FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2012 file photo, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius starts in the men's 400-meter semifinal during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Paralympic superstar Oscar Pistorius was charged Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, with the murder of his girlfriend who was shot inside his home in South Africa, a stunning development in the life of a national hero known as the Blade Runner for his high-tech artificial legs. Reeva Steenkamp, a model who spoke out on Twitter against rape and abuse of women, was shot four times in the predawn hours in the home, in a gated community in the capital, Pretoria, police said. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2012 file photo, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius starts in the men's 400-meter semifinal during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Paralympic superstar Oscar Pistorius was charged Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, with the murder of his girlfriend who was shot inside his home in South Africa, a stunning development in the life of a national hero known as the Blade Runner for his high-tech artificial legs. Reeva Steenkamp, a model who spoke out on Twitter against rape and abuse of women, was shot four times in the predawn hours in the home, in a gated community in the capital, Pretoria, police said. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)
FILE - This is a Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012 file photo of South Africa's Oscar Pistorius as he reacts after finishing first in a men's 400-meter heat during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, London Paralympic superstar Oscar Pistorius was charged Thursday Feb. 14. 2013 with the murder of his girlfriend who was shot inside his home in South Africa, a stunning development in the life of a national hero known as the Blade Runner for his high-tech artificial legs. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius leaves the Boschkop police station, east of Pretoria, South Africa, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. Pistorius was taken into custody after a 30-year-old woman, Reeva Steenkamp, was shot dead at his home. (AP Photo)
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius reacts, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb 15, 2013, at his bail hearing in the murder case of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius was formally charged at Pretoria Magistrate?s Court with one count of murder after his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a model and budding reality TV show participant, was shot multiple times and killed at Pistorius' upmarket home in the predawn hours of Thursday. (AP Photo/Antione de Ras - Independent Newspapers Ltd South Africa-Star) SOUTH AFRICA OUT. NO MAGS
Athlete Oscar Pistorius weeps in court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb 15, 2013, at his bail hearing in the murder case of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Oscar Pistorius arrived at a courthouse Friday, for his bail hearing in the murder case of his girlfriend as South Africans braced themselves for the latest development in a story that has stunned the country. The Paralympic superstar was earlier seen leaving a police station in a dark suit with a charcoal gray jacket covering his head as he got into a police vehicle. Model Reeva Steenkamp was shot and killed at Pistorius' upmarket home in an eastern suburb of the South African capital in the predawn hours of Thursday. (AP Photo/Antione de Ras - Independent Newspapers Ltd South Africa) SOUTH AFRICA OUT
JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Oscar Pistorius has received "overwhelming support" from his fans, his agent said Sunday, as he remained in custody in a South African police station charged with the shooting murder of his model girlfriend.
Peet van Zyl said outside the Brooklyn police station soon after visiting Pistorius that "a lot of fans" had sent their good wishes. Van Zyl said the support was "really on a global scale. South African fans, international fans from literally all over the world."
Van Zyl said he visited Pistorius primarily to discuss his running career and would not respond to a question about the mental and emotional state of the 26-year-old athlete.
Pistorius broke down and wept at his first court appearance on Friday after he was charged with the murder of model and reality TV show contestant Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot multiple times in his house in the early hours of Thursday.
"I am not going to comment on anything except that (what) is related to his athletics career at this point in time," Van Zyl told reporters outside the police station in the South African capital, Pretoria.
Van Zyl called Steenkamp's killing tragic and said he visited Pistorius as a friend as well as an agent.
"Obviously from a management side and also as a friend, it's a tragic circumstance," Van Zyl said, "and we can only give Oscar our support at this point in time."
The main point of the visit was to update the multiple Paralympic champion and Olympic athlete on his crumbling track career and the situation with his sponsors, which were now expected to step back from their association with the world's most famous disabled athlete.
Van Zyl would release a statement either later Sunday or on Monday, he said, with exact details of the races and sponsorship deals that were now affected by Pistorius' arrest and murder charge.
He told The Associated Press on Saturday that he had begun canceling races for Pistorius scheduled for 2013, including Diamond League appearances and exhibition runs against fellow Paralympic champions Alan Oliveria of Brazil and Jonnie Peacock of Britain.
Sunday was likely the first time that Pistorius was told about the cancelations.
"The nature of my visit was on a professional manner to discuss his career and the plans that we had made for this year with the IAAF (world) championships in Moscow as the main goal for this year," Van Zyl said. "We obviously just discussed the races and the contracts that had been signed and secured for this year and also to keep him up to date with regard to the sponsors."
Sportswear giant Nike and eyewear manufacturer Oakley are among Pistorius' big-name sponsors.
Associated Pressmasters par 3 gwen stefani overeem laron landry mary j blige burger king islands 2013 nissan altima
No comments:
Post a Comment