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A22 SPORTS
Friday 14 december 2018

Belgium into first Hockey World

Cup semis; Dutch reach again

BHUBANESWAR, India (AP)
— Belgium came from be-
hind to beat Germany 2-1
and reach the field hockey
World Cup semifinals for
the first time on Thursday.
Also, the Netherlands beat
tournament host India 2-1
to face defending two- Romania’s Simona Halep clenches her fist after defeating
time champion Australia. Spain’s Garbine Muguruza during their semifinal match at the
Belgium will play England in French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 7, 2018. Halep
the other semifinal on Sat- won 6-1, 6-4.
urday. Associated Press
Dieter Linnekogel scored at Netherlands players, in orange, celebrate scoring a goal during
the end of the first quarter the Men’s Hockey World Cup quarterfinal match between India Top-ranked Djokovic,
for Germany but Alexander and Netherlands at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India,
Hendrickx leveled for Bel- Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Halep honored by ITF
gium in the second from a Associated Press
penalty corner. to Akashdeep Singh’s pen- The European champion
Tom Boon, one of seven alty corner, and the Neth- Netherlands and top- as World Champions
Rio de Janeiro Olympic sil- erlands was quick to level, ranked Australia face each
ver medallists in the lineup, through Thierry Brinkman’s other on Saturday, four
scored the winner 10 min- field goal. years after meeting in the LONDON (AP) — Novak Halep, who won the French
utes from time. Like Belgium again, the final at The Hague, where Djokovic and Simona Ha- Open in June, earned the
The Netherlands-India Dutch winner came 10 the Kookaburras humbled lep were named the 2018 honor for the first time de-
quarterfinal played out the minutes from the end, to the Dutch 6-1. World Champions by the spite being unable to com-
same way. specialist Mink van der Both are three-time world International Tennis Fed- pete at the WTA Finals be-
India scored early thanks Weerden off a corner. champions.q eration on Thursday after cause of a back injury.
each won Grand Slam “To be recognized in this
titles and finished the year way is really special and
World swim body fights back atop the world rankings. provides extra motivation

Djokovic, recognized by to keep working for next
launching new elite series the ITF for the sixth time, season,” Halep says.
won the Wimbledon and Mike Bryan and Jack Sock
U.S. Open titles a year after were named the winners
undergoing surgery on his in men’s doubles, and Bar-
right elbow. bora Krejcikova and Kateri-
“I am particularly proud na Siniakova claimed the
of this achievement after women’s doubles honor.
all that I’ve been through The champions are deter-
physically this year, but mined by the ITF accord-
part of me always believed ing to a system that weighs
I could make it back to the each player’s results during
top,” Djokovic says. the calendar year.q

statement. to operate outside FINA’s
FINA announced the plan control, involve athletes in
days after three top swim- decision making, and pay
mers filed an antitrust suit in higher prize money.
a Californian court against “ISL takes swimmers seri-
the Switzerland-based ously, not like FINA,” Hosszu
swim body’s alleged anti- said last Friday.
competitive practices. In a FINA statement on
It was filed on behalf of Thursday, another Olympic
Gold medalist and world record holder Russia’s Kirill Prigoda poses during ceremonies at the Hungarian great Katinka gold medalist who chairs
men’s 200m breaststroke during the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships in Hangzhou in Hosszu and two Americans, its athletes commission
eastern China’s Zhejiang Province on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. Olympic gold medalist Tom praised the new competi-
Associated Press Shields and world cham- tion. “We will present swim-
LAUSANNE, Switzerland vite Olympic and world championships currently pion Michael Andrew after ming under a new perspec-
(AP) — Under pressure from champs, world record- being staged in China. FINA threatened to ban tive,” said Penny Heyns, a
a privately run rival com- holders, and top-ranked “By creating this additional swimmers who compete double Olympic champion
petition and a class action swimmers in four-lane rac- elite competition, FINA will in events linked to the pro- for South Africa at the 1996
suit by Olympic and world es, FINA said on Thursday. generate a true swimming posed International Swim- Atlanta Games. “Finally,
champion swimmers, FINA The “FINA Champions Swim show, where sport presen- ming League. with this unprecedented
has pledged to start a new Series” will pay $3.9 million tation and stars’ promotion The privately owned level of prize money, our
elite race series. in total prize money — al- are key concepts for a suc- league, backed by Mos- swimming stars will defini-
The three meetings next most double the prize fund cessful meet,” its president, cow-based businessman tively be attracted by this
March to May will in- for the 25-meter pool world Julio Maglione, said in a Konstantin Grigorishin, aims circuit.”q