BERLIN: Joshua Kimmich will be under the spotlight for Bayern Munich at rivals Moenchengladbach on Wednesday amid a fiery debate in Germany since the footballer revealed he opted not to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The 26-year-old is set to play for Bayern in a German Cup second-round tie, but off the pitch, his decision not to get vaccinated has even drawn comment from the government in Berlin.
On Saturday, Kimmich revealed he decided against being vaccinated, despite having founded the ‘We Kick Corona” charity last year.
“It’s not that I’m a denier of the coronavirus or an opponent of vaccination,” said Kimmich, who based his decision on “personal concerns.”
The footballer’s stance drew comment from Caretaker Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, who hopes the footballer will inform himself and “let all available information about the vaccines approved in the EU sink in.”
Siebert urged Kimmich to get vaccinated because the Bayern star is “someone who is looked up to by millions” as a role model.
Kimmich appears to be in the minority among Germany’s top flight footballers.
Christian Seifert, managing director of the German Football League (DFL), has said around 94 percent of Bundesliga players are vaccinated.
Of Germany’s population of 83 million, around 66 percent are fully vaccinated, but Europe’s biggest economy is currently in the fourth wave with 10,000 new cases of the coronavirus reported Tuesday.
Since testing positive for Covid-19 last week, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann has been giving training and matchday instructions from home where he is quarantined.
Kimmich says he may get vaccinated in the future and team-mate Thomas Mueller hopes it will be sooner rather than later.
“As a friend, it’s an absolutely acceptable decision,” said Mueller.
“As a teammate, and if you also look a little at what might be better for everyone... my opinion is perhaps that the vaccination would be better.”
On Monday, Bayern president Herbert Hainer said he would be happy if Kimmich “still gets vaccinated, but there is no compulsory vaccination. One has to respect the decision.”
Kimmich has drawn plenty of criticism from medical experts.
“Joshua Kimmich is certainly a proven expert in matters of football, but not an expert in matters of vaccination and vaccines,” Thomas Mertens, chairman of Germany’s Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), told German media.
“It is the personal decision of Kimmich and it should have stayed that way.”
There is also some support.
In a statement, Carsten Ramelow, vice president of the footballers’ union VDV, said it must be “accepted if individual players have concerns about side effects of the vaccination and therefore hold a different opinion.”
The chair of the German Ethics Council also stressed the importance of respecting Kimmich’s “private decision.”
However, the council’s chairwoman Alena Buyx told Sky “I think it’s a pity. It would be great if he would have used his platform to get better advice in order to be a role model.”
Buyx is concerned skeptics could use his statements to “cast doubt over vaccinations.”
Bayern star Kimmich sparks vaccination debate in Germany
https://arab.news/5w3hd
Bayern star Kimmich sparks vaccination debate in Germany
- On Saturday, Kimmich revealed he decided against being vaccinated, despite having founded the 'We Kick Corona" charity last year
- Bayern president Herbert Hainer said he would be happy if Kimmich "still gets vaccinated, but there is no compulsory vaccination.
Elite field set for inaugural Challenge Sir Bani Yas Triathlon
- Sam Laidlow, Sara Perez Sala, Henri Schoeman and Milan Agnew among the world champions, Olympic athletes and rising stars taking part in the 4-day event
ABU DHABI: Sam Laidlow, Sara Perez Sala, Henri Schoeman and Milan Agnew will be among a strong field competing in the inaugural Challenge Sir Bani Yas Triathlon this April, the Middle East’s first long-distance event of its kind.
Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the ruler’s representative in the Al-Dhafra region, the contest is the latest addition to the Challenge Family triathlon series.
Over 3,000 athletes are expected to take part in the event from April 3 to 7.
Throughout the year, challenge events of varying distances and locations take place across the globe, including New Zealand, Brazil, Turkiye, Italy and Taiwan.
And now with the Challenge Sir Bani Yas added to the roster — and becoming one of only four locations to host the event — participants and spectators can expect to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best triathletes.
French professional Laidlow, the youngest-ever Ironman World Champion, has chalked his name on the start line. After having an injury-ending season in 2024, the world No. 9 will be looking to make an impact to kickstart his year.
He will be joined by, among others, South African Olympic medalist Schoeman, who will no doubt feel confident after a solid 2024 season.
“I am excited to race Sir Bani Yas Challenge this year, it’s not often a completely new race comes along in what looks to be an amazing location,” said Laidlow. “There’s always something special about being part of an inaugural event, and I’m determined to take the top step.”
Looking to channel her 2022 victory at the series’ flagship race, The Championship, will be Spain’s Perez Sala. The former Olympic swimmer, who has been competing since the age of 6, will not be the only athlete to embrace the cooler Sir Bani Yas Island climate this April.
Young up-and-coming Australian, Agnew, who took the top spot in the Challenge Turku last year, as well as third at Challenge Cagnes-sur-Mer, also makes her way to Abu Dhabi this April.
Britons Lottie Lucas and Max Stapley, who both call the UAE home, will be among the local athletes taking part.
“I am really looking forward to racing at the inaugural Challenge Sir Bani Yas, which promises to be an exciting weekend for the triathlon community based in the UAE and beyond,” Lucas said.
“The entire weekend experience looks fantastic, and there will be plenty of time to put your feet up, relax and enjoy all the off-track fun.”
The event features both long- and middle-distance racing, with registration still open. The long-distance event features a 3.8 km swim, 180 km cycle and 42.2 km run.
Additionally, a middle-distance triathlon is offered, featuring a 1.9 km swim, 90 km cycle and 21.1 km run. The event includes various community, sports and tourism activities.
Barca shred Valencia to restore La Liga shine
BARCELONA: Barcelona blew away a miserable Valencia 7-1 on Sunday to get back on track in La Liga with a ruthless victory.
Fermin Lopez struck twice for the Catalans in the first half, along with goals from Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Raphinha which gave Barcelona a commanding five-goal lead at the break.
Hugo Duro pulled one back early in the second half before Robert Lewandowski pounced for Barca, followed by a Cesar Tarrega own goal, with the third-placed hosts earning just their second win in their last nine league matches.
Hansi Flick’s side trail La Liga leaders Real Madrid by seven points and second-placed Atletico Madrid by three.
Flick shuffled his pack against Valencia in order to spark a response given the club’s poor domestic form.
The coach began with Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo on the bench, while Pedri was absent because of a stomach bug, leading to De Jong, Ferran Torres and the superb Lopez all starting.
It took just three minutes for De Jong to open the scoring, with teenage star Lamine Yamal crossing for him in the area virtually unmarked, and he fired home.
Barcelona soon had their second, with Torres tucking home from Alejandro Balde’s cross, in similar fashion to the first goal but from the opposite flank.
The hosts moved three goals ahead in the 14th minute when Lopez clipped a fine ball over the top for Raphinha to run onto.
The Brazilian winger rounded Giorgi Mamardashvili and rolled home for his 12th league goal of the season.
Valencia, without the suspended Cristhian Mosquera, were struggling badly in defense and Barcelona broke in seemingly at will.
Lopez collected a perfectly measured Pau Cubarsi long pass for the fourth and although it was initially ruled offside, the decision was corrected by VAR.
Valencia thought they had won a penalty when Wojciech Szczesny brought down Hugo Duro but play was eventually brought back for a foul on Jules Kounde after another video review.
Lopez rattled home the fifth on the volley before half-time when Raphinha’s effort hit the post and fell nicely for him with the goalkeeper stranded.
Hugo Duro pulled one back for Valencia early in the second half from Diego Lopez’s low cross and Flick responded by sending on La Liga’s top goalscorer Lewandowski.
The Polish forward finished clinically for his 17th league goal of the season after being sent through by Lopez for Barca’s sixth on the night.
Barcelona netted their seventh when Torres’s hammered cross was deflected into his own net by Tarrega.
Seven goals did not flatter Barcelona by any means and the thrashing is a setback for Carlos Corberan’s Valencia, 19th and four points from safety.
Earlier Athletic Bilbao, fourth, could only produce a 0-0 draw at home against Leganes, and now trail Barcelona by two points.
Relegation-battling Getafe earned an impressive 3-0 win at Real Sociedad to climb to 14th, while Rayo Vallecano came from behind to beat Girona 2-1.
Ronaldo on target again as Al-Nassr win to go 3rd in Saudi Pro League
- Late strike lifts Portuguese star’s goal tally to 14 — and saves goalkeeper’s blushes
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo’s fine goalscoring form continued in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday as he helped Al-Nassr defeat Al-Fateh 3-1 to move back into third place.
A late strike made it three goals in two games for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as he moved clear at the top of the goalscoring standings with 14 for the season so far.
The deadlock was only broken four minutes before the break when Marwane Saadane put into his own net from close range after Angelo drove a low ball across the face of goal. Angelo was the provider of the second just before the hour, swinging over a free-kick for French defender Mohamed Simakan to head home his first goal for Al-Nassr.
At 2-0 the game seemed done and dusted, but with 18 minutes remaining, Al-Fateh, in last place in the standings, reduced the arrears thanks to Mourad Batna, who pounced after goalkeeper Bento spent too long on the ball inside his own area and was caught in possession.
Ronaldo spared Bento’s blushes with three minutes of normal time remaining, just as the visitors were threatening to take a surprising point.
It was so simple. Sadio Mane broke free down the left, passed to the far post, and there was the Portuguese star to sweep home with the minimum of fuss.
Ronaldo had the ball in the back of the net once more deep into injury time, smashing home spectacularly from the right side of the area, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside.
Al-Nassr now have 35 points from 17 games, eight behind Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, who have a game in hand.
Earlier in the day, Al-Ahli made it seven wins from the last eight in the league with a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Riyadh.
Two goals from England striker Ivan Toney and one each from Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, and Ziyad Al-Johani made the difference as the Jeddah club stay in fifth, three points behind Al-Nassr.
Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev in 3 sets for his second Australian Open title in a row
- Jannik Sinner is the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-1993
MELBOURNE: Jannik Sinner claimed his second consecutive Australian Open championship on Sunday, never facing a single break point and using his complete game to outplay and frustrate Alexander Zverev for a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory in the final.
Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, is the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-93.
Sinner rose to No. 1 last June, remaining there for every week since, and the gap between him and No. 2-ranked Zverev was pronounced as can be in Rod Laver Arena. This was the first Australian Open final between the men at No. 1 and No. 2 since 2019, when No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal – also in straight sets.
Here’s how dominant Sinner has been since the start of last season: He has won three of the five major tournaments, including the US Open in September, and his record in that span is 80-6 with a total of nine tournament titles. His current unbeaten run covers 21 matches, dating to last year.
The only thing that’s clouded the past 12 months for Sinner, it seems, is a doping case in which he was cleared by a ruling that was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He tested positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid twice last March but blamed it on an accidental exposure involving two members of his team who have since been fired. Sinner initially was exonerated in August; a hearing in the WADA appeal is scheduled for April.
While Sinner became the eighth man in the Open era (which began in 1968) to start his career 3-0 in Grand Slam finals, Zverev is the seventh to be 0-3, adding this loss to those at the 2020 US Open and the 2024 French Open.
Those earlier setbacks both came in five sets. This contest was not that close. Not at all.
There truly was only one moment that felt as if it contained a hint of tension. It was late in the second set, which Zverev was two points from owning when he led 5-4 and got to love-30 on Sinner’s serve. But a break point – and a set point – never arrived there.
Zverev not got closer, dropping the next four points, making it 5-all. Sinner then emerged with the ensuing tiebreaker. No surprise there: He went 4-0 in those set-deciders over the past two weeks and has grabbed 16 of his past 18.
A year ago, Sinner went through a lot more trouble to earn his first Slam, needing to get past Novak Djokovic – who quit one set into his semifinal against Zverev on Friday because of a torn hamstring – first, before erasing a two-set deficit in the final against 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
Beating Zverev allowed Sinner to become the first man since Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to follow up his first Grand Slam title by repeating as the champion at the same tournament a year later.
Usman Nurmagomedov retains Bellator lightweight world title after epic win over Paul Hughes
- Defending champion says he would welcome a rematch in Belfast
DUBAI: Usman Nurmagomedov beat Paul Hughes on Saturday night to retain his Bellator lightweight world title at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
The main event at the PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series produced a 25-minute battle between the prides of Dagestan and Northern Ireland, with Nurmagomedov staying unbeaten after receiving the nod from two of the three judges sitting outside the SmartCage (47-47, 48-46, 48-46). After the majority decision win, Nurmagomedov had nothing but respect for his opponent.
“This is for you guys, Paul Hughes, you are the man, brother you’re tough, I underestimated this guy,” Nurmagomedov said. “But I’m still undefeated, undisputed Bellator lightweight champion.”
Hughes also made it clear he would love a rematch in Belfast.
“It played out how I expected, I’m so gutted and disappointed I lost. I thought I won the fight, I probably left some in the tank, I need to leave everything behind next time. I really thought I was going to win,” Hughes said. “The PFL believed in me and I believe in the PFL. We have to do the rematch in Belfast, it has to be in Belfast, I think I’ve earned this.”
The PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series is the inaugural “Road to Dubai” event after the signing of a groundbreaking multi-year partnership between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Sports Council and the Professional Fighters League.
The first-of-its-kind partnership will allow MMA world champions and the sport’s biggest stars from the PFL to compete in title fights as Dubai becomes a marquee destination for the best of MMA.
All other Champions Series events will now be co-branded as “Road to Dubai” events, with each show building to the finale, set in the new fight capital. As part of the PFL’s commitment to developing the sport of MMA in Dubai, rising Emirati star fighters will now have a pathway to become future PFL champions.
In the heavyweight co-main event of the evening, former Bellator light heavyweight world champion Vadim Nemkov (19-2) made quick work of Tim Johnson (18-11), needing only 3:08 to submit the former Minnesota National Guardsman. Originally scheduled to face Corey Anderson in a rematch, Johnson took the bout on short notice and brought the fight to Nemkov, but a rear-naked choke brought the bout to an end. Nemkov now has 14 straight wins under his belt.
Dagestan’s Akhmed Magomedov (11-1) submitted Ireland’s Nathan Kelly (11-3) via rear-naked choke in Round 2 in a featherweight main card bout on Saturday. Magomedov, who had not fought in almost two years, quickly shook off any rust. With the win, Dagestan moved to 2-0 against Ireland with the main event remaining.
England’s Ibragim Ibragimov improved to 9-0 after a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) against Kenny Mokhonoana (5-2). Ibragimov’s third win under the PFL banner shows that he is not only one of the best rising prospects on the European MMA scene, but globally as well.
The opening main card bout of the PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series featured Russia’s Renat Khavalov (9-0) against Brazil’s Cleiver Fernandes (9-2) at bantamweight. With Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, Khavalov cruised to a unanimous (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) decision in his PFL debut.
Preliminary card results
Ahmed Samy (12-4) beat Tarek Suleiman (13-9) via TKO at 5:00 in Round 1
Mirafzal Akhtamov (8-0-1) beat Mike Thompson (7-3) via technical submission (head and arm choke) at 2:50 of Round 2
Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (6-1-1) beat Ruel Panales (5-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
John Mitchell (10-2) beat Souhil Tairi (7-6-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Haider Khan (9-1) beat Mostafa Nada (9-4) via TKO at 3:18 of Round 1
Talal Alqallaf (3-0 AM.) beat Saeed Alhosani (4-3 AM.) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)
