Wayne Rooney of Manchester United scores a goal during a match between West Ham and Man U. Rooney now earns £300,000 a week Tal Cohen / EPA
Wayne Rooney of Manchester United scores a goal during a match between West Ham and Man U. Rooney now earns £300,000 a week Tal Cohen / EPA
Wayne Rooney of Manchester United scores a goal during a match between West Ham and Man U. Rooney now earns £300,000 a week Tal Cohen / EPA
Wayne Rooney of Manchester United scores a goal during a match between West Ham and Man U. Rooney now earns £300,000 a week Tal Cohen / EPA

Sport as entertainment


  • English
  • Arabic

Massive pay packets demonstrate that the world’s top sportspeople do more than just play sport well

With another season of English Premier League about to kick off, much has been made of the effort clubs make to secure the best players. As The National reported yesterday, the transfer fees for just nine top footballers total more than Dh1.5 billion, purely based on their ability to play a game.

This phenomenon is not restricted to football. The best golfers, racing car drivers, basketball players, boxers and sprinters also earn astronomical sums for activities that until very recently were considered to be hobbies rather than professions. The modest status was matched by the remuneration available, with professional footballers in England in 1961 earning only £20 (Dh122) a week. Contrast that with Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who now earns £300,000 (Dh1.8 million) a week.

But that misidentifies the modern role of top sports­people, who could more accurately be described as entertainers and celebrities. Their pay has to stack up on a commercial basis based on the number of people willing to watch them either in person or via television.

When people in places like the UAE can be inspired to fanatically support teams based in foreign cities they may never visit, like Manchester and Barcelona, who could begrudge the players’ mammoth pay packets?

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)

Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg

Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD

THE%20FLASH
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Andy%20Muschietti%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sasha%20Calle%2C%20Ben%20Affleck%2C%20Ezra%20Miller%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

Three ways to get a gratitude glow

By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.

  • During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
  • As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
  • In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Moonfall

Director: Rolan Emmerich

Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km

On sale: now

Price: Dh149,000

 

INFO

What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.

If you go

The Flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.

The trip

Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5