14th February 2023
22
Sport
Pelé: The Godfather of football (1940-2022) Alfie Green
best ever, he was two footed, great header of a ball, could’ve even played in goal if he wanted to” (the latter point is no hyperbole, Pelé was a great keeper and was supposed to be the goalkeeper in the film ‘Escape to Victory’ but Silvester Stallone’s football ability meant he had to switch roles with Pelé).
Sports Writer
The world of sport was greatly saddened on the 29th of December with the death of ‘O Rei’, the great Pelé. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on the 23rd of October 1940, Pelé was widely accepted as the best player in the world during his playing career and debate has Pelé was born in Tres Corações, Brazil. raged on about whether he is the His life was already surrounded by football with his father, Dondinho, greatest of all time. playing for Fluminense. Having not been alive to see Pelé play live, I went to the only source I He came from humble beginnings, felt I could to accurately get insight growing up in poverty and learning into Pelé, my grandfather. A keen to play football with a sock filled football fan, my grandad is always with newspapers. From an early age prepared to give a lecture on football he showed promise and signed for of yester-year. You can only imagine Santos aged 15, with his local team how glad he was when I came with coach telling the club’s directors questions about the great Brazilian. that he would be the greatest in the world. Pelé began well, making his “If someone scores over 1,000 first team debut and scoring at age goals… he couldn’t have been that 15. bad could he?” As a nine-year-old boy, he had I think that probably summarises seen his father’s tears as Brazil lost the awe that he spoke about Pelé the 1950 World Cup final against with. He also described him as “the Uruguay, and he allegedly promised
performed well, and his world cup triumphs cannot be disputed. Pelé was no doubt one of the alltime greats. My grandad puts him, and Argentines Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, as the best he’s ever seen with Pelé edging it as his ‘GOAT’. This debate will continue to rage for hundreds of years to come but it cannot be doubted the effect Pelé had on the beautiful game, he was an ambassador for football his entire life, and he will live on through football. Photo: Wikimedia Commons his dad that he would win the world cup. In Sweden in 1958 he did just that. The 17-year-old Pelé was a revelation in the tournament, scoring two in the final as Brazil triumphed over the hosts 5-2.
1970 world cup. This was the first world cup broadcast in colour and Brazil stormed to the title, Pelé’s and Brazil’s third title. This gave the world a chance to see Pelé, albeit at the end of his illustrious career.
Pelé would continue to win many trophies in Brazil, with another world cup for Brazil in 1962, but the crowning moment that lives longest in collective memory is that of the
It’s true Pelé never played in Europe, a fact that is regularly held against him in the ‘GOAT’ debates. Santos did however tour Europe on a regular basis and by all accounts he
Every time someone pulls on a yellow Brazil shirt, every time someone wears a 10 on the back of their shirt, and even every time someone kicks a ball. Pelé will be there, intrinsically linked with football forever.
Russian anti-doping agency rules on Kamila Valieva case Ross Gower Sports Writer
The Russian Anti-Doping Agenc y has ruled that K amila Valieva was at ‘no fault ’ and did not commit an offence for a doping scandal that rocked the figure sk ating world last year. Valieva, who was 15 at the time, tested positive for a banned substance k nown as trimetazidine right af ter she had won a Gold with Russia in the Winter Olympic team event, and just before she was due to sk ate in the women’s singles. The result came from a test she took in December 2021 during the Russian nationals that came back late due to the laborator y
Does
testing the sample being affec ted that Vaileva was at ‘no fault.’ They by Covid. declared that she did not commit a doping offence, and that the Despite receiving strong only sanc tion that will be taken condemnation from the figure is stripping her of the gold she sk ating community, the Cour t won at the 2021 Russian Nationals of Arbitration for Spor t allowed where the test was taken. The gold Vaileva to sk ate in the Winter now goes to Alexandra Trusova, Olympic singles event, arguing the first of her senior career. that barring her at such a young age would cause ‘irreparable The World Anti-Doping Agenc y harm.’ Vaileva placed four th in the in response said it has ‘concerns’ singles event, just missing out on about the decision. The WADA a medal. wished to impose a four-year ban on Valieva and argues that Since then, the Vaileva case has the RADA sanc tions are far more been investigated by various lenient than what is usually bodies to determine who was at imposed on athletes who commit fault and what sanc tions should doping offences. be implemented. Travis Tygar t, head of the US AntiOn the 13th of Januar y, the Russian Doping Agenc y, was even Anti-Doping Agenc y completed their investigation and announced stronger in his condemnation of
sport
Dan Laughlan
strengthen
athletes was around 70%. This can be attributed to the complications sport can add to Competitiveness can get the a relationship. better of everyone. Watching a partner get overly competitive Performing at elite levels and letting their bad side show brings stress and pressure so over a game of Monopoly great, an athlete can find it would be more than enough to hard to switch off and relax turn some people off. away from it. Sports Editor
However, the intensity of professional sport can bring the best and worst out of people which can typically spill over and effect relationships. A study found that the divorce rate among professional
or
can damage, once strong, relationships. For example, Tom Brady (can’t get enough of him this issue) and Gisele Bündchen’s recent divorce. A committed relationship that has seen the pair ‘grow apart’ which could be linked to Brady ’s want to continue playing American Football and Bündchen’s desire There is also fame and fortune for him to stop. to deal with. As more doors open and new possibilities However, there are also many arise, someone can become a examples where a couple’s very different person to who relationship has strengthened they used to be. This as well whilst one or both competed as lots of time spent travelling professionally. Jason Kenny and being away from home and Laura Trott were two of
the decision. I n a statement Tygar t said that the RADA decision was self-ser ving, and that the world cannot accept it. To determine its nex t course of ac tion, the WADA has requested a copy of the full reasoned decision. The organisation will review this to determine whether the ruling is in line with the World Anti-Doping Code. I f it does not, the saga will likely continue, with the WADA saying that it will not hesitate to appeal the decision at the Cour t of Arbitration for spor ts.
Photo: Unsplash
ruin
relationships?
Britain’s best cyclists already before getting married. Combined they have won 15 Olympic medals, making them the most successful married couple in Olympic history, and have both gone on to become ‘Sir ’ and ‘Dame’ respectively. Moreover, Alex Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco are both footballers who play for teams which are located at opposite ends of the US. Carrasco stated that ‘it’s far from ideal to be that far from your wife’ but that ‘this is temporary’, that their careers will only last for a few
more years and then ‘we’ll be together ’. Both Morgan and Carrasco have enjoyed successful careers despite the added complications to their marriage proving sport and relationships can co-exist. What is important to note is that every situation and person is different. There is no formula to making relationships work and that’s per fectly fine. It is also natural for relationships to be strengthened in the aftermath of it being tested, but it is true that the effect of sport can be both positive and negative on relationships.
