 

He noted that Jordan must be ready for the contest and show the world that the Kingdom is a special place. 

Salgado said football is an important part of education because it is special and teaches children how to work as a team. 

“For example, by bringing these balls to the children, we can bring them hope and fun, and that is what they need,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Salgado said the events he took part in Jordan will encourage children to work hard and be good footballers. 

“I think the children who live in difficult situations will find their way out through football,” he added. 

Salgado noted the importance of focusing on grass-roots projects.

“The association [Jordan Football Association] started to work very well with grass-roots projects and that is what I am trying to do in the Middle East. By encouraging the federations to invest money in grass-roots projects because they are the future. Investing money on the senior team is a short-term solution,” he added. 

Commenting on the national team’s chances at the Asian Football Confederation’s 2015 Asian Cup in Australia, he said: “I am expecting something very good from Jordan in the Asian Cup.”

Jordan plays in Group D and takes on Japan, Iraq and Palestine. 

“I know coach Raymond Wilkins because I worked with him on TV and I think he is well prepared for the job. It is going to be vital to change the mentality of the players in Jordan, though. He has got the knowledge and the experience,” he said. 

He noted that Real Madrid might win the Champions League in 2015. 

“There is no doubt that Real Madrid has a big chance to win the Champions League, doing something historical by winning two contests in a row,” he said.