Czech international footballer Jakub Jankto said on Thursday last week that his coming out as gay earlier in the week was “definitely a relief.”
The 27-year-old Getafe winger, on loan at Czech top-flight side Sparta Prague, became the first active international player to announce that he is gay on Monday last week.
“It was a tough decision, but looking back I’m really happy I made it,” Jankto told the public Czech Radio.
Photo: EPA-EFE 照片:歐新社
“Now I can finally live the way I want and that’s what matters most. It was definitely a relief,” he added in his first interview since coming out in an emotional video on social media.
“I want to give an example to others, to show you can keep doing your job, and I think I have given a very positive example.”
Jankto, who has a three-year-old son with his ex-girlfriend, said he had first told his family that he was gay and then came out to his best friend a year and a half ago.
Photo: EPA-EFE 照片:歐新社
“Then I said it in the locker room a few months ago. My teammates’ reaction was fantastic, they took it in their stride,” he added.
Only a handful of top players have publicly come out as gay while still playing, including Josh Cavallo from Adelaide United in October 2021 and Jake Daniels at English side Blackpool in May 2022.
Jankto’s announcement sparked a wave of support on social media, including from FIFA and UEFA and top clubs from Arsenal to FC Barcelona.
Photo: AFP 照片:法新社
“The reaction was huge, incredible, fantastic,” said Jankto. “This made it much easier for me.”
But he added that he was ready for negative responses when he returned to the pitch as Sparta faced Jablonec in the Czech league on Sunday last week.
“It would be naive to think I can steer clear of that. If someone feels the urge, it’s OK, but I definitely won’t react.”
“The football environment is obviously a bit homophobic; there are a few hundred hooligans associated with each team who will have none of this,” said Jankto.
“But it’s also due to the fact that we don’t have a history of positive examples showing that your sexual orientation does not make a difference.”
Jankto said he expected the negative reactions to wane with time, and that in the end players will not have to make similar statements.
“I hope we’ll get there as early as possible and it will be much easier for these guys than it was for me.”
(AFP)
國際知名捷克足球運動員雅庫布.揚克托上週四表示,他上週稍早的出櫃「絕對是如釋重負」。
這位27歲的赫塔費足球俱樂部〔隸屬西班牙甲級聯賽〕邊鋒,目前被租借到捷克頂級聯賽球隊布拉格斯巴達隊,他上週一公開自己的同性戀身份,成為第一位出櫃的現役國際級球員。
「這是個艱難的決定,但回想起來我真的很高興我做到了」,揚克托對國營捷克廣播電台表示。
「現在我終於可以按照自己想要的方式生活,這才是最重要的。這絕對是如釋重負」,他在社群媒體上發布一段感性的影片後,第一次接受採訪時補充道。
「我想為別人樹立榜樣,證明你可以繼續做好自己的工作。我想我已經給出一個很正面的例子」。
揚克托和他的前女友有個三歲的兒子,他說他最先是告訴家人他是同性戀,然後在一年半前向他最好的朋友出櫃。
「然後我幾個月前在更衣室裡說了。我隊友的反應非常棒,他們處之泰然」,他補充道。
只有少數幾位頂尖球員在現役時公開出櫃,包括2021年10月澳洲阿德雷德聯隊的喬許.卡瓦洛,以及2022年5月英格蘭黑潭足球俱樂部的傑克.丹尼爾斯。
揚克托的聲明在社群媒體上引發了一波支持浪潮,包括國際足總和歐洲足總,以及兵工廠和巴塞隆那等頂尖足球俱樂部。
「反響是巨大、難以置信、奇妙的」,揚克托說。「這讓我好過多了」。
但他補充說,上週日捷克聯賽斯巴達對亞布洛內茨之役,他回到球場時,他已經準備好面對負面回應。
「如果認為我可以避免這種情況,那就太天真了。如果有人有這種衝動,那沒關係,但我絕對不會做出反應」。
「足球的環境顯然有點恐同,每支球隊都有數百名流氓,他們不會有這些」,揚克托說。
「但這也是因為我們沒有歷史上的正面例子表明你的性取向沒有影響」。
揚克托表示,他預計負面反應會隨著時間過去而減弱,最終球員將不必發表類似的聲明。
「我希望我們能儘早達到這個境界,讓未來同志球員的處境會比我好得多」。
(台北時報林俐凱編譯)
The Taipei Times bilingual pages are having a makeover, with professionally curated content for both English and Chinese learners of all levels. With our new partners Ivy English, English OK, and American Magazine Center (AMC), Taipei Times readers can improve their language studies while keeping abreast of important issues in Taiwan and abroad. 《台北時報》雙語版最優質的中英文內容,多年來一向受到讀者們的喜愛。近日起版面全新升級!每週和《常春藤解析英語》、《English OK中學英閱誌》、《AMC空中美語》……等專業英語機構合作,提供豐富多元且實用的英語學習內容,不但適合各種程度學生及上班族自修,老師、家長用它當教材也超便利。原先頗受歡迎的雙語新聞則予以保留,持續帶領大家了解國內外之重要議題,打造最強全方位中英文雙語版,精彩內容在網站上也看的到唷!
The Oresund Bridge is one of the greatest bridges built in the last 30 years. Completed in 5 years, the bridge opened to the public in June 2000. It measures 16km in length and connects two countries, Denmark and Sweden, over a body of water known as the Oresund Strait. The incredible thing about this bridge is it turns into an underwater tunnel halfway through the drive. The Oresund Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that consists of two levels. Cars go on the upper level, while trains travel on the lower level between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden. Beneath the bridge,
A: The Taipei Traditional Market Festival is coming this weekend in the Expo Park. B: What is your favorite traditional market snack in Taipei? A: One of my favorite vendors is “Fu Hang Soy Milk” at Huashan Market. How about you? B: I really like Nanmen Market’s “Yi Chang Yu Fang” and Shuiyuan Market’s ”Sage Husband Delicious Food.” A: Let’s visit the Expo Park to explore more delicacies. A︰台北傳統市場節本週末將在花博公園登場! B︰你喜歡哪些傳統市場的美食? A︰我喜歡華山市場的阜杭豆漿,你呢? B︰我喜歡南門市場的億長御坊、水源市場的賢夫美食也不錯。 A︰那去花博看看有哪些美食吧。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩〉
近日「人工智慧」(AI)的議題沸沸揚揚,各大產業都在討論如何運用人工智慧加強員工的競爭力與產能。本次從一段TOEIC測驗商業情境的信件範例來介紹相關用語。 business letter 內容是企業總經理鼓勵員工參與訓練,以加強產業核心競爭力,來維持企業競爭力。 [Company Letterhead] Date: May 28, 2023 Subject: Embracing AI Advancements & Introduction of “ChatGPT” Dear employees, I am writing to inform you about the integration of AI technologies like “ChatGPT” into our company to maintain our competitive edge in this rapidly evolving era. We will provide comprehensive training to help you adapt and excel in using these new tools. Together, we will embrace this change and ensure our company’s continued success. Thank you for your commitment and support! Warm regards, [Your Name] General Manager [Company Name] embrace 擁抱 embrace 與hug比起來,是更加用力擁抱的等級,而在商場上我們通常會以這個詞來說明「擁抱(改變)」,或「擁抱(新科技)」。 Our company is eager to embrace new technologies that will streamline our business processes and boost productivity. (我們的公司熱切期待擁抱能簡化業務流程、提高生產力的新技術。) As a forward-thinking company, we