Sports
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Messi plays 45 minutes in Barca friendly victory
Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (center) challenges Nastic´s defense during a friendly football match between FC Barcelona and Nastic at the Johan Cruyff stadium in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona. AFP
MADRID—Lionel Messi started and played 45 minutes in Barcelona’s first pre-season friendly on Saturday as Ronald Koeman showed no hesitation in reintegrating the Argentinian. Barca beat third tier side Gimnastic Tarragona 3-1, with Ousmane Dembele opening the scoring on his first appearance since November. Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho, who was also returning after his loan spell at Bayern Munich, then each scored penalties, either side of Javier Bonilla pulling one back for the visitors. But Messi’s return at the Johan Cruyff Stadium was perhaps the biggest plus for Koeman, who was taking charge of his first game since being appointed coach last month. Messi also led the team out wearing the armband after Barcelona had confirmed earlier on Saturday that he will continue as captain this season. Both club and player appear keen to put on a united front, at least for now, ahead of their return to La Liga later this month. After condemning the board last week and admitting he had been forced to stay, Messi arrived early on Monday for his return to pre-season training
and worked on the squad’s days off in a bid to catch up. Koeman, meanwhile, said last month he only wanted players who wanted to be at Barcelona but he was full of praise for Messi on Friday, calling him “the best”, and backed that up in his first team selection. Messi played 45 minutes as part of Koeman’s plan to field two different lineups in each half. Yet his starting front three of Messi, Griezmann and Dembele looked suspiciously like a first-choice attack, with Dembele making his first appearance since he tore his hamstring nine months ago. Koeman also handed starts to youngsters Carles Alena and Pedri in midfield while Jordi Alba, Clement Lenglet, Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto formed a familiar back four, ahead of Neto, who is standing in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal. New signing Francisco Trincao, Coutinho, Frenkie de Jong and 19-yearold American international Konrad de la Fuente were among those to come on for the second half. There was no place in the squad for either Luis Suarez or Arturo Vidal, who have both been told they can leave. AFP
Esports group appeals to POC T
HE National Electronic Sports Federation of the Philippines has asked the Philippine Olympic Committee to reconsider its decision to accept as member any group claiming legitimacy as the national sports association for esports until after the International Olympic Committee recognizes an international federation for the sport. NESFP President Ramon Suzara sent POC President Rep. Abraham Tolentino a meticulously detailed letter stressing that the IOC has yet to name an IF for esports and that the NESFP—and not the PESO—has a lock as the NSA for the sport for having organized and managed the competition and selected and trained gold medal-winning athletes in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, where esports was played as a medal sport for the first time in the Games. “On behalf of the NESFP, I urgently seek a reconsideration of your decision to accredit the Philippine eSports Orga-
nization as an associate member NSA for electronic sports instead of NESFP,” Suzara said in the letter dated September 2. The POC, in a virtual General Assembly last August 29, accepted the PESO as member –upon the recommendation of Membership Committee head Bones Floro—on the contention that the PESO is affiliated with the International Esports Federation (IESF), which claims IOC recognition. Suzara said the IESF is neither recognized by the IOC nor is it on the list of the Global Association of International Sports Federations.
“This clearly does not comply with the captioned requirement under POC Membership Rules,” he said. The NESFP, on the other hand, enjoys the sanction of the Global Esports Federation and its continental confederation, the Asian Esports Federation. The AESF, Suzara stressed, is also the Olympic Council of Asia’s partner, having received the authority to manage esports as a demonstration sport in the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games. Suzara requested the POC to revisit the hierarchy of recognition when an IOC-affiliated IF is non-existent. “The contention is now between one NSA recognized by an IF candidate [PESO], and one NSA recognized by the AF [Asian federation], by the OCA, and by another IF candidate [NESFP],” Suzara said. Once again, in a scenario where two IFs are in contention, the general succession or hierarchy would place the AF to prevail in deciding upon the NF. In this case, NESFP clearly car-
ries all the credentials.” Suzara also took notice in the letter the absence of any action or correspondence by the POC to numerous letters and attempts by his group to discuss why the NESFP should be a member of the organization. “Despite several attempts and methods to communicate with the POC, the NESFP has been unable to receive any action,” Suzara said. “The initial letters and/or emails were transmitted weeks before the pandemic struck, and therefore, would have merited any form of reply from the POC Membership Committee or the POC Secretariat.” “There is no factual and legal basis for the accreditation of PESO as a POC member. But with the documents the NESFP have presented—and given its experience and outstanding performance in the conduct of the 2019 SEA Games—the NESFP is unquestionably the one eligible for accreditation by the POC,” Suzara said.
Valientes MLV is 1st all-pro team in Zamboanga City THE Zamboanga City MLV Valientes will finally experience playing for a prestigious professional homegrown league in the Philippines. Owned by Rolando “Junnie” Navarro Jr., the Zamboanga City MLV Valientes are so excited to play in the National Basketball League after turning professional last Wednesday, with the recognition given by the Games and Amusements Board, under its chairman Abraham Mitra. “The Valientes will always be there for Zamboangueños, win or lose. We want Zamboangueños to play, we know Zamboangueños are good players, we already proved that in National PRISAA when Zamboanga won two titles, and champions in NBA 3x3 in the country,” said Navarro. Also supporting the team is the accounting firm MLV in Australia, owned by Michael Venezuala, the co-owner of the Valientes MLV. “It has been a dream of every Zam-
boangueño basketball player to play professionally,” said Navarro, who thanks supporters MLV Accounting of Australia, Cory Navarro, Kings Manpower, Big Fundamental Basketball Academy, Ultra Pi Water-Calixto Street, Kamiseta Mindanao and Vice Cosmetics Zamboanga. “The Valientes are the original team of Zamboanga, the only team from Mindanao and the first pro team in Zamboanga. The fans are very excited to see our team finally play in the pro league,” he added. Navarro announced the appointment of new head coach Joseph Romarate, a proud Zamboangueño, while the players are led by former University of the East’s Gino Jumaoas from Boalan, Das “Tausug Hero” Esa from Barangay San Jose, AA Fabian and Jon Rebollos from Sta. Maria. The Valientes also want to thank their Mayor Beng Climaco for the allout support to the team. The winning legacy of the late Lando
The Zamboanga City MLV Valientes with muse Empress Schuck
Navarro, Junnie’s father, is now expected to continue and follow the tradition of an all-Zamboanga team that won in the big leagues, such as the Nike Summer League (where Zamboanga beat UAAP teams UP, UST and NU in 2007), the
National Basketball Conference, the Liga Pilipinas and the PBA D-League, among others. The NBL is the second active professional league in the country after the Philippine Basketball Association.
Execution of Iranian wrestler stuns IOC LAUSANNE—-The International Olympic Committee said it was “shocked” by Saturday’s execution of a young Iranian wrestler over the murder of a public sector worker during anti-government protests in 2018. Navid Afkari was executed at a prison in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, something the IOC said was “very sad news”. “The IOC is shocked by this announcement today,” it added. IOC president Thomas Bach had made “direct personal appeals to the Supreme Leader and to the President of Iran this week and asked for mercy for Navid Af kari, while respecting the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. “It is deeply upsetting that the pleas of athletes from around the world and all the behind-thescenes work of the IOC, together with the NOC of Iran, United World Wrestling and the National Iranian Wrestling Federation, did not achieve our goal. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Navid Af kari.” Af kari, 27, had been found guilty of “voluntary homicide” for stabbing to death Hossein Torkman, a water department worker, on August 2, 2018, according to the Iranian judiciary. Shiraz and several other urban centres across the Islamic republic had been the scene that day of anti-government protests and demonstrations over economic and social hardship. Reports published abroad say Af kari was condemned on the basis of confessions aired on television after being extracted under torture, prompting online campaigns of support for his release. AFP
Brailsford’s Tour de France reign on edge
Team Jumbo rider Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic (right) and his teammates ride during the 14th stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 197 kms between Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon. AFP
LYON—After seven Tour de France victories in eight years, the Ineos reign is being challenged by a powerful Jumbo team that holds the overall lead and most of the aces with seven of 21 stages remaining. The relentless form of Jumbo’s powerhouse leader Primoz Roglic means 2019 champion Egan Bernal must produce something special in the high mountains ahead. Yet given the difficulty of the rest of this 2020 route Ineos and Bernal are far from finished, Roglic said on Saturday. Dave Brailsford, who has masterminded the triumphs of the team formerly known as Sky, told AFP this week he remained confident his plan for an eighth victory on the iconic Champs-Elysees next Sunday is on track.
Brailsford’s approach saw Bernal seize victory on stage 19 last year. “So far so good,” Brailsford said before Bernal faltered on Thursday, slipping further off the pace. “It’s kind of what we expected really, it’s going to be a race of attrition.” Ineos are without the authority of four-time champion Chris Froome or the charismatic 2018 champion Geraint Thomas. Richard Carapaz, the man catapulted into the line-up to shepherd Bernal up the hills, fell heavily on the first stage, while Bernal has been nursing a bad back. “Its very peculiar to see Ineos in this situation. It’s the first time in eight years we have seen them like that,” Michael Rasmussen, the Tour’s King of the Mountains in 2005 and 2006, told AFP
in Lyon on Saturday. “Bernal is highly mature and it’s difficult not to like him. But he’s got his work cut out,” said Rasmussen, now a cycling pundit for Danish media. “For me it’s Jumbo’s to lose.” Roglic took the yellow jersey in the Pyrenees and was also stronger than Bernal on Puy Mary in the Massif Central on Friday. There are four mountain stages left, two with summit finishes. While Sunday’s ride up Grand Colombier and Wednesday’s slog up Meribel look similar, the second climb is slightly longer, a little steeper and finishes at a much higher altitude, which could help Colombian Bernal. “The Alpine stage on Wednesday will suit him, but what can stop Roglic?” asked Rasmussen. AFP
