Munich 11 remembered at Budapest exhibit opening
One minute of silence was observed in memory of the Munich 11 during the opening of an exhibit at the Hungarian Jewish Museum in Budapest on Monday. The tribute to the 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Olympics in 1972 came spontaneously at the request of an audience member during the opening ceremony of the new exhibit. The new exhibit, created by the Hungarian Jewish Museum in conjunction with the Hungarian Sports Museum, features the lives of Hungarian Jewish sportsmen, who once won Olympic gold medals for Hungary but were then deported from the country and killed during the Holocaust. The one minute of silence was held in the presence of the Israeli ambassador to Budapest, David Admon, who was an invited guest to Monday's opening, timed not by chance for the day after the London Olympic Games ended. (JTA)
UEFA says Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta have been nominated alongside Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo for its best player award. Messi won the award last year and had a prolific 2011-12 season, scoring 50 league goals. He was also top scorer in the Champions League for the fourth successive season with a record 14 goals. His teammate Iniesta enjoyed another strong season at the club and international level. He helped Spain defend its title at the European Championship, where he was voted player of the tournament. Ronaldo scored 46 league goals for Real Madrid as it won its first La Liga title in four years. He also scored three times as Portugal captain at Euro 2012. (AP)
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff welcomed the Olympic flag yesterday in Brasilia, marking a symbolic start of preparations for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Rousseff received the flag from Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and Rio state Governor Sergio Cabral at the presidential palace. The flag was to be taken back to Rio later yesterday, and was due to be paraded around the city today. It is eventually to be kept at the Palacio da Cidade, the seat of the city government, with a permanent special guard. (DPA)
Athletes from Guinea and Ivory Coast have joined several other Africans who have gone missing following the London Olympics, officials said yesterday. Three Guineans and three Ivorians disappeared, adding to a total list of 11 Congolese and Cameroonians suspected to be trying to make new lives in Europe. "Three members of the delegation have not returned to the Olympic village," Adama Doumbia, technical adviser at the Ministry of Sports and Leisure in Ivory Coast, told Reuters. He did not give the names of the missing members of the delegation but said they included two swimmers and a wrestling coach. An official on Guinea's Olympic Committee told Reuters on condition of anonymity that swimmer Dede Camara, judo competitor Facinet Keita and runner Aicha Toure had been missing since Saturday, the day before the closing ceremony. Games officials are already looking for a Democratic Republic of Congo judo competitor, three other members of that country's delegation and seven Cameroonian athletes. (Reuters)
