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Messi wins Laureus individual prize again, Gu Ailing crowned Action Sportsperson

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PARIS, May 8 (Xinhua) — Argentine and Paris Saint-Germain footballer Lionel Messi added two prestigious awards to his already illustrious list of achievements, winning the Laureus World Sportsman and the World Team of the Year at the grand ceremony on Monday.

The 35-year-old veteran, who led Argentina to World Cup victory last year in Qatar, became the first-ever athlete to sweep both awards in the same year.

Chinese freeskier Gu Ailing, a two-time gold medal winner at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games last year, captured the Action Sportsperson of the Year award.

The World Cup-winning captain Messi, who shared the men’s prize with Lewis Hamilton in 2020, defeated other nominees including 21-time tennis Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, current Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, world record holder in pole vault Mondo Duplantis, basketball player Stephen Curry, and French football international Kylian Mbappe to secure the award for a second time.

“It’s an honour, especially since the Laureus World Sports Awards are taking place this year in Paris, the city that welcomed me and my family,” Messi said. “I would like to thank all my teammates, not only those of the national team but also those of PSG. I have not accomplished anything alone and I am grateful to be able to share all this with them.”

Messi scored seven goals, including two in the final, and won the Golden Ball in Qatar last December when he led the South American team to their third World Cup title. The Argentine men’s football team was given a team award at Laureus.

“And I’m even happier to see that the team I was part of at the World Cup was also honoured by the Laureus Academy tonight,” Messi added. “For us, the World Cup was an unforgettable adventure; I cannot describe what it felt like to return to Argentina and see what our victory had brought to our people.”

Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who clinched a fifth world 100m title at Eugene last August, picked up the women’s individual award, while tennis US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was named the best breakthrough of the year.

Gu, the first athlete to win three medals in freestyle skiing at a single Olympic Games, was awarded the Action Sportsperson, a prize given to the best athlete in extreme sports of the year.

“It’s a huge honor to me,” said the 19-year-old, who worked on her homework for eight hours on her flight to Paris since she is also pursuing academics at Stanford University.

“I don’t want to simply be celebrating this beautiful trophy here today, but also to be speaking to the value that sports have brought to my life and to help contribute that love and passion, confidence and resilience, everything that sports have taught me to more people,” Gu told Xinhua.

Manchester United and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen won Comeback of the Year following his return to football after collapsing on the pitch due to cardiac arrest during Euro 2020.

At the start of 2022, the tough fighter was without a club, and his future in the game was uncertain. But he managed to end the year playing every minute of Denmark’s World Cup campaign and earning a regular place in the Man United squad.

The Laureus Award was founded in 2000 to celebrate sporting excellence during the past year. This year’s ceremony was held in person after the previous two editions were conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Germany one of UEFA Euro 2024 favorites, says Matthaeus

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by Oliver Trust

BERLIN, March 27 (Xinhua) — Enthusiastic fan chants filled the Frankfurt arena as a determined team pushed its way to success, impressing pundits. The German national team seems rejuvenated after a remarkable transformation.

“We see and feel something that wasn’t there before,” remarked Real star Toni Kroos, the driving force behind the 2014 World Champions, upon his return after an absence of over two years.

“The team went through dark times and many months of drought, but we managed to build up faith and confidence in these two games and our training sessions,” the midfielder stated.

Having defeated France (2-0) and the Netherlands (2-1), two of Europe’s leading sides, feels like a refreshing restart without inherited burdens for the German national team.

The fundamental changes implemented by national coach Julian Nagelsmann have sparked a new spirit and opened doors for bold dreams, as not only German record international Lothar Matthaeus has redefined new goals for the Euro tournament host.

“From what I see, the team can win the trophy this summer,” said the 63-year-old former midfielder, who has been capped 150 times, referring to the Euro taking place from June 15 to July 15 in ten German arenas.

Just in time, Nagelsmann pressed the emergency button, leaving out established forces and relying on a strict performance pattern, only selecting players currently performing at a high level, regardless of the number of internationals in the German shirt.

Last autumn, Germany seemed to have hit rock bottom, suffering from two disappointing defeats against Turkey and Austria.

“We are back on track as we feel a new spirit, and things are going much better for everyone and the entire team,” said Bayern full-back and midfielder Joshua Kimmich.

Stuttgart full-back and national team newcomer Maximilian Mittelstaedt spoke of “something big” on the way.

Nagelsmann’s strategy to outline clear areas of responsibility for each of his players has created stability, while the coach has returned to a more conservative line-up, paying attention to the team’s defense.

A back row of four with two midfielders ahead is allowing offensive forces such as Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Ilkay Guendogan, and Kai Havertz to initiate surprising attacks.

With Mittelstaedt and Kimmich, the German coach seems to have solved the full-back problem that the team had been suffering from for several years.

With Union midfielder Robert Andrich, Nagelsmann seems to have found the holding six, covering the defensive midfield part aside from conducting Kroos.

While several newcomers and returnees enjoy the upswing, left-out players such as Dortmund’s stars Mats Hummels, Niklas Suele, Emre Can, and Julian Brandt, aside from Bayern’s Leon Goretzka, are in danger of missing Euro 2024.

Regarding his job as a project focused solely on the Euro outcome, Nagelsmann has instilled confidence by creating a tight-knit community.

Both recent victories have revitalized Germany’s national team, and as a side effect, previously disappointed fans are once again backing their team.

Source(s): Xinhua

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VAM appoints former president to lead once again

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Volleyball Association of Maldives (VAM) has appointed Mohamed Latheef, as its new president.

Latheef, who was the association’s president in 2016, was appointed to the position without an election. He was appointed at the association’s extarordinary congress held on Tuesday evening at Solite Restaurants.

He came to fill in the shoes of outogoing Mohamed Ranesh after his term expired on February 2024.

Since Latheef was the only one to submit his name for the position, the former Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) President was appointed without any competition.

Besides the president, the extraordinary congress saw the election of four other Vice Presidents to the executive committee of VAM, with Mohamed Sajid securing Senior Vice President’s position.

Ali Latheef was elected as Vice President, Volleyball, and Izzath Waheed was elected as Vice President, Administration. Aaidha Abdul Hakeem was elected for the female-designate Vice President’s seat.

Additionally, four more members were elected for VAM’s executive committee that include Fathuhulla Waheed, Shiyam Ali, Sofwan Ahmed and Aishath Fatheena.

Although Latheef was first elected as VAM’s President in 2016, he lost the position after the then Sports Commissioner Heena Ahmed Saleem announced the disolution of the association’s executive committee in 2019 following an investigation.

Previously, VAM’s election to elect executive committee members was scheduled for March 15th, but the current Sports Commissioner Mohamed Tholal demanded for a delay.

The association received permission to go ahead with the election under conditions.

Source(s): sun.mv

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ACC raids Badminton Association as part of corruption probe

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Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), on Tuesday, raided the Badminton Association of Maldives as part of a probe into corruption allegations.

ACC, on Tuesday, said an investigative team of the commission has entered the Badminton Association of Maldives to gather questions and information regarding multiple allegations of corruption filed against the association with the commission.

They did not disclose any further details regarding the case.

The case has come to light after major corruption cases against Football Association of Maldives (FAM) have been investigated following which charges have been sought against some individuals.

Source(s): sun.mv

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