Saturday, 3 June 2023
MOVAK DJOKOVIC GOT A TASTE OF HIS MEDICINE AFTER BEING BOOED BY CROWD YET HE GETS UPSET
A furious Novak Djokovic branded the French Open crowd "disrespectful" after being booed during his third round victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The Serbian superstar is looking to win just his third Roland Garros title this year, though it looks like he'll struggle to get the fans on side based on today's evidence.
During the second set of his routine, albeit somewhat laboured, victory over Fokina, Djokovic took a medical time out in order to get his thigh massaged, prompting jeers from the crowd.
In response, the 22-time Grand Slam champion sarcastically applauded and stuck his thumb up before expressing his frustration with the spectators further during his post-match press conference.
"I think the majority of the people come to enjoy tennis or support one or the other player. But there are people that love to boo every single thing you do," Djokovic told reporters.
Friday, 2 June 2023
TANZANIA: ZANZIBAR SEEKS TO HOST FORMULA 1 IN AFRICA
"Zanzibar has emerged as an audacious contender for an African event on the Formula 1 motorsport calendar. Backed by the government, revered competitors, and the sport’s management, there is unanimous agreement on the significance of bringing this thrilling event to the continent. The presumption so far has been that South Africa was the obvious candidate. Zanzibar thinks otherwise.
Six decades after gaining independence, the island of Zanzibar could make motorsport history by ensuring that Tanzania becomes the second African country after South Africa, to secure the coveted rights to host Formula 1. According to Sportface.it, an Italian sports platform, the semi-autonomous island province has been diligently pursuing admission as one of the Formula 1 calendar’s venues, for the past five years – and is now being taken seriously.
Leading the charge is the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority, which has tenaciously championed the cause. Undeterred by the substantial financial commitments required, the authority has persisted in its quest to bring this global sporting extravaganza to Zanzibari shores.
Zanzibar is undergoing an infrastructure overhaul on a scale not witnessed since independence, with plans to turn the archipelago famed for its pristine beaches and narrow-alleyed old towns into a modern metropolis"
"In September last year, Tanzania’s AICL Group and Edinburgh-based investment company Crowland Management unveiled designs for a US$1.3 billion glitzy skyscraper, while the world’s tallest timber tower, the Burj Zanzibar, is planned for the island’s Fumba town, near Zanzibar city.
The journey to host the Formula 1 Grand Prix will demand a significant investment of over $500 million. This monumental undertaking includes the construction of a racetrack, which alone is projected to take between four and six years to complete.
For Zanzibar, however, the visionary blueprint also encompasses additional world-class facilities including, luxurious hotels, a water park and natural parks with the costs of the track offset by ensuring the facility offers adjacent world-class tourist attractions and services to pull in a loyal F1 fan base.
Beyond the sheer audacity of the initiative, Salim Turky, a Tanzanian parliamentarian who is also the deputy spokesperson for the project, emphasises that “it will be a game changer, not for the race itself, but because it will bring Africa and Zanzibar onto the world stage of tourism and services”.
Gaining support from esteemed figures within the racing community has bolstered the case for rekindling motorsport’s flame in Africa. Iconic figures such as former Italian Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella and multiple F1 title winner Lewis Hamilton have thrown their weight behind the campaign to bring the race back to the continent.
Hamilton, the seven-time champion of the sport, revealed his fervent desire to race in Africa during a recent interview with ESPN. “I have been chatting about having a race in Miami and the next one I’ve been talking about is South Africa … It’s a real big dream for me to race in South Africa, and race in Africa in my career is a huge, huge dream for me,” he explained."
"Besides, Formula 1 President Stefano Dominecelli has unequivocally in the past declared the significance and interest of the managers to have the sport back in Africa describing it as “a top priority”. In an interview with Sky Sports in April, he indicated, “We need to find the right partners, the right middle-term plan … What I want to avoid is that we go there one year and then forget it”.
While Kyalami Circuit, to the north of Johannesburg, which hosted the 1992 and 1993 Grand Prix is the readiest option, efforts to host the 2022 edition collapsed midway due to financial constraints. Zanzibar is not only a new alternative but also one that comes with much-needed financial commitments.
bird story agency
GERVONTA DAVIS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
"Boxing star Gervonta Davis was taken into custody on Thursday following a court hearing and transported to Baltimore City Central Booking Intake Facility, a Baltimore City Sheriff's Office spokeswoman told ESPN.
Davis has been serving a 90-day house arrest sentence at the home of his trainer, Calvin Ford, punishment that was meted out last month after the fighter pleaded guilty to four counts stemming from a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 that injured four people, including a pregnant woman.
LONGTIME NBA REF ERIC LEWIS SIDELINED FROM FINALS
Longtime NBA referee Eric Lewis won't be needing his whistle anytime soon ... the league just announced he will not work the Finals amid an investigation into claims he used a Twitter burner account to defend himself and his colleagues.
The Association just announced the officials for the Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat series ... and Lewis, who previously worked the last four NBA Finals, was not one of the 12 individuals selected for the matchup.
Thursday, 1 June 2023
FRENCH OPEN 2023: NOVAK DJOKOVIC CRITICISED FOR MESSAGE ABOUT KOSOVO AFTER FIRST-ROUND WIN
Novak Djokovic's political message about Kosovo at the French Open was "not appropriate" and "shouldn't happen again", says France's sports minister.
Amelie Oudea-Castera said there needs to be a "principle of neutrality for the field of play".
Serb Djokovic wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" on a camera lens.
It is in reference to recent tension in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
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