Pele terms FIFA corruption scandal a "shame"

October 16, 2015

Gurgaon, Oct 16: Football legend Pele described the FIFA corruption scandal as a "shame", but made it clear that the reputation of the game was not tarnished since it was the result of wrongdoings of those involved in the world governing body and not due to any on-field issues.

FIFA"Whatever happening in FIFA, it is a shame. But this is not due to football but due to some people involved in the FIFA. Of course, we are sorry about what happened now in FIFA," Pele, who is in India on the invitation of Subroto Cup organisers, said at a press conference on the second day of his maiden visit to the Capital city.

"But, we cannot mix this (corruption scandal) with football. This is due to some people who administer football," he said when asked about the corruption scandal, which has led to the suspension of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and European football governing body (UEFA) chief Michel Platini.

FIFA has been plunged into crisis following allegations of widespread corruption since this summer, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives of the world football governing body. As a result, Blatter and Platini were suspended by FIFA's ethics committee.

"It is easy to criticise things and say that these things have been happening in FIFA. But you should not forget that because of the FIFA, if you see football today, it is the most popular sport in the world.

"More and more people are playing football and the game is developing worldwide, be it in Asia, Africa, South America or anywhere. If you see in history, football has united people, and have saved people from drug abuse etc," the 74-year-old 'King of Football' said.

Pele, considered the greatest ever footballer, had said in Kolkata during his October 11-14 visit -- his second to that city after 1977 -- that he was not interested in running for the FIFA presidency after Blatter stepped down in June.

Asked who he thinks could be the best person to head FIFA among those who have declared their candidature, he said, "I don t know who can be the best person to become FIFA president. If you are alone, you cannot do anything. I want a person who respects football and people.

"I spoke to (Michel) Platini, who is one of the great players. He told me he wanted to do some things but unfortunately he could not do them. He is in UEFA and in law," said Pele, the only footballer to have won three World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Asked if fellow Brazilian Zico could be good a candidate for FIFA presidency, Pele said, "He is one of the players who have done a lot for football -- in Japan and other countries.

When he was playing, he was compared with me and he is known as 'White Pele'. He wants to stand for FIFA presidency. I told him you have the courage but I don't have that courage.

He thanked the Subroto Cup organisers for bringing him here and said that he received the same kind of love and adulation.

"I have been received with the same heart and love by the people in India just like in my first visit in Kolkata in 1977 (when his side New York Cosmos played an exhibition match against Mohun Bagan," he said.

Pele watched a match of the ongoing Indian Super League in Kolkata on October 13 between Atletico de Kolkata and Kerala Blasters and when asked how much Indian football has improved since he last visited Kolkata in 1977, Pele simply said, "Of course, it (football) has improved a lot. Not only in India but in many countries like Japan, football has improved. Even Venezuela can beat Argentina."

The football legend who was voted Athlete of the Century by International Olympic Committee, said that India should focus on grassroots while also encouraging them to play outside the country.

"Every federation has a problem, be it Brazil or other countries. The important thing is to focus on grassroots.

Indian players should go out and play in Europe, South America, etc. That will help them. Moreover, there should exchange programmes (with other countries)," said the legend.

programmes for young Indian players of the age of 15 or 16 in Rio de Janiero or somewhere in Brazil. I can help in doing this with Santos (his club of 25 years). I can do this," Pele said turning to Subroto Cup organisers sitting along with him at the dais.

When told that many Brazilians are playing in the ISL in various capacities player as well as coach, Pele said, "I think more and more Brazilians should play in India. That will benefit India."

Pele will be the chief guest at the Subroto Cup Under-17 final at Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi tomorrow, the tournament being organised by Indian Air Force.

Pele arrived in the Capital city to a warm reception last night. The Subtoro Cup organisers hosted a dinner in his honour tonight and three Indian sportspersons who have qualified for Rio Olympics will be felicitated in a Charity Night where the mediapersons were not invited. He leaves the country in the wee hours on Saturday.

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Agencies
February 23,2020

Madrid, Feb 23: Lionel Messi scored four goals and Barcelona reclaimed the top spot in the La Liga as Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat by Levante last night, a week before the Clasico.

Madrid's nightmare afternoon was made worse by another injury to Eden Hazard, who was forced off in the second half of their 1-0 defeat in Valencia and is now doubtful to face Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.

"It doesn't look good," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane afterwards.

Messi, meanwhile, ridiculed talk of a goal drought by scoring four against Eibar after four games without one, while emergency signing Martin Braithwaite made two assists off the bench, teeing up Messi and then Arthur Melo in injury-time.

Their 5-0 rout, coupled with Madrid's defeat, means Barca move back to the summit of La Liga, two points ahead of Zidane's side ahead of next Saturday's showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It amounts to a considerable shift in momentum, with Barcelona away at Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

Madrid host City a day later and the plan had been for Hazard to regain form and fitness in what was only his second start since returning from three months out with a broken right foot.

But the Belgian sat in the dug-out with an ice pack around the same foot after going off and Zidane suggested it was a repeat injury after the match. "It can be weak where you've had an injury," he said.

For Madrid, playing catch-up again next weekend will be a particularly heavy psychological blow, especially given the series of off-field problems engulfing Barcelona in recent weeks.

Yet on the pitch, Messi showed no sign of distraction as the 32-year-old completed the second fastest of his now 36 league hat-tricks, after less than 40 minutes at Camp Nou.

"There's nothing left to do but stand up and applaud," Eibar wrote on Twitter afterwards.

"I won't wash my kit after hugging Messi," said Braithwaite.

Braithwaite's arrival from Leganes drew criticism after Barcelona capitalised on a curious La Liga rule that allows clubs to sign outside of the transfer window if they have lost a player to serious injury.

Brilliant Messi

Messi quickly got to work, scoring a brilliant first goal in the 14th minute after collecting the ball centrally, around 30 yards out. He had three Eibar defenders in front of him but found a way through, nutmegging Anaitz Arbilla before chipping delicately into the corner.

The second came in the 37th minute as Sergio Busquets found Arturo Vidal, who feathered a flick into Messi's path. Messi surged forward, past his stumbling opponents, and fired in.

His third, three minutes later, was the simplest of the trio and arrived only after he tried to play in Antoine Griezmann. His generosity was rewarded as a sloppy Griezmann touch meant the ball cannoned back to Messi, who apologetically poked in.

Coach Quique Setien was able to take Griezmann off with 18 minutes left and introduce Braithwaite for his debut. Braithwaite's first contribution was a skewed cross but things improved immeasurably from there, as two passes across goal gave Messi his fourth and Arthur his first.

Madrid were never in control of a chaotic contest against Levante but might have taken the lead if Hazard had done better with a long ball over the top from Marcelo, which he failed to control and then scuffed into the hands of Aitor Fernandez.

He limped off and Madrid lost their way, finally punished with 11 minutes left by a straight ball through to Morales. Luka Modric, exposed on the right side of Madrid's defence, was unable to recover and Morales caught Courtois by surprise by firing early past the goalkeeper and into the top corner.

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News Network
January 10,2020

New Delhi, Jan 10: Injured Assam archer Shivangini Gohain underwent a critical surgery at the AIIMS. Dr. Deepak Gupta, professor of Pediatric neurosurgery at AIIMS, revealed about the delicate nature of the procedure and said there was no room for error.

"It was touching vertebral artery which supplies blood to the brain stem. The arrow was 0.5 cm in front of the spinal cord and the child could have become quadriplegic if someone tried to pull it out," Gupta said.

According to doctors, the arrow accidentally went inside the body damaging the shoulder bone, part of the neck, spinal cord and left lung.

Dr Gupta said, "Now the patient is fine. We had planned the surgery in a very unique way. Last whole night, our team was doing the planning and plotting to conduct this complex surgery. About 15 cm part of the arrow was inside the body which has entered through shoulder bone and affected neck, spinal cord and left lung".

"We started the surgery in the morning at 6 am which lasted for three and a half hours. We have successfully removed the arrow. The patient is stable now and shifted to ICU for observation," he added

Shivangini Gohain, the 12-year-old Assam archer who was impaled by an arrow shot accidentally at the SAI centre in Dibrugarh, was training unsupervised and the mishap was a result of negligence by the local coach and officials, the state's archery association has said.

The child was training at the Dakha Devi Rasiwasia College at Chabua, which serves as an extension centre under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Guwahati when the incident took place on Wednesday.

She was airlifted to Delhi on Thursday night and admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre. Pulin Das, a joint secretary of Assam Archery Association and executive member of the state Olympic association said the injury to the school girl from the Deodhai village, which is 3km from Chabua, happened as the trainees were practising without any coach and other officials.

“There is a SAI contractual coach Marcy and he has left for the Khelo India Games in Guwahati. He didn't instruct the trainees to stop the camp for some time nor did the college principal, who acted as administrator of the extension centre, looked after the practice,” Das said on Friday.

The extension centre has 11 trainees, six boys and five girls, and they were training under SAI contractual coach A C Marcy from Nagaland, who is in Guwahati for the Khelo India Youth Games.

“The training ground itself is in very bad shape, it was not even a dedicated ground for archery training, some play football, cricket and other sports on that ground. But the worst part is that the SAI coach did not give instructions to stop the camp for a while and the archers were training without any supervision,” he added Das said Gohain was struck by an arrow shot by boys doing practice for compound event. The arrow remained stuck for more more than a day before she was airlifted to New Delhi on Thursday night.

“There was nobody to look after the archers, they were training on their own though their parents were outside the ground. An arrow shot by a boy trainee who was doing compound event practice hit her on the shoulder,” the official said.

Gohain's father Brinchi Gohain was outside the practice area and with no official of the college and SAI coming for help, she was taken to Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh, 33km from Chabua.

“She could reach the AMC in Dribugarh only on Thursday morning. There, the doctors told her parents to take her to a more reputed hospital like AIIMS in Delhi. With help from people close to the local Member of Parliament and Assam CM himself, she was taken by air ambulance to Delhi.

“I was told that she had a very tough time as the arrow remained stuck for more than a day. She is a strong-willed girl and she fought. Her father must be a daily wage labourer and he was distraught also.”

The SAI said that it will bear all the expenses of her treatment. The Assam Archery Association has contributed Rs 20,000 towards her treatment.

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Agencies
February 4,2020

Potchefstroom, Feb 4: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena guided India to a comfortable ten wickets win over Pakistan in the ICC U19 World Cup semifinal at Senwes Park on Tuesday and progressed to the final of the tournament.

Chasing 173, Indian openers Jaiswal and Saxena played cautiously and stitched an unbeaten partnership of 176 runs.

The duo built the highest opening partnership of the tournament's history. Jaiswal, the left-handed batsman, scored his maiden century of the tournament as he amassed unbeaten 105 runs studded with eight fours and four sixes.

Saxena scored 59* off 99 balls including six fours. India chased down the total in 35.2 overs. This is the first time in the history of the U19 World Cup that a team won a knockout match by ten wickets.

Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Opener Haider Ali and skipper Rohail Nazir's half-centuries guided the side to a respectable total of 172. Ali played a knock of 56 runs while Nazir accumulated 62 runs including six boundaries.

Pakistan did not have a good start as they lost Mohammad Hurair (4) in the second over. Fahad Munir, came to bat at number three, failed to score a single run and was departed by Ravi Bishnoi on a duck in ninth over.

Apart from Ali and Nazir, Mohammad Haris was the only batsman to score runs in double digits. He played an innings of 21 runs off 15 balls. Indian bowlers showed a spirited performance as they bowled out arch-rival in 43.1 overs.

Pacers Karthik Tyagi and Sushant Mishra bagged two and three wickets respectively. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi clinched two scalps and conceded 46 runs in his ten overs.

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