Bale Becomes Playable Character in Golf Video Game

Golf - European Tour - BMW PGA Championship - Wentworth, Virginia Water, Britain - September 14, 2023 Former footballer Gareth Bale is seen during the first round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/file photo Acquire Licensing Rights
Golf - European Tour - BMW PGA Championship - Wentworth, Virginia Water, Britain - September 14, 2023 Former footballer Gareth Bale is seen during the first round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/file photo Acquire Licensing Rights
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Bale Becomes Playable Character in Golf Video Game

Golf - European Tour - BMW PGA Championship - Wentworth, Virginia Water, Britain - September 14, 2023 Former footballer Gareth Bale is seen during the first round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/file photo Acquire Licensing Rights
Golf - European Tour - BMW PGA Championship - Wentworth, Virginia Water, Britain - September 14, 2023 Former footballer Gareth Bale is seen during the first round Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/file photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Gareth Bale's love for golf has been well-documented and the former Real Madrid and Wales forward has swapped the pitch for the green after becoming a playable character in the PGA Tour 2K23 video game.

Bale, 34, made his PGA Tour debut at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February after calling time on his glittering soccer career at the start of the year. He also teed off alongside Rory McIlroy at this week's BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am.

His passion for the sport often led to criticism while he was in Madrid, especially in 2019 after he celebrated with a Welsh flag which read: "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order."

The former Wales captain, who featured on the cover of Electronic Arts' FIFA 14 video game alongside Lionel Messi, has now been added to PGA Tour 2K23, which includes a course custom-designed by him.

"I'm Gareth Bale. I'm here getting scanned in PGA Tour 2K23," he said in a video shared on social media, Reuters reported

Bale played for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur before joining Real in 2013 for a then-world record deal worth 100 million euros ($106.55 million), where he won five Champions League titles among several other major honours.

He led Wales to the Euro 2016 semi-finals and to their first World Cup since 1958 at last year's tournament in Qatar. Bale's tally of 111 caps and 41 international goals are both records for the Wales men's team.



Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s Participation in Paris Olympics Part of Quality of Life Program, Al-Bakr Says

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)
The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program. (SPA)

CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Bakr said on Friday the Kingdom’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is part of integrated and comprehensive efforts to build a distinguished future for the sports sector in the Kingdom.

This will help reach the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in achieving sports excellence and building a vital and stimulating sports sector for young Saudi men and women.

Al-Bakr said the participation reflects the support of the country’s wise leadership for the sports sector, as well as the efforts made by the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee to develop the sector under the supervision of Sports Minister and Chairman of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal.

The efforts of the sports system have combined to achieve the strategic goal assigned by Vision 2030 to the Quality of Life Program, which is “achieving excellence in several sports regionally and globally” by launching several initiatives on supporting and empowering Saudi athletes and contributing to increasing the number of athletes participating in the Olympic Games.

Since its launch in 2018, the program has offered many initiatives to develop the sports sector, Al-Bakr said. He cited the Elite Athletes Development Program, which trained and empowered Saudi players participating in the Paris Olympics, in addition to initiatives concerned with supporting and empowering women to contribute to the sports system, the Saudi Games, and building sports academies, including the establishment of Mahd Academy.

The program seeks to discover, develop, and support sports talents with the aim of creating a sports generation capable of competing in and representing the Kingdom in various regional and international events, he added.