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Sports teams honor late former US President Jimmy Carter

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Sports teams honor late former US President Jimmy Carter
December 30, 2024
Article Body Text Sports teams in former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's home state of Georgia expressed their condolences Sunday, honoring a former leader who also served as the state's governor and had an extensive record as an athlete and sports fan. The Atlanta Falcons football team held a moment of silence before their game Sunday night. The team's owner, Arthur Blank, called Carter "a great American, a proud Georgian and an inspirational global humanitarian." The Atlanta Hawks basketball team said Carter "represented all the best of Georgia." "From his rural upbringing that he never strayed from, to his passion for Atlanta sports, Carter was proud of his home state and left a legacy for Georgians to be proud of, too," the team said in a statement. Carter was most known for being a fan of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, whose games he and his wife, Rosalynn, attended for decades. The team celebrated his 100th birthday in October, and on Sunday it said Carter "served both his country and home state with honor his entire life." "While the world knew him as a remarkable humanitarian and peacemaker, we knew him as a dedicated Braves fan and we will miss having him in the stands cheering on his Braves," the team said in a statement. <figure><img src="https://gdb.voanews.com/399ab2d6-b69d-40aa-8c93-b64baa0ad6f3_cx0_cy60_cw100_w1600_r1_n_s.jpg" /><figcaption>FILE - Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner, left, sings the National Anthem in Atlanta with former President Jimmy Carter and his mother, Miss Lillian, before the first game of a doubleheader with the Los Angeles Dodgers, July 30, 1982.</figcaption></figure> Carter was in attendance in 1974 when Braves player Hank Aaron set the Major League Baseball record for most career home runs. In 1995, Carter threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the sixth game of the World Series, which the Braves won to capture their first championship since moving to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966. As an athlete himself, Carter was fond of playing softball, including during his time as president. While in the White House, Carter was also part of a boom in running in the United States that saw recreational running rapidly expand during the 1970s. His competitive running career included time on the U.S. Naval Academy cross-country team. Carter also enjoyed playing tennis and watching car racing, and he participated in the presidential tradition of welcoming championship sports teams to the White House. Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press
Content Type Text
Language English
NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
Network VOA
Embargo Date December 30, 2024 04:29 EST
Byline VOA News
Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English