BITS AND PIECES

Klitschko packing experience for Joshua fight 

NEW YORK: Wladimir Klitschko is counting on experience  to help him regain the IBF and WBA heavyweight titles  when he faces Britain’s Anthony Joshua at Wembley  Stadium in April.  Klitschko, who was unbeaten for 11 years before losing  the belts to Tyson Fury in 2015, turns 41 next month  and has 64 wins and four defeats in his 20-year career.  “Experience is like a suitcase, without a grip — it’s really  heavy to carry, but you feel bad if you’re going to let it  sit somewhere,” the Ukrainian was quoted as saying by  the Times.  “You can be as good as you are, professional as you  are, as athletic or strong, but the only thing you can’t  swallow like a pill is experience.  “I just recently heard it at the New York press conference  from Anthony, that it’s all about a mental game. But  I’m not playing games, I’m serious with what I’m doing.”  London 2012 Olympic champion Joshua has taken the  division by storm since turning professional, winning all  18 of his fights inside the distance.  The fight is expected to draw the biggest British boxing  crowd in nearly 80 years, with an attendance of 90,000  set to watch at Wembley. —Reuters

 Pakistan ready for International Beach Handball in Dubai

 By our correspondent

 KARACHI: Pakistan are set to feature in the International  Beach Handball Championship which will explode into action  in Dubai from Wednesday (tomorrow).  The five-day event also involves India, Bahrain, Oman,  Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  Pakistan Handball Federation (PHF) said that Pakistan  had a good chance of a medal.  Pakistan squad: Tahir Ali, Shahid Pervez, Uzair Atif,  Hazrat Hussain, Asim Saeed, Waqar Ahmad, Muzammil  Hussain, Imran Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Maaz Ali. Officials:  Nasser Ahmad (coach), Muhammad Imran  (coach), Javed Iqbal (manager), Najam Hussain (head  delegate).

 Harrison beats Basilashvili to win Memphis title

 LOS ANGELES, California: American Ryan Harrison captured  his first ATP title on Sunday, winning all 12 break  points he faced to defeat Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-  1, 6-4 and win the Memphis Open.  The breakthrough victory came after Harrison had lost  seven ATP semi-finals but downed compatriot Donald  Young to reach the Memphis championship match.  Harrison blasted eight aces in downing Basilashvili,  who will rise from a career-best 67th in the rankings despite  a loss in his second career final.  Harrison saved two break points before holding in the  opening game of the match, then broke the Georgian in  the fourth and sixth games for a 5-1 lead and held at love  to claim the first set in 26 minutes.  A crucial break on his third chance of the fifth game put  Harrison ahead 3-2 in the second set.  Serving for the match in the final game, Harrison faced  two more break points but saved them both, the first with  his final ace of the match, then won his first match point to  claim his first crown. —AFP

 Saints not Chelsea on Mourinho’s mind 

BLACKBURN, United Kingdom: Jose Mourinho refused  to dwell on the prospect of facing his former club Chelsea  in the FA Cup quarter-finals after Manchester United negotiated  a difficult fifth-round visit to Blackburn Rovers in  a 2-1 victory.  Now United must visit Stamford Bridge, where they  have not won since 2012, although Mourinho did appear  to be employing his favoured tactic of playing mind games  when he discussed the draw and appeared to hand the  league title to Chelsea.  “I have no reaction,” said Mourinho of the draw.  “I have to play Saint-Etienne, I have to play the final, I  have to play, hopefully, another game in the Europa  League, I have to fight for a top-four position in the Premier  League.  “So I have so many things to think about. Probably  Chelsea can only think about that because they are  champions. They have nothing else to play for. The FA  Cup is something I believe is important for them.” —AFP 

Vietnam team stage bizarre ‘mannequin’ protest

  HANOI, Vietnam: A Vietnamese football team face disciplinary  action after allowing their opponents to walk three  goals into an unguarded net in protest at the award of a  disputed last-minute penalty.  In a sporting revision of ‘the mannequin challenge’,  players from Long An stood stock still and refused to  tackle their Ho Chi Minh City rivals in a televised VLeague  game late Sunday.  The extraordinary protest came after a spot kick was  awarded against Long An for a soft-looking foul on an opposition  striker with the game poised at 2-2 and minutes  to play.  After a prolonged argument with the referee, Long An’s  goalkeeper led the revolt, turning his back on the penaltytaker,  who slotted the ball into the goal to make it 3-2.  It was the third disputed refereeing decision of the  game which led to goals for Ho Chi Minh City.  The visitors continued their protest, refusing to budge  from the kick-off to allow Ho Chi Minh City’s players to  stride through their ranks to score two more goals.  The game ended 5-2 and Long An have since faced  anger from officials in the communist country. —AFP

 Pale PSG frustrated by Toulouse after Barca exploits

 PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain missed the chance to eat  into Monaco’s lead at the top of the French Ligue 1 table  after being held to a 0-0 draw by Toulouse at the Parc des  Princes on Sunday.  At the same venue where they had blown away  Barcelona five days earlier, winning 4-0 in the first leg of  their Champions League last-16 tie, Unai Emery’s side  could not break down mid-table opposition.  Edinson Cavani struck the woodwork in the second  half for the defending champions but Toulouse held out  as PSG failed to score in a game for the first time since  the start of December.  The draw extends Paris’ unbeaten run in all competitions  to 13 games going back to before Christmas but it  also means they end the weekend still three points behind  leaders Monaco.  The principality side needed a Bernardo Silva  equaliser in the second half to come from behind and  draw 1-1 at struggling Bastia on Friday, while Nice are  only behind PSG on goal difference thanks to their 1-0  win at bottom club Lorient on Saturday.  Wylan Cyprien scored the only goal for Nice, who  held on after having Mario Balotelli sent off in the second  half.  Emery made five changes to the PSG team from the  Barcelona game but was without Angel Di Maria, the Argentine  struggling with a muscle injury after scoring twice  against the Catalans.  Christophe Galtier’s side host Manchester United in  the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on  Wednesday with their hopes of progress all but over after  losing 3-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg. —AFP