Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/398422
maltatoday, Wednesday, 15 OctOber 2014 20 Sport SPORTTODAY EURO 2016 Germany held by Ireland in 1-1 draw World champions Germany con- tinued to disappoint after being held by a spirited Irish team in an enter- taining draw in Gelsenkirchen. Following their shock 2-0 defeat in Poland last week, Germany were looking to return to winning ways against Ireland in the Euro 2016 qualifier. Toni Kroos fired Germany into 71st minute lead with a long-distance shot, however John o'Shea sent the travelling Irish fans into delir- ium with a last-gasp equaliser. on his 100th cap, the Sunderland de- fender equalised with the last kick of the game after poking the ball into the net from a cross played to the back post. Elsewhere, Poland were also held to a draw by Scotland after going ahead in the 12th minute through a Krzysztof Maczynski goal. However, six minutes later, Shaun Maloney squared the match with the Wigan man c o n v e r t i n g Ikechi Anya's low cross. Steven Nai- smith slid in to convert James Morrison's free- kick and put the Scots ahead but Arkadiusz Milik levelled with a stylish shot. Gordon Stra- chan's side and Germany now sit on four points, three behind Poland and Ireland. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland produced a heroic performance to make it three wins out of three in Group F by winning away to top seeds Greece. Jamie Ward's eighth minute left- foot shot deflected off loukas Vyn- tra and found the bottom corner of the net and Kyle lafferty fired home a low shot from the edge of the area to take a 2-0 lead in the 51st minute. In Belgrade, the game between Serbia and Albania had to be aban- doned after 41 minutes after a drone was flown onto the pitch carrying an Greater Albanian flag. Tensions were high heading into the politically-charged clash and the referee had to indefinitely post- pone the match just before half- time after the players and fans be- gan fighting. With the score still level at 0-0, a small drone was flown on to the pitch towards the end of the first half carrying a Greater Albanian flag, pausing the game momentar- ily, before Serbia's Stefan Mitrovic pull the flag with drone down. Some of Albania's players reacted angrily and charged at Mitrovic trying to take flag, which initiated a mass brawl, with both sets of play- ers, numerous coaching staff and even fans rushing on to the field to get involved in a mass brawl. Albania have never before reached a major international tournament but before yesterday's games they topped Group I after beating Portu- gal and holding denmark to a draw in their opening two matches. Record number of participants for this year's Rolex Middle Sea Race A record-breaking 123 yachts from more than 20 countries will cross the starting line of the rolex Mid- dle Sea race on october 18, reflect- ing the international stature of this popular offshore race organised by the royal Malta Yacht Club. The unprecedented number of entrants – a 24% increase over the 99 yachts competing in 2013 – in- cludes boats from as far away as the United States and Australia, along with 13 yachts from Malta. More than 15 boats will compete for the first time. Now in its 35th year, the rolex Middle Sea race (rMSr) is a fix- ture in the season, ranking along- side the rolex Fastnet, rolex Syd- ney-Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a "must do" race. "For yet another year, the rolex Middle Sea race has grown in the number of boats that have commit- ted to compete in this ever popular offshore race," the Commodore of the royal Malta Yacht Club, God- win Zammit, said. "There are a number of factors which contribute to the increase in participation. Naturally, the scenic yet challenging course plays a very important role, however one must mention the renowned hospital- ity that our Club offers its guests, which is spoken of highly by partic- ipants, often leading competitors to sign up simply through word of mouth recommendations. last, but not least, is our strong connection with other Clubs and our affilia- tion with the royal ocean racing Club." The event's fascination is largely drawn from its alluring, 608-nau- tical-mile racecourse – a rigorous anti-clockwise loop around Sicily which introduces numerous "cor- ners" that present changing and complex meteorological shifts. The route includes the deep azure waters around Sicily, including the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as Pantelleria and lampedusa. one of the most stunning vistas is Strom- boli, the active volcano which is a course mark. Challenging, enchanting and his- toric, the rolex Middle Sea race starts in Malta's spectacular Grand Harbour at 11am on october 18. "Security and safety of both rac- ing teams and spectators has al- ways been imperative for us and a number of procedures have been put in place. We have worked closely with the Armed Forces of Malta and Transport Malta to ensure that only vessels authorised by the race Committee will be allowed into the Grand Harbour. Both entities will be present on the day to ensure that all procedures are strictly adhered to on the day", race committee chair and principal race officer Peter di- mech said. Supported by rolex since 2002, the race commences and finishes in Malta. Winners will be announced throughout the week with an award ceremony wrapping up the week- long event on 25 october. The royal Malta Yacht Club thanked the public for their coop- eration in ensuring that all safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities are adhered to, in or- der to ensure the safety of all con- cerned. Moreover, boats in the vi- cinity of the racecourses are advised to navigate with caution and to keep a sharp lookout. B2 Competing in last year's RMSR, will be returning for this year's edition (Rolex/Kurt Arrigo) saIlInG serbia's home game against albania abandoned after mass brawl Germany 1 Ireland 1 Gibraltar 0 Georgia 3 Poland 2 Scotland 2 San Marino 0 Switzerland 4 Faroe Islands 0 Hungary 1 Finland 0 Romania 2 Greece 0 Northern Ireland 2 Denmark 0 Portugal 1 Serbia vs Albania abandoned Stefan Mitrovic pulling the Greater Albanian flag and drone down