Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/354989
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 30 JULY 2014 20 Sport FOOTBALL CRICKET WEIGHTLIFTING UEFA appoints Clayton Pisani for a third qualifying match in Switzerland UEFA announced an Europa League Third Qualifying Round First Leg match appointment for FIFA Referee Clayton Pisani between Young Boys (Switzerland) and Er- mis Aradippou FC (Cyprus). The match is being played on Thursday at 1930hrs at the Stade de Suisse in Bern. The Malta FA Refereeing Depart- ment has appointed FIFA Assistant Referees Alan Camilleri and Ed- ward Spiteri, and Elite Referee Fyo- dor Zammit as 4th Official. Clayton Pisani will be officiating his third UEFA match in a row fol- lowing his outstanding perform- ances in Albania and Moldova in the First and Second Qualifying Rounds respectively earlier this month. In the match between FC Sheriff (Moldova) and FK Sutjeska (Mon- tenegro), the Maltese refereeing team consisting of Clayton Pisani, Ingmar Spiteri, Edward Spiteri and Mario Apap obtained the highest UEFA Performance Assessment from all the matches played in the Second Qualifying Round. Clayton Pisani was promoted to UEFA's Category 2 List of Interna- tional Referees in December 2013 and his notable progress is being monitored for future appoint- ments. Marsa CC level series OVER the Weekend the Marsa C.C played two of the three game series against returning team, (seventh tour) Leyland C.C. On Saturday the visitors won the toss and elected to bat and two particular batsmen did. James Rounding opening the innings made a half century to get his team of to a great start. His effort was out shone by Leyland 's overe- as player (from Australia) who af- ter being dropped before making any runs went on to pulverise the bowling making 144 runs from sevent y one balls which included nine fours and fourteen sixes, a brilliant effort. Leyland totalled 289 from their fort y overs. For the Marsa team Tom Newell took three wickets, Nowell Khosla two, while Ramdeeph Singh, Ed Man- ning and Sarfraz Ali all took one each. The home side tried desperately; unfortunately they were bowled out in the thirt y first over for 139 runs. Tom Newell top scored with fort y five runs and Nowell Khosla made twent y five. For Leyland , the wicket takers were, Mont y Cot- ton with four, Nathan McDowell with two, Stev Vardy,Jake Peake and Marc Thompson all with one. Leyland go one up in the series. For the Sunday game both teams made changes. The Marsa team won the toss and batted first. The Marsa team batted well and totalled 210 of their fort y overs. Mike Caruana top scored with sevent y six runs which included six fours. Sean Byrne batted well for fift y six runs which had two sixes and two fours. Ronnie Sacco chipped in with twent y four runs towards the end of the innings. N.Afsar was the main wicket taker for the visitors taking three, while Steve Vardy, Mont y Cotton and N.Murray all took one. The Leyland chase was to be- come a classic one, N.Afsar top scored with sevent y two runs which included seven fours and two sixes, Dave Makinson made twent y six and Jake Peake thirt y eight runs. This all accumulated to them needing twelve runs to win of the last over with two wick- ets in hand. First ball went for two runs, second ball one run, third ball no run, fourth ball four runs, fifth ball wicket, the last man now facing would need to hit a six for a win, a four for a draw, anything less the game is lost, wicket he was caught at long on. The Marsa team win the game and level the series. Mike Caruana took four wickets, Ronnie Sacco two, Amal Sebas- tion, Bikram Arora, Sid Anand and Luke Bradley all taking one. Next Saturday the CRIC HQ MCA summer league continues with the Marauders taking on Krishna. Download the MaltaToday App now Alex Ross Amalaha fails doping test THE future of weightlifting as a core sport in the Commonwealth Games programme has again been thrown into doubt after Nigerian 53kg gold medallist Chika Amalaha tested positive for drugs. The 16-year-old Nigerian has been provisionally suspended pending the results of a 'B' sample after traces of diuretics and masking agents were found in an in-competition test. Amalaha won the gold medal at the Clyde Auditorium on Friday, setting new Games records in her weight category in both the snatch and overall elements. Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper said: "We [have] issued a formal notice of disclosure to an athlete following an adverse analytical finding as a con- sequence of an in-competition test. "That athlete is Nigerian weight- lifter Chika Amalaha who was tested on July 25th. That athlete has now been suspended from the Common- wealth Games in Glasgow. "The relevant processes, as detailed in our anti-doping standard for the Games, are now being followed and Ms Amalaha has pursued her right to have her 'B' sample tested. "This will take place at an accred- ited laboratory in London tomorrow, July 30. Upon receipt of those results the process will continue." Asked about the legitimacy of weightlifting as a Commonwealth Games sport given its history of drug-related incidents, Hooper added: "I think weightlifting is a fan- tastic sport and a strong Common- wealth and Olympic sport. "I think the issue here is about showing we have a robust anti-dop- ing programme in place. We want to send a message to anybody in any sport who would go down the route of taking any substance to en- hance performance that they will be caught." WADA president Sir Craig Reedie expressed his shock that someone so young should have failed a doping test - and it is understood the anti- doping organisation will investigate how the teenager was given access to the drugs. Speaking to the press Reedie said: "I am very disappointed that some- body as young as that appears to have committed an offence at a multi-sport event like the Common- wealth Games." Drug use in weightlifting has been prevalent enough in the past to beg questions over the sport's continued participation in the Commonwealth programme. After two Indian lifters tested positive at the Melbourne Games in 2002, the then CGF president Mike Fennell said: "If the thing gets totally out of hand and its not being correct- ed, then obviously we'll have to take the strongest possible action." Nigerian weightlifting also has a history of drugs offences. The Ni- gerian Weightlifting Federation was suspended for repeated doping viola- tions by the International Weightlift- ing Federation in 2001 and banned from competing in the following year's Manchester Games. The Nigerian Daily Times news- paper laid bare the drugs issues af- fecting sport in the country in an investigation in 2011. It reported: "A tour of the national stadium earlier this year.. revealed discarded cases of used syringes, empty injectable vials of stanazol and sustanol, pack- ets and bottles of different anabolic substances." Chika Amalaha Clayton Pisani