#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021439

Sports fund looks to beef up key staff amid shortage

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022

The National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) held a seminar on the national strategy for sports development as it hopes to boost its personnel amid a dire staff shortage.

NSDF manager Supranee Guptasa chaired the annual seminar for a project to improve NSDF staff numbers at Navela Hotel & Conventions in Ratchaburi.

The NSDF invited senator and former Thailand national team head coach Charnwit Polcheewin to talk about the national strategy for sports development. A lecture on laws related to funding management will be conducted by Supranee.

The NSDF currently has a staff of around 40, she said.

According to her, this number is low and the staff have been forced to work hard for two years, almost without any vacation.

The objective of the seminar is to improve unity among NSDF personnel.

Supranee said the NSDF has a role to support and assist athletes, staff and sports associations, so it is important to prepare staff, which is limited.

The 40 staff have had to manage a large amount of money, but they have worked hard and used their knowledge to communicate with sports associations, the media and the public, she added.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021426

Liverpool qualify for Champions League knockouts with win at Ajax

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022

THE NATION

Liverpool qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 away win at AFC Ajax on Wednesday night.

Goals from Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott guaranteed the Reds at least second place in Group A and, therefore, a spot in the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition.

Salah opened the scoring at Johan Cruijff Arena in the 42nd minute, before Nunez and Elliott increased the visitors’ lead early in the second half.
 

Backed by a sold-out crowd in what was a must-win game, the hosts could have gone ahead inside three minutes. 

Liverpool, though, had the post to thank after a one-two between Brian Brobbey and Steven Berghuis inside the box saw the latter crash an effort against the woodwork and bounce clear.  

Ajax proceeded to create a number of other openings during the rest of the first half. 

Berghuis curled a shot just wide from around 25 yards out, before Jorge Sanchez’s curler forced Alisson into a comfortable save. 

The Reds’ first opportunity came down the left flank, with an incredibly lengthy spell in possession ending with Andy Robertson hitting the side-netting from a tight angle. 

At the other end, another big chance fell to the Eredivisie champions but Alexander-Arnold was in position to put in a vital block, stopping Dusan Tadic’s hit following a counter-attack from finding the back of the net. 

Klopp’s men finished the half off strongly, however, and crafted the breakthrough a few minutes prior to the interval. 

An outside-of-the-boot pass from Henderson was clipped brilliantly over the onrushing Remko Pasveer by the left boot of Salah, who watched the ball enter the unguarded net.

A second could have immediately followed but Nunez hit the post from close range after Roberto Firmino teed him up with a typically unselfish pass across the face of goal. 

Liverpool

But Nunez would not have to wait long after half-time to get on the scoresheet. 

The No.27 added his side’s second four minutes following the restart, glancing a header into the far side of the net off Robertson’s out-swinging corner. 

It was 3-0 three minutes later, too, when Salah played an inch-perfect pass that was fired into the roof of the net by Elliott from an unfavourable angle.

Ajax came closest to pulling one back through substitute Kenneth Taylor and Jurrien Timber, who were both off target with shots from inside the penalty area. 

But Liverpool successfully saw the game out to secure qualification with a game to spare.

THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021425

Barcelona out of Champions League, lose to merciless Bayern

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022

THE NATION

Goals by Sadio Mane, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Benjamin Pavard earned Bayern Munich a 3-0 win at already-eliminated Barcelona on Wednesday (October 26) as the German giants clinched a spot in the Champions League round of 16 as group winners.

Bayern top Group C on 15 points, five ahead of Inter Milan who also reached the knockout stage after a 4-0 win against Viktoria Plzen earlier on Wednesday, a result that eliminated Barcelona in the group stage for the second year in a row.

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez said his team needed to leave their Champions League disappointment behind them as soon as possible and focus on improving their game in order to compete for the LaLiga and Europa League titles.

“If there is failure, there is learning, and we must learn,” Xavi Hernandez told a press conference at Camp Nou after the match.

Since winning the Champions League title for the last time in 2015, Barca have reached the semi-finals only once, in 2019. They lost 8-2 to Bayern in the 2020 quarter-finals, were knocked out in the round of 16 by PSG in 2021, and failed to make it past the group stage in the last two editions.

Last year, Barca’s exit at the group stage came after the departure of Lionel Messi to Paris St Germain and the financial crisis that led to the resignation of the entire club board.

FC Barcelona

THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021419

Liverpool’s Klopp hopes his side can remain calm to beat Ajax

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2022

THE NATION

Liverpool are working on improving their consistency as they seek qualification to the knockout stages, manager Juergen Klopp said on Tuesday (October 25), the eve of his team’s Champions League fixture against Ajax.

Liverpool qualify from Group A by avoiding a loss against Ajax.

Liverpool, runners-up in the Champions League and Premier League last season, have looked far from their best this term and Klopp said injuries have hampered their progress.
 

Striker Darwin Nunez is set to return from injury but midfielder Thiago Alcantara remains sidelined.

Nunez missed the 1-0 Premier League defeat by Nottingham Forest at the weekend due to a hamstring niggle while Thiago was a late withdrawal due to an ear infection.

Liverpool beat Ajax 2-1 in the reverse fixture. The English side can secure qualification with a game to spare in what would be a fine turnaround following a heavy loss to Napoli at the start of the campaign.

Klopp’s second-placed side have nine points from four games, six points more than Ajax. Napoli, who are already through to the knockout stage, lead the group with 12 points.

Liverpool are eighth in the Premier League after 11 games, 12 points off leaders Arsenal.

THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021417

Qatar ruler hits back at ‘unprecedented’ criticism of World Cup hosts

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2022

THE NATION

Qatar’s ruling emir on Tuesday lashed out at criticism of the country over its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, complaining of an “unprecedented campaign” targeting the first Arab nation to hold the tournament.

Since winning hosting rights for the World Cup over a decade ago, Qatar has faced scrutiny and criticism for its treatment of migrant workers and the gay community, among other issues.
 

The alleged abuses affecting legions of low-paid laborers who power Qatar’s economy and built its gleaming World Cup stadiums have been a lighting rod for protest around the world, especially in Europe.

Qatar has repeatedly pushed back on the complaints, insisting that it has improved protections for migrant workers and that the criticism is outdated.

In a televised speech before Qatar’s legislative body on Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said Qatar “has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced.”

“The campaign tends to continue and expand to include fabrications and double standards that were so ferocious that it has unfortunately prompted many people to question the real reasons and motives behind this campaign,” he said.

Rights groups have credited Qatar with improving its labor laws, such as by adopting a minimum monthly wage of around $275 a month in 2020, and for dismantling the “kafala” system that had prevented workers from changing jobs or leaving the country without the consent of their employers.

General view of a World Cup sign at Doha Corniche REUTERS
 

However, activists call for more to be done.

In recent months pressure has also mounted on Qatar over its criminalization of homosexuality.

Qatari law calls for a prison sentence of one to three years for adults convicted of consensual gay or lesbian sex.

European soccer federations last month announced their intention for captains to wear an armband with a rainbow heart design as part of an anti-discrimination campaign during international matches.

In his speech, Sheikh Tamim promised the glaring spotlight of the world’s biggest sporting event would benefit Qatar, too.

“This is a great test for a country the size of Qatar that impresses the whole world with what it has already achieved and is achieving,” he said.

The tournament starts on Nov. 20 and the final is set for Dec. 18

branding is seen inside a mall in Doha REUTERS

THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021416

Female charity golf tournament to see Mercedes-Benz sedan as top prize

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2022

THE NATION

Benz Primus has teamed up with the Thai Ladies Professional Golf Association to hold its “Primus Pro-Am Charity Invitational 2022” tournament on November 15 at RG City Golf Club in Pathum Thani.

Mercedes Benz customers will be able to take part in the tournament with 27 Thai female professional golfers, with proceeds going to the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital.
 

The golfers include Patcharajutar Kongkraphan, Anchisa Uttama, Saraporn Chamchoi and Kultida Pramphun. Contestants could get a chance to play alongside these professionals and learn from them.

The tournament is accepting 27 teams with a 5,000 baht registration fee, which will be donated without deducting any expenses.

Each team of four will play alongside one professional golfer for 18 holes, with the hole-in-one prize being a Mercedez-Benz C 220d Avantgrande sedan worth 2.59 million baht.

The event will also see golfers providing advice and answering golf-related questions while demonstrating professional techniques.

THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021389

Guardiola: “I don’t know how many millions of penalties we have missed”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2022

Reuters

Reaction from Pep Guardiola after a stalemate in Dortmund confirmed his Manchester City side as UEFA Champions League Group G winners on Tuesday.

City had a glorious chance to take the lead when Mahrez was tripped in the box just before the hour mark, but his penalty was saved by Gregor Kobel.

The miss proved not to be costly, as the goalless draw earned City the point they needed to guarantee top spot with a game to spare.

“Listen, I admire a lot, the courage and the bravery (from) the guys who take the penalty, but this is the reality, it’s not about Riyad. Since we (I) arrived here, I don’t know how many millions of penalties we have missed and this is a big problem, so. And we did it in this competition a few times, like, when you miss it, it’s difficult.” said Pep Guardiola 

“Three things. I saw him so tired. Second one, he had a little bit of influenza in his body, like Joao – Joao played with fever. And the third, he had a knock in his foot and that’s why he was not able to play the second half.”

Manchester City

By gaining a point, Dortmund have also booked their spot in the knockout stages.

Guardiola admitted that penalties has become a “big problem” for club, with City failing to convert 25 of their 80 penalties since he took over in 2016.

Guardiola also revealed star player Erling Haaland was brought off at the break for three reasons – fatigue, fever and a knock.

The Spaniard says the player and club will await further assessment but the striker was “walking more or less quite good”.

Reuters

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021387

Giant new mural celebrates ‘warrior’ Maradona in Buenos Aires

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2022

Reuters

An Argentine artist has painted a giant mural of late soccer legend Diego Maradona in Buenos Aires to commemorate what would have been the World Cup winner’s 62nd birthday at the end of October.

Muralist Martín Ron filled the 1,600-square-meter (17,000- square-ft) wall in the heart of the city with a depiction of Maradona, based on a photo of him urging his team on during the World Cup final against Germany in 1990, which Argentina went on to lose.

“We already know that he was the best player in the world, but who was he as a person? He was a warrior, he went up against adversity, even all injured, he faced whatever came at him,” Ron, 41, told Reuters.

Maradona died of cardiac arrest at the age of 60 in late 2020, which sparked off a nationwide period of mourning for the troubled star who was revered by millions and nicknamed “D10S”, a play on his shirt number and the Spanish word for “God”.

The nearly completed mural will take in total some 25 days of work for Ron and a team of seven artists, and uses 800 liters (200 gallons) of paint. Ron said it was the largest mural of Maradona ever – around 45 meters (148 ft) high, similar in height to New York’s Statue of Liberty.

Ron added three stars to the mural to represent Argentina’s two World Cup wins in 1978 and 1986 – and what he hopes will be another in Qatar this year.

Reuters

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021349

Unai Emery leaves Villarreal to take charge of Aston Villa

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022

AP

Unai Emery left his position as Villarreal coach to take charge of English club Aston Villa on Monday.

It will be Emery’s second spell in the Premier League, having coached Arsenal in 2018-19.
 

Emery replaced Steven Gerrard, who was fired last week after a year in charge.

Villa said Emery will start as manager on Nov. 1 after his work permit formalities are completed.

Emery had been with Villarreal since July 2020. He was previously coach of Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla.

AP

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/sport/40021348

City’s Guardiola warns Haaland to lay off the carbs during World Cup break

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022

THE NATION

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola joked he wanted striker Erling Haaland to lay off the food and drink during the mid-season break for the World Cup and come back fit to spearhead the club’s hunt for trophies in the second half of the season.

Norway’s Haaland, who has scored 22 goals in 15 games across all competitions so far, will not be heading to Qatar for the November 20 to December 18 tournament after his country failed to qualify.
 

“He will be in Marbella or Norway. It depends on how he behaves in Marbella as to how good he is for the second half of the season,” Guardiola told reporters on Monday (October 24). “He will play golf, hopefully not eat and drink much and come back fit.

“He is so smart. A part of that is his work ethic. He is one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. He looks after his body perfectly. He is well educated in the way he has to live as a professional and he has the intent to get better,” Guardiola added.

City take on Haaland’s former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday (October 25), having already qualified for the last 16 and needing only a draw at the Westfalenstadion to secure top spot in Group G.

Guardiola’s side clinched a place in the knockout phase with two games to spare after earning 10 points from four matches, while Dortmund are in second place with seven points.

In the reverse fixture in Manchester, Haaland grabbed a late acrobatic winner as City came from behind to win 2-1.

THE NATION