Japan has decided to stage this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics without overseas spectators due to public concern about Covid-19, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday, citing officials with knowledge of the matter.

The Tokyo 2020 games organising committee said in response that a decision would be made by the end of March.

The Olympics, postponed by a year because of the pandemic, are scheduled for July 23 to Aug. 8, and the Paralympics from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

Kyodo said the Japanese government had concluded that welcoming fans from abroad would not be possible given public concern about the coronavirus and the detection of more contagious variants in many countries, Kyodo cited the officials as saying.

The opening ceremony of the torch relay would also be held without any spectators, Kyodo said.

“The organising committee has decided it is essential to hold the ceremony in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima behind closed doors, only permitting participants and invitees to take part in the event, to avoid large crowds forming amid the pandemic,” Kyodo said, quoting the officials.

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto has said she wants a decision on whether to let in overseas spectators before the start of the torch relay on March 25.

“Five parties, the IOC, the IPC (International Paralympic Committee), Tokyo 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the national government, came together for a meeting via online just last week,” the organising committee said in response to the Kyodo report.

“The decision regarding allowing spectators from overseas to attend the Tokyo 2020 Games will be made by the end of March based on factors including the state of infections in Japan and other countries, possible epidemic-prevention measures, and expert scientific advice will be considered.”

Public wary

In the last Olympic Games, the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, local fans accounted for 80 percent of all ticket sales, with international fans buying 20 percent.

While coronavirus infection numbers have been relatively low in Japan compared with the United States and many European countries, the country has been hit hard by the third wave of the pandemic and Tokyo remains under a state of emergency.

Japan has recorded more than 441,200 Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with the death toll at more than 8,300.

Most Japanese people do not want international visitors to attend the Games amid fears that a large influx could spark a resurgence of infections, a Yomiuri newspaper poll showed.

The survey showed 77% of respondents were against allowing foreign fans to attend, versus 18% in favour.

Some 48% said they were against allowing any spectators into venues and 45% were in favour.

Source: REUTERS

Argentina’s public prosecutor’s office will convene a medical board on March 8 to decide whether or not late football legend Diego Maradona was given proper treatment before his death, legal sources said on Tuesday.

Maradona died of a heart attack on November 25, weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.

Investigators are trying to determine whether or not there was negligence in Maradona’s health care before he died.

Nine experts will be called on March 8 including the medical examiners that took part in Maradona’s autopsy.

The public prosecutor in San Isidro, a suburb of the capital Buenos Aires, has also called two more witnesses to appear before investigators on Thursday: a nursing coordinator and the doctor tasked with coordinating Maradona’s home care during the days before he died.

Five other people, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, are already under investigation in the involuntary manslaughter probe.

The latest two people included in the investigation were members of a WhatsApp chat group discussing Maradona’s care, local media reported.

Two of Maradona’s daughters — Gianinna, 31, and Jana, 24 — will also appear before prosecutors on Thursday.

They have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona’s deteriorating health.

A first autopsy conducted the day Maradona died found he had suffered from liquid on the lungs with acute heart failure brought on by a disease of the heart muscles that makes it harder to pump blood. His heart was twice the normal size.

Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American country to only its second World Cup triumph in 1986.

An attacking midfielder who spent two years with Spanish giants Barcelona, he is also loved in Naples where he helped Napoli win the only two Serie A titles in the club’s history.

He was coach of Argentine top flight outfit Gimnasia y Esgrima when he died.

He had celebrated his 60th birthday on October 30 at the club but looked in poor physical health and seemed to have trouble speaking.

Sources close to Maradona said he suffered from depression during eight months of coronavirus restrictions that confined him to home as he was considered a high-risk person.

Maradona was suffering from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.

He had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.

Source:  AFP

Organisers would have wanted to use the Club World Cup as a demonstration of readiness for next year’s World Cup in Qatar, highlighting gleaming infrastructure and a soft touch with fans from abroad.

Instead foreign supporters were banned and all eyes were on strict coronavirus containment measures that followed high-profile outbreaks at the AFC Champions League and recent Australian Open qualifiers played in the Gulf state.

While the measures were lauded by FIFA as a success, Bayern Munich star Thomas Mueller tested positive for the virus and at least two members of the Al-Ahly delegation went down with Covid-19.

New coronavirus cases grew 18 percent nationwide in the eight days of the tournament compared to the same period the week before as health officials warned of a second wave.

A new lockdown could now be on the horizon, medical sources have told AFP.

However, confident authorities said ahead of the tournament that stringent testing requirements at a recent domestic cup final, similar to those in place for the Club World Cup, showed that the risk of the virus spreading at such an event could be contained.

– Measures still in place for World Cup? –

The day before the competition was due to get underway, Qatar announced a tightening of restrictions including a reduction of spectator capacity at stadiums to 20 percent.

However because the Club World Cup had secured approval to stage matches with stadiums at 30 percent capacity prior to the new rules, it was permitted to proceed with larger crowds, an official source told AFP.

“One hundred percent security never exists, but we can do whatever we can to go very close to this,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP in Doha during the tournament.

For the first time he also raised the prospect of coronavirus measures being enforced during the 2022 World Cup but insisted stadiums would be full.

The Club World Cup played out as Doha underwent a relative cold snap with temperatures in the evening, when matches were played, dipping below 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).

Next year the World Cup itself will be staged in November and December when conditions are likely to be similarly mild.

The two gleaming brand-new stadiums used for the Club World Cup — Education City and Ahmad bin Ali Stadium — also won plaudits from visiting players and managers.

So far Qatar has inaugurated three new venues and one refurbished ground with four still to open, most likely later this year. All of them boast state-of-the art air conditioning.

It was also revealed just ahead of the tournament that alcohol would be available at venues — albeit only in VIP hospitality suites pending a decision on general ticket holders’ access to drinks.

There was however no repeat of the boozy fan zones which proved popular with fans during the 2019 Club World Cup as all events away from matches were cancelled to stop the spread of Covid-19.

– Progress on human rights ‘limited’ –

While the large contingent of Al-Ahly fans who call Qatar home made stadiums feel more than 30 percent full, there was little else in Doha to suggest a major tournament was underway.

The limited number of fans attending matches also meant key aspects of Qatar’s 2022 infrastructure did not face an acid test.

The involvement of Bayern, both in the tournament and at previous training camps in Qatar, drew scrutiny from supporter groups and rights activists. Bayern have a shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways.

In February 2020, labour activists Fair Square wrote to Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge urging the club to take a stand on workers’ rights issues.

Fair Square claimed that despite some progress, including reform pledges backed by the International Labour Organization, “progress has been limited in scope and as yet not effective in implementation”.

Qatari authorities stress that Amnesty International credits Qatar with meaningful labour reforms.

They include a new minimum wage due to begin this month, and scrapping requirements for managerial approval for staff changing companies.

Some migrant workers still complain of unpaid wages and being charged illegal recruitment fees.

Source: AFP

Odion Ighalo has written an emotional Manchester United farewell message as his time at Old Trafford comes to an end.

The 31-year-old striker’s loan from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua expires at the end of this month.

The Nigeria international joined United in January last year on an initial six-month deal that was later extended to 12 months.

Ighalo scored five goals in 18 appearances during the 2019-20 campaign as he proved a useful back-up option for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, the arrival of Edinson Cavani in the summer transfer window has restricted Ighalo to only one Premier League outing this season, with Solskjaer confirming his loan will not be extended beyond January.

Ighalo has now posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, which reads: “It’s so hard to see this dream come to an end.

But I give God the glory for helping me fulfill this life long dream of putting on a Manchester United shirt as a player and represent this great club, it was indeed an honor I will forever cherish and be grateful for.

“To the manager (Solskjaer) I say thank you for trusting and believing in me when many did not, to my amazing team mates I will miss you guys, it was always fun and a time I look forward to training and spending time with all of you.

“And I pray we win the league and FA Cup this year.”

Source: Africa News

Support for holding the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer has hit a new low in Japan, a poll found Sunday as the country battles a third wave of infections.

Just over 80 percent of those asked by Kyodo news agency said the huge global event should be cancelled or postponed again — a jump from around 60 percent in a December 6 survey by the same outlet.

Kyodo said the survey asked 1,041 participants nationwide, who were selected by random dialling.

Tokyo 2020 organisers have said another delay is out of the question and are insisting the Games will go ahead despite a state of emergency declared in the greater Tokyo area this week over a surge in Covid-19 cases.

In Sunday’s national telephone poll, around 35 percent of people told Kyodo they favoured outright cancellation, while some 45 percent said the event should be postponed a second time.

The month-long emergency in the capital and surrounding regions is less strict than harsh lockdowns seen elsewhere in the world and primarily targets restaurants and bars, which have been asked to close early.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said this week that Japan is committed to holding a “safe and secure” Olympics.

He said he believed the public mood will change when the country begins vaccinations, currently scheduled for late February.

But senior International Olympic Committee official Dick Pound told the BBC he could not “be certain” the Games will go ahead, because “the ongoing elephant in the room would be the surges in the virus”.

Public sentiment towards the Olympics in Japan has been less than optimistic for months.

Two polls in July showed the majority thought the event should be postponed again or cancelled, while a survey released in December by national broadcaster NHK found that only 27 percent of respondents supported holding the Games in 2021.

Source: AFP

Brazil’s star footballer Neymar is at the center of a new controversy storm after several Brazilian media reported that he’s organizing a huge New Year’s Eve party despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Acelmo Goes, a columnist for the O Globo newspaper, claimed that the Paris Saint-Germain forward is hosting 500 people for a week-long party at his luxury beachside mansion near Rio de Janeiro that started on Saturday and will last until New Year’s Day.

Brazil has suffered the second largest number of Covid-19 related deaths in the world with more than 191,000, while 7.4 million people have contracted the virus.

Neymar, who is no stranger to controversies over his parties, allegedly even installed soundproofing equipment to try to avoid bothering his neighbors.

Leo Dias, a columnist for the Metropoles website who is renowned for his scoops on celebrities, even named the artists due to perform at Neymar’s party, such as Ludmilla and Wesley Safadao.

Guests’ mobile phones are allegedly due to be confiscated on the door to prevent any evidence finding its way onto social media.

Representatives for Neymar denied the rumors, releasing a statement saying there would be “no party” in Neymar’s villa.

A specialist events agency, Agencia Fabrica, released a statement confirming it had been contracted for a New Year’s event in the Costa Verde region where Neymar’s villa is located “that will host around 150 people … while respecting all the health rules determined by the public bodies.”

Neymar’s villa is in Mangaratiba, a small town in an area of luxury seaside resorts in Rio de Janeiro state.

The local town hall has pleaded with its 41,000 inhabitants not to hold end of year parties and has erected barriers to prevent people congregating.

   “We don’t have any information about this party,” the town hall said in a statement sent to AFP.

Neymar, who hasn’t played since December 13 when he injured his ankle against Lyon, hasn’t commented on the party and in recent days has posted pictures of his family on social media without commentaries.

His Mangaratiba mansion is located on a 10,000m2 plot of land that includes a heliport, sports pitches, spa, sauna, massage parlor, gymnasium and dining areas.

It’s where he previously spent his time recovering from injuries and also where he headed from March to June when the coronavirus was raging in France leading to the suspension of professional football.

Source: AFP

Former France manager Gerard Houllier, who also coached Olympique Lyonnais, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, has died, local media reported on Monday.

RMC sport and sports daily L’Équipe said he had died aged 73 after having a heart operation in Paris.

Houllier had a long history of heart problems, dating back to when he was rushed to hospital at halftime of a Premier League game between Liverpool and Leeds United in 2001.

After an insignificant playing career in France’s lower leagues, Houllier began coaching in 1973, earning his first big job with Lens before taking over at Paris Saint-Germain.

He became France’s assistant coach in 1988 and then manager in 1992 but had a short, unsuccessful spell in charge and resigned after failing to take the team to the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

France have qualified for every World Cup since then, lifting the trophy in 1998 and 2018.

Houllier focused on youth coaching immediately after the World Cup debacle but rebuilt his reputation at Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001.

He also had success back in France with Lyon, leading them to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.

He returned to management after taking a break in 2010 with Aston Villa but left the role the following year following further heart troubles.

Source: REUTERS

Former England midfielder Steve Hodge has insisted the shirt worn by Diego Maradona in scoring two iconic goals against the Three Lions in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final is not for sale.

Hodge swapped shirts with Maradona, who died last week at the age of 60, at the end of the match in which the Argentine legend punched home what became known as the “Hand of God” goal and then ran from inside his own half to score a stunning second as Argentina won 2-1.

The shirt is now on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Hodge said he had been inundated with enquiries over the shirt in recent days and dispelled rumours he was looking for a seven-figure sum to sell it.

“I have had it for 34 years and have never once tried to sell it,” Hodge, 58, told the BBC. “I like having it. It has incredible sentimental value.

“I’ve had people knocking on my door non-stop and the phone’s constantly ringing from every TV and radio station, and even foreign stations.

“It has been uncomfortable and it hasn’t been nice. I have seen articles on the internet and there has been a bit of flak flying around saying I wanted a million or two million and am hawking it around for money.

“I find it disrespectful and totally wrong. It’s not for sale. I am not trying to sell it.”

Hodge paid tribute to the “genius” of one of the greatest players the game has ever seen and said he never blamed Maradona for taking the chance of scoring with his hand.

“I have to say I have never once blamed him for the handball. Not once,” he added. “It was out of order but people who play football know that you try things now and again.

“From every corner of the globe he was respected and people appreciated the genius he had. That game will never be forgotten in the history of football.”

Source: AFP