Olympics
Banyana player, Nomvula Kgoale complains of tough environmental conditions ahead of Abuja clash with Super Falcons –
As the momentum builds up for a potentially double clash of nine-time African champions, Nigeria and reigning champions, South Africa in a quest for Paris 2024 Women’s football event, a South African player has spoken of tough environmental condition in Abuja, the theatre of the first leg match.
Known back home as “Lipstick Lady”, the Banyana Banyana midfielder, Nomvula Kgoale told a South African newspaper, Sowetan that the environmental condition in Nigeria is tough as they prepare for Friday’s evening match.
The Nigeria Football Federation in apparent move to get a better playing condition for both teams applied to CAF to push the kick-off of the match by an hour to a more clement 5pm time.
The South Africans on their path arrived on Sunday to have enough time to acclimatise. According to the Sowetan report, the Banyana midfield workhorse, Kgoale has urged her teammates to be mentally strong to deal with their traditional foes, the Super Falcons, narrating how the conditions in Abuja are a bit abnormal for them, albeit she was confident they’ll acclimatise.
“It’s extremely important to be mentally tough. We know that Nigeria are a very tough opponent to play against…they’ve won Wafcon so many times and they’ve done well at the World Cups as well,” Kgoale reportedly said.
“Back at home the air is much thinner and over here it’s much heavier but personally I’ve played in the United States for almost six years, and I know how to play in this kind of weather… you almost feel like you are breathing heat. The grass is also heavier but I am sure that in two days’ time we would’ve adjusted.
Banyana beat Nigeria the last time they met, 2-1 in the group stages of the Wafcon, and went on to win the tournament in Morocco in July 2022. Now the Lipstick Lady expects the hosts to gun for revenge. “We know that the last time we played them we won, so they will be looking for revenge,” Kgoale noted.
The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.
The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June.
According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.
The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.
Olympics
Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.
Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.
Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.
Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review.
Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.
-Insidethegames
Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.
Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.
In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.
-Reuters
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