Coe warns against boycott of Qatar Worlds
Doha:sebastian Coe said on Sunday that sport should take precedence over politics and urged nations locked in a diplomatic dispute with Qatar not to boycott next year’s world athletics championships in Doha.
The IAAF president was speaking in the Qatari capital as organisers launched ticketing arrangements for next year’s event, the first athletics world championships to be held in the Middle East. “I fully expect a full contingent of federations to be there,” said Coe, a double Olympic gold medallist.
“And it’s very important that international sport consistently and continually makes the point that we have primacy over poli- tics and that is very important.”
Qatar has been isolated for the past 17 months by Saudi Arabia and its allies including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.
They have imposed a near-total embargo on Qatar since June 2017 over allegations the emirate supports radical Islamist groups and seeks closer ties with Riyadh’s arch-rival Tehran.
IAAF REVERTS TO QUALIFYING TIMES
DOHA:THE IAAF will continue to use qualifying standards, not a new world rankings system, for the 2019 Doha world championships, athletics’ global governing body said on Sunday.
Feedback from athletes and members of the athletics community led to the decision to delay implementation of the ranking system, the IAAF said.
“We believe strongly that the world rankings is the best way for athletes to qualify for our major championships in future,” IAAF President Sebastian Coe said in Doha of a system the IAAF had earlier adopted.
“It is important our athletes and federations fully understand what is a complex system,” he added.
LEBRON, LAKERS HOLD OFF HAWKS
LOS ANGELES: Lebron James scored 26 points, including a putback layup with 15 seconds remaining, and Kyle Kuzma added 18 as the Los Angeles Lakers continued their recent run of success with a 107-106 victory Sunday over the Atlanta Hawks.
In just his third game with the Lakers, center Tyson Chandler blocked a shot by rookie Trae Young at the buzzer to seal the victory. The Lakers improved to 7-6 to move over .500 for the first time this season. Lance Stephenson and Kentavious Caldwellpope scored 11 points each as the Lakers won despite being outscored 31-23 in the final quarter. Brandon Ingram added 10 points for the Lakers and Lonzo Ball had 11 assists.
GEBRSELASSIE QUITS AS ATHLETICS CHIEF
ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie on Monday resigned as president of the country’s athletics body two years into his four-year mandate after an unspecified ‘incident’, state media reported.
The retired 45-year-old Gebrselassie cited an incident at a weekend competition for his decision to step down from the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, according to a resignation letter published by state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate. “What happened yesterday was unprofessional and harmful to Ethiopian athletics. Instead of getting myself into an unnecessary argument, I decide to resign from my position,” Haile wrote, without elaborating.