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Day: 22 November 2019

New format to 2019 Prince Albert II Challenge

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/11/2019

Rowers and fans of rowing, take note… details have been revealed for this year’s newly revamped Prince Albert II Challenge, and the focus has switched from regional to international racers, thus drawing the best from around the globe.

President Jean-Marc Giraldi made the announcement in the VIP Lounge of the Water Company, saying that the event, scheduled for 29th and 30th November and organised by the Nautical Society of Monaco, has already attracted the attention of some of the world’s best athletes.

European lightweight champion in 2018 and 2016 Rio Olympic veteran from Switzerland Michael Schmid will be competing, as well as Algerian three-time Olympian Amina Rouba, French star Mickaël Marteau, and Swiss 2016 Olympic champion Mario Gyr.

To add to the attraction of the event, a pot of €27,000 is up for grabs for winners from seven categories, with first prize crew members receiving €500 each, second prize crews get €400, third are awarded €300, fourth see €200 and fifth will collect €100 each.

Thursday 28th is set aside for crew and individual training and registration. Friday the qualifiers run from 8:30am to 6pm and on Saturday the finals go from 8:30am to 5pm, all taking place in the Bay of Monaco.

The competition will be broadcast live on YouTube and a big screen will be set up in the port. Four cameras, including one mounted to a drone, will follow every second of the action.

After the winners have been declared on Saturday, a prize ceremony will take place followed by a ‘Rower’s Evening’ of mixing, mingling and no doubt the telling of war stories from the day.

 

 

Monaco Economic Board takes on Russia’s second city

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/11/2019

The Monaco Economic Board (MEB) made an exploratory trip to St. Petersburg earlier this month with the aim of expanding trade and creating opportunities for business between the Principality and the former Russian Imperial capital.

The Executive Director of the MEB, Guillaume Rose, and Diego Bonaventura, the Director of the Monaco Chamber of Commerce, took the opportunity to attend a performance of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo in St. Petersburg to meet with business leaders and the primary economic organisations of the city on 14th and 15thNovember.

Representatives from the St Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, the Leningrad regional Chamber of Commerce and Business Russia met with the Monegasque contingent to discuss future possibilities and plan strategies for the official upcoming economic mission taking place in June 2020 during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The delegation then invited their Russian counterparts to join them for an evening performance of the Monaco Ballet troupe who performed a magnificent tribute to Diaghilev, adding a cultural element showing the bonds already in place between the two places.

The reconnaissance trip forged many new ties and gave the Monaco delegation a vast selection of companies to introduce to members of the MEB in the coming weeks who could become mutually beneficial future partners when they meet at SPIEF.  

SPIEF has been held annually since 1997 and from 2006 has been under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. For over 20 years, the forum has been an excellent platform for business leaders to meet and discuss fiscal issues facing Russia, emerging markets and the world.

 

 

Video campaign highlights violence against women

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/11/2019

Monaco has launched an awareness campaign as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and it has attracted the support of a range of key sporting personalities in the Principality.

According to statistics group IMSEE, 26 cases of violence against women have been logged so far this year by the Monaco Public Security Department regarding people residing mainly in the Principality. In more than half of cases, the violence is physical, while a quarter of the incidents involved sexual violence.

As part of Monaco’s continued efforts to combat the crimes, Céline Cottalorda, Delegate for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights, has introduced a video campaign on the theme ‘Confronting Violence Against Women, Let’s Act’.

The campaign was launched ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is being observed on Monday 25th November.

The video uses dance to metaphorically explain the suffering of women who are victims of physical, mental or sexual abuse and includes a hashtag, #ViolenceFemmeJagis, in an effort to help the video go viral. The dance was performed by Alessandra Tognoloni, soloist from the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and choreographed by Marguerite Ferreira Boffa.

PHOTO: ©Michael Alesi- Communication Department

The meeting was punctuated by the support of many illustrious residents including Isabelle Bonnal, Director of National Education for Youth and Sports, Karine Chatenet, President of the Soroptimist Club of Monaco, and Yakuba Ouattara of Roca Team.

Monaco’s sports community have also committed themselves to the cause, and personalities such as Saša Obradović, Roca Team Coach, AS Monaco Basketballers Dee Bost and Yakuba Ouattara, and Roca Team General Manager and Executive Director Oleksiy Yefimov participated in the campaign by recording a message of support in their native languages.

Additionally, two interactive theatre performances will be held on Monday at the Princess Grace Theatre. The first, organised by the Department of National Education, Youth and Sports, is for high school students and will speak about virtual meetings and is at 2:30pm. The second is at 6pm, is free and open to the general public covering the topic of domestic violence. Both presentations ask for audience participation, turning the public from passive viewers to “spect-acteurs”.

The Principality has long been associated with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and has been a defender of the rights of women through both government actions and the work of private organisations.