The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Queen Park Rangers’ debt soars following relegation Posted: 06 Mar 2014 08:14 AM PST The west London club lost 65.4 million pounds last season in its unsuccessful battle against relegation from the Premier League. QPR spent 41.4 million pounds on transfer fees and saw their wage bill increase by almost 17.0 million pounds to 68 million during the accounting period as they battled to avoid the drop. QPR have the chance of an immediate return to the Premier League despite a recent loss of form. They are currently fourth in the Championship and although they are nine points off second-place and an automatic promotion berth they remain in the playoff positions. Unless they do get promoted they face sanctions from the Football League as Championship clubs losing more than 8 million pounds during the course of this season will be subject to punishments under Financial Fair Play rules. Rangers chairman Tony Fernandes said in a statement issued by QPR Holdings, the club's parent company and posted with Companies House earlier this week: "Being relegated was obviously not part of our plans, but our focus and determination to achieve our long-term goals has not diminished. "When, alongside my business partners, I purchased a majority shareholding in the club in August 2011, my goal was to turn QPR into an established Premier League club. "We are confident that the 2013-14 season will also see the club continue to make progress towards achieving its short, medium and long-term off-pitch target." Rangers were promoted to the Premier League in 2011 after 17 years out of the top flight and finished 17th in their first season back. Under manager Mark Hughes they invested heavily in new players in advance of the 2012-13 season but after the Welshman was sacked in November 2012 without a league win in their opening 12 matches, more money was made available in the January 2013 transfer window by which time Harry Redknapp was in charge. He could not prevent them from the drop and QPR went down with only four wins from their 38 league matches. The club have substantial financial backing in the form of the Mittal family who own 33%. Lakshmi Mittal is listed as the 47th richest person in the world by Forbes magazine, with a net worth of US$16 billion (RM52 billion) in October last year. – Reuters, March 6, 2014. |
| Li Xuerui makes another great escape Posted: 06 Mar 2014 08:10 AM PST Olympic champion Li Xuerui made a great escape for the second successive day to survive into the quarter-finals of the All England Open championships today. The top-seeded Chinese player came from a game and 8-13 down against Minatsu Mitani, the world number 16 from Japan, drifting to within three points of defeat before winning 14-21, 21-19, 21-15. Li had saved a match point yesterday against Busanan Ongbumrungpan, the world number 17 from Thailand, and once again proved resourceful enough to turn the tide against a good opponent who had the momentum in her favour. "It's a difficult situation when your opponent has a lead," admitted Li. "Both my coach and myself were telling me to keep fighting. "I also adopted the right tactics to perform at my level. I was able to adjust and find solutions, so in that way I was happy with my performance." Li's version was that she attacked with more patience in the second half of the match. She also avoided being forced on to the defensive so much by the lively Mitani, and reduced what had been a high error ratio. From 8-13 she went on a crucial five-point sequence, reaching parity with a superb block to the net from a Mitani smash, and turning defence immediately into an attacking winner. Once ahead, Li narrowly stayed in front, but for several minutes the match hung in the balance, and it required Li's two best rallies of the match to take her to the relative safety of one game all. One, which took her to 20-18, saw her increase the pace but still maintain an excellent tight length with lifts to the back; the other, which clinched the game at 21-19, saw her contain with high clears to the back and pick a perfect moment to pound a cross-court smash on to the floor. Li had more control in the final set, and by the time she had increased a three-point lead to five at 18-13, Mitani's high standard had begun to dip. "I hope it will be a good experience to have two tough matches," said Li. "It can help me to become psychologically and mentally tougher." However Li may need to raise her game still further to regain the title she won here two years ago and which she says retains a special place in her heart as a stepping stone to her Olympic triumph at London 2012. She next plays Sung Ji-Hyun, the fifth-seeded Korean who reached the final of the Denmark Open five months ago. Sung came back from a three-point deficit in the first game against Lindaweni Fanetri, the world number 18 from Indonesia, to win 23-21, 21-11. – AFP, March 6, 2014. |
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