Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports

		26 Sept. - 2 October 2002 Issue No. 605 Sports	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

Mido snubbed
AHMED Hossam's Ajax were victorious in their league match but without the star striker. The Egyptian was suspended by Ajax coach Ronald Koeman for dissent after he was substituted 32 minutes into a league match against Groningen. Hossam, known as Mido, then declared he would move to Juventus in December. Hossam was fined and banned from playing two league matches and in Ajax's opening game in the UEFA Champions League against Lyon of France. The ban comes despite an injury to Ajax's brilliant striker Raphael Van Der Vaart. While stating that the player's actions were irresponsible, club officials added that they could be ready to forgive after Hossam apologised in public.
Picture complete
ELECTIONS at Ahli club on Friday completed the board of directors as Ibrahim El- Moallem and Mahmoud El-Khatib became the club's vice-president and treasurer respectively.
With 3,466 votes El-Moallem beat out Safir Nour who collected 888 votes while former football star Mahmoud El-Khatib took in 3,713 votes, far ahead of Mahmoud Rushdi who garnered 641 votes.
Ahli's board of directors also include: Mona El-Hosini, Taher Abu Zeid, Mahmoud Taher, Hisham Said, Mohamed Abdel- Wahab, Khaled El-Darandali, Mahmoud Fahmi, Yassin Mansour, Ibrahim El-Kafrawi and El-Amri Farouk. Hassan Hamdi took over as the club's president earlier this year following the death of Saleh Selim.
Africa beats Europe
AFRICA'S men clinched an unprecedented fourth consecutive World Cup track and field title in Madrid on Saturday.
Europe had fought a titanic duel with the Africans all through the second day of the men's competition and had looked to have struck a significant blow in the men's 200 metres. Ironically, that victory came from former Nigerian Francis Obikwelu, who became a naturalised Portuguese late last year.
Africa had hoped Frankie Fredericks would deliver the maximum nine points but the four-time Olympic silver medallist was edged out by Obikwelu. But Europe saw their chance of winning the trophy disappear when Israeli pole vaulter Alexandre Averbukh finished second to South Africa's Commonwealth champion Okkert Brits to give Africa a substantial lead.
Europe eventually finished in third spot on 115 points, four behind the United States and 19 behind Africa.
In the women's event, controversial Russian runner Olga Yegorova inspired her country to their first women's crown with only her second win in nine races. Yegorova's outstanding run in the 5,000 metres gave her victory over Spain's European champion Marta Dominguez. The Russian had not looked the same athlete that romped to victory in the world 5,000m final last year amid threats of a boycott by other runners because she had tested positive for EPO in Paris.
The United States' hopes of retaining their title disappeared in the 5,000m when Collette Liss trailed in last. Russia eventually took the women's title with 126 points, with Europe in second on 123 and the Americas third on 110.
The most commanding performance of the night came in the women's 1,500 metres. Turkey's Sureyya Ayhan, running for Europe, led from start to finish to win in four minutes 02.57 seconds. "It was a very important victory," said Ayhan. "It was the second most important competition of the year after the European Championships."
Competing in his last outdoor race, world record holder Colin Jackson came to a complete halt in the high hurdles after knocking over the third barrier. The 35-year-old Briton then jogged slowly through the remainder of the race to take eighth place but was later disqualified for pushing over a hurdle with his hand. Cuba's Olympic champion Anier Garcia won for the Americas in 13.10secs, ahead of former Olympic gold medallist Allen Johnson, who clocked 13.45.
Another for Rossi
ITALIAN Valentino Rossi won the inaugural MotoGP world title by claiming victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday.
The Honda rider clinched his 10th win in 12 races to open up an unassailable lead of 106 points with four races left. It was his 49th victory in just 104 starts at all levels of Grand Prix racing. It was also his fourth world title in seven seasons after last year's 500cc crown and the 125cc and 250cc championships he won in 1997 and 1999.
Rossi began the race needing to score 11 more points than team-mate Tohru Ukawa, second in the championship at the start of the day. And when the Japanese rider skidded out of the race after just two laps, the title race was over.
There was more drama on the 17th lap when Spaniard Carlos Checa overtook Rossi only to skid off the track almost immediately.
Max Biaggi, Rossi's compatriot and arch- rival, finished second in Rio to move up to second in the championship. After he took the checkered flag, Rossi stood his bike up in a wheelie and saluted the roaring crowd.
"The first time being world champion was like a dream. This is more difficult to explain," said the Italian. "We knew it would be difficult to win the championship here today."
Biaggi, who is leaving Yamaha at the end of the season to join Pramac Honda, admitted that his rival deserved the title. "I want to congratulate Rossi. He had a good championship and deserved to win," said the Italian
No championship
POLITICAL turmoil in the Ivory Coast has led to the abrupt end of the eight-nation West African Football Union (WAFU) Championships. Eight countries are trapped in the cross-fire of conflict between mutinous soldiers and the country's elected government. Sam Obi Metzger is the manager of the Leone Stars, Sierra Leone's national team, which lost 1-0 to Senegal in the tournament's opening game in Bouake. His players would have had their second game against Ivory Coast on Friday but have now been confined to their hotel until the situation improves.
Egypt is in the enviable position of being the first African country to host the Sitting World Volleyball Championship for the disabled, writes Abeer Anwar

Send a letter to the Editor Recommend this page

ARCHIVES
Letter from the Editor
Editorial Board
Subscription
Advertise!

WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly
Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time
weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg

Al-Ahram Organisation