SAO PAULO: A cheerful Pele left hospital on Tuesday after a month of treatment for kidney stones and a urinary tract infection, joking that he was fit again and preparing to play for Brazil in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The 74-year old former Santos and Brazil striker spent several days in intensive care this month but said he was not afraid of dying thanks to his home town of Three Hearts.
“I got the chills but I’ve felt that before and I was not to know it was an infection,” he said of the moment a few weeks ago when he was taken to hospital.
“I was worried. But I can’t say I was afraid of dying because I am a man of Three Hearts.
“Rest assured, I am already preparing for the Olympics,” he joked at a news conference shortly before leaving the hospital.
“In the Olympics three over-age players are permitted and I am one of them.”
Doctors said Pele would have to spend a week to 10 days taking it easy and would undergo physiotherapy.
Pele had surgery on his hip last year and was walking gingerly as he left the hospital.
He now devotes most of his time to business ventures and underwent surgery to remove kidney stones on Nov. 13, but was readmitted 10 days later with a urinary tract infection that required dialysis. At one point, he was moved into a hospital wing used for more intensive care.
Pele only has one kidney having had the other removed in the 1970s when he played for New York Cosmos.
The three-times World Cup winner, who is widely regarded as the greatest ever soccer player, thanked his doctors and the fans who sent him good wishes.
“I would like to thank all those who sent messages, from China, Pakistan, almost every country in Europe, I didn’t know that they were all paying attention to my situation,” he told scores of reporters and a national TV audience.
“It is very gratifying.”
Pele won World Cup medals with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and 45 titles, including two world club championships, with Santos.
He scored 1,091 of his 1,281 goals for Santos and last week, while in hospital, signed a life-long contract with the club.
Cheerful Pele out of hospital after health scare
Cheerful Pele out of hospital after health scare
Salama smashes course record with sensational 60 at Madinaty
- Spaniard cards 10-under-par round with 9 birdies and a chip-in eagle to lead by four in Egypt
CAIRO: Spain’s Juan Salama fired a sensational 10-under-par course record of 60 to take a four-shot lead after the opening round of the Egypt Golf Series.
Salama’s stunning round at Madinaty Golf Club bettered the previous record of 63 and included nine birdies and a chip-in eagle on the par-five ninth — his final hole of the day after the field started on the 10th.
The Spaniard, who finished runner-up to Jack Davidson in last week’s play-off at Address Marassi, dropped his only shot of the day on the eighth hole, meaning a par there would have given him the magical 59.
“It was definitely an early start today — I was up at 3:45 a.m. stretching, breakfast at 4:30, and we arrived at the course around 5:30, so I was warming up in the dark, which was pretty crazy,” said Salama.
“But it actually went really well. I love being first out because the greens are perfect with no footprints and the ball rolls beautifully. The conditions here at Madinaty Golf Club have been fantastic all week.
“I made nine birdies with just one dropped shot, and on the last hole I really fancied the chip-in for eagle. My personal best round is nine under, so I went for it and it paid off. I feel like my game has been in a really good place the last couple of weeks. I’ve been working hard, my family has been a huge support, and my wife keeps me very disciplined, so it’s nice to see that work paying off.”
Last week’s winner Jack Davidson is the closest pursuer after a six-under 64 that included seven birdies and just one dropped shot at the par-five 13th — his fourth hole of the day.
“It was a similar situation to last week, chasing Juan Salama again, but I’m really happy with six under,” said Davidson. “The wind made it tough at times, but I managed to hole a few nice putts and keep the momentum going after last week’s play-off win.
“The up-and-down on eight was a big moment. It’s one of the hardest holes on the course, so saving par there and going on to make birdie at the last was huge. With an early tee time tomorrow, hopefully we get slightly better conditions and fresher greens.”
Four players currently share third place at five under par: Argentina’s Gaston Bertinotti, Wales’ Owen Edwards, Germany’s Tim Tillmanns and Italy’s Ludovico Addabbo, who sits second in the MENA Golf Tour Rankings.
“It was a great round, to be honest. I played really solid,” said Bertinotti. “The course was playing pretty tough — really firm and fast, especially on the downhill shots — and the wind picked up after the fourth hole, which made things even more challenging.
“The wind makes the course a lot more challenging. There are holes where you can be hitting three clubs less than normal from the rough because the ball just doesn’t stop downwind. Both nines are tough in different ways. On the front you hit more drivers, and on the back there are a lot of demanding iron shots, especially with the par threes and the water in play.”
Rankings leader Chris Wood is absent this week as he competes in the Qatar Masters on the DP World Tour, and with Addabbo well placed heading into round two, there is an opportunity to close the gap at the top of the standings.
The Egyptian contingent found the windy conditions challenging but took plenty of positives from the experience of competing against the international field.
“Conditions are pretty tough with the wind,” said Ahmed Morgan, who carded an 81. “When I played this course on the Asian Tour without wind it was much easier, but with these conditions there are some really demanding holes. The greens are very fast, so it’s difficult to hold them, which makes knocking it close to the pin the key this week.”
Amateur Abdelrahman El-Defrawy echoed those sentiments after his opening 78.
“It was pretty tough out there with the wind, but the course itself is in great condition,” he said.
“The wind was probably the biggest challenge, especially with judging yardages between clubs. But that’s all part of the experience — playing under this kind of pressure is something I’ll take a lot from going forward.”
