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BARCELONA, Spain: Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior called out the haters of his goal celebrations as racist and insisted he will keep on dancing. Spanish sports talk shows have been discussing the appropriateness of his celebrations, and a commentator on television said he should stop “doing the monkey.” Real Madrid criticized the comment on Friday, and Vinicius issued a video statement on Saturday in which the Brazilian eloquently explained that dancing forms part of his cultural expression, and cited other soccer players, both Black and white, who also have danced after scoring. “Repeat after me, racist: I am not going to stop dancing,” Vinícius said. “I was victim of xenophobia and racism in a single declaration, but none of this began yesterday,” Vinícius said over freeze frames of social media posts using racist language to insult him. The controversy also comes in the build up to Sunday’s always hotly contested Spanish capital derby in which Real Madrid visit Atlético Madrid. This week, Atlético captain Koke Resurrección, when asked what would happen if Vinícius danced after scoring, responded “There will be trouble.” Koke appeared to make the comment in jest, but it has been widely commented on. Brazil star Neymar chimed in on social media by tweeting, “Dance Vini Jr.” In his video, Vinícius listed players, including Atlético’s Antoine Griezmann, who is white, over images of them dancing to celebrate goals. “For weeks my dancing has been criminalized, dances that are not mine, but rather of Ronaldinho, Neymar, Paquetá, Pogba, Matheus Cunha, Griezmann and João Félix,” he said. “They are dances of Brazilian artists, of Latino singers and reggaeton artists, and Black Americans. They are dances to celebrate the cultural diversity of the world. Accept them. Respect them. I won’t stop.” The 22-year-old Vinícius emerged as one of the Spanish league’s best players last year, becoming a perfect attack partner for Karim Benzema. He helped Madrid win the Spanish league and the European Cup, including scoring the goal to beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final. He has scored five times already this season. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he was sure his player was focused on playing, despite the noise. “The player’s response was very good. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him,” Ancelotti said. “He’s playing with the joy and quality that he possesses. I don’t give him any advice because I’m not his dad or his brother. I’m his coach.”
PRAGUE: Portugal play the Czech Republic in the Nations League on Saturday with Cristiano Ronaldo’s team hoping to set up a showdown with Spain to decide who advance to the Final Four tournament. Ronaldo, who will be looking to add to his international record of 117 goals, is one of seven Portugal players who are only one yellow card from a suspension that would rule them out of their final group game against Spain. Spain lead Group A2 with eight points, one more than Portugal, with two games remaining. The Czechs are in third place with four points. Switzerland are last with three. A victory in Prague would mean that Portugal — regardless of the Spain-Switzerland result on Saturday — have the chance to finish top when the Iberian neighbors meet in Braga on Tuesday. But first Portugal must beat the Czechs for a second time after winning 2-0 in June. The Czechs have only one win in four group games. “Since the beginning the goal has been to reach the final four,” Portugal midfielder Rúben Neves said. Portugal were upset 1-0 in Geneva after Switzerland scored in the opening minute and held on the rest of the way. That was the only loss for Fernando Santos’ side in the tournament that also serves as preparation for the World Cup starting in November. Portugal will be without suspended defender João Cançelo, while veteran central defender Pepe is injured. “Pepe is extremely important, but we are lucky to have players with lots of talent,” Neves said. The four group winners in the top tier advance to the Final Four tournament, scheduled for June 14-18. The teams finishing at the bottom of each group are relegated to League B.
ABU DHABi: Flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokaev has been officially added to the UFC 280: Oliveira vs Makhachev card in Abu Dhabi, where he will take on Canada’s Malcolm Gordon on Oct. 22. The 22-year-old Mokaev has been making headlines in the mixed martial arts world and boasts a perfect 8-0 record, including two wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship since making his debut with the organisation in March.
The Muslim fighter was born in Dagestan, but arrived in the UK aged 12 as a refugee unable to speak any English. In the years since, he has become one of Britain’s top MMA prospects and received phenomenal home-crowd support fighting twice in London earlier this year.
Mokaev was also unbeaten as an amateur with a 22-0 record, and will be looking to cement his billing as one-to-watch in the 125 lbs division.
His opponent, Malcolm Gordon (14-5) will be stepping into the octagon for the fifth time, and brings with him a two-fight win streak. He made his UFC debut in Abu Dhabi in 2020.
UFC 280 will be the latest event held in the UAE capital as part of the partnership between the UFC, and the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi which began in 2019.
Oct. 17-23 will also see the return of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, anchored by UFC 280 and consisting of other sports and entertainment ancillary events, powered by Flash Entertainment.
BANGKOK: LIV Golf Invitational Chicago champion Cameron Smith is eager to bring the tournament series to new international audiences as it prepares to host high-profile debuts in Thailand and Saudi Arabia next month.
The Australian emerged victorious at Rich Harvest Farms this past weekend, carding a three-under final round of 69 for a 13-under total score and a $4 million prize as individual champion in only his second start since joining the circuit.
The 2022 Open Champion finished three shots ahead of Peter Uihlein and Dustin Johnson, the latter taking home the individual title on Sept. 2-4 at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston. Johnson, the current leader in LIV Golf’s individual point standings, and his team, 4 Aces GC, have also won four consecutive team trophies in LIV Golf’s new team format for this year’s eight-event invitational series.
LIV Golf’s June debut in London was followed by four consecutive events in the US. The series will break new ground at the new Stonehill venue in the northern suburbs of Bangkok Oct. 7-9, before traveling to Jeddah a week later.
Reflecting on the opportunity ahead to play in back-to-back international tournaments, the 29-year-old Smith said: “I think it is fantastic. That’s one of the reasons why I came over here, is to play golf around the world.
“I think my time when I was a young professional over in Asia are some of the best times of my life. Traveling with good friends and playing really good tournaments was something I will never forget, and I’m really looking forward and really excited for what this tour is going to bring to the golf world.”
Smith, who finished just off the podium in his first LIV Golf event earlier this month, has been impressed with the “supercharged golf” and electric atmosphere delivered at LIV Golf tournaments.
LIV Golf features a fan-friendly format in which events are played over three days and feature shotgun starts, a 48-man field battling for both team and individual titles, and on-course music adding to a lively environment for players and fans alike.
Fun spectator activations within the events, such as the opportunity to receive a Smith-style mullet haircut to raise money for charity, are also bringing something different to the world of golf.
“It’s really cool. It’s something that I’ve gotten used to over the last couple of weeks, and I can’t wait to keep this going. It’s unreal out here. I love the energy. Everyone is really engaged and everyone is really watching what you are doing. It’s awesome,” Smith said.
“I think the music out on the golf course and on the range is something that I really enjoy. I think everyone out there really enjoys it as well. I feel like the fans are closer to you and they are probably a little bit louder on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but I love it. The atmosphere is perfect.”
Smith is not the only player embracing the new on-course vibe this season. The victorious 4 Aces team of Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch has thrived in the upbeat atmosphere. In Chicago, the team earned its fourth consecutive team trophy thanks to Reed’s final-round 68 — including two chip-ins for eagle and birdie — a 69 from Perez, and a birdie putt for 70 from captain Johnson on the last hole. Their final score of -24 overall placed them one ahead of the Smash GC team of Uihlein, four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, his brother Chase and Jason Kokrak.
The 4 Aces praised the fans for the atmosphere they have brought to the tournaments throughout the season, with Johnson labelling the supporters “unbelievable.”
“The fans have been amazing at every event,” Perez said. “They are behind us, they’re for it. They get to see top players every day, and you can see the battle of Cam (Smith) and DJ (Johnson) and Peter (Uihlein) today. You’re getting top players to compete every day. It is incredible, and the fan support has been amazing out there every week.”
ABU DHABI: The annual Mother of the Nation Cup, which pits Emirati women athletes against one another to test their skills, will begin on Friday with the participation of hundreds of players from different clubs and academies in the UAE.
The event, seen as ideal preparation ahead of regional and international contests, will kick off with the Kids Festival on Friday, followed by competitions for Adult, Under-18, and Under-16 divisions on Saturday and Sunday.
Total prize money of $12,500 is up for grabs across the tournament.
A host of top-ranked athletes and members of the national team are slated to compete during the three-day tournament, which will take place at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. More than 400 male and female players are expected to attend the Kids Festival, which is open to budding champions from all nationalities between the ages of four and 13.
Meanwhile, the Mother of the Nation Cup serves as a crucial opportunity for the women players to enhance their readiness for competitions, especially the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. The elimination rounds will be held on Saturday while the finals will be held on Sunday.
Youssef Al-Batran, board member of the UAEJJF, said: “The Mother of the Nation Jiu-Jitsu Cup is the perfect venue for highlighting the rising female athletes in the UAE. Since its start a few years ago, the tournament has offered an ideal environment for identifying and nurturing female talent, improving their skills to compete at the highest levels both locally and abroad, and enhancing the position of the UAE in a number of sporting forums.”
Dr. Ghanem Ali Al Hassani, director of academic affairs at Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, said: “Our participation in the event further demonstrates our commitment to supporting the Abu Dhabi government’s vision to promote a healthier and balanced lifestyle among the society. We are pleased to see the promising talents in the country and their advanced skills.”