Latest news with #sportsban
CNN
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
British canoeist says he's being forced to choose between Olympic dreams and OnlyFans
A top British canoeist claims he has been banned from competing in the sport because of content he posted on the OnlyFans social media site. Kurts Adams Rozentals is described as 'an elite performer' on the website of Paddle UK, the umbrella body governing the sport in Britain. According to the site, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe slalom at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, while also picking up a silver as part of a three-man team at the same event. A separate page on the site shows that the 22-year-old was in contention to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But all this came to a halt, Rozentals said, at the beginning of April, when he was contacted by the governing body. In a lengthy Instagram post dated April 12, he told his 73,900 followers that 'i got a call from a PaddleUK representative, where i was told that i'm banned from competing at the 2nd and final part of GB team selections as well as banned from speaking to my coach, staff and teammates. 'PaddleUK's reasoning? my social media posts.' OnlyFans is a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, although some content creators also post music and fitness videos. Paddle UK confirmed to CNN in an email that it is carrying out an investigation but declined to go into the details. 'Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, an athlete on the canoe slalom programme is under interim action, pending the outcome of an investigation,' the governing body said. 'The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,' it added. According to Paddle UK, the investigation 'places a restriction on the athlete being able to engage with the World Class Programme (which includes communicating with athletes, coaches and staff who are part of the programme).' It also means the athlete cannot attend sites or facilities associated with the governing bodies. The body added: 'Paddle UK is committed to ensuring a safe and open environment for all, and interim action under the Athlete Disciplinary Policy is only taken where necessary and proportionate.' Rozentals said on Instagram that his family had 'sacrificed everything so i could keep chasing the ultimate dream of racing at the Olympics.' The athlete, who moved to the United Kingdom from Latvia as a child, told followers that 'money has always been a massive struggle' for him and his family so he decided to do 'whatever it takes' to succeed. He wrote: 'i started making what they now describe 'edgy videos', with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary PaddleUK pays their athletes is near impossible.' He continued: 'i was sick of worrying how to pay rent, i was sick of being on the verge of homelessness. 'i did whatever it took to never be in that position. was it unconventional? sure. i'm not perfect. 'but to ban me from racing? to ban me from speaking to my teammates like i'm some criminal? that's fu**ing insane.' The 22-year-old told CNN that the ban came in between the two selection rounds for the British team, adding: 'The goal of that post was for it to go viral and get the message across about athletes' funding.' The decision 'came out of the blue,' he said, and left him feeling he was being 'treated like a criminal.' There has been no further communication from Paddle UK, he added. Rozentals' Instagram account links to a website bearing his name. The landing page features the OnlyFans logo with a clickable link, and the message: 'Dear mum and dad, please don't click on this link. 'And to everyone else, hope you enjoy ;)' Rozentals told CNN that he earns £16,000 ($21,500) a year from canoeing and that he had tried multiple other revenue sources before turning to OnlyFans. 'If it's not illegal, I've done it,' he said. 'From working late nights freelance video editing to working at the Amazon factory, I've done it all. But it's completely unsustainable. It impacts training too much. Doing OF was not my dream, it was a way to support the ultimate goal of going to the Olympics.' He told CNN he has earned more than £100,000 ($135,000) from OnlyFans since joining the site in January. He acknowledged that some of the 'edgy' content that is sent directly to subscribers is of himself in the nude.
CNN
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
British canoeist says he's being forced to choose between Olympic dreams and OnlyFans
A top British canoeist claims he has been banned from competing in the sport because of content he posted on the OnlyFans social media site. Kurts Adams Rozentals is described as 'an elite performer' on the website of Paddle UK, the umbrella body governing the sport in Britain. According to the site, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe slalom at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, while also picking up a silver as part of a three-man team at the same event. A separate page on the site shows that the 22-year-old was in contention to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But all this came to a halt, Rozentals said, at the beginning of April, when he was contacted by the governing body. In a lengthy Instagram post dated April 12, he told his 73,900 followers that 'i got a call from a PaddleUK representative, where i was told that i'm banned from competing at the 2nd and final part of GB team selections as well as banned from speaking to my coach, staff and teammates. 'PaddleUK's reasoning? my social media posts.' OnlyFans is a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, although some content creators also post music and fitness videos. Paddle UK confirmed to CNN in an email that it is carrying out an investigation but declined to go into the details. 'Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, an athlete on the canoe slalom programme is under interim action, pending the outcome of an investigation,' the governing body said. 'The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,' it added. According to Paddle UK, the investigation 'places a restriction on the athlete being able to engage with the World Class Programme (which includes communicating with athletes, coaches and staff who are part of the programme).' It also means the athlete cannot attend sites or facilities associated with the governing bodies. The body added: 'Paddle UK is committed to ensuring a safe and open environment for all, and interim action under the Athlete Disciplinary Policy is only taken where necessary and proportionate.' Rozentals said on Instagram that his family had 'sacrificed everything so i could keep chasing the ultimate dream of racing at the Olympics.' The athlete, who moved to the United Kingdom from Latvia as a child, told followers that 'money has always been a massive struggle' for him and his family so he decided to do 'whatever it takes' to succeed. He wrote: 'i started making what they now describe 'edgy videos', with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary PaddleUK pays their athletes is near impossible.' He continued: 'i was sick of worrying how to pay rent, i was sick of being on the verge of homelessness. 'i did whatever it took to never be in that position. was it unconventional? sure. i'm not perfect. 'but to ban me from racing? to ban me from speaking to my teammates like i'm some criminal? that's fu**ing insane.' The 22-year-old told CNN that the ban came in between the two selection rounds for the British team, adding: 'The goal of that post was for it to go viral and get the message across about athletes' funding.' The decision 'came out of the blue,' he said, and left him feeling he was being 'treated like a criminal.' There has been no further communication from Paddle UK, he added. Rozentals' Instagram account links to a website bearing his name. The landing page features the OnlyFans logo with a clickable link, and the message: 'Dear mum and dad, please don't click on this link. 'And to everyone else, hope you enjoy ;)' Rozentals told CNN that he earns £16,000 ($21,500) a year from canoeing and that he had tried multiple other revenue sources before turning to OnlyFans. 'If it's not illegal, I've done it,' he said. 'From working late nights freelance video editing to working at the Amazon factory, I've done it all. But it's completely unsustainable. It impacts training too much. Doing OF was not my dream, it was a way to support the ultimate goal of going to the Olympics.' He told CNN he has earned more than £100,000 ($135,000) from OnlyFans since joining the site in January. He acknowledged that some of the 'edgy' content that is sent directly to subscribers is of himself in the nude.
CNN
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
British canoeist says he's being forced to choose between Olympic dreams and OnlyFans
A top British canoeist claims he has been banned from competing in the sport because of content he posted on the OnlyFans social media site. Kurts Adams Rozentals is described as 'an elite performer' on the website of Paddle UK, the umbrella body governing the sport in Britain. According to the site, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe slalom at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, while also picking up a silver as part of a three-man team at the same event. A separate page on the site shows that the 22-year-old was in contention to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But all this came to a halt, Rozentals said, at the beginning of April, when he was contacted by the governing body. In a lengthy Instagram post dated April 12, he told his 73,900 followers that 'i got a call from a PaddleUK representative, where i was told that i'm banned from competing at the 2nd and final part of GB team selections as well as banned from speaking to my coach, staff and teammates. 'PaddleUK's reasoning? my social media posts.' OnlyFans is a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, although some content creators also post music and fitness videos. Paddle UK confirmed to CNN in an email that it is carrying out an investigation but declined to go into the details. 'Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, an athlete on the canoe slalom programme is under interim action, pending the outcome of an investigation,' the governing body said. 'The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,' it added. According to Paddle UK, the investigation 'places a restriction on the athlete being able to engage with the World Class Programme (which includes communicating with athletes, coaches and staff who are part of the programme).' It also means the athlete cannot attend sites or facilities associated with the governing bodies. The body added: 'Paddle UK is committed to ensuring a safe and open environment for all, and interim action under the Athlete Disciplinary Policy is only taken where necessary and proportionate.' Rozentals said on Instagram that his family had 'sacrificed everything so i could keep chasing the ultimate dream of racing at the Olympics.' The athlete, who moved to the United Kingdom from Latvia as a child, told followers that 'money has always been a massive struggle' for him and his family so he decided to do 'whatever it takes' to succeed. He wrote: 'i started making what they now describe 'edgy videos', with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary PaddleUK pays their athletes is near impossible.' He continued: 'i was sick of worrying how to pay rent, i was sick of being on the verge of homelessness. 'i did whatever it took to never be in that position. was it unconventional? sure. i'm not perfect. 'but to ban me from racing? to ban me from speaking to my teammates like i'm some criminal? that's fu**ing insane.' The 22-year-old told CNN that the ban came in between the two selection rounds for the British team, adding: 'The goal of that post was for it to go viral and get the message across about athletes' funding.' The decision 'came out of the blue,' he said, and left him feeling he was being 'treated like a criminal.' There has been no further communication from Paddle UK, he added. Rozentals' Instagram account links to a website bearing his name. The landing page features the OnlyFans logo with a clickable link, and the message: 'Dear mum and dad, please don't click on this link. 'And to everyone else, hope you enjoy ;)' Rozentals told CNN that he earns £16,000 ($21,500) a year from canoeing and that he had tried multiple other revenue sources before turning to OnlyFans. 'If it's not illegal, I've done it,' he said. 'From working late nights freelance video editing to working at the Amazon factory, I've done it all. But it's completely unsustainable. It impacts training too much. Doing OF was not my dream, it was a way to support the ultimate goal of going to the Olympics.' He told CNN he has earned more than £100,000 ($135,000) from OnlyFans since joining the site in January. He acknowledged that some of the 'edgy' content that is sent directly to subscribers is of himself in the nude.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Two transgender netball players banned after opponent sent crashing to ground
Two transgender netball players have been banned from competing in Australia after a video showed one of them knocking an opponent to the ground. Rival teams threatened a boycott over footage of Melton Central player Manawa Aranui sending a member of the Romsey team crashing to the court. There was no foul and Aranui, who played elite men's netball before transition, is seen offering to help the opponent to her feet. However, following a host of complaints, Victoria's Riddell District Football Netball League (RDFNL) announced the two trans Melton Central team-mates were now excluded from competition. Melton South Netball Club had threatened to boycott matches against Melton Central due to safety concerns. The RDFNL acknowledges the pair 'exhibit superior stamina and physique' in a statement explaining the ban. 'After lengthy consideration and consultation, the RDFNL has ruled that the two transgender participants be excluded from the RDFNL netball competitions for the remainder of the 2025 season on the premise that both participants exhibit superior stamina and physique over their competitors, deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant,' a statement said. Netball Victoria has also confirmed it is investigating the issue by engaging an independent expert to assess concerns. The Daily Mail reports Aranui had already faced bans from other governing bodies after transitioning. In April, the Ballarat Football Netball League deemed Aranui ineligible for their women's competition after obtaining legal advice citing the Sex Discrimination Act. Yet Aranui continued to play for Melton Central, for whom she was recently named best on court in a Division 1 grand final. Melton South's netball coordinator Melissa Dawson subsequently told News Corp reporters in Australia that she would support her players if they chose to forfeit games over safety concerns. 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous,' she said. 'Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' Netball Victoria allows non-binary and transgender players to register and play in female competitions based on self-identified gender, not legal sex.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Manawa Aranui: Furious trans netballer who was BANNED from playing hits back with bombshell claim about team that made boycott threat against her
One of the two trans netball stars who have been banned from playing in a Victorian league has lashed out at the decision and made a stunning claim about the rival team that threatened to boycott matches she played in. Manawa Aranui played men's netball at a high level before transitioning and playing for the Melton Central Football and Netball Club. Last week rival side Melton South declared its players 'do not feel safe' playing against Central's two trans players and threatned to boycott matches against the team. On Wednesday, the Riddell District Netball League (RDNL) announced the two Melton Central players have been banned from the remainder of this year's competition 'on the premise that both participants exhibit superior, stamina and physique over their competitors deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant'. That section of the act allows competitions to exclude gender-diverse players due to concerns about their 'strength, stamina or physique'. The statement drew a fiery response from Aranui on Facebook. 'I've sat quietly long enough while this narrative brewed and I've been dragged—publicly and without consent — into a conversation where both my character and identity have been attacked,' she wrote. 'This won't be a long novel — because frankly, these bigots don't deserve my time or energy ... Melton South Football Netball Club and your Netball Coordinator/players: you're entitled to your opinions, but let's clear some things up. 'Your head coach tried to recruit me to play for your club. Yes — YOUR HEAD COACH TRIED TO RECRUIT ME. 'The same club now publicly speaking out against me, bashing me, and attacking the trans/non-binary community in the media, is the very club whose head coach approached me to join you. (Read that again. Let it sink in.) #Hypocrites.' Aranui went on to ask if her gender identity would be an issue if she was playing for Melton South. 'You've played six quarters against me — AND we played all season last year along side each other for Glen Orden — suddenly NOW I'm 'dangerous'?' she continued. 'Apparently now, I run full-speed into players and knock them over? 'We have two umpires on the court to keep the game safe. If I had done what you claim, wouldn't I have been warned, penalised, or reprimanded? 'For the record: I haven't been cautioned once — not in this league, or any other I've played in. 'You're entitled to believe it's 'unfair' for cis women to compete against transgender women. That's your opinion. But the lies? They need to stop. 'You're not out here protecting women's sport. You're being malicious, using false narratives to mask your bigotry and personal agendas behind the guise of 'safeguarding women's spaces.' 'You've spread stories, targeted me, and enabled me to become the sole focus of online abuse and sideline harassment from other clubs and their supporters — right here, in a space where I come to play a sport I love. A place I come to laugh, sweat, compete, and find community. 'I hope you're proud of that. And I hope no child in your families ever has to endure what you've subjected me to.' Aranui also posted an image showing an exchange of text messages between her and an unnamed person who asked if she would be open to 'playing for us A grade next season' 'depending on the rules in RDFNL'. The RDNL's ban came shortly after a video surfaced showing Aranui knocking a rival player from the Romsey team to the ground when they collided a completely legal passage of play. Netball Victoria had previously confirmed it was investigating the issue by engaging an independent expert to assess the concerns raised by multiple players and clubs. Melton South's netball coordinator Melissa Dawson had told News Corp she would support her players if they chose to forfeit games over safety concerns. 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous,' she said. 'Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' Netball Victoria said it remains committed to inclusion and is following its gender diversity policy developed in consultation with Proud 2 Play and based on national sport inclusion guidelines. 'We support and welcome netballers of all backgrounds,' a spokesperson said. 'That includes gender diverse players who have rights under anti-discrimination laws.' Netball Victoria's 2018 bylaw change allows non-binary and transgender players to register and play in female competitions based on self-identified gender, not legal sex. The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) guidelines on the inclusion of transgender athletes state that sports must comply with the Sex Discrimination Act, which makes it unlawful to discriminate, harass or victimise people due to their sex or gender identity. There are exemptions for sports in which unfair advantages or safety risks can be objectively proven. The ASC states: 'All Australians should have the opportunity to be involved in sport and physical activity, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ability, cultural background or ethnicity. 'It is important that sporting bodies, from local clubs through to national sporting organisations, reflect the diversity in the communities they are a part of, and that together, we ensure every person is treated with respect and dignity and protected from discrimination.' In May 2017, the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission released guidelines on trans and gender diverse inclusion in sport. They state that sporting organisations will be breaking the law under the Equal Opportunity Act if they exclude people from participating in a sporting activity, or refuse or fail to select them in a team, on the basis of their sex or gender identity. However, exceptions could apply 'if strength, stamina or physique is relevant'.
