Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

Aizawl coach upset over missing players

- Press Trust of India

thought of entering the field without two key players has left Aizawl FC coach, Khalid Jamil, worried ahead of the team’s final and decisive I-league game against Shillong Lajong FC.

A win or a draw against Lajong will be enough for Aizawl FC to claim the I-league, in only their second season, and Khalid didn’t deny it would be tough without Ashutosh Mehta and Alfred Jaryan, both of whom are suspended after receiving four yellow cards.

“It will be very tough without Alfred and Ashutosh. But we can’t just sit and think over their suspension. We have to find out how we’d overcome this. I trust my entire team,” Khalid said. “To accomplish something you have to lose something else and I have lost a lot till now.”

On being reminded of Thang won’t allow Aizawl FC to walk away with the title’, Khalid quipped, “Yeah, that’s football. Why will they allow us to run away with the title? We have to fight for every inch and we will.”

“Nobody spared a word for us at the starting. We have seen the league through thick and thin and finally, we’re down to here.”

The former national team midfielder added, “My players always play from their heart. They never shy away from doing something which they love. Aizawl players love playing football, they don’t alienate themselves

TAYMAZOV APPEALS DOPING PUNISHMENT

Uzbekistan’s triple gold-medal-winning wrestler Artur Taymazov has launched an appeal against his doping dis qualificat­ion by the Interna tional Olympic Committee, the world’s top sports court said on Thursday.

Taymazov (37) won gold in 2004, 2008 and 2012 but the IOC stripped him of his 2008 meda earlier this month after a reanal ysis of his samples tested posi tive for the banned steroids turi nabol and stanozolol.

LEVY TAKES LEAD IN CHINA OPEN

specialist Alexan der Levy blitzed the front nine to post a spotless score of nine-un der-par 63 to hold a slender advantage over Pablo Larraza bal on day one of China Open at Topwin Golf and Country Club

Levy had won the tournament

 ??  ?? Khalid Jamil
Khalid Jamil

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