A defiant Sasa Obradovic claimed that AS Monaco Basketball’s play-off dreams were still alive after an astonishing Mike James three-pointer secured victory in the dying seconds against Unics Kazan (79-76) on Tuesday.
Victory temporarily lifts Monaco back into that much-coveted 8th place in the Euroleague, inflicting a crucial loss on their Russian opponents who are a direct rival for those play-off places.
Neither side was in full attacking flow during the first-quarter. It was the home side who manufactured the better chances, their ability to create within the key allowing them to grow a slender lead (22-19).
A drastically superior efficiency outside the key (42% compared to 23%), albeit from fewer attempts, kept Unics Kazan in the tie, Mario Hezjona and OJ Mayo inflicting most of the damage. In light of the profligacy of his teammates, Mike James took matters into his own hands seconds before the half-time buzzer. With a mere 9.5 seconds on the clock, the American ran the length of the court and launched a pin-point three-pointer to send Monaco into the break with an eight-point lead (44-36).
The trend of superiority inside, but inferiority outside, of the key carried into the second-half. The only exceptions to that rule in the third-quarter were James (25) and Alpha Diallo (11), the latter growing into the game, and making his mark.
Having grown a comfortable 15-point lead at the beginning of the fourth-quarter with a nine-point streak, including a rifling shot from Yakkuba Outtara (4) outside the key, fears of another late Roca Team collapse were sparked by a Unics eight-point streak of their own. This was thankfully broken by a Donatas Motiejunas’ (11) two-pointer, the relief within the hall palpable.
That was merely an interlude. The onslaught on the Monaco board continued with another unanswered seven-point streak, bringing the Russian side within two-points with less than four minutes on the clock.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall when Mayo’s three-pointer levelled the scores with seconds to spare, a sense of despondency and déjà-vu engulfing the 3,000 strong crowd.
Unlike in previous fixtures, Monaco didn’t fold under the pressure. Just as James ended the first-half having run the length of the court before converting a three-pointer, history repeated itself at the end of the second. This time he dealt the fatal blow, as the home fans sprung from their seats to fervently celebrate a battling victory.
Obradovic was still disappointed with his side’s game-management post-match. “Every time it’s the same. We played well and then suddenly, without any reason, we gave up our lead. We made mistakes that don’t belong at this level.”
Monaco did, however, take the victory, and Obradovic claimed that, “the dream is still there, and we have everything in our hands. We’ll attack every game as every game is very big.”
Diallo told Monaco Life that the players aren’t getting ahead of themselves. “It’s always good just to take things one game at a time. This was a good win on our home court, it’s always good to protect on our home court, and now we’re looking forward to Friday’s match against Fenerbahce.”
If Obradovic’s dream of the play-off basketball at the end of the season is to become a reality, a victory in that match is essential.
Click on our Instagram post below to see videos of the game…
Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, has told the Munich Security Conference that Russia and China seek a “new era to replace the existing international order” as Russia builds up troops on Ukrainian borders.
Eastern European nation Ukraine is in the spotlight, and not for their recent celebrations marking 30 years of independence. In fact, that very independence is being threatened as Russian troops entered two regions in the eastern part of the country, calling them “peacekeeping missions”.
The two regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, are rebel strongholds, and have been the premise for a massive 150,000-strong amassing of troops along the Ukrainian border, with Russia now recognising these regions to be in themselves independent.
The Russians say they are defending these areas against Ukrainian aggression and the West has called it unacceptable, threatening sanctions against the Russians, which may in the end be a rather toothless response to the situation.
It’s a mess of biblical proportion, and one that hasn’t been seen since the worst periods of the Cold War, with world leaders fearing outright war against Putin’s maniacal machine and Europe being sucked in, though for now, it is hoped that strong enough sanctions and diplomatic actions will keep the wolf at bay.
In a speech given at the Munich Security Conference held last weekend, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen said that, “We are facing a blatant attempt to rewrite the rules of our international system. One only has to read the recent communiqué issued by Russian and Chinese leaders. They seek a ‘new era’, as they say, to replace the existing international order. They prefer the rule of the strongest to the rule of law, intimidation instead of self-determination, coercion instead of cooperation. We still hope that peace will prevail, and that diplomacy will take us there.”
Von der Leyen went on to encourage the continuation of EU solidarity, saying, “Since the start of this Kremlin-made crisis, the European Union and the transatlantic community are fully aligned and united. We are supporting Ukraine to withstand the enormous pressure from Moscow. When the Russian government tried to divide us, over and over again, we have responded with one voice and a common message.”
Putin kicked back with a televised speech of his own that is being called “angry”, “impatient” and “threatening”, but mostly it sounded like the chest-beating voice of a bully who knows he has everyone’s full attention and who was stuck on repeat.
His words on Ukraine came across as obsessive, with claims that the nation has never really existed in the first place. Through the rant, though, his stance on key security demands remained clear: No NATO expansion, and definitely no Ukrainian membership.
At this point, Putin seems to have anticipated sanctions and has wholly disregarded them as relevant. Now the question is, if this isn’t enough to put a halt to his march on Ukraine, what will be?
Photo: Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission. Source: European Commission media centre
The Sister Marie Charity is holding its annual fair under the marquee in Fontvieille in early March, offering various international stands and food stalls to visitors for a good cause.
Come one, come all to the Big Top in Fontvieille on 4th and 5th March for the annual International Fair held by the Sister Marie Charity, a non-governmental organisation that works with the elderly to prevent destitution in all forms in Monaco and the surrounding villages.
Sister Marie Charity provides older residents financial support in the form of monthly aid to help them live more comfortably, as well as giving “one-off” aid in the event of exceptional situations.
The works done by the association also are of a more caring variety. They organise snack events, birthday celebrations, and other events to brighten up the daily lives of these people and give them a chance to socialise with people their own age, an important aspect considering the isolation many elderly people face.
Another event put on by the organisation is a yearly trip to the mountains for 15 lucky beneficiaries, as well as yearly parcel-giving at Christmas and Easter to 150 people.
Sister Marie’s main source of income is from this fair, making it a hugely vital occasion for the charity.
This year, visitors will be able to find bargains at the various stands and will be able to enjoy lunch at a buffet, or at the Greek, Polish, Spanish or Swiss food stalls. On Friday evening, a Spanish-themed dinner will be held, featuring a massive paella cooked by 3 Tapas Monaco and after-dinner cakes will be served by the Technical and Hotel School of Monaco. The dinner will be held at 8pm on the 4th of March and reservations can be made in advance by calling +377 93 30 14 77 or purchased on-site for €50.
On Saturday 5th, Monegasque shop la Môme de Monac is organising a fashion show at 2:45pm featuring their latest collections.
The fair’s hours are on Friday 4th March from 10am to 8pm and the on Saturday 5th from 10am to 5pm.
Top photo: Visit the Greek stand and taste all the Greek goodies as well as Gyro me pita. It is a great opportunity to purchase Greek products, and/or make any kind of donation.
“Prince Albert advised me to make the most of the experience”
Following his sensational performance at the Winter Olympics, Monaco Life caught up with skier Arnaud Alessandria to discuss his experience in Beijing, what it meant to have Prince Albert’s support, and his hopes for winter sports in the Principality.
Arnaud Alessandria returns from the Beijing Winter Olympics a record-breaker. His 13th place in the Men’s Combined race cemented his place in the history books, becoming the highest ranked Monegasque skier at an Olympic Games. Between hoisting the Monegasque flag during the opening ceremony, and securing great results in the Men’s Downhill (29th) and the Super-G (31st), it has been a hectic couple of weeks for this 28-year-old.
How did you feel arriving in China?
It was a bit complicated actually getting to the Olympic village. There were lots of controls, lots of documents to fill in as well as everyday tests. Once we were there in the village itself, I expected more constraints. But we only had one test a day, so it wasn’t that disruptive. In the village we were completely free, we could move around as we wanted, around the training sites, which was good.
How did the restrictions surrounding Covid affect your everyday life?
It was a bit disconcerting, because we don’t treat it the same over here. They disinfect everything all the time, for example after meals, which were consumed between plastic partitions. It was all done very quickly though. The only constraint was the daily test, but being free to take it at any point in the day allowed us to go about our business normally. It wasn’t so constraining, which was something we were worried about, having lots more things to manage on top of the event and the competition itself, but it was actually very well managed. It allowed us to just concentrate on ourselves, and on what we needed to do.
Arnaud Alessandria carrying the Monaco flag during the Beijing Winter Olympics
As a Monegasque athlete, what was it like to be the flag-bearer for your country?
It was just great! There were a lot of emotions entering the stadium with the flag. We were told that Prince Albert would be in the stands, so I concentrated on the flag and not messing up my footing. Because of that, I didn’t even see him. It was great that he was in the stadium though. We, in the stadium, couldn’t benefit from the spectacle as much as the viewers on the TV, but it’s just magnificent that he was there.
The flag itself wasn’t too heavy, but there was a bit of wind in the stadium so I was scared that the flag was going to move around me. I really had to concentrate!
What did it mean to have the support of Prince Albert II there, and what advice did he give you?
It was just great knowing that our Sovereign was there for us, there to encourage us. It was beautiful, really beautiful, because he’s a head of state and has a lot of obligations and duties, but he took the time to come to us, which is magical.
The only thing he told me was to make the most of it, on a profound level, and to enjoy myself. He knows the Winter Olympic Games, he knows what they’re about, and he said that I mustn’t forget to make the most of the moment, which is a crazy experience. It’s true that if we focus too much on our races, and what we have to do, then we forget to enjoy it. So, he reminded me to make the most of the event and to enjoy it.
Your event was initially postponed due to wind. How did you manage that?
When there are postponements like that, it uses up quite a bit of energy, because we were up there at 8:30am getting to know the track and warming-up. People think that because it’s been cancelled or postponed that it’s another day of rest, but it isn’t, you’ve actually used up energy. It is something that we in skiing are used to. We’re an outdoor sport so we rely a lot on the weather, and we often have long waits and postponements. The postponement didn’t affect me though, we have learnt to manage that with experience, and it’s the same for everyone else.
How was the course, the snow?
The course itself is really very pretty. I saw the images on the TV, and it looks great on there as well. The snow was just perfect. There were snow makers as well, and they said they were preparing the course four months in advance. The run didn’t degrade at all over the course of the training sessions and the competitive runs, so that really gave a chance to everyone, making it a very equal course. It was a bit more complicated in terms of the wind, which we were warned about in advance, and of course that can’t be managed.
Arnaud Alessandria competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics, photo source Monaco Olympic Committee
Did the weather impact your run?
From the inside, it’s very hard to tell. When you’re skiing downhill at 100km/h, if there’s a bit of wind, you don’t realise. When I watched back the video of the descent, I saw that I made an error in the top part of the run, and on the low part there was a bit more wind. It was a part of the course where I was quicker in training, and I lost nine tenths on the last intermediate. So that played a role to an extent, but that’s how it is, it’s sport, it’s racing, it’s skiing. Sometimes you need a bit of luck with the elements.
Were you happy to hit your pre-Games objective?
I was happy in terms of my ranking. At the lower part of the course, compared with what I had done in training runs in terms of time, I was a bit disappointed. I think I was two seconds off my first training time, and 1.20 seconds off my time in the second. I set myself a new target of being within 2.5 seconds, so I was a bit disappointed with the time when I crossed the line. Still, I finished in 29th when I had set myself the objective of being in the top 30, so that’s cool.
And then – of course – came the record-breaking performance in the combined event.
In the downhill part, I was happy with regards to the objective that I set myself. I was 2.6 seconds off the Norwegian (Aleksandr Aamodt Kilde), so I was on target. It was a great run.
Slalom really isn’t my cup of tea at all since I had a back operation three years ago. I really struggle with it and the pain it gives me in my back, so I can’t really train for it. Just before the slalom run, we had a bit of time to practise, and it had been almost two years since I had put on some slalom skis. After the two rounds, my back was already causing me problems. The objective was just to finish the run.
When did you know that you had broken the record and attained the highest position of any Monegasque skier in an Olympic Games?
I didn’t know straight away. When I finished the slalom run, I was just exhausted and so I relaxed, because we hadn’t really stopped for three days. I found out during the interviews afterwards. 13th is a great place, but the objective is always to improve my results.
Is that the objective for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina then?
Of course, that is always the objective. 2026 is still a long way away, and this season isn’t finished yet so I need to keep going. I went back to Monaco for three days, then I came back up into the mountains for training. I restarted two days ago in preparation for my next event, which is the World Cup in Norway at the start of March. It’s still at the back of my mind to continue performing to be able to go to Cortina in 2026.
What was it like spending time with Monaco’s bobsledders Rudy Rinaldi, Boris Vain and Anthony Rinaldi? Have you spoken to them since their incredible sixth place finish?
We saw each other every day. We didn’t have the same schedules, so we didn’t spend all day together, but we still had time at the village. It was nice to spend time with them.
I spoke with them during their two days of racing in the evening when they were with the physical therapists. It was cool to speak after their great first day of racing. I’ve messaged them since the result as well. It was a great performance.
What do you think this Olympics will do for winter sports in the Principality?
I hope that it raises the profile, makes it more known, because at the end of the day, winter sports are practised by many in the Principality, but it isn’t very mediatised. If these Olympics can do something for the sport in Monaco, then that would be great, and if it encourages kids to get into skiing or bobsledding then that’s a huge win.
Top photo source: Monaco Olympic Committee
Plastic use doubles in a decade, only 9% recycled worldwide
Less than 10% of the plastic used across the world is recycled, the OECD said Tuesday, calling for “coordinated and global solutions” ahead of expected talks on an international plastics treaty later this month.
A new report by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that 460 million tonnes of plastics were used in 2019, the number nearly doubling since 2000.
“After taking into account losses during recycling, only 9% of plastic waste was ultimately recycled, while 19% was incinerated and almost 50% went to sanitary landfills,” it said in its Global Plastics Outlook.
“The remaining 22% was disposed of in uncontrolled dumpsites, burned in open pits or leaked into the environment.”
The Covid-19 pandemic saw the use of plastics drop by 2.2% in 2020 compared to the previous year. However, single-use plastics rose and overall use is “projected to pick up again” as the economy rebounds.
Plastics contributed 3.4% of global greenhouse emissions in 2019, 90%of it from “production and conversion from fossil fuels”, the report said.
In the face of rampant global warming and pollution, it is “crucial that countries respond to the challenge with coordinated and global solutions”, OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said in the report.
The OECD proposed a series of “levers” to address the issue, including developing the market for recycled plastics, which only represent 6% of the total, largely because they are more expensive.
It added that new technologies related to decreasing the environmental footprint of plastic represented only 1.2% of all innovation concerning the product.
While calling for “a more circular plastics lifecycle”, the OECD said that policies must also restrain overall consumption.
It also called for “major investments in basic waste management infrastructure”, including 25 billion euros a year to go towards efforts in low and middle-income countries.
Plastic treaty talks
The report comes less than a week before the UN Environment Assembly begins on 28th February in Nairobi, where formal talks are expected to begin on a future international plastics treaty, the scope of which will be discussed.
Shardul Agrawala, the head of the OECD’s environment and economy integration division, said Tuesday’s report “further accentuates the need for countries to come together to start looking towards a global agreement to address this very important problem”.
Asked about the priorities of the treaty to be discussed in Nairobi, she said that “there is an urgent waste management problem which is responsible for the bulk of the leakage to the environment”.
“But we should not limit our focus just to the end of pipe solutions, there is a greater need in the long term to forge international cooperation and agreement towards alignment of standards,” she told an online press briefing Monday.
In a survey published Tuesday by polling firm Ipsos for the World Wildlife Fund, 88% of respondents stressed the importance of an international treaty to combat plastic pollution.
In the 28 countries surveyed, 23% of the respondents said such a treaty was “fairly important”, 31% said it was “very important”, and 34% found it “essential”.
Monaco Life with AFP, photo by Tanvi Sharma on Unsplash
The 2nd edition of the Maria Callas Gala and Awards charity event is returning to the Principality this spring, celebrating Greek culture and the memory of La Divina for a good cause.
Legendary diva Maria Callas came to Monaco in 1960 and sang at a gala event held by Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. Inspired by this extraordinary event, the Maria Callas Gala and Award show was born in 2021 and proved such a success that it is now becoming a yearly event worthy of the Monaco social calendar.
The black-tie event is the brainchild of Ioanna Efthimiou, whose aim is to celebrate the iconic soprano’s remarkable talent and pay tribute to her distinguished career.
“Maria Callas has always been an inspiration for me,” says Ioanna Efthimiou. “What a voice, what a talent, what charisma, what a personality. I wanted to bring the legend back to Monaco, in the place that embraced, loved and admired Callas most.”
The event, organised with the support of the Greek Community of Monaco, benefits the Princess Charlene Foundation this year, with its 27 projects in 19 countries around the world working to ensure water safety is accessible to children everywhere.
The award ceremony celebrates great talent of our time, and this year will honour, amongst others, Monica Bellucci as best artist, with best musical artist going to Mario Frangoulis. The night includes a cocktail party, an operatic concert and will end with dinner in the Salle Empire of the Hôtel de Paris.
The award ceremony is being held on 5th May in the Monte Carlo Opera’s Salle Garnier, a venue dear to the heart of Maria Callas. For more information and tickets, visit the website at https://www.mariacallasmonacogala.org/tickets/
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