Debbie Hewitt first English FA female leader in 158-years
London, June 8: The English Football Association nominated Debbie Hewitt on Tuesday to be its first female leader of soccer’s original national body created 158 years ago. The experienced businesswoman is set to join the English FA in January, 14 months after Greg Clarke resigned in fallout from making offensive comments on race, gender and sexuality at a parliamentary hearing. Hewitt said in an FA statement she would “relish the opportunity to chair an organisation that has the potential to be a very positive force for good throughout the game and across society.” (AP)
Refugee team of 29 athletes picked for Tokyo Olympics
Lausanne, June 8: The refugee team for the Tokyo Olympics has 29 athletes competing in 12 sports. The team selected by the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday was drawn from 55 athletes who fled their home countries and got scholarships to train for the games in a new home country. The 29 – a rise from 10 in the inaugural refugee team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics – are originally from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Congo, Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela. They will compete in swimming, athletics, badminton, boxing, canoeing, cycling, judo, karate, shooting, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling. The refugee athletes will compete against 206 national teams. (AP)
US defender Mark McKenzie faces online racial abuse
Denver, June 8: United States defender Mark McKenzie was subjected to racial abuse on social media following his team’s 3-2 victory over Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final. “The amount of racial abuse and personal attacks on myself and family from ‘supporters’ and ‘non supporters’ just ain’t it,” McKenzie, who is Black, wrote on his Instagram Stories late Monday. The posting included an example of the abuse. The 22-year-old McKenzie, who plays for Genk in Belgium, had a giveaway Sunday night that led to Jesus Corona’s goal for Mexico after only 63 seconds and was whistled for a handball in the 119th minute. Sunday’s match in Denver was paused for about three minutes in second-half stoppage time because of discriminatory fan chants. (AP)
South Korea’s 2002 WC star Yoo Sang-chul dies at 49
Seoul, June 8: Yoo Sang-chul, one of the stars of South Korea’s surprising run to the semifinals at the 2002 World Cup, has died after long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 49. Yoo played 124 times for South Korea from 1994 to 2005. The most famous of the Yoo’s 18 goals was the one that sealed his country’s first ever win in a World Cup match 2-0 against Poland. It was in South Korea’s first game in the World Cup it was co-hosting with Japan. “We will forever remember the shouts and glory of that day with you. Rest in peace,” the Korea Football Association said in a message posted Monday on its social media channels. Yoo, was included by FIFA in its 2002 World Cup All-Star team after appearing in all seven games for the South Koreans before retiring in 2005. (AP)