Category: Sports

PHNOM PENH, Jan 24 (NNN-AKP) – A senior sports official and ordinary people in Cambodia, yesterday, voiced their full support for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, expressing their confidence that the Games will be a great success.

Speaking while visiting a photo exhibition on the Beijing Winter Olympics, National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) secretary-general, Vath Chamroeun said, the country fully backed the Games and opposed all forms of politicisation of sports.

“On behalf of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, I would like to express my full support for Beijing in hosting this Winter Olympics and I wish the Games great success,” he said.

“Although the Games is in the time of COVID-19, measures have been taken thoroughly to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and these measures are good,” he said. “Beijing has done a good job in preparation for this Games.”

Organized by the Cambodian Chinese Calligraphers Association, the two-month photo exhibition, at the Ly Hout Condo in Phnom Penh, opened yesterday.

Chhean Roka, a 25-year-old visitor, said, she fully supported the Games because it was about sports, not politics.

“China has done a tremendous job in the preparation for this event that, I think, will present a great Games to the world,” she said.

Roka is confident that the Games will be safe and successful and will bring closer friendship and cooperation, as well as, good and unforgettable memories to all participants. “Together for a shared future. China, we stand with you and wish you success in hosting this wonderful sporting event,” she said.

Fellow visitor, Trinh Sunheng, said, sport is a universal language and brings unity and has no discrimination against any nations, races, or cultures.

“Peace and friendship have always been part of the Olympic movement. It’s really inappropriate that a few countries have politicised sports,” he said. “I think they are sullying the Olympic spirit, as well as, the principles of unity, cooperation and fair competition.”

He added that, the Olympics is an opportunity for athletes from countries and regions across the globe, to show their physical ability and talent in sports, not ideological hubris.

Chamroeun Thida, an assistant to the association, said, some 238 photos and more than 100 calligraphy pieces pertaining to Beijing 2022 are on show at the event.

“We want to tell the Cambodian people that, this international sporting event is about peace, friendship, solidarity, fair play, respect and cooperation among countries around the world, not about politics,” she said.

“I believe that the Beijing Winter Olympics will be full of the profound charm of traditional Chinese culture, because it is not only a sporting event, but also a cultural event,” she added.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

MANILA– Philippine Alpine skier, Asa Miller, 21, the only winter athlete from the country to compete in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, hopes to inspire young Filipinos to join winter sports.

 

“I hope my journey serves as an inspiration for other people to want to represent the Philippines on the world stage,” Miller said yesterday, in a video message to the virtual send-off to the Philippine Olympic delegation, expressing hope that his country “could see more Filipino representation in the future.”

 

“I can’t wait to show off and represent the Philippines at the Games. I want to show my improvement in the upcoming Games, compared to how I did in 2018,” he said.

 

As the sole Filipino athlete competing in Beijing, Miller will carry the Philippine flag at the opening ceremony on Feb 4. He will be competing in the giant slalom and slalom, from Feb 14.

 

Valeriano Floro, chef de mission of the Philippine delegation, lauded and thanked China for its “courage and generosity” to host the “momentous event,” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“We may only have one athlete this time, but an already huge win here is how Miller is inspiring others also to achieve his level of Olympianism,” Floro said. “We’re very happy that we are part of the Olympics in Beijing and we are confident that many more Olympians are coming soon.”

 

Charmaine Chua, 18, who has been training for figure skating for ten years, expects to someday represent her country in international competitions. “I hope that one day I could compete in the Olympics, but it takes really tough process and hard training to get there,” she said.

 

China’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, said, the Olympic Games “symbolise unity and friendship” with the mission “to make the world a better place through sports.”

 

“The Beijing Winter Olympics is not only a grand event for athletes and sports fans but also an opportunity to promote understanding and friendship for people all over the world. Together for a shared future, let us show the world our inspiration and determination of solidarity and cooperation,” Huang said, in his remarks.

 

“The Beijing Winter Olympics and the Paralympics teams are calling for people of all countries, to transcend differences, come together under the banner of the Olympics and join hands to address global challenges, such as COVID-19 and climate change and build a better world after the pandemic,” Huang added.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

ISTANBUL– “I couldn’t help but cry for a while,” Furkan Akar, a 19-year-old Turkish athlete, talked about his feelings, when he finally earned his qualification to represent his country in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics.

 

“A miracle happened … I had one last race left, one last hope. We set the tactics with my trainer and got the quota,” the young man said, referring to the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup held in Dordrecht, Netherlands, in Nov last year.

 

“It will be my first time to compete at such a big event in Beijing, the Olympic Games, the summit of athletes,”  Akar said, in an online interview.

 

In Turkey, short-track speed skating used not to be very popular, but it is gradually getting recognised, especially among young people.

 

Akar believes that his Olympic journey will help attract more Turks to this sport. Actually more and more people have already contacted him and asked about his competition event.

 

“I am leading the way in this sport. Even if time passes and I quit this sport one day, my name will remain. I am happy about that,” he said.

 

Ugur Erdener, a member of the International Olympic Committee and president of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, said, Turkey would participate with a small team of seven athletes.

 

“The Olympic Games are a very different experience. The best will be there, and it is very important” for the Turkish athletes to face their toughest opponents, he added.

 

Akar’s most challenging rivals in Beijing will be the Republic of Korean and Chinese athletes.

 

“They are better than us,” the young athlete confessed.

 

However, things could change at any moment, once the race begins, as the racing environment is very different, he noted.

 

Akar said, his excitement and pressure for the games grow with each passing day, but he believed he will overcome all these when he gets on the ice and starts skating.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

SINGAPORE, Representatives from Singapore sports community, expressed best wishes here yesterday, that, the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics will be a great success.

Ellen Lee Geck Hoon, President of Singapore Table Tennis Association and a former Member of Parliament, said, she was very impressed with the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and she congratulated Beijing on becoming the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Addressing the opening ceremony of a photo show on the Beijing Winter Olympics, Lee said, she paid close attention to the preparations for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games and praised the Chinese government and its people, for building high-level venues and stadiums and making full preparations for the Games.

Because China has gained rich experience in organising international sports events, and has rolled out effective COVID-19 control measures, Lee said, she is full of confidence in the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

“The Beijing Winter Olympics will attract global attention and become an exciting and unforgettable event that will bring joy to winter sports fans around the world,” she said.

Singaporean table tennis player, Clarence Chew Zhe Yu said, he participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, adding that, Olympics represent the highest honour in sports, as well as, a stage for athletes to enjoy competition and make friends. He sincerely wished athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympics will achieve excellent results, and the Beijing Winter Olympics a complete success.

The two-week photo exhibition was unveiled at the China Cultural Centre in Singapore. The exhibition is co-organised by the Municipal People’s Government of Zhangjiakou in China’s Hebei Province, where the Olympic skiing events will be hosted, China National Tourist Office Singapore, the China Cultural Centre and the China Express Travel (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

 

Source: Nam News Network

The world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, Novak Djokovic, had his case to stay in Australia to compete in the Australian Open moved to a higher court Saturday as he fights the second cancellation of his visa for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.

The 34-year-old Serbian appeared in a Melbourne court Saturday for a 15-minute procedural hearing in which the judge scheduled a further hearing for Sunday morning. The judge ordered lawyers for the government and Djokovic to submit written arguments before the next appearance.

Spent four days in detention

The Australian Open requires all players to be vaccinated unless they receive an exemption. Djokovic received an exemption before traveling to Australia on the grounds that he had COVID-19 last month. However, when he arrived in the country last week, his visa was revoked, and he spent four days in an immigration detention hotel until a judge overturned that decision.

Djokovic was then released from detention and continued his preparations to play in the Australian Open. However, the government canceled his visa for a second time, with Immigration Minister Alex Hawke saying he was using his discretionary power because “it was in the public interest to do so.”

In a statement, he said Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government “is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Djokovic’s lawyers have argued that the government’s decision is not based on any potential health risks that Djokovic poses, but rather on how he might be perceived by those opposed to vaccinations.

Event begins Monday

The Australia Open is set to begin Monday. If Djokovic plays, he will receive the top seeded position and will attempt to become the men’s player with the most Grand Slam titles. He is currently tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam titles each.

Djokovic’s medical exemption to enter Australia despite not being vaccinated provoked a public outcry in the country, which has endured long-running lockdowns to fight the pandemic.

The tennis star contracted COVID-19 in December and has since admitted that he failed to isolate. His detention and appeal have ignited a global debate about his actions and Australia’s response.

Source: Voice of America

Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked male tennis player, says errors were made on his entry documents about his activities in the weeks before traveling to Australia, adding another layer of controversy in his fight to compete in the year’s first major “Grand Slam” tennis tournament.

The Serbian star issued a statement Wednesday saying his assistants had incorrectly declared that he had not traveled anywhere in the 14-days before departing for Melbourne last week. Reports have surfaced showing he traveled to Serbia and Spain.

Djokovic also said he did not know he tested positive for COVID-19 on December 16 until the next day, after he appeared at a tennis event in Belgrade to present awards to children. He also admitted that he should have canceled a planned magazine interview and photoshoot the day after learning of his status.

The 34-year-old Djokovic has been at odds with Australian officials since his arrival in Melbourne last Wednesday to begin preparations for the Australian Open, which begins next Monday, January 17. An open skeptic of COVID-19 vaccines, he said he had received a medical exemption from two medical panels and Tennis Australia, the tournament’s organizer, from the government’s requirement that all visitors should be vaccinated against COVID-19.

But the government rejected Djokovic’s exemption and revoked his visa amid a public uproar in Australia, which is battling with a huge spike in new coronavirus cases driven by the omicron variant. He was placed in immigration detention until a judge overruled the government in a hearing Monday and reinstated his visa.

But Immigration Minister Alex Hawke still could decide to expel Djokovic from Australia because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Djokovic is seeking his second consecutive Australian Open men’s title and his 10th overall. It would also be his 21st career Grand Slam win, which would break the tie he shares with his closest rivals, Rafeal Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerland.

Source: Voice of America