Saudi Ambassador to US Attends Signing of IOC-UN Women Agreement to Promote Gender Equality in Sport

IOC renewed its partnership with UN Women, reaffirming the commitment to use sport to promote gender equality and empower women and girls. SPA
IOC renewed its partnership with UN Women, reaffirming the commitment to use sport to promote gender equality and empower women and girls. SPA
TT
20

Saudi Ambassador to US Attends Signing of IOC-UN Women Agreement to Promote Gender Equality in Sport

IOC renewed its partnership with UN Women, reaffirming the commitment to use sport to promote gender equality and empower women and girls. SPA
IOC renewed its partnership with UN Women, reaffirming the commitment to use sport to promote gender equality and empower women and girls. SPA

Saudi Ambassador to the US and member of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic Committee Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz has attended the signing of an agreement between International Olympic Committee (IOC) and UN Women to promote gender equality in sport.

Under the agreement, IOC renewed its partnership with UN Women, reaffirming the commitment to use sport to promote gender equality and empower women and girls.

The agreement, signed by IOC President Thomas Bach and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous in New York on Tuesday, extends a partnership that began in 2012 and was extended for the first time in 2017.

The two organizations will continue to work together to maximize the value of sport in shaping social norms and achieve sustainable development goals that impact the everyday lives of women and girls.

Bach said that sport has the power to change people’s lives, and "expanding our partnership with UN Women will help us ensure that all women and girls have the opportunity to benefit from this unique power of sport.”

He added that under the new agreement, "we will strengthen our ongoing initiatives to encourage sports participation among girls and achieve equality between men and women.”



Real Madrid Defender Antonio Rüdiger Apologizes for Copa del Rey Outburst

Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, left, challenges for the ball with Barcelona’s Ferran Torres during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, left, challenges for the ball with Barcelona’s Ferran Torres during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
TT
20

Real Madrid Defender Antonio Rüdiger Apologizes for Copa del Rey Outburst

Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, left, challenges for the ball with Barcelona’s Ferran Torres during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, left, challenges for the ball with Barcelona’s Ferran Torres during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger has apologized for his outburst of rage against the referee at the end of his team’s Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona.

The Germany defender was incensed when teammate Kylian Mbappé was pulled back for a foul instead of threatening for a goal at the end of extra time in the 3-2 defeat that finished in the early hours on Sunday, and he had to be restrained by teammates and coaching staff after apparently throwing a small bag of ice onto the field and shouting at the referee, The AP news reported.

“There’s definitely no excuse for my behavior last night,” Rüdiger wrote Sunday in an Instagram story. “I’m very sorry for that. We played a very good game from the 2nd half on.”

Rüdiger had gone off midway through the second period of extra time after earlier having had his legs bandaged.

“After 111 minutes I was not able to help my team anymore and before the final whistle I did a mistake,” Rüdiger said. “Sorry again to the referee and to everyone I have disappointed last night.”

Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea also handed out red cards to Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vázquez for protesting.

De Burgos wrote in his match report that Rüdiger “threw an object from the coaching area that didn’t reach me,” and that the Germany defender had displayed “an aggressive attitude.”

Rüdiger faces a possible multi-game suspension, while Bellingham and Vázquez likely face lesser sanctions.

The day before the final De Burgos denounced a campaign to discredit him by Real Madrid’s official club television station.