Some star athletes stir up controversy on and off the field with their unusual appearance, but they have their reasons: to attract attention, to stand out from the others, or for preventive purposes imposed by sports practices due to their training.
Among these
athletes is Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr Saudi
Arabia, who appeared last year with nail polish on his feet while he was with
his son at the gym.
At the
time, "The Don" was recovering from one of Al-Nasr's matches in the
Roshan Saudi Professional League, which had sparked controversy among social
media users in the Kingdom in particular, and the Arab world in general.
Medical
reasons
The German
newspaper "Bled" had earlier revealed that athletes apply protective
varnish to their nails to prevent symptoms that can affect their performance
and prevent nail infections caused by fungi and bacteria.
Social
Issue
In 2016, a global
campaign to raise awareness of violence against children was launched, with
thousands of men taking part by painting a single nail to symbolise the rising
global rate of abuse suffered by one in five children.
The
campaign, called ‘The Polish Man’, aimed to end psychological and physical
violence against children worldwide, and raise awareness and funds for the one
in five children who experience violence worldwide.
The
campaign featured a number of sports stars, from martial arts to football, including
former Real Madrid star Marcelo of Brazil and Celta Vigo’s Spanish player Borja
Iglesias, and the campaign proved very popular among those involved in these
sports.
The German
newspaper quoted medical specialists as saying that athletes apply protective
varnish to their nails to prevent nail infections caused by fungi and bacteria.
Many professional athletes do this to protect their nails when they are locked
in sweaty shoes for long hours.
Ronaldo is
not alone.
In addition
to Ronaldo, former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski similarly applies nail
polish to his toenails.
The Daily
Mail explains that nail polish strengthens toenails and reduces the risk of
nail damage during exercise.
Last
January, the newspaper published a photo of Ronaldo and mixed martial arts
boxer Francis Ngannou applying nail polish to their toenails, and reported that
mixed martial arts star Andrei Arlovski does the same thing.