Angola is betting on the Roller Hockey World Cup to bolster employment and tourism in a country where more than half the population lives in poverty.
The Southern African nation has spent US$89 million building three pavilions in the capital, Luanda, and in the towns of Malange and Namibe and a further US$17 million for the 41st staging of the tournament that began yesterday. Officials say the 16-nation event will boost employment and attract interest from the country’s youth.
“The country will become more known and we’ll have less people taking part in risky behavior such as crime because they’ll be entertained and busy with hockey,” said Pedro Azevedo Chipita, deputy coordinator of the organizing committee. “And we’ll create jobs.”
Currently tourists are rare because of a visa system that can take months before entry is granted, while 54 percent of the population lives on less than US$1.25 a day, according to the UN. The Angolan economy ministry puts the unemployment rate at more than 20 percent.
Tickets cost the equivalent of US$2 to US$20 and are good for an entire day’s matches at one location, which could be as many as three games early in the tournament. Paulo Branco, an administrator at the ticket sales company, could not say how many foreigners would visit the country during the competition.
The game, sometimes called quad-hockey in the US for the four-wheel skates used, is played in about 60 countries and was a demonstration sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Portugal, which brought the game to Angola during colonial rule, and Spain are the strongest nations with 15 world titles apiece. Italy has four.
Roller hockey’s old-style skates allow greater agility than ball hockey, which is usually played on asphalt using in-line skates.
“This event will help diversify sports in Angola given the recently constructed sports infrastructure,” Chipita said. “You can see there’s roller hockey fever, the city is full of skaters.”
Luanda’s 11,740-seat pavilion was almost sold out earlier this week for yesterday’s opening match between the hosts and South Africa.
Basketball and soccer are the most popular sports in Angola and the country won the African Basketball Championship this year. It hosted soccer’s African Cup of Nations in 2010, building new stadiums in four cities at a cost of US$600 million, according to the government. That event was marred by the killing of two members of the Togo squad by separatists in the northern region of Cabinda. About 4,000 police will be on hand for these games, organizers said.
“We hope to achieve fourth place since there are stronger teams,” said Helio Aragao, a spokesman for the organizing committee. “If we can place higher, all the better.”
Angola are in group C with Portugal, Chile and South Africa. France, Germany and Argentina play in group B along with Uruguay, who replaced England. They dropped out of the tournament for financial reasons,
The US competes in group D with Mozambique, Italy, and Colombia, while group A comprises Brazil, Switzerland, Austria and Spain.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two