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Manhunt as FIFA partner flees Rio hotel to avoid arrest BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

Manhunt as FIFA partner flees Rio hotel to avoid arrest

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 10:34 PM PDT

Brazilian police launched a manhunt on Thursday for an executive of a FIFA partner company handling World Cup ticket packages after he escaped from his Rio de Janeiro hotel to avoid arrest on charges of illegally selling tickets, authorities said.

Raymond Whelan, the British CEO of Match Hospitality, a Swiss-based subsidiary company of FIFA in charge of World Cup ticket packages, allegedly fled the beachfront Copacabana Palace Hotel after a judge ordered him and 10 other suspects to be held in detention. He is accused of leading a network that illegally sold game passes.

"The Englishman fled through the hotel's back door and is considered a fugitive," Rio police said in a statement, just three days before the Germany-Argentina final at Rio's Maracana Stadium.

"We saw him in [security] footage leaving in a hurry," Fabio Barucke, the case's lead investigator, told reporters, adding that Whelan had fled an hour before police arrived.

Brazilian TV showed footage of Whelan, wearing a blue shirt, walking with another man who points to him to sit on a chair near the service exit before he left the hotel, which is heavily guarded and houses top FIFA officials.

Whelan is accused of being involved with a scalping network that has sold thousands of tickets worth millions of dollars, going back to the 2002 World Cup.

Whelan, who denies the charges, was initially arrested at the same hotel on Monday but was granted preventive release the next day. His passport was seized by the authorities.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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World Cup: Brazil look to rescue pride in game nobody wants to play

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 08:19 PM PDT

BRASïLIA: Neymar has urged his Brazil teammates to rescue some of their battered pride after their humiliating World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany by beating the Netherlands in Saturday's third-place play-off in Brasilia.

It is the one game that no team ever wants to take part in, but the encounter at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium took on extra significance after the hosts' dream of lifting the trophy at the Maracana 24 hours later was ended by their record 7-1 loss against the Germans.

Neymar missed that match after fracturing a bone in his back in the quarter-final win against Colombia, but the 22-year-old superstar faced the media on Thursday as he called for Brazil to bow out on a high.

"It was unbelievable, inexplicable. We had the opportunity to write our names into history in a positive manner, and we failed," he said of the Selecao's embarrassing semi-final loss, their heaviest-ever defeat.

"We haven't had a good campaign. We were consistent, which is why we reached the semi-finals, but we didn't play the kind of enchanting football associated with Brazil.

"Now we need to approach Saturday's game as if it were the final and finish the World Cup smiling, with a victory. It is not going to lessen the pain, but it is important."

The match could prove to be Luiz Felipe Scolari's last in charge, and the coach is likely to make changes to a team whose confidence has been so badly damaged.

Captain Thiago Silva will return after suspension, while his Paris Saint-Germain colleague Maxwell, the only outfield player yet to feature, may play a part.

Despite Neymar's rallying cry, almost all of those involved in Brasilia would rather be elsewhere, with Daniel Alves having made clear his lack of appetite for the bronze-medal clash.

"The important thing is first place. Nothing else matters," said the right-back. "We represent millions of people, so we have to digest this defeat and go out onto the field on Saturday. But, for me, every game is about being first."

The mood in the Dutch camp is the same. The Oranje have a day less to prepare for the match after their agonising defeat on penalties to Argentina in Wednesday's second semi-final in Sao Paulo.

However, in contrast to Brazil, Holland will be able to look back on a campaign which started with a 5-1 thumping of Spain as a success.

"We have had a fantastic tournament. Nobody expected us to get beyond the group stage," said coach Louis van Gaal, who must motivate himself for his final match at the helm before he takes over at Manchester United.

"We have a day's less rest, which is not very fair. The third-place play-off is pointless. I was saying that 15 years ago, because you can have a fantastic tournament and then finish with two defeats," he added.

Nevertheless, the way in which Van Gaal's superbly-organised side have performed throughout the competition suggests they are quite capable of inflicting more pain on Brazil.

"We were so close to reaching the final and I also had confidence that we could beat Germany," said stalwart Dirk Kuyt.

"Now we have to focus on another game, but we have done so well and come so far that it would be a shame to go home with two defeats."

With the sole exception of third-choice goalkeeper Michel Vorm, every member of the Dutch squad has played some part at the tournament, but Van Gaal may choose to give younger players such as Jordy Clasie and Memphis Depay a run-out from the start here.

Meanwhile, Nigel de Jong could miss out after surprisingly featuring for an hour against Argentina, just 10 days after tearing a groin muscle in the last-16 win over Mexico.

The match will be the fifth meeting of the countries at the World Cup, with both sides having recorded two victories so far. The Netherlands emerged 2-1 winners in the last eight in South Africa four years ago.- AFP

Neymar wants Messi to beat Germans in World Cup final

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:16 PM PDT

Brazilian superstar Neymar said Thursday he wants team-mate Lionel Messi to lead Argentina to victory in the World Cup final against Germany.

At an emotional press conference, Neymar broke down in tears as he relived the challenge which broke a vertebrae in his back and left him fearing he would be paralysed.

With Brazil's dream of winning a sixth World Cup decimated by their 7-1 hammering by Germany, Neymar said he wants Barcelona team-mate Messi to claim the trophy on Sunday against the Germans.

"Messi's history in the sport is so important, he has won a lot of trophies and I will be cheering for him," Neymar told a press conference.

"He is a friend, he is my team-mate and I wish him luck."

Neymar was ruled out of the World Cup in a rugged challenge by Colombia defender Juan Camilo Zuniga in Brazil's 2-1 quarter-final win.

The 22-year-old wiped away tears as he described his fears immediately after the knee in the back that he would be paralysed.

"I was blessed in that situation because it wasn't more serious. Two more centimetres up and, well, I could be in a wheelchair. So it is really difficult.

"It happened at such an important point in my career," he said.

"It was something I cannot accept. That challenge and what happened was unacceptable," he added.

"I would not say there was malice because I can't speak for him, but everyone who understands football knows that challenge was not normal.

"When someone comes from behind I can't do anything about it. I did not have any control and I ended up being hurt."

FIFA decided not to take action against Zuniga for the challenge that will keep Neymar out of action for up to six weeks.

Neymar, though, insisted he held no bad feelings towards Zuniga after the Napoli defender called to apologise to him.

"Of course I would forgive him. I do not feel any anger, he even called me the next day to apologise. He said he didn't mean to hurt me and apologise."

Neymar returned to Brazil's training camp in Teresopolis for the first time since the incident on Thursday in a bid to lift his teammates' spirits after their humiliation at the hands of Germany.

"It is not a pleasant situation, but it is good just to be back here so I can see my friends and I told them we stared together so we should finish this together regardless of the result."

And, despite not being able to take part himself, he urged the rest of the Brazil squad to at least salvage some pride against the Netherlands in their third-place playoff on Saturday.

"What matters is that we are united and we are going to finish this with honour on Saturday," he said.

"We had the chance to be champion in our country and we failed. We didn't get it right, we fell short. We know we had a good campaign, but we did not play our best.

"We did not show how good Brazilian football is, its superiority and charm, but we have to look at this last match as if it were the final.

"Victory won't assimilate all the pain we feel today, but it is important." -AFP

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FIFA partner exec flees ticket sales arrest

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 05:15 PM PDT

An executive from the World Cup's hospitality services firm escaped out the back door of his plush Rio de Janeiro hotel Thursday to avoid arrest on charges of illegally selling tickets, police said.

Raymond Whelan, a British director of FIFA partner company Match Services, fled the luxurious Copacabana Palace Hotel after a judge ordered him and 10 other suspects to be held in detention, the Rio prosecutor's office said.

"The Englishman fled through the hotel's back door and is considered a fugitive," Rio police said in a separate statement.

"We saw him in (security) footage leaving in a hurry," Fabio Barucke, the case's lead investigator, was quoted as saying by the G1 news website, adding that Whelan had fled an hour before police arrived.

Police have launched a manhunt for Whelan, who is accused of being involved with a scalping network that has sold thousands of tickets worth millions of dollars, going back to the 2002 World Cup.

Whelan, who denies the charges, was initially arrested on Monday but was granted preventive release the next day.

Police filed charges against him and 11 other suspects on Wednesday and submitted the case to prosecutors, who requested an arrest warrant against all except one who was cooperating with investigators.

Prosecutors said the 12 suspects face charges of organized crime, illegal ticket sales, corruption, money laundering and tax fraud.

Brazilian media have published leaked phone calls between Whelan and one of the chief suspects in the case, French-Algerian Mohamadou Lamine Fofana, discussing hospitality packages for games including Sunday's final.

But Match Services has defended Whelan, saying he was innocent and that there was nothing illegal about the conversations.

The Zurich-based company says Whelan was discussing the sale of 24 hospitality packages at the correct price, though he rounded up the figure to $25,000 from $24,750 per package, and that the deal was never concluded.

Match Services said Wednesday that Whelan would voluntarily relinquish his World Cup accreditation but that he had not committed any wrongdoing.

Prior to the news of Whelan's sudden disappearance, the executive chairman of Match Services and its sister company Match Hospitality issued a statement criticizing Rio police.

"Those responsible for the investigation from the 18th Precinct of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro are not experts in FIFA World Cup ticketing or hospitality," chairman Jaime Byrom said in the statement.

"Notwithstanding our belief that the action taken against Mr Whelan was illegal and baseless, Match Services and I personally remain totally committed to assist the authorities from the 18th Precinct or any other jurisdiction in FIFA?s fight against illegal ticket sales."

Byrom said cooperation with the authorities had led to "a number of successful arrests of actual touts." -AFP

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Build the squash centre quickly — SRAS

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 09:35 AM PDT

KUCHING: The Sarawak government should build the new squash centre as soon as possible in preparation for the hosting of Sukma XIX in 2016.

Squash Racquets Association of Sarawak (SRAS) president Robert Lau Hui Yew views this as a very important matter because the state will be hosting the national games in two years' time.

"I understand that the state government has yet to decide on the venue for the new squash centre," he said.

"This is quite worrying as the period between now and 2016 is a short one and we should be getting our facilities ready for the Games," he pointed out.

Lau, also Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia, Sarawak branch chairman, said the state government had previously agreed to build the squash centre at Petra Jaya but the location has been changed.

"I haven't been informed about the new location for the centre but I do hope that it can be built as soon as possible," he added.

Apart from becoming the venue for the squash competition in Sukma 2016, the centre can also be used to train the state players.

"We would also be able to host national and international squash competitions at the new squash centre," said Lau.

With the new centre, Lau said SRAS would be able to carry out its development programme intensively and aggressively.

"All this while, we have been renting squash courts at private clubs such as the Sarawak Club and Sarawak Golf Club to train our players and organise competitions at school and state level," he said.

He said the present courts are not suitable for training or competitions because they are too small and limited.

"We have produced many squash players like Azlan Iskandar and Sanjay Singh Chal who have carved a name for themselves at international competitions," said Lau.

As such, he hoped that the government can approve the construction of the new squash centre so that Sarawak can maintain its supremacy as a squash powerhouse in the country.

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Four shortlisted for national team despite team’s dismal showing

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 09:35 AM PDT

KUCHING: Four of Sarawak Eagle's players have been shortlisted in the initial selection for the national team although the team failed to reach the finals of the recent 2nd Malaysia U20 Basketball Championship.

They are Julian Sia Yiik Heng, Muhammad Afifi Tahar, Bryan Sim and James Jong Tze Yen who are selected based on their good performance at the national tournament held at the Maba Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

Coached by Greg Noel Gurr from Australia, the team from Sarawak registered only one win and three defeats to crash out of the competition in the group stages.

Sarawak Eagles opened their campaign with a 75-67 win over KL The One but suffered consecutive defeats to JB Taman Daya (76-37), Kedah Basketball (75-56) and Selangor Basketball Club (70-57).

The team were not expected to perform well at the national competition but Gurr was quite certain they have gained valuable experience.

"I believe that they will gain valuable experience as this is their first step in the road to Sukma 2016," he said before the team left for Kuala Lumpur end of June.

Five of the players are 20 years old while the rest are 17 or 18 years old.

Other members of the team are Liu Jia Jun, Kelvin Huong Nai Sin, Simon Ngu Siong Yung, Gary Yong Yew Nin and Wong Hung Ling.

They will form the core team for the next Sukma in 2016.

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