Events

340,000 nights booked in Budapest for W/Athletics Championships

Published

2 months ago

August 17, 2023

SMI

More than 2,100 athletes from more than 200 countries will arrive in Hungary for the World Athletics Championships between 19 and 27 August. Along with the athletes, countless fans from all over the world are coming to Budapest as well – reports Turizmus.com.

According to the latest data from the National Tourist Information Center, run by the Hungarian Tourism Agency (HTA), nearly 340,000 overnight bookings for the duration of the event have already been registered by the capital’s accommodation providers.

The Information Center reported that more than 70 percent of the overnight bookings in Budapest between 19 and 27 August were made by foreign visitors. Accommodation was booked in the capital from Australia, India, China, South Africa, Tunisia, Argentina, the United States and Canada. The main countries of origin include the traditional markets of our country. One in ten overnight bookings came from Israel, the United Kingdom or Germany, while 6% of the capital’s accommodation was pre-booked from Spain and Italy, each.

More than half of the nearly 230,000 foreign overnight bookings in Budapest for the World Championships were made at hotels – 60% of them in 4 and 5 star hotels – while almost 40% of bookings were made at private accommodation and other accommodation.
Around 80% of the 110,000 overnight bookings received from domestic guests were also registered in hotels in the capital, with two thirds of these in 4 and 5 star hotels.

Boats will also be available to travel to the World Athletics Championships. Photo: MTI/Zoltán Máthé

In its statement, the HTA stresses that sports tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors. The international competitions of the World Athletics Championships are of particular importance for the performance of the domestic tourism sector. Visitors to sports competitions tend to stay longer in Hungary, spend more on and use more high-quality accommodation and catering services than leisure tourists.

The World Athletics Championships have a significant impact on tourism, as fans not only visit Hungary for the duration of the event, but also extend their trip to discover our capital or the countryside,”
said Péter Horváth, CEO of the Hungarian Tourism Agency. Moreover, even more people will follow the events on TV.

Nearly a billion people will be reached by the broadcasts, which will be multiplied by the social media posts uploaded by the competitors and fans.
All of this will serve to promote Hungary. They all tell the story of what a safe and exciting destination our country is. It is no exaggeration to say that during this time, the eyes of the world will be on us. The tourism significance and long-term impact of this is almost incalculable, added the CEO.

Events

International Friendlies: Omeruo, Iwobi, Osayi-Samuel, Moffi back to Super Eagles

Published

11 hours ago

October 2, 2023

SMI

Head Coach Jose Santos Peseiro has recalled defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Bright Osayi-Samuel, as well as midfielder Alex Iwobi and forward Terem Moffi to the Super Eagles’ squad for this month’s international friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in Portugal. The quartet were absent from the team that demolished Sao Tome and Principe in last month’s 2023 AFCON qualifier in Uyo.

Midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, of Hatayaspor FC of Turkey gets his first-ever invitation, while Peseiro has decided to retain the trio of Francis Uzoho, Adebayo Adeleye and Olorunleke Ojo in goal. Yet-to-be-capped defender Jordan Torunnarigha is also called.

Wilfred Ndidi, who captained the team against Sao Tome and Principe, as well as Raphael Onyedika and forwards Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, Taiwo Awoniyi and Kelechi Iheanacho have also been invited.

The Super Eagles take on the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia in the city of Portimão, Portugal on Friday, 13th October 2023, starting at 5pm before a clash with the Mambas of Mozambique in the same city three days later.

The players are all expected to arrive in Faro, Portugal on Tuesday, 10th October.

Both encounters have been arranged as tune-up games for the Eagles ahead of the commencement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, in which the three-time African champions host Lesotho’s Crocodiles in Uyo on 17th November before travelling away to play Zimbabwe four days later.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC); Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Jordan Torunarigha (KAA Gent, Belgium); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (Cardiff FC, Wales); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayaspor FC, Turkey)

Forwards: Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

Events

D’Tigers Storm China On Playing Tour

Published

16 hours ago

October 2, 2023

SMI

Nigeria Senior Men Basketball team, D’Tigers this morning, left the country for China on a playing tour of games which began this weekend and will end on October 20th.

The team which failed in its quest to pick a slot for the 2024 Paris Pre-Olympic Qualifiers held in Lagos, will take part in games across different cities in China.

Led by Coaches Abdulrahman Mohammed, Baba Jubril and Usman Yakubu, the players on the roster include, Afuwape Michael Okiki, Victor Ezeh, Timothy Kwaor, Ibe Agu, Michael Daramola and Chinedu Chimbou.

Others are, Wisdom Anyaoha, Nnoruka Francis Junior, Chris Obekpa, Kingsley Onyekachi and Garba Chingka.

A source within the Nigeria Basketball Federation disclosed that the playing tour is one of the several developmental programmes of the NBBF board led by its President Engr. Musa Kida.

Adding that it is always a priority of the NBBF to continually develop the local game, while also increasing the pool of basketball talents in the country.

Events

Liverpool say VAR error ‘undermined sporting integrity’

Published

17 hours ago

October 2, 2023

SMI

Liverpool have said the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) error that resulted in a goal by Luis Diaz being incorrectly disallowed in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham “undermined sporting integrity.”

Nine-man Liverpool lost after Joel Matip scored an own goal in stoppage time but they should have taken the lead in the first half through Diaz whose goal was ruled out for offside.

VAR failed to overturn the incorrect decision to disallow the goal leading the English referees’ body PGMOL to issue a statement blaming “significant human error” in the Premier League game.

“It is clear that the rules of the game were not applied correctly, which undermined sporting integrity,” Liverpool said in a statement on Sunday.

“It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not given to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.”

The PGMOL said disallowing the Diaz goal was a “clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention.”

PGMOL added that it will conduct a full review into the circumstances which led to the error.