17/09/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | SEPT 17, 2025 28 Ready for the noise Team Europe using virtual reality to handle abuse at Bethpage Black R ORY MCILROY says Team Europe have turned to virtual reality to try and pre pare for the abuse they anticipate from the New York crowd as they bid to end them to say,” he added. “You can go as close to the bone as you like.” Europe come to New York as the defending champions, having won 16½-11½ in Rome in 2023, and are the only team to have secured an away with in the 21st century – also emerging victorious at Oakland Hills in 2004.

SHORTS Sri Lanka survive Hong Kong scare

SRI LANKA were made to sweat before edging Hong Kong by four wickets in the Asia Cup yesterday, as Wanindu Hasaranga’s late cameo spared the former champi ons an embarrassing stumble. Chasing 150 on a sluggish sur face, Sri Lanka looked comfortable at 119 for two with 31 needed off 30 deliveries, but a flurry of wick ets, four for eight runs, set nerves jangling. Hasaranga steadied the innings with an unbeaten 20 off nine balls, striking two fours and a six to seal victory with seven balls left. Pathum Nissanka was again the batting linchpin, cracking 68 off 44 balls with six fours and two sixes. The opener, ranked seventh in the ICC T20 batting standings, posted back-to-back half-centu ries to become the tournament’s leading scorer with 118 runs. Fortune favoured him. He was reprieved on 22, 58 and 59, before being run out going for a risky sec ond. Hong Kong’s spirited effort was undermined by sloppy fielding as they grassed five catches that might have turned the contest on its head. “It was a very good perform ance but we’re disappointed we dropped so many catches,” said skipper Yasim Murtaza. Earlier, after being sent in, Hong Kong charged to 31 for no loss in the first three overs. A 61-run stand from Anshuman Rath (48) and Nizakat Khan (52) anchored their innings, the latter posting his 12th half-century. Dushmantha Chameera’s pace proved too hot to handle, finishing with two wickets. “Very pleased with my form, but we have a long way to go,”said Nissanka, who continues to flour SKIPPER Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu struck attack ing half-centuries to lead United Arab Emirates to a thumping 42 run win over Oman in the Asia Cup yesterday. Muhammad, who hit 69, and Alishan, who made 51, put on 88 runs for the opening wicket to guide hosts UAE to a challenging 172-5 in Abu Dhabi. The home bowlers then com bined to dismiss Oman for 130 in 18.4 overs for their first win in this edition of the regional tourna ment played in the T20 format. Medium-pace bowler Junaid Siddique stood out with figures of 4-23. Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah took two wickets each. The batters had set up victory. Muhammad and Alishan started cautiously but soon took the attack to the opposition with a flurry of boundaries. Alishan fell for his 51 but Muhammad kept up the charge and reached fifty with a six. The captain was run out in the final over. Oman were never in the chase and lost five wickets for 50 runs with captain and opener Jatinder Singh scoring 20 as they slumped to a second straight defeat. ish at the top of the order. UAE hammer Oman

the subject of jibes from US fans when playing on the PGA Tour, says he has learned how to cope when it comes his way. Last year, MacIntyre taunted his American hosts at the Valspar Championship in Florida by labelling his caddie’s bib with Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning score. “I’ll probably be getting abuse from my 12, 13 mates that are out there and all, so no, it’s going to be fun,” MacIntyre said. “It’s going to be loud, it’s going to be entertaining, but yeah, I’m looking forward to it.” MacIntyre’s rise in world golf over the past few years has made him one of the most recognisable figures in the game. Last year he managed to win twice, with the Scottish Open victory at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian the standout. And that success has carried on into this season with six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. Having started the year in 14th in the world rankings, he has now moved up to ninth position and is the first Scot to reach the top 10 since Colin Montgomerie in 2005. – The Independent/Agencies

the drought for an away Ryder Cup win. No team has won the title on foreign soil since 2012, an achievement Europe managed at Medinah Country Club in Illinois. But as they take to Bethpage Black with glory in mind, they’ll have to shut out the infamously unforgiving sports fans of New York, which has led Europe captain Luke Donald to go ahead with a new training method so his team can adequately prepare for the noise. “It is to simulate the sights and sounds,” said Rory McIlroy, who was competing at Wentworth on Sunday in the BMW PGA Championship. “That’s the stuff that we are going to have to deal with. It’s better to try to desensitise yourself as much as possible before you get in there.” McIlroy did not reveal what messages the players had been exposed to, saying “you don’t want to know”, but admitted he gave free rein for the simulators to go as heinous as they pleased with the insults. “You can get them to say whatever you want

And while stating that the crowd’s exuberance may not be “as bad as we thought”, the Masters champion did accept that VR can only ready for yourself so much for the “bear pit” that awaits Europe at Bethpage, as branded by Donald. “We are doing everything we can to best prepare ourselves for what it is going to feel like,” McIlroy said. “But nothing can really prepare you until you’re actually in that. “You can wear all the VR headsets you want and do all the different things we’ve been trying to do to get ourselves ready but once the first tee comes on Friday it’s real and we just have to deal with whatever’s given.” Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre, who will be playing in his second Ryder Cup, said he has no fears about taking abuse from Team USA fans. The 29-year-old from Oban, who has been

Marathon settled by historic photo finish ALPHONCE FELIX SIMBU snatched gold in the first photo finish at a major championship marathon yesterday, edging out German Amanal Petros in a dramatic race to the line to give Tanzania its maiden world title.

The photo finish showed the 42.195km race was decided by three hundredths of a second as Simbu surged past the diving Petros at the line, closer than the 0.05-second gap between the gold and silver medal lists in the men’s 100m final on Sunday. Simbu and Petros were given the same time of two hours, nine minutes and 48 seconds, the German taking the silver despite heading the field as the leaders entered Tokyo’s National Stadium. Italian Iliass Aouani took the bronze in 2:09.53. “When we entered the stadium, I was not sure if I would win,“ the 33 year-old Simbu said. “I did not know if I had won. But when I saw the video screens and me on the top of the results, I felt relieved. “I made history today - the first Tanzanian gold medal at a world championships.” The finish was closer than at the 2001 championships in Edmonton, when Ethiopian Gezahegne Abera edged Kenyan Simon Biwott by a sin

Germany’s Amanal Petros (yellow/orange singlet) falls as he crosses the finish line behind Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu in the men’s marathon final during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo yesterday. – AFPPIC

thinking about winning so a bit of me is feeling very sad. “But I have to accept it. As an ath lete you have to learn for tomorrow, train hard, keep going and be thank ful for the silver.” – The Independent

Eritrean-born Petros looked set to take the title back to Europe until Simbu found a late kick and ran him down at the line. “It’s like the 100 metres,” said Petros. “Coming into the finish I was

gle second. South African Josia Thugwane won the closest Olympic men’s mara thon by three seconds from South Korean Lee Bong-ju at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Duplantis world record lights up Tokyo Ű BY PAUL EDDISON

Since then, Duplantis has proved unstoppable on his way to three world titles and two Olympic gold medals. Karalis was the first to congratulate him, the pair sharing a big hug before Duplantis ran around the stadium, bowing to the Japanese fans chanting his name. Consider this was a field that featured four of the six highest vaulters in history and still it was not close – his world record jump was 30cm clear of the field. Like Sergey Bubka, the previous greatest pole vaulter of all, Duplantis is improving the world record incrementally, one centimetre at a time. The only thing that might be beyond him is Bubka’s tally of 35 world records. That would involve taking the bar to 6m 51cm. That seems like a fanciful objective but when it comes to Duplantis, it pays to believe in the impossible. – The Independent

bar which considered staying up before tumbling down after him. But just as he did in Paris last summer, Duplantis saved his best for last, grazing but not dislodging the bar as he pushed the boundaries of pole vault ever further. He has now raised the bar 5cm in a year from his 6m25 at the Olympics a year ago. More than that, his world record bids have become the hottest ticket of any athletics meet, even over the 100m finals. One man and one pole capable of shutting down a stadium. When Mondo is in town, there is no one who can beat him. His only defeat at a major championships came on his debut as a 19-year-old in Doha six years ago, taking silver behind American Sam Kendricks, who was fourth in Tokyo, just behind Australia’s Kurtis Marschall who took bronze and Emmanouil Karalis took silver.

THE best show in athletics is also its strangest event courtesy of a Swedish alien from Louisiana. Mondo Duplantis broke the world record for the 14th time on his way to World Championships pole vault gold in Tokyo, back in the stadium where he claimed his first major title – Olympic gold – at just 21. There is something captivating about the man from Lafayette, who had every one of the 55,000 people in attendance holding their breath as he stepped up for his third and final attempt at clearing 6m 30cm. They need not have worried. Just like Usain Bolt, athletics’ greatest superstar who has been in Tokyo this week, Duplantis has a flair for the dramatic. The plan might not have been to fall short in his first two world record bids. The second, in particular, was desperately close with his knees just touching the