QUEENSTOWN // Waisale Serevi, the Fijian considered the greatest rugby sevens player of all-time, yesterday threw his weight behind the campaign to reinstate the shortened form of the game as an Olympic sport.
Rugby union is one of seven sports seeking to be added to the Olympic programme for the 2016 summer Games.
Only two will be nominated to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for inclusion, with a vote taken in October.
Serevi, the player-coach of the Fiji side between 2005 and 2007, told members at the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) in Queenstown, New Zealand that the inclusion of sevens in the 2016 Olympics would increase the chances for small countries to win medals.
"Small nations such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Kenya, Argentina and New Zealand would be in with a chance," he said.
Serevi's speech earned nods and smiles of approval from the members of the Pacific island nations while New Zealand, the venue for the summit, is one of the game's heartlands and will host the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Rugby was last played at the Olympics in Paris in 1924 and the International Rugby Board's representative Kit McConnell said it was ready for reinclusion.
He said rugby was now played in 116 nations by three million people, with men and women playing at international level.
IOC president Jacques Rogge, who played international rugby for Belgium, said that the process to decide between them would be fair, open and transparent.
"It will be based on quality not subjective elements," he said.
Rogge, former Olympic sailor, said he loved playing rugby but the sport would not get any special treatment in voting.
Representatives of baseball, soft ball, karate and squash also gave brief presentations in Queenstown, where the four candidate cities to host the 2016 Olympics also pitched their bids to members.
Baseball and softball were contested at the Beijing Olympics last August, but were voted off the programme for the London 2012 Olympics at the same meetings in Singapore where the British capital was selected as host city.
Oceania karate representative Makarita Lenoa said the World Karate Federation was disappointed to miss out on selection for the 2012 Olympics.
Judo and Taekwondo are on the programme, along with boxing. Karate was ruled out because there were two existing martial arts represented at the games.
"This is not the modern way. If Karate is accepted into the Olympic programme and IOC members consider three martial arts are too much then this can be changed," said Lenoa.
"Only the strongest in the programme should be kept," she said, adding that Karate was the world's most popular martial art."
sports@thenational.ae
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20profile%20
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Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
