Sports

Croatia boss Dalic says “we want more”

Published

1 year ago

13/12/2022

DOHA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) — Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic said Monday that his team would not be satisfied with a semifinal exit at the FIFA World Cup despite praising his team’s “extraordinary success.”

Croatia will be bidding for a berth in their second consecutive World Cup final when they meet Argentina in Lusail on Tuesday. The winning team will confront either France or Morocco in the title decider on Sunday.

“We are among the best four teams in the world, that is an extraordinary success for Croatia. But we want more,” Dalic told a news conference, adding that a victory would represent the most famous result in the history of Croatian football.

Croatia reached the semifinals with successive penalty-shootout wins over Japan and Brazil in their two knockout matches so far while Argentina progressed by beating Australia 2-1 and the Netherlands on penalties.

Dalic claimed Argentina were under more pressure than Croatia and made reference to their captain, Lionel Messi, who has said that this is likely to be his last chance to win the World Cup.

“We are playing against Argentina, who are a terrific team led by Lionel Messi,” Dalic said. “They are highly motivated and under greater pressure than us.

“We have analyzed them so we know how they play and how they intend to approach the game. We are going to be prepared. I’m an optimist. I trust my players. They have demonstrated quality and great strength of character.”

The last meeting between the teams came during the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Croatia prevailed 3-0. Dalic refuted suggestions the previous result had given his team a psychological advantage.

“This is quite different to the match in 2018,” he said. “That was in the group stage and not decisive in any way. We were compact and strong in that game and we’ll try to approach it the same way this time round but the stakes are a lot higher. We won’t be sparing any effort.”

Dalic admitted his players have been physically tested by consecutive matches that have extended to extra-time and penalties. But he insisted that would not be an excuse against two-time world champions Argentina.

“It’s been quite exhausting but we’re in the semifinals of a World Cup and we’re not talking about exhaustion,” Dalic said. “It [tiredness] is out of the question. We have the strength, the energy and the willingness to give our best in this match. All the players are healthy and I hope they’ve rested well.”

Sports

The table tennis star Dheema, first Maldivian athlete to qualify for Olympics

Published

11 hours ago

18/05/2024

The table tennis star, Fathimath Dheema Ali, who will be partaking in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, has received a warm welcome upon returning to Male’ City. Dheema showcased her exemplary skills amidst stiff competition from the finest table tennis players in South Asia and emerged victorious in the South Asia Regional Olympic Qualifications. Her triumph signifies a momentous milestone for the Maldives in the realm of international sports.

Upon arrival back to the Maldives, the Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu and senior officials of the ministry along with the President of Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) Mohamed Abdul Sattar and key figures from the Table Tennis Association of the Maldives extended their heartfelt and warm welcomes to Dheema. The minister organised a special ceremony held in the Youth Centre, commemorating the groundbreaking achievement of Dheema.

Speaking at the ceremony, President of the table Tennis Association Ali Rasheed rejoiced, stating that Dheema’s historic performance marked a significant milestone in the history of the Maldives. Highlighting that this remarkable victory was a result of 10 years of her unwavering commitment and dedication, Ali affirmed that the administration and countries in which she received training played a pivotal role for her success. On this stance, he expressed heartfelt gratitude towards all who were engaged in assisting to ensure this significant opportunity was secured.

While Dheema successfully qualified for the Olympic Games, previously Maldivian athletes competed in the games in invitational (tripartite) opportunities provided. As such, Maldivian athletes have been actively participating and competing in athletics, badminton and swimming since 1988.

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Minister announces survey for 20-year sports development plan

Published

3 days ago

15/05/2024

Minister of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has announced a special survey for the Maldives’ 20-year sports development plan.

The draft plan was developed in February and focuses on cultivating top athletes by training coaches in schools, hosting major tournaments in the Maldives, and expanding sports associations’ activities in the atolls.

At a press conference, Minister Rafiu highlighted ongoing collaboration with sports associations. He said that detailed work on the long-term policy is available on the ministry’s website. He also said that the survey is a critical part of the process and spans 22 pages and requires time for completion by each association.

Additionally, Minister Rafiu mentioned agreements with Malaysia for training athletes and administrators. He also said that discussions about the plan have taken place with France, and talks are ongoing with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Mbappe announces PSG departure at end of season

Published

1 week ago

11/05/2024

MARSEILLE, May 10 (Xinhua) — Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Friday that he will leave French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, without revealing his next destination.

But according to multiple media reports, he will join the La Liga powerhouses Real Madrid after the season ends.

“I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe said in a video posted on social media.

“I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”

The French international joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017 and officially signed with the capital-based side after the season ended for a transfer fee of 180 million euros.

During his seven years with the team, Mbappe helped the club claim six league titles and three French Cup victories, making 306 appearances and scoring 255 goals, becoming the top scorer in the team’s history.

“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honor to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world,” said the 26-year-old.

“It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions,” he added.

“It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that… but I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”

PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title of this season and reached the French Cup final, where they will compete for the championship against Lyon on May 25th.

However, in the Champions League where the team most aspired to make a mark, they suffered another disappointing exit as they were eliminated in the semifinals after being defeated in both legs by Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Source(s): Xinhua