In the Thailand Super Car GTC event on Saturday, Manat Kulapalanont with his Toyota 86 took the pole position on the podium while teammate Suttipong Smittachart settled at seventh. Manat also finished second in the Sunday’s second race.

Drviving Toyota 39, veteran Nattavude Charoensukhawatana and Naoki Kawamura made amends from their second place finish in race one by winning the second trophy for Toyota in the Thailand Super Car GTM in the second race.

Toyota executive and racer Sutthipong Samitchart said on behalf of the team that: “The performance of our team is impressive. Racers adjusted themselves to the condition quickly and have applied their driving skills and experience very well. Toyota 86 is in great shape. This is such a way to start the season for us.”

Toyota Thailand Team will next enter the Nürburgring Qualify Race, the qualifying competition for the ADAC ZÜRICH 24 Hours Race at Nürburgring 2018 due in Germany between April 14-15.

City eased to a 3-1 win over Everton on Saturday courtesy of goals from Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling and were good value for their victory even though Yannick Bolasie pulled a goal back for the Toffees.

City’s focus will now switch to the first leg of their Champions League tie against Liverpool on Wednesday before a mouthwatering opportunity to wrap up the title against the Red Devils at the Etihad Stadium.

And Guardiola preferred to look at the bigger picture and refused to indulge in what it would mean to beat United to clinch the league.

“I understand people are going to talk about United but now all the decisions are about Liverpool,” Guardiola said.

“We have now we are closer than ever. We have one game to win. If we are not able to win, we have six more chances. We are so, so close and so happy with the performance.

“Now it is one more game and we will be champions. For the fans it is significant. It is special. It is important we win – no matter where. Of course the most important thing is these two games

“We have to go to Anfield with good feelings. Now we have a few days to prepare for this game.”

For Guardiola’s entertainers to do it against Jose Mourinho’s side would provide an appropriate signature moment and possibly the standout memory of a team with the potential to emerge as one of English football’s greatest.

The football City have played in this campaign has been simply breathless in its quality and the current 16-point advantage over second-placed United is in no way flattering.

Before this game, City had not played since a 2-0 win over Stoke on March 12 and Guardiola had been concerned whether his side would be a little rusty.

– First win over Everton –

“We were a long time without being together,” Guardiola explained. “And I didn’t want to play with seven, eight, nine players going to play Wednesday without four weeks playing together.

“We needed to play together to find our pace, our rhythm. We controlled the game and it was a huge victory. It was the first time as a manager I was able to beat Everton.”

Sane volleyed City ahead, Jesus added a second with a header before Sterling added a third just before half-time when he steered home David Silva’s cross.

Bolasie, who had headed over a 1-0 down, pulled a goal back in the second half when he arrowed home a low shot but City had taken their foot off the gas by that stage.

Those Everton supporters that remained at the final whistle applauded City’s players off the pitch which was telling of the quality of their performance and pleased Guardiola.

“Maybe because we are going to play against Liverpool, I don’t know!” added the City boss. “But thank you so much. I didn’t know it but they give credit to what the players have done.

“The first is for our fans but the people who love football enjoy how we play, that is satisfaction. Last season I applauded them in the 4-0.”

Everton boss Sam Allardyce acknowledged Guardiola’s City side were one of the best teams he has ever come against during his managerial career.

“Have I come up against better? Man Utd I think and probably Arsenal. After that, no,” he said.

“Manchester City are a top quality team, you have to admire a team that especially in the first half were too good for you. As much as the lads tried it was something we couldn’t cope with.

“We did as much as we could, tried as much as we could and I think that has been the same for every team bar Liverpool.”

After 12 rounds, Britain’s Joshua triumphed 118-110, 118-110, 119-109 on the three judges’ scorecards.

Victory extended the London 2012 Olympic champion’ perfect professional record to 21 wins from as many bouts but all of his previous successes had been by way of knockouts.

It also saw International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association champion Joshua add Parker’s World Boxing Organisation belt to his collection.

This result was New Zealand boxer Parker’s first defeat in his 25-fight pro career.

Saturday’s contest in front of a 78,000 capacity crowd at the Principality Stadium was the first time two previously undefeated heavyweight champions had met for a world title in Britain.

Joshua’s win should move him closer to a bout against Deontay Wilder, the American who holds the World Boxing Council’s version of the heavyweight title.

Wilder had been due at ringside but didn’t show and a confident Joshua, speaking to Sky Sports, after his win was confirmed, said: “I want Wilder… Get him in the ring and I’ll knock him spark out.”

Joshua added: “That is 21 professional fights with six world title fights in it.

“My strategy was to stick behind the jab and that secured me another world title belt.”

– ‘Finesse’ –

And he insisted he felt no disappointment in going 12 rounds.

“I know the bookies say I might get a knockout but forget the hype, Parker was a world champion,” Joshua said.

“This was a boxing match, not a fight. Parker said this would be war, I said this would be boxing finesse.”

With Joshua earning a reported £15 million ($21 million, 17 million euros) and Parker £7 million, this was easily the biggest fight of the beaten boxer’s career.

The way in which referee Giuseppe Quartarone refused to let any inside close-quarter work develop proved a frustration to both boxers and Parker said: “We could have worked inside more, we can’t change it.

“Of course, I’m young, fit and strong. I’m fit to go 12 rounds, thanks to all the New Zealanders here and back home,” he added.

“He (Joshua) is a good big man and was better on the day. We’ll be back.”

– Wrap row –

Shortly before the bout started, Parker’s promoter, David Higgins, came to the press seats at ringside to allege Joshua’s camp had tried to get his boxer’s hand wraps changed in a bid to unsettle his man, although he added the wraps eventually remained as they were once British Boxing Board of Control general secretary Robert Smith had been consulted.

Joshua had weighed in at 17st 4lbs (110.4kgs) on Friday, well down from a career high of 18st 2lbs (115.5) against Carlos Takam last time out, while Parker came in at 16st 12lbs (102.3).

As Parker’s mother looked on from ringside, Joshua took charge.

A cut around Parker’s left eye was evident from the third round.

Joshua tagged Parker with a solid left in the fourth and landed again seconds before the bell ended that round.

But Parker made some good connections in the fifth and there was a furious exchange early in the sixth, before Quartarone intervened.

Joshua, having been struck late when the referee tried to break up the fight, incurred the wrath of Parker’s trainer, Kevin Barry, when he too landed late in the eighth round.

Both boxers were hampered by Quartarone’s interventions just when it seemed either one of them might unload with a sequence of punches.

The cut round Parker’s left eye worsened and blood emerged from the wound in the tenth round.

But a game Parker kept going and the boos at the end of the contest appeared to be aimed at the referee rather than the boxers.

Florida native Stephens, who has now won all six finals she has competed in, had been determined to win the last tournament at Key Biscayne before it moves next year.

However a nervy final was not easy on the eye with both players appearing to be struggling to get to grips with the occasion.

There were eight breaks of serve in the first set alone — that total eventually ended up at 12 — with French Open champion Ostapenko hitting 48 unforced errors compared to US Open champion Stephens making 21 during the entire one hour and 32 minutes.

The triumph for the American, however, capped an impressive campaign which saw victories over grand slam winners Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Victoria Azarenka before Ostapenko was also dispatched.

“I knew I would have to run a lot of balls down, you have to accept she will hit great shots so I didn’t worry about that too much,” said a delighted Stephens, who will be named in the WTA top 10 for the first time when the new rankings are released on Monday.

“There were pre-match jitters but once I won the first set, I was able to settle,” she added. “I have wanted to be in the top 10 for so long. It’s very exciting.”

Stephens endured a terrible slump after winning her first major but has responded superbly and this first Miami title has set up well for the clay challenges ahead.

She added: “I remember when I found out I needed surgery last year after the Australian Open I was so down but ultimately it gave me a different perspective.

“Even when I am down or people are doubting me, there are so many great opportunities out there I didn’t worry.”

It was the first time either player had made it to the final of a WTA Premier Mandatory event and Ostapenko, at just 20 years and 297 days, was the youngest finalist in Miami since Azarenka won here in 2009.

Ostapenko came into the encounter having not lost a set but the Latvian’s efforts were washed away in a sea of errors and an inability to puncture the Stephens defence.

“Sometimes I was being too aggressive when I didn’t have to but it was working at the beginning,” admitted the world number five, after losing the fourth final of her career despite hitting 25 winners compared to her opponent’s paltry tally of just six.

“A final feels different, there was more pressure and I was missing shots I was hitting earlier in the week,” she said.

“Now I can prepare for the clay but I have some time before going back to the French Open and to think about what it will be like to defend my title.”

There were boos ringing around Crandon Park when tournament director James Blake told the crowd that he would see them next year at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Florida born Stephens loves Key Biscayne and added: “I will miss it and I feel very fortunate to be the last winner here.

“There are so many good things about the tournament – the Iguanas, there is a great pizza place too. Key Biscayne is a hidden gem but I am sure the new place will be great.”

Messi came off the bench with his team two goals down at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as Luis Suarez pulled one back in the 88th minute, before the Argentinian struck the equaliser a minute later.

Barcelona had not lost a league game this term, or in 13 months, but finishes from Franco Vazquez and Luis Muriel looked to have sealed Sevilla a stunning victory.

But Messi came up trumps again and he celebrated his goal, a bending long-range strike into the bottom corner, by rushing to the jubilant coaching staff and substitutes on the touchline.

“If you have Messi and he does not play, it is clear that it has a lot of importance,” coach Ernesto Valverde said.

“He is a player that is decisive every time he touches the ball.”

Barcelona have now gone 37 consecutive league games since losing to Malaga in April last year and stand one match away from equalling Real Sociedad’s record set in 1980.

Messi had been left out of the starting line-up due to a hamstring complaint, with Valverde perhaps keeping one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Roma. Valverde expects him to be available at the Camp Nou.

“Today as a precaution he has not started, but we think that on Wednesday he may be available,” Valverde said.

“We will see how he reacts after today’s effort. But we think it will be fine.”

Messi still made the decisive intervention even if Barca’s draw means Atletico Madrid can cut the gap at the top to nine points by beating Deportivo La Coruna at home on Sunday.

“We do not see the league won,” Valverde said. “Hence the celebration of ours. We know the spirit of the team and the importance of getting a draw here at this moment.”

Sevilla, meanwhile, are still 13 points adrift of the top four, havng played a game more than Valencia, and must recover in time for their own Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

They would have been deserving winners here and, in truth, could have been out of sight had Muriel and Vazquez finished any number of dangerous breaks in the second half.

“We are all a little angry in the dressing room but football is like that,” Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella said. “When you have chances to score you have to score and we had many chances to close the game in the second half.”

– Bale pushes case –

Earlier, Gareth Bale made a strong case for a starting spot against Juventus by scoring twice in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Las Palmas as Cristiano Ronaldo was rested.

Bale’s double in Gran Canaria served as a timely reminder to coach Zinedine Zidane, with the trip to Turin for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to come on Tuesday.

Karim Benzema had doubled Real’s lead before half-time as Los Blancos moved just one point behind second-placed Atletico. Las Palmas stay 18th, seven points adrift of safety.

The only worry for Zidane was the sight of Nacho hobbling off in the first half, with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.

“Everything is positive except one thing, the injury of Nacho,” Zidane said. “He is not happy. It is a concern but hopefully only little and the rest is all good.”

Bale opened the scoring with a trademark run and finish down the left before Benzema converted one penalty and then generously handed over a second, which the Welshman had earned himself.

The question now is whether Zidane was suitably impressed to pick Bale in Italy.

“We will see on Tuesday, I am happy for his performance,” Zidane said.

Girona’s hopes of Europa League qualification took a knock after they were held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Levante. Athletic Bilbao also drew 1-1 at home to Celta Vigo.

Looking for her first LPGA win, Moriya recovered from back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes to fire six birdies and settled for 10 under-par-206 to share the third spot along with Inbee park of South Korea, American Jennifer Song, Englishwomen Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Charley Hull, overnight joint leader Sung Hyun Park of South Korea and Ayako Uehara of Japan.

“I didn’t hit the ball well but it was good enough to give myself a chance for birdies. It’s a little bit of a roller coaster up-and-down from the start. But I just kept myself a little focused and I feel fun to be up-and-down,” said the world No 21.

“I’ve been in a little trouble two weeks ago, and then trying to get back to what I should feel and work on that a lot. This week actually seems like getting back to — it’s not where I was, but at least it feels better. My mind’s not like everywhere on the golf course. At least I can focus better, and that’s what I’m working on. Hopefully if it continues being better and better, so maybe it will come soon,” the 2013 Rookie of the Year said about her chance to have a breakthrough win on the tour.

Her younger sister Ariya, with a third round 68, followed three shots behind with a total 209, three above Pornanong Phatlum.

Thai teenage amateur Atthaya Thitikul hit a 72 for 2 under-par-214.

The 15-year-old, in her second appearance in a major after the British Open last year, fired a second straight 71 to be two-under-par on 142 at the halfway stage, 10 shots behind the lead.

Atthaya, who earned her slot at the year’s opening major by winning the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in February, is the youngest player to make the cut at Mission Hills this week.

She is also one of four Thais – the others are Moriya Jutanugarn, sister Ariya and Pornanong Phatlum – to have qualified to play at the weekend.

The Thai prodigy who became the youngest winner of a professional golf tour event at the Ladies European Thailand Championship last year, says her goal is to finish inside the top 15 tomorrow, which would be her best in a major and represent another sign of her swift progress on the LPGA tour.

“First I wanted to make the cut but now I have achieved that, my next target is to finish in the top 15,” said the girl from Ratchaburi, whose best finish to date was equal 8th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore last month.

However, she says she needed to come up with a good game plan in order to shoot low scores at a course very different from what she has been accustomed to in Asia and Europe.

“This is just my third event in the US. The roughs are a bit longer than in Asia and the greens are quite stiff,” added the 2017 SEA Games individual gold medalist. “You need to hit the fairways and stay away from the roughs or you will be in trouble.”

Atthaya certainly enjoys setting high goals and shooting a bunch of birdies to break into the top ten tomorrow will be a daunting task.

However she performs, she will once again have to watch all around her picking up sizeable cheques for their efforts while she, as an amateur, cannot – but she says she will be richer for the experience.

“I’ve learned that I don’t have to hit the ball with so much power on this type of course,” she said. “I also have to deal with the pressure of trying to make the cut – and I did quite well.” Joint halfway leaders were Park Sung-hyun of South Korea and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg on 12-under-par 132.

Moriya Jutanugarn was the best-placed of the Thai contingent on 140, with sister Ariya one further back and Pornanong one behind Atthaya on 143.

The sixth edition of the Toyota Junior Football Clinic under the supervision of former national striker Piyapong Pue-on will take place in seven provinces between April and June for boys and girls under 12.

“To develop skills from a young age is the most important factor if we want to produce good players for Thai football,” said former national star Piyapong, head coach of the clinic programme. “Under our well-trained coaching team, children will be instructed in how to improve their skills.

The clinic tour will start in Surat Thani on April 28 and will then move on to Ratchaburi on May 12, Khon Kaen on May 19, Bangkok on May 26, Ubon Ratchathani on June 2, Sukhothai on June 9 and end in Chon Buri on June 16.

While the morning sessions will be open for both boys and girls, the afternoons are aimed at finding the best under 12s in the country and will be for the boys only.

Those selected from each venue will return the final round, which will take place on July 1 at the Dhupatemiya Stadium in Bangkok.

Only 24 will make the national squad, which will have training sessions at the Ekkono Method Soccer Service, the Football Association of Thailand’s Academy.

The squad will then have an intensive training with Piyapong ahead of representing Thailand at the Toyota International Junior Cup in Japan later this year.

Thai youngsters have won the tournament, normally staged in the Japanese city of Toyota for the last three years.

All youngsters interested in taking part should call 081-991-9248 for further information or visit http://www.facebook.com/ToyotaFootball.

The 24-year-old star from South Korea shrugged off an opening bogey to card seven birdies and an eagle at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California, to claim a share of the second round lead.

Park, who last year won the US Women’s Open at Trump National in her first year on the LPGA Tour, heads into the weekend on 12 under alongside Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg after 36 holes, leading by three from Jessica Korda of the United States on nine under.

Lindberg, the first round leader, followed up her opening 65 with a five-under-par 67 while Korda remained in the hunt with a 68.

But the day belonged to Korea’s Park, who made the cut of every event she entered in her rookie LPGA season, and was also the first rookie in history to make it to world number one in the rankings.

Friday’s highlight was an eagle two on the par-four 15th, when she holed out from around 100 yards.

“Today the shots were awesome,” Park said afterwards. “I just felt really good about my driver. The shots fell in just as I wanted them to.

“There were a couple things that I missed, but overall just had a great round.”

Park, who has made a slow start to 2018, with three finishes outside the top 10 and a missed cut at the Kia Classic last weekend, said she had rediscovered the poise that helped her win her maiden major at the US Open last year.

“I was super focused at the U.S. Open, and felt just as focused for today’s round,” she said. “It was a bummer to not make the cut last week and I felt pretty disappointed. But I feel like it was a really good comeback today.”

Park’s rise has been all the more remarkable for the fact that she remains one of the few players on tour who does not have a permanent coach.

“I really enjoy the time alone to practice alone,” Park said. “If it comes to the point where I need a coach, I will consider that. But right now, I just feel really good about my game.”

Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden lines up a putt on the 11th green.

Lindberg meanwhile was happy to be sitting alongside Park after a flawless bogey-free round which saw five birdies.

The 31-year-old said she is thriving after reuniting with caddie Daniel Taylor, who is also her fiance.

“He caddied for me for a good five, almost six years, and then we took a break only on the golf course last year when he caddied for a couple of other players,” Lindberg said.

“I felt like it was great for both of us, but I really missed him on the bag. There’s no-one that knows me, my game better than him. I just trust him so much. It was really me kind of begging him to come back on my bag this year.”

With Korda three back from the lead, a pack of four players — English duo Charley Hull and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Japan’s Ayako Uehara and the USA’s Amy Olson — were tied for fourth place on seven under, five adrift of the lead.

The monumental structure’s fancy glass roof has been abandoned in favour of a more spartan metal version.

And the December 2017 construction deadline has been pushed back for the umpteenth time.

The troubles of Samara Arena have come to symbolise the pitfalls of bringing the June 14 to July 15 football showpiece to the sleepiest corners of Russia.

“There is a huge amount of work to be done,” FIFA competitions chief Colin Smith said during a March 21 inspection.

“Obviously we would expect further progress than this.”

– ‘Stairway to the Cosmos’ –

Few doubt that Russia can get its act together and have the Volga River stadium up and working by the time its first scheduled match between Costa Rica and Serbia rolls around on June 17.

But how Samara ended up without a pitch to play on less than three months before kickoff is a murky business that cost the governor his job.

The contract to build a space-themed arena that looked like a flying saucer was awarded to an established regional company a good four years ago.

Organisers even came up with a lofty motto for the 45,000 seater: “A Stairway to the Cosmos”.

The transparent dome was supposed to stetch down to the ground through an intricate mesh of beams that lit up the city skyline at night.

It was a project the likes of which no small Russian city had seen — and one meant to fit the $225 million budget fixed for all stadiums.

Samara authorities complicated matters further by packing money-spinning stores and real estate space into the design that made the arena 40 percent larger than needed.

Workers had downed their tools by the time it became clear in mid-2016 that all this would cost at least $300 million.

Less than half of the stadium was finished and FIFA began taking notice.

How much the entire thing has cost now — and who is paying for it — is not entirely clear.

The local news site 63.ru put the price at $315 million after the translucent dome was replaced with a metal one and other corners were cut.

Delays caused by a new architectural plan and construction approval pushed back the completion date from December to March and then the end of April.

The first test game is now scheduled for April 28 — if the pitch arrives in time.

– ‘We need to wait’ –

Russia’s agriculture ministry gave Samara special permission to buy the German grass to avoid the problems plaguing other Russian arenas.

The pitch is ready but there is nowhere to lay it. The surface on which it is meant to be rolled out is not completed.

Problems were only compounded when a massive flat hothouse designed to keep the soil warm collapsed in February under the weight of snow.

The ground froze over for nearly a month.

“We don’t yet have a pitch and obviously we need to wait for some warmer weather conditions in order to get this pitch installed,” FIFA’s Smith said.

He was wearing a parka and standing in a field of snow outside the frozen stadium at the time.

Temperatures are due to nudge a degree to two above freezing next week as one of Russia’s coldest winters in years begins to let up.

Organisers want to stage two or three matches at each new stadium before the World Cup to see how it all holds up.

“A lot depends on the weather,” Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Friday.

“We want to hold our first test match on April 28. For the time being, we have no plans to postpone it.”