Ruud Gullit has hit back at criticism of his decision to coach Chechnyan club Terek Grozny, whose president, former militia leader Ramzan Kadyrov, also is the Kremlin-backed president of Chechnya.
Gullit’s decision surprised his countrymen, since Kadyrov has been accused of human rights abuses. But Gullit compared his decision to the Dutch national team’s opting to compete in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina — then ruled by a repressive military dictatorship.
“There was a lot of discussion in 1978, but the Netherlands went then for sport,” said Gullit, a former coach of Chelsea, Newcastle, Feyenoord and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Netherlands lost the 1978 World Cup final 3-1 to Argentina after extra time.
“This is exactly the same,” he said. “You will always have people for and against. But I don’t want to be involved in politics, I want to concentrate on the sport and give the people there a little pleasure in their lives again.”
Gullit, a midfielder who combined power and grace in his playing days, is a sporting icon in the Netherlands for leading the country to the 1988 European Championship victory.
He believes his presence in the impoverished republic in the North Caucasus can have a positive influence on the region that is still recovering from two devastating separatist conflicts with Russia.
“There’s a boy in the team who has trouble laughing. Members of staff have explained that it is because he lived in bunkers for 10 years because they were at war,” Gullit said. “I got that boy laughing again by paying him a compliment. That is beautiful — that is the other side of the story.”
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38