Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is taking a back seat after more than 40 years at the forefront of the club.

The 67-year-old Hoeness said Friday he was stepping down, ending a tenure that began when he first took over as general manager in May 1979 -- when he was only 27.

"I'm still relaxed, but when I walk into the likely full Olympiahalle, it will certainly be emotional," Hoeness told local broadcaster Bayern3 ahead of his final appearance as president at the club's annual general meeting in Munich on Friday.

Up to 9,000 club members were expected to attend.

Hoeness said tears may be shed, but "that's not a problem."

Hoeness is leaving with Bayern in better financial health than ever before. The Bavarian club announced Friday that turnover for the financial year covering the 2018-19 season rose from a record €657.4 million ($726.5 million) the year before to €750.4 million ($829.5 million), and that profits after tax were up from €29.5 million ($32.6 million) to a record €52.5 million ($58 million).

Bayern was nothing like the club it is now when Hoeness took over as general manager after his playing career was ended by chronic knee problems. Hoeness, a former forward, scored 86 goals in 239 Bundesliga appearances for the club from 1970 to 1979.

Hoeness inherited a club with 12 employees, 12 million Deutschmarks (about $7 million) in revenue and 8 million Deutschmarks ($4.6 million) in debt. He helped turn Bayern into one of the world's biggest clubs with financial reserves rarely seen in debt-ridden European football.

Bayern enjoyed unrivaled success on the field, too, where they established hegemony over German football and claimed the last seven Bundesliga titles. They have won 21 since Hoeness took over, as well as 12 German Cups and two Champions League titles.

Hoeness' good friend Jupp Heynckes led Bayern to their only league, cup and Champions League Treble in 2013.

"I don't think you can imagine what German football will be like without him," former Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said of Hoeness.

The only blot on Hoeness' otherwise stellar career is the conviction he received in March 2014 for evading €28.5 million ($31.5 million) in taxes through a Swiss bank account. Hoeness, who quit as Bayern president and chairman after being sentenced, resumed his duties in November 2016 after serving half of the 42-month prison term. He remained close to the club while in custody, benefiting from a work-release program to help in their youth department before returning to prison overnight.

Hoeness emerged unscathed and with his popularity possibly boosted after the conviction -- he was greeted with standing ovations upon his return -- but he faced unprecedented criticism, boos and whistles from club members at Bayern's AGM last year.

Rivals were long used to Hoeness' blunt manner and abrasive style, but some of Bayern's fans also grew exasperated by his squabbling against the media and his personal tirades against former players and coaches. Bayern's sponsorship deals with Qatar are also unpopular among many of the club's fans.

Clearly surprised and hurt by the criticism, Hoeness announced he would consider walking away from the club, and he confirmed this year that he would not seek another four-year term as president. He will stay on as a member of Bayern's supervisory board for the duration of his term until November 2023.

Former Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer is set to take over as president. But Hoeness won't be far way.

"I'll maintain a close relationship with Bayern," Hoeness said, "and even invite players for dinner so I can give my opinion behind closed doors if it's wanted."

Lionel Messi returned from international suspension to score the winner in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Brazil in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

The Barcelona striker, who missed four games after calling the South American Football Confederation "corrupt," scored after 14 minutes to give Argentina a deserved victory in the so-called Superclasico.

The result extended Brazil's winless run to five games since they lifted the Copa America in July, their worst such run since 2013.

Brazil beat Argentina 2-0 the last time these teams met in the Copa America semi-finals and they should have taken a ninth minute lead but Gabriel Jesus fired a penalty kick wide after he had been brought down in the box.

Argentina were also awarded a penalty five minutes later and although Brazilian keeper Alisson saved Messi's initial effort, the Barcelona striker followed up to put Argentina 1-0 ahead.

Messi missed two chances to double Argentina's lead before halftime, with defender Eder Militao and Alisson blocking the opportunities.

Brazil, who were without Paris St Germain striker Neymar, had two-thirds of the possession but rarely threatened the Argentine goal in a game that featured 41 fouls and six yellow cards.

Argentina, meanwhile, looked more sprightly, even without Sergio Aguero and Paulo Dybala, both of whom were unused substitutes.

Argentina have now won three of the five games they have played since their semi-final exit at the Copa America.

The T10 League's third edition - first under its newly minted Abu Dhabi T10 moniker and debut in the UAE capital - was given a perfect day one endorsement by one of its highest profile players on Friday, after being hailed as "so sexy" by West Indies allrounder Andre Russell.

Russell had hit 58 from just 24 balls to hand reigning champions Northern Warriors a nine-wicket victory over sole survivors from the inaugural tournament in 2017, Maratha Arabians.

It was an exemplary batting performance from the 31-year-old - possibly short-form cricket's premier player in the world right now - and Russell clearly enjoyed the freedom that ten-over cricket encourages.

"I would describe this cricket as so sexy," Russell said. "Honestly, it's just quick, spicy and I have no form of nerve going out to bat or bowling because I expect a guy to hit me for four or six and it's just a challenge for me as a bowler. Batting-wise I just know I have to get the job done... it's so much fun."

Prior to the first fixture of 2019, Abu Dhabi T10 opened its curtains in customary fashion; fresh out the other side of a trying build-up, warily peered at from outsiders, talked of excitedly from within and a sense of intrigue shared by all.

Two years in, the tournament's preamble wouldn't be the same without having to navigate hurdles.

The first year had a circus-like feel to it, the celebrities in attendance often taking centre stage over the star-studded cast of players. It's second season put on a far more professional production but had to overcome court orders, alleged Ponzi schemes and a bitter fallout between owner-cum-chariman Shaji ul Mulk and then president Salman Iqbal.

And this year's lead-up has been no different in proving a trying experience for most involved.

Most tricky has been the PCB's withdrawal of previously awarded No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for its players at the behest of prime minister Imran Khan. It left a number of high-profile players out of pocket and squads with gaping holes.

No franchise was hit harder than Qalandars - a branch of Pakistan Super League (PSL) outfit Lahore Qalandars - who have hastily replaced 12 of their roster, including icon player Shahid Afridi and Pakistan internationals such as Imad Wasim and Mohammad Hafeez.

For the second year running, it forced a rapid reprint at the branding suppliers and, considering the marketing pull of Pakistani cricketers in the UAE, the ramifications of the PCB's decision were wide ranging.

It prompted local governing body, the Emirates Cricket Board, into writing to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, stating the absence of Pakistan players "will cause serious damage" to the league.

But T10 - put forward at its two previous events by both Afridi and England captain Eoin Morgan as being cricket's best bet for breaking into the Olympic Games - knows better than most that the show must go on and their ever expanding team are now experts in crisis management.

For all the nuisance of this year's biggest organisational challenge, however, there is a feel of real permanency.

The 3.0 reinvention has seen the triad of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Abu Dhabi Cricket and Abu Dhabi Tourism team with T10 for an initial five-years at Zayed Cricket Stadium, a venue growing at a rapid rate.

That is no mean feat in this part of the world and, although initially planned to tie in with Diwali celebrations as a means of tapping into the Indian travel market before a clash with the recently concluded T20 World Cup Qualifiers, the infrastructure of the event is immediately slicker.

Again, this is nothing to be scoffed at considering, for all its charm, history and wonderful atmosphere, how chaotic previous host Sharjah can be.

Abu Dhabi will still have to tackle low attendance outside of Friday matches as well as enticing fans from other emirates to the capital, but day one brought with it a real sense of order to what is still, for now, the sport's youngest variant.

An encouraging swell of support in the stands lasted the bulk of the day's remaining two games and those that stayed the distance were rewarded for their endurance.

The second game saw icon captains Shane Watson (57*) and Morgan (52*) exchange half-centuries as the latter led his Delhi Bulls side to a seven-wicket victory over Deccan Gladiators before Team Abu Dhabi and Qalandars played out the first tie in T10 history, providing a dramatic opening to this year's tournament.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Bill Russell says he's finally ready to be a Hall of Famer.

The 11-time NBA champion, five-time MVP, Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA champ said on Twitter on Friday that he was presented with his Hall of Fame ring in a private ceremony that came four decades after he was first selected for the shrine at Springfield, Massachusetts.

Russell didn't attend his induction ceremony in 1975. He says he didn't deserve to be the first black player inducted. He tweeted that "I felt others before me should have that honor."

In a private ceremony w/my wife & close friends A.Mourning @AnnMeyers @billwalton & others I accepted my #HOF ring. In '75 I refused being the 1st black player to go into the @Hoophall I felt others before me should have that honor. Good to see progress; ChuckCooperHOF19 @NBA pic.twitter.com/2FI5U7ThTg

— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) November 15, 2019

His tweet mentions Chuck Cooper, who in 1950 was the first African American player drafted by the NBA and who was inducted this year.

Russell says the ceremony was attended by his wife, along with close friends and Hall of Famers Bill Walton, Ann Meyers and Alonzo Mourning.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis said he expects to play Friday against the Sacramento Kings after sitting out a game to rest his injured shoulder and ribs.

"Went through shootaround today," Davis said Friday morning. "Felt good."

The eight-year veteran did caution that he would make the final determination after going through his pregame shooting routine, but all signs point to the Lakers getting Davis back in the lineup.

Davis is averaging 26.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.9 blocks this season.

L.A. routed the Golden State Warriors 120-94 with Davis on the sidelines. As pleased as he was to see his team perform well without him, it didn't motivate him to find more time to rest.

"What, like, load management? No," Davis said. "Obviously, it's great [to win]. If something comes up where somebody has to sit out, then fine, but I don't think anyone on this team is probably going to sit out."

Davis said that the injury to his ribs is causing him more discomfort than his shoulder at this point.

"Not really much you can do but just let it heal," he said.

Wednesday's game was the first time Davis sat out this season. He has repeatedly referenced his injury history in his first seven seasons in New Orleans as something he wants to put behind him.

"I want to play," Davis said. "But obviously saying that, the training staff will probably be more reluctant to [let me play]. If it's still bothering me a little bit, [they'll] have me sit out. Or if it's feeling good, I'm going to play. ... Just to know that the way the team played when I sat out, I don't have to be in a rush to get back."

Davis admitted he has thought about opponents targeting him when he plays hurt.

"I thought about it every game," Davis said. "I know especially back in the old days, they'd attack a player's injury. ... I haven't felt other teams try to attack my shoulder or anything."

Davis hopes to lead the Lakers back to the postseason for the first time in six years this spring and is balancing the short-term returns of pushing himself now versus the potential long-term consequences.

"It's super tough," Davis said. "It's a long season. It's early in the season. You don't want to continue to play through something and then it gets worse. So it's always sitting in the back of your head. But at the same time, you want to play. So you got to listen to your body, be honest with the training staff and try to do what you can. Kind of do what's best for the betterment of the team."

David Fizdale is about to go viral.

Sitting at the microphone after the Memphis Grizzlies' 96-82 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the opening round of the 2017 playoffs, the Grizzlies' then-coach begins in a calm tone.

"It's unfortunate that I got a guy like Mike Conley, who in his whole career has zero technical fouls and just cannot seem to get the proper respect from the officials that he deserves," Fizdale says. "It was a very poorly officiated basketball game."

Suddenly, Fizdale picks up the verbal pace, firing off statistics be believes support his beef with the referees.

Zero free throws for Zach Randolph, whom Fizdale refers to as "the most rugged guy in the game." Nineteen free throws for Kawhi Leonard. The Grizzlies took 19 shots in the paint in the first half and got only six free throws, compared with the Spurs' 11 shots in the paint and 23 free throws.

"We had 15 free throws for the game!" Fizdale shouts. "Kawhi shot more free throws than our whole team. Explain it to me."

Then, Fizdale pivots again, going back to a bone he had already picked.

Fizdale, seconds before smacking the lectern and exiting with the immortal "Take that for data," reinforces what has been a sore point in Memphis over many years and several coaching staffs.

"We don't get the respect that these guys deserve because Mike Conley doesn't go crazy, he has class and he just plays the game."

When Conley returns to Memphis' FedExForum on Friday for the first time as a visitor, his class will be celebrated as much as his production as the point guard of the Grizzlies' Grit 'n' Grind era. That era ended when Conley was traded to the Utah Jazz over the summer.

Conley was the even-keeled conductor of the Grizzlies' "Core Four," complementing the snarling intensity of Zach Randolph and Tony Allen and the emotions-on-his-sleeve style of Marc Gasol.

Conley, who was heavily invested in the Memphis community and won the NBA's annual sportsmanship award three times and Teammate of the Year once, has built a perfect on-court citizenship record: zero technical fouls on his NBA record.

Just like in college. And in high school. And in AAU. And in every other level he has played.

"I'm very [proud of] it," Conley says.

But is the nicest guy in the NBA actually too nice for his own good?

THE WHISTLE BLOWS yet again, and Conley can't believe it.

It's Nov. 23, 2018, and the surprising 12-5 Grizzlies are in Los Angeles facing the Clippers at Staples Center. Memphis leads by eight with 2 minutes, 51 seconds remaining when Avery Bradley flops in front of referee Mitchell Ervin and the Clippers' bench.

The call? An offensive foul on Conley, who had nudged Bradley with his left arm more than 20 feet from the basket.

It's his fourth foul of the fourth quarter -- the third on the offensive end -- and his sixth of the game.

After the whistle, Conley hops in the air and turns to Ervin, mouth agape and palms in the air. He quickly turns away instead of arguing, his head shaking side to side as he briskly walks to the Grizzlies' bench.

Conley then watches helplessly as Memphis blows its lead and loses in overtime.

The Grizzlies, as they frequently did over the years, sent clips to the league office documenting instances when they believed Conley didn't get a fair whistle.

Most of the time, those clips are of calls that Conley didn't get on drives to the basket. But then-Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff eventually gets sick and tired of the private pleas to the league office having no effect and decides to go public after a Dec. 29 home loss to the Boston Celtics.

Bickerstaff, appalled at a no-call when he thought Al Horford had hacked Conley on a late drive -- leading to a turnover and Celtics layup in transition instead of potential go-ahead free throws -- unloads.

"Mike Conley is one of the class acts in the NBA," Bickerstaff says during his postgame news conference. "Time and time again, he drives to the basket, there's contact made, but there's no whistle.

"He doesn't complain. He doesn't get technical fouls, but for whatever reason, he doesn't get the respect that I feel like some of these other guys at his level do."

Bickerstaff, who, like Fizdale, would later be fined for his comments, refers to the issue as "a running theme."

The Grizzlies' concern: Conley didn't get calls because referees knew he wouldn't be confrontational. Today, Conley is also convinced that's the case.

"I think it's just human nature, in a sense. The refs are trying to do the right thing. They're trying to make the right calls, but if you put a lot of pressure on them as far as being in their face, it's embarrassing. They don't want to get yelled at a fourth, fifth time.

"If I were more vocal, more in their face, maybe that [referee] is like, 'Oh, I don't want him to go off. I know he's going to go off if I blow this whistle and it's 50-50.' That's where it kind of hurts me."

"I don't know what can make me go over the edge. I'm afraid that if I did go over the edge, I'd get ejected. It's not even going to be close."

Mike Conley

Conley, however, has never considered altering his approach. He's polite by nature. He's not the kind of man to construct an alter ego to confront officials when calls don't go his way.

"You don't want him to lose himself in trying to be something else," says Fizdale, now the New York Knicks' coach. "The biggest thing that I wanted him to be was offensively more aggressive, and he did that, so I thought I got enough out of him from that standpoint.

"To get him to be a little more fiery with the officials and things like that, it just wasn't going to be healthy."

Utah's front office hasn't been shy about lobbying the league on officiating; its push to enforce the rules forbidding contact on players rolling to the rim was a factor in center Rudy Gobert setting an unofficial NBA record for dunks last season.

The Jazz say they won't hesitate to advocate on Conley's behalf if they see calls not going his way. But it's not a pressing concern for them at this point.

"It's hard to imagine that handling yourself with poise and respect can ever be a negative," Utah coach Quin Snyder says.

"MIKE CONLEY CALLED for a technical foul?"

Grizzlies play-by-play man Pete Pranica's voice oozes with surprise as he looks on during Memphis' Nov. 13, 2014, home game against the Sacramento Kings.

Yes, Conley's unblemished record has one tiny asterisk.

The quick whistle blown by veteran referee Monty McCutchen comes when Conley turns to him and mutters a few words of protest about a no-call: palms up, hands near his hips, hardly showing up the official. Conley had just been undercut by Kings forward Rudy Gay while driving off a backdoor cut and Marc Gasol pass.

As McCutchen makes his way toward the scorer's table, Grizzlies wing Courtney Lee meets him near the 3-point line on the right wing, backpedaling with his palms in the air, asking what Conley possibly could have done to deserve a T.

"Well, I can tell you what he didn't say -- something off-color, because he doesn't," Grizzlies color commentator Sean Tuohy says on the broadcast.

The free throw put the Kings up by 17 with 8 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Grizzlies' comeback was about to begin.

Conley drives on Memphis' next possession, getting a whistle that Kings center DeMarcus Cousins apparently considers a makeup call.

Cousins, a player on the opposite end of the spectrum from Conley when it comes to patience with officials, gets hit with a quick technical for voicing his displeasure. Conley scores nine points and dishes the ball for three assists to lead the Grizzlies' rally after he got T'd up.

The Grizzlies win by a point when Lee catches an inbounds lob with 0.3 seconds remaining and lays it in (the Kings would argue that Lee couldn't have gotten the shot off before time expired and filed an appeal with the league office, which was later denied.)

Oh, and that pesky T?

It disappeared from Conley's ledger the next day, rescinded by the league office after a review.

AS CONLEY WRAPS up his pregame shooting routine, he walks over to a courtside seat to catch up with Nick Van Exel, who just started his new job as a scout for the Dallas Mavericks after spending the previous three seasons as a Grizzlies assistant coach.

Conley is getting ready for a preseason game at Utah's Vivint Smart Home Arena, which doesn't quite feel like his new home arena quite yet. After exchanging pleasantries with Van Exel, they make small talk about Conley's transition from Memphis to Salt Lake City and discuss some of the golf excursions Conley has made to gorgeous courses in Utah and surrounding states.

When it comes time for Conley to head to the locker room to continue his pregame routine, Van Exel has some parting words.

"I still got your fine for your first technical," Van Exel tells Conley, who laughs in response.

Indeed, there's a long list of teammates and coaches who have volunteered to pay the $2,000 fine if Conley ever does actually get called for a technical foul that sticks. He has no plans to ever collect.

"I don't want a tech," Conley says. "I don't want to get one. I don't really care to, and especially now. I didn't think of it until the stat came out. I can't get a tech now. I can't go all this time and become another person."

Yet, just as the fine money was a long-running joke in Memphis, Conley's Jazz teammates have started conspiring to ruin his perfect record.

"He's got to get one!" Donovan Mitchell says.

"No one cares. Just get one!" Joe Ingles chimes in from a chair over.

"He has to get one," Mitchell repeats, and then Ingles offers a plan.

"I'm going to try to get one but stand so close to him that they think it's him," Ingles says -- never mind that his Australian accent is quite distinctive.

"You've got to curse the ref out from behind and then just walk away," Mitchell says.

Ingles is already thinking a step ahead: "Then when they try to rescind it, me and you can call the league."

"Nah," Mitchell says, pretending to talk to a league official, "he meant everything he said."

Conley smiles and shakes his head when told about his teammates' plot. Teammates have been trying to get him T'd up for years.

"It's who I am," Conley says. "You win awards for sportsmanship and whatever, but that's just me being me. I'm not doing anything extra. It's the same thing with the refs. You can't change who you are.

"I don't know what can make me go over the edge. I'm afraid that if I did go over the edge, I'd get ejected. It's not even going to be close."

Conley grins again. He's playing make-believe at this point.

"I'm going to get ejected, throw a water in the stands," Conley says. "You never know."

Two titles in new event for Britain as curtain falls on World Para Athletics Championships

Kayleigh Haggo and Gavin Drysdale (pictured) struck gold for Britain in the new Race Running discipline at the World Para Athletics Championships during the final session in Dubai on Friday.

It means Britain ends the championships with 13 gold medals and 28 medals in total as China topped the medals table with 25 golds and 59 medals altogether from runners up Brazil.

Haggo and Drysdale won titles in the RR3 100m category for the Race Running event which was making its debut at these 2019 championships.

Drysdale took more than half a second off the world record with 16.72 as he beat GB team-mate Rafi Solaiman, while Haggo clocked a world record of 18.32 to beat GB team-mate Ellie Simpson.

#ICYMI: earlier tonight @kayleigh_haggo is crowned the first ever world champion in the 100m RR3 final. @ParalympicsGB #Dubai2019 #ParaAthletics
Brought to you by @BP_plc pic.twitter.com/ric6Qt5SJ0

— Para Athletics (@ParaAthletics) November 15, 2019

Athletes in the category use a ‘Race Runner’ which is a three-wheeled frame where the athlete’s body is supported.

The gold medals on the final day in Dubai added to titles won by Hollie Arnold (F46 javelin), Paul Blake (T36 800m), Jonathan Broom-Edwards (T64 high jump), Hannah Cockroft (T34 100m and 800m), Aled Davies (F63 shot put), Sabrina Fortune (F20 shot put), Sophie Hahn (T38 100m and 200m) and Maria Lyle (T35 100m and 200m).

“Wow, I cannot believe it. I knew I would probably have to break the world record to win it,” said Drysdale. “I want to dedicate this gold medal to my late coach, Janice Eaglesham. She would have been so proud.

“It is absolutely amazing to have race running in the world championships for the first time. It gives the opportunity for people like me to compete at the highest level. I remember watching London two years ago wishing I could compete, so to be here two years later is a bit surreal.”

Haggo, who is only 20, beat team-mate Simpson and said: “My start wasn’t very good so after that I just had to run fast and put my head down. To represent Great Britain is amazing and to represent them and do well is a great honour.”

Ihor Tsvietov of Ukraine won the T35 men’s 100m in 11.77 as the top three all broke the former world record and Britain’s Jordan Howe was sixth.

⚡fast!
Can you believe that the top three in the men's 100m T35 were all under the world record?! #Dubai2019 #ParaAthletics

Brought to you by @BP_plc pic.twitter.com/KUrNBDt7ew

— Para Athletics (@ParaAthletics) November 15, 2019

World records on the final day also came from Joshua Cinnamo of the United States with 16.80m in the F46 men’s shot put, Lucyna Kornobys of Poland with 7.81m in the women’s F33 shot put, Xiaoyan Wen of China with 27.11 in the women’s T37 200m and Johannes Floors of Germany with 45.78 in the men’s T62 400m.

Tarek Momen is the World Champion
By ALEX WAN – Squash Mad Asian Bureau Editor

Egypt’s Tarek Momen was crowned World Champion today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. The World No.3 put up a stellar performance to beat New Zealand’s World No.5 Paul Coll in straight games to win his maiden World Championship.

The pair, who both had never won a major Platinum title in their career, came in today with the opportunity to make this biggest title the sport has to offer as their first. For Tarek, this was also his second opportunity after just losing out to Ali Farag in the previous edition.

Playing in Doha with a very strong Egyptian crowd behind him, Tarek was especially sharp this evening, especially in placing the ball at the front left corner so well and having Paul scrape it out, often creating an opportunity to attack.

The opening game was a close affair and while Tarek was ahead for the entire time save for the first point, he was never more than two points ahead for most of the time.

At 8-9, Paul was forced to do a split at the front right corner to save a shot, but was unable to get up to give Tarek game ball at 10-8, which he duly converts with a cross court that was out of reach of the Kiwi.

Tarek continues to dominate at the start of the second game, racing to a 3-0 lead, sending Paul into an off-balance position, something that is rarely seen from perhaps the fittest man on tour.

It was very one-sided and it was clear Paul was not moving as freely in this game, a fact exposed by Tarek who put his volley drops and boasts to such effective use. The dominance of Tarek in this game was never seen throughout the tournament and after 10 minutes, he wins the game 11-3 and was now a game within the title.

At the break, Paul had his right quads strapped and that certainly did not look good. Tarek continued to pile on the attacks from the word go on the third game. For a player like Paul, who is known for his quick recovery after each shot, things didn’t look right at all as he was often seen off-balance and wrong footed.

It didn’t take long before the end came, and a simple forehand drop from the T finished the match. Tarek drops his racket, turns to the crowd and buries his face in his hands in disbelief.

“It’s unbelievable! I still need to digest and take a while to believe that I’ve achieved that. It’s been a childhood dream of mine to be a World Champion. I’m 31 now and at some point, I was wondering if I’ll have the opportunity to do it, so to be able to do it as this age and feel I can give it a few more years, it’s unbelievable. I have worked so hard for this and I am so glad it has finally paid off.”

As dominant as Tarek was, we asked if that was his plan going into the match and if going short so often was always part of the plan.

“I knew it was going to be physical and I wanted to push myself as hard as I can and stay with him so that maybe at some point, I can try to impose my game and expose a little bit of his movement. But I had no idea how it was going to pan out. Eventually I managed to get the win in three games, which is unbelievable.

“It was about changing directions. I just didn’t want to keep going in one flow. He gets really confident with the flowing pace. Whenever there are sudden changes, things get disrupted a little, I can come up with something to attack. I just wanted to break the rhythm and not go for a steady pace in there with Paul.”

Tarek’s win today also creates squash history as he and wife Raneem El Welily, who won the women’s title in 2017, are the first married couple of World Champions in the sport.

“I didn’t know that this was something we could achieve until this morning. I thought about it and then I quickly tried to not think about it so that I can focus on my match. It’s such a privilege to achieve something alongside Raneem of this magnitude.”

While there was no silver lining finish for Paul Coll, his appearance here tonight makes him the first Kiwi man since Ross Norman in 1986 to play in a World Championships final.

“I’m very proud to put New Zealand on the world stage. It’s a real privilege for me and thanks to everyone who has been supporting me. My family has been waking up at 3am on the other side of the world, so I’m really appreciative of that. Thanks to everyone in New Zealand and all over the world for their love and support this week, Paul said in the post-match press conference.”

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2019 PSA Men’s World Championships, Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar.
Final

[2] Tarek Momen (Egy) 3-0 [4] Paul Coll (Nzl) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (39m)

Pictures courtesy of Qatar Squash and PSA

VALENCIA, Spain – Fabio Quartararo led both MotoGP practice sessions on Friday at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Quartararo put his Petronas Yamaha SRT bike on top of the overall charts thanks to his best lap of 1:30.735. That put him .148 seconds ahead of Yamaha factory rider Maverick Vinales on the overall practice charts.

MotoGP champion Marc Marquez was third fastest, followed by Jack Miller and Franco Morbidelli. Alex Rins, Joan Mir, Aleix Espargaro, Andrea Dovizioso and Johann Zarco were sixth through 10th, respectively.

Valentino Rossi had a rough day, crashing his factory Yamaha bike during both practice sessions. He ended the day 14th fastest overall.

SOMERSET, Ky. — Officials from the Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Championship Late Model Series have released the 16-race schedule of events for next season.

The tour will visit eight race tracks in a two-state area and will boast prize money in excess of $348,000 for the 16 events. Drivers’ longest travel between the two furthest race tracks is a three hour drive, so drivers will have less travel time and be able to run for extra purse money and a year-end points fund which will be released at a later date.

Drivers will be allowed to drop their worst finish at the seasons end. The tour will co-sanction events with the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals and Schaeffer’s Oil Fall Nationals on a few occasions.

The sixth season will open on April 11 with the largest paying event ever on the tour with a visit to Gary Hall’s Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway for a 75-lap, $20,000-to-win show paying $1,000-to-start the main event. The tour will also visit Tazewell Speedway on two more occasions with events on July 3 for the Firecracker 40 and Sept. 6 for the Buddy Rogers Memorial.

Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky., returns to the schedule for the first time since 2017 with three visits paying $4,000-to-win to the track that sits on the Lincoln/Boyle County line starting with May 15, Aug. 7 and Oct. 2.

The series will return to the Brandon Hardgrove-promoted Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Ky., for the first time since 2018 for the first of three stops on May 16 for the Johnny Wheeler Memorial, Aug. 29 for the Harold Hardgrove Memorial and Oct. 10 for the Lake Cumberland Classic.

411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn., will host the Iron-Man regional tour on three occasions as the tour will sanction the Scott Sexton Memorial on May 25, a Fourth of July Special on July 4 and the Annual Leftover Race on Nov. 28 at the McCarter Family promoted facility.

On June 5-6 the tour will host a pair of $4,000-to-win events at the Raymond Sheppard-promoted Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway on June 5 for the Donald “Ducky” Jones Memorial and visit the Kyle Family-promoted I-75 (Tenn.) Raceway on June 6.

For the first time since 2018, the tour will visit the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. for a 40-lap $4,000-to-win event.

On Aug. 8 the tour will return to Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. for the 16th Annual Iron-Man Classic.

The Brucebilt Performance Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Series schedule is currently being put together and the schedule should be released within the next month.

2020 Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Late Model Series Schedule

April 11 – Tazewell Speedway – Tazewell, Tenn.

May 15 – Ponderosa Speedway – Junction City, Ky.

May 16 – Lake Cumberland Speedway – Burnside, Ky.

May 25 – 411 Motor Speedway – Seymour, Tenn.

June 5 – Wartburg Speedway – Wartburg, Tenn.

June 6 – I-75 Raceway – Sweetwater, Tenn.

June 20 – Volunteer Speedway – Bulls Gap, Tenn.

July 3 – Tazewell Speedway – Tazewell, Tenn.

July 4 – 411 Motor Speedway – Seymour, Tenn.

Aug. 7 – Ponderosa Speedway – Junction City, Ky.

Aug. 8 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Maryville, Tenn.

Aug. 29 – Lake Cumberland Speedway – Burnside, Ky.

Sept. 6 – Tazewell Speedway – Tazewell, Tenn.

Oct. 2 – Ponderosa Speedway – Junction City, Ky.

Oct. 10 – Lake Cumberland Speedway – Burnside, Ky.

Nov. 28 – 411 Motor Speedway – Seymour, Tenn.