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Canada women’s football team coach, Priestman apologises for drone scandal, takes accountability

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FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Group B - Canada Press Conference - Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia - July 30, 2023 Canada coach Bev Priestman during the press conference REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

Suspended Canadian women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman apologised on Sunday to her players and the nation for the drone scandal that led to her exit from the Paris Olympics and dealt a blow to the team’s hopes of a repeat gold medal.

In her first public comments since Canada Soccer suspended her from the Games, Priestman said as the leader of the team she accepts accountability and plans to fully cooperate with the investigation.

“I am absolutely heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologise from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them,” Priestman said in a statement released by her lawyers.

“To Canada, I am sorry. You have been my home and a country I have fallen in love with. I hope you will continue to support these extremely talented and hardworking players, to help them defy all odds and show their true character.”

Earlier on Sunday, Sport Canada said it was withholding funding allocated for salaries of Priestman and two other suspended team officials, calling the drone scandal that has rocked the Paris Olympic soccer tournament an embarrassment to all Canadians.

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Canada’s team were docked six points, while Priestman and officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander were banned from any soccer-related activity for one year by FIFA.

“Using a drone to surveil another team during a closed practice is cheating,” Canada’s sport minister Carla Qualtrough said in a statement.

“It is completely unfair to Canadian players and to opposing teams. It undermines the integrity of the game itself.

“Given that the Women’s Program receives funding from Sport Canada, we are withholding funding relating to suspended Canada Soccer officials for the duration of their FIFA sanction.”

Sport Canada is in the process of determining the exact amount of funding to be withheld, the Minister’s office told Reuters in a statement, adding the withheld funding will not impact the overall available funding to the women’s program.

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“There is a deeply concerning pattern of behaviour at Canada Soccer.” the statement said. “We must, and will, get to the bottom of this. This issue has caused significant distraction and embarrassment for Team Canada and all Canadians here in Paris and at home.”

Canada Soccer has said it was exploring how it could appeal the six-point penalty imposed by FIFA, which left Canada on minus three points in Group A with two matches left to play.

They are scheduled to face France later on Sunday.

Former Canada players are supporting the team.

“Furious. Fuming. Sad. Heartbroken. These players don’t deserve this,” former goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe, who helped Canada win gold in Tokyo, posted on X.

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“They’ve been let down by so many of their own people, not just NT (national team) staff.”

Diana Matheson, who retired in 2020 after 206 appearances for the Canada, gave her full support to the team.

“I stand with the players. I’m with you. Canadians are with you. Last game, next game, all the games, we are right there with you,” she said.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Olympics

Olympic rings removed from Eiffel Tower

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The Eiffel Tower and the Olympic Rings

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.

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Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul

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Ahmed El-Gendy won Egypt's only gold at the Paris Olympics

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. 

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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

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Paris 2024 Games break record ticket sales

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Beach Volleyball - Men's Gold Medal Match - Sweden vs Germany (Ahman/Hellvig vs Ehlers/Wickler) - Eiffel Tower Stadium, Paris, France - August 10, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo

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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