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Former professional athletes describe the unique experience
By Gemma Askham 18/07/2021
As the countdown to Tokyo 2020 begins, sports stars become big news. But while these elite athletes elicit cheers and veneration now, by the age of 30, their all-encompassing professional life can come to an abrupt halt. Here’s the story of what happens next.
Sam Murray kept a lid on her emotions for the entire journey home from Rome to Bath, it wasn’t until she finally heard her front door click shut behind her that she started screaming, jumping and madly punching the air. She had been at the World Modern Pentathlon Championships, where she secured one of only two places in the GB squad for the 2012 London Olympics, and she felt as close to invincible as someone this side of a Marvel comic can get.
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UEFA defends decision to award event to Belarus after FIFPro criticism Sunday, 9 May 2021
UEFA has defended its decision to award one of its events to Belarus amid criticism from the global players union.
European football s governing body has bucked the recent trend of moving major sports events out of the country amid the Government crackdown on protestors, including athletes, who have demonstrated against controversial President Alexander Lukashenko.
UEFA recently announced Belarus would stage the Women’s Under-19 European Championship in 2025 after it missed out on hosting the same event this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Belarus had also been set to hold the Futsal Champions League Finals before UEFA moved the event from Minsk to Zadar in Croatia after citing coronavirus concerns.
Thursday, 21 January 2021
The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (BSSF) has urged the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) to strip Belarus of this year s World Championships because of the crisis in the country.
In a letter sent to the UIPM, the BSSF warned a failure from the worldwide governing body to remove the Modern Pentathlon World Championships from Belarus would be a threat to the image and reputation of the sport.
The UIPM shall not reward Lukashenko’s violent regime with hosting such major tournaments in a country where citizens are subjected to excessive violence, tortures and discrimination by the authorities and almost 200 political prisoners are being kept in jail , the BSSF wrote.