Sports

AMMAN — Jordan plays Oman on Wednesday in a friendly football match in Dubai, which comes amid preparations for resuming return leg 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Jordan will play two qualifiers this month and will seek to repeat their 4-1 win over Afghanistan on October 10 before playing Cambodia on October 14.

The Kingdom last held Bahrain 0-0 in a friendly and later beat Afghanistan to maintain Group C lead after earlier holding Vietnam 0-0 and scoring a 7-0 win over lowly Cambodia.

Vietnam is second in the group after they held Afghanistan 1-1 and beat Cambodia 2-1. Cambodia beat Afghanistan 1-0. The top two teams from each group move to the finals which will be held in the UAE in 2019.

Since first taking part in Asian Cup qualifiers in 1972, Jordan reached the Asian Championship three times: the pinnacle was at the 13th Asian Cup, when they lost to Japan in the quarter-finals. They also reached the Asian Cup in 2011.

Given the limited capabilities of its qualifying group, qualifying to the 2019 Asian Cup should not be a difficult task for Jordan. After elimination from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, advancing to the Asian finals is a priority but the squad has steadily slid down FIFA rankings, and the team has had an inconsistent two years compared to 2013 when Jordan was on the verge of qualifying to the 2014 World Cup for the first time.

Last month, Jordan dropped two spots to 110th in the latest FIFA rankings and is still out of the Asian top 10. The team’s best FIFA ranking was 37th in 2004 while the lowest ranking was 152nd in 1996.

During the 2013 World Cup qualifying journey, Jordan advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie for a place in the 2014 World Cup. It however lost the home game 5-0 and held the former World Cup champs 0-0 in the away match. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in the qualifiers. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times in the qualifiers since 1986.

AMMAN — Six Jordanians will fight in the eighth round of the World Karate Federation which takes place in Salzburg, Austria, October 7-8, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Mohammad Sami (-60kg), Bashar Al Najjar (-67kg), Mahmoud Al Sajjan (-84kg), Majdeh Al Bashayreh (-55kg), Aseel Al Nu’aimi (-61kg) and Hala Turaish (-68kg) will all be going for glory, supported by Mu’een Fa’uri (Chef de Mission), Mohammad Fetian (Coach) and Ammar Al Shamut (administrative).

The Karate 1 - Serie A  attracts over 1,000 of the world’s best, all hoping to earn crucial ranking points as part of the build-up to karate’s inclusion in the next Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. Meanwhile, youngsters Mohammad Sami, Majedah Al Bashayreh, Aseel Al Nu’aimi and Hala Turaish have been selected to fight in the Youth World Karate Championships to be held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife,  Spain, October 25-29.

SEPANG, Malaysia — Sebastian Vettel fell further behind Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton after Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix, but the Ferrari driver still saw cause for optimism in the title battle.

Starting in last place after a power unit problem prevented him setting a time in qualifying, with his Mercedes rival lining up on pole position, the German made the best of a bad situation. 

His remarkable recovery drive to fourth, combined with Hamilton being beaten by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, meant Vettel limited the damage to six points.

While that still stretched Hamilton’s overall advantage to a hefty 34 points with only five of the 20 races left, it was better than the German might have feared.

“I am still optimistic, because we know that we have a quick car,” said Vettel, who nearly snatched third from Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

“It’s been a difficult weekend, but nevertheless the speed is there.”

Vettel’s title hopes have been dealt a severe blow for two races in a row now.

An opening lap crash at the last race in Singapore, where he had started on pole, cost him 25 points to Hamilton, who capitalised to win from fifth. 

The four-times champion had gone into the Malaysian weekend 28 points behind his rival.

Had Hamilton won on Sunday with Vettel fourth, or outscored the 30-year-old by more than seven points, the Briton would have moved into a position to win the title no matter what the German did, including winning the next five races.

Kimi Raikkonen’s failure to start Sunday’s Malaysia race compounded Ferrari’s misery.

Raikkonen said it was “pointless” to ponder what might have been after the chance of a potential victory went begging for the Finn when he failed to start Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

The 37-year-old was set to start on the front row of the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton after being beaten to pole position by the Briton by just 0.045 seconds on Saturday.

He reported a loss of power, however, as he drove around the circuit on the way to the grid and was wheeled back into the pits.

“I noticed it on the way to the grid, it came out of nowhere,” Raikkonen told reporters.

“It’s disappointing for all of us but it’s nothing we can change.”

Sunday’s race could have been Raikkonen’s best chance of victory this season at the track where he took his first Formula One win in 2003.

Vettel, meanwhile, could still be hit with a grid penalty at the next race in Japan if he is forced to change his car’s gearbox following a bizarre post-race collision with Williams rookie Lance Stroll.

Still, the Maranello outfit can take some heart from the pace Vettel displayed and Mercedes’ struggles.

Vettel set the fastest lap and a lap record on his charge through the field on Sunday even as Mercedes struggled for the second weekend in a row with a car described by team boss Toto Wolff as “capricious”.

“It’s further cause to continue to believe in ourselves,” said Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene.

“We have the car, the men, the drivers, the means and the spirit to fight all the way to the finish.” 

AMMAN — Jordan’s Olympic hero Ahmad Abu Ghaush has led a Jordanian gold rush at the Palestine Open Taekwondo Championships on Sunday, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

The Rio Games gold medallist won the -67kg category as Jordan also secured more gold medals on the final day through Hamzeh Qattan (+87kg), Saleh Al Sharbati (-80kg), Ruslan Bezo (-58kg), Waed Al Turman (-73kg), Juliana Al Sadeq (-67kg) and Bana Daraghmeh (-49kg).

The team also added a silver through Luna Abu Aysha (-53kg), while Taleen Al Humaidi (-53kg) and Rwand Abu Shababik (-57kg) took bronze. Head coach Faris Al Assaf was understandably delighted. “I’m very happy with these achievements,” he said.

“They all performed well as it was tough competition with the tournament rated as G1, which means ranking points.

This is all part of our long-term strategy of trying to get more fighters qualified to the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.” Abu Ghaush will next be in action at the World Grand Prix in London later this month while the rest of the team is preparing for the Croatia Open Championships in November.

AMMAN — Northern Ireland golf star Darren Clarke will be among the international players participating in the Jordan Ayla Golf Championship, which is considered the first of its kind in the Kingdom, according to a statement from the tournament’s organisers.

The Jordan Ayla Golf Championship will take place between October 5 and 7 at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba, as part of the seventh season of the MENA Golf Tour.

Professional and amateur golfers from 23 different countries will compete for the title.

Clarke is globally regarded as one of the most skilled golfers in the world. He won the 2011 Open at the Royal St George’s Golf Club and was designated captain of the 2016 Ryder Cup after being chosen by a five-man selection panel, according to the statement. 

DORTMUND — Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in his 150th European appearance to give Real Madrid a 3-1 victory at Borussia Dortmund, their first against them in Germany, and make it two wins out of two matches in their Champions League Group H. 

Ronaldo, who has now scored 411 goals in his 400 Real appearances, grabbed his second of the evening after a fine effort from Welshman Gareth Bale, who had put them ahead with a superb volley in the 18th minute. 

The Spaniards punished the hosts for playing too high and found the gaps they needed to score. The Portuguese killed off the match, thumping the ball past keeper Roman Buerki in the 79th minute. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang briefly pulled one back in the 54th minute but the Germans could not replicate last season’s two-goal comeback to draw. 

Real, whose lacklustre start in La Liga has left them in sixth place seven points off leaders Barcelona, have six points, level with Tottenham Hotspur who beat APOEL Nicosia 3-0. Bundesliga leaders Dortmund are in joint-last place without any points, after losing their opener at Spurs. 

“We played a great game from start to finish. We could have scored more. We had chances,” said Zidane, who has led Real to first ever back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons. “We had a spectacular game, a brilliant game. The important thing is to score more than our opponents and we did that.”

“I am delighted for Ronaldo and Bale. The side worked hard. The midfield worked very hard. I am extremely happy because they played a tremendous game.” 

The Frenchman praised his players for a focused and disciplined performance and for not losing their cool when Dortmund pulled a goal back early in the second half to make it 2-1 and set up a nerve-wracking final 25 minutes. 

“We started well, the first half was brilliant as was the second. We showed authority. We had some difficult moments after the break but we played them out. It was perfect,” Zidane said. 

“We knew after so many years we’d finally win here one day and today was the day,” said Real captain Sergio Ramos. “It was tough but we showed our personality and authority. We want to rediscover our best and I think tonight was a step in the right direction.” 

It was always expected to be a rollercoaster game and the two sides did not disappoint, shooting instantly out of the blocks. 

Dortmund’s Jeremy Toljan sprinted clear but his pinpoint cutback was cleared at the last moment with Aubameyang lurking at the far post after three minutes. 

Daniel Carvajal responded with a fine solo effort and Ronaldo also came close a little later, but the Spaniards were lucky not to concede a penalty when Ramos cleared a Maximilian Philipp effort on the line with his hand. 

But there was no luck involved when Bale raced into space and perfectly volleyed in a smooth Carvajal cross in the 18th minute to shock the home crowd. 

Dortmund did not back down though and Raphael Varane had to come to the rescue right after the restart, clearing an Andriy Yarmolenko cross on the goal line.

“We had our chances but Real did it really well,” said Dortmund’s Gonzalo Castro. “With players like Bale and Ronaldo they really know how to take advantage of the gaps. It is too dangerous against such teams to stand too high up the pitch.”

It was Real who scored again when Bale was given far too much space to cut in and find Ronaldo in the heart of the box in the 50th. 

The Germans quickly pulled a goal back with Aubameyang stabbing in a Castro cross to keep the game tight, until Ronaldo broke clear and fired in their third goal and their 14th in the last seven Champions League matches.

AMMAN  — Week 4 of the Jordan Professional Football League kicks off on Thursday after major changes in standings during the past week.

While Ramtha took over the top spot after a 5-0 drubbing of Yarmouk, Shabab Urdun jumped to second after a 2-1 win over That Ras and Wihdat moved up to 3rd after a 2-0 win over Faisali, who dropped to 6th.

Aqaba beat Baqa’a 2-1 to jump to fourth, as Jazira beat Hussein to improve to 5th as the latter dropped to last and Ahli were held 1-1 with Manshieh and dropped to 7th.

Wihdat’s two draws with That Ras and Shabab Urdun earlier in the competition had pushed them down the standings, but thanks to their win over Faisali they rebounded and the upcoming match with Hussein should be a chance to retake the top spot.

In upcoming matches, Jazira, who lost to Shabab Urdun and drew with Faisali before their latest win, will come head-to-head with Ramtha, Aqaba will play Ahli, Shabab Urdun will take on Faisali, That Ras will meet Manshieh, and newcomers Yarmouk will play Baqa’a, who are now 9th.

So far this season, reigning league and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the Jordan Football Association  Shield.

Last year, Faisali won their 33rd league title after a four-year break and combined it with the Jordan Cup. Ahli beat reigning league champs Wihdat to win the Super Cup, Shabab Urdun beat Faisali to win their second Shield title after they first won it in 2007. Sarih and Sahab were relegated and replaced by Aqaba and Yarmouk from the First Division.

AMMAN — Jordan has finished with a credible 17 medals, making it the biggest haul they have achieved at an Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service.

Following a late blitz of kickboxing medals, the delegation will return home from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, with a healthy one gold, two silver and 14 bronze medals from the biggest multi-sport event ever to have been staged in Turkmenistan.

Medals came in ju jitsu, muaythai, taekwondo and kickboxing, with the golden girl Rana Qubbaj headlining the show with her ju jitsu gold. Silver medals went to Hamazeh Al Rasheed (ju jitsu) and Mohammed Al Barri (muaythai), while bronze medals were won by to Haider Al Rasheed (ju jitsu), Sami Shamseddin (ju jitsu), Ruba Al Sayegh x 2 (ju jitsu), Rana Qubbaj x 2 (ju jitsu), Ibrahim Suleiyman (kickboxing), Oday Abuhasoah (kickboxing), Ali Hassan (kickboxing), Hamza Abughazaleh (kickboxing), Mohammed Salama (kickboxing), Anas Al Darbi (taekwondo), Saleh Al Sharabaty (taekwondo), Bana Daraghmi (taekwondo) and Julyana Al Sadeq (taekwondo).

Jordan travelled with a record delegation of more than 120 athletes competing across 13 sports with the Jordan Olympic Committee keen to expose a number of younger athletes to the big games experience.

A period of review and scrutiny will now take place with officials running the rule over the performances of each and every athlete that travelled in order to plan for the future. 

AMMAN — Jordan’s U-16 team qualified to the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Championship after topping Group A qualifiers which ended in Riyadh late Sunday.

Jordan beat Bahrain 3-2 in their final match to lead the group after it was held 0-0 by Uzbekistan, beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 and Sri Lanka 7-0.

Saudi Arabia, which beat Uzbekistan 1-0, came in second after it also upstaged Sri Lanka 10-0. Uzbekistan finished third after it defeated Bahrain 1-0 and Sri Lanka 6-0 and Bahrain which beat Sri Lanka 6-0 came in fourth.

Jordan joined group winners Tajikistan (Group B), Iran (Group C), Iraq (Group D), Yemen (Group E), North Korea (Group F), Indonesia (Group G), Australia (Group I), Japan (Group J).  Oman, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia moved as second placed top four teams while Group H is still to be decided.

Organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and held once every two years for Asian U-16 teams, the competition also serves as a qualification tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the top four countries qualifying.

Iraq is the reigning champ. Since the event kicked off in 1995, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and Oman have each won the title twice. Qatar, Iran, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Iraq won once each. Jordan failed to qualify to the 2016 AFC U-16 Asian Championship 

Jordan’s U-19 team will play AFC U-19 Championship Group E qualifiers alongside Syria, Palestine and hosts Iran set from October 31 to November 8. The Kingdom previously qualified to the Asian Championship four times and reached the FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada in 2007.  Jordan finished fourth in 2006, but exited the first round in 2008 and 2010 and reached the quarters in 2012. Jordan failed to qualify to the 2014 Championship.

The U-23 team that qualified to the 3rd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship in 2018 also have the qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ahead.

In the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship in 2014, Jordan took third place when it beat South Korea, while Iraq won the title after defeating Saudi Arabia. In 2016, Jordan was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship and lost a possible Olympic slot.  In 2014, Jordan’s U-23 squad made to the quarter-finals of the Asian Games.