Brazil began three days of mourning on Friday, a day after the death of soccer icon Pelé, a national hero widely regarded as one of his sport’s greatest players.
Pelé died Thursday at age 82 following a long battle with cancer. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro declared the period of mourning in a decree he signed on Friday, two days before he was set to leave office.
World remembers Brazilian soccer legend Pelé
Soccer fans and admirers around the world mourn and pay tribute to Brazil’s ‘King Pelé’ who died Thursday at the age of 82.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as Pelé, rose from poverty to become one of the greatest athletes in modern history. He was the only man to win three World Cups as a player, scoring 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches.
One of the many images on display to pay homage to Pelé in Brazil could be seen on a building in Sao Paulo on Thursday night.
(Mauro Horita/Getty Images)
Elsewhere, a young boy posed in front of a flag of the late Brazilian soccer star outside the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of the Santos FC soccer club, in the Brazilian coastal city on Thursday. Pelé played most of his career with Santos FC.
(Matias Delacroix/The Associated Press)
Another fan went to the Pelé Museum in Santos on Friday to take a photo.
(Matias Delacroix/The Associated Press)
And this fan, below, posed for a picture next to a statue depicting the soccer legend, also in Santos, on Friday. Fans will be able to pay their final respects to Pelé during funeral services at the Santos stadium on Monday and Tuesday.
(Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images)
Also on Friday, fans Antonio da Paz and Renato Souza stood in front of the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, holding memorabilia honouring their hero.
(Marcelo Chello/The Associated Press)
Newspapers from around the world paid tribute to Pelé with front-page coverage. Brazilian daily O Globo had a commemorative four-cover edition highlighting the late soccer star’s career. On its front page, Spain’s El Pais said, “Goodbye to Pele, ‘the king’ of football,” with a picture of him celebrating the 1970 World Cup triumph.
(Reuters)
French sports daily L’Equipe switched its headline colours to reflect the green and yellow of Brazil, with a picture of a young Pelé adorning its cover. It also had the words “Pelé. He was a King.”
Below, a woman holds a Brazilian daily newspaper headlining Pelé’s death on a newsstand in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
