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.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
RSS