Sports

AMMAN  — Jordan ended the year at 87th when the latest FIFA World Rankings were issued on Thursday.

The Kingdom dropped five spots this month, after they lost to Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in its return leg Group B qualifier for the 2018 World Cup doubling as part of the qualification for 2019 Asian Cup.

Belgium still leads the World top 10 ahead of Argentina, Spain, Germany, Chile, Brazil, Portugal, Columbia, England and Austria. 

Jordan dropped to 10th in Asia trailing Iran (45), South Korea (51), Japan (53), Australia (57), the UAE (65), Uzbekistan (74), Saudi Arabia (80), China (84) and Qatar (86). 

Jordan is now second in Group B after Australia took the lead as it beat Bangladesh 4-0. The Kingdom had scored two consecutive wins and beat Asian champs Australia 2-0 and Tajikistan 3-0 in the previous two qualifiers. In the first leg, Jordan was held to a disappointing 0-0 draw with Kyrgyzstan, beat Tajikistan 3-1, Bangladesh 4-0. Forty teams are playing home and away in a round-robin format in the current second qualifying round which runs until March 2016. 

Jordan went up 17 spots to 82nd last month, before playing its last qualifier, and after overcoming Malta 2-0 in a friendly.

The Kingdom had the most memorable World Cup qualifying journey in 2013 when it lost a possible chance to play at the World Cup for the first time and advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie for a place in the 2014 World Cup. It lost the home game 5-0 and held the former World Cup champs 0-0 in the away match. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in the qualifiers in 1985. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times in the qualifiers.

In the Asian Cup, Jordan reached the championship three times since first taking part in qualifiers in 1972: the pinnacle was at the 13th Asian Cup, when it lost to Japan in the quarter-finals and jumped to the best ever FIFA rank of 37th in August 2004. In 2011 Jordan again reached the quarter-finals. 

Earlier in 2015, Jordan’s line-up was led by Briton Ray Wilkins under whom the team failed to advance past the group of the 16th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. Ahmad Abdul Qader took over in the transitional phase under whom the team played the first qualifier. Belgian Paul Put took over since July. 

Jordan’s FIFA monthly rank

AMMAN — Ramtha will take on Wihdat, Shabab Urdun play Baqa’a and Faisali go up against Hussein Irbid in Week 10 of the 64th Jordan Professional Football League kicking off on Friday.

Wihdat maintained their lead after a 2-1 win over That Ras. Faisali jumped up to second after a 4-0 drubbing of Kufrsoum. Hussein Irbid play Faisali this week after they climbed to third following their 2-1 win over Shabab Urdun, who dropped to fourth.

Last season’s runner-up Jazira are now on the bottom of the table at 10th and next play last season’s third placed That Ras who are now 8th. 

Newcomers Asala, who scored their first win 1-0 over Baqa’a next play Ahli who beat Ramtha 1-0. Sarih who are up to 7th after a 2-1 win over Jazira next play Kufrsoum.

Former champs Shabab Urdun, who were top of the table last season, have now dropped to fourth as financial issues had a toll on the team with players ditching practice as the club enlisted U-18 and U-20 line-ups to represent the club in the rest of matches if players insist on their stand.

Meanwhile, the Jordan Football Association on Thursday announced that the Jordan Cup quarters set for December 15-16 would be postponed as the U-23 is set to leave for a training camp ahead of their 2nd AFC U-23 Championship.

So far this season, Jordan Cup titleholders Faisali beat league titleholders Wihdat 1-0 to win the 33rd Super Cup. Faisali finished at a disappointing 7th place in the league last season as runner-up and third places went to Jazira and Ramtha. 

Wihdat, eliminated from the Jordan Cup,  have been league champions for the past two consecutive seasons.

League Standings 
(Last week’s position in parenthesis) 

PHILADELPHIA — Kobe Bryant won over the fans. He just couldn’t beat the previously winless Philadelphia 76ers.

With the spotlight on Bryant during the final game of his career in his hometown, the Sixers stole the show and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 103-91 on Tuesday night for their first victory of the season.

The Sixers had lost their first 18 games, and 28 overall dating to last season — the longest skid in the history of major professional sports in the United States. But they remained tied for the worst start in NBA history with the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets, who also opened 0-18.

Robert Covington scored 23 points for the Sixers, who won their first game since March 25 at Denver.

Bryant, who will end his 20-year career this season, opened the first leg of his farewell tour in his hometown and was feted with the kind of reverence and gratitude normally reserved for a Sixers great.

He buried a 3-pointer off the opening tip and hit another 3 on the next possession. Bryant made it 3 for 3 and had the Philly crowd chanting “M-V-P!” as he turned back the clock to his championship form. He scored 20 points on 7-of-26 shooting and made four 3s.

Washington’s John Wall scored a season-high 35 points as the Wizards handed the Cleveland Cavaliers their first home loss of the season 97-85.

The Wizards, who never trailed, scored the first 10 points of the game and went on a 9-0 run to begin the second half in snapping a four-game losing streak.

LeBron James had 24 points, but the Cavaliers lost for the first time in 10 games this season at Quicken Loans Arena.

In New Orleans, Marc Gasol scored a career-high 38 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Pelicans 113-104.

The Pelicans lost despite the return of starting guard Tyreke Evans and top reserve Norris Cole. Evans had 20 points and 10 assists, but that wasn’t enough to overcome a Grizzlies squad that scored 52 points in the paint and missed only one of 26 free throws.

The Orlando Magic edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 96-93 for their fourth straight victory after Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Elfrid Payton had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Andrew Nicholson scored 15 for the Magic, who have won four straight for the first time since December 2012.

Deron Williams had a season-high 30 points as the Dallas won 115-112 in overtime over the Trail Blazers in Wesley Matthews’ first trip back to Portland since signing with the Mavericks as a free agent, while Brook Lopez scored 23 points as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Phoenix Suns 94-91.

SALT LAKE CITY — Stephen Curry scored 26 points as the Golden State Warriors held on for their NBA-record 19th consecutive win to start the season, 106-103 over the Utah Jazz on Monday.

With the game tied at 101 with 51 seconds left, Curry hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to give the Warriors the lead. Rodney Hood scored 14 seconds later to bring the Jazz within one.

After Curry missed a 3, the Jazz had a chance to take the lead, but Hood missed a 3 from the wing with 5 seconds left. Curry hit two free throws and Gordon Hayward’s half-court heave at the buzzer fell way short.

Klay Thompson added 20 points for the Warriors, including four 3-pointers. Hayward led the Jazz with 24 points.

Atlanta’s Paul Millsap scored 26 points and Jeff Teague made all the big shots down the stretch, sending the Hawks to a 106-100 victory that ended Oklahoma City’s four-game winning streak.

Russell Westbrook had 34 points, including a drive with 2:49 remaining that gave the Thunder their first lead since scoring the opening basket. Westbrook knocked down a jumper to push Oklahoma City to a four-point lead.

Teague took control from there. He finished with 25 points, while Al Horford added 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Kevin Durant, selected Western Conference player of the week, after coming back from a left hamstring injury, had 25 points.

In Los Angeles, Blake Griffin scored 23 points and DeAndre Jordan had a season-high 24 rebounds along with 18 points as the Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 102-87 for their third straight victory.

Griffin, who began the day with an NBA-best .548 field goal percentage, made eight of 19 shots and grabbed eight boards. Chris Paul had 10 points and six assists in 24 minutes, leaving in the third quarter because of a strained rib muscle.

Griffin’s 450 points are the most by a Clippers player through the first 18 games of a season since the franchise relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984-85.

The Chicago Bulls edged the San Antonio Spurs 92-89 after Pau Gasol had 18 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots, while Boston’s Avery Bradley scored 25 points and forced a big turnover when he knocked away a pass by Dwyane Wade with a minute remaining in the Celtics’ 105-95 win over the Miami Heat.

In other games, Greg Monroe scored 18 points as the Milwaukee Bucks forced 24 turnovers that led to 35 points in handing Denver its seventh consecutive loss 92-74, the Detroit Pistons downed the Houston Rockets 116-105 and the Sacramento Kings were 112-98 winners over the Dallas Mavericks.

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant has decided to retire after this season, ending his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 37-year-old Bryant made the announcement in a post on The Players’ Tribune on Sunday, writing a poem titled “Dear Basketball”.

“My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye,” wrote Bryant, the third-leading scorer in NBA history. “And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go. I want you to know now. So we both can savour every moment we have left together. The good and the bad. We have given each other all that we have.”

Bryant went straight from high school in suburban Philadelphia to the Lakers in 1996, and he earned five championship rings and 17 All-Star selections during two decades with the franchise — the longest tenure with one team in NBA history. The top scorer in Lakers history also won two Olympic gold medals.

But Bryant’s last three seasons have ended early due to injuries, and he played in only 41 games over the previous two years. He has struggled mightily in the first 15 games of this season with mostly young teammates on a rebuilding roster, making a career-worst 32 per cent of his shots and dealing with pain and exhaustion every day.

The Lakers (2-13) hosted the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, and fans arriving at Staples Centre received a letter from Bryant in a black envelope embossed with gold.

“What you’ve done for me is far greater than anything I’ve done for you,” Bryant wrote. “I knew that each minute of each game I wore purple and gold. I honour it as I play today and for the rest of this season. My love for this city, this team and for each of you will never fade. Thank you for this incredible journey.”

In recent months, Bryant repeatedly said he didn’t know whether he would play another season, clearly hoping for a rebound in his health and the Lakers’ fortunes.

Neither has happened, and the ever-impatient Bryant didn’t wait any longer to decide his future.

“Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “Whether competing in the Finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game. I join Kobe’s millions of fans around the world in congratulating him on an outstanding NBA career and thank him for so many thrilling memories.”

Bryant warmed up for Sunday’s game amidst even more than the usual swarm of camera phones and flashes surrounding the court. He lip-synched along with a song during drills, and he stopped several times to hug familiar faces at courtside, including actor Michael B. Jordan, longtime Lakers fan Arsenio Hall and former Pacers great Reggie Miller, who got a long bear hug.

Bryant then missed his first six shots, including three 3-pointers, before making a layup late in the first quarter. He finished the first half with six points on 2-for-15 shooting.

Even during his late-career struggles with the foundering Lakers, Bryant’s fans have remained devoted to the 1.98-metre star who won titles alongside Shaquille O’Neal in 2000, 2001 and 2002 before teaming with Pau Gasol for two more in 2009 and 2010. Only 13 players in league history played on more championship teams than Bryant.

And even with the Lakers already likely to miss the play-offs for the third straight season — a first in franchise history — Bryant intends to keep going. He decided to suit up against the Pacers on Sunday even after playing 34 minutes at Portland on Saturday night.

“He kind of shocked me when he told me,” said Lakers coach Byron Scott, Bryant’s teammate during the 1996-97 season. “I’m just sad, more than anything. It’s always hard when greatness like Kobe decides to hang it up. ... I thought he probably had at least another year, but this year isn’t over.”

Bryant is the NBA’s highest-paid player this season with a $25 million salary bestowed on him by grateful Lakers owner Jim Buss despite his recent injury problems.

Bryant’s presence guarantees wild crowds wherever the Lakers play. He has been tirelessly devoted to the franchise, repeatedly declaring he would never play for another NBA team in his final seasons despite the Lakers’ wholesale rebuilding process following the disastrous 2012-13 season with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.

But Bryant’s departure will allow the Lakers to split between the past and the future, with young prospects Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson taking on leading roles rather than deferring to their superstar teammate.

General Manager Mitch Kupchak has spent his entire career building rosters around Bryant, but the executive acknowledged frustration with the Lakers’ incredible struggles in Bryant’s final two seasons.

“Clearly we’re not playing at the kind of level that a player of Kobe’s age and experience finds challenging, kind of like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel,” said Kupchak, who didn’t learn of Bryant’s decision until Sunday afternoon. “So I’m not surprised that he would make the announcement now. I think the game will be easier for him now. I think he’ll be able to enjoy the rest of the season.”

Bryant repeatedly declared that he didn’t want a farewell tour in the style of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Derek Jeter, his friend and The Players’ Tribune founder. Yet the Lakers’ eight-game road trip beginning next week is almost certain to begin a prolonged goodbye to Bryant, one of the NBA’s most popular and most divisive players.

Bryant already has received long ovations on road trips this season, particularly in places like New York and Miami where crowds sensed that they might be seeing him as an opponent for the final time.

The Lakers’ next road game is in Philadelphia on Tuesday — perhaps not coincidentally, given the otherwise strange timing of Bryant’s announcement.

“Philly is where I grew up,” Bryant told AP in an interview in Miami earlier this month. “It’s always a different emotion there than anywhere else.”

Bryant was the first guard ever to be drafted directly out of high school, taken 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Lakers. Although he won the dunk contest at All-Star weekend as a rookie, his Lakers didn’t become title contenders until coach Phil Jackson arrived in 1999 and built a three-time champion around Kobe and Shaq.

Bryant made a fourth NBA Finals appearance in 2004 despite his preseason arrest for sexual assault and subsequent legal proceedings that sometimes required him to fly from Colorado to Los Angeles on game days. The assault case against Bryant was dropped in September 2004, but his acknowledged poor behaviour affected his reputation and endorsement deals for years.

Bryant scored 81 points against Toronto on January 22, 2006, the second highest-scoring performance in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. The Lakers struggled until Gasol arrived via trade in 2008 and they appeared in the next three NBA Finals, winning two.

OAKLAND, California — Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 19 points in the first quarter and Draymond Green had his second straight triple-double as the Golden State Warriors extended their NBA record to 18 straight wins at the start of a season Saturday with a 120-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Leading by 10 points at halftime, the defending champion Warriors opened the third quarter with a 27-8 run that included four 3-pointers by Brandon Rush to build the lead to 29 points. The Kings never got close the rest of the game.

Green had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, becoming the first Warriors player with back-to-back triple-doubles since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964. A night earlier, he had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 135-116 win at Phoenix.

Rush had 16 points and Klay Thompson added 15 for the Warriors.

Rudy Gay scored 20 points for Sacramento.

“They’re on a magic carpet ride right now. They’re playing great,” Gay said. “They’re just playing well right now. They’re moving the ball and everybody’s shooting the ball. Their defence is great. You hate to be on the losing side of it, but it’s impressive.”

The Warriors’ 22nd straight regular-season victory — a streak that includes four wins at the end of last season — tied the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for the third-longest such streak in NBA history, trailing only the 33 straight by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers and 27 in a row by the 2012-13 Miami Heat.

Elsewhere, LeBron James made a running hook shot with a second left and scored 26 points, giving Cleveland a 90-88 victory over Brooklyn.

After Joe Johnson’s three foul shots tied it with 15.2 seconds left, the Cavaliers called timeout and took the ball at midcourt. James took the inbounds pass, dribbled to the top of the key before cutting to the right of the lane and hitting a hook shot over Brook Lopez.

James scored 10 points and added a key steal late in the game to help Cleveland remain unbeaten at home in nine games. Kevin Love also scored 26 points for Cleveland.

Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points as San Antonio won its fifth straight, holding the Atlanta to several season lows offensively in a 108-88 win.

San Antonio matched a season high with nine 3-pointers in winning its 18th consecutive home game against Atlanta and 10th straight overall against the Hawks.

Atlanta had season lows for points in any quarter (12 in the second) and first-half points (37) and matched a season low for total points. The Hawks’ starters finished with 38 points.

In Washington, Cory Joseph made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Toronto past Washington 84-82.

Joseph took DeMar DeRozan’s pass in the corner and nailed the winning shot. He finished with 12 points as Toronto won its fourth straight despite tying a season high with 22 turnovers

Kyle Lowry scored 27 points for the Raptors.

Portland’s Damian Lillard scored 29 points as the Trail Blazers handed the Los Angeles Lakers their fifth straight loss, 108-96.

Dallas’ Deron Williams scored 22 points and Zaza Pachulia added 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Mavericks beat Denver 92-81 to end a three-game losing streak.

Alec Burks scored 21 points as Utah beat New Orleans 101-87.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — LeBron James had 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 95-90 victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Kevin Love had a double-double at halftime and finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds as the Cavaliers ended Charlotte’s seven-game home winning streak and improved to 4-4 on the road.

Richard Jefferson added 13 points and Tristan Thompson pulled down 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Kemba Walker had 18 points and Nicolas Batum added 17 points and eight rebounds to lead Charlotte.

The Hornets led most of the way and took a 76-72 advantage into the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers rallied to take the lead with a little more than 6 minutes to play behind a 3-pointer and a driving layup by Matthew Dellavedova.

Charlotte stayed close and Batum missed a contested 3-pointer from the top of the key with 20 seconds left, as the Cavs put the game away.

Stephen Curry scored 41 points in three quarters, Draymond Green had a triple-double and the Golden State Warriors beat Phoenix 135-116, extending their NBA-record start to 17-0.

The Warriors set a franchise mark for 3-pointers with 22, one shy of the league record.

Curry made a season-high nine of his 16 attempts from long range in his 14th career 40-point game, five of them this season. Green had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his third career triple-double, two this season.

The Warriors, in their highest-scoring game of the season, set another NBA mark by making 15 3-pointers (in 20 attempts) in the first half. Leandro Barbosa added 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including 5 for 5 on 3-points.

Kevin Durant had 34 points and 13 rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Detroit Pistons 103-87 for their fourth straight win.

Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Enes Kanter added 14 points apiece for the Thunder. In a matchup of the NBA’s top two rebounding teams, the No. 2 Thunder out-rebounded the No. 1 Pistons 58-38. Detroit centre Andre Drummond, who was leading the league with 17.8 rebounds per game, finished with seven.

James Harden had 50 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and the Houston Rockets beat the winless Philadelphia 76ers 116-114.

Harden was 14 for 28 from the field and 16 for 20 at the line in his third career game with 50 or more points.

Philadelphia moved one loss away from matching the New Jersey Nets’ NBA-worst mark of 18 losses to open a season. The Sixers have dropped 27 in a row dating to last season for the longest losing streak in major US professional sports history, passing the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to ‘77. The previous record was also matched by the 76ers in 2013-14.

Robert Covington had 28 points for Philadelphia, which made a franchise-record 16 3-pointers in 35 attempts.

Gerald Green scored a season-high 25 points while starting in place of Luol Deng, and the Miami Heat beat New York 97-78.

Chris Bosh added 20 points and Dwyane Wade had 17 for the Heat.

Jared Sullinger had 18 points and 15 rebounds in three quarters and Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points, leading the Boston Celtics to a 111-78 rout of the Washington Wizards.

Also Friday, the Atlanta Hawks had a 116-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Orlando Magic cruised to a 114-90 win over the Milwaukee Bucks and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets 91-80.

AMMAN — Wihdat will aim to capitalise on their lead, taking advantage of Shabab Urdun’s faltering when Week 9 of the 64th Jordan Professional Football League kicks off Sunday.

Wihdat beat Ahli 2-0 this week to climb back to the top spot ahead of their match against That Ras, who held Sarih 0-0.

Shabab Urdun seem set to lose more than their lead. The team was held 2-2 with Kufrsoum as the former champs now have more stumbling blocks to overcome. Financial issues and late payments of salaries prompted players to skip practice. Angered by players attitude at a crucial point in the competition, coaching staff submitted their resignations following which a meeting of club officials tried to get things on track ahead of Sunday’s match against Hussein Irbid. 

Club President Salim Kheir was quoted as saying “if players do not back down, then the U-18 and U-20 line-ups would represent the club in the rest of matches.’’

Meanwhile, former champs Faisali beat Jazira 1-0 to move up to third ahead of their match against Kufrsoum. Ramtha moved up to fourth after a 2-0 win over Baqa’a ahead of their match against Ahli, who dropped to sixth and next play Ramtha.

Hussein Irbid also moved up to fifth after a 2-0 win over Asala who next play Baqa’a for their first win while Jazira play Sarih.

So far this season, Jordan Cup titleholder Faisali beat league titleholders Wihdat 1-0 to win the 33rd Super Cup.

Wihdat have been league champions for the past two consecutive years. Apart from conceding the Super Cup, they were knockout out of the Jordan Cup as well this season.

League Standings 
(Last week’s position in parenthesis)

BERLIN — International federations need to change to become more transparent with some of them still stuck in their “old-school” past, Jordan Olympic Committee chief HRH Prince Feisal said on Wednesday.

Prince Feisal, who is an International Olympic Committee member and whose brother, HRH Prince Ali, is running for the presidency of world football’s governing body FIFA, said the image of professional sports was taking a hit.

World athletics (IAAF) and FIFA are in the midst of their deepest crisis in their respective long histories with top officials investigated for corruption, money-laundering and bribery, while allegations of widespread doping in professional sports has already led to the ban of Russian track and field athletes, with new IAAF chief Sebastian Coe under mounting pressure.

“When you are looking at high-level athletes it does make it challenging with the difficulties several federations are facing,” said Prince Feisal, who is also founder and chairman of nonprofit, peace-building organisation Generations For Peace, when asked by Reuters about the consequences of the current scandals on world sports.

“We do feel globally there is the impression that professional sports are unfortunately corrupt because of some of the issues,” he said in a conference call, adding federations needed to become more transparent.

“We would love to see transformation occur. We would like to see greater openness, transparency and accountability. As members of a sports authority we have the responsibility to be transparent and accountable,” he said.

He said federations and sports organisations were now all brushed into the same category despite major differences in transparency between them. “That is not fair,” he said.

“But not everybody has been able to transform. Some people may be very old-school and have not evaluated their processes to have that transparency and accountability in place.”

He said it was up to the individual federations to put these mechanisms in place, before giving his brother a ringing endorsement for the FIFA top job.

“We would like to see better governance mechanisms for sports in general. That is my position.”

Prince Ali is one of five men seeking to replace Sepp Blatter in February’s special elective vote, with Blatter under investigation and UEFA president Michel Platini, once his likely successor at FIFA, facing a potential lifetime ban from football.

“I am not an expert in that area [football] but we all grew up, my brothers and I, having a great teacher; our father [King Hussein],” said Feisal, a wrestler in high school. “We all embody his values and his commitments.

“[Prince Ali] is a very good candidate, capable. He can do the transformation needed. Whether he is successful or not is up to FIFA and what they choose for the future. He is a capable person who could help that transformation.

“He is passionate about his work and committed to making a difference. That’s the values that will hold him in good stead in this competition,” Prince Feisal said.

ABU DHABI — Lewis Hamilton will find his number up in lights in Abu Dhabi, and that can only be a good omen, as the triple Formula One world champion seeks to end another dominant season on a high this weekend.

The number 44, the one the Briton has on his Mercedes, figures prominently on roadside illuminations as the United Arab Emirates celebrates the 44th anniversary of its founding on December 2, 1971.

The return to Yas Marina will also bring back fond memories for the 30-year-old who clinched his second title by winning at the circuit last season and can take his 50th career pole position this weekend.

“Last year, this place brought probably the most intense weekend of my life. I didn’t sleep much through nerves and not knowing what was ahead,” the race favourite recalled.

“But this time there’s no pressure, so I’ll be well-rested and aiming to go out on a high.

“A lot of British fans come out to Abu Dhabi so it’s like another home crowd for me. To win for them and show how grateful I am for the fantastic support I’ve had all year would be the best way to end an incredible season,” he added.

Another win would also be his 11th of the season, matching his 2014 tally.

For Mercedes, regardless of who wins, a 12th one-two finish from 19 races would also be the icing on the cake by breaking their own record set last year.

With first and second assured in the championship for the second year in a row, and the constructor’s title retained, there is also the hope of seeing both Mercedes drivers battling wheel to wheel.

There was none of that in Brazil two weeks ago, or in Mexico, as Mercedes made clear that their priority was to secure second place for Nico Rosberg.

“We will not be backing off — and an entertaining battle at the front between our boys for one last time in 2015 will be the ideal way to show that,” said motorsport head Toto Wolff.

Rosberg will be aiming to continue two sequences of his own, the German chasing his third win in a row and sixth successive pole to go into the winter with at least some bragging rights.

“I’ve had two really great weekends now in Mexico and Brazil, so I’m heading into the final race on a massive high,” he said.

Rosberg started on pole in the day-to-night race last year but a mechanical failure dashed his hopes.

“Of course, it will be close as always with Lewis and we saw a big push from Ferrari in Sao Paulo, so it won’t be straightforward. But I’m up for a battle and hopefully we can put on a great show for the fans to end the year,” he said.

With little movement in the driver market and familiar line-ups for 2016, there will be fewer farewells than usual in the paddock’s end of term atmosphere.

Abu Dhabi will be Frenchman Romain Grosjean’s last race for Lotus before moving to the new Haas team, while Manor Marussia principal John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon are leaving the tail-enders.

Renault’s future in the sport may also become clearer, with the manufacturer set to take over Lotus — whose name looks destined to disappear again.

Meanwhile, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is confident the Italian Grand Prix in Monza can find the needed cash to stay on the calendar.

Ecclestone tells the Gazzetta dello Sport, “We will find the right solution — I no longer have doubts — to provide a future for the Italian GP.”

No circuit has hosted more F1 racing than Monza, but officials at the track outside Milan have had trouble producing the estimated 25 million euros ($26.6 million) per year that Ecclestone seeks to keep the race in place after the current contract expires next year.

Ecclstone says, “Things have been cleared up and there is only one go between, [Angelo] Sticchi Damiani, the president of the Italian Automobile Club.”

The Italian GP next year is scheduled for September 4.