BERLIN: Top flight German football kicked off again on Saturday as the French returned to the beach and Italy announced a resumption of European tourism, providing much-needed relief against the relentless drumbeat of death and economic devastation wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic.
The reopenings mark the beginning of a tentative return to normality in some of the countries worst affected by the global outbreak, which has killed almost 310,000 people according to official tolls, and infected over 4.5 million.
As governments sought to restart economic activity while treading cautiously amid the lingering — though in many cases waning — pandemic, Germany’s Bundesliga became the first major European football league to resume.
Italy, for a long stretch the world’s worst-hit country, announced that European Union tourists would be allowed to visit from June 3 and a 14-day mandatory quarantine would be scrapped.
“We’re facing a calculated risk in the knowledge that the contagion curve may rise again,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said during a televised address.
“We have to accept it otherwise we will never be able to start up again.”
But as governments lift restrictions to boost stagnant economies, there have been widespread fears of a second wave of infections that could necessitate renewed lockdowns.
Such fears have delayed the return of team sport, and on Saturday all eyes were on the Bundesliga’s opening games, which were played to vacant, echoing stadiums.
“It’s sad that matches are played in empty stadiums, but it’s better than nothing,” said 45-year-old Borussia Dortmund fan Marco Perz, beer in hand, as he prepared to watch the game on TV.
Dortmund’s prolific striker Erling Braut Haaland was the first goalscorer after the two-month shutdown, helping his team thrash rivals Schalke 4-0.
He celebrated by dancing alone — away from his applauding teammates — in keeping with the strict hygiene guidelines which allowed the league to return.
“The whole world will be looking at Germany, to see how we get it done,” said Hansi Flick, the boss of league-leaders Bayern Munich.
Russia has announced its football league will return next month and plans to lift restrictions despite recording its highest daily death toll on Saturday, at 119.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government would seek to extend the country’s state of emergency for “about a month,” until the transition out of lockdown is completed.
In France, the first weekend after the most strict measures were lifted saw many venture out into the spring sunshine — and hit the beach.
In the Riviera city of Nice, keen swimmers jumped into the surf at daybreak.
“We were impatient because we swim here all year round,” said retiree Gilles, who declined to give his full name.
With the Northern Hemisphere’s summer approaching, governments are moving to help tourism industries salvage something from the wreckage.
Parasols and sunloungers have popped up on coastlines in Italy and Greece, which opened its beaches on Saturday.
Pedri Alatras, who works at the Kavouri beach near Athens, said disinfecting lounge chairs after each customer was a burden, especially in temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit); “it’s exhausting but we have to respect the measures,” he said.
Officials in England warned people to stay away from newly reopened beauty spots and avoid overcrowding.
In Asia, malls reopened in the Philippines’ capital Manila but few shoppers showed up, while in Vietnam, hundreds queued to visit the newly reopened UNESCO heritage site of Ha Long Bay.
Germany, under pressure to follow Italy by allowing in EU visitors, instead reopened its border with tiny Luxembourg.
Germany also saw the latest in a growing wave of anti-lockdown protests, with thousands gathering Saturday in major cities for rallies.
“We want a return to normality and to not have any impediment on our public freedom,” said a protester in Dortmund who gave her name only as Sabine, 50.
France, Switzerland and Poland also saw protests.
Perhaps the best chance of ending the pandemic is a vaccine, and US President Donald Trump voiced hope late Friday that one would be available by late 2020, “maybe before” — a timeline deemed unrealistic by many experts.
But amid an enormous push for medical and scientific tools to fight the virus, the US on Saturday approved a home-based kit for coronavirus tests, adding a simple option for a country eager to expand its COVID-19 testing.
Since emerging in China late last year, the coronavirus has whipped up a catastrophic economic storm.
After Europe’s powerhouse Germany tipped into recession this week, the government on Saturday announced a 57 billion euro ($62 million) aid package to help local authorities weather the onslaught.
In the US, the world’s worst-affected country with more than 88,000 deaths and 1.47 million confirmed infections, retail sales have plummeted with no certainty when they might recover.
Former president Barack Obama took a swipe at the response to the pandemic ravaging America, telling graduates at a virtual commencement ceremony that many leaders today “aren’t even pretending to be in charge” — a remark widely regarded as a rare rebuke of his successor Donald Trump.
“I hope you are bold,” Obama added.
Forty-eight of the 50 US states have now eased lockdown rules to some extent.
The virus is still surging in Latin America, and Chile’s capital Santiago spent Saturday under its first total lockdown following a 60 percent leap in confirmed cases.
Brazil’s virus death toll passed 15,000 on Saturday and it became the country with the fourth-largest coronavirus caseload with 230,000 infections.
Peru said it will construct a fast-build hospital in the Amazon in response to infections sweeping through indigenous communities.
German football kicks off as Europe begins reopening
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German football kicks off as Europe begins reopening
- In the Riviera city of Nice, keen swimmers jumped into the surf at daybreak
- Russia has announced its football league will return next month and plans to lift restrictions
Newcastle’s Tonali charged with alleged breaches of English betting rules
- Tonali’s multiple alleged breaches of FA rule E8 are said to have taken place between August 12, 2023 and October 12, 2023
- The 23-year-old has until April 5 to respond
LONDON: Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been charged with misconduct by England’s Football Association relating to 50 alleged incidents of betting on matches, the governing body announced Thursday.
Tonali’s multiple alleged breaches of FA rule E8 are said to have taken place between August 12, 2023 and October 12, 2023.
The 23-year-old has until April 5 to respond.
In October last year, it was announced Tonali would miss the rest of the season for club and country after FIFA, football’s global governing body, ratified a 10-month ban by Italian authorities for breaching betting rules.
He will also miss Italy’s defense of their European Championship title in the June-July finals in Germany.
Tonali’s agent has previously said his client, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July for around £55 million ($69 million, 64 million euros), has a gambling addiction.
As well as the 10-month ban, Tonali was fined 20,000 euros and ordered to undergo an eight-month course of therapy to address his problems after reaching a plea bargain following an investigation into illegal betting conducted by the Italian prosecuting authorities and the Italian Football Federation.
Newcastle, reacting to Thursday’s announcement by the FA, said in a statement: “Newcastle United acknowledges a misconduct charge received by Sandro Tonali in respect of alleged breaches of FA betting rules.
“Sandro continues to fully comply with relevant investigations and he retains the club’s full support.
“Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.”
Bayern wait on Kane’s and Neuer’s fitness for ‘Klassiker’ against Dortmund
- Kane “was able to join in with parts of the session” in training Wednesday
- Neuer tore the adductor muscle in his left thigh in training with Germany last week
DUESSELDORF, Germany: Bayern Munich’s slim title chances might depend on a win over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga “Klassiker.”
Dortmund isn’t the real threat though. With Bayer Leverkusen still soaring 10 points clear with just eight games to go, dropping any more points could be fatal to Bayern’s chances of a dramatic comeback in defense of the title.
Bayern might have to do without top scorer Harry Kane and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after injuries meant both were unable to play for their national teams.
Kane “was able to join in with parts of the session” in training Wednesday after he hurt his ankle in a collision with a goalpost in Bayern’s 5-2 win over Darmstadt on March 16, when he scored his personal-best 31st goal of the season. Bayern said Kane trained on Thursday, too, without elaborating.
Neuer tore the adductor muscle in his left thigh in training with Germany last week, meaning Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen took over in goal for friendly wins over France and the Netherlands ahead of hosting Euro 2024. Neuer managed what Bayern described as an individual workout Wednesday, his 38th birthday, and the same Thursday.
Even if Kane and Neuer aren’t fit for Saturday evening’s clash with Dortmund, Bayern might power through anyway. After all, Bayern had fitness concerns over their defense for the last Klassiker in November and still surged to a 4-0 win.
The problem with the Klassiker — in theory the German league’s showpiece game — isn’t just that Bayern are second and Dortmund a distant fourth. It’s also that so few recent Klassikers have been genuinely competitive contests.
Bayern have scored 23 goals in their last seven games against Dortmund in all competitions and haven’t lost since 2019 in a German Super Cup game.
The last time Dortmund won in the Bundesliga at Bayern’s Allianz Arena was all the way back in 2014, when the coaches were Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, and future Bayern great Robert Lewandowski was still a Dortmund player.
“They always save their best for us, so we have to be ready,” coach Edin Terzic said Thursday. He has some tough decisions to make on his lineup.
On-loan Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho is set to return after missing Dortmund’s last game, and striker Sebastien Haller could play for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations after an ankle problem. However, midfielder Marcel Sabitzer is suspended, while goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is doubtful with a stomach bug, and left back Ramy Bensebaini was injured on international duty with Algeria.
The international break may also prove extra motivation for some Dortmund players who are out of Germany’s plans after forward Niclas Füllkrug was the only player at the club called up by coach Julian Nagelsmann. Teammates such as Julian Brandt, Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck were left out.
Bayern could be 13 points adrift of the lead before the Klassiker even kicks off, given that Leverkusen hosts Hoffenheim earlier Saturday. Xabi Alonso’s team are still unbeaten in a scarcely believable 38 games in all competitions this season. A first ever Bundesliga title is on the horizon.
Unless Dortmund can beat Bayern, they will miss the chance to put pressure on third-placed Stuttgart, which host Heidenheim on Sunday. Leipzig are fifth and could leapfrog Dortmund with a win over Mainz on Saturday.
Sharfuddoula becomes first Bangladeshi on ICC elite umpire panel
- Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid had been on the international panel since 2006
- Panel is responsible for officiating in majority of men’s Tests, one-day internationals
DHAKA: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid said on Thursday it was a “great honor” to be named the first Bangladeshi to join the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of umpires.
Sharfuddoula, 47, who last year became the first umpire from Bangladesh to take charge of a World Cup match, had been on the international panel since 2006.
“It is a great honor to be named on the ICC Elite Panel,” Sharfuddoula said in an ICC statement.
“To be the first from my country on the panel makes it extra special and I look forward to justifying the faith shown in me.”
The elite umpire panel is responsible for officiating in the majority of men’s Tests and one-day internationals, with the match referee panel also overseeing Twenty20 internationals as well.
Former off-spinner Sharfuddoula was forced to end his first-class career after just one season in 2001 due to a back injury, and joined the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as its cricket operations manager.
He quit the BCB job to become an umpire and has so far overseen 10 Tests, 63 one-day internationals, and 44 Twenty20 internationals.
ICC chief Geoff Allardice called it “a well-deserved reward for many years of consistent performances.”
On the panel, Sharfuddoula joins three umpires from England — Michael Gough, Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough — as well as Australians Paul Reiffel and Rodney Tucker.
Also on the panel are Kumar Dharmasena from Sri Lanka, Christopher Gaffaney from New Zealand, Adrian Holdstock from South Africa, Nitin Menon from India, Ahsan Raza from Pakistan and Joel Wilson from the West Indies.
The ICC also said England’s Chris Broad had stepped down from its elite panel of match referees.
Broad, who has been on the panel since 2003, has refereed 123 Tests, 361 ODIs, and 135 Twenty20 Internationals.
No explanation was given for Broad’s omission, other than a reduction in numbers, with Thursday’s announcement marking the end of the former England batsman’s 21 years on the elite match referee panel.
The 66-year-old presided over 123 Tests, 361 ODIs and 135 T20s. He also found fame with as the father of England pace-bowling great Stuart Broad.
The ICC’s elite panel of match referees is now made up of six members: David Boon of Australia, Jeff Crowe of New Zealand, Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka, Andy Pycroft of Zimbabwe, Richie Richardson of the West Indies, and Javagal Srinath of India.
Khamzat Chimaev set to headline UFC Saudi Arabia card
- UFC president Dana White has confirmed the first fights on the inaugural card in the Kingdom on June 22
DUBAI: After an abrupt postponement, the UFC Saudi Arabia card is back on track for June 22. UFC president Dana White has confirmed the first five fights that will take place at the promotion’s first event in the country, and the early signs suggest the card will be stacked.
The announcement puts an end to the speculation that has dogged the UFC since it delayed the event from its original March 2 date. There were rumors that the proposed card did not have enough star power for Saudi Arabia’s decision-makers to give it the green light. It is a claim that has been disputed passionately by Dana White. Regardless of where the real truth lies, the UFC has pulled out all the stops for a non-title fight card of note.
Khamzat Chimaev will face the New Zealand-born Aussie brawler Robert Whittaker in the main event. Placing Chimaev at the top of the bill is a savvy move from the UFC matchmakers. The undefeated Chechnya-born fighter has fanatical support in the Middle East, almost guaranteeing a sold-out Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
In his last fight in February 2024, Whittaker outclassed fellow middleweight Paolo Costa — the fighter whose shoulder injury kept him out of a tussle with Chimaev at Abu Dhabi’s UFC 294. A win for either man potentially puts them next in line for a crack at the middleweight crown.
The other four fights that have been confirmed are certified blockbusters, too. A heavyweight clash between perennial title contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov will provide the co-main event of the show. Both men are known for their heavy hands and deceptively fast technical abilities, which makes this a highly anticipated matchup. Pavlovich’s and Volkov’s last defeats came at the hands (and feet) of current Interim Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall.
Welterweight sluggers Kelvin Gastelum versus Daniel Rodriguez is a sleeper hit on the card. They both need a win to end their losing streaks, so we expect the pair to come out swinging for the fences. Brazilian fan-favorite Johnny Walker will take on Swiss striker Volkan Oezdemir in a wild scrap that is bound to end in a knockout.
White also confirmed that Dagestani phenom Sharabutdin Magomedov will return to the octagon to take on Romania’s Ihor Potieria. Magomedov, a fighter with only one eye, made his UFC debut in 2023 but is already tipped for greatness. This is a great matchup to potentially cement his status as the company’s next big thing.
A few more fighters from the Middle East may be on the card including UAE-based Mohammed Yahya. The UFC has built a worthy card from its stable of superstars.
UFC Saudi Arabia confirmed bouts:
Middleweight: Khamzat Chimaev (11) vs Robert Whittaker (3)
Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich (3) vs Alexander Volkov (6)
Light Heavyweight: Johnny Walker (7) vs Volkan Oezdemir (9)
Welterweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs Daniel Rodriguez
Middleweight: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Ihor Potieria
Confusion reigns as cricket makes African Games debut
- In the final on March 23, Zimbabwe convincingly beat Namibia by eight wickets with five overs to spare
- Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe competed in men’s cricket, with Rwanda replacing Ghana in the women’s
This month, cricket was played at the African Games for the first time ever. The 13th edition of the the games, originally scheduled for August 2023, were hosted by Ghana, which had struggled to deliver the infrastructure in time for 2023.
This was not helped by disputes between the three organizing bodies over marketing revenues and ownership of the games.
The postponement had other consequences. Proximity to the Paris Olympics, scheduled for July 26 to Aug. 11, and national championships in several African countries in March meant that a range of top athletes were absent, providing opportunities for younger athletes.
In football, the Africa Cup of Nations had only ended on Feb. 11. The executive board of the Confederation of African Football determined that the participating countries should be those whose under-20 team reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 U-20 African Cup of Nations, plus the host nation.
Ultimately, 53 of the 54 members of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa sent delegations, the exception being Cape Verde. Competition occurred in 23 sports. Accra was the main center, supported by the sub-host cities of Kumasi and Cape Coast. Despite being postponed to 2024, the title of 2023 African Games was retained.
Eight countries competed in men’s cricket: Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. A marginally different eight competed in women’s cricketing, with Rwanda replacing Ghana. In each case, the teams were divided into two groups of four who played a round-robin. The two teams with the highest number of points then advanced to the semifinals.
In the men’s event, those semifinalists were Namibia who beat Uganda and Zimbabwe who beat Kenya. In the final on March 23, Zimbabwe convincingly beat Namibia by eight wickets with five overs to spare. Earlier, on March 13, Zimbabwe’s women’s team claimed gold in beating South Africa but by a much narrower margin.
After 20 overs each, both had both scored 112 runs. This meant a super over to determine the winner. In one of cricket’s arcane procedures, a super over in T20 format stipulates that each team selects three batters, an innings ending if two of them are dismissed. This happened to South Africa who could only score two runs for the loss of two wickets. Zimbabwe’s batter scored a four off the second delivery to seal the match.
As if this drama was not enough, cricket managed to create a controversy all of its own making. The impact of the postponement of the games affected not only athletics and football but also cricket. Boards in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia found that top players were engaged elsewhere, in either the Indian Premier League or domestic competitions.
This was especially true of Cricket South Africa, whose press release announcing the squads stated that the men’s team comprised players who have represented their respective university teams, while the women’s was a mix of emerging players. Zimbabwe entered an under-25 squad and Namibia were missing key players.
In 2018, the International Cricket Council gave T20 International status to all T20 matches played by both Full and Associate members. A rider to this in 2022 excluded matches involving A teams or age-group sides. Did CSA consider their men’s squad to be classed as either an A team or U-25 and had there been any clarification of this with the ICC prior to the tournament? There seems to have been a general assumption that all the matches had official T20 International status, meaning that the results feed directly into the ICC T20I team rankings. This has relevance to qualification for the 2026 ICC T20I World Cup. The process for this was approved by the ICC on March 15, after the announcement of squads for the African Games.
There will be 20 places available for the men’s 2026 World Cup. This will comprise the top eight in the 2024 T20 World Cup, two for co-hosts India and Sri Lanka, if not in the top eight this year, with up to four awarded to teams based on their ICC T20I rankings. This refers to teams ranked immediately below 10th. They are Ireland, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Scotland, and the Netherlands, all tightly bunched.
South Africa is ranked sixth and likely to finish in the top eight in the forthcoming World Cup, so why would CSA be worried? However, something extraordinary occurred during the event. Although South Africa won its first match, it lost the next two, thus failing to reach the semifinals. On or around March 20, the day that its elimination was confirmed, sharp-eyed observers noted that the statuses of the matches were being changed on cricket websites, downgrading them from T20I status, as well as showing a changed team name.
Conspiracy theories abounded. Had CSA asked for clarification of the status of the matches and, if so, was that after the exit of the team or before? There were rumors that CSA would not have participated if the matches were accorded T20I status and had only done so on the basis that they would not be.
Eventually, on March 26, the ICC announced that matches involving both the South African men’s and women’s teams at the African Games in Ghana did not hold international status. Presumably, this means that Kenya and Uganda, who beat South Africa, lose points.
The ICC added that “all other matches played between teams at the men’s and women’s events were T20 Internationals.” This may not sit comfortably with the South African women’s team.
There is little doubt that this is a mess and a bad look for cricket. It is difficult to determine if it is incompetence, miscommunication or collusion. A polite interpretation would be miscommunication of crossed messages and understanding. It looks deeper than that. The organizers would have wanted South Africa involved, almost at any cost, to heighten the profile of the games. In return, CSA would not have wanted any degradation of its ranking. Sadly, the high hopes that the inclusion of cricket in the games would provide a boost for cricket in Africa have suffered a knockback at the hands of some petty politics played by people who are not coming clean.