• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

14 Established 1961 Sports Thursday, November 19, 2020 Photo of the day All Blacks captain Cane returns fire at ‘brutal’ critics WELLINGTON: All Blacks skipper Sam Cane has hit back at critics questioning his leadership in the wake of last week- end’s shock defeat by Argentina, accusing them of being ignorant about rugby. Cane and New Zealand coach Ian Foster have taken most of the flak from irate All Black fans over the 25-15 defeat to Los Pumas, which followed a 24-22 loss to Australia a week earlier. The gritty flanker, who became captain of the three-time world champions earlier this year, said he shared their frustration but “hateful, disre- spectful” comments posted online were unhelpful. “We’ve got amazing fans but we’ve also got some pretty brutal ones,” he told New Zealand’s Sky Sports in an inter- view aired late Tuesday. “You’ve just got to remind yourself that they may like to think they know a lot about the game of rugby but in reality they don’t.” New Zealand rugby followers are notoriously demanding about the All Blacks - who have a winning record of almost 80 percent - but Cane said he paid no heed to online critics. “If I’m having my leadership ques- tioned in public, the opinions that really matter to me are my teammates and the coaches I work with every single day,” the 28-year-old said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence from them that we’re on the right track.” Cane also defended Foster’s coaching after some pundits called for him to be sacked and replaced with Crusaders’ mentor Scott Robertson following Argentina’s historic first victory over the All Blacks. “He’s given us really clear focuses on where we need to get better, so it’s not like we’re bogged down and don’t have the answers,” he said. But Cane conceded criticism had stung the coach, saying: “Foz is only human.” Cane’s own assessment of the Argentina loss echoed the opinions of many critics as he admitted that the Freeride World Tour champion Nadine Wallner performs during a photo shoot in Hintertux, Austria. —Photo taken from www.redbullcontentpool.com All Blacks lacked discipline and gave away to many defensive penalties, starving their vaunted backline of attacking oppor- tunities. —AFP IOC, WADA question why US sport exempt from the Rodchenkov Act No need to include US pro and college sports, says USADA WASHINGTON: The International adhere to the World Anti-Doping Code. lar and influential professional and col- orchestrating doping conspiracies. “Any Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday “The IOC continues to encourage the lege leagues,” said WADA president conspiracy to distribute and administer acknowledged the passing of the US professional leagues, in which the Witold Banka in a statement. “These performance-enhancing drugs is Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (RADA) in most popular American athletes play, leagues were originally included in the already a felony under US conspiracy, ‘New challenges’ the US Senate but questioned why and the US college sports organization Act but were subsequently removed narcotics, and fraud laws, which carry American professional and college ath- (NCAA), from which the vast majority of without explanation. “If it is not good stiff sentences.” Athlete groups view the hit Australian Open letes are exempt from the legislation. The the most successful US athletes come, enough for American sports, why is it Rodchenkov Act as tool to bring justice Rodchenkov Act, named after the to apply the World Anti-Doping Code,” being imposed on the rest of the to the anti-doping effort. whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov who the IOC said in a statement. world?” The United States Anti- WADA said it recognized positive warm-up events helped expose Russia’s state-sponsored “Unfortunately, they are exempt from Doping Agency (USADA) said there elements of the US bill but added that MELBOURNE: Lead-up events to the doping, will give US justice officials the this new Act, and they have so far not was no need to include US professional many of its members fear tit-for-tat leg- Australian Open tennis Grand Slam were thrown ability to pursue criminal penalties accepted the World Anti-Doping Code.” and college sports in the legislation islation that would undermine the fight against anyone involved in doping at WADA also expressed concerns over since they could already be prosecuted against doping. “No nation has ever into doubt yesterday after organizers flagged international events involving American the bill, saying it will destabilize the under existing laws. before asserted criminal jurisdiction “new challenges” around players arriving in the athletes, sponsors or broadcasters. global anti-doping effort by extending “First, the WADA Code is the lynch- over doping offences that occurred out- country during the coronavirus pandemic. In a The legislation, passed unopposed in US jurisdiction beyond its own borders pin to RADA applying,” said USADA in side its national borders-and for good message to players the ATP, the men’s tennis the US Senate on Monday, now only while giving US professional and col- an email to Reuters. “It will apply in the reason,” said WADA. “WADA remains tour, said arrivals originally planned for needs the signature of the president to lege athletes a free pass. US when events are subject to the Code, concerned that by unilaterally exerting December were now uncertain, potentially dis- become law. Professional leagues and “We join other stakeholders around like the Olympic Games and World US criminal jurisdiction over all global rupting the packed January schedule. college sports in the US were included in the globe in asking why this US legisla- Baseball Classic. “Additionally, US pro- doping activity, the Act will likely under- With players facing a 14-day quarantine, the original draft of the bill, according to tion, which purports to protect athletes fessional leagues and college athletics mine clean sport by jeopardizing critical any delay could make it difficult to hold the the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and claims jurisdiction overseas, are already at risk of criminal prosecu- partnerships and cooperation between high-profile ATP Cup and other tournaments but were later removed. They also do not specifically excludes the hugely popu- tion under existing US domestic law for nations.” — Reuters before the Australian Open’s scheduled start on January 18 in Melbourne. “In discussions virus filter. “But coming to ski in the morning, it’s with Tennis Australia over the past 24 hours, Swiss urged to ‘hit fine. I feel safe,” he said, before setting off down the we have been informed there are some new piste with his family. The resorts and ski lift opera- challenges around the previously planned tors insist everything is being done to ensure safety. arrival dates for players and team members,” the slopes’ to save “The cable car windows are open all day long. read the ATP’s message, which was tweeted by Ventilation, masks, hand gel, distancing,” said world number 193 Lukas Lacko. ski season Laurent Vaucher, the chief executive of Televerbier, “We understand there is uncertainty about the top ski lift firm in French-speaking parts of the start of the 2021 season, and we are work- VERBIER: The coronavirus crisis shuttered Switzerland. At Verbier, like at other resorts, police ing as hard as possible to deliver the best pos- Switzerland’s ski resorts in the spring, but they are patrol the lift departure area to make sure everyone sible calendar of events,” the ATP added. banking on tighter precautions and the Swiss love of is respecting the anti-COVID measures. International travel to Australia is still tightly the mountains to save them as the winter season controlled and all overseas arrivals must quar- kicks off. A cable car ride to the top of the slopes at Glimmer of hope antine for two weeks, while individual states Verbier, where staff wear plastic face shields, reveals At the end of October, the Swiss Ski Lift also have their own coronavirus restrictions. the extent to which the pandemic has impacted even Association tightened measures against the virus, It’s also unclear whether players will be the furthest reaches of the pristine Alps. “Wearing making it mandatory to wear a facemask not only in allowed to train during quarantine. face masks is mandatory everywhere except on the closed cable car cabins, but also on open-air chair Tennis Australia on Monday flagged plans to slopes, in order to enjoy the great outdoors,” Didier lifts and in queues. The resorts are also counting on move warm-up events from Sydney, Brisbane, Defago, the 2010 Olympic downhill champion now the Helvetic love of the outdoors, with lift associa- Perth, Hobart, Adelaide and Canberra to the president of the Wallis ski lift association, told AFP. tions launching a campaign urging the Swiss to “hit state of Victoria, to mitigate against any possi- With skiing already going downhill in recent the slopes”. “This is where we have a trump card to ble state border closures. But Victoria’s state years owing to less interest and less predictable play,” said Vaucher, who has given up on US and premier Dan Andrews said the move was “not a snowfall, the closure of the slopes in March during Asian visitors this year, but hopes his compatriots done deal”, particularly since Melbourne only the first wave of the pandemic left the resorts fear- will head for the mountains in greater numbers. recently emerged from a month-long lockdown. ing the worst. But the industry has been able to Gregory Quin, a sports historian at the Australia has been relatively successful in con- adapt and has avoided another closure, even as University of Lausanne, said the medium-altitude taining the virus, with just over 27,700 cases Switzerland deals with one of the worst outbreaks resorts could do especially well with the Swiss this and 907 deaths recorded since the pandemic in Europe.

Load more

  1

Copy Link