LONDON: It has taken two months, but Jurgen Klopp finally ended his silence over the Sergio Ramos challenge that ended Mohamed Salah’s Champions League final.
In one of the most entertaining showdowns in recent years, which saw Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in Kiev, the biggest of several talking points was Ramos’ foul, which resulted in an injured shoulder, tears and an early bath for the Egyptian ace.
Salah went into the clash as the danger man Real had to stop, on the back of a brilliant first season with the Reds that saw him score 44 goals in
all competitions, and 32 goals in the Premier League — a record in a 38-game season.
But after less than 30 minutes the Egyptian talisman went down under a challenge from Ramos and suffered shoulder ligament damage that forced him off the pitch.
Having kept quiet on the issue, Klopp, however, has finally broken his silence and hit out at Ramos for ruining Liverpool’s chances of a sixth European Cup, saying the Spanish defender brought down the forward like a wrestler.
“We are opening that bottle again?” Klopp asked on the Reds’ pre-season tour of the US.
“It is action-reaction-action-reaction and I don’t like that, but — if you watch it back and you are not with Real Madrid — then you think it is ruthless and brutal. I saw the ref taking charge of big games at the World Cup and nobody really thinks about that later. But in a situation like that somebody needs to judge it better,” he said.
“If VAR is coming then it is a situation where you have to look again. Not to give a red card but to look again and say: ‘What is that?’ It was ruthless.”
The match was a controversial one with Ramos’ challenge on Salah not the only talking point from a clash won by Gareth Bale’s brilliant overhead kick. Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, who suffered a concussion during the match, made couple of blunders to concede two goals.
Ramos elbowed the German keeper early in the second half and Karius was seen holding the side of his head after the collision, which came before he made the mistakes that led to the goals.
“I’m not sure it is an experience we will have again — go there and put an elbow to the goalkeeper, put their goalscorer down like a wrestler in midfield and then you win the game. That was the story of the game,” Klopp said.
“Ramos said a lot of things afterwards that I didn’t like. As a person I didn’t like the reactions of him. He was like: ‘Whatever, what do they want? It’s normal.’
“No, it is not normal. If you put all of the situations of Ramos together then you will see a lot of situations with Ramos ... It is like we, the world out there, accepts that you use each weapon to win the game. People probably expect that I am the same. I am not.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hits out at ‘ruthless’ Sergio Ramos over Mohamed Salah challenge
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hits out at ‘ruthless’ Sergio Ramos over Mohamed Salah challenge
Hero Malcom assists and scores as Hilal edge closer to SPL title
- The Brazilian played starring role in the 2-1 Saudi Classico win against Al-Ahli in Jeddah
JEDDAH: Brazilian star Malcolm was the hero for Al-Hilal on Monday night when he managed an assist and a decisive goal in their 2-1 win over Al-Ahli in the latest Saudi Classico in Jeddah.
The match had been postponed from the 28th round of the Saudi Pro League due to Al-Hilal’s AFC Champions League commitments.
Malcolm set up Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic for the equalizer on 52 minutes after Saudi international Firas Al-Buraikan had given Al-Ahli the lead on the half-hour mark at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Malcom then brought Al-Hilal within touching distance of a record-extending 19th league title by scoring the winner in the 89th minute.
Al-Hilal signed Malcom on a four-year contract from Zenit St. Petersburg last summer. And with five matches remaining until the end of his first season, he has scored 22 goals for the club, 14 of which have come in the SPL.
Thailand retain Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship title in Abu Dhabi
- UAE fighters Hazza Farhan, Saeed Alkubaisi and Shamma Al-Kalbani also struck gold Sunday
ABU DHABI: Thailand has successfully defended their crown at the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship in Zayed Sports City with 13 gold medals in several disciplines.
In the adult division on Sunday, the UAE continued their dominance by securing the title for the fourth consecutive year.
On the final day of the adult competition, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team delivered a stellar performance, adding seven more medals to their tally. They won a total of 18 medals, including six gold, seven silver, and five bronze.
Hazza Farhan (over 94 kg), Saeed Alkubaisi (85 kg) and Shamma Al-Kalbani (63 kg) secured gold for the hosts, while Faraj Alawlaqi (85 kg), Bashayer Almatrooshi (63 kg) and Abdullah Alkubaisi (94 kg) claimed silver medals. Ammar Al-Hosani (94 kg) won a bronze medal.
Thailand’s outstanding performance enabled them to retain their title, earning 13 gold, seven silver, and seven bronze medals across various disciplines including Duo-Classic, Show, Jiu-Jitsu, and Jiu-Jitsu Fighting. Kazakhstan secured second place with 46 medals, including 12 gold, 18 silver, and 16 bronze.
Despite competing only in the Jiu-Jitsu discipline, the UAE team earned a commendable third-place finish overall.
The championship, held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, will run until May 8.
The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s Vice Chairman Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri praised the national team.
“The Jiu-Jitsu National Team’s victory in the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship underscores the dedication and sacrifices of our athletes and technical staff across all levels over the past weeks,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. “Their exceptional performance throughout the three days of competition culminated in another title win, reaffirming their continental dominance over the strongest Asian teams.”
Chanchai Suksuwan, president of the Jiu-Jitsu Association of Thailand, expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“Our team has been performing incredibly well. This is all the work we have done over the last few years to promote the sport and athletes in our country, which has brought the desired results. We have high hopes for the youth competitions as well.”
“Jiu-jitsu is getting bigger and bigger every year in Thailand, which has hosted some of the major events such as the previous edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship as well as the Thailand Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix. We are working closely with the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation to bring more events to our country.”
Falah Alansery, coach of the Iraqi national youth jiu-jitsu team, expressed his satisfaction with their participation.
“The Iraqi Jiu-Jitsu Federation is dedicated to promoting the sport within our country, and we have adopted a comprehensive approach to its advancement over the coming years. Our primary focus is on establishing National Teams across different age groups capable of competing on both continental and international stages.”
Hazza Farhan, who scooped gold for the UAE in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Male over-94 kg category, said: “It’s truly an indescribable feeling to witness our relentless hard work culminate in success. I dedicate this medal to the wise leadership of the UAE, our fans, our dedicated technical staff, and our supportive colleagues.”
Shamma Al-Kalbani who bagged gold in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Female 63 kg category, added: “We exerted additional effort during training to prepare ourselves to adapt to the conditions of the competition and smoothly transition between offensive and defensive techniques. These techniques have proved invaluable during the competition. This is a moment I will cherish for a long time.”
Phung Thi Hue of Vietnam, who secured gold in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Fighting Female 45 kg category, said: “Winning gold at the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship is an honor and a significant achievement that will be remembered for years to come. This championship sets global standards for excellence, and I am glad I could be a part of it and win a medal.”
Timberwolves maul Nuggets, Brunson fires Knicks over Pacers
- Remarkably, Minnesota’s dominance was achieved without Rudy Gobert, the Frenchman who is one of the defensive pillars of the Timberwolves lineup
- Knicks talisman Brunson finished with 43 points, six rebounds and six assists to give New York the early advantage in their best-of-seven conference semifinal
NEW YORK: The Minnesota Timberwolves produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory on Monday.
The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off.
The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to Denver who posted just six steals and five blocks.
Remarkably, Minnesota’s dominance was achieved without Rudy Gobert, the Frenchman who is one of the defensive pillars of the Timberwolves lineup.
Gobert skipped the game in order to be with his partner after the birth of the couple’s son earlier Monday.
“When you don’t got the defensive player of the year, you got to step your game up,” Towns said afterwards.
“We all understood the challenge coming in against the defending champions, a really good team, with some of the best players the game’s ever seen.
“We just wanted to come here and find a way to win the game.”
The normally unflappable Nuggets may also be without star point guard Jamal Murray for Game 3.
Murray was caught on camera hurling a heat pack onto the court in the second quarter, raising the possibility of a suspension when the incident is reviewed by NBA disciplinary chiefs.
That incident was emblematic of the Nuggets’ woes in a game that saw Minnesota in control after they surged into a 28-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
A disastrous second quarter for Denver saw them outscored 33-15 by Minneapolis, leaving the Timberwolves leading 61-35 at halftime.
Minnesota’s iron-clad defense never looked like surrendering that advantage in the second half and the visitors raced into a 32-point lead early in the third quarter to leave Denver’s Ball Arena in stunned silence.
Denver coach Michael Malone admitted: “We just got beat up in our building and we got embarrassed in front of our fans.
“The good thing is we’re not playing until Friday, so we have a chance to get away and think about what we want to do moving forward,” added Malone.
“I’m not worried about anything other than trying to win Game 3.”
In Monday’s other playoff game, Jalen Brunson had a scintillating fourth quarter as the New York Knicks edged the Indiana Pacers 121-117 in their Eastern Conference opener.
Knicks talisman Brunson finished with 43 points, six rebounds and six assists to give New York the early advantage in their best-of-seven conference semifinal.
But it was his ice-cool performance down the stretch that swept New York to victory in front of 19,812 fans at an electric Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks guard rattled in 21 points in the fourth quarter to complete his fourth straight playoff game with 40 points or more.
Donte DiVincenzo backed Brunson with 25 points while Josh Hart weighed in with a monster performance that included 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block.
Myles Turner led the Pacers with 23 points while Pascal Siakam added 19.
“That’s what you love about Jalen,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the win.
“I could go on and on about him, but the thing I love about him is he’s all about the team.
“All he cares about is winning. And he cares about his teammates, and in the end, whatever it is we need, he’ll provide.
“But I think the same could be said for all the guys.”
Brunson was the difference in a pulsating contest that saw neither side gain more than a single-digit advantage across four quarters.
The Pacers opened up a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter before the Knicks came roaring back to lead 113-109 after Brunson’s step-back jumper with 2min 42sec remaining.
DiVincenzo also came up with a huge clutch play with 40 seconds remaining, nailing a 28-foot three-pointer to put New York 118-115 ahead.
Indiana got back to within one at 118-117 but a harsh offensive foul called against Turner on DiVincenzo with 13 seconds remaining proved decisive.
Game 2 takes place in New York on Wednesday.
Chasing third Olympic gold: For Kipchoge, the road starts in Kenya’s Rift Valley
- Currently Kipchoge is one of only three marathon runners to have two Olympic titles (2016, 2021), alongside Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski of Germany (1976, 1980)
- Kipchoge has already checked out the hilly route in Paris, a course said to be unfavorable for him
KAPTAGAT, Kenya: Dawn has not yet broken over the highlands of Kenya’s Rift Valley when marathon great Eliud Kipchoge crosses through the gate of his training camp.
It’s barely 6:00 am.
Three months before the Olympic marathon on Aug. 10 in Paris — where he hopes to make history with a third gold medal — he is preparing to start the weekly “long run.”
Wearing a cap and gloves to protect himself from the drizzle and the cool morning air, the 39-year-old sets off at the front of the pack.
Joining him are other residents of the renowned Kaptagat training camp including Kenyan middle-distance star Faith Kipyegon but also local runners who come in the hope of being talent-spotted.
On the program that day: 30 kilometers (18 miles) pounding the local roads.
The athletes have abandoned the red dirt tracks that crisscross the surrounding forest, made muddy by the torrential rains which have been pelting Kenya for more than a month.
“Nature says no. And now it’s speaking very loud,” smiles Kipchoge’s longtime coach Patrick Sang.
Over the kilometers, the pack stretches out and splits apart.
Only the car carrying their coaches, Sang and 2008 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Brimin Kipruto, protects the runners from the trucks and matatus (minibus taxis) which zoom past on the hilly course.
In the lead group, Kipchoge eats up kilometers at a steady pace. He will go on to complete the distance, with six other runners, in one hour 40 minutes.
“Everything is going well. I’m feeling good. But I think the next months will be more interesting,” Kipchoge tells AFP in an interview after the road session.
The former double world record holder is in the last stages of preparation which will lead him toward the goal of a lifetime — becoming the first person to win Olympic marathon gold three times in a row.
Currently he is one of only three marathon runners to have two Olympic titles (2016, 2021), alongside Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski of Germany (1976, 1980).
“The Olympic Games is crucial for me,” Kipchoge says.
For him, Olympic titles are “bigger than the major marathons,” the six races on the circuit where he has won 11 times since 2014 (five in Berlin, four in London, one each in Tokyo and Chicago).
His ambition remains intact despite two recent poor performances, in Boston in 2023 when he came in sixth and in Tokyo in March where he only finished 10th — arousing criticism and doubt about his future.
“I’m old enough to handle any setback. I know sport is not about performing every day,” he counters, saying he believed his low place in Tokyo was down to “fatigue.”
Kipchoge has already checked out the hilly route in Paris, a course said to be unfavorable for him.
“I prepare specifically on the hills and downhills but generally, I want to be fit enough.”
To reach his peak performance, Kipchoge sticks to an abstemious life and trains hard.
“Eliud is very consistent... but the way he is really focusing on Paris, it’s something else,” says Victor Chumo, a member of the team that helped him beat the mythical two-hour barrier in 2019, running 1:59:40 during an unsanctioned race in Vienna.
“He is more aggressive than in previous years. The way he trains, the way he rests, he is reporting to the camp earlier than before... That shows he is going for something special.”
“His mind is already in Paris,” adds Daniel Mateiko, a young Kenyan hopeful in long-distance running who trains alongside him in Kaptagat.
Kipchoge’s preparation is also punctuated by anti-doping controls, which the Kenyan athletics federation has reinforced under pressure from international authorities.
“This year, it has been more frequent,” he says, with a test for performance-enhancing drugs now every week compared to once or twice a month previously.
“There’s a lot of improvement, they have been doing a great job,” he says of the drug testing. “But consistency should be there.”
The countdown is on toward what could well be his last Olympics, but Kipchoge doesn’t want to talk about it: “I’m taking one step at a time.”
But his return to the French capital is rich with symbolism. It was there that in 2003, at the age of 18, he won his first international crown: becoming 5,000m world champion ahead of two legends, Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.
“Paris is where my life started in athletics 20 years ago.”
Wilson survives Jones fightback to win World Snooker final
- A clearly emotional Wilson eventually triumphed 18-14 in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in northern England
- Jones was only the ninth qualifier in 47 years at the Crucible to reach the final
SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom: Kyren Wilson held his nerve on Monday as he overcame an impressive fightback from qualifier Zak Jones to win snooker’s World Championship title for the first time.
A clearly emotional Wilson eventually triumphed 18-14 in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in northern England but only after Jones, who lost the first seven frames of the best of 35 contest, had won three frames in a row from 17-11 down to give himself hope of a remarkable rally.
But in the end the 12th-ranked Englishman regained his composure sufficiently to see off his Welsh opponent.
“Can you imagine how embarrassing it would have been if I’d lost and Bailey is dressed like that?” Wilson, pointing to his son, dressed in classic waistcoat and bow tie snooker attire, told the BBC.
The 32-year-old added: “I’d like to say sorry to Jak for that outburst (shouting ‘come on’ on match ball) but it does just mean so much to all of us.
“My mum and dad have remortgaged and sacrificed their whole lives to get me here. My brother and wife too. The list goes on and on, it’s a massive team effort.”
Wilson paid tribute to the resilient Jones by saying: “He was so tough and I don’t know if there’s many people left in Wales the amount that were cheering for him!
“Me and Jak have come through the junior ranks together. This is Jak’s first final, let alone a World final, and he’s conducted himself in an amazing fashion and I’m sure he’ll be back.”
A gracious Jones said: “I congratulate Kyren and family. They deserve it so much. If anyone deserves it, he does.”
Jones was only the ninth qualifier in 47 years at the Crucible to reach the final and he came within sight of emulating Terry Griffiths, his fellow Welshman, in 1979 and Shaun Murphy in 2005 in winning the title.
“It’s been an unbelievable tournament for me. About a month ago I was twitching in my first qualifying match. It’s been a long month but I’m happy with it.”
During his stirring recovery in Monday’s concluding evening session, Jones even threatened a maximum 147 break after potting the first 12 reds and blacks.
Jones had started Monday’s morning session five frames down at 11-6 behind but twice reduced Wilson’s lead to three frames.
Wilson, however, restored his advantage to lead 15-10 heading into the evening’s play.
Jones, who had defeated seeds Zhang Anda and Judd Trump en route to the final, hit back with his first century of the final to cut Wilson’s lead to 16-11.
The 28th frame saw Jones clear to the colors to force a re-spotted black only for Wilson to move within a frame of victory thanks to a stunning pot off three cushions.
Jones ensured there would be a mid-session interval with a break of 67 as he started to claw his way back after looking like he might become only the third player, after John Parrott in 1989 and Jimmy White in 1993, to lose the world final with a session to spare.
But in the end he had left himself with just too much to do as Wilson regained his composure.
