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28.11.2018 11:17
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MINSK, Belarus -- Less than three years ago, Alexander Skshinetskys soccer career seemed over.The former under-21 international found himself unemployed after his career stalled, and was working on construction sites when an offer came. Would he consider joining an amateur team that had been playing seven-a-side soccer but now wanted to go pro, founded by a small group of fans staking thousands of dollars of their own money to build a club from scratch?Two seasons and two promotions later, the 26-year-old midfielder is a key player in one of European soccers most unlikely success stories. In only its third professional season, Krumkachy Minsk is playing top-flight soccer, beating established names and challenging the economic orthodoxy in one of Europes most closed-off countries.Krumkachy -- Ravens in Belarusian -- has soared into the countrys top league with a shoestring budget but an enthusiastic and growing fan base of hipsters, families and others turned off by the stagnation of soccer in the ex-Soviet nation. Before a recent run of losses, it was even challenging for Europa League qualification.The secret has been finding talented players on the verge of leaving the game, or even those who have already quit, people who have been underestimated and put down, in the words of co-founder Denis Shunto, who set up Krumkachy with friends in 2011. We get those guys and we can really make them into a team.After starting out in recreational competitions, Shunto and his friends decided to aim higher. Belarusian soccer has a three-tier league system packed with clubs backed by various government agencies and state-run factories in the countrys Soviet-style economy, a set-up which prefers predictability over ambition and can give rise to conflicts of interest. With a spot open in the third tier, but without a state patron, Krumkachy scraped together a few thousand dollars to apply. Each subsequent step up the pyramid brought predictions of imminent financial collapse.Everyone said we wouldnt have the money, we couldnt take part, said Skshinetsky, the midfielder. We played for free in the second division, and in the first division it wasnt much. Maybe $100 for a win in the first division and salaries maybe $150 (a month).On a freezing Friday night in Minsk, the crowd was small and the game scrappy. Goalkeeping errors helped to hand Krumkachy a 2-1 win which all but ensured the clubs top-flight survival for 2017 in the Belarusian leagues calendar-year system. Financial survival is always a trickier question.Weve got the smallest budget (in the league) and were still putting money in ourselves, said Shunto, who wonders if the approach of going without government funding may be too romantic.At Fridays game, commercial tie-ups were prominent and Krumkachys shirts were covered in a myriad of small logos from various businesses which have chipped in as sponsors, while opposition Granit Mikashevichi bore only the logo of its backer, a state-run quarry. Consumerism may be the norm in most European leagues, but in Belarus state-dominated economy, its the mark of the plucky underdog.After ending a nine-game wait for victory, the players came over to celebrate with the sparse crowd. An hour later, the reserve players were still sharing the field with fans and their children having a kickabout.Its an atmosphere like home, very warm. Its been helping the guys not to give up, said Vasily Khomutovsky, one of Krumkachys two co-coaches.At a recent away game, a woman with two children who went there, with two small kids 7 and 10 years old, she made each player a little souvenir by hand and signed it, something different for each player, Khomutovsky said.Theres a family atmosphere within the club, too, with Shuntos brother serving as a backup goalkeeper and Skshinetskys wife in charge of fitness training.Vladimir Harlach, one of the teams supporters, said Krumkachy reminds him of AFC Wimbledon, the English club founded by fans after owners relocated its previous incarnation to another town, and which has since shot up several divisions.Thats a bit different, there was history, Harlach said. Here, its from scratch. History is being written in front of our eyes. You could compare it to other countries 100 years ago, when (soccer) was all being created.Krumkachys average home attendance of about 1,500 is tiny by European standards, but enough to put it comfortably above all but the biggest clubs in Belarus, as well as higher than that of FC Minsk, the city government-run club whose stadium Krumkachy is using.Some at the club wonder whether European qualification might be possible next year, another improbable step up, but the top spot in Belarus appears far out of reach. Able to outspend rivals with cash from occasional Champions League appearances, BATE Borisov has just sewn up its 11th straight title.Khomutovsky welcomes the comparison to Leicester, a team which was promoted to top division in England, survived one season, then won a wildly unlikely title the following year.I hope next year, Khomutovsky said, we do what we can to become the Belarusian Leicester. Air Max Pas Cher Livraison Gratuite . 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James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has stated that pregnancy policies around the nations women cricketers will be addressed in the current round of MOU negotiations with the Australian Cricketers Association, though he asserted his comfort with a system that presently requires players to declare their maternal status when signing a contract.Australias Sex Discrimination Act states that it is unlawful to ask a potential employee if they are pregnant, yet women signing to play in CA competitions are asked to state whether or not they are, in one of the clauses of their standard contracts. Both Sutherland and the team performance manager Pat Howard stated this was purely a health and safety measure.However Sutherland, when pressed on the issue during an interview on ABC Radio, said that CA would work with the ACA to ensure the terms and conditions for female cricketers would be reviewed during the present round of talks to ensure the next agreement was in line with best practice for female athletes. It has been suggested - in keeping with the health and safety element - that women be permitted to declare whether they are pregnant or not to the relevant CA or state medical officer without the need for a clause in the contract itself, thus maintaining doctor-patient confidentiality.The critical thing here is that its a health and safety issue, Sutherland said. So its understood that a woman can declare herself pregnant, but the extension of that is we know they have taken medical advice, so if they continue to play then everyones aware and we can secure their safety.That doesnt mean the woman cannot sign the contract. We need them to declare that they can continue to play, adhering to medical advice. All were saying is they need to say they are, so that everyone understands. They can take their own advice on continuing to play from a medical professional, but also so that our medical staff are aware so we can support them in that situation. Thats the intention - its not to stop a pregnant woman from playing.There are different stages of pregnancy, its a matter of disclosure and understanding and then working with the individual to make choices along the way and being offered thaat support.dddddddddddd. We havent had someone say theyre pregnant at the time of signing. We have had someone fall pregnant in their contract period, and they decided at a certain point that they wouldnt continue to play, and we paid out their contract for the remainder of the period.Sutherlands 15-year-old daughter, Annabel, is a contracted player with Melbourne Renegades, and he stated he was comfortable with her operating under these regulations. Yes, because what is important here is health and safety, he said, and if she was carrying a baby, the health and safety of that baby.Quite apart from pregnancy policy, Australias female cricketers are presently not eligible for the sort of paid maternity leave mandatory even for CAs own employees. Issues have also been raised around players relocating from their home states for the Womens Big Bash League. Sutherland conceded that gender equity in cricket was still some way from being fully realised. I think across the board from grassroots up, I dont think gender equity is there in cricket, he said. Thats something that as an administration body, as administrators, we are determined to chase in the states and territories. We want there to be equal opportunity for girls to play our sport as there is for boys.But this is to some extent pioneering stuff. Its not easy. There are challenges, because clubs and organisations are set up to play cricket on a certain amount of ovals. Were needing to find places for girls to play and getting to find volunteers and resources around girls teams to allow them to have a great experience playing cricket. Its not that easy, were determined to make sure it changes.We had great success with clubs and organisations, with the increased funding for girls to basically increase the number of girls teams playing across the country. A number of new organisations and competitions have started up this year. Were thrilled with that response, but in some ways thats affirmative action to change the landscape and create the opportunities that werent previously there.Negotiations with the ACA continue. Chiefs Jerseys China Cheap Nike Chargers Jerseys Cheap Nike Raiders Jerseys Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys China Cheap Nike Giants Jerseys Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys For Sale Wholesale Redskins Jerseys China Cheap Nike Lions Jerseys Packers Jerseys China Cheap Vikings Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Panthers Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Saints Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike Buccaneers Jerseys Cardinals Jerseys China Cheap Rams Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Nike 49ers Jerseys Seahawks Jerseys China Bears Jerseys China Cheap Nike Bills Jerseys Ravens Jerseys China Wholesale Falcons Jerseys China ' ' ' |
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