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Floyd Mayweather’s “Motherland Tour” Kicks Off in Zimbabwe
Retired US boxer Floyd Mayweather arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe on Thursday for the first leg of his “motherland tour.” The 46-year-old was greeted at the airport by his host, Scott Sakupwanya, a prominent gold dealer and businessman who is also a brand ambassador for Mayweather’s lifestyle brand, The Money Team (TMT).
Mayweather’s tour is expected to focus on promoting business and investment opportunities in Zimbabwe. He will meet with young entrepreneurs and watch some boxing matches in Mabvuku, a constituency in Harare where Sakupwanya is campaigning to become a member of parliament for the governing Zanu-PF party.
Mayweather is also expected to conduct some training sessions during his visit. He is a five-division world champion and one of the most successful boxers of all time.
Mayweather’s visit to Zimbabwe has been met with mixed reactions. Some have welcomed the opportunity to meet the boxing legend, while others have criticized the visit as a publicity stunt. Sakupwanya has defended the visit, saying that it will help to promote Zimbabwe as a destination for business and investment.
Caster Semenya Wins Appeal at European Court of Human Rights
Double Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya Tuesday won her appeal against the government of Switzerland for not protecting her rights. The decision dates back to a Swiss Supreme Court ruling in 2020.
Semenya, who was born with differences of sexual development (DSD), is not allowed to compete in any track events without taking testosterone-reducing drugs. She has been in a long-running dispute with World Athletics, who require athletes with DSD to have hormone treatment in order to compete in female track events. However, Semenya has refused to do this, arguing that it would be discriminatory and harmful to her health.
The ECHR found that the Swiss government failed to defend Semenya from discrimination when its Supreme Court refused to overturn a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), which upheld the World Athletics rules. The court said that the Swiss government had a “positive obligation” to protect Semenya’s rights, and that it had failed to do so.
Semenya said in a statement that she was “elated” at the outcome of the ruling. “Justice has spoken,” she said. “But this is only the beginning.”
She added that she had “suffered a lot at the hands of the powers that be” and had been “treated poorly.” “The hard work that I have put into being the athlete I am has been questioned,” she said. “My rights violated. My career impacted. All of it is so damaging. Mentally, emotionally, physically and financially.”
Semenya said that she hoped that the decision would “throw doubt on the future of all similar rules.” She also said that she hoped that World Athletics and other sporting bodies would “reflect on the statements made by the European Court of Human Rights and ensure that they respect the dignity and human rights of the athletes they deal with.”
The ruling is a significant victory for Semenya, who has said that she wants to continue competing in track and field sports.
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