SPORTS

Austrian Olympic Team Celebrates Farewell to Paris 2024 with Lottery Celebration

Published

5 months ago

July 11, 2024

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Wednesday, 10 July 2024 / Paris 2024

It was the comeback of the lottery farewell celebration after six years, i.e. the farewell of the Olympic Team Austria towards Pyeongchang 2018. ÖOC President Karl Stoss received great applause at the pre-show, which was moderated by Ö3 microphone man Tom Walek.

“I would like us to come home with 80 medals, because every member of the Olympic Team Austria deserves a medal. Realistically speaking, with this strong team, we have a good chance of winning five to ten medals.” Stoss began to rave about Paris: “In the city of love, sights are becoming competition venues, the Olympic Games are coming to the people, that is the right path, and one that the IOC will continue to follow!”

In keeping with the occasion, the Vorarlberg native added: “This lottery farewell celebration is enormously important for the Olympic Team Austria, because we are inviting these heroes to the forefront and giving them a big stage. Let us remember the Olympic motto: Faster, higher, further – together! This is where the essence of this farewell to Paris 2024 comes into play: together we want to celebrate this journey there, together we want to experience it there, together we want to celebrate the best athletes that Austria has to offer in summer sports here in the Aula der Wissenschaften, give them a big boost and cheer them on for a successful participation in the Olympics!”

International PEACE Festival

Vice Chancellor and Minister of Sport Werner Kogler is looking forward to the third Olympic Games in the French capital: “It is the largest sporting event in the world, an event that stands out in its own right. It will be a colourful, happy and hopefully peaceful festival in Paris. The unifying element is the focus there – especially in difficult times. The opening ceremony on the Seine will be unique, the competitions in the middle of Paris against a historic backdrop will certainly be impressive. Austria can be at the forefront in many sports, whether that is climbing, athletics, judo, synchronised swimming, pool swimming, shooting and certainly a few more. Perhaps there will be a surprise like in Tokyo, when Anna Kiesenhofer cycled to the gold medal with an incredible individual performance!”

300,000 fans at the Olympic opening

Frédéric Joureau, Chargé d’Affaires of the French Embassy in Vienna, reports: “The mood in France is excellent, preparations for the festival with 15,000 athletes from 205 nations are complete. The opening ceremony on July 26 will be exceptional, as it will not take place in a stadium for the first time. We will welcome 300,000 people along the Seine, and the athletes will hold their international parade on boats. There will be 35,000 security forces on duty. 1,800 of them come from 44 countries that are supporting us in these arrangements, including Austria. This is a strong sign of the wonderful cooperation between our countries!”

Lotteries rely on Olympic values

Speaking on behalf of the ÖOC Premium Partner Austrian Lotteries, CEO Erwin van Lambaart said: “The Austrian Lotteries identify with the universal values of the Olympic Movement. Peace, friendship, fair play, international solidarity, equal opportunities and clean sport – these are all things that we stand up for at all times. We are proud to have been a premium partner of the ÖOC for more than three decades. It is a win-win situation because both sides win through this sustainable partnership. It is also about setting an example: the Olympic Team Austria consists of 80 medal candidates, all of whom are role models for our children. They should emulate these Olympic stars because sport and exercise are important for our happiness, our well-being and our health.”

Exclusive line-up of summer sports stars

The ORF show of the lottery farewell celebration was hosted by Alina Zellhofer and Lukas Schweighofer. The line-up of summer sports stars was just as exclusive as the guest list in the audience. There sat the Olympic medalists from Tokyo Michaela Polleres, Magdalena Lobnig, Lukas Weißhaidinger and Jakob Schubert, the synchronized swimmers Anna Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri, Charlize Mörz, the youngest in the Olympic Team Austria, dressage rider Victoria Max-Theurer, who has qualified for the Olympic Games for the sixth time, javelin European champion Victoria Hudson, mountain biker Mona Mitterwallner, shooter Alexander Schmirl, the beach volleyball duo Alexander Horst and Julian Hörl, the sailing duo Tanja Frank and Lukas Haberl, tennis player Sebastian Ofner, golfer Emma Spitz, the Olympic fourth-place canoeist Felix Oschmautz, European swimming champion and Olympic fourth-place Felix Auböck, triathlete Luis Knabl and diver Anton Knoll.

Six-time climbing world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Jakob Schubert is looking forward to Paris: “My first world championship title in 2012 happened in Paris, in 2016 I became vice world champion: I have very good feelings for this city. I am looking forward to these Olympic Games. Many of my competitors in Paris are extremely young. The great media attention associated with the Olympics is a good and important experience that puts me ahead of many of them.” READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Michaela Polleres is looking forward to her first boat trip in Paris as flag bearer for the Olympic Team Austria in a duo with canoeist Felix Oschmautz: “I can’t yet imagine how it will be, I’ll let myself be surprised and will simply enjoy this great moment in my sports career!”

Greetings from the Olympic champion

Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer sent a message of greeting from the high-altitude training camp in St. Moritz: “The Olympic victory was the reward for the work I had put into training. My life changed a lot after Tokyo, I no longer had time for my job as a mathematician, I am now a professional cyclist. I send you, dear Olympic Team Austria, warm greetings from Switzerland! I hope that your preparation went well and that you find the right mix of lightness and seriousness at the Olympic Games, because that is what will enable you to be successful.”

Olympic Team Austria on the catwalk

The lottery farewell program was concluded with the French Song Contest chanson sung by Zoë Straub and a casual fashion show by the Olympic Team Austria. Felix Oschmautz and Michaela Polleres warmed up for Paris by waving flags and cut just as fine a figure in the 41-piece team outfit powered by Erimia and the party garb from Adelsberger as their teammates Julia Mayer, Markus Fuchs, Heiko Gigler, Benjamin Bildstein, David Hussl, Lisa Perterer, Martin Strempfl, Elisabeth Straka, Valentin Bontus, Daniel Habesohn, Benny Wizani, Lorena Abicht, Aaron Fara, Anna Maria and Eirini Alexandri, Simon Bucher, Lea Siegl, Magdalena Lobnig, Jakob Schubert and Jessica Pilz.

The who’s who of Austrian sport celebrated the successful show in the historic halls on Vienna’s Wollzeile with a standing ovation. Among those wishing the team “Farewell, Olympic Team Austria” were Gerhard Starsich, General Director of the Austrian Mint, ORF Sports Director Hannes Aigelsreiter, WKO Secretary General Karlheinz Kopf, Stiegl General Representative Thomas Gstaltmaier, Regina Augendopler, who personally brought 500 Kornspitz sausages from the backaldrin headquarters in Asten to the gala dinner, Erima Austria Managing Director Michael Klimitsch, ÖPC General Secretary Petra Huber, Olympic champion, ÖOC Vice President and President of the Austrian Equestrian Federation Elisabeth Max-Theurer, Evelyn Winkler, Team Lead Marketing Communication Toyota Austria, NADA Managing Director Michael Cepic, ÖOC Honorary Member Father Dr. Bernhard Maier, Judo Austria President Martin Poiger, Rowing Association President Horst Nussbaumer, Volleyball Austria President Gernot Leitner, Hockey President Walter Kapounek, Handball Austria President Markus Plazer and a delegation from the Austrian Tourist Board.

On Friday, the swearing-in ceremony by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in the Hofburg will mark the ceremonial conclusion for Olympic Team Austria. Chef de Mission Christoph Sieber will fly to Paris with his team on Friday to take over the accommodation in the Olympic Village. The first athletes will travel to the French capital on July 18 and have further training days in the Olympic whitewater canal, followed by the shooters, sailors…

Olympic Team Austria Paris 2024

Athletes expected to qualify

2024-07-10 20:00:37
#Austria #celebrates #Olympic #stars #Austrian #Olympic #Committee

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SPORTS

The Truth About the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 Match

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

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In one way or the other, almost every Nigerian has heard of the mythical match between India Vs. Nigeria that ended with 99 goals to 1 with India being victorious.

Before the advent of the internet, this story successfully thrived among Nigerians, but with the emergence of the internet and easy access to social media, the truth behind the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match was revealed.

Though there are different accounts of the match, but they all have the following in common:

That the match ended with India scoring 99 goals and Nigeria scoring just one goal.
That Nigerians were unable to kick the ball because the football kept turning to a lion which scared them away…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
2. That Indians later agreed that if Nigeria could score one goal, they would concede defeat.
3. That Samuel Okwaraji scored the winning goal and lost his life in the process because the ball turned into stone as he was about to kick it.
4. That FIFA banned India from soccer because they used juju (black magic) in that match.
Why did people believe the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match story?

Even with the absence of the internet back then, this kind of claims should be immediately recognized as lies, the kind of lies they call “big fat lies”. But most people like to acknowledge this story as true with the fact that no one has ever seen India play in an International Football Match. Since no one actually saw India participate in most international soccer games, this gave a little credence to the story.

Another reason this lie thrived for long was that credible information was not easily accessible in Nigeria unlike now that even a 4-year-old child can debunk false claims within minutes with the help of Google. This Nigeria Vs India match story would have been fabricated by one community elder to children during an evening gathering; that’s our take at OldNaija.

What Actually Happened!

On the 12th of August 1989, Nigeria lost one of her best footballers, Sam Okwaraji who died during a football match. We wrote about how he died on the pitch and you can read it here. Sam Okwaraji was the player rumoured to have lost his life in that game when in truth he died during a FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Angola in the 77th minute. He collapsed and died of cognitive heart failure. May his soul rest in peace. AMEN!

Samuel Okwaraji (circled)

So, that is the only truthful thing about the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match story, the fact that a Nigerian player died during a football match. That is what these lies was fabricated around. The match was not against India, Nigeria did not lose the match and as you must have guessed, and there were no lions or ball turning into a stone.

Meme by Campus Bro

Nevertheless, one cannot deny that this kind of story made one’s childhood as a Nigerian. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Before we go,

Why was India Banned by FIFA?

India was never banned by FIFA. It was India that withdrew from the tournament themselves. Here is how it happened.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) made it clear to India that they would not be allowed to play in the 1950 FIFA World Cup without footwear.

Then something happened. You see, when determining the make-up of the 1950 World Cup, FIFA determined that obviously the two defending finalists, Brazil and Italy, would be guaranteed slots. That left fourteen slots that needed to be filled.

FIFA decided that seven of those slots would come from Europe, six would come from the Americas and one would come from Asia.

The problem was that of the four Asian teams that were invited to the World Cup, three of them (the Philippines, Indonesia and Burma) withdrew from the tournament before the qualification round.

Therefore, India earned an automatic slot within the World Cup. It would be India’s first time appearing in the World Cup but India, too, withdrew from the tournament because FIFA would not allow them to compete barefoot.

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SPORTS

SAD|| 10 Players Who Lost Everything After Divorce, Number 5 Will Shôck You

Published

2 months ago

November 5, 2024

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The Hidden Financial Struggles of Footballers: Divorce’s Costly Toll

The glamorous image of professional footballers, with their luxurious lifestyles and multimillion-dollar contracts, often obscures a harsh reality: the financial devastation many endure through divorce. Behind the fame and fortune, several high-profile players have seen their wealth significantly depleted after parting ways with their spouses, a stark reminder that no amount of money can fully shield one of the financial pitfalls of personal relationships gone awry…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

One of the most shocking examples is that of former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué, who lost not only his properties in England but also custody of his children following a bitter divorce. Despite earning millions during his career, Eboué found himself stripped of almost everything. His situation became a cautionary tale, underscoring that even the wealthiest footballers can fall victim to the financial ruin that divorce can bring.

Eboué is not alone. Football legends such as Thierry Henry and Ryan Giggs have also experienced significant financial losses due to divorce. Henry reportedly paid £10 million to his ex-wife, while Giggs parted with an astonishing £40 million after his marriage ended. Louis Saha and Wes Brown, both former Manchester United players, also suffered substantial financial hits, with Brown declaring bankruptcy despite earning £50,000 per week during his time at the club. His case highlights how even vast earnings can quickly evaporate when faced with legal settlements and financial mismanagement.

David James, the former England goalkeeper, faced a particularly dire situation, losing much of his fortune after divorce and being forced to auction his personal belongings to make ends meet. Similarly, Ray Parlour, another Arsenal great, saw his ex-wife receive half of his £10 million fortune, including a £2.5 million house. Jamie Redknapp, a former Liverpool star, also faced a hefty settlement, parting with half of his estimated £15 million fortune after his marriage ended.

These are just a few of the many footballers who have faced financial disaster due to divorce. Keith Gillespie, once a key figure in the Premier League, lost over £7 million, leading to his bankruptcy in 2010. Despite earning significant wages during his career, his divorce and poor financial decisions left him in financial ruin. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Perhaps the most shocking case is that of Tendai Ndoro, a Zimbabwean striker who lost everything after registering all his properties in his wife’s name. Following their breakup, she kicked him out of the house, leaving him with nothing. Ndoro’s story serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of not protecting one’s assets, even in relationships where trust is implicit.

For footballers, whose careers often peak early, these financial setbacks can be devastating. While their salaries are among the highest in professional sports, the combination of short career spans, legal fees, and divorce settlements can quickly erode their fortunes. Many players also face additional challenges in managing their finances due to a lack of financial education or oversight during their playing years.

These stories underscore the importance of safeguarding personal wealth, especially for high-earning individuals like footballers, who may be more vulnerable to financial upheaval. Proper financial planning, asset protection strategies, and prenups are increasingly necessary tools for protecting one’s earnings and securing a stable future.

In conclusion, while the public sees footballers as insulated by their wealth, the reality is that they are just as susceptible to the financial hardships of divorce as anyone else. The personal struggles behind the scenes reveal that their lives, though glamorous on the surface, are often fraught with the same vulnerabilities and challenges faced by ordinary individuals. These cases serve as sobering reminders that financial security is never guaranteed, even for those at the pinnacle of success.

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SPORTS

NFL | The best was yet to come, and then no

Published

2 months ago

October 12, 2024

1oo9t

In February 2022, the Bengals missed the Super Bowl by three small points, but regardless, the future seemed bright in Cincinnati.

Posted at 1:13 a.m.

Updated at 7:00 a.m.

In any case, that’s what we, the most seasoned experts in American football, believed, capable of seeing the future each season, often in a very impressive way; for example, this column has been predicting since 1970 that the New York Jets are not going to win the Super Bowl, and that’s still exactly what happens.

The Bengals have never won anything, but their presence on the big stage two years ago suggested that, a bit like the Nordiques in 1990, the best was yet to come.

Well, no.

As of this hour, the Bengals are a dismal 1-4, and even then, their only win came against the Carolina Panthers, who are about as bad as they are.

The good news for the Bengals is that this “landing” is fairly easily explained: their defense is pretty awful. The less good news is that it is probably already too late to try to solve this problem.

In five games, the Bengals have allowed a total of 145 points, which gives a pretty staggering average of 29 points per game. No one else in the American Association looks this bad, and in the league as a whole, only the Carolina Panthers are even worse in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Bengals are wasting the best years of Joe Burrow, who turns 28 in December. He wouldn’t be the first quality quarterback to waste his talent in this uniform.

Is it necessary here to remember that in American football, as in life in general, there is never anything certain? This reality reminds us of this sublime quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who once wrote that “supreme happiness is a hundred times sweeter to hope for than to obtain”.

Rousseau must have been a Bengals fan, obviously.

You are probably aware that the New York Jets fired their coachbut that’s not the worst. The worst part is that poor Robert Saleh would have been escorted to the door like a pauper by security agents.

PHOTO MIKE STOBE, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh

It’s undoubtedly one of the worst moments in the history of a club that collects the worst moments, from Mark Sanchez dropping a ball on his lineman’s pussy, to a visibly hot Joe Namath trying to to kiss a reporter live on TV (we’re going to move on to the naughty photo of Brett Favre because there are children here).

We can never repeat it enough: in football, as in life, everything starts from the top. The leaders of the Jets, who display a level of competence similar to that of the inventors of Pepsi Crystal, thus opted for the easy way, instead of realizing that their ground game is non-existent, and that their quarterback who hears voices in his head is finished.

In addition, barely installed, new coach Jeff Ulbrich decided to give control of the attack to assistant Todd Downing, who will call the plays from now on. This is not a detail because this task previously fell to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, close and confidant of Aaron Rodgers.

It’s obvious that this is going to end very badly. As per usual.

Someone whispers in my ear that the inbox is overflowing again, so let’s get to it right away.

First, Luc Girouard from Sept-Îles sends us this timely little comment: “Would Prince Rodgers have plotted to kick Robert Saleh out in order to take his place? »

We all see what you did, Luc.

Then, there is a certain Nicolas B. from Laval who sent this: “Hi Richard. Great weekly column on football. Really entertaining. In addition, you allow my teenagers to read about football in French, which is still a challenge […] If you ever make a reference to my comment, my sports travel gang is buying me a beer on our next trip. »

You will demand a micro beer, Nicolas. Finally, there is Marco Campanozzi who can no longer hear about “mixing” and the right chair: “I can’t do it anymore!!! »

We are Marco.

It will be another great opportunity to lock yourself in front of the TV while pretending to do something constructive, because Sunday’s menu is particularly spicy.

Thus, Commanders in a state of grace will go to Baltimore to prove that they are serious, the Chargers will go to Denver in the hope of recovering after two defeats in a row, and the Cowboys will host the Lions, in a match that they can’t really let slip away, just to build something following the little miracle last Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

Don’t forget to check out the colors during halftime.

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