Czechs join Poland, Sweden in refusing to play Russia in World Cup qualifying

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic joined Poland and Sweden on Sunday in refusing to play Russia in the 2022 World Cup qualifying playoffs next month in response to that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.

The head of world champion France’s soccer federation also moved against the Russians, saying Sunday he favored excluding them from the competition.

Russia is scheduled to host Poland in Moscow for a playoff semifinal on March 24, with the winner due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic five days later. The winner on March 29 would advance to the World Cup being played in Qatar from Nov. 21-Dec. 18.

However, the Czech soccer federation said its executive committee “unanimously approved a decision that the Czech national team will not, in any case, play Russia.”

Officials in Poland and Sweden made the same decision Saturday — putting pressure on FIFA which is responsible for all World Cup qualifying games, including in Europe.

FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino have not taken a clear public position on Russia, the 2018 World Cup host, since the military invasion was launched Thursday.

The Czech federation said its head, Petr Fousek, will lead negotiations with FIFA and UEFA about its position.

“The Czech FA executive committee, staff members and players of the national team agreed it’s not possible to play against the Russian national team in the current situation, not even on the neutral venue,” the federation said in a statement. “We all want the war to end as soon as possible.”

FIFA’s current options include removing Russia from the World Cup or letting it advance to the finals tournament by accepting the withdrawal of the three other teams in its playoff bracket.

A strict reading of FIFA’s World Cup regulations would even make the Polish, Swedish and Czech federations liable to disciplinary action and having to pay fines and compensation.

In 1992, however, FIFA and UEFA removed Yugoslavia from its competitions following United Nations sanctions imposed when war broke out in the Balkans.

In France, the soccer federation president Noël Le Graët told the Le Parisien daily Sunday that he was leaning toward excluding Russia from the World Cup.

“The world of sport, and in particular football, cannot remain neutral,” said Le Graët, who sits on the ruling FIFA Council and has recently been a close ally of Infantino.

Any FIFA decision on Russia would likely come from its Bureau, chaired by Infantino and including the presidents of soccer’s six continental governing bodies, including UEFA’s Aleksander Ceferin.

UEFA on Friday pulled the 2022 Champions League final from St. Petersburg, moving it to Paris, and said Russian and Ukrainian teams in its competitions must play home games in neutral countries. UEFA allowed Spartak Moscow to continue playing in the second-tier Europa League’s round of 16.

As the attack of Ukraine entered a fourth day on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin temporarily lost his most senior official position in world sports. The International Judo Federation cited “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine” for suspending Putin’s honorary president status.

The Russian president is a keen judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.

In Putin’s other favorite sport, ice hockey, Latvian club Dinamo Riga withdrew Sunday from the Russian-owned and run Kontinental Hockey League citing the “military and humanitarian crisis.”

Czechs join Poland, Sweden in refusing to play Russia in World Cup qualifying
Source: Healthy Lifestyle

Inflation seen to pick up in Jan

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Friday the country’s headline inflation likely rose to 3.7 percent this month on higher prices of fuel, meat and sin products, and on increased power rates. A shopper checks out goods at a stall in a market on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday.PHOTO BY RUY MARTINEZ In a statement, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said January’s point inflation estimate was within the 3.3- to 4.1-percent forecast range of the central bank. The outlook was faster than the 3.5-percent consumer price growth in December 2020 and the 2.9 percent a year earlier. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will release official January inflation data on February 5. “Higher prices of fuel and meat, as well as increased Meralco (Manila Electric Co.) power rates and excise taxes on alcoholic beverages and tobacco, contributed to upward price pressures during the month,” Diokno said. Local oil companies hiked fuel prices three times this month. Price incr...

Magbasa nang higit pa

Signs Of Cervical Cancer All Woman Should Know

Cervical or cervix malignancy can be risky in women. Though the statistics of this disease are shocking, if diagnosed early it can be treated. Cervical malignancy is due to the highly infectious HPV or human papillomavirus. It is sexually transmitted and exists in different forms. A HPV infection may disappear without treatment or develop to an abnormal cell development that could cause cervical cancer. 7 Signs of Cervical Cancer Continuous pain in the legs, hips or back The swelling in the cervix may compress other organs. This may make it difficult for blood flow in the veins and may prevent blood from reaching the pelvis and legs, thus pain and swelling in the legs. Abnormal discharge When the disease starts to develop in the cervix, the uterine divider cells begin to loosen hence a watery discharge. Pain or bleeding Cervical tumor may develop on the cervix’s dividers which can dry out and eventually burst, hence distress and rectal or bladder bleeding. ...

Magbasa nang higit pa

The National Museum – in step with the ‘new normal’

Even as vaccines begin to make their way around the world, museums and galleries are most likely among the industries which will be last to make a complete return to operations. Here in the Philippines to be specific, museums and galleries, along with cultural centers and libraries, are considered non-essentials and can only open under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MGCQ), with corresponding rules on safety. The National Museum The National Museum The National Museum The National Museum The National Museum The National Museum The National Museum The National Museum It has therefore been quite a while since the National Museum of the Philippines complex in Manila saw long queues of guests, which of course has been very disheartening for the community. But just like the rest of the nation, the vanguards of the country’s precious arts and artifacts proved to be resilient, resourceful and innovative as they quickly built and steeled an online presence through...

Magbasa nang higit pa

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Hanapan ang Blog na Ito