TIMES SPORTS
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, May 14, 2018
AYG: Over 100 athletes in Abuja for 1st Taekwondo Championships trial Idu Jude, Abuja
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp celebrates a ‘nearly perfect season’
Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool had “a nearly perfect season” as they thrashed Brighton 4-0 to ensure Champions League football for next season. Liverpool finished fourth in the Premier League on 75 points, ending up five points above Chelsea for the final qualification spot, though their most important game is still to come against Real Madrid in this season’s Champions League final on May 26. And Klopp said securing the topfour finish meant Liverpool had accomplished their Premier League goal for the season. “What the boys did this season was unbelievable,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “We missed Adam Lallana for the whole year and I can’t believe we have achieved this without him. “I’m really proud of the boys, a nearly perfect season. We had no chance to challenge Man City so the only thing you can go for is a Champions League spot. It is a big thing.” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said recently that he expects Liverpool to challenge for the title next season, and Klopp said his side had taken “a big step” towards making that a possibility. “Congratulations to Man City, it is incredible to get 100 points, thoroughly deserved,” Klopp said. “We need more consistency to challenge and a little bit more luck with injuries. “But we have got a lot of experience from this season. We have matured and we will do that again. In our good moments it is not easy to play better football. We will add to the squad, we need more players but I’m a big believer in developing the team. These boys made a big step.”
More than 100 athletes from 24 states are expected to converge in FCT Abuja for 1st ever National Junior Taekwondo Championships, which will take place between May 16 and 17, 2018. The championship is targeted at selecting and ranking young athletes, to represent Nigeria in Algeria in the forthcoming African youth games. The players will subsequently serve as replacement to retiring athletes. Disclosing this on Sunday, NTF Technical Director, Engr Chika Chukwumerije, regretted non availability of sponsorship to Taekwondo in Nigeria. The three time Olympian observed that “Since its inauguration forty years ago, the federation has never held youths championship, to encourage the injection of fresh young players in replacing the aging ones thus encouraging inconsistency in producing of elite athletes. The right by floating age-grade tournament like
this and encouraging participation, the federation aims to make medal winning at internationals competitions’’. The three time Olympian further explained why the event would also be used to invite youth athletes to national youth camp. “It is only fair that a transparent, effective and accountable method is used to extend invitations to youth camp. This tournament removes all sentiments and ensures the initial selection is based on merit and current form.” On why the venue was changed from Owerri to FCT Abuja, the Chairman of the Technical Committee, Alhaji Sani Lawal, pointed out that Owerri has failed to host as lots of issues where lined up and to ensure that the purpose of the championship is met Abuja was chosen to replace them. “This is the third time that we gave Owerri the opportunity to host but I think that there is internal bureaucracy that made it difficult for it to be hosted at the
federation’s schedule. If any situation that a state can no longer host one of our scheduled events, the event will be held at the FCT, where the federation has its head office, so that there will be minimal disruption to the federation calendar.” Secretary-General of the Federation, Mr Yusuf Kabir, reiterated the readiness of the federation in going ahead with the championship as all selected athletes are scheduled to represent Nigeria in Algiers later in the year. “All the logistics are already in place to ensure we had a smooth event. Having organized three top competitions in the past five months, we are confident that this event will be as thrilling as its immediate predecessors,” He enthused. The national youth taekwondo championships will be a two-day event featuring the world taekwondo ten male and ten female weight categories. Electronic scoring systems will be used in awarding scores and in determining winners.
MO Salah wins Premier League Golden Boot
Mohamed Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot for the first time, having scored 32 goals for Liverpool this season. The Egyptian moved two goals clear of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane following his first-half strike against Brighton & Hove Albion in the final week of the campaign. Signed for £36.9 million from AS Roma, Salah has made an outstanding and record-breaking impact during a second stint in England. His amazing run has already seen him raise the English topflight bar by becoming the first player to be named Player of the Month on three occasions. With this feat, he becomes the second African after Didier Drogba (2006–07, 2009–10) to claim the prize and the third
Liverpool player after Michael Owen (1997–98, 1998-99) and Luis Suarez ( 2013–14). Having matched Suarez’ best return across an English topflight campaign, he is chasing down the Reds’ record single-season haul of 47 achieved by Ian Rush in 1983-
84. Kane, meanwhile, got his side’s first goal inside seven minutes and the last of the encounter as Tottenham Hotspur recorded a hardfought 5-4 victory over Leicester City to finish in third position.
Antonio Conte: I ‘wasn’t able to convey that determination’ to Chelsea players Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said he “wasn’t able to convey that determination” for success to his players after a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday ensured they would not play in the Champions League next season. Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Brighton ensure Chelsea would have missed out on a top-four finish regardless of their own result, as the Blues ended up five points back in fifth place. “We deserved to lose because our start wasn’t good and we suffered by
losing every ball,” Conte told the BBC. “Newcastle were more determined than us. “We didn’t lose our Champions League place today, we had chances in the last two games, but to finish the season this way is not good for anyone connected to the club. “When you are at the end of the season, this performance can happen, but the first person to answer for this must be the coach. I wasn’t able to convey that determination to my players.”
Regardless of his future as Chelsea boss, Conte still has one game left in charge this season in next weekend’s FA Cup final against Manchester United. “We have six days to prepare for the final of the FA Cup and we have to change,” he said. And Conte, who is widely reported expected to depart for a different job this summer, refused to discuss if that could be his last with Chelsea. He said only: “I have a contract and I am committed to this club.”
Manchester City set new Premier League record with 100 points
Gabriel Jesus’ late winning goal for Manchester City against Southampton on Sunday saw the Premier League champions finish the season with 100 points, a new record. Pep Guardiola’s side had already secured the record for most points in a single season in the English top flights heading into the final game at St Mary’s. But Jesus took them into triple digits, making them the first team to complete the achievement, when he beat Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy after taking on Kevin De Bruyne’s excellent pass. Guardiola’s side end the campaign with a host of records to their name. City have won the league with the biggest ever margin by finishing 19 points ahead of Manchester United, having also collected the most wins in a season and scored the most goals, with Jesus’ effort making it 106 in the league. Meanwhile, De Bruyne’s assist sees him finish top of the assist chart with 16.