Germany: Play stopped during Bundesliga football match to allow Muslim player to break Ramadan fast
Augsburg (Germany): History was made in the Bundesliga as the game was halted during a match between Augsburg vs. Mainz 05 to allow Augsburg’s player Moussa Niakhate to break his Ramadan fast.
The video of the incident has since been doing rounds on social media platforms with users lauding the move by the referee who allowed the halt in the game briefly.
In the 65th minute, the sunset and the referee for the game, Matthias Jöllenbeck, was asked to halt play so Niakhate could break his fast.
And the referee obliged, marking the first time ever that a Bundesliga game had been stopped to allow a player to break their fast for Ramadan.
Moussa Niakhate was seen drinking some fluids before shaking hands with the referee and returning to play.
There were more examples of referees allowing players to break their fast in the Bundesliga this weekend.
In RB Leipzig’s 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim on Sunday, referee Bastian Dankert allowed Mohamed Siamakan a few minutes to hydrate.
These decisions from referees have been met by approval from the German Football Federation.
Lutz Michael Fröhlich, director general of communications for the German Referee Committee, said on Monday: “There is no general instruction in this regard, but of course, we support our referees allowing such drinking breaks during Ramadan at the request of the players.”
Play was stopped during Augsburg vs. Mainz 05 so Moussa Niakhaté could have a moment to break his Ramadan fast just after sunset 👏 pic.twitter.com/TwfbcpBfn7
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 11, 2022
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Nightclub fire: Goa court remands Luthra brothers in police custody for five days
Panaji (PTI): A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, in police custody for five days.
The brothers, brought to Goa from Delhi after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 blaze that killed 25, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Mapusa Puja Sardesai remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for “special consideration” claiming poor health.
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“We said they should not be given any extra relaxation,” he said, adding that the court has taken cognisance of the fact that this is about the death of “25 people in the form of mass genocide”.
“But since they kept pressing for medical check-up, the court ordered reexamination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don’t require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up like a good mattress, which the court refused,” said Joshi.
A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am.
The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were then taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa.
After their health assessment, the two were brought to the court.
The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital.
Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who ordered the five-day police custody of the accused.
After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.
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The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.
They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.
Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.
