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sports Diabierna 25 Maart 2022

NYC lifts vaccine rule that blocked athletes from home games

(AP) — New York City’s fair. more than 1,400 workers
mayor exempted athletes who failed to comply with
and performers — includ- “Players attract people to the the vaccine mandate. Adams
ing Brooklyn Nets star stadium,” Adams remarked said Thursday that he had no
Kyrie Irving — from the as he announced the change plans at this time to rehire
city’s vaccine mandate during a news conference at those workers.
Thursday, while keeping Citi Field, where the Mets
the rule in place for pri- play. Accompanying him “This exemption sends the
vate and public workers were Mets President Sandy wrong message that higher-
who risk losing their jobs Alderson and Yankees presi- paid workers and celebrities
for refusing to get inocu- dent Randy Levine, both of are being valued as more
lated. whom praised the decision. important than our devoted
civil servants, which I reject,”
Several public employee “By putting our home teams said City Council Speaker
unions whose members were on (an) equal playing field, Adrienne Adams, who is not
fired for refusing the shots we increase their chances of related to the mayor.
blasted Mayor Eric Adams winning and that has a real our New York teams, players, he was “happy Kyrie can play
for apparently lifting the rule impact on our city,” he said. Jay Varma, a health adviser to fans and communities and some home games.”
only for wealthy and famous de Blasio, said in a tweet that for leveling the playing field
athletes. Adams dismissed Public employees’ unions the former mayor’s mandate for home teams and their op- The Yankees open their sea-
the criticism, saying exemp- weren’t buying that. had legal standing because it ponents,” the statement said. son at home against the Bos-
tions for athletes and per- applied to everyone. ton Red Sox on April 7.
formers were important to “There can’t be one system Concerns had been raised
the city’s economic recovery. for the elite and another for “#VaccinesWork … un- that De Blasio’s vaccination New York Mets owner Steve
the essential workers of our less you’re rich and power- rule would also impact Major Cohen gave $1.5 million to
The exemption is effective city,” said Harry Nespoli, ful, in which case, #Lob- League Baseball. a political action committee
immediately. One of the first president of the Municipal byingWorks,” Varma said. supporting Adams during his
beneficiaries will be Irving, a Labor Committee, an um- He added: “The #KyrieCar- Alderson and Levine have de- 2021 campaign. Adams is a
vaccine holdout who was al- brella group of unions that veOut opens City up to en- clined to specify how many Mets fan.
lowed to rejoin the Nets in together represent about tire scheme being voided by of their players were unvacci-
January but only when they 350,000 city workers. courts as “‘arbitrary and ca- nated. Alderson said Thurs- Adams has been rolling back
played out of town games. pricious.’” day that it was “a minority” vaccine mandates and other
The Nets need him as they The city’s largest police and Levine said “very few.” coronavirus restrictions, in-
push for a playoff spot with union echoed that argument, Adams said he would not cluding on Tuesday when
nine games left in their regu- saying its officers “don’t de- have made the announce- Yankees star Aaron Judge he said masks could become
lar season. serve to be treated like sec- ment if city attorneys had ad- refused to directly answer a optional for children under 5
ond-class citizens.” vised him it would not stand question about his vaccine starting April 4.
Adams’ predecessor, Mayor up to a legal challenge. status earlier this month,
Bill de Blasio, made vaccina- “If the mandate isn’t neces- leading to speculation that Mask mandates for older
tion mandatory as a work- sary for famous people, then The NBA and the players’ another New York team children have already been
place safety rule last year be- it’s not necessary for the cops union issued a joint state- would be hobbled by a play- removed, as well as rules re-
fore he left office but created who are protecting our city ment praising Adams’ deci- er’s refusal to get inoculated. quiring people to show proof
a loophole exempting players in the middle of a crime cri- sion. of vaccination to dine in a
and performers who aren’t sis,” said union president Pat When asked Wednesday restaurant, work out at a gym,
based in New York City. Ad- Lynch. “We applaud the mayor for about reports the rule was attend a show, or go to an in-
ams said he felt that was un- The city last month fired listening to the concerns of about to be lifted, Judge said door sporting event.

Ukrainian women’s soccer club adjusts to life in Germany

(AP) — On the day Rus- key. with support from Cologne, away on duty with the Ukrai- has been converted to house
sian troops surged into a soccer club with teams nian national team. refugees, and they’re able to
Ukraine a month ago, the They had to abort the trip in the men’s and women’s use their host club’s modern
players of women’s soc- as Russian missile strikes hit Bundesliga competitions. Kryvbas coach Alina Stetsen- training facilities. Kryvbas
cer club FC Kryvbas were their home city of Krivyi Rih. ko’s thoughts were on mod- was third in the Ukrainian
heading to the airport on The players and staff of Kryv- ernizing fitness training and league when the war began
their way to a training The players are now living bas have managed to stay to- recovery, and signing new and competitions were sus-
camp and games in Tur- and training in Germany gether, but focusing on train- Ukrainian and foreign play- pended. It’s not clear when
ing is far from easy. ers to fill out a young squad they could resume.
in the process of a rebuild,
“I am very glad we arrived she said on social media the Kryvbas captain Anna Ivano-
here with all our team, that day before. va said she can’t adapt to life
we managed to keep the in Germany while her family
team. But honestly speaking The players were already on remains in danger at home.
I cannot say that football is a the bus when rocket strikes
priority for me now,” Kryv- hit the city. They took refuge “Being here in a secure place,
bas midfielder Liubov Mozga in a hotel and ended up stay- while your family is under
said Wednesday at training. ing there for two weeks. The shelling is very difficult,” Iva-
“Peace on our land is a prior- players eventually made their nova said. “We are worried
ity for me now.” way to Germany with the for our families. They are
help of Artur Podkopayev, a in touch, they are hiding in
Kryvbas had booked a train- former player for the Kryv- bomb shelters. Unfortunate-
ing camp with two friendly bas men’s youth teams who ly there are missiles flying,
games in the Turkish resort was living in the country and the sirens turn on, so their
city of Belek starting Feb. 24, asked Cologne for help. nights are not quiet. Same
and the players were looking way, our nights aren’t quiet
forward to meeting up with Now the players are staying as well.”
teammates who had been in a hotel in Cologne which