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Launch of 2021 #WhiteCard campaign

by: Cassandra Tanti
02/04/2021

The Champions for Peace on Friday digitally launched the 2021 #WhiteCard campaign under the motto ‘Behind each #WhiteCard, there is a story’.
People are invited to join the campaign by sharing #WhiteCard pictures and testimonies on the platform www.april6.org and social media.
A video message explaining what the WhiteCard means to them has been created by Champions for Peace Didier Drogba – winner of the UEFA Champions League and African football legend, Tony Estanguet – three-time canoe Olympic Champion and President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Laurence Fischer – three-time karate World Champion and Ambassador for Sport at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Marlène Harnois – taekwondo Olympic medalist, Siya Kolisi – captain of the World Champion South African rugby team, Jean-Baptiste Alaize – four-time athletics World Champion, Pascal Gentil – double taekwondo Olympic medalist, Paula Radcliffe – World Champion and former marathon World Record holder, and Sarah Ourahmoune – boxing Olympic medalist.
“Behind each WhiteCard, there is a story. A story where sport fosters reconciliation and coexistence within and between communities,” say the athletes in the video. “A story where sport contributes to building more inclusive societies and combats all forms of discrimination. A story where sport contributes to fighting against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence. A story where sport breaks traditional barriers and encourages intercultural and interreligious understanding. A story where sport connects, inspires, and empowers girls and boys. A story where sport, as a universal language, prevents interpersonal violence and achieves peace goals. As Champions for Peace, we believe that sport has the power to change lives and to shape peaceful societies.”
Each year, to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Peace and Sport invites the entire world to support to the peace-through-sport movement through the white card symbol. This year, with the theme ‘Behind every #WhiteCard, there is a story’, Peace and Sport wants to highlight the testimonies of people who have personally or collectively measured the positive impact of a peace-through-sport project.
“Today more than ever, sport can inspire, give courage and hope as it is a powerful tool to reinforce fraternity and cooperation,” said Joël Bouzou, Peace and Sport President and Founder. “In the present crisis, the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, celebrated on 6th April, is a propitious day to send a strong message of global solidarity and reinforce our bonds with each other in an indissoluble way through sport.”
Watch the video message here.
 

Team Ferrari is back

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/03/2021

After a shockingly dismal season last year, Charles Leclerc’s Scuderia Ferrari team is starting to hit their stride again with a new team member and a redesigned car.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz started this season off right at the Bahrain Grand Prix with sixth and eighth place finishes respectively, giving hope that last year’s slump was simply a blip on the radar.
Despite achieving a very respectable sixth, Leclerc said he struggled at the weekend so his fourth-place qualifier followed by the strong finish surprised even him.
“In FP2, FP3 I have been struggling with the car and overdriving a little bit, not driving very well in general,” Leclerc told Sky Sports 1. “I knew inside I could do a good lap but until you do it you never really know if you can. Then arrived qualification and the feeling was good from the beginning. I built up the pace and managed to do that lap in Q3 which I am very happy with.”

Photo of team Scuderia Ferrari at the Bahrain GP, credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

After the car troubles of last year, Scuderia Ferrari’s new design seems to suit both Leclerc and Sainz, with Leclerc saying how content he was with the results.
“It’s been a good race overall,” he told reporters. “We were lacking a little bit of pace in general compared to Lando (Norris) but otherwise it’s been quite a good race, and especially a good progress compared to last year, which is what I want to keep in mind for this race. It’s only a sixth place, but compared to last year, it’s a good result, so I’m really looking forward to the next races now.”
Sainz’s maiden race with his new team and eighth place finish was exactly what he anticipated. The Spanish driver said his slow start had been a deliberate decision to get accustomed to the new car.
“It’s pretty good, especially because, all things considered, I had a very strong end to the race,” said Sainz. “I was very quick on the medium and the hard tyres. I had a poor start, basically due to a couple of mistakes, but also me consciously taking it maybe a bit too easy in lap one, just wanting to make sure I made it through that lap and making sure I was getting to know the car in dirty air conditions.
“It’s a completely new experience, completely new car, so I wanted to take it easy and wanted to make sure I did the whole race. Then once I got myself into clean air, honestly I was very quick. So, I’m not going to complain, I’m going to take it as a learning curve and keep improving.”
The Bahrain Grand Prix was won by world champion Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen and Valteri Bottas rounded out the podium. The next race will be the Emilia Romangna Grand Prix in Imola, Italy on 18th April.
 
Photo provided by Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
 
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Inside Monaco's Cherry Blossom celebration

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/03/2021

Monaco Life was invited to the exclusive launch of the ‘Cherry Blossom, Make A Wish’ event at the Hôtel de Paris organised by The High Life Monaco and officially opened by Prince Albert.
It was an official opening at the highest level on Thursday 25th March, bringing together the Prince, Vice-President of his Foundation Olivier Wenden, CEO of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) Jean-Luc Biamonti, and some of the Principality’s most significant philanthropists.
Organised by Mayu Wittouck, founder of The High Life Monaco and wife of billionaire resident Eric Wittouck, the event is designed to take visitors on a journey to the heart of Japanese tradition, with all proceeds going to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Photo of Prince Albert II surrounded by Mayu Wittouck, Olivier Wenden and Jean-Luc Biamonti during Thursday’s official opening, by SBM

The stunning scene is set with pink cherry blossom trees that fill the luxurious courtyard of the Hôtel de Paris. Perfectly manicured Japanese gardens and gently flowing water fountains are nestled amongst enormous Mediterranean palms, all conjuring a sense of zen in the beating heart of the Principality.
‘Cherry Blossom, Make A Wish’ at the Hôtel de Paris was originally scheduled to take place last year but was postponed because of the pandemic. It seems perhaps even more fitting that it be held this year.
Glasshouses hold Japanese-themed workshops throughout the Cherry Blossom event

This celebration, hanami, of the arrival of spring and the blooming of sakura (cherry blossoms), is a recognition of the ephemeral nature of life, a symbol of rebirth and hope that comes to Monaco at a time when everyone is looking forward to a brighter future.
“This particular event has been organised by a close friend of the foundation to celebrate the spring,” Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Vice-President Olivier Wenden told Monaco Life, “and in my mind, celebrating the spring means celebrating birth and renewal. This is the kind of spirit which animates the foundation today with the post pandemic world, and the bloom or green shift we can implement. It’s a symbol of hope for a future that can rely more on the solutions and opportunities for the ocean rather than the obstacles and challenges.”
Photo of Prince Albert writing his wish on an ema, by SBM

Prince Albert was the first to write his wish to the kami (gods) on a small wooden plaque called an ema and hang it on a portico, traditionally positioned at the entrance of a shrine.
Until 10th April, the public is also invited to purchase their ema and write their wishes to the gods, before all the wooden plaques are ritually burned and the wishes liberated from their writers.
Photo of the wishes hung in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Paris, by Monaco Life

It is one of many traditions that is available to experience over the two-week event. Creative workshops will be held in the glass houses teaching the art of origami (paper folding), ikebana (flower arranging) and calligraphy. The little ones can discover the art of Japanese storytelling with kamishibai, while Chef Phillippe Joannès and his team have been busy creating delectable Japanese-themed treats.
“We created chocolate geishas and sumos, bonsai trees and sakura eggs, kawai biscuits, and cakes,” Pastry Department Manager Ken Thomas told Monaco Life. “There are different kinds of breads and brioche, some shaped like sushi or carrots in the theme of Easter.”
Photo of the treats available for sale during Cherry Blossom, by SBM

Available for takeaway, the treats can also be enjoyed after a delicious Japanese lunch, prepared by a sushi master every day in the courtyard for reserved guests. Japanese beer, sake, and a Japanese-themed cocktail round out the culinary offerings.
To comply with health measures, reservations for the workshops and lunch are needed, and numbers are understandably restricted. But it is another example of how Monaco is able to maintain a certain level of culture and lifetyle in these challenging times.
“This is exactly our objective, under the leadership of the Prince and his government,” Jean-Luc Biamonti told Monaco Life. “We don’t want to have a dead city, so we are trying, within the constraints, to stay alive. Therefore, we organise these types of events. Normally, for an opening like this, there would be hundreds of people in this patio; today it’s limited to 36. So yes, we are keeping these events, trying to show that Monaco is alive, even if it is within those constraints unfortunately. But we are not stopping, we are fighting.”
Photo of an ikebana workshop, by Monaco Life

In keeping with its “100% donation policy”, all money generated from ‘Cherry Blossom, Make a Wish’ will go towards the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s BeMed initiative, which aims for a plastic-free Mediterranean sea. To raise awareness among young visitors, the foundation has its own glasshouse where, through playful activities, children will learn about the challenges facing the ocean.
 
 

Monte-Carlo Masters player’s list revealed

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/03/2021

The players participating in the 114th Rolex Monte-Carlo Master Tennis Tournament has been revealed and the impressive line-up will include nine out of the top 10 players in the world.
The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament, being held behind closed doors this year from 10th to 18th April, this week announced the list of players coming to the Principality.
It includes the biggest names in tennis with top 10 seeded Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medevec, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini. Only Roger Federer will not join in from the top 10.
The tournament, which traditionally opens the European clay tennis season, will for the second year in a row be without spectators, but the matches will be broadcast on Eurosport, Canal Plus’s C8 for France, Sky Italia, Eurosport Russia, Sky Deutschland, Tennis Channel US and CCTTV in China.
Additionally, the tournament’s website and official app will offer updates in real time.
The health situation almost deprived the tennis world of the Monte-Carlo Masters for a second time in two years, but the organisers saved the day by ensuring all necessary health measures were put in place according to both the French and Monegasque authorities.
“After the cancellation of the Tournament in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are delighted that the 2021 edition can once again play host to the best players on the ATP circuit,” said Tournament Director, Zeljko Franulovic, during the announcement of this year’s players.
“I would like to thank the players in particular, who will once again be back on the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club for their loyalty and support.”
He went on to speak of the loss the tournament suffered, saying, “The Baroness Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, who passed away in 2020, will be very much in our thoughts. Playing an emblematic role in Monegasque tennis, not only was she President of the Monte-Carlo Country Club but also that of the Monaco Tennis Federation as well as the President of the Organising Committee of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.”
 
 

Princess’s emotional goodbye to Zulu King

by: Cassandra Tanti
19/03/2021

Princess Charlene has travelled to her home country of South Africa to bid a final farewell to Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini during a memorial service broadcast from the royal palace.
The king died last Friday from diabetes-related complications and, according to some local media reports, had also tested positive for Covid.
King Zwelithini, aged 72, was the traditional leader of South Africa’s 12 million Zulu people. His reign lasted 50 years, making him the longest-serving monarch of the Zulu nation.
He is credited with speaking openly to encourage public education to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was sweeping through South Africa in the 1980s and 90s.
The king was buried in a traditional midnight private funeral, known as “ukutshalwa kweNkosi”, which was attended by only senior men of the royal family, many wearing leopard skins and colourful Zulu regalia.
Hours later, a memorial service was held at the royal palace, attended by an emotional Princess Charlene who was veiled in a black lace head scarf. Charlene Wittstock was 12 years old when her family relocated to South Africa from Zimbabwe in 1989.
After the rituals were performed on the grounds of the palace, the king’s body was secretly laid to rest, marking the end of an era.
King Goodwill Zwelithini leaves behind six queens and 28 princes and princesses.
 
Photo by Phill Magakoe/Reuters
 
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Princess saddened at loss of Zulu King

 

Another two weeks of restrictions for Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/03/2021

All current restrictions in Monaco designed to control the spread of Covid-19, including the night curfew and restaurant limitations, will be extended until 2nd April.
The restrictions came into force on 11th January, were extended on 17th February, and were due to expire on 19th March.
This time, the government has set a two-week time frame, saying in a statement on Thursday that HSH Prince Albert II has decided to extend all current health measures until 2nd April.
Therefore, the curfew between 7pm and 6am will remain in place, as well as the rules relating to restaurants: lunch time service only between 12pm and 3pm, and places reserved solely for residents, employees and students of the Principality.
Mandatory teleworking in the private and public sectors also remains in force, with the aim of “reducing the influx of people from outside the Principality while maintaining economic activity,” said the government.
With more than 5,000 Covid tests per week in Monaco, figures show that the virus is still in active circulation following a slight rebound after the February holidays. As of last week, the incidence rate in Monaco was 221 per 100,000 inhabitants.
“Admittedly, the incidence rate has been halved compared to the beginning of February, but it remains high, placing the Principality at the level recorded at the end of December 2020,” said the government.
The number of hospitalisations has also fallen, however the number of patients treated at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre remains high, with 48 patients including 14 in intensive care on Wednesday.
“The health situation therefore requires us not to lower our guard. Once again, the health authorities insist on maintaining vigilance in the private sphere where more than half of the contaminations occur during convivial meetings,” cautions the government.
Hand washing, social distancing, room ventilation, and individual use of cutlery and glasses is recommended within the home.
The government says the health measures may be extended again, depending on the evolution of the health situation.
 
Photo by Hani Agha