LONDON: British athletics great Mo Farah wants to be known as ‘Mohammad’ now that he is switching his focus to road racing, he has announced.
“My road name is Mohammad,” he said. “I just feel like Mo is done. I need to forget about what I’ve achieved and what I’ve done (on the track).”
Farah, 34, made the announcement after bringing the curtain down on his glittering track career by winning 10,000 meters gold and 5,000 meters silver at the World Championships in London.
Somalia-born Farah has won four Olympic titles and six world titles, but he bowed out under something of a cloud due to doping allegations against his American coach Alberto Salazar.
He hit out at the media during an emotional press conference on Sunday, accusing them of trying to “destroy” his achievements.
“You can write what you like,” Farah said. “The fact is I’ve achieved what I have from hard work and dedication, putting my balls on the line, year after year, and delivering for my country.
“It’s like a broken record, repeating myself. If I’ve crossed the line, if Alberto’s crossed the line, why bring it up year after year, making it into headlines?
“I’ve achieved what I have achieved. You’re trying to destroy it.”
Mo Farah rebrands himself as ‘Mohammad’ for road racing career
Mo Farah rebrands himself as ‘Mohammad’ for road racing career
Dubai Basketball edge Milan to secure EuroLeague victory
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball strengthened their home-court reputation with a 99-92 win over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 18 of the EuroLeague at Coca-Cola Arena on Tuesday, cheered on by more than 5,000 fans.
The hosts made a fast start and immediately imposed themselves at both ends of the floor. Canadian center Mfiondu Kabengele and Serbian big man Filip Petrusev controlled the paint early, creating close-range scoring opportunities and forcing Milan into defensive adjustments. With McKinley Wright IV and Dwayne Bacon adding pace and penetration, Dubai surged into a double-digit lead and dictated the tempo of the opening quarter.
Milan struggled to settle and spent much of the first period on the back foot, as Dubai’s advantage stretched to 15 points. Although the visitors steadied themselves as the quarter progressed, the early deficit proved costly.
Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac praised the impact of the home crowd after the game, saying: “Congratulations to the fans. We were missing them for sure in the last home game, and they helped us a lot. In the first quarter, we played one of our best quarters this season. The next game is at home in three days, so there is no time to rest too much. We need to prepare for that game first. We are not thinking three games ahead — we prepare for every game and try to win every game.”
Milan showed improved rhythm in the second quarter, but Dubai responded before the break. Bacon punished defensive lapses from beyond the arc, while Kabengele finished strongly inside to help the hosts take a seven-point lead into halftime.
The final period was defined by composure rather than flair. Milan threatened to draw level on several occasions, but missed free throws and execution errors halted their momentum. Bacon sealed the outcome from the free-throw line in the final two minutes, pushing Dubai back into a double-digit advantage and closing out the contest.
Bacon led all scorers with 25 points, while Wright recorded 19 points and nine assists. Kabengele added 17 points, and Petrusev contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. For Milan, Guduric topped the scoring with 11 points, alongside seven rebounds and seven assists.
Dubai Basketball now turn their attention to the ABA League, where they remain unbeaten. The team return to Coca-Cola Arena to face Slovenia’s KRKA in Round 12 of the competition.
