Under a soft rain at the Paris Olympics, hardy rowers use the power of words

The name of a stranger from a foreign land is written on a sticker in Jacob Plihal’s boat. Kim, it says. She isn’t Philal’s friend, she isn’t family. This polite, 2.08m American hasn’t even ever met the Australian. But under a gently pecking rain at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in Paris, as we discuss motivation, this 28-year-old with an architectural degree mentions her name.

I’ll put little stickers in my boat sometimes, explains Plihal. Like a little mantra that’s been impactful lately. So one that comes to mind is just a name, Kim Brennan. She was an Australian rower, single sculler, very successful, won (gold at) the 2016 Olympics. And I think she’s a very good influence on technique. So just writing Kim in my boat, I see that and I visualise how she rows and that’s someone I try to model (myself on).

This Games is fiercer than we can imagine and races unfold like hasty, unforgiving interrogations. Just to make it clear, the Italian fencer Luigi Samele put it bluntly: The goal of the Olympics, of course, is not to have a nice walk around the Olympic Village, but to go home with medals.

But in this festival committed to the athletic deeds, don’t underestimate the power of words. Coaches in Paris shout them. Psychologists use them as balm. Athletes mutter them in call rooms. And sometimes, as with former medal-winning gymnast Louis Smith, they even tattoo reminders onto their arms: What I Deserve I Earn.

Singapore rower Saiyidah Aisyah scribbles words in her journal, a sort of raw accounting of her days. Words to rise to and go to sleep with. Words to wear like armour. Words that before Rio 2016 – the first Olympics she qualified for – she pasted to her wall almost in the thousands. Some were truths, some a plea, some an athletic prayer.

This year, making a comeback after stepping away from the sport, Aisyah turned to words again. Filled her journal with scribbles as if writing them down was reassurance. Just before the Games she shared two pages of them with The Straits Times. I am strong, lifting heavy at the gym, 11 on the chin ups. Powerful. I have done this before. Trust. Let go. I know what pain feels like. I feel it every day out there on water. This is nothing different.

Three men were arrested after they attacked a police constable with a knife during a thrilling chase on a rainy Saturday morning in Ujjain.

The constable was seriously injured when the criminals stopped their bike and stabbed him in the rib. Fellow officers quickly took him to a private hospital for treatment. Following the incident, the police formed five teams and gathered information to catch the attackers.

According to information, on wee hours of Saturday, around 3-4 AM, two suspects were spotted on a motorcycle heading towards Ujjain. When the police attempted to stop them, the suspects fired at the officers. Due to the rain, the bike slipped in the mud, but the suspects continued to fire. The police, in self-defense, fired back, injuring one suspect in the legs. The other suspect was also apprehended.

SP Pradeep Sharma stated that the police were actively searching for the attackers who had stabbed the constable. They received a tip that two suspects were heading towards Ujjain from Sanwarakhedi Bridge on a motorcycle. Police officers, led by Madhav Nagar and Neelganga station chiefs, were deployed to catch them.

As the suspects approached Ujjain, the police tried to stop them. The suspects sped up their bike but slipped in the mud, injuring their legs. Despite this, they fired at the police, who fired back in self-defense, hitting one suspect in the legs.

SP Sharma revealed that the arrested suspects are Mahesh Lodhi (26 years old) and Rahul Bose (30 years old). They were taken into police custody and brought to the district hospital for treatment. The police recovered a pistol, three live cartridges, and other items from them. A third suspect, Shiv, is still being sought and will be arrested soon.

Additional SP Jayant Rathore mentioned that late Thursday night, police received information about a cow accident near Zero Point Bridge. While attending to the scene, they noticed three young men behaving suspiciously on a bike. Constables Akash Jatav and Pawan tried to stop them, but they sped away. The police chased them and managed to stop the bike near SS Hospital in Freeganj. One of the criminals attacked Constable Akash with a knife, and the three suspects fled into the alleys. Akash was taken to a private hospital for treatment.

SP Sharma added that the arrested suspects have a history of robbery cases registered against them in Jiwajiganj and Dewasgate police stations. On the day of the incident, they had also robbed two laborer brothers in Ghatiya. Each suspect had a bounty of ₹30,000 for their arrest.

On World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for urgent action from countries in the South-East Asia Region to enhance access to prevention, vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C. Despite being preventable and treatable, these chronic infections are increasingly leading to severe illness and fatalities, including liver cancer, cirrhosis, and liver failure, according to a WHO press release.

Liver cancer has become the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the region and the second most common cause among men. The press release notes that nearly 75% of liver cirrhosis cases are attributable to hepatitis B and C. In 2022, the South-East Asia Region had approximately 70.5 million people living with these viral infections. Without intervention, liver cancer rates are expected to double by 2050, resulting in over 200,000 deaths annually.

We possess the knowledge and tools necessary to prevent, diagnose, and treat viral hepatitis, yet many individuals with chronic hepatitis B and C still lack access to essential services. There is an urgent need to accelerate efforts to provide equitable services closer to communities, particularly at the primary health care level, said Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, on World Hepatitis Day. The theme for this year is It’s Time for Action.

Globally, hepatitis B and C cause approximately 3,500 deaths daily, with 6,000 new infections occurring each day. The WHO estimates that 254 million people worldwide are living with hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis C. Despite the availability of effective vaccines and antiviral drugs, many people remain undiagnosed, and treatment rates are critically low.

In 2022, viral hepatitis accounted for about 1.3 million deaths, comparable to the number of deaths caused by tuberculosis. Both viral hepatitis and tuberculosis were the second leading causes of death among communicable diseases that year, following COVID-19.

The South-East Asia Region’s coverage of hepatitis B and C testing and treatment remains inadequate. Only 2.8% of people with hepatitis B were diagnosed in 2022, with 3.5% receiving treatment. For hepatitis C, diagnosis and treatment rates were 26% and 14%, respectively.

Hepatitis B can be prevented with safe and effective vaccines, and antiviral drugs are highly effective in managing chronic hepatitis B and curing most cases of hepatitis C. However, much more needs to be done to ensure these life-saving interventions reach everyone, regardless of their location or circumstances, Wazed emphasized.

Viral hepatitis affects the general population as well as specific high-risk groups, including individuals with unsafe blood transfusions, unsafe medical practices, newborns at risk of mother-to-child transmission, indigenous and mobile populations, and key populations such as people who inject drugs, those in prisons, and sex workers.

To address this issue effectively, access to hepatitis testing and treatment must be expanded beyond major hospitals to include primary health care facilities and general practitioners within communities. Integrating these services into universal health coverage is essential.

Investment in viral hepatitis interventions has shown a promising return, with estimates suggesting a return of USD 2-3 for every dollar invested. This investment is crucial to reversing rising mortality rates and mitigating future cancer treatment costs.

Viral hepatitis represents a significant public health challenge this decade. With a robust public health approach and leveraging investments in universal health coverage, the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030 is within reach, stated Wazed. We have a collective responsibility to save lives today and safeguard the health of future generations. It’s time for action.