Farah returns by shattering one-hour record

BRUSSELS: Great Britain’s Mo Farah returned to the track in style on Friday after three years away when he broke the world record for the one-hour run while Safan Hassan smashed the women’s equivalent by more than a lap at the Brussels Diamond League meeting.

Multiple Olympic and world champion Farah, 37, ran 21,330 metres — just over 53 laps — to beat Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie’s mark, set in Ostrava 13 years ago, by 45 metres to claim the first world record outdoors of a remarkable career.

Farah was locked in a duel with Belgium’s Bashir Abdi for most of the race at the King Baudouin Stadium but powered away during the final minute and was so full of running that he did not realise the race had ended and kept on for at least another 20 seconds.

“I’m very happy... we worked together, what an amazing way to do it and show the people what is possible,” said Farah. “I feel tired — in the middle part we had to work hard, it’s nice to break a world record.”

Farah retired from the track in August 2017 to concentrate on road running but hopes to compete in the 10,000 metres at next year’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

The rarely-run one-hour race took place without spectators due to novel coronavirus restrictions although there was simulated crowd noise in the stadium to help the runners.

Competing for the first time since October’s Chicago Marathon, Farah and Abdi were off the pace until the final quarter of the race.

Farah is the 12th man to hold the record in the rarely-run one-hour event.—Agencies

Messi misses Barca training after decision to stay

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi was a no-show at training with Barcelona on Saturday morning despite his decision to stay at the club under sufferance, reporters at the training ground said.

The Argentine superstar announced on Friday he had been forced to remain at Barcelona, claimingafter club president Josep Maria Bartomeu broke his word to let him leave.

It came after 10 days of tension since his bombshell fax telling Barcelona he wanted out.

But while other players including Jordi Alba and Philippe Coutinho arrived for the session, Messi failed to appear at the Joan Gamper training complex for the session which began at 0730 GMT.

Last Sunday Messi deliberately skipped the mandatory coronavirus test for Barcelona players.

According to local media, Messi must first pass the Covid-19 test with a return to the squad possibly on Monday.

He could then figure in new coach Ronald Koeman’s first fixture, a friendly against third division Nastic on Sept 12.—AFP

KHA to hold Defense Day hockey matches today

KARACHI: Three exhibition matches under floodlights will be organized at the KHA Sports Complex on the occasion of Defense Day here on Sunday evening by Karachi Hockey Association to pay homage to the country’s martyrs on Sept 6. In the fist match , Napa. XI will face KHA XI while SJAS Leon will face Karachi Orange and in the third match, KHA Under-15 XI will face Karachi Women’s XI.

Sindh Minister for Labor and Education Saeed Ghani will be the special guest at the award ceremony while Provincial Minister Syeda Shehla Raza, Member National Assembly Iqbal Muhammad Ali, Vice Admiral (Retd) Syed Arifullah Hussaini, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Syed Waqar Mehdi, Olympian Samiullah Khan and Olympian Hanif Khan will be the guests of honour.— Agencies

Pakistan CC storm into semi-finals

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Club, lead by former national team skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, qualified for the semi-finals of the All-Karachi Prof Ejaz Ahmed Faruqi Invitation Cricket Tournament with an eight-wicket rout of Al-Noor Gymkhana at the KCCA Stadium on Friday.

After dismissing Al-Noor Gymkhana for a paltry 79, Pakistan CC raced to 83-2 in just 12 overs to set up a meeting with Alamgir Gymkhana in the first semi-final at the KCCA Stadium on Tuesday.

The other last-four fixture on the same day pits Dawood Sports against Bilal Friends at the TMC Ground.

Summarised scores:

AL-NOOR GYMKHANA 79 in 27.3 overs (Mirza Ahsan Jamil 21; Mohammad Salman 4-41, Danish Aziz 2-2, Mohammad Asghar 2-8, Mir Hamza 2-23); PAKISTAN CC 83-2 in 12 overs (Ammad Alam 48 not out, Usman Khan 33).

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2020