The Kingdom, world-ranked 115, will be underdogs in an event featuring hosts China (world No 72), defending champions and world No 7 Uruguay and 89th-ranked Uzbekistan.

Consadole Sapporo attacking midfielder Chanathip and Muang Thong United striker Teerasil are among the key players included in the 23-man squad announced by caretaker coach Sirisak Yodyadthai yesterday.

Sirisak will be leaning heavily on them after they helped Thailand reach the round of 16 at the Asian Cup in January.

He said yesterday he was confident about them doing the country proud.

“Although we have had a limited time for preparation because of the players’ commitments to League games, I’m not worried as several have played together before,” he said.

“They don’t need much time to adjust. As the Thai League has just begun, I’m sure they are all fit. There are only a few details and tactics to train which won’t take much time.”

Sirisak took over during the Asian Cup, when the War Elephants went out to China in the round of 16, and says the China Cup will present a tougher challenge.

“As all teams in the tournament are stronger, so it will be a bonus if we produce good results,” he added. “For the game against China, we will try and do something different. Just wait and see.”

Several injured players miss out on the trip, however: goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan of Belgian League 2 side Oh Lueven of, Mika Chunonsee of Bangkok United as well as Tanasak Srisai, Sivakorn Tiatrakul and Kroekrit Thaweekarn.

The team will leave Thailand next Tuesday and will play their first game against China on March 21 (6.45pm Bangkok time), followed by Uruguay-Uzbekistan the following day.

The final and the third-placed playoff will both be played on March 25.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Siwarak Tedsungnoen, Chatchai Budprom, Worawut Srisupha

Defenders: Theerathon Bunmathan, Tristan Do, Peerapat Notchaiya, Pansa Hemviboon, Narubadin Weerawatnodom, Suphan Thongsong, Nattapon Malapun, Korrakot Wiriyaudomsiri, Adisorn Promrak

Midfielders: Chanathip Songkrasin, Tanaboon Kesarat, Sarach Yooyen, Sanrawat Dechmitr,Thitiphan Puangchan, Sumanya Purisai, Sasalak Haiprakhon, Peeradon Chamratsamee

Forwards: Teerasil Dangda, Adisak Kraisorn, Surachat Sareepim

 The tournament was the opening leg of this year’s Bt1.5 million  junior badminton competition co-sanctioned between SCG and Thailand’s badminton association.

Kritanai romped past second-seeded Pawut, his boys’ doubles partner 22-20 and 21-19 in 36 minutes to win the title for the second consecutive year. Then the boys’ singles finalists teamed up to edge  out second-seeded Monthon Thanarungrak and Nopasit Checkchuntuk 21-16, 18-21 and 21-17 in 28 minutes.

In girls’ under-17 singles final, last year’s runner-up and top seed Kanita Klanpairee powered past Nattamon Suktan 21-12 and 21-15 to win her first championship title.

Elsewhere, in under-15 singles finals, (girls) Nawinda Baoruang defeated Thanunpat Tipwipakul 21-8, 22-20; (boys) Pupat Suyawaree defeated Norapat Srinamol 21-12, 21-8; in under-13 singles finals, (girls) Nichapa Wechawong defeated Krongkaew Suriyabut 19-21, 21-9, 21-11, Suwarut Utsanont defeated Paswat Bunont 19-21, 21-19, 21-14.

The second leg will be held next weekend at HP court, Chiang Rai.

The 23-year-old Japanese marked his card with one bogey, six birdies and an eagle to share the lead on an 11-under-par 133 total with Sweeney who carded a 66 at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

Malaysia’s Ben Leong (69) and Thailand’s Suttijet Kooratanapisan (66) trailed by one shot in third place while Japanese duo Naoki Sekito (67) and Reo Hiruta (68) take a share of the fifth spot at the Palm Resort Golf and Country Club.

Malaysia’s Araf Shardd carded his first ace of his career on hole 17 with his nine-iron from 159 yards.

Higa made fast charge with a birdie on hole one followed by an eagle on hole three before dropping his first shot on hole six. He went on to grab five more birdies on his way home to move into contention.

“I played very well today and was putting well. Pretty steady round for me and the only mistake I made was on hole six when I three-putted,” said Higa, who claimed his maiden victory in April last year in Bangladesh.

Coming off a joint runner-up finish at the ADT event staged on the same course last week, Higa will seize the opportunity to seek redemption this week.

“I finished tied-second last week and played well. I just need to finish strong and make good use of the next two rounds so that I can win,” added Higa.

The 23-year-old Sweeney nailed birdies on holes one, seven and 11 before dropping his first shot of the day on hole 12. He rallied back to grab two more birdies on holes 13 and 15 and an eagle on hole 16 thanks to a monstrous drive and a solid nine-iron that left him with an eight-foot putt.

“I was putting well today and doing the right things around the greens so I felt really confident all day. I haven’t play hole 12 very well the past two rounds and bogeyed it again today. But I’ll just stay patient and keep doing what I’m doing,” said the American, who only missed six greens in his second round.

Playing in only his third start on the ADT, Sweeney was thrilled to make the halfway cut for the first time this year since making the mark at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January with a tied-21st result.

“I am very happy that I made my first cut on the ADT in my first three starts this year. After last week I just told myself to stay positive and keep going and I’m glad my game is trending in the right direction,” added Sweeney, who is chasing for his breakthrough victory this week.

A total of 54 players made the halfway cut set at one-under-par 143.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive a minimum of six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

For more information, visit www.asiandevelopmenttour.com

Leading second round scores:

133 – Kerry Sweeney 67 66, Kazuki Higa 68 65

134 – Suttijet Kooratanapisan 68 66, Ben Leong 65 69136 – Naoki Sekito 69 67, Reo Hiruta 68 68137 – Wang Wei-lun 66 71, Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij 68 69

138 – Oscar Zetterwall 68 70, Leunkwang Kim 66 72, Wilson Choo 70 68, Shahriffuddin Ariffin 71 67, U-Minn Woon 72 66, Shintaro Kobayashi 71 67, Miguel Carballo 70 68, Itthipat Buranatanyarat 69 69, Joohyung Kim 68 70

Clean, virtually crime-free Tokyo has been spared the terror attacks that have hit many Western cities in recent years, and is considered a relatively safe bet for the Games — it is often ranked as low-risk by insurance and risk-management firms.

But that security goes out of the window when it comes to hosting the Greatest Show on Earth, says Shiro Kawamoto, counter-terrorism expert and professor of risk management at Nihon University.

“Tokyo’s safeness in normal times cannot be taken for granted during the Olympics when the world’s attention is on it,” Kawamoto told AFP.

So Tokyo is pulling out all the technological stops to bolster safety — for example, in an Olympic first, introducing a facial recognition system for volunteers.

Organisers are also bracing for a cyberattack similar to that which blighted the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics opening ceremony, where internet and wifi access were brought down.

“We are preparing on the assumption there will be a cyberattack,” said Kenji Endo, a senior government official in charge of Tokyo 2020.

The government has set up an elite unit of police and defence ministry experts to counter a possible cyber threat.

For terrorist attacks, Tokyo has not experienced a large-scale atrocity since the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult released Sarin gas on the subway in 1995, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more.

But an attack on New Year’s Eve — where a man deliberately rammed a car up one of Tokyo’s best-known streets and injured nine people — jolted Tokyo out of its complacency.

Counter-terrorism drills are being conducted regularly and officials are urging the public to be vigilant.

With petty crime much lower than in other major capitals, people generally pay little attention to abandoned baggage, for example.

“To avoid a suspicious object in a train suddenly exploding, someone has to spot it and call police or station staff,” Kawamoto said.

– ‘Most dangerous period’ –

The ever-present threat of natural disasters is also keeping Olympics officials up at night, with Tokyo being one of the world’s most seismically active capitals and Japan battered last year by typhoons and heatwaves.

“As for natural disasters, we think the biggest challenge is to prepare for a big quake that is impossible to predict,” said Akio Sato, senior official at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Rigid building codes mean even strong tremors often do little damage but the government estimates up to 23,000 could die if a magnitude seven quake hit Tokyo directly.

Panic and a lack of preparation could cause more unnecessary damage, experts warn.

Mindful that hundreds of thousands will be coming from overseas, the Japan Tourism Agency has upgraded its “safety tips” app with information on major disasters, evacuation shelters and medical organisations.

The 2020 Games will take place “during the most dangerous period — in the middle of typhoon season,” Nobuyuki Tsuchiya, head of a Tokyo environmental organisation, told AFP.

Typhoon Jebi pummelled Japan last year, lashing the whole country with ferocious winds and driving rain that killed 11 people.

If similar typhoon-created high tides were to hit Tokyo, the water “will not be gone for about two weeks,” said Tsuchiya.

Tokyo’s eastern lowlands, where roughly 2.5 million people live, also host Olympic volleyball and swimming venues.

Floodwater could drain into the city’s massive subway system and inundate not only transport but also underground malls in other parts of the city, Tsuchiya warned.

In response, Tokyo Metro, the Japanese capital’s largest subway operator, has been scrambling to set up watertight doors at some 400 subway entrances in case of flooding.

– Security issues –

Organisers have had to take expensive measures to combat the heat during the Games, which are taking place at the height of the sweltering Tokyo summer.

The start time for the marathon has been moved to early morning and organisers plan heat-busting measures such as water-sprinklers along the route, swelling the event’s budget.

Authorities should also study “contingency plans including a decision to suspend the event,” said Toshitaka Katada, professor of disaster prevention at the University of Tokyo.

“That kind of decision-making tends to be delayed” if not discussed in advance, especially regarding who decides the cancellation and in which circumstances, he said.

Any such decision would be taken by the IOC, while “the Japanese government will give necessary advice over important security issues,” said government official Endo.

Toyko 2020 official Kaho Akiyama said organisers were prepared to deal with a crisis if it arises.

“To help deal with any emergencies, we are preparing evacuation plans for each venue, and are considering the offer of multilingual support to facilitate prompt and smooth evacuation,” she told AFP.

Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) topped the standings on Day 1 of the official MotoE™ Jerez Test with a 1:48.984, heading Niki Tuuli (Ajo Motorsport MotoE) by 0.433, with Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-racing) third at the end of action.

The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup riders got their first piece of 2019 Energica Ego Corsa action of the year underway at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, with their most recent test having taken place at the end of November in 2018. Tricky conditions met the riders then, but there were no such worries on Wednesday in Jerez and, as well as a solid day’s testing, there was also chance to see the teams donning their 2019 liveries for the first time out on track.

Just over half a second back from Granado in fourth place on Day 1 was Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), with Alex De Angelis (Alma Pramac Racing) completing a top five covered by 0.591. His teammate Josh Hook was seventh, the Australian sitting just ahead of veteran former Grand Prix rider Randy De Puniet (LCR E-Team) and fellow premier class podium finisher Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) in seventh and eighth respectively. Just over a second covered the fastest eight riders on Wednesday, with the top ten completed by Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) fresh from scoring points as a replacement rider in Moto2™ and Italian Lorenzo Savadori (Trentino Gresini MotoE).

The riders will be back out for another two days of testing on Thursday and Friday, stay tuned!

World number two Nadal overpowered Serbian qualifier Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-4 to book his quarter-final berth in one hour and 26 minutes.

Federer, seeking a record sixth title in the California desert, needed just 64 minutes to get past Britain’s Kyle Edmund 6-1, 6-4.

Nadal said his performance on a windy stadium court wasn’t as good as his 6-3, 6-1 third-round win over Argentine Diego Schwartzman.

But he was more than a match for 113th-ranked Krajinovic, breaking him early in each set and saving the only break point he faced.

Nadal, who lifted the Indian Wells trophy in 2007, 2008 and 2013, is in the last eight for the first time in three years after missing last year’s edition, skipping both Indian Wells and the Miami Masters with a hip injury.

He next will take on 13th-ranked Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat world number nine John Isner 6-4, 7-6 (7/1).

Khachanov produced just one ace to the big-serving American’s 12 but stretched his record over Isner to 4-0.

Fourth-seeded Federer, fresh off his 100th career title, looked poised to finish off Edmund in less than an hour.

But the Swiss great had to fight off three break points as he served for the match, just a small speed bump in a match that he took charge of early.

“He didn’t have the best start, so that cost him the first set,” Federer said. “Second set, it was definitely better. I think he probably struggled throughout a little bit. He never really got going.

“Conditions are tough with the glare, and the jump of the ball it’s sometimes hard to find the rhythm and timing.”

Federer will fight for a semi-final berth against 22-year-old Pole Hubert Hurkacz.

Hurkacz, ranked 67th in the world, sent 25th-ranked Canadian Denis Shapovalov packing 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-3.

Although he’ll be an overwhelming favorite against Hurkacz, Federer said he wouldn’t take a semi-final meeting with Nadal for granted.

“I hope I can get there,” Federer said, “but I’m not going to underestimate Hubert.”

– Kecmanovic capitalizes –

A day after world number one Novak Djokovic tumbled out of the third round, 19-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic kept the Serbian flag flying.

Kecmanovic became the first lucky loser to reach the last eight at Indian Wells since the ATP’s Masters 1000 series launched in 1990.

Kecmanovic, ranked 130th in the world, had taken the first set against Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 when the 74th-ranked Japanese retired because of injury.

Kecmanovic, who gained entry to the second round when fifth-seeded Kevin Anderson withdrew with an elbow injury, is in his first ATP quarter-final.

Kecmanovic is the last teen left in the men’s draw, after the departure of 19-year-old Shapovalov.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 40-year-old Croatian Ivo Karlovic’s run came to an end with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to 25-year-old seventh seed Dominic Thiem.

Thiem needed less than an hour to subdue the 89th-ranked Karlovic, surrendering just seven points on his own serve and punishing Karlovic’s second serve.

Thiem said putting 87 percent of his first serves in play was key in his first meeting with Karlovic.

“I felt pretty confident on my own service games. That’s what I transferred also to the return games,” he said. “I made two breaks in the right moment I would say.”

Thiem will next face either 18th-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils or unseeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who stunned world number one Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday.

Jeonbuk looked the more impressive side in the opening stages and Lee Dong-gook’s volley had to be deflected wide in the 14th minute.

Two minutes later, Siwarak Tedsungnoen did well to hold onto Ricardo Lopes’ awkward bouncing shot from distance.

A piece of magic from Supachai Jaided almost opened the scoring for the home side in the 27th minute but, after twisting and turning to make space for the 20-yard shot, his effort was tipped wide by Song Beom-keun.

Just before half-time Lee Dong-gook had another sight of goal but slashed his volley well off target. Suchao Nutnum then had the home crowd on their feet when he curled a free-kick just wide.

Buriram made a strong start to the second half when Andres Tunez floated a ball to the edge of the Jeonbuk area. Pedro Junior brilliantly took the ball down and smashed a dipping volley just over the bar.

And the hosts took the lead in the 50th minute with an excellent strike on the break. Pedro led the counter attack and his through ball found Supachok on the left. Supachok took a touch before drilling his shot in at the near post from 14 yards out.

Buriram came close to making it 2-0 in the 59th minute when Pedro’s glancing header forced a decent save from Song Beom-keun.

The visitors started to exert some pressure as they went for the equaliser but the home defence stood firm as a series of crosses into the penalty area were repelled.

But Lopes was unlucky not to level the score when he cut inside on the left of the Buriram box and smashed a shot off the bar.

With the game entering the final 10 minutes, Lopes pulled off a similar move and this time his strike was deflected narrowly wide.

But Buriram United held firm to take the three points and they now travel to Beijing FC on Matchday Three. In Group G’s other game, the 2016 champions play the 2017 champions when Jeonbuk go to Japan to face Urawa Reds.

After Ronaldo’s treble on Tuesday for Juventus sent Atletico Madrid packing in Turin, Messi delivered his own symphony at the Camp Nou, where Lyon were outplayed save for a very brief period in the second half when they threatened a comeback in this last-16 tie.

A 0-0 draw in France in the first leg last month meant Lyon always had a chance to make Barca nervous, but Messi’s sumptuously chipped penalty and a simple finish from Philippe Coutinho looked to have finished the tie before half-time.

Yet Lucas Tousart’s volley left Lyon one goal away from putting Barcelona out, only for Messi to take charge. He scored once more, before teeing up Gerard Pique and Ousmane Dembele to complete the victory.

Messi now has 108 goals in the Champions League, behind Ronaldo’s imperious 124, but his latest double takes his team one step closer to the trophy they crave the most.

They go into Friday’s draw for the last eight as the sole Spanish representative, along with Juventus, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Porto and Ajax.

The last time Spain only had one team left at this stage of the competition was 2010 and after Atletico Madrid’s exit to Juventus on Tuesday, Barca needed to win to avoid the first Spanish black-out in the quarter-finals since 2005.

Coutinho had been whistled off by his own fans last weekend but was picked to start, preferred to Dembele who had just recovered from a hamstring strain. World Cup winner Nabil Fekir started for Lyon, having served a suspension in the first leg.

Lyon could barely escape their own penalty area in early exchanges as Messi got to work. He fired one shot towards the top corner and then latched onto a Sergio Busquets pass but Anthony Lopes sprung out to intercept.

– Exquisite –

Jason Denayer was not as quick in the 16th minute. By the time he had twisted to follow Messi’s pass, the excellent Luis Suarez was a step ahead. Denayer slid but was nowhere near the ball and Suarez dragged his foot to make the contact clear.

A penalty was given, although Messi was made to wait while VAR checked but there was no sign of tension. His chip down the middle was exquisite.

Lyon improved and Moussa Dembele’s shot needed a strong block from Clement Lenglet before Lopes collided with Coutinho and had to be replaced, in tears, in the 34th minute by Mathieu Gorgelin.

That was not before Barca had scored a second as the faultless Arthur Melo played an angled pass into Suarez, who wriggled clear. With only Lopes to beat, he tapped across for Coutinho, who had an open net.

Suarez let the ball run through his, and Marcelo’s, legs while Messi twice could have added a third, once before half-time when he was denied from the angle, and once shortly after, when Fernando Marcal cleared his lifted finish off the line.

Lyon looked dead and buried but found a way back in just before the hour. It came from a corner, which Barca three times failed to clear. Amid the scramble, Tousart had time to chest and volley into the corner.

For 10 minutes, Barcelona were edgy but while Fekir lashed over, Lyon failed to step forward. Their momentum subsided and Messi finished them off in a late flurry.

First, his dummy sent Denayer and Marcelo flying and his shot was too strong for the weak hand of Gorgelin. Then, he twice tore away on the counter-attack, finding Pique at the back post and finally Dembele, who made it five.

A Sadio Mane double and Virgil van Dijk’s towering header secured a 3-1 win on the night in Munich and on aggregate to secure Liverpool’s place in Friday’s quarter-final draw alongside three other English sides.

“The second half (was) very, very mature. First half we should have played a bit more football,” said Klopp.

“It’s absolutely deserved that’s the main news I would say, because it’s so difficult to play away here at Bayern. They didn’t lose a lot of games (here).

“It’s a really big one, I’m so proud of the boys and how they did it.”

Defeat may signal the end of an era for a Bayern side that has reached the semi-finals in six of the past seven seasons, including when they beat Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund side to win the Champions League in 2012/13.

However, Klopp denied victory in Munich was especially sweet given his past history with German champions Bayern.

“I’m not like this. I did not want to beat Bayern for beating Bayern, I wanted to win for Liverpool,” he added.

“We had so many people here tonight, the crowd was brilliant here creating an away atmosphere you need. A brilliant night for Liverpool again in the Champions League.”

Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United’s presence also in the last eight makes an all-English clash in the quarter-finals likely, but Klopp would rather avoid Liverpool’s Premier League rivals.

“We all would say the same, it is Champions League. We try to play teams from Europe.

“Whoever we get as an opponent we will take. The boys love the competition.”