- After K-pop, K-novels? South Korean Nobel win sparks joy, hope at home
- After Nadal exit, Djokovic left to rage against dying of the light
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad's club record
- Zelensky touts 'victory plan' against Russia in Macron talks
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- UN peacekeepers accuses Israel of firing on Lebanon HQ
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- Southgate taking year out from coaching
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- Zelensky meets Macron in Paris as part of European tour
- Hurricane Milton shreds Florida stadium roof
- UN probe accuses Israel of seeking to 'destroy' Gaza healthcare
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- England in sight of victory after Brook's triple hundred
- Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- World number 2 Alcaraz knocked out of Shanghai Masters by Machac
- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
- S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- The almost impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open
- New French government faces key test with budget plan
- Rescuers say Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 28
- Italy's ex-world champion gymnast Ferrari announces retirement
- Zelensky talks 'victory plan' in meeting with Starmer, Rutte
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Federer lauds retiring Nadal's 'incredible achievements'
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Australia beat China 3-1 to resurrect World Cup campaign
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- Nadal defied injury woes in record-breaking career
- Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7
- Zelensky meets Starmer, Rutte on whirlwind tour of Europe
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Rafael Nadal calls time on epic tennis career
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines confronts China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Kim Sei-young shoots 62 to take two-stroke lead at LPGA Shanghai
- The haircuts that help traumatised Ukrainian soldiers heal
- Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- England's Harry Brook blasts triple century against Pakistan
- Chinese electric car companies cope with European tariffs
- Zelensky in London for whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
Brazilian amputee table tennis star savours Olympic dreamland
Twenty-two years after first picking up a bat, Brazilian amputee table tennis star Bruna Alexandre is finally making her dream come true, warming up for the Paralympics by competing at the Paris Olympic Games.
The 29-year-old, whose right arm was amputated at the age of three months due to thrombosis, is her country's first para-athlete to take part in the Olympics.
"I have been trying to qualify for the Olympics for years. I knew it would be difficult because the competition is very fierce in Brazil," Alexandre told AFP.
"But I succeeded. I got here and today I am making a huge dream come true for me."
Alexandre took up table tennis at the age of seven.
Initially she found it difficult to serve with one arm, but she mastered the tricky skill of throwing the ball up with her left hand then serving with vicious spin.
"I managed to adapt after about a year. Now my serve is one of my strong points," said the Brazilian, who is also a gifted skateboarder and cyclist.
Alexandre is already a decorated Paralympian, winning silver at the Tokyo Games, but on Monday she had her first taste of Olympic action, taking on the powerful South Koreans in the team event.
The third-seeded Koreans saw off the Brazilian challenge but Alexandre was philosophical after the defeat.
"It's about showing that everything is possible, regardless of whether you have one arm or one leg," she said.
She thanked the French crowd for a rapturous reception, adding: "I am celebrating and I will celebrate for many more days this dream that I am realising today."
- 'Never give up' -
Alexandre is not the only Paralympian to feature in the Olympic table tennis tournament. Australia's Melissa Tapper, whose right arm is paralysed, is competing at her third Olympics.
But it was Polish player Natalia Partyka who laid the ground, competing in both Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
"She's a source of inspiration. She has inspired many people, not just me but also Melissa Tapper," Alexandre told AFP, adding that she watched YouTube videos of Partyka in action.
She sees herself as representing people with disabilities from her country and all around the world.
"I think it can open a lot of doors. Inclusion in the country can be improved. I think sport is a great way to make that happen," she said.
Alexandre credits hours spent on her beloved skateboard as critical to a sense of balance that has propelled her to the top in table tennis.
She has always competed against able-bodied athletes and says she has not experienced prejudice.
"In the street, at school, I never saw it (prejudice). That has helped me a lot," she said.
The Brazilian is in a rare position to be able to compare the Paralympics and the Olympics and acknowledges that the Olympics has a different vibe.
"The athletes, the competition, the way of thinking. It's all different. I think it's also because there is much more competition," she said.
While her Olympic dream is for now over in Paris, she can turn her attention to the Paralympic Games, which run from August 28 to September 8.
Buoyed by her Olympic experience, she hopes to clinch individual gold at the Paralympics.
"Never give up on your dreams," she said.
T.Ward--AMWN