Other Leagues

GERMAN PLAYERS TO BOYCOTT QATAR VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT OVER BAN ON BIKINI

Published

4 years ago

February 23, 2021

***Female players have been asked to wear shirts and long trousers rather than the usual bikinis. PHOTO: AFP***

Germany’s beach volleyball stars Karla Borger and Julia Sude have said they will boycott a tournament in Qatar next month because it was “the only country” where players were forbidden from wearing bikinis on court.

“We are there to do our job, but are being prevented from wearing our work clothes,” Borger told radio station Deutschlandfunk on Sunday (Feb 21).

“This is really the only country and the only tournament where a government tells us how to do our job – we are criticising that.”

The Qatar volleyball association reacted to the news by explaining it was “committed to ensuring that all athletes are made to feel welcome and comfortable at next month’s event”.

It said all athletes were free to compete in their international unifoms. “We would like to make clear that we are not making any demand on what athletes should wear at the event,” a statement insisted.

Qatar is hosting the upcoming FIVB World Tour event but strict rules about on-court clothing have led to World Championships silver medallist Borger and her doubles partner Sude shunning the event.

The tournament in March is the first time that Doha has hosted a women’s World Tour event, though the city has been a regular fixture on the men’s tour for seven years.

Yet female players have been asked to wear shirts and long trousers rather than the usual bikinis, a rule which the world beach volleyball federation FIVB claims is “out of respect for the culture and traditions of the host country”.

In a decision supported by the German volleyball federation DVV, Borger and Sude told Spiegel magazine during the weekend they “would not go along with” the rules imposed by the Qatari authorities.

Borger said that they would normally be happy to “adapt to any country”, but that the extreme heat in Doha meant that bikinis were necessary.

Her team-mate Sude pointed out that Qatar had previously made exceptions for female track and field athletes competing at the World Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019.

The country also allowed female beach volleyball players to compete in bikinis at the ANOC World Beach Games in 2019.

Though not as hot as the scorching summer months, temperatures in the Gulf state can reach as high as 30 deg C in March.

Speaking to Deutschlandfunk on Sunday, Borger questioned whether Qatar was a suitable host nation.

“We are asking whether it’s necessary to hold a tournament there at all,” she said.

Qatar has hosted an increasing number of major sporting events in recent decades, though its human rights record, lack of sporting history and brutally hot weather make it a controversial venue.

Heat and humidity were major issues during the road races at last year’s World Athletics Championships held in Doha.

Discriminatory labour practices and alleged human rights abuses in Qatar have been the subject of intense scrutiny ahead of next year’s football World Cup.

-AFP

Other Leagues

Ahly awarded 2-0 derby win; Zamalek handed 3-point deduction

Published

3 months ago

June 25, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Cairo giants Ahly were granted a 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Zamalek after the latter refused to participate in the Cairo derby on Tuesday, according to an Egyptian Pro League (EPL) announcement.

In addition, Zamalek were hit with a three-point deduction and a fine as a penalty.

The Red Devils were scheduled to host Zamalek on Tuesday as part of the 27th matchday of the Egyptian Premier League.

However, following their 2-1 home defeat to Masry last week, Zamalek filed a complaint with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) citing refereeing injustices.

Zamalek outlined four demands that needed to be met to continue the Egyptian Premier League.

One of the demands was to postpone all remaining league matches until all competing teams complete their first-leg fixtures, pointing out that Ahly had played only 18 games so far, two fewer than Zamalek.

The White Knights also insisted on appointing an independent committee outside the EFA and the EPL to oversee and reschedule the remaining league matches, ensuring complete impartiality.

They set last week’s Pharco game as the deadline to receive a comprehensive schedule of all remaining matches until the season ends, along with fulfilling their previous demands.

As the EFA and the EPL did not meet Zamalek’s demands, the club publicly announced their decision not to participate in the Cairo derby on Tuesday, which led to the EFA awarding Ahly the victory.

This incident marks the second time in five seasons that Zamalek has forfeited a Cairo derby, following a similar incident in the 2019/20 season.

The awarded win of Tuesday’s game granted Ahly the three points, maintaining their second-place position with 45 points, trailing leaders Pyramids FC by 17 points.

However, Ahly still hold a significant advantage with six games in hand.

On the other hand, Zamalek dropped down to the 10th position in the league table with 34 points.

-Ahram

Other Leagues

Zamalek threaten boycott of Egyptian League matches

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Zamalek have issued a warning, stating that they may not participate in the remaining Egyptian Premier League games.

Their decision comes in light of their 2-1 defeat against Masry on Monday and their dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions made during the match.

In an official statement released after the game, the Cairo giants expressed their disappointment with the lack of equal opportunity in the league and raised concerns about the specific refereeing decisions that impacted their loss to Masry.

During the match, Zamalek experienced frustration when winger Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed missed a penalty kick in the 73rd minute.

Despite their appeals, a VAR review confirmed that the ball did not cross the goal-line, further adding to Zamalek’s grievances.

Zamalek’s statement called upon the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) to investigate the referee’s performance and demanded to be informed of the results of the investigation.

They also declared their refusal to continue participating in the Egyptian League until their opponents have played their postponed games from the first round, emphasizing the importance of fairness and equal treatment for all teams.

Zamalek further insisted on the appointment of a neutral committee, separate from the EFA and the Egyptian Premier League (EPL), to oversee the reorganization of the remaining league matches.

The statement also mentioned that Zamalek’s upcoming fixture against Pharco FC on Friday will be their final game until they receive a comprehensive schedule for the remaining matches in the tournament.

Zamalek find themselves in the 11th position in the league standings with 31 points from 19 games, still having four games in hand.

-Ahram

Other Leagues

Exciting photo-finish in some of Africa’s top leagues

Published

3 months ago

June 21, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The curtains have officially closed across most African domestic championships, with a few gradually approaching the business end of their football calendars.

With a place in next season’s CAF Inter-club competitions on the cards for the best finishers and national cup winners, CAFOnline takes a look at some of Africa’s top leagues, with some having concluded and a few nearing the finish line in what will be a photo-finish to their respective seasons.

Algeria – Ligue 1

MC Alger are the new champions of Algerian football after dethroning former champions, CR Belouizdad.

Alger clinched their 8th title in what was one of their best performances in the championship. The newly crowned champions finished 12 points ahead of Belouizdad with an impressive 65 points that sees them secure a place in next season’s TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Ghana – Ghana Premier League

History was made in the Ghana Premier League this season after Samartex, who were in their second season in top-flight football were crowned champions of Ghana.

The club sent shockwaves across Ghana with an impressive 61-point finish that saw them clinch the first ever title with an impressive 10-point gap between them and Accra Lions.

Medeama, who won the title last season finished a disappointing 8th place with 49 points.

Morocco – Botola Pro

It was an exciting photo-finish to the Botola Pro in Morocco which was decided on the very last day of the season.

Raja Casablanca dethroned AS Far as Moroccan champions after clinching the title in style with a commanding 3-0 win over MCO Oujda on the very last day of the championship.

The two-horse race between Raja and FAR Rabat who were edged by the champions by a mere point, despite their 2-0 win over FUS Rabat.

Tanzania – Tanzania Premier League

Young Africans will be back in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League next season after their successful title defence of the Tanzanian Premier League title.

Yanga, as the Tanzanian giants are affectionately known cruised to a record-extending 31st league title, finishing with a healthy 11-point gap over second placed Azam FC who finished the season on 69 points alongside Simba SC.

South Africa – Premier Soccer League

Mamelodi Sundowns rubber-stamped their authority as the most successful club in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League after clinching an impressive seventh successive league title, making them the most successful club in the league with 17 league titles in total.

Sundowns’ rivals and former African champions, Orlando Pirates will make a return to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after finishing second behind Sundowns.

Meanwhile, the race for the title continues in Tunisia and Egypt with Esperance leading the pack in Tunisia’s Ligue 1, while Pyramids occupy the driver’s seat in the Egyptian Premier League

-CAF