Oscar Pistorius, Track Star Turned Convicted Murderer, Set To Leave Jail –
Oscar Pistorius’ life story from before and after Valentine’s Day 2013 reads like the script to two markedly different films – the first an inspirational sporting biopic and the second a grim tale of murder.
In the first he was the “Blade Runner”, the multiple Paralympic gold medallist with carbon-fibre prosthetic legs who became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics when he took part in the 2012 London games.
In the second he was the man convicted of murdering his 29-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp – a model and promising law graduate – by shooting her through the door of a bathroom in his Pretoria home.
On Friday, he will be back in the spotlight when he will be released from prison nearly 11 years after the killing. He was granted parole on Nov. 24, to take effect on Jan. 5.
Pistorius, who was born without fibulas and had both legs amputated below the knees before his first birthday, was once seen as the embodiment of human triumph over adversity.
The Johannesburg-born athlete gained global fame in the early 2000s, when he won Paralympic gold in the 200 metres at the Games in Athens.
Pistorius then set his sights on running against able-bodied athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but was barred from competing in the event by World Athletics – then called the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The ban was eventually overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but Pistorius failed to qualify for the Olympics, coming within 0.70 seconds of the qualifying standard for the 400 metres in Beijing.
Undeterred, he swept that year’s Paralympics, taking home the 100, 200 and 400 metre gold medals, before launching a bid to qualify for 2012 Olympics in London.
This time he was successful, and reached the 400m semi-finals and competed for South Africa in the 4x400m relay.
He also won another three Paralympic medals that year but then, on Feb. 14, 2013, he shot and killed Steenkamp.
A gun enthusiast, he told the trial he had believed Steenkamp was an intruder when he shot her several times with ammunition designed to inflict maximum damage to the human body. It was an account he repeated over the years.
He was initially jailed for five years in 2014 for culpable homicide by a high court. But the Supreme Court of Appeal in late 2015 found him guilty of the more serious charge of murder after an appeal by prosecutors.
He was jailed in 2016, initially for six years which was later increased to more than 13 after an appeal by prosecutors who argued the initial sentence was too lenient.
In 2022, Pistorius met Steenkamp’s father Barry during a process known as victim-offender dialogue – part of South Africa’s restorative justice programme that brings parties affected by a crime together in a bid to achieve closure.
Few details were made public about the meeting and Steenkamp’s father died in 2023.
Her mother June said in a statement before the parole hearing for Pistorius, now 37 years old, that she was not convinced he had been rehabilitated.
But she added that she had forgiven him “long ago as I knew most certainly that I would not be able to survive if I had to cling to my anger”.
-Reuters
Paris St Germain snatched a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday to reach the Club World Cup semi-finals, with Ousmane Dembele embodying the composure of Luis Enrique’s side as he sealed the victory when his team were down to nine men.
Dembele found the back of the net six minutes into added time after being superbly set up by Achraf Hakimi and the French forward also shone defensively by pressing relentlessly and initiating the move that led to his decisive goal.
“I’d give the Ballon d’Or to Mr Ousmane Dembele,” coach Luis Enrique said after PSG’s Champions League final win over Inter Milan. “The way he defended…only that can be worth the Ballon d’Or. This is how you lead a team.”
Dembele proved his coach right once again against Bayern.
Rested for the group stage after sustaining a thigh injury and only coming off the bench after halftime in the last 16 and in the quarter-final, Dembele brought an incredible energy to a team who had been dominated by Bayern.
“It’s an important period for us. We had a score to settle with Bayern after the 2020 (Champions League) final (won by Bayern 1-0) and after they beat us earlier this season,” captain Marquinhos said. “We want to win this competition.”
PSG went ahead through Desire Doue, his first goal in the tournament.
“I try to help the team by scoring, but also with my efforts, notably defensively,” Doue said.
PSG, seeking a quadruple of titles after winning the Champions League, French Cup and the Ligue 1 title, will face Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid for a place in the final.
They will be without centre back Willian Pacho and defender Lucas Hernandez, who picked up straight red cards after Doue’s opening goal.
“The first one is a clear red card,” coach Luis Enrique said. “I’m not sure about the second one. We deserved the win but it was really really hard. Nothing special. Business as usual.”
-Reuters
Former Nigerian international goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu, has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Peter Rufai, describing the legendary shot-stopper as his idol and a major influence on his football career.
In an emotional message following Rufai’s passing on Thursday, July 3, Shorunmu, who also manned the posts for the Super Eagles and Lagos-based Stationery Stores FC, revealed how the late Rufai’s charisma and goalkeeping brilliance inspired his own journey into the sport.
“Dodomayana was just a wonderful personality on and off the field,” Shorunmu stated, using Rufai’s popular nickname. “Because of him, I joined Stationery Stores FC. I admired him a lot when he was playing for Stores.”
Shorunmu, who eventually rose to become Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, said meeting Rufai in the national team was a dream come true. He credited the late captain with shaping his goalkeeping skills through valuable mentorship.
“When we now met in the national team, he taught me different things which I will not forget quickly,” he added. “Adieu, my idol Peter Rufai. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. I will miss you, Dodomayana.”
Rufai, who died at the age of 61, was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and helped the Super Eagles lift the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations. He also captained the team in several crucial matches and is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s greatest goalkeepers of all time.
His death has sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes from former teammates, football administrators, and fans both in Nigeria and abroad.
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Perennial favourites Nigeria will kick off their 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign on Sunday with a Group B showdown against Tunisia at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.
The highly anticipated fixture is scheduled for 5pm Nigerian time.
This encounter marks only the second time the Super Falcons will face Tunisia at WAFCON. Their first meeting was at the 2008 edition in Equatorial Guinea, where both sides played out a goalless draw in a Group B clash in Bata.
Back then, Nigeria had drawn 1-1 with Ghana in their opener, while Tunisia fell 2-1 to South Africa. Nigeria eventually advanced to the knockout stage as group runners-up, while Tunisia finished bottom of the group.
The Super Falcons have a dominant record against North African opposition in WAFCON history, remaining unbeaten in open play across six matches (four wins, two draws).
Their only loss came via penalties to hosts Morocco in the semi-finals of the 2022 edition, after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
This year’s opener marks the third time Nigeria will begin a WAFCON campaign against a North African team.
They previously opened with emphatic victories—an 8-0 rout of Morocco and 4-0 wins over Algeria, in the 1998 and 2004 editions.
Overall, Nigeria have netted 25 goals and conceded just once in six WAFCON matches against North African opponents. They kept clean sheets in each of their first five such games before conceding against Morocco in 2022.
For Tunisia, Sunday’s match will be their fifth against West African opposition at WAFCON. Their record stands at one win, two draws, and one loss. Notably, they drew 0-0 with Nigeria and lost 3-2 to Ghana in the 2008 group stage.
More recently, they defeated Togo 4-1 in 2022 and held Senegal to a goalless draw in a 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup intercontinental playoff, before losing on penalties.
As both teams look to start strong in a competitive Group B, history favours Nigeria, but Tunisia will be eager to upset the script and make a statement in Casablanca.
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