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sports Diabierna 23 September 2022

Ronaldo says he is not planning to retire after World Cup

LISBON, Portugal (AP) the Portuguese soccer federa- club.
— This year's World Cup tion for his scoring feats. "I'm
apparently won't be the in a national team with a lot Ronaldo will enter the World
end for Cristiano Ron- of youngsters. I want to be in Cup holding the men's all-
aldo. the World Cup and at Euros. time record of 117 interna-
I want to make that commit- tional goals.
The 37-year-old Portugal ment now."
star said he is not considering He is preparing with Portugal
retiring from international Ronaldo earlier this year had for Nations League matches
soccer in December after the already dismissed retirement at the Czech Republic on
tournament in Qatar, and talks when asked if the World Saturday and against Spain at
plans to play at the 2024 Eu- Cup in Qatar would be his home three days later.
ropean Championship. last.
Winner of the inaugural edi-
"I'm still motivated. My am- The forward has been strug- tion of the Nations League in
bition is really high," Ronal- gling at Manchester United 2019, Portugal trails Spain by
do said at an event late Tues- and has not been an undis- one point entering the final
day after being recognized by puted starter with the English two games. Only the group winners will advance to the Final Four.

World Cup captains want to wear rainbow armbands in Qatar

GENEVA (AP) — FIFA troversy. games in the Nations League he would take an armband in
came under pressure this week, including by both the blue and yellow colors of However, the English federa-
Wednesday from several The Swiss soccer federation captains when Belgium hosts Ukraine's flag to Qatar. tion said players would meet
European soccer federa- said it wanted captain Granit Wales on Thursday. with some migrant work-
tions who want their cap- Xhaka to wear an armband Poland refused to play Rus- ers who will be invited to its
tains to wear an armband on which "you can see a heart UEFA previously let Ger- sia, the 2018 World Cup host, training camp in Al Wakrah.
with a rainbow heart de- with diverse colors which many goalkeeper Manuel in a playoff match in March.
sign during World Cup represent the diversity of hu- Neuer wear a rainbow cap- Before the game, FIFA and England also added to sup-
games in Qatar to cam- manity." tain's armband at European European soccer body UEFA port already expressed in
paign against discrimina- Championship games last banned Russian teams from Germany this week for FIFA
tion. Soccer players have embraced year, including against tour- international competitions and World Cup organizers to
their platform to make state- nament co-host Hungary because the country invaded compensate the families of
France and Germany, the last ments in recent years. Taking where lawmakers passed an- Ukraine. construction workers who
two World Cup champions, a knee on the field was rou- ti-gay legislation during the died or were injured af-
were among eight of the 13 tine before Premier League tournament. The campaign for the arm- ter coming to Qatar to help
European soccer teams go- games for two seasons after bands emerged while a panel build stadiums, metro lines
ing to Qatar who joined the the death of George Floyd, a The campaign for armbands of UEFA member federa- and hotels.
"OneLove" campaign, which Black man killed by a police was launched one day after tions has monitored progress
started in the Netherlands. officer in the United States. the Emir of Qatar spoke at in Qatar on labor law reforms Amnesty International has
The Dutch team plays Qatar the United Nations Gen- and other human rights ahead suggested FIFA should pay
in Group A on Nov. 29. FIFA supported taking a eral Assembly in New York of the tournament. $440 million in reparations to
knee and now has to decide promising a World Cup with- equal the prize money being
FIFA rules prohibit teams whether to back some of its out discrimination. That panel includes the Nor- paid to the 32 teams in Qatar.
from bringing their own most influential member wegian soccer federation,
armband designs to the World federations in a gesture that The eight European teams whose president Lise Klave- At a German federation event
Cup and insist they must use could embarrass Qatar. backing the "OneLove" cam- ness delivered a scathing crit- on Monday, an invited fan
equipment provided by the paign for human rights also icism of the Qatari project at who is gay used the platform
governing body. FIFA did not immediately included Belgium and Den- an annual FIFA meeting in to urge the Qatari ambassa-
comment on the request. mark. The five European March in Doha on the eve of dor that his country should
Armbands are the latest bat- qualifiers for the World Cup the tournament draw. abolish laws against homo-
tleground for players to push European soccer body UEFA not taking part Wednesday sexuality. The ambassador,
political messages linked to said it "fully supports the were Croatia, Poland, Portu- England and Wales were Abdulla bin Mohammed bin
the World Cup hosted in Qa- OneLove campaign, which gal, Serbia and Spain. among the federations Saud Al Thani, complained
tar, where homosexual acts was initially developed by the Wednesday acknowledging that human rights issues were
are illegal and the treatment (Dutch federation)." However, Poland captain progress made in Qatar since distracting from the tourna-
of migrant workers building Robert Lewandowski — a the wealthy emirate won the ment.
projects for the tournament The armbands will also be two-time FIFA world player World Cup hosting vote in
has been a decade-long con- worn at UEFA-organized of the year — said this week December 2010.

Ski jumping World Cup returns to US for 1st time since 2004

Ski Jumping's top circuit has not been in North Amer- New York State Olympic Re- pete with the world's best
is returning to the United ica since 2009 in Vancouver. gional Development Author- Only one American, An- ski jumpers, USA Nordic
States for the first time in ity recently invested millions ders Haugen, has earned an Sport began a partnership
nearly two decades. Organizers were looking for a to make its ski jumping com- Olympic ski jumping medal last month with Norway's
venue to host the World Cup plex world class. and that was at the first Win- governing body in the sport.
The International Ski and after they planned to hold ter Olympics in 1924. Hau- American and Norwegian
Snowboard Federation men's the event in Iron Mountain, "Having the World Cup back gen left the games without national ski jumping teams
ski jumping World Cup will Michigan, an option that be- on U.S. soil is very important any hardware, but 50 years will share coaches, training
be held in February in Lake came unfeasible last month. in developing the sport of Ski later was awarded bronze af- facilities, sports science data
Placid, New York Jumping in this country, and ter a scoring error was con- and efforts to attract sponsors
Lake Placid, which hosted across the world," USA Nor- firmed. as part of a four-year agree-
Ski jumping's last World Cup the 1980 and 1932 Winter dic men's and women's ski ment.
in the U.S. was in 2004 in Olympics, became an attrac- jumping coach Anders John- In an attempt to improve the
Park City, Utah. The circuit tive alternative because the son said. chances the U.S. can com-