Bob Marley, we're sure you'll be looking out of your tomb with a relaxed grin towards the European football world. Well, we're glad to hear that. The reason for that is Ajax Amsterdam. The club achieved unprecedented sales success with jerseys featuring three little birds in red, yellow and green. The birds on the jerseys are reminiscent of Marley's hit song "Three Little Birds," which plays at every Ajax Amsterdam home game. The only fly in the ointment is that European football's governing body UEFA has banned the Dutch champions from wearing the jerseys in European competition. The reason is that the team symbol must be in place of the birds. That's what a UEFA rule says. We pause, grin at this stubbornness and intonate in a relaxed manner with the great Bob Marley: "Don't worry, about a thing. 'Cause every little thing, gonna be all right....
Out of the little-noticed broadcasting slots on TV, into the big international film world: As the first women's national team in the world, the German women's soccer players are getting their own documentary series. Warner Bros. began work on the six-part series back in April. The documentary will follow the German women's soccer team on their way to next year's European Championship in England. Director Martina Hänsel wants above all to tell stories about the players, right down to their private lives. „They should let us look deep into their souls, even the pain is part of it." We as fans say this is a mega idea - but would be happy about a happy ending like in the movie. The men have provided enough drama and tragedy in the meantime.
Track and field is so great - now there's finally a good plan for better marketing. World Athletics has combined the cross country, all-around and walking meets into one World Tour. That should bring more opportunities for the athletes, who are often beyond the general public for real excellence, to showcase themselves. And, of course, the opportunity to earn more money. In total, more than $400,000 will be paid out to the best competitors on the new tour. That includes $75,000 for the best man and woman. That's peanuts compared to earnings in other sports, but still a step up. The tour starts at the end of the month. The tour will make stops in North America, Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe. So it really is a world tour.
A clear edge is always good in judo - even more so in this case. The International Judo Federation IJF has banned Algerian-born judoka Fethi Nourine from all competitions for ten years. His coach also received a ten-year ban - probably the end of their careers for both men. Nourine had refused to fight an Israeli at the Olympics in Tokyo and renounced his participation in the Olympics. The political scandal has thus been consistently punished - the 30-year-old Nourine will hopefully never appear in the sports world again.
Edina Müller is our German Mum Gold - and not just because of her sporting achievements. The Olympic champion in canoeing at the Paralympics wants to continue to fight for mothers to find their place in competitive sports. "I hope that there my story can change something," she said on NDR television. The 38-year-old fought like a lioness to ensure that her two-year-old son could accompany her to Japan for the Paralympics. She received little support in this fight. "Especially stressful for me was the uncertainty, can he go now or can he not go." In the end, Liam was there, Mama Edina won gold.
Some rock fans talk about a good board when they hear a successful guitar solo - a good board also pleases every skateboarder. US pro Steve Caballero now has two good boards. In addition to his skateboard, the cool athlete has now grabbed a guitar in the shape of a skateboard. He plays it in a music video newly produced by fellow skater Tony Hawk. Hawk is behind a video game series for skateboarding tricks, which he always sets to the appropriate soundtrack of punk, rock, metal or hip-hop. In the new version, Hawk sings a cover of the punk hit "No Cigar" by Millencolin and has Caballero play the guitar. An extremely cool number - whoever sees the gig will feel like skating and listening to the music.
Yesterday you're just a simple immigrant child, today the Queen already knows you: Emma Raducanu can feel a bit like in "Suddenly Princess". At 18, Raducanu won the US Open in tennis and became the first female qualifier to win a Grand Slam tournament. Born in Toronto, Canada, to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother who has lived in London from a young age, Raducanu received congratulations from Buckingham Palace immediately after her triumph. "This is an impressive achievement at such a young age and a testament to hard work and dedication," the 95-year-old queen wrote to the tennis player, 77 years her junior. We suspect tears of joy and a slight blush, sigh.
