Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/958047
maltatoday SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2018 53 BOXING TENNIS FUTSAL Sports Nevada State suspends Alvarez after second positive test MEXICAN boxer Canelo Alvarez was temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Com- mission following two positive tests for the banned fat-burning drug clenbuterol, the body's ex- ecutive director Bob Bennett said in a statement on Friday. Alvarez will meet with the Ne- vada Commission on April 10 for a final decision on his case, less than a month before his sched- uled rematch against multiple middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in Las Vegas on May 5. The pair battled to a controver- sial draw in September. The 27-year-old Alvarez provid- ed urine samples in February as a part of the agreement for his sec- ond tilt at dethroning the 35-year- old Kazakh fighter and has since blamed the positive tests on con- taminated meat. Clenbuterol is sometimes illic- itly mixed into livestock feed to make meat leaner. Alvarez has a 49-1-2 record, with his only loss coming against Floyd Mayweather in 2013, while Golovkin has won 37 of his 38 bouts with the only blemish on his record being the draw against the Mexican. Middleweight boxer Canelo Alvarez of Mexico 'It's impossible at the moment,' says Djokovic after Miami loss A dejected Novak Djokovic went searching for answers after losing his opening match at the Miami Open on Friday. "I'm trying, but it's not work- ing. That's all. That's all it is," the former world number one told reporters after a 6-3 6-4 defeat by Frenchman Benoit Paire. The setback was a third straight loss for the 30-year-old Serb, who is trying to make a comeback after an elbow injury sidelined him for the final six months of last year. It also snapped a 16-match win- ning streak in Miami for the six time tournament winner. "I'm not feeling great when I'm playing this way," said Djokovic, who was seeded ninth in Miami. "Of course, I want to be able to play as well as I want to play. Just it's impossible at the moment. That's all. I lost to a better player." Serving in the first set, Djokovic had an opportunity to reach 5-5, but lost five consecutive points and the set. He appeared to be fighting back in the second set, winning eight of nine points to recover a break, but was broken to love in the final game of the contest. "I felt I started the match well, first six games, then I just ran out of gas," Djokovic said. "He was serving well. I just wasn't able to break him down. He was just com- ing up with the good shots at the right time. It happened very fast." Where the future will take him, the Serb, playing in only his third tournament since Wimbledon last year, is not certain. "I know that you can't be the person that you were yesterday, and the player (you once were)," Djokovic said. "The circumstances that I was in the last two years were very chal- lenging. But I'm not the only one that goes through that. I mean, there are tougher injuries that players go through. "I don't want to sit here and whine about my last couple of years." Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after losing a game against Benoit Paire of France on day four of the Miami Open at Tennis Centre at Crandon Park Valletta and Mriehel ESS crowned as Champions VALLETTA accomplished the Elite title in the second leg final against Luxol. Af- ter a goalless first half, the match continued to a much more entertaining second half, the end of which was a penalty shootout. Valletta broke the deadlock in the fourth minute of the second half, from an invit- ing cross to Jovica Milijic who put the ball at the back of the net. Five minutes later, Luxol 's Andy Mangion lev- elled the matters. With less than two minutes of play, Dylan Musu regained advan- tage for the Citizens and put their supporters on celebra- tion mode. In the last second Luxol 's Emil Andrei Raducu tested his luck and shot to goal against all odds. This 2-2 tie meant that the win- ner had to be decided after a penalty shootout. Valletta's Gia Nikvashvili missed the first penalty as he was denied by Luxol 's goalkeeper Christian Cas- sar. Celino Alves who re- turned from an injury, scored Luxol 's first penalty. Valletta's Camilo Andres Gomez Vanegas scored the equalizer, while Luxol 's Andy Mangion missed the target. Meanwhile Milijic and Raducu netted their re- spective shots. Finally the Lilly whites shortly resumed their celebrations as Musu scored with Maicon Silva missing the target for Luxol. It was then time for Val- letta's jubilation which was apexed with their captain Melvin Borg being present- ed with the trophy by FMA Honorary President Mark Borg and Treasurer Mireille Vella. Mriehel ESS were declared Division One Champions af- ter beating Tarxien JMI with the end result of 8-7. Mriehel ESS made it through Faisal Alnakuoo's brace, a goal apiece for Victor Diego Viera Marinho, Essa Benatiya u Ayoub Ahmad and own goals by Radovan Duric, Uros Markovic and Craig Pickard. Tarxien JMI's scoresheet in- cluded braces from Radovan Duric, Armando Djepali and William Barbosa, together with Craig Pickard 's goal. After the final whistle, Mriehel ESS' captain Mar- wan Tellisi was presented with the trophy by FMA Honorary President Mark Borg and Treasurer Mireille Vella.