The second edition of LPF – Limassol Photography Festival is dedicated to sports and is titled Athlos. The festival showcases the values, beauty, and importance of sports through the works of renowned photographers and artists.
Sri Lanka Lions had a mixed weekend of cricket, beating Amdocs in the BAOFinancial 40 Over Cup before losing to MSN Punjab Lions in a T20 match.
A federal judge denied Nassau County’s request to enforce new restrictions on transgender athletes at county sports venues without facing legal action by the state’s attorney general for violations of anti-discrimination laws.
– Victorious rowers in Britain’s University Boat Race have been warned not to jump into the River Thames this weekend due to alarming levels of E. coli bacteria.
– Raw sewage was discharged for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023, more than double the previous year.
– The River Thames, which hosts the annual Boat Races between Oxford and Cambridge University students, has been affected by the sewage spills.
– Organizers have put precautionary measures in place to protect the health of athletes, including covering up open wounds, regular hand-washing, and a cleansing station at the finish area.
– British water companies have been accused of failing to invest in infrastructure, leading to routine dumping of sewage in waterways.
– The government has promised to clamp down on the dumping of sewage, which is only supposed to happen during exceptional rainfall to prevent it from backing up into homes.
Fact: Students from Cyprus’ sports schools had a virtual meeting with six of the island’s top athletes as part of OPAP Cyprus’ “Great Just Like You” initiative.
Fact: Cypriot rhythmic gymnast Vera Tukolukova won a bronze medal at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Athens, marking the first time a Cypriot gymnast has won a medal in a World Cup final.
On September 21, 2023, a crew led by IOC Young Leader Sophia Papamichalopoulos completed a circumnavigation of Cyprus, a feat not achieved in over 50 years. The project, named Winds of Change, involved young Greek and Turkish Cypriots sailing around the entire island to promote peace-building and dialogue. The journey took almost 70 hours, covering 326.9 nautical miles, and ended on the International Day of Peace. The initiative has gained international attention, with a documentary set to be released at the Paris Olympics.
Russia criticized the International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban its athletes from the opening parade of the Paris Olympics, describing it as a violation of the Olympic ideal. The Kremlin argued that this decision undermines the interests of Olympic athletes and contradicts the ideology of the Olympic movement. The IOC’s decision was based on the fact that Russian athletes will compete as neutral individuals, not as a team, due to sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian athletes face the same restrictions because Belarus allowed its territory to be used for Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
The Enhanced Games will permit athletes to use pharmacological or technological assistance, including substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins expressed concern that athletes’ lives could be at risk if the Enhanced Games proceed. The concept has faced criticism from the International Olympic Committee, WADA, and World Athletics. Enhanced Games President Aron D’Souza stated the competition would prioritize health testing over drug testing to ensure athlete safety.
Senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice-President John Coates is unsure about the exact number of Russian athletes who will compete as neutral athletes at the Paris Games, but suggests that reports of around 40 could be accurate. This is due to sanctions from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus acting as a staging post, allowing only some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under strict conditions. The decision to include these neutral athletes has been criticized by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Neutral athletes will only compete in individual sports without national symbols, and those supporting the war in Ukraine or contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military are ineligible. Despite restrictions, Russia’s Olympic chief, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, confirmed Russian athletes would not boycott the Games. Previously, 335 athletes competed under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team in Tokyo 2021, and Belarus sent 101 athletes. The ROC has been suspended by the IOC for recognizing regional Olympic Councils in annexed Ukrainian territories, a decision upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). As of the decision in December, eight Russians and three Belarusians had qualified for the Paris Olympics, with over 60 Ukrainians also qualified. Some sports have banned Russian and Belarusian athletes, while others, like World Swimming and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), will allow them under IOC restrictions. Russia’s world number four tennis player, Daniil Medvedev, expressed his intention to compete and follow the rules. The Paris Olympics are scheduled from July 26 to August 11.