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SPORTS Thursday 14 december 2023

NFL approves regular-season game for Brazil in 2024 in more

international expansion

By SCHUYLER DIXON such rights in Brazil.
AP Pro Football Writer “Bringing the NFL to new
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The continents, countries and
NFL is adding Brazil as its first cities around the world is
regular-season destination a critical element of our
in South America next year. plan to continue to grow
An increase in the number the game globally,” Com-
of international games by missioner Roger Goodell
2025 means other new cit- said. “Brazil has established
ies are on the way. itself as a key market for the
The league said Wednes- NFL.”
day at the owners meet- Pollster IBOPE Repucom
ings in the Dallas area the published a study in Febru-
2024 game will be played ary in which it said the NFL
at Arena Corinthians in Sao has more than 35 million
Paulo, Brazil. The stadium fans in Brazil. In 2013, only 3
has a capacity of nearly million Brazilians paid atten-
50,000 and was a venue tion to the sport, the pollster
for the 2014 World Cup and said.
2016 Olympics. Local estimates say 2.5 mil-
The NFL also announced lion Brazilians watched this
a doubling of the poten- year’s Super Bowl, almost
tial international games 20% more in comparison
from four to eight in 2025, NFL Commisoner Roger Goodell, left, poses with a football with the Mayor of Sao Paulo, with the previous edition.
not counting an addition- Brazil, Ricardo Nunes during a news conference at the NFL owners meeting in Irving, Texas, Brazil has the second-larg-
al game that Jacksonville Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. est international fan base
has the option of including Associated Press behind Mexico.
each year. Spain got strong consider- markets based on where ibility we have working with Sao Paulo Mayor Ricardo
There were five internation- ation for the bid that went the fan passion exists, the clubs.” Nunes led the Brazilian
al games this year, three to Brazil, and the NFL made where the opportunity is to At the December owners contingent that made a
year in London and the first it clear a regular-season have the greatest impact,” meetings two years ago, presentation to owners in
two in Frankfurt, Germany. game was coming to the said Peter O’Reilly, the the league designated Texas, and smiled widely as
There will be five more next European country at some NFL’s executive vice presi- home marketing rights for he held a football during a
season another three in point. A return to Mexico dent for club business, and teams in various countries news conference.
London along with a return also is expected. international and league as part of a strategy to build “The right choice was
to Germany and the addi- “I think our focus is on look- events. “It’s not mapped fan growth internationally. made,” Nunes said through
tion of Brazil. ing at where are those next today, and that’s the flex- Miami is the only team with a translator. q

Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj are the first Asian men elected to

the Tennis Hall of Fame

By HOWARD FENDRICH from India and that coun- Li Na, a Chinese woman International Tennis Hall in a sport that has given
AP Tennis Writer try’s first members of the who won two Grand Slam of Fame when she was in- and taught me everything.
Leander Paes, who won 18 shrine. It is the 28th nation singles titles, became the ducted in 2019. ... Induction into the Inter-
Grand Slam titles in men’s to be represented. first Asian member of the Next year’s induction cer- national Tennis Hall of Fame
doubles or mixed doubles, emony will be held in New- belongs not just to me, but
and ex-player, broadcast- port on July 20. to our billion-plus Indians,”
er and promoter Vijay Am- The selection of Paes ends Paes said. “Receiving this
ritraj are the first Asian men a two-year drought in honor culminates a profes-
elected to the International which no one nominated sional journey of a lifetime,
Tennis Hall of Fame. in the Player Category was standing on the shoulders
The Hall, which is based picked. The Class of 2022 of greats and sets the tone
in Newport, Rhode Island, marked the first time in the for other youngsters in Asia
and has been around since history no one on the ballot and around the world.”
1955, announced its Class was selected, and it hap- He won eight major cham-
of 2024 on Wednesday. pened again for the Class pionships in doubles and
Also being inducted next of 2023. 10 in mixed and is one of
year: Richard Evans, a Brit- Candidates need to be three men in tennis history
ish journalist and historian, chosen on 75% of ballots; with a career Grand Slam
who was selected in the voters include media, his- in both. He and one of his
Contributor Category. torians, Hall of Fame mem- former doubles partners,
Amritraj, also chosen in the Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj stretches to scoop a low ball bers, industry experts and Martina Navratilova, share
Contributor Category, and during men’s singles match in the $200,000 Gunze World Tennis fans. “It has been my life’s the record for most mixed
Paes, who enters in the tournament on Thursday, May 13, 1982 in Tokyo. Associated Press honor to play for my coun- doubles trophies in Grand
Player Category, are both try for over three decades Slam competition.q