The Netherlands to go Dark Red on EU map this

The Netherlands to go Dark Red on EU map this month, De Jonge says

The sharp increase in coronavirus infections this past month means the Netherlands will be categorized at Dark Red by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said Health Minister Hugo de Jonge. That is the most serious risk level out of four classifications from the ECDC. Putting the entire country at Dark Red increases the possibility that more countries require people traveling from the Netherlands to quarantine on arrival. It can also result in stricter coronavirus testing policies against those departing from the Netherlands. “We will discuss this with countries, whether this is really necessary, but in the end it is up to the countries themselves,” De Jonge told reporters gathered for a short press conference. Belgium, France and Germany all tightened up restrictions for people arriving from the Netherlands just when the Netherlands was placed at the Red level. The ECDC updates its map weekly on Fridays. In its last update on July 15, it moved all of the Netherlands to the second most serious level, Red, except for Groningen. That province jumped from Green, indicating no risk, to red dark. The Cabinet eliminated most coronavirus restrictions in the Netherlands on June 26. Since the start of the month, the average number of daily coronavirus infections ballooned from 608 on June 30 to 10,101 on July 18. It was expected to edge higher in the new month with summer in and people gathering more together freely. When De Jonge and Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the withdrawal of coronavirus measures, 100 contagious

people were infecting about 80 others with the SARSCoV-2 coronavirus. By last month, it was estimated that the same number of people were passing the infection on to 291 others, placing the basic reproduction (R) number at 2.91, a record high since the pandemic began. The Cabinet reintroduced some restrictions related to the hospitality and events sectors, and has asked people to work from home as much as possible. It now also advises people to ventilate indoor spaces on a daily basis. efore the August house to deliberate and vote on it.

Hon Kennedy Nyarko Osei visits Ghana House of Assembly Speaker

Honorable Kennedy Osei had a meeting with Prof. Kwaku Asare (aka Prof. Kwaku Azar), the speaker of Ghana’s Parliament to discuss a private members bill he has sponsored to amend both Article 8(2) and 94 (2a) of the 1992 constitution to allow their brothers, sisters and friends in the Diaspora with dual citizenship to be able to contest and also hold key political positions in the country which the constitution currently frowns on it without any constitutional restrictions. This bill if it goes through will allow Ghanaians abroad with dual citizenship to contest for elections without renunciation of their foreign citizenships. According to Augustina Osei who accompanied the Honorable said the meeting was fruitful and hoping to have a broader stakeholder consultations to move this critical amendment forward before it is presented before the August house to deliberate and vote on it.

The Ugandan weightlifter who vanished in Japan after he failed in his bid to compete in the Tokyo Olympics was few days later arrested and deported back to Uganda. The news has it that on arrival back home, he was instantly detained and since then no charges has been brought against despite pleads from members of the public to have him abandoned. Julius Ssekitoleko, 20, made headlines last month for the wrong reasons after it was reported that he had disappeared from the Ugandan team’s training site in Izumisano, a city in Osaka. It is still unclear how exactly Ssekitoleko made it to the training camp in the first place, given that he had failed to qualify for the Olympics trial back in Uganda. Probably this is part of the investigations as someone may have planned this with him within the team itself to escape in Japan. Once it became clear that he could not participate, he had been expected to return to Uganda. Instead, he fled, and police tracked him down a few days later, according to Uganda’s Criminal Investigations Directorate. Upon his return to Uganda, Ssekitoleko was taken into police custody, where he remains, even though no charges have been filed, his legal team told the press and they are worried for his safety. Mr. Anthony Wameli, founder and managing partner at Wameli & Co., the legal agency representing Ssekitoleko, said an application has been filed in court for Ssekitoleko’s unconditional release. “This is an unreasonable detention. He is being detained illegally,” Wameli said. Wameli said Ssekitoleko could face charges. However, he said, he has yet to be made aware of any potential charges. The government and the Uganda Police Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Addressing reporters at a news conference, Mr. Charles Twiine, the spokesperson for the Uganda Police Force, said officials were investigating how Ssekitoleko made it to Japan.

“What is visibly clear here is that there is a probable fraud of airlifting a person with full knowledge that he had not qualified,” Twiine was reported to have said. “Now the fundamental question is: Was he part of the fraud as a conspirator?” Twiine said Ssekitoleko had explained his actions by telling authorities that he had been left “totally frustrated” after he learned that he would be unable to participate in Tokyo. Ssekitoleko, who has competed in the 56-kilogram weightlifting division and has previously represented Uganda in competitions, including in Australia, said, “his hopes were shattered,” Twiine said.

Wameli said Ssekitoleko has been left “distraught” as he waits to find out whether he will be released. His family has been able to visit, but pleas from Ssekitoleko’s loved ones for his release has so far gone unanswered, Wameli said. Many Twitter have joined calls for Ssekitoleko’s release, using the hashtag “#StandWithSsekitoleko” to show their support. A move, which may anger the President of the Republic who has frown on interference in the affairs of Uganda by social media. Henry Tumukunde, a presidential candidate in Uganda’s elections in January, said on Twitter that he believes Ssekitoleko should be given “a second chance.” “How many people can stand up & say they’ve been good enough to represent the country at a major sports event? Talent needs guidance & the right environment to be fully realised,” he said.

Olympic legend Usain Bolt slams ‘unfair, laughable’ advances in spike technology

World 100 meters record holder, Usain Bolt has said advances in spike technology that could help wipe out his world records are laughable and that the new shoes also give an unfair advantage over any athletes not wearing them. After athletes ripped through the record books in distance running with carbon-plated, thick-soled shoes, the technology has now moved into sprint spikes, where although there is less time in a race for the advantage to make an impact it is still enough to make a difference. “When I was told about it I couldn’t believe that this is what we have gone to, you know what I mean, that we are really adjusting the spikes to a level where it’s now giving athletes an advantage to run even faster,” Bolt told the press in an interview from Kingston, Jamaica The 100m and 200m world record holder competed in Puma spikes throughout his career. “It’s weird and unfair for a lot of athletes because I know that in the past they [shoe companies] actually tried and the governing body said ‘No, you can’t change the spikes,’ so to know that now they are actually doing it, it’s laughable,” the eighttime Olympic Champion added. American Trayvon Bromell is favourite to take Bolt’s 100m title in Tokyo. He is the fastest in the world over the distance this year with 9.77 secs, but the 2015 world 100m bronze medalist is less convinced about the impact of the shoes. “I don’t think there’s a lot of data to show that they’re having such a big improvement,” Bromell, who runs for New Balance, told reporters last month. “I know we [New Balance] are constantly building onto what we have to make the perfect spike, but for me personally as a runner I still feel like it’s not enough data to really show.” While other companies now have similar shoe models, Nike looks set to dominate and is priding itself on being a leader in the technology. “We’re just smarter about how we engineer and assemble them,” Nike said in an email to the press. The company added that it works to keep its athletes on the cutting edge while staying within the rules. Weighing in on developments in shoe technology, World Athletics said: “The current regulations [July 2020] were designed to give certainty to athletes preparing for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, to preserve the integrity of elite competition and to limit technological development to the current level until after the Olympic Games in Tokyo, across all events.” It said a working group on shoes aimed to set parameters to achieve a balance between innovation, competitive advantage and availability of the products. Performing in the Nike Air Zoom Maxfly, Jamaican two-time Olympic gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce clocked the fastest 100m time in 33 years on June 5 in Kingston with a career-best 10.63 seconds. Only American world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner has gone faster, with 10.49 seconds in Indianapolis in 1988. But Fraser-Pryce was unwilling to discount the work she has done to become the fastest woman alive, even as she trains and competes in the spike. “You can give the spikes to somebody else and they’ll probably not do the same things that I’ve done, so I’m not counting myself out of the hard work me and my coach has put in,” the four-time 100m world champion told the press. “Maybe the combination of both -having good products and good runners combined makes for a very good endproduct. So for me, I can’t single-handedly point to the spikes.” American Sha’Carri Richardson, who lost her spot in the 100m in Tokyo after receiving a onemonth suspension for using marijuana, moved up to No. 6 on the all-time list with 10.72 seconds in April using the shoe. Veteran Jamaican sprint coach Stephen Francis admitted that faster times are being run in Nike’s new sprint spikes. “Based on anecdotal evidence and based on the fact that you have people who never would have run as fast as they are running, I suspect that there may be a point, but there is no scientific basis to make that point,” Francis told Reuters from Kingston. Whatever the advantage, he said, anyone can benefit from Nike’s technology based on the rules set by World Athletics.

Euro 2020 racism: Soccer players accuse government of ‘stoking the fire’

In the hours after England lost in the final of the Euro 2020 soccer championship and Black players were subjected to a flood of racist comments, officials condemned the abuse almost as fast as the offensive comments had rolled in. But athletes and others have lashed out and accused senior politicians of helping create the conditions that allowed for the open expressions of bigotry. Home Secretary Priti Patel, in particular, came under attack after she tweeted that she was “disgusted” by the abuse faced by three Black players -Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho who missed decisive penalty kicks on that final at Webley stadium. “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ and then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens,” tweeted English soccer player Tyrone Mings. Last month Patel said in an interview with GB News that she didn’t support people participating in what she called “gesture politics,” referring to players taking the knee before a game. She also said that fans booing players “is a choice for them.”

In a request for comment on Mings’ criticism, the Home Office referred back to Patel’s original tweet, which said that racism “has no place in our country,” and said that her comment about the booing fans expressed her belief that people have the right to express themselves. Other former players joined Mings in calling out the government for hypocrisy, singling out Patel in particular. “You can’t make this stuff up…. How dare you write this message when you and your peers said it’s OK for people to boo the taking of the knee,” tweeted former soccer player Anton Ferdinand in response to Patel’s tweet. Saka, Rashford and Sancho have received an outpouring of support from players, fans and school children both on social media and in real life. A mural of Rashford that was defaced in Manchester was quickly covered

in paper hearts and letters to the player. In a message on Twitter, Rashford apologized for missing his penalty kick, but said he “will never apologize for who I am and where I come from.” Last year, the Manchester United player became known for more than his soccer skills after he forced the government to an embarrassing reversal on providing free school meals for kids in low income households. The pushback against the government is no surprise given the ethnic makeup of Britain and the direction society is moving in, according to Sathnam Sanghera, author of “Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern

Britain.” “We are as a nation getting more diverse, tolerant and progressive,” said Sanghera, who was a spectator at the match. “The fact that players are taking on the government shows you that things are beginning to change. There’s a long way to go, there’s a long bloody way to go.” ‘If you blow dog whistles’ It’s not only athletes criticizing the government for stoking a culture war in the U.K. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a member of the opposition Labour Party, said Mings was right to call out politicians. “If you blow dog whistles, the dogs start barking,” Burnham said on GB News, adding that the government has been stoking culture wars. “Over the last decade, we’ve had leaders, particularly in the U.S. and here to a degree, that have just allowed stuff to happen when they shouldn’t have.” Prince William, who is president of the Football Association, has also come under fire for his condemnation of the racist abuse, with some saying that he should have been more supportive of his sister-in-law Meghan, after she complained of racism during her time as a senior royal. “Prince William if you had led by being sickened, vocally and visibly against racist abuse at your sister-in-law #MeghanMarkle, for years, your words would have legitimate credibility right now,” wrote Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, the author of “This Is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity.” Britain’s notorious tabloids are also being targeted for playing a role in fueling the racism that the players faced. The hashtag #dontbuythesun, one of the U.K.’s most popular papers, was trending on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. The paper’s front page on Tuesday read, “We’ve got your back,” and featured photos of the three Black players who faced abuse. But some on the social media platform pointed out the paper’s previous front pages, which have at times criticized Black soccer players for their tattoos or spending habits. The furor over the racist abuse, as well as the comments of political leaders, has highlighted the ugly culture war going on in British society and the need to find a new way forward, according to Patrick Vernon, a social commentator, cultural historian and the co-author of “100 Great Black Britons.” “It raises the big issues of ongoing systemic racism, what Britain will do about it, and what politicians are going to do about it, especially if they were in denial about it in the first place,” he said. “Football is the No. 1 premier sport in Britain, and sports bring people together, irrespective of who you are. By Rachel Elbaum

‘I promise to do more’ - Chelsea keeper Mendy elated after winning big at Ghana awards

The custodian helped the Blues to win the Uefa Champions League last season, and has established himself as arguably Africa’s best goalkeeper and contesting to be among the best in the world. Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has thanked all those involved to ensure his “incredible year” ends on a high note. The Senegal international won the Best African International Award from the Ghana Football Awards Board in a ceremony held few months ago. The West African has promised to give his best to ensure he does not disappoint in the new campaign for the next football season. “Hi everyone, I am happy and grateful to receive this award from the Ghana Football Awards Board,” Mendy said in a short video sent to the organizers. “It has been an incredible year for me and winning the Champions League remains one of the best achievements in my life. I thank the Ghanaians and all Africans across the world for their support and prayer. “I appreciate the recognition as the best African international player and promise to do more to make Africa proud, thank you.” The goalkeeper helped the Blues to win the Uefa Champions League trophy after a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the final. The custodian, who was in his debut season in English football with the Blues, also played a key role as the Londoners finished

fourth in the Premier League, as well as reach the FA Cup final where they fell to Leicester City. The Senegal shot-stopper played 31 league matches and 12 Champions League games which clearly confirmed his position as Chelsea’s number one ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Mendy: Trusted goalkeeper for Chelsea football club The 29-year-old, who also helped the Lions of Teranga to qualify for Afcon to be held in Cameroon, will now be aiming at inspiring the Thomas Tuchel led Chelsea to the Premier League title next season. Ex-Swansea City forward Andre Ayew was another big winner in the annual event. The Black Stars skipper had a good season with the Welsh outfit in the just-concluded Championship season and went on to win the Ghana Footballer of the Year award. The 31-year-old was directly involved in 21 goals the Swans scored in the league, finding the back of the net 17 times and providing four assists. He was also on target for the team in the promotion playoffs, scoring the only goal in the 2-1 aggregate loss to Brentford. Ayew also played a vital role to ensure Ghana made it to the 2020 Africa Cup of Nations finals. The striker beat Great Olympics captain Gladson Awako and Ajax attacker Kudus Mohammed to the title. He succeeded Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who had won the award the previous two times.

The hope of Olympic glory for five Dutch athletes has been dashed after they tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Tokyo, disqualifying them from taking part in the Olympic Games and sending them straight into isolation. But the matter of just where and when these five athletes were infected has left Dutch flag carrier KLM facing awkward questions and insisting it didn’t happen on one of its flights. All five athletes travelled to Tokyo on July 17 on the same flight. The entire team had to take pre-departure COVID-19 tests, which had come back negative, and they were escorted through Amsterdam’s Schipol airport in a secure ‘bubble’ away from other passengers and anyone else who might infect them. But Dutch media claim the bubble burst as soon as they stepped foot on board KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL861. The athletes and support team were spread around the plane; they sat around normal passengers and even

athletes from other countries that had been routed through Schipol including teams from India, Ecuador and Chile. Reshmie Oogink, a Dutch taekwondo athlete, says she heard someone coughing on board the flight. She tested positive four days after arriving in Tokyo. At 31 years old, she fears Tokyo will be her last Olympic Games. She had even overcome major knee injuries to compete in the Games. The focus has fallen on flight KL861 and whether asymptomatic cabin crew might be the cause of so many infections. Unlike passengers, the Japanese authorities don’t require flight crew to take a COVID-19 test before departure. They are, however, subject to routine temperature testing. A spokesperson for KLM has strongly refuted that flight KL861 was the reason why so many athletes in Team NL have had their Olympic dreams ripped away from them. Describing the recent positive cases amongst the team as “very regrettable” a spokesperson maintained that

“there are no indications that this happened on board the aircraft”.

“Research by the WHO and IATA shows that the risk of being infected with a virus on board an aircraft is low. This was also recently confirmed by a study by the Dutch Royal NLR together with RIVM (Dutch

Health Authority),” the airline explained in an emailed statement.

KLM said that “inquiries” made after the return of the crew revealed that they weren’t infected with COVID-19.

“KLM always takes the safety and health of passengers and crew very seriously and takes extra measures on board to reduce the risk of contamination,” the statement continued.

The Dutch sport’s governing body NOC has also jumped to KLM’s defence with technical director Maurits

Hendriks saying there were a number of places the athletes could have been infected. One theory is that they were infected while waiting in long lines for COVID-19 testing at Tokyo’s Narita airport. Some in the Netherlands say Team NL should have travelled to Tokyo on a charter flight without normal passengers to avoid the risk of mid-flight transmission. That, however, hasn’t worked out well for the Czech team who flew to Tokyo on a specially arranged charter flight but is now battling a major COVID-19 cluster. Local media claim an unvaccinated team doctor who was using mouthwash to combat the risk of Coronavirus infection may be the cause of the outbreak.

How do Nigerians identify with England soccer hero, Bukayo Saka?

Bukayo Saka was one of the breakout stars of the European soccer championships. Although he wears an England jersey, he is also increasingly popular in Nigeria. But devastatingly, he missed the crucial penalty kick to lose the final, and hand the trophy to Italy for this; he has faced racial abuse on social media. The 19-year-old’s exciting, efficient performances were crucial in the Three Lions’ unprecedented journey to the final. A photo of him grinning on an inflatable unicorn in the pool became the stuff of internet memes, and his teammates speak highly of his personality and influence. He was also an A-grade student at school. Saka was born and raised in west London to Nigerian parents. He played for England in various age groups, but naturally, his talent also caught the attention of Nigerian fans and soccer administrators. It didn’t hurt that he was playing for Arsenal, a club that already has a strong Nigerian following because of the legendary Nwankwo Kanu. Many dreamed of Saka one day donning Nigeria’s white and green. But it was not to be. In what was dubbed “Independence Day heartbreak”, the versatile attacker announced his decision to represent England on October 1, 2020 — the 60th anniversary of the West African nation’s independence from Great Britain. There was a mixed reaction. Some wondered what could have been if he’d chosen Nigeria; others hailed him for picking a country that offers greater stability than Nigeria’s uncertain soccer environment. Europe’s African-origin superstars Given the diversity of its major cities and the number of immigrants that settle in the UK, England has numerous young players, many of African origin, who could play for more than one country. This also applies to many other European countries, where some of the best French, Portuguese, and even German players have roots in Africa. The Chelsea duo of Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori had already joined the list of players that could have chosen Nigeria over their birthplace, England. Nigeria’s soccer boss, Amaju Pinnick, who had developed a penchant for hunting dual-nationality players across Europe, failed in his overtures to Abraham, with his methods drawing criticism from the media. Where it failed with Saka, Abraham, and Tomori, Nigeria has succeeded in luring other dual-national Londoners: Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses have made the switch in recent years. Dual-national players who choose Nigeria either claim a strong Nigerian connection, or hint at the Super Eagles being their second choice. It’s a tricky dilemma, because family roots can be a powerful force. But unfortunately, Nigeria’s soccer development is miles away from England’s, and its national team isn’t the catch it once was; a third-place finish at the last African championship is an isolated bright spot. Nigerian or English? Both, actually Identity is a tricky thing. Though he has Nigerian parents and was no doubt raised in a household with strong influences from their home country, Saka is also English through and through, having grown up in London. He has never even visited Nigeria. “I feel like I’m really, really proud of my Nigerian heritage,” Saka said when he chose England. “I always still watch Nigeria’s games where I can, and I wish them all the best and support them all the way. “But I’ve seen the process of how England is transforming and I think in the future they’re going to do great stuff. I feel like it was right for me to choose England.” Nigerian media outlets covered Saka’s feats, and the fans reveled in the fact that a young Nigerian ran the best defenders in the world ragged, doing so much to help England nearly win its first European trophy. It is something they can identify with, but with a tinge of regret.

The Netherlands-born Gyasi seeking first Ghana call-up under Akonnor

The 29-year-old has set his sights on winning back a spot in the Black Stars squad, having last featured some four years ago. Ghana attacker Edwin Gyasi is holding out for a return to international duty after some time out in the wilderness. The Boluspor winger is yet to earn a call-up to the four-time African champions since current coach CK Akonnor assumed duty last year. Born in the Netherlands to Ghanaian parents, Gyasi made his Ghana debut in a Fifa World Cup qualification win over Congo in September 2017. “I have been talking to Thomas Partey, Alfred Duncan among other players but on different issues anytime we are in touch,” Gyasi told the media. “This is my country and I opted to play for and for me, I am ready to make a return anytime because it is always an honour to play for your national team. “My doors are always open and anytime CK Akonnor calls me, I am ready to show up and play for the national team.” Gyasi made his Ghana bow as a 77th-minute substitute in a 5-1 away triumph over Congo. On his second appearance, he was on target as the Black Stars and Egypt settled for a 1-1 draw, and he went on to make three more appearances. ”I’m happy with a call-up to the Black Stars team; it’s really a dream come true invitation. It was my junior brother Raymond Gyasi of Stabaek who heard the news first and called me,” Gyasi told the press after receiving his first Ghana call-up in 2017. “My family and I were very excited when they broke the news to me that I have been named in the Black Stars squad. “I will make sure I don’t let Ghana down. One thing I can promise all Ghanaians is hard work. I will do my possible best when given the chance to prove my worth and make them happy.” As the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon beckons, Gyasi will be looking to make an impression on Akonnor when the European league season resumes this summer. The next Black Stars squad is expected to be announced just ahead of matches against Ethiopia and South Africa in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September. By Prince Narkortu Teye