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THE DAILY HERALD, Thursday, March 16, 2017 Sports 41

BAKU-- The promoter of The fans loved the racing event can be commenting on was threatened, Rahimov
the Azerbaijan Grand Prix action, they loved what they our race in a bad manner,” said Baku had a 10-year con-
hit back on Wednesday at saw as entertainment,” he added Rahimov. tract which was binding for
“ignorant” criticism of his said. The promoter said there five.
race by Formula One’s new “It was a success for the had been minimal contact “The only way by which
owners Liberty Media. drivers because it was a chal- with Liberty to date, other this contract can be ended is
Arif Rahimov was reacting lenging track which was very than him sitting at the same upon mutual agreement. We
to comments made by Lib- unforgiving and which was table as Maffei at the govern- contribute to a large chunk
erty CEO Greg Maffei, who very interesting for the driv- ing FIA’s end-of-season gala. of F1 revenues and I believe
said last week that Baku paid ers as well. It was a great “From a business perspec- it would be a loss for them if
a big fee but did “nothing to race, it was a great show. tive we’ve never had a con- they were to make the deci-
build the long-term brand “I find it hard to under- versation or dialogue,” he sion to stop the race in Azer-
and health of the business”. stand how someone who has said. baijan,” he said.
“It does upset us, obviously. not attended the race or the Asked if the race’s future
Mr Maffei has been involved
in F1 for less than half a
year,” Rahimov told Reuters.
“We’ve been working on this
project for three years now
so we have more experience
with F1 than them. I think
saying something like this is NEW YORK-- The U.S. ing years when the Winter housing allowance, travel
ignorant, but we’ll see.” women’s national ice hockey Games are held and are allowances, meal expenses,
Last week Maffei told a Me- team will boycott the 2017 seeking a deal that would medical and disability insur-
dia and Telecom conference, world championships unless compensate them during ance and the infrastructure
Maria Sharapova, who is unranked and serving a 15-month hosted by Deutsche Bank Se- their demands for higher non-Olympic years. that includes elite-level sup-
ban, has accepted invitations to tournaments in Stuttgart, curities in Florida, that For- wages are met by USA Hock- USA Hockey said in a state- port staff to train and pre-
Madrid and Rome in the next two months. mula One had ended up “in ey, lawyers for the players ment it is their responsibil- pare the players.
places like Baku” because said on Wednesday. ity to provide support for The national team imme-
the previous business model The defending world cham- athletes as they prepare for diately issued a statement
favoured venues that paid pions, citing a lack of prog- competitions but that they disputing USA Hockey’s fig-
handsomely. ress in year-long negotia- are not in the job of employ- ures.
“Our job is to find partners tions, indicated they will not ing players. “It suggests that USA Hock-
who pay us well but also help report for training camp on “In our role as the na- ey is prepared to pay the
us to build the product and it March 21 unless adequate tional governing body, USA players $85,000 during the
NEW YORK- - Former top 10 players in the world is incumbent upon us to bring progress is made. Hockey trains and selects Olympic year,” said the play-
American great Chris Evert when she tested positive for best practice,” he added. The world championships teams for international com- ers. “That is simply not true
has no issue with tour- the banned substance mel- Liberty Media took over begin March 31 in Michigan. petition,” said USA Hockey and no such offer was ever
naments handing Maria donium at last year’s Aus- in January, ousting former “We are asking for a living President Jim Smith. “USA extended.
Sharapova wildcard entries tralian Open. commercial supremo Bernie wage and for USA Hockey Hockey’s role is not to em- “In its public statement,
as the Russian former world The 29-year-old Russian’s Ecclestone who did the deal to fully support its pro- ploy athletes and we will not USA Hockey has coupled
number one makes her way two-year ban by the Inter- with Azerbaijan. grams for women and girls do so.” their contributions with pay-
back from a doping ban, she national Tennis Federation Rahimov, whose race made and stop treating us like an USA Hockey said the sup- ments made by the U.S.
said on Wednesday. was later reduced to 15 its debut on the calendar last afterthought,” U.S. captain port they will provide ahead Olympic Committee, which
Evert, an 18-times grand months by the Court of Ar- season, said he was surprised Meghan Duggan said in a of the 2018 Winter Olympics pays gold medal-winning ath-
slam champion who re- bitration for Sport. by Maffei’s comments. statement. “We have repre- includes a six-month training letes more than $60,000.
tired in 1989, was the latest Sharapova said this year “We truly believe the race sented our country with dig- camp, stipends and incen- “Further, it covers only the
to weigh into a debate in that she would return to was a success. It was some- nity and deserve to be treat- tives for medals that could Olympic period and does not
which many leading players competition at the Stuttgart thing that was commented ed with fairness and respect.” result in each player receiv- offer anything for each of
have criticised tournament Grand Prix, the main draw on from all the various stake- Players are under contract ing nearly $85,000. the other three years during
holders across the board. to USA Hockey only dur- That sum, according to USA which a world championship
organisers for not making for which starts on April 24,
Sharapova earn her way the penultimate day of the MCILROY Continued from page 44. Hockey, is in addition to a is played.”
back. five-times grand slam cham-
Wildcards are currently the pion’s ban. anytime soon. day.
only way Sharapova, who Men’s world number one “We’ll go back there for The R&A, the body that
is unranked and serving a Andy Murray said he wished The Open Championship organizes The Open, then
15-month ban, can play in players would not get any at some point, and I won’t declared Muirfield back
the big events and she has favours on returning from be having many cups of tea on its list of eligible cours- CALIFORNIA-- Austra- “The run was amazing. I am
accepted invitations to tour- bans regardless of their pop- with the members after- es, having said last year it lian Nick Kyrgios stunned very proud of it, obviously,”
naments in Stuttgart, Ma- ularity while Dane Caroline wards,” McIlroy, 27, said as would not stage the tour- Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-6(3) Djokovic told reporters. “It
drid and Rome in the next Wozniacki called the deci- he prepared for Thursday’s nament at a venue that did on Wednesday to secure had to end at some stage.
two months. sion to allow Sharapova to opening round of the Ar- not admit female members. his second victory over the Unfortunately, it was today.
“You can’t blame the tour- play “disrespectful”. nold Palmer Invitational in “I still think that it got to world number two in less “Nick, again, as he did in
naments really for wanting At the moment, Sharapova Orlando. the stage, this stage, is hor- than two weeks and ad- Acapulco earlier, he served
to be successful and want- would need a wildcard from Muirfield had a male-only rendous,” said McIlroy, a vance to the quarter-finals so well. Just wasn’t man-
ing to enhance their tourna- the French Tennis Federa- membership policy since four-times major winner of the BNP Paribas Open in aging to get a lot of balls
ment by having a big draw tion to play in the French the Honourable Compa- who won the 2014 British Indian Wells. back on his serve, first and
like Maria Sharapova,” Open. Her performances in ny of Edinburgh Golfers, Open at Royal Liverpool. Kyrgios, who beat Djokovic second, as well. So I guess
Evert said on a conference Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome which controls the course, “And yeah, I mean, we’ll in the quarter-finals in Aca- that’s what made a differ-
call from Indian Wells, could avoid forcing the All was founded in 1744. Wom- go back and we’ll play the pulco 13 days ago in their ence.”
where she is a television England Club into making en are allowed to play there, Open Championship, be- first career meeting, once Kyrgios broke Djokovic
commentator for ESPN at the same decision regarding but an initial ballot to allow cause they will let women again served exceptionally in the opening game of the
the BNP Paribas Open. this year’s Wimbledon. women members failed in members in, but every time as he fired down 14 aces, match en route to grabbing
“She is doing everything “It’s completely within the May last year when only 64 I go to Muirfield now I won 86 percent of his first the first set and in the tie-
within the rules and she rules and fair for the tour- percent voted in favor. won’t have a great taste in serves and did not face a breaker raced out to a 3-0
(will have) fulfilled her obli- nament to reward whoever But centuries of discrimi- my mouth.” break point the entire way. lead that was ultimately too
gation of 15 months so I am they want,” former top-10 nation ended when the nec- Muirfield has hosted the The Australian will face much for Djokovic, who
not critical of that decision player Brad Gilbert said. essary two-thirds majority Open 16 times, most re- Roger Federer in the quar- needed three sets to get by
that the tournament made “It will be interesting to see had been reached, with 80.2 cently in 2013 when it was ter-finals after the Swiss Juan Martin Del Potro on
whatsoever.” what the slams do.” percent of members voting won by American Phil beat Rafa Nadal in straight Tuesday.
Sharapova was among the in favor of change on Tues- Mickelson. sets.