Tennis: New Indian pair make winning start
January 19, 2012 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
SYDNEY: New Indian doubles pair Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna said bid for Olympic glory was taking shape after they won through to the second round at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Bopanna split from doubles partner Aisam-ul Haq Qureshi of Pakistan so he could pursue his Olympic dream, and said he was happy with how the new pairing was working out after a win over Australia’s Matthew Ebden and Chris Guccione.
“We had a good start for the season in Chennai, reaching the semi-finals. That was a good three matches before coming here for our first grand slam,” Bopanna said.
“Obviously winning our first match today, it was a close one, a tight one but coming through these hard matches always helps us in longer matches and building our partnership stronger.”
When asked about the Olympics, he said the focus remained on the Australian Open and the other grand slams before London 2012.
“Right we’re here in Australia. Our focus is to do well at this slam and then take it further, all the way towards the Olympics,” he said after the 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win.
The pair are looking to bring a smile to Indian sports fans with their cricket team trailing 3-0 in the ongoing Test series against Australia but Bopanna said he was confident the cricketers could salvage some pride.
“You win some, you lose some. It’s always hard playing Australia here at home and they’ve been lethal in the bowling. Hopefully they can still stay strong and hopefully win that last Test.”
Dubbed the “Indo-Pak express”, Bopanna and Qureshi, also playing in Melbourne, actively promoted India-Pakistan rapprochement and even offered to play tennis over the border. They announced their split in November.
Qureshi also won 6-3, 7-6 (13/11) alongside new partner Jean-Julien Rojer of Dutch Antilles. AGENCIES
Afghan boxing girls aim for 2012 Olympic gold
Women in Afghanistan have been fighting for more rights at home and in society since the Taliban was toppled a decade ago.
Shabnam, 19, and her sister Sadaf Rahimi, 18, are taking the fight more literally than most of their peers, throwing punches in a ring as members of their country s first team of female boxers.
They practice inside a spartan gym with broken mirrors, flaking paint, four punching bags, and a concrete floor padded with faded pink and green mats. Some girls even wear face masks to keep away the dust coming up from the floor.
But they seem oblivious to their modest surroundings as they follow the whistle changes of a rigorous training routine.
“I hope to promote my boxing career and approach the highest level. I wish to be able to win the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics,” said Sadaf, slightly out of breath from punching the bag.
Female boxing is still relatively unusual in most countries, but especially in Afghanistan, where many girls and women still face a struggle to secure an education or work, and activists say violence and abuse at home is common.
Three times a week, the girls come to practise at the Ghazi stadium, once used for public punishment by the Taliban, the hardline Islamists who ruled the country from 1996 to 2001.
Women were stoned for adultery there and despite an expensive revamp, its gory past sometimes spooks the athletes.
Under the Taliban, all sports for women were banned. They still have far fewer opportunities for exercise than men.
Many in this conservative society still consider fighting taboo for women, and the girls deal with serious threats.
“My family has been threatened several times because we three sisters are in the boxing club, they asked my family why the three girls from one family are boxing. Boxing is a hard and difficult sport even for men that is why people are surprised and our family was threatened because of our choice,” said Sadaf.
Lights turned on at London’s Olympic Stadium
The lights have been officially switched on at London 2012′s Olympic Stadium. Prime Minister David Cameron pressed the switch on the 14 light towers, which rise more than 70 metres above the stadium and include a total of 532 individual lights.
Snow blanketed the infield of the stadium – which is due for completion next year – as dozens of local schoolchildren and stadium construction workers watched the switch on, along with London 2012 chairman Seb Coe and Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London.
Cameron praise everyone involved in the design and construction of the 537m stadium in Stratford. He told the specially-invited crowd of 400: It is being delivered on time and on budget thanks to British genius and many of the people here. He added: In 2012 a light will shine on all of our country as billions look on.
London 2010 plans to recruit 70000 volunteers
July 9, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
LONDON: Olympic organizers are seeking 70,000 volunteers for the 2012 London Games.
Excerpt from:
London 2010 plans to recruit 70000 volunteers
Celebrities fill UK Queen honors list
June 12, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
LONDON: A flying banker and an owl-lover join celebrities including film star Catherine Zeta-Jones and Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, the Cabinet Office said on Saturday.
Go here to read the rest:
Celebrities fill UK Queen honors list
India may be exposed from Olympics
International Olympic Council, the Sports Ministry has directed that the administrators of that country’s sports associations are term limits then suffer the brunt of India may pass out of the Olympic family. The information written to the IOC’s sports minister MS Gill, in a joint letter said.
The Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi and other sports news of relief for administrators.
IOC wrote in his letter that the Indian sports ministry issued the Olympic movement are against the rules and if they are forced, we IOC Olympic Charter according to the rules of the Executive Board meeting will report back. India resulting out of the Olympic family may be recognized or may be revoked.
Significantly, the Sports Ministry on May 12 at the IOC sent letters regarding their new rules, which came joint secretary, Srinivas was convinced that these rules Ensf IOA and tenure of the current officers and they can become a deterrent in future elections will be applied.
who won the mayweather mosley fight
May 2, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
Who Won The Mayweather Mosley Fight? Shane Mosley vs Floyd Maywather Jr. Result – Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley will put on an excellent show during their fight at the MGM Grand. The odds favor Mayweather over Mosley, even though both fighters are well trained and look to be an excellent shape for the upcoming fight. Mosley, who is currently the welterweight champion, will be taking on the undefeated Floyd Mayweather in the upcoming fight. Mosley has said that he hopes to be able to over come the excellent defense of Mayweather on route to a victory. The experts have stated that Mayweather will likely have speed on his side, as he is notorious for throwing speedy jabs that do not give the defender time to properly defend themselves.
“Speed, overcome speed. I have a lot of speed as well and I think my jab, just be able to go in front of him and patch all day long,” Mosley said during the weigh-in. “I’m very good with the movement, with my speed, my power, everything is to fall in line.”
Mosley weighed in at 147 lbs, just one pound heavier than Mayweather did. Mayweather was relatively quiet during the early goings of the weigh in, but eventually did weigh in on what he has to do in order to win. “May the best man win. I’m pretty sure Shane feels deep in his heart and deep in his soul he’s ganna win and I feel the same way. That makes it a mega fight.”
Mosley responded by saying “That’s what people misinterpret about me. They think I’m just a puncher. I’, not just a puncher, I’m a boxer too as well. I start as a boxer when I was just an amateur then I end up becoming a puncher so I can knock out everybody so we could go into business.”
source:newsopi
pacquiao
May 2, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
Mayweather Demands Olympic Style Drug Testing Of Pacquiao On top of the fight everyone is talking about, the proposed March 13th mega event of Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr, fans and media are also talking about the Olympic Style Drug testing that team Mayweather Jr. is demanding in order for the fight to take place.
The rigorous testing, a stipulation brought forth during negotiations, will be in place to check both combatants blood and urine samples against steroids, illegal substances and chemicals that might improve performance.
Manny Pacquiao’s Boxing conditioning expert, Alex Ariza is apparently pissed off with the constant demands of the drug tests, which are in addition to the tests performed and required by the very capable Nevada State Athletic Commission. Ariza is not so much angry at the Olympic style drug testing (Ariza is cool with the extra drug testing) wanted by team Mayweather Jr. for both fighters, but is pissed that Team Mayweather Jr. seems to be keeping their focus on the unproven allegations that Pacquiao takes some sort of performance enhancing drug or steroid.
Ariza, who has a solid reputation in the business and is the man in charge of what Pacquiao puts in his body, was recently quoted by the Manila Standard in regards to the drug testing demands coming from Mayweather Jr’s camp. Ariza stated: “No matter where they try to look for something, at the end of the day, Mayweather is going to have to get in that ring and he is just going to have to show up.” Ariza went on to add: “All the posturing about Manny getting knocked out or being on steroids… all of that sh!t. He’s going to have to fight. There’s not going to be any excuses.”
For anyone wondering, Pacquiao has never failed a drug test before or tested positive for steroids or any kind of performance enhancing drugs or stimulants. Pacquiao has been subjected to numerous drug tests over the years by the very capable and highly respected Nevada State Athletics Commission and passed every drug test.
Rogge leads global tributes to Samaranch
GENEVA: Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former International Olympic Committee chief who died on Wednesday displayed “extraordinary vision and talent” in unifying the Olympic movement during his 21 years in charge, his successor Jacques Rogge said.
“I cannot find the words to express the distress of the Olympic Family,” said Rogge, who took over from the Spaniard at the helm of the most powerful organisation in sport in 2001.
“I am personally deeply saddened by the death of the man who built up the Olympic Games of the modern era, a man who inspired me, and whose knowledge of sport was truly exceptional.
“Thanks to his extraordinary vision and talent, Samaranch was the architect of a strong and unified Olympic Movement.
“I can only pay tribute to his tremendous achievements and legacy, and praise his genuine devotion to the Olympic movement and its values.
“We have lost a great man, a mentor and a friend who dedicated his long and fulfilled life to the Olympic movement.”
Rogge”s words were echoed by Lamine Diack, president of world athletics governing body the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
“I was very sad to hear about the death of Juan Antonio Samaranch, a man who I have no hesitation in describing as the person who transformed the modern Olympic movement into what it has become today,” said Diack.
“Samaranch worked with great energy, intelligence and the skills of a natural diplomat to create a unified Olympic movement and to ensure that the Olympic Games became the world”s most influential sporting event.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter saluted Samaranch”s “sense of commitment” and efforts “to protect sport” during a 35-years acquaintance.
“I always held him in great esteem,” said Blatter.
Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner responsible for sport, also paid tribute.
“Juan Antonio Samaranch was one of the great figures of the Olympic movement and an exceptional ambassador for the world of sport. He took the Olympics Games into a new era during his 21-year presidency of the IOC (1980-2001) and ensured that the spirit of Pierre de Coubertin was never forgotten amidst the huge pressures of modern sport.
“The Olympic flame burns brighter today thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Juan Antonio Samaranch,? said Commissioner Vassiliou.
Further tributes poured in from around the world, with Seb Coe, chairman of the 2012 London Olympics organising committee and a close friend of Samaranch, praising his leadership qualities.
“I have lost a friend, one that moulded my path through sport from my early 20s, and the world has lost an inspirational man,” said Coe, who won Olympic gold in the 1500m at the 1980 Games in Moscow and the 1984 edition in Los Angeles.
“A man that challenged us all to fight for sport, its primacy and its autonomy, a fight he led fearlessly from the front, creating an extraordinary sporting movement that reaches millions of people around the world.
“He was quite simply the most intuitive leader I have ever met.”
Sir Craig Reedie, the former British Olympic Association chairman and an IOC member since 1994, credited Samaranch with encouraging London to bid for the 2012 Games after previous unsuccessful bids from Birmingham and Manchester.
“He was quite clear that the only British city that would win was London,” recalled Reedie.
“He used to give me a hard time over Wembley because it wasn”t designed like the Stade de France (in Paris) with a running track as well.”
President of France Nicolas Sarkozy lauded Samaranch”s attempts to reach out beyond national boundaries to make the Olympics a truly global event.
“A very big and very important figure, Mr Samaranch facilitated the growth in power of the Olympic movement by opening it up to every athlete and every country,” said Sarkozy in a press release.
Competitors at the ATP Barcelona Open tennis tournament, which Samaranch often attended, remembered the Catalan with a minute”s silence prior to the second-round match between Spaniards David Ferrer and Marcelo Granollers.
samaranch
April 21, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
Ex-IOC president Samaranch dies
Juan Antonio Samaranch, a reserved but shrewd dealmaker who led the International Olympic Committee for 21 years, died Wednesday at hospital in Barcelona. He was 89.
Samaranch, a courtly former diplomat who served as Spanish ambassador in Moscow, led the IOC from 1980 to 2001. He was considered one of the defining presidents for building the IOC into a powerful global organization and firmly establishing the Olympics as a world force.
Samaranch was admitted to the Quiron Hospital in Barcelona on Sunday after experiencing heart trouble and died Wednesday at 1:25 p.m. local time.
“I cannot find the words to express the distress of the Olympic family,” IOC president Jacques Rogge said. “I am personally deeply saddened by the death of the man who built up the Olympic Games of the modern era, a man who inspired me, and whose knowledge of sport was truly exceptional.”
Small in stature and shy by nature, Samaranch appeared uncomfortable appearing or speaking in public. But behind the scenes, he was a skilled and sometimes ruthless operator who could forge consensus in the often fractious Olympic movement and push IOC members to deliver exactly what he wanted.
Samaranch was also a lighting rod for critics, who attacked him for his ties to the Franco era in Spain, his autocratic style and the IOC’s involvement in the Salt Lake City corruption scandal.
The Samaranch era was perhaps the most eventful in IOC history, spanning political boycotts, the end of amateurism and the advent of professionalism, the explosion of commercialization, a boom in growth and popularity of the Games, the scourge of doping, and the Salt Lake crisis.
source:cbc
