Established 1961 19 Sunday, May 3, 2020 Sports Judge rules against US women’s soccer team in equal pay case US women left stunned by their defeat on pay issue LOS ANGELES: A federal judge dismissed the nent US women’s team star Megan Rapinoe said women’s soccer team’s bid for equal after learning of the court’s decision that the battle pay on Friday, rejecting claims the players had been is not over. underpaid in a crushing defeat for the reigning “We will never stop fighting for EQUALITY,” she world champions. wrote on Twitter. A spokeswoman for the players re- In a 32-page ruling, Judge Gary Klausner of the acted with dismay following Friday’s ruling. “We are US District Court for Central California in Los An- shocked and disappointed with today’s decision, but geles tossed the women’s claim of pay discrimina- we will not give up our hard work for equal pay,” tion, ruling in favour of the United States Soccer spokeswoman Molly Levinson said. Federation (USSF). “We are confident in our case and steadfast in our Klausner did allow the women’s case for unfair commitment to ensuring that girls and women who treatment in areas such as travel, housing and med- play this sport will not be valued as lesser just be- ical support to proceed to trial, set for June 16 in Los cause of their gender. “We have learned that there are Angeles. tremendous obstacles to change; we know that it But the judge said the equal pay claims — the cen- takes bravery and courage and perseverance to stand tral plank of the case — had been dismissed because up to them.” there was evidence the USSF said Friday night women had previously it would continue to work turned down an offer in with the women’s pro- the Collective Bargain- gram to grow the game in ing Agreement negotia- the United States. “We tions to be paid along look forward to working the lines of the US men’s Fighting for with the Women’s Na- team. “The history of ne- tional Team to chart a gotiations between the equality positive path forward and parties demonstrates to grow the game both that the WNT rejected here at home and around an offer to be paid under the world,” it said. the same pay-to-play “We are committed to structure as the MNT, continuing that work to and the WNT was willing to forgo higher bonuses for ensure our Women’s National Team remains the best PARIS: File photo shows US players pose ahead of the France 2019 Women’s World Cup quarter-final benefits, such as greater base compensation and the in the world.” The increasingly acrimonious lawsuit football match between France and USA, at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. A federal judge dis- guarantee of a higher number of contracted players,” had taken a dramatic turn in March, when a filing by missed the United States women’s soccer team’s bid for equal pay on May 1, 2020, rejecting claims Klausner wrote. lawyers for the federation argued that US men’s team the players had been underpaid in a crushing defeat for the reigning world champions. — AFP “Accordingly, plaintiffs cannot now retroactively players required a “higher level of skill based on deem their CBA (collective bargaining agreement) speed and strength” than the women. worse than the MNT CBA by reference to what they The filing triggered outrage amongst the women’s at the men’s and women’s World Cups. money than the men on both a cumulative and an av- would have made had they been paid under the players while influential sponsors such as Coca-Cola Germany’s men won $35 million for their victory erage per game basis. MNT’s pay-to-play terms structure when they them- voiced disgust at the remarks. USSF President Carlos in the 2014 World Cup while France earned $38 mil- During that period the women’s national team re- selves rejected such a structure,” he said. Cordeiro later resigned following the uproar, with lion after triumphing in in 2018. The United ceived $24 million and an average of $220,747 per Rapinoe accusing the USSF of “blatant sexism” in its States women, victors in the 2015 and 2019 World game while the men’s team received payments of $18 SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED legal filings. The US women, who clinched back-to- Cups, earned total prize money of $6 million over the million and $212,639 per game. Under the current The US women were left stunned by their defeat back World Cup wins with victory at last year’s finals two tournaments. CBA, which was signed in 2017, more than half the on the pay issue. The women had been seeking back in France, had based their claim for back pay in the The USSF argued in court that between the years women’s team players receive an annual base salary pay of $66 million under the Equal Pay Act. Promi- disparities between prize money distributed by FIFA 2015-2019, the women actually were paid more of $167,000. — AFP

Olympic Games before winning it at the uled seasons with spectators while Caslavska, only World Championships, European Champi- Coronavirus the NBA and the National Hockey onships and ensuing Olympics. League cancel the unfinished part of Her main rival in Tokyo, Ukrainian-born their regular seasons and stage play- gymnast to win Larisa Latynina, was the only other female US sport off games without spectators with gymnast to win successive golds in the all- youth sports resuming in July. all-around title round competition, in 1956 and 1960. “She shutdown will None of that is assured given the was a phenomenal sportswoman,” Latynina stay-at-home orders remaining in told Reuters after Caslavska died in 2016 place over most of the nation as a re- PRAGUE: When Vera Caslavska bowed her from pancreatic cancer. “Vera and I were cost $12bn sult of the deadly virus that has killed head and turned away in protest at the So- friends and we would give each other pres- more than 63,000 people in the viet anthem during the 1968 Olympics, the ents. We would also swap vinyl records.” United States and infected more than NEW YORK: The $100 billion US Czech gymnast cemented her place as not Czech authorities, however, nearly one million. only one of the country’s greatest athletes stopped Caslavska’s journey to Mexico City sports landscape will lose $12 billion in revenue due to the coronavirus “As an economist, you stand back, but also as a powerful voice against Commu- in its tracks after she publicly opposed So- you look at the carnage that’s taking nist rule. viet rule by signing a dissident manifesto in shutdown, ESPN reported Friday, with deeper cuts if NFL and college place — dumbfounded, awestruck, Two months after Warsaw Pact tanks the spring of 1968. mind-numbing. All of those phrases, swept into to crush the Forced to hide in the mountains to avoid gridiron games are wiped out. Analysis of the magnitude of busi- they’re all relevant becaus we just “Prague Spring” reforms, the anti-Soviet arrest, the gymnast only gained permission have never seen anything on this icon dazzled at the Mexico Games, claiming to compete at the last minute. ness losses includes superstar salaries to pay for stadium workers scale,” Rishe told ESPN. four golds and becoming one of only two Figures include $3.25 billion that POTATO SACKS but it might be a conservative esti- women to win successive titles in the all- would have been spent by specta- During her time in hiding, she lifted potato Vera Caslavska mate because it does not include out- around competition. Yet it was her silent mo- tors on pro sports plus $371 million sacks to keep fit and substituted logs for door recreational sport, gambling or ment of defiance as the anthem played of income for stadium and arena during the medal ceremony for the ex- beams to prepare for the games where her such individual sports as golf, tennis ond-greatest athlete after runner Emil workers and $2.2 billion in US tele- ercise, when she controversially shared a dominant performances and decision to use and NASCAR, the most popular form Zatopek. When Communist rule ended in vision rights fees. joint gold with a Soviet athlete after the the Mexican Hat Dance as music for one of Czechoslovakia in 1989, President Vaclav of US auto racing. An NFL wipe out would cost judges upgraded the preliminary scores of her routines won the adoration of the local Havel appointed her his adviser for sport and Patrick Rishe, sports business pro- more than $11.5 billion in television her rival, that endeared her to Czechs. fans. Caslavska topped off her remarkable social issues. She also led the Czech Olympic gram director at Washington Univer- revenue while 65 major collegiate It also made her a beloved figure long Olympics by marrying Czech 1,500 metres Committee from 1990 to 1996. Her personal sity in St. Louis, estimated the impact American football programs receive after her sporting career had ended. “We champion Josef Odlozil in Mexico City, 24 life following the country’s “Velvet Revolu- of the shutdown on major US pro and about $4 billion in TV money, about Olympians were the only ones who could hours after her competition ended, in an tion” that ended authoritarian rule in 1989 college sports leagues as well as demonstrate our attitude to the Soviet occu- event that drew thousands of well wishers. was not easy. youth sport for ESPN, which also had half the income that finances all ath- pation to the world at that time of occupa- Yet her triumph abroad did not translate In 1993 her then ex-husband Odlozil died labor market analysis firm Emsi make letic department budgets. tion,” Caslavska said in a 2007 interview into a warm welcome at home. from injuries suffered in a fall after he was sport-related job estimates. There are three million jobs na- with iDNES.cz. All together, Caslavska took Caslavska was expelled from the Czech struck by their son Martin during a dispute. Rishe estimated US pro sports tionwide that depend upon sports, seven golds in her two , in- sports union and ostracised for criticising the In later years, Caslavska fell into a deep would lose $5.5 billion from the shut- from ushers and guards to scouts and cluding back-to-back wins in the . She 1968 invasion and refusing to withdraw her depression but overcame the illness and down while college sports would lose trainers, according to the report. also won the beam at Tokyo 1964 and the un- signature from the Prague Spring protest returned to public life, coaching gymnasts $3.9 billion and youth sport tourism Rishe said that should MLB play even bars in 1968. movement’s “Manifesto of 2000 Words.” and serving as a mentor to younger would fall by $2.4 billion. without spectators for half a season Caslavska, who began her sporting career From 1974 she trained other gymnasts at Olympians. She was diagnosed with pan- And those figures assume Major for its 162-games-a-team schedule, as a figure skater, was also the first and only home and also during a spell in Mexico. creatic cancer in 2015 and died the follow- League Baseball and Major League over $2 billion more in game-day fan gymnast to win an all-around title at an Czechs later voted her as the nation’s sec- ing summer. — Reuters Soccer can finish half of their sched- spending would be lost. — AFP

ter United before going on to captain his selves to sign Beckham up. On billboards months later in the League Cup. last 16 of the 1998 World Cup, fans and Beckham, one country and become a Galactico at Real around the world, he modelled everything He returned from a brief loan spell at media lambasted Beckham for the defeat. Madrid. from expensive underpants to watches Preston to ignite his Old Trafford career, A Beckham effigy was strung up outside Beckham, one of the so-called “Class of and sunglasses. making his Premier League debut in 1994. a London pub, such was the venom aimed of the so-called 92”, went on to win six Premier League ti- Actors Tom Cruise and George his way. tles under Alex Ferguson at United along- Clooney became pals and even Prince RAISED EYEBROWS Yet out of adversity, Beckham grew. He ‘Class of 92’ side youth-team buddies Ryan Giggs, Paul Harry was keen to socialise with soccer Ferguson’s decision to give his “fledg- led England to a famous 5-1 win over Ger- Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Gary and Phil royalty. “Bend it Like Beckham” became a lings” their wings at the start of the 1995- many in a World Cup qualifier in 2001 and Neville. Beckham also won two FA Cups box-office smash and Beckham was even 96 season initially raised eyebrows. Pundit his metamorphosis from villain to hero LONDON: When an 11-year-old David and, memorably, the Champions League in credited with winning London’s bid to Alan Hansen famously quipped “you’ll was complete when he curled in a trade- Beckham walked into a local newspaper 1999. He topped up his trophy collection host the 2012 Olympics, his charm helping never win anything with kids,” after an mark free kick against Greece at Wembley office in east London with his mother in with a La Liga winners’ medal for Real sway the IOC vote. opening-day loss to Aston Villa. to clinch a place in the 2002 tournament. 1986 the trainee reporter summoned to Madrid and added two MLS Cups during Even after his playing days, father-of- Instead, with Beckham flowering as Although England’s so-called “Golden reception could never have known he was a north American adventure with LA four Beckham is rarely out of the news. He United’s right-side midfielder, they Generation” never managed to land a tro- about to meet a future international foot- Galaxy. part owns new MLS franchise Inter Miami scooped the Premier League and FA Cup phy, Beckham went past Bobby Moore’s ball and cultural icon. That barely begins to tell the story, as well as Salford City. The door to all that, double. On the first day of the next season, appearance record for an outfield player Speaking in barely a whisper, the though. Midfielder Beckham, widely re- and an estimated net worth of $450 mil- Beckham launched a 60-metre shot from in 2009 before injury ended his hopes of blonde-haired schoolboy, prompted by garded as one of the sweetest strikers of lion, was opened by football gifts. inside his own half over Wimbledon goal- playing at the 2010 World Cup and his in- mum Sandra, said he had won the Bobby a football in English soccer history, was Venables recalled meeting that boyish keeper Neil Sullivan and the world sat up ternational career. Charlton Soccer Schools skills competi- destined for more than the sports pages. Beckham at Barcelona’s Nou Camp, “As and took notice. Post-United Beckham never quite tion and a trip to train with Barcelona, In 1999, he married one of the Spice we said goodbye I made sure I would not Weeks later Glenn Hoddle handed him scaled the same heights at club level. then managed by Terry Venables. Girls, a British pop music sensation at the forget his name,” he said. his England debut and he went on to earn When he joined Real Madrid in 2003, 500 A story went out, one of a multitude time, becoming one half of the country’s Had his grandfather got his way, Beck- 115 caps. From 2000 to 2006 he was cap- journalists turned up for his unveiling at that in years to come would chronicle a new Golden Couple. Instead of “just” ham would have signed for Tottenham tain. Beckham’s celebrity status infuriated the Bernabeu. It was not until his final sea- Roy of the Rovers tale that took the son being a key cog in Manchester United’s Hotspur, then managed by Venables. The some, straining his relationship with Fer- son in 2006-07, however, that Real won of a plumber to fame and fortune beyond dominant team of the 1990s and early forms were already printed out, but Beck- guson so much that the fiery Scot fa- La Liga, by which time the Beckham cir- his wildest dreams. Six years later, Beck- 2000s, he became a brand, as big a name ham only had eyes for United. After help- mously threw a boot at him in 2003 and cus was plotting a course for LA Galaxy ham fulfilled his childhood ambition by off the pitch as on it. ing them win the FA Youth Cup in 1992, cut his eye. When he was red-carded for and the Hollywood stage his fairytale ca- making his first-team debut for Manches- High-end companies fell over them- Beckham made his first-team debut kicking Argentina’s Diego Simeone in the reer demanded. — Reuters