PARIS: The Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix races were postponed on Friday because of the coronavirus outbreak, the third and fourth races of the Formula One season to be called off.
Bahrain was scheduled for next week — at an empty track — and the inaugural Vietnamese GP in Hanoi on April 5.
Governing body FIA said in a statement that it will consider “the viability of potential alternative dates” later this year for Bahrain and Vietnam “should the situation improve.”
The season could start in the Netherlands, at the Zandvoort track outside Amsterdam, on May 3.
“But given the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Europe in recent days, this will be regularly reviewed,” the FIA said.
The season-opening Australian GP in Melbourne was called off as thousands of fans queued to get in for Friday’s first practice session, while teams and drivers were packing up to leave.
“Formula 1, the FIA and the promoters have taken these decisions in order to ensure the health and safety of the traveling staff, championship participants and fans, which remains our primary concern,” the FIA said in a statement Friday.
Six-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who needs one more title to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of seven titles, said he was unhappy about by the situation but welcomed the decision.
“Sadly, this is the right decision,” Hamilton wrote on Twitter. “No one wants this, we all want to get in our cars and get racing, but we have to be realistic and we have to put health and safety first.”
The Dutch GP returned to this year’s calendar after last hosting a race at Zandvoort in 1985. The 22-race calendar for 2020 featured Vietnam’s eagerly-awaited F1 debut.
“This has been a very difficult decision to reach,” Vietnam’s GP Corporation said in a statement. “Our thoughts go out to all those directly and indirectly affected by the current coronavirus situation, as well as those for whom this announcement will be a disappointment as they looked forward to an exciting inaugural race.”
The Chinese GP in Shanghai scheduled for April 19 was postponed on Feb 12.
There have been more than 128,000 cases and 4,700 deaths globally since the virus outbreak started late last year. Most people quickly recover from the virus after experiencing only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks.
Friday’s late decision to call off the Australian GP hastened after McLaren withdrew because a team member tested positive for the COVID-19 illness.
Even before the cancelation was announced, Hamilton’s Mercedes team sent a letter to the FIA and F1 requesting it be called off and had commenced preparations to leave.
McLaren’s withdrawal was ultimately the catalyst. That person and 14 other McLaren team members have been placed in quarantine in a Melbourne hotel for 14 days.
Members of the US-backed Haas team were in isolation but were cleared after tests.
“The global situation regarding COVID-19 is fluid and very difficult to predict and its right we take time to assess the situation and make the right decisions,” F1 chairman Chase Carey said. “The Bahrain Grand Prix is an exciting race in our schedule, and we look forward to being back there as soon as we can. We are also looking forward to Vietnam’s inaugural race and bringing the spectacle of F1 to one of the most exciting cities in the world.”
Bahrain and Vietnam Formula One Grands Prix off because of coronavirus outbreak
https://arab.news/nvkzf
Bahrain and Vietnam Formula One Grands Prix off because of coronavirus outbreak
- Bahrain was scheduled for next week — at an empty track — and the inaugural Vietnamese GP in Hanoi on April 5
Fire breaks out ahead of Man City’s Champions League match against Brugge
- Security staff had cordoned off the area and kept supporters away
MANCHESTER: A fire broke out at a concession stand outside Manchester City’s stadium ahead of the team’s Champions League match against Brugge on Wednesday.
Videos shared online showed large flames and smoke coming from the stand, located near the players’ entrance at the Etihad Stadium.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the smell of smoke remained in the air for some time afterward as supporters waited to be let inside.
Security staff had cordoned off the area and kept supporters away.
City play Brugge in a must-win game as the new-look league phase of the Champions League reaches its conclusion.
The 2023 champion City are 25th in the standings. They need to win to secure a place in the playoffs for the round of 16.
French police arrest Feyenoord fans at the border ahead of Champions League match in Lille
- 86 fans of the Dutch team have been refused entry to France and that 30 have been arrested
- Police officers seized pyrotechnic devices and various objects
LILLE, France: Dozens of Feyenoord fans banned from traveling to Lille for a Champions League game between the two clubs have been turned away or arrested at the border, French authorities said Wednesday.
The Prefecture du Nord, which represents the French state in the Lille region, said 86 fans of the Dutch team have been refused entry to France and that 30 have been arrested.
Police officers seized pyrotechnic devices and various objects that could be used as weapons during their checks, the prefecture said.
France’s interior ministry said the travel ban was introduced because of a “real and serious risk of confrontation” between fans of the two teams ahead of Wednesday’s match at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
The French authorities said Feyenoord’s travels are often marred by “public order disturbances due to the violent behavior of certain supporters or individuals claiming to be supporters of this team,” and they cited several examples of fan violence.
In May 2022, there were violent clashes in France between Marseille and Feyenoord fans outside the Stade Velodrome stadium before their Europa Conference League semifinal game.
There were also violent clashes in Lille city center when the club played Bulgarian side Levski Sofia in the Europa League in 2010.
Man City and PSG face unexpected early exit from Champions League in dramatic round of 18 games
- Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain each faces a shocking early exit from the Champions League for the first time in more than a decade
- Man City starts against Club Brugge outside the top-24 places that advance to the knockout stage
GENEVA: Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain each faces a shocking early exit from the Champions League for ,the first time in more than a decade when the final round of games Wednesday decide the new 36-team standings.
When the 18 games kick off at the same time, 9 p.m. Central European Time (2000 GMT), to complete the inaugural league-phase format, Man City is outside the top-24 places that advance to the knockout stage and 22nd-place PSG risks dropping out.
Man City must beat Club Brugge at home to rise safely from 25th place. A draw for PSG at 24th-place Stuttgart should be enough for both teams — barring a freakish big win for Dinamo Zagreb over AC Milan to take the tiebreaker on goal difference among teams that end on 11 points.
A PSG loss in Germany risks ending a run of 12 straight years playing in the knockout stage.
The final-day jeopardy also was unexpected for Man City, the Champions League winner two years ago, which let a two-goal lead slip in a 4-2 loss at PSG last week.
The English Premier League champion advanced 11 years in a row from the old group stage since going winless in the 2012-13 edition.
It is the kind of scenario Champions League organizer UEFA hoped for when approving the new format under severe pressure from storied clubs who demanded more lucrative games and more of them against high-end opponents.
Those same influential clubs — including the super-wealthy state-backed pair of Man City and PSG — hardly imagined they would miss out on the knockout phase that brings global brand-building attention and tens of millions of euros in extra prize money from UEFA.
Real Madrid had to play just 13 games to win the Champions League last season, and now faces playing 17 to retain the title.
Madrid is 16th in the standings before going to play unheralded Brest after losing three of its seven games, including on its previous trip to France against Lille.
The record 15-time European champion can still rise to a top-8 finish — earning direct entry to the round of 16 in March — by beating 13th-place Brest, though needs other results to go its way.
Teams that finish from ninth to 24th enter Friday’s draw for the two-leg knockout playoffs played on back-to-back midweeks in February.
That shapes as an unwanted burden in the congested calendar for teams also chasing domestic titles, rather than bonus games to earn more revenue.
Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich is in 15th place, also on 12 points with Madrid, before hosting Slovan Bratislava, which has been overmatched losing seven straight games.
A 15-point tally, with a strong goal difference, could be enough to take eighth place currently held by Bayer Leverkusen, which heads a group of six teams on 13 points. Leverkusen hosts already eliminated Sparta Prague.
Bayern and Madrid can be helped by the tough schedule for teams ahead in the standings: Atalanta in seventh goes to Barcelona, 10th-place Monaco is at Inter Milan, while Lille and Feyenoord — 12th vs 11th — cannot both reach 15 points.
League-leading Liverpool has let most star players skip the trip to 19th-place PSV Eindhoven because it is one of the few teams with certainty.
Seven wins guaranteed Liverpool a top-two seeding in the tennis-like bracket for the knockout rounds. That draw will be made Feb. 21 after the playoffs round, setting up pairings through to the May 31 final in Munich.
Only Liverpool and Barcelona have already sealed their top-8 places, though Arsenal and Inter — both on 16 points — likely will join them. Atletico Madrid and Milan start Wednesday’s games on 15 points.
85 athletes to represent UAE at Asian youth jiu-jitsu tournaments
- Delegation includes 20 athletes competing in the U-14 division, 65 athletes in youth categories
ABU DHABI: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has said that 85 Emirati athletes will take part in the 2025 Asian Jiu-Jitsu Cup (U-14) and the 2025 Asian Jiu-Jitsu Youth Championship.
The events will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from Feb. 13-15.
The Emirati delegation includes 20 athletes competing in the U14 division and 65 athletes in youth categories.
In 2024, Abu Dhabi hosted the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Youth Championship, where the UAE national team excelled with an impressive haul of 41 medals, including 11 gold, eight silver and 22 bronze.
Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the federation, said: “The Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship is one of the most prestigious events we participate in every year, showcasing the UAE’s leadership in the sport across the continent. It also provides a key platform to evaluate the progress of our youth athletes and their readiness to excel on the global stage.
“Youth competitions are central to the federation’s strategy, as they represent the future of jiu-jitsu in the UAE. We remain dedicated to identifying and nurturing young talent through world-class training and coaching programs.”
Pedro Damasceno, UAE national team coach, said: “We have carefully assembled a strong team, blending experienced athletes with fresh talent. The team is following an intensive training program and is fully committed to performing at its best in the upcoming championships.
“The athletes are showing great confidence and dedication, and we look forward to seeing them shine on the continental stage once again.”
Maxey leads 76ers past Lakers, surging Rockets hold off Hawks
LOS ANGELES: Tyrese Maxey scored 43 points to lead the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-104 NBA victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday as the surging Houston Rockets pulled off a tense 100-96 win over Atlanta.
With Joel Embiid missing his 12th straight game and Paul George sidelined with a finger injury, Maxey stepped up and the Sixers won their third straight.
The defeat halted the Lakers’ four-game winning streak, which featured a victory over reigning champions Boston. Worse, star Anthony Davis exited in the first quarter with an abdominal strain.
The Lakers were up 20-17 when Davis — fresh off a 42-point, 23-rebound performance in Charlotte on Monday — departed and they struggled defensively in his absence.
The 76ers outscored them 48-32 in the second quarter and led 73-57 at halftime.
LeBron James scored 31 points with eight rebounds and nine assists but said 22 turnovers were too many to overcome.
“When your best player goes out it’s always challenging,” James said, but added: “We’ve just got to be better.
“We had too many turnovers tonight that resulted in too many buckets for them. You can’t make mistake after mistake after mistake.”
James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, had one steal to move into sixth place on the all-time steals list with 2,311.
In Atlanta, Jalen Green scored 25 points for the Rockets, who fended off a late Hawks surge to post a fourth straight win.
Coming off three big victories — two straight over Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland and a 114-112 victory on Monday over Boston, the Rockets delivered another gritty performance.
Green’s steal and layup pushed Houston’s lead to 96-80 with 5:16 to play. But Atlanta sliced the deficit to 98-96 with less than a minute remaining.
DeAndre Hunter had a chance to put the Hawks in front but missed a three-pointer and Alperen Sengun sealed the victory with a dunk.
Sengun finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jae’Sean Tate added 16 points off the bench for Houston.
Trae Young scored 21 for Atlanta, who dropped their sixth straight.
