Sports
Attention again on Paris as Paralympics take centre stage
The Place de la Concorde, set to host the opening ceremony on 28 August, promises a showcase of talent for over 4,000 athletes who will compete in a display of skill.
With 22 sports on the agenda and a total of 549 events across 19 stunning venues, epic Paralympic sporting stories will unfold.
At the Paralympic Games, fans from every corner will have the chance to rediscover the magic that made the Olympics unforgettable through the same iconic venues and fierce competition for medals. France will be dressed to impress with celebrations throughout the country, creating a unique sphere where everyone can experience the Paralympic excitement together, with renewed intensity and significance.
The party is far from winding down. For this reason, the French capital invites the public to extend the celebration by joining the thrilling athletic performances of the best Paralympic athletes from around the world. This is the message conveyed by the Organising Committee with the slogan “The Game isn’t over,” in their ground-breaking Paralympic campaign, signalling that there’s still plenty of success, excitement, tension, effort, and medals to be shared in the first weeks of September.
Just yesterday, the Olympic and Paralympic Gala Dinner of New South Wales took place at The Venue in Sydney, Australia, featuring one of the federations that will provide strong competition in Paris in just a few days. China, the champion of the Paralympic medal table at Tokyo 2020, aims to defend a throne that is increasingly being challenged by the Anglo-Saxon nations, Great Britain and the United States, with their blend of talent and experience across many disciplines. Not to be forgotten, the hosts, France, are eager after a stellar performance in the recent Games.
The excitement is palpable. In fact, ticket sales for the Paralympic Games have been booming recently and will continue to rise as the 28th approaches, marking the start of the event. Nearly 1.5 million tickets have been sold, including around 500.000 since the beginning of the Olympic Games, though many seats remain. They are likely to be snapped up, considering the frenzy of the Paralympics always delivers unique moments for spectators.
Some events have already surpassed demand: wheelchair fencing and adapted taekwondo at the Grand Palais are box office hits, as well as adapted cycling, adapted equestrian events at the majestic Château de Versailles, and adapted triathlon at the iconic Alexandre III Bridge. Likewise, wheelchair rugby finals at Arena Champ de Mars and the final rounds of wheelchair basketball and blind football at the Eiffel Tower Stadium have also vanished in the blink of an eye.
Recently, Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, spoke and promised an unforgettable experience: “After two weeks of extreme emotions and moments that will make history in the Games, we don’t want to say goodbye. But we’re in luck, because in two weeks, the Games return with 4,500 athletes ready to compete with the same wild energy.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, didn’t hold back on his enthusiasm with his recent statement, “After a successful Games, I am more convinced than ever that Paris 2024 will host the most spectacular Paralympic Games in history. The celebration continues, and people should get ready for a sporting event that will be astonishing and impressive like never before.”
Paris Saint-Germain have secured their place in the UEFA Champions League final after a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, completing a 3-1 aggregate win in the semi-finals.
The French champions, holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, extended their advantage early in the match when Fabián Ruiz unleashed a powerful strike in the 27th minute, leaving Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya with no chance.
PSG doubled their lead in the 72nd minute, with Achraf Hakimi finishing off a well-orchestrated team move to make it 2-0 on the night.
Arsenal managed to pull one back in the 76th minute through Bukayo Saka, who capitalized on a defensive lapse to slot the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Despite late pressure, the Gunners couldn’t find the equalizer, and PSG held on to advance to the final.
In the other semi-final, Inter Milan triumphed over Barcelona in a thrilling encounter that ended 4-3 after extra time, giving the Italian side a 7-6 aggregate victory.
Davide Frattesi scored the decisive goal in the 99th minute, while goalkeeper Yann Sommer made several crucial saves to preserve the lead.
The Champions League final is set for May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, where PSG will face Inter Milan in a highly anticipated showdown.
Davide Frattesi fired Inter Milan into the Champions League final on Tuesday with an extra-time winner, which gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate.
Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy.
Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, where they will feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after coming out on top in an epic contest.
Tuesday’s triumph saved Inter’s season as their bid for the treble went up in smoke after getting past Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Inter conceded top spot in Serie A to Napoli, who are favourites to claim the domestic league title, after getting past Bayern, while AC Milan dumped them out of the Italian Cup a fortnight ago.
But Inter ended Barca’s hopes for the quadruple and now head into the final weeks of the season buoyant with a second Champions League final in three seasons to look forward to.
Frattesi’s winning goal, his seventh of the season and probably the most important of his career, was all the more incredible for the fact that Inter should by rights have already been eliminated.
The hosts were heading out with two minutes remaining of regular time when Raphinha completed a comeback from two goals down at half-time and gave Barca a 3-2 lead on the night.
But Francesco Acerbi stunned everyone in the stadium, not least the already-celebrating Barca supporters, when he forced home Denzel Dumfries’ cross in the second minute of added time.
That goal came as a bolt from the blue as Barca had been by far the better team in the second half of normal time after going in at the break behind to a brilliant Lautaro Martinez goal and Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty in first-half stoppage time.
Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo pulled Barca level with goals in the 54th and 60th minutes, both from sumptuous Gerard Martin deliveries, and Yann Sommer had to be at his best to keep Inter within touching distance.
Sommer made possibly the save of the season between Barca’s first two goals, somehow stopping Eric Garcia from finishing off a lightning Barca counter-attack.
And the Swiss ended up being crucial again in the 113th minute when he pulled off another miraculous save from Lamine Yamal, who hit the post just before Acerbi’s equaliser.
Inter then held off Barca as the home fans held their breath before unleashing a mighty roar at the final whistle of the match of the season.
AFP
By Francesca Hangeior
Brazilian winger Raphinha has revealed that he was on the verge of accepting a call-up to play for the Italian national team before ultimately representing Brazil.
Speaking to journalist Isabela Pagliari and posted on Monday, Raphinha admitted he was close to joining Italy’s Euro 2020-winning squad.
“I was close to accepting the Italian national team call!” he said. “I was supposed to go to the Euro they won in 2020. I was basically set to go. So luckily, since the passport didn’t come through.”
The Barcelona forward explained that he was being actively pursued by the Italian setup at the time.
“At that point, the people from the Italian national team were calling me. Jorginho used to call me all the time. The Italian staff had this amazing project for me, something that really caught my eye,” he added.
Despite the strong interest and the prospect of joining a major European tournament, Raphinha said he held onto a small hope of playing for his country of birth.
“But at the same time, deep down, I still had that one per cent of hope that I could wear the Brazil shirt. And luckily, my Italian passport didn’t get ready in time!” he said.
Raphinha has since gone on to feature for Brazil at the international level, fulfilling the dream he nearly missed out on.
-
Entertainment17 hours agoI’m broke yet accused of money laundering – VDM breaks silence after EFCC release
-
News4 hours agoBREAKING! Finally, White Smoke Emerges From Sistine Chapel as Vatican Elects New Pope
-
News9 hours agoBreaking: Three Serving PDP HoR Members Defect to APC
-
News17 hours agoEdo police rescue kidnapped PDP chairman, 36 others
-
News17 hours agoTomato Ebola Causes Loss of N1.3 Billion, Contributing to Rising Food Prices
-
News8 hours agoEx-Governor Uduaghan, Daughter Dump PDP, Join APC
-
News10 hours agoFinally, IMF deletes Nigeria from its debtors list
-
News17 hours agoSad! Five members of one family die of food poisoning