Thai nasal-spray Covid vaccines set for tests on humans
The National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) A Covid-19 nasal spray vaccine developed by the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotech) has been found to be effective in preventing the disease in mice.
Laboratory mice treated with the adenovirus spray vaccine showed a strong immune response against Covid-19, said Biotech.
Data obtained from the trial will now be used to develop a prototype Covid-19 vaccine to use in a trial on human volunteers.
Dr Anan Jongkaewwattana, director of the agency’s Veterinary Health Innovation and Management Research Group Unit, said the NSTDA research team has made good progress in developing a vaccine prototype.
The team has produced two Covid-19 vaccine prototypes delivered by nasal spray – the adenovirus vaccine and a modified influenza vaccine.
Covid-infected mice given the adenovirus vaccine via nasal spray maintained their weight and did not get sick. A control group given the same vaccine via intramuscular injection also stayed healthy but lost weight.
Thai nasal-spray Covid vaccines set for tests on humans
ADVERTISEMENTx
Meanwhile, the modified influenza vaccine generated high levels of both antibodies and T cell immunity in mice.
Once the animal trials are completed, the team will seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin human trials in collaboration with Chulabhorn Royal Academy to test the efficacy of the vaccines against the Delta strain. Phase 1 human trials are scheduled to begin at the end of 2021 and Phase 2 in March 2022. If they are successful, the vaccines should go into production around the middle of 2022.
Dr Anan said the nasal spray is administered via a special syringe directly to the immune system in the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, where most of the viral load is located. Tests have shown that antibodies in the upper respiratory mucosa produce immunity faster and better than intramuscular vaccines.
Thai nasal-spray Covid vaccines set for tests on humans
Thai nasal-spray Covid vaccines set for tests on humans
TAT relaunches special golf tournaments for expats in Thailand
The Amazing Thailand Expat Golf Tournament Series will be held at the Blue Canyon Country Club, Phuket on 18 August, 2021.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will relaunch another tournament, which was expanded from the Minister Cup 2021, for all expat golfers in the Kingdom.
The Amazing Thailand Expat Golf Tournament Series will be held at the Blue Canyon Country Club, Phuket on 18 August, 2021. The Tournament aims to promote sports tourism in particular golfing experiences in the Kingdom among expatriate residents. Moreover, the Tournament will be organised with the safety and hygienic measures of the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) certification, which is used to assess 10 types of businesses and also includes sports for tourism.
The Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, aims to promote these events to both international and domestic tourists, especially for expats in Thailand, to ensure that the Kingdom remains a Preferred Destination. He also mentioned that the tournaments are being organised in line with the Royal Thai Government’s ‘Stay Play Safe’ policy under a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Ministry of Public Health, and other tourism-related public and private organisations to build confidence in Thailand’s public health measures against COVID-19, while strengthening the economy with stimulus packages.
To promote tourism destinations and activities to the expat community in the Kingdom, TAT has been showcasing a variety of events through a series of experiential trips and tourism promotions. These have included: a trip to Khung Bang Kachao, the “Lung of Bangkok” on 29 August, 2020; the Expat Fair 2020 (Expat Travel Deal 2020) at the EmQuartier shopping mall in Bangkok on 11-13 September, 2020; a trip to Chiang Khan, Loei province on 10-11 October, 2020; the Ratchaburi canal tour on 28 November, 2020, and the Minister Cup 2021 at the Alpine Golf Club in Pathum Thani province on 4 April, 2021, to name but a few.
Air Force chief promotes Olympic taekwondo queen Panipak
Air Chief Marshal Airbull Suthiwan, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, presided over an official ceremony to present the rank of Pilot Officer to Olympic taekwondo champion Panipak “Tennis” Wongpattanakit on Monday.
Panipak, from Surat Thani, grabbed Thailand’s only gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics with a last-gasp kick against Spain’s Adriana Cerezo Iglesias in the 49kg final.
The Air Force also arranged a flight to take coaches and athletes from Phuket back to Bangkok, since commercial airlines have stopped flying the route due to Covid restrictions.
Panipak was rewarded with the promotion after winning Thailand’s first-ever Olympic medal in the Korean martial art.
ADVERTISEMENTx
Air Force chief promotes Olympic taekwondo queen PanipakAir Force chief promotes Olympic taekwondo queen PanipakAir Force chief promotes Olympic taekwondo queen Panipak
Bronze-medal winner Sudaporn to buy house for beloved mother
Sudaporn “Taew” Seesondee, Thailand’s first Olympic female boxing medallist, said she will spend 4 million baht on buying a new house in Udon Thani as a gift for her beloved mother.
Taew also vowed to donate 500,000 baht for Udon Thani hospitals to purchase medical supplies.
“My mother worked hard to look after me after my father died, so now I will do as much as I can to repay her for her kindness,” she said.
The boxer will be handed 4.8 million baht as a bonus for winning a bronze medal.
ADVERTISEMENTx
Taew said she was thrilled to be able to fulfil her dream, adding that all her efforts and sacrifices had been worth it after she stood on the podium in Tokyo.
Like female taekwondo gold medalist Panipak “Tennis” Wongpattanakit, she said her historic bronze medal was for all Thai people.
She also set her sights on more Olympic glory at the 2024 Games in France.
“If possible, I want to perform better than I did this time,” she said.
She also thanked Thailand National Sports University for granting her a scholarship to study for a philosophy doctorate.
Sudaporn won her medal in the women’s lightweight (60kg) boxing on Sunday afternoon and carried the Thai flag at the closing ceremony later in the evening.
Olympic athletics review: Five major talking points
As the Tokyo Olympics comes to an end, five key takeaways from the athletics events.
Eliud Kipchoge’s second consecutive gold medal for Kenya in the men’s marathon marked the end of an enthralling track and field competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Xinhua looks at some of the major talking points:
ADVERTISEMENTx
U.S. LEAD MEDAL TALLY
The United States headed the athletics medals table with seven gold, 12 silver and seven bronze medals. Five of Team USA’s gold medals were won by women.
The team’s triumphs included victories in the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay events. The men’s team consisted of Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin, while the women’s team comprised Sydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu.
There were also golds in the men’s shot put (Ryan Crouser), women’s 400m hurdles (Sydney McLaughlin), women’s 800m (Athing Mu), women’s discuss throw (Valarie Allman) and women’s pole vault (Katie Nageotte).
ADVERTISEMENT
ITALIAN GOLD RUSH
Italy was the surprise package of the track and field events with five medals, all of which were gold. The haul included Lamont Marcell Jacob’s victory in the men’s 100m, Italy’s first Olympic gold medal in the event.
Jacobs, who was born in Texas to an African American father and Italian mother, also guided Italy to the 4x100m relay title alongside Lorenzo Patta, Eseosa Desalu and Filippo Tortu.
When asked about the secret to Italy’s track success, Jacobs told reporters: “Work hard, dream big. We believed for real that we could [win].”
ADVERTISEMENT
JAMAICA’S HERO
Elaine Thompson-Herah cemented her place in the pantheon of Olympic greats by successfully defending her 100m and 200m titles. The 29-year-old is the first woman in history to win the 100 and 200m in back-to-back Olympics.
“I’m happy. I’m overwhelmed. I’m lost for words. I never imagined this day, even though the work was put in already. But the ups and downs … to win a double at the Olympics, it’s amazing,” she said after taking the 200m title in a personal best time of 21.53 seconds.
Thompson-Herah suggested she might compete again at the Paris 2024 Games in a bid equal the record of compatriot Usain Bolt of 100 and 200m gold medals at three successive Olympics. “There’s more that I’m looking forward to accomplishing,” she said.
FELIX’S RECORD
Thompson-Herah’s great rival Allyson Felix became the most decorated U.S. athlete in Olympic history when she was a part of the team that won the 4x400m women’s relay.
It was her 11th medal, surpassing the mark previously held by sprint and long-jump legend Carl Lewis. Just 24 hours earlier, the 35-year-old took bronze in the individual 400m race in 49.46 seconds, the second-fastest time of her career.
“This one is very different, and it’s very special. And it just took a lot to get here,” Felix said after clinching her seventh Olympic gold medal.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
Sifan Hassan’s hopes of securing a medal in the women’s 1,500m event looked over when she fell to the ground after tripping in the final lap of her heat. But the 28-year-old quickly rose to her feet and overtook 11 rivals to win the heat.
“Believe me, it was horrible, but sometimes I think bad things happen for good,” she said afterwards. “When I fell down I said to myself, OK life doesn’t always go the way that you want. After the [race] I felt like somebody who drank 20 cups of coffee. I couldn’t calm myself down.”
Hassan went on to claim bronze in the event but won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon Serious About MMA, Wants Jonathan Haggerty
Reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion “The Iron Man” Rodtang Jitmuangnon is arguably the top pound-for-pound striker in ONE Super Series today.
The 24-year-old phenom has overwhelmed the majority of his foes inside the ONE Championship ring with his all-action style since joining the promotion in 2018.
After conquering the striking world, however, the Thai superstar may be shifting his sights to a new arena.
ADVERTISEMENTx
Rodtang has made it no secret that he plans to break into the sport of mixed martial arts at some point. “The Iron Man” has been working on his grappling skills for some time now, and it appears he’s looking to make his MMA debut very soon.
“Who do I want to face in my first mixed martial arts fight? It’s up to ONE Championship or Chatri [Sityodtong] to decide who’s best for me. I’m still new in mixed martial arts, so I need to find someone suitable,” Rodtang said.
“If I perform well, or handle the ground game well enough, I would be ready to fight at a higher level.”
While there is no shortage of fighters Rodtang could face in the Circle, there is one man he’s looking at doing battle with at one point or another — former foe Jonathan Haggerty.
Rodtang and Haggerty battled for the Muay Thai belt in two separate wars, with the Thai athlete winning both in impressive fashion. Like Rodtang, Haggerty is also contemplating a transition to MMA.
Rodtang vs Jonathan
It is possible Rodtang and Haggerty could settle their rivalry in a completely different setting in the very near future.
“People have been talking a lot about me and [Jonathan] Haggerty in a trilogy. He’s also currently training in mixed martial arts. I’m actually open to anything. I’ve already won twice (against him) in Muay Thai. We might switch it to mixed martial arts. It will be fun,” Rodtang said.
“We’ve already entertained [fans] in Muay Thai. Let’s see how exciting a mixed martial arts fight would be. I really want to try it. It would be great if I could face him for my first fight.”
Rodtang bringing his high octane striking style and ironclad chin would be a sight to behold, and against Haggerty, it’s certainly a salivating proposition, one that fans would no doubt love to see.
Thailand make Olympic history in taekwondo and boxing but end Games with only 2 medals
After two weeks on a medal-hunting mission, Thailand had to settle for only moderate success with one gold medal and one bronze as the curtain came down on the Olympic Games TOKYO 2020 on Sunday.
Atotal of 41 Thai athletes from 15 sports disciplines strutted their stuff in a unique Olympiad, held behind closed doors due to COVID-19 protocols.
Only Panipak Wongpatanakit in the 49kg women’s taekwondo and Sudaporn Seesondee in 60kg women’s boxing yielded medals – gold and bronze, respectively. Both women also pinned new chapters in Thai history with Panipak being the nation’s first taekwondo exponent to win an Olympic gold medal and Sudaporn the first female Thai boxer to win any medal.
ADVERTISEMENTx
Two medals are in fact the lowest Olympic total the country has produced for 25 years, since the 1996 Atlanta Games when Thailand ended their campaign with the same result – one gold and one bronze.
However, the outcome of the Thai campaign in Tokyo came as no surprise after the weightlifting team, which had been tipped for glory following its two golds in the 2016 Games, was barred from international events after Thai lifters tested positive for banned substances at the 2019 World Championships.
According to the Sports Authority of Thailand, taekwondo, badminton, golf and boxing were the potential sources of gold for Thai athletes in Tokyo. But only the Korean martial art offered Thailand a path to the top of the podium.
However, several other Thai athletes deserved high acclaim despite not contributing a medal, after they exceeded all expectations with dazzling performances.
Shooter Isarapa Imprasertsuk, then ranked just 32nd in the world, came out of nowhere to threaten the medal places before eventually settling for fourth place in the women’s skeet event. An overwhelming underdog among her high-profile competitors in the final four, the 26-year-old Thai missed just one target that would have won her the bronze. Still, her fourth-place finish marked Thailand’s best-ever attempt in the Olympic shooting competition by far.
Thailand’s boxing team boast a record of four golds, four silvers and seven bronzes in Olympic competition but they showed signs of decline in the Tokyo Games. The team also finished the 2016 Rio Games empty-handed and have yet to produce a gold since Somjit Jongjohor won the Olympic title in Beijing 13 years ago.
Sudapon Srisondee
However, in Tokyo they won the hearts of Thai fans nationwide with courageous performances despite losing against high-class rivals, especially Chatchai-Decha Butdee against three-time world champion Lazaro Alvarez of Cuba in the men’s featherweight quarter-finals, and Juthamas Jitpong against European Games gold medalist Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey in the women’s flyweight quarter-finals.
Other athletes who deserved applause include Suthasini Sawettabut, the first Thai woman to reach the fourth round in the table tennis singles, and Ratchanok Inthanon who lost a heart-breaking quarter-final to world No 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan in one of the best badminton showdowns at this Olympics.
Nevertheless, badminton and golf failed to live up to expectations for Thailand, which boasts a world-class mixed doubles pair and star players on the LPGA Tour.
This Games also marked the first time in 45 years that Thailand’s male athletes finished without a single medal. Before this year’s Games, Thai men had won at least one medal in every Olympics since Montreal 1976, when Payao Poontarat won the boxing light-flyweight bronze.
Thailand finished at 59th place in the medal table in Tokyo, and third in Asean behind Indonesia (one gold, one silver, three bronzes) and the Philippines (one gold, two silvers and one bronze). Several factors played a significant role in the outcome. Hopefully, the country’s athletes will bounce back with the return of the weightlifting squad in Paris 2024.
Athletes unite to go “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” at Tokyo Games
After 16 days filled with breathtaking moments and touching behind-the-scenes stories, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games closed on Sunday despite all the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
— The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games closed on Sunday after 16 days of thrilling and touching sport moments.
— China made a string of breakthroughs, while the U.S.’s traditional dominance in athletics and swimming waned slightly.
— Athletes give Tokyo 2020 a great Olympic soul, standing together against challenges brought about by the pandemic.
Prior to the opening of the Tokyo Games, the Olympic motto was revised for the first time in over 120 years, with the inclusion of the word “together” to highlight the importance of solidarity.
The new motto, which now reads “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together,” was unanimously approved at the 138th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 20.
“Solidarity fuels our mission to make the world a better place through sport. We can only go faster, we can only aim higher, we can only become stronger by standing together – in solidarity,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
Jerseys were exchanged, emotional embraces were shared, and congratulations were expressed; memories of those touching Olympic moments will remain fresh in many people’s minds for a long time.
In gathering in Tokyo against all odds, athletes around the world showed their mutual respect and willingness to strive for the goal of becoming “faster, higher, stronger”, and this has been achieved by staying “together.”
ADVERTISEMENTx
NEAR MISS ON TOP SPOT — BREAKTHROUGHS FOR CHINA
China claimed 38 gold, 32 silver and 18 bronze medals at the Tokyo Games, equaling its previous best haul of gold medals at any overseas Olympics, by finishing second, just one short of the United States’ winning gold tally.
As usual, Chinese Olympians dominated in weightlifting, diving and table tennis, missing out on only one gold in each sport. The country’s shooting squad won a record 11 medals in Tokyo, including four golds. China’s badminton players reached finals in all five categories before snatching the women’s singles and mixed doubles gold medals. There were also three gold medals in gymnastics, in which China had previously excelled but hadn’t won any golds at Rio 2016.
China’s haul of gold medals in those six sports, considered the country’s traditionally strong events, has reached 28, more than its gold total five years ago in Rio.
There were also remarkable breakthroughs in athletics and rowing.
ADVERTISEMENT
Four-time Olympian Gong Lijiao claimed the women’s shot put title after renewing her personal best twice. The 32-year-old veteran gave China its first Olympic gold in field events, and was soon followed by Liu Shiying who won the women’s javelin gold.
Despite missing out on a medal, star sprinter Su Bingtian wowed many with his new Asian record 9.83-second performance in the men’s 100m semifinals, becoming the first Chinese sprinter to appear on the starting blocks of the Olympic 100m final. He came in sixth in 9.98, the best ever result for an Asian sprinter.
In rowing, the team of Chen Yunxia, Zhang Ling, Lyu Yang and Cui Xiaotong won gold in the women’s quadruple sculls in world-record time, with bronze medals coming in the women’s eight and men’s double sculls.
At 32 years old, Ma Long became the most decorated table tennis player in Olympic history with five gold medals.
ADVERTISEMENT
Men’s 81kg weightlifting gold medalist Lyu Xiaojun, who turned 37 on July 27, broke the record for the oldest Olympic champion in the sport set by Rudolf Plukfelder of the Soviet Union, who was 36 years old when he won gold at Tokyo 1964.
Veterans defended their glory, while “Generation Z” athletes also heralded an era to come.
Yang Qian, Jiang Ranxin and Zhang Changhong, all born in the 2000s, were present in Chinese shooters’ four golds in Tokyo.
14-year-old sensation Quan Hongchan, the youngest member in the Chinese delegation in Tokyo, collected full marks in three out of five dives en route to her triumph in the women’s 10m platform event.
CHANGES IN GLOBAL SPORTING LANDSCAPE
Athletics and swimming are the main draw of any Olympics with their large medal hauls. Both sports witnessed significant changes at Tokyo 2020, which partly explains why the previous gold medal dominance from the United States did not occur at these Games.
With Michael Phelps and other outstanding swimmers, the U.S. has long been the dominant force in Olympic swimming. Despite securing the top spot on the swimming medal tally in consecutive Olympics, finishing with 30 medals including 11 gold at Tokyo, American swimmers faced sterner challenges from other countries and regions in Tokyo.
The 11 American gold medals were the country’s fewest in swimming since the 1992 Olympics, while Australia won a record-high of nine gold medals to finish in second place, capping off its best-ever Olympic Games in the pool. Britain in third won four gold medals, while Chinese swimmers won three events – two more than five years ago in Rio.
Caeleb Dressel was the leading American swimmer under the spotlight, setting two world records on his way to five gold medals at Tokyo 2020.
Like Dressel in the men’s draw, Emma McKeon from Australia was the best female swimmer in Tokyo. The 27-year-old became the first female swimmer to win seven medals at one Olympics, including four golds.
In athletics, another traditional gold-bagging sport of the U.S., they were feeling greater pressure too, not just from Jamaica in sprint events, but Italy in the sprint and race walk.
Italy captured five golds in athletics. Following his surprising victory in the men’s 100m, Lamont Marcell Jacobs led Italy to a 4×100 relay gold medal. Italian race walkers Massimo Stano and Antonella Palmisano claimed the men’s and women’s titles over the 20-kilometer distance.
Once setting a target of 30 gold medals for its home Olympics, Japan managed a third-place finish with 27 golds, with a big part coming from its traditional sport of judo, with nine golds. Wrestling and the newly-added skateboarding contributed five and three respectively for the host nation.
Compared to the Rio Olympics, the Netherlands was the only newcomer in the top 10 of the medals table, thanks in part to its glittering performance in cycling.
TOGETHER AT PANDEMIC-HAUNTED OLYMPICS
After losing to Danish shuttler Viktor Axelsen from Denmark in the men’s badminton singles final, defending champion Chen Long from China walked straight to Axelsen on the court and congratulated him on his victory. The two also exchanged their jerseys.
“Obviously I respect Chen Long a lot. He’s been a big inspiration to me,” said Axelsen.
The friendly interaction between Chen and Axelsen also drew wide appreciation online. “Awesome moment and classy act by the two Olympic champions,” one web user wrote.
Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) attend the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo, Japan, on July 20, 2021.
After Gong clinched her maiden Olympic gold, 36-year-old bronze medalist Valerie Adams from New Zealand gave the Chinese shot putter a big hug.
“I often watched her winning the championship, and now it’s finally my turn,” Gong told a press conference, triggering friendly laughter from two-time Olympic winner Adams.
“We competed together for many, many years. I have won a lot of medals, and it’s your turn. Big respect to you. You are a great competitor, and I’m really happy for you,” Adams told Gong.
Those moving moments were not limited to winners and medalists. The standing ovation received by the legendary Oksana Chusovitina when she completed her Olympic finale in the vault competition, and the tears shed by Chinese shuttler He Bingjiao for her injured opponent Zhang Beiwen were also snapshots of fair play and mutual respect at Olympic venues, and they became more valuable for the Olympic movement against the backdrop of a pandemic.
As the Olympic Games drew to a close, Bach confessed at a press conference that he personally had concerns over a soulless Olympic Games as spectators were barred from entering the vast majority of venues.
“But fortunately, what we have seen here is totally different, because the athletes give these Olympic Games a great Olympic soul,” said the IOC chief.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach attends the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Aug. 8, 2021.
Echoing Bach’s view, Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services, said, “Once the athletes walk onto the field of play, they filled all the space, emotionally they made up for everything we may have made from spectators. They created an incredible environment, they became their own fans of their own events, of their own colleagues. For me, it’s something that I have never experienced in my life before.”
Bach acknowledged the progress in staging a “safe and secure games,” citing that as of August 5, there were 42,500 arrival tests at a positivity rate of 0.08 percent, and 571,000 screenings at a positivity rate of 0.02 percent.
“I think it’s fair to say that the Olympic community here in Tokyo has been the best tested community anywhere in the world during the last few weeks,” he said.
The great competition and sportsmanship demonstrated by the Olympians won over many suspicious locals. During the Games, many lined up patiently under the blazing sun in a small garden near the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, to take photos with the Olympic Rings inside the park and the Olympic Stadium as the backdrop in a way to feel the Olympic atmosphere.
“The fact that the Games could be held despite the pandemic is something we should be happy about. I feel proud,” said 63-year-old Tokyo resident Masami Kato.
When the Olympic flame was extinguished in the Tokyo Olympic cauldron on Sunday, exactly 13 years have passed since the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games.
With about six months to go before the 2022 Winter Olympics opens in Beijing, some dual Olympians are already eager to take to the snow.
“I’m going to switch to snowboarding soon,” said two-time Olympic snowboarding silver medalist Ayumu Hirano after he had a run in his Olympic skateboarding debut on home soil. “I will continue to challenge myself.”
Messi says a tearful farewell to FC Barcelona after 21 years at the club.
Atearful Lionel Messi said goodbye to FC Barcelona after 21 years at the club at an emotional press conference at the Camp Nou Stadium, attended by his now former teammates on Sunday.
ADVERTISEMENTx
The news Messi would not be signing a new contract with the club that he joined as a 13-year-old and scored a record 672 goals for shocked football when it was confirmed on Thursday. The striker confirmed the reason he was leaving was because the club could not fit his contract into the tight wage ceiling imposed by La Liga due to Barca’s massive debts.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed on Friday that the club would lose over 480 million euros due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of previous debts of around 1,000 million euros, and explained he couldn’t mortgage Barca just to keep Messi.
“I did everything possible and so did the club, but we couldn’t do it because of La Liga. All I know is that the club couldn’t get around the league’s rules because of its debts and because the club did not want to go into debt more,” confirmed Messi.
Lionel Messi speaks during a press conference at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 8, 2021.
“The club does not want to borrow more, so why make this drag on if it is an impossible case, and the league did not allow it either? I also have to think about my future and what I have to do now,” he added, making reference to his attempts to leave a year ago, due to his poor relationship with former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
“Last year, I didn’t want to stay and I said it; this year, I wanted to stay and we couldn’t,” he said, explaining he had been willing to take a 50 percent pay cut in order to stay.
Messi insisted that in his 21 years at FC Barcelona, the club had given him everything.
“I am sad because I have to leave this club at a time when I did not expect it. Last year I wanted to leave, but not this year. That’s why I’m so sad,” he continued.
The striker has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and said there was a possibility that could be his destination, but insisted there was nothing signed.
“I have nothing arranged with anyone: when the statement [about me leaving] came out I got a lot of calls from several clubs that were interested, I still have nothing finalized,” commented the striker, who said that he would return to the city.
“We are going to return, because it is our home. and I have promised that to my children,” he concluded.
Thai nasal-spray Covid vaccines set for tests on humans
Thai nasal-spray Covid vaccines set for tests on humans
Thai nasal-spray Covid vaccines set for tests on humans
Air Force chief promotes Olympic taekwondo queen Panipak
Air Force chief promotes Olympic taekwondo queen Panipak
Air Force chief promotes Olympic taekwondo queen Panipak
Olympic hero Sudaporn receives surprise gift from Princess Sirivannavari
Olympic hero Sudaporn receives surprise gift from Princess Sirivannavari
Rodtang vs Jonathan
Sudapon Srisondee
Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) attend the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo, Japan, on July 20, 2021.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach attends the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Aug. 8, 2021.
Lionel Messi speaks during a press conference at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 8, 2021.
SootinClaimon.Com 