Sports

‘King of spin’: Thousands bid farewell to Shane Warne at state memorial

Published

2 years ago

31/03/2022

MNN

Legendary cricketer Shane Warne was honoured in a two-hour service in front of about 50,000 fans that was beamed live to cricket grounds across Australia and watched around the world.

Shane Warne was remembered as a “genius” at a state memorial service at Melbourne Cricket Ground attended by tens of thousands of spectators and legendary players, with music stars including Elton John performing by video link.

The legendary cricketer died at a luxury resort in Thailand this month from a suspected heart attack, aged 52, eliciting shock and grief from his millions of fans as well as prime ministers, rock stars and fellow players.

The larger-than-life “king of spin” was honoured in a two-hour service on Wednesday in front of about 50,000 fans that was beamed live to cricket grounds across Australia and watched around the world.

“Looking forward to a future without Shane is inconceivable,” his father Keith said after batting great Donald Bradman’s granddaughter Greta sang the national anthem to kick off proceedings.

“But we take comfort in knowing that Shane packed more into his life of 52 years, five months and 19 days than most people would in two lifetimes.”

A stand at the MCG was to be officially re-named after Warne, who in the eyes of many is second only to Bradman in Australia’s long list of sporting greats.

Some fans attending wore their cricket kit, while others donned Warne T-shirts.

‘A genius’

Emotions ran high as they snapped pictures in front of his statue outside the MCG.

One woman showed off her new thigh tattoo of Warne, which she had done last week.

Mark Taylor, who captained Warne for Australia, said the huge interest showed “how admired Shane Warne was”.

“The fact he had that rough diamond character about him made him what people like to see. People like to see something a bit different, and they got that with Warnie,” Taylor told reporters.

Fellow Australian captain Allan Border called him “a genius”.

“I don’t know how the Oxford dictionary defined genius, but he’s as close as I’ve been to genius, the way he developed his game and just transcended everything,” he said.

“He’s left us with a flood of memories and such great times.”

Music stars Elton John, Chris Martin, Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran were set to sing “dedicated songs” to Warne.

Also set to appear by video link were Hollywood stars Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman.

Cricketing greats such as Brian Lara, Nasser Hussain and Wasim Akram were among an array of sports stars at the service.

Warne’s former partner, the British actress Liz Hurley, was not expected to attend but will reportedly feature in the service.

Credited with reviving the art of leg-spin, Warne took 708 Test wickets as part of a dominant Australian team in the 1990s and 2000s before becoming a respected commentator.

Before the state service in his memory, Warne’s family, friends and teammates mourned him at a private funeral on March 20.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

Sports

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

Published

6 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