By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Keith_Braithwaite]Keith Braithwaite
It is now just over a year to go before the start of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. The city of London is gearing up as the host of both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games, as is the British National Lottery, which is raising around �2.2 billion to fund the gigantic events.
The money raised from the National Lottery will help to provide five new sports facilities for the Games including the main Olympic Stadium, Handball Arena, Hockey Centre, Velo Park and the Aquatic Centre. The 80 000 seat Olympic Stadium will be the focus of the sports facilities and will hold the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the track and field events. Progress has been good and the facilities are ready to be tested by the Olympic officials this summer.
"I am in no doubt that in 2012 we will see a great Games that will make a difference to us all," commented Jacques Rogue, the President of the International Olympic Committee, obviously pleased by the progress of the Olympic Stadium and the other London facilities.
The Queen Olympic Park District of London is the location of all the facilities already mentioned and will also house athletes from all over the globe. Once the Paralympic Games have ended the area is planned to become homes, business units, leisure facilities and parks. London Mayor Boris Johnson said, "Not since Georgian England has London seen such an ambitious and comprehensive vision for the new district." He is clearly excited about the progress made so far.
Meanwhile, of the �2.2 billion being raised for the project by the British National Lottery, �750 million will be raised from special lottery games being held by the National Lottery's administrators. Under the special games section there are 10 scratch card Olympic Games listed: these are Winners Luck, Super 7s, Lucky 7s, Royal 7s, Triple Cash, Money Spider, Mystic Dog, Double Red Hot 7, Monster Money and Blazing 7s. Another 34 Interactive Instant Win Olympic Games were also added to the Scratch Card Olympic Games. The portion of the revenue from these games usually set aside for good causes will go to the Olympic Distribution Fund (OLBF).
The National Lottery main draw will provide the remaining �1.45 billion planned for the 2012 Olympic Games. Since the British National Lottery started operating in 1994, donations to deserving charities from the organization have totalled �24 billion so such donations are nothing new. Of the money raised from each National Lottery ticket sold, 28% will go to charity and 50% funds the jackpot prizes.
This shows why the British National Lottery offers such large jackpot payments compared with other lotteries around the world. The organization running the National Lottery also administers the Euromillions draw and has on one occasion paid out �134 million and there have also been several other payouts exceeding �100 million.
Keith Braithwaite has had twenty years in and keenly observing direct selling. He is an accredited Elottery affiliate. Other passions include personal development, painting, drawing, photography cycling, walking and the outdoors generally.
Come over to [http://www.uklotterydraw.com/]UK Lottery Draw to find out more about how you can get more out of lotteries.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Update-On-The-British-National-Lottery-And-The-2012-Olympic-Games&id=6212117] Update On The British National Lottery And The 2012 Olympic Games
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
London Olympics Cycling
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Stu_J_Wilson]Stu J Wilson
The 2012 Olympics track cycling events will be held at the Velodrome in the Olympic Park, the nearest entrance to the Velodrome being the North entrance to the park, with Leyton Station being the closest underground tube station.
To the north of Leyton is Epping station which is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. New visitors to this area might like to know that Epping Forest is the largest public open space in the London area, at almost 6,000 acres. The reason Epping Forest is so important today as an open space and forest so close to London is that in 1878 Acts of Parliament were passed entrusting the care of the Forest to the City of London and appointing the City as the Conservator of the Forest. It still governs how it is managed today.
The Northern Spectator Transport Mall is closest to the North entrance of the Olympic Park and has park and ride facilities. It is also close to the London 2012 has a showing the Olympic Park layout.
The Olympic track cycling events take place from Thursday 2 August 2012 to Tuesday 7 August 2012 with 5 events for women and 5 for men. In total 10 medal events.
Other than the track cycling at the 2012 London Games there are two road cycling events, road racing,one for men (240 km and one for women (14 km) and a time trial (44 km for men and 29 km for women).
The road races will start in London at The Mall, passing through the city and over The Thames via Putney Bridge. Then on through Richmond Park to Hampton Court Palace, into Surrey and Box Hill and finally back to The Mall.
The time trials will include area of Richmond, Surrey and Kingston-upon-Thames and are to be held on 1st August 2012. The road race will be held on 28 July 2012.
Paralympic Cycling events are to be held from Wednesday 5 September to Saturday 8 September 2012 and there are 32 medal events with 155 men athletes and 70 women athletes over both road and track events.
In addition to the above both Mountain Biking and BMX events.
BMX - 2 medal events over an outdoor track in The Olympic Park to be held on 8 to 10 August 2012 with 48 athletes.
Mountain Biking - held away from the Olympic Park at Hadleigh Farm Essex on 11 and 12 August. 80 men and 30 women athletes competing in 2 medal events.
I have a short article with links to London 2012 and maps at this site, [http://helpandinfo.co.uk/wordpress/2011/05/02/london-olympics-cycling/]helpandinfo.co.uk
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?London-Olympics-Cycling&id=6231025] London Olympics Cycling
The 2012 Olympics track cycling events will be held at the Velodrome in the Olympic Park, the nearest entrance to the Velodrome being the North entrance to the park, with Leyton Station being the closest underground tube station.
To the north of Leyton is Epping station which is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. New visitors to this area might like to know that Epping Forest is the largest public open space in the London area, at almost 6,000 acres. The reason Epping Forest is so important today as an open space and forest so close to London is that in 1878 Acts of Parliament were passed entrusting the care of the Forest to the City of London and appointing the City as the Conservator of the Forest. It still governs how it is managed today.
The Northern Spectator Transport Mall is closest to the North entrance of the Olympic Park and has park and ride facilities. It is also close to the London 2012 has a showing the Olympic Park layout.
The Olympic track cycling events take place from Thursday 2 August 2012 to Tuesday 7 August 2012 with 5 events for women and 5 for men. In total 10 medal events.
Other than the track cycling at the 2012 London Games there are two road cycling events, road racing,one for men (240 km and one for women (14 km) and a time trial (44 km for men and 29 km for women).
The road races will start in London at The Mall, passing through the city and over The Thames via Putney Bridge. Then on through Richmond Park to Hampton Court Palace, into Surrey and Box Hill and finally back to The Mall.
The time trials will include area of Richmond, Surrey and Kingston-upon-Thames and are to be held on 1st August 2012. The road race will be held on 28 July 2012.
Paralympic Cycling events are to be held from Wednesday 5 September to Saturday 8 September 2012 and there are 32 medal events with 155 men athletes and 70 women athletes over both road and track events.
In addition to the above both Mountain Biking and BMX events.
BMX - 2 medal events over an outdoor track in The Olympic Park to be held on 8 to 10 August 2012 with 48 athletes.
Mountain Biking - held away from the Olympic Park at Hadleigh Farm Essex on 11 and 12 August. 80 men and 30 women athletes competing in 2 medal events.
I have a short article with links to London 2012 and maps at this site, [http://helpandinfo.co.uk/wordpress/2011/05/02/london-olympics-cycling/]helpandinfo.co.uk
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?London-Olympics-Cycling&id=6231025] London Olympics Cycling
Friday, January 27, 2012
Finding Accommodation for the London 2012 Olympics
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Symonds]Paul Symonds
The Olympic Games which are to be held in the city of London in 2012 is the largest sporting event that the UK has ever seen. The event will see thousands upon thousands of people visiting the city to see many of the world's best athletes compete for the best sporting accolade on earth, so finding accommodation in the city during this period could be difficult. Below are some tips on how to get around this. Book as early as possible - If you intend on visiting London for the Olympic Games you should try and book your accommodation as early as possible in order to avoid a last minute rush and almost certain disappointment. Take the time to compare prices on the Internet as this is where you will find the best deals.
Consider staying Outside of the city centre - The hotels in the city centre are likely to be heavily oversubscribed and also very expensive, so consider staying further out and travelling in for the events. This is likely to save you money overall and enhance your chances of finding accommodation. Staying in nearby cities and towns including in Reading and Brighton can be worth considering. If you are based in a hotel close to the train or bus station in a place such as Reading, getting to the Olympics venue might not take you any longer than if you were on the other side of London from the main site.
Consider which events you will be attending - The various Olympic events are spread around, so you should consider where the venue is that you will be attending and, for convenience purposes, attempt to book a hotel which is either in the area or has good links to it. Planning ahead could save you a lot of time and hassle. If you are staying in central London, try and grab a hotel near the venue you have tickets for, before they are booked out. Consider attending also the idea of attending an event such as the Olympics football in Cardiff and Newcastle. Tickets and accommodation will both be much easier to acquire.
Check for cancellations - If, as the games approach, you find yourself still without accommodation, it is worth ringing hotels on the day that you require accommodation in order to see if any cancellations have been made. You could even request to go on a list to be contacted should cancellations be made. Also you might want to dig out that old address book and befriend some of those people you haven't talked to in years and who live in London.
Paul writes about a number of matters including travel and [http://www.londontravelsuk.com/Olympics/Getting-2012-accommodation.html]London Olympics accommodation and [http://www.londontravelsuk.com/Olympics/]London travel culture for tourist to the capital of England.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Finding-Accommodation-for-the-London-2012-Olympics&id=6270216] Finding Accommodation for the London 2012 Olympics
The Olympic Games which are to be held in the city of London in 2012 is the largest sporting event that the UK has ever seen. The event will see thousands upon thousands of people visiting the city to see many of the world's best athletes compete for the best sporting accolade on earth, so finding accommodation in the city during this period could be difficult. Below are some tips on how to get around this. Book as early as possible - If you intend on visiting London for the Olympic Games you should try and book your accommodation as early as possible in order to avoid a last minute rush and almost certain disappointment. Take the time to compare prices on the Internet as this is where you will find the best deals.
Consider staying Outside of the city centre - The hotels in the city centre are likely to be heavily oversubscribed and also very expensive, so consider staying further out and travelling in for the events. This is likely to save you money overall and enhance your chances of finding accommodation. Staying in nearby cities and towns including in Reading and Brighton can be worth considering. If you are based in a hotel close to the train or bus station in a place such as Reading, getting to the Olympics venue might not take you any longer than if you were on the other side of London from the main site.
Consider which events you will be attending - The various Olympic events are spread around, so you should consider where the venue is that you will be attending and, for convenience purposes, attempt to book a hotel which is either in the area or has good links to it. Planning ahead could save you a lot of time and hassle. If you are staying in central London, try and grab a hotel near the venue you have tickets for, before they are booked out. Consider attending also the idea of attending an event such as the Olympics football in Cardiff and Newcastle. Tickets and accommodation will both be much easier to acquire.
Check for cancellations - If, as the games approach, you find yourself still without accommodation, it is worth ringing hotels on the day that you require accommodation in order to see if any cancellations have been made. You could even request to go on a list to be contacted should cancellations be made. Also you might want to dig out that old address book and befriend some of those people you haven't talked to in years and who live in London.
Paul writes about a number of matters including travel and [http://www.londontravelsuk.com/Olympics/Getting-2012-accommodation.html]London Olympics accommodation and [http://www.londontravelsuk.com/Olympics/]London travel culture for tourist to the capital of England.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Finding-Accommodation-for-the-London-2012-Olympics&id=6270216] Finding Accommodation for the London 2012 Olympics
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Going for Gold - India at the London Olympics
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pooja_Kamboj]Pooja Kamboj
The London Olympics 2012 has been officially named as the Games of the XXX Olympiad. These games will be held in London, United Kingdom and the events will take place from 27 July 2012 to 12 August 2012. The opening and the closing ceremony of the event will be held in Olympic Stadium. Post this big sports event, London will be recognized as the first city to officially host the Olympic Games three times. London was elected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC session in Singapore, defeating Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris after four rounds of voting.
The motto of the London Olympics 2012 is "Live as one". The mascots of this edition are Wenlock and Mandeville, two figures with one eye each with a metallic finish. Both of them are designed with deep implied meaning and convey various messages to the world. The London games features 26 sports and a total of 38 disciplines. The major sports events that will draw the attention of the spectators and media in 2012 edition are swimming, archery, football, table tennis, volleyball, boxing and weightlifting.
The number of countries participating in the Olympics 2012 goes up to more than 200 with the count of athletes touching the 18,000 mark.
India made its debut in the Paris Olympics in 1900 and has won a total of 20 medals, nine of them gold.
Eying more laurels in the London Olympics, India have already started its preparations in three disciplines - shooting, archery and hockey. India is eyeing to qualify in about 16 disciplines in the London Olympics. The 16 disciplines which are on India's radar for the London Olympics are archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, gymnastics, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
Major Indian medal hopes expected to compete in London include Saina Nehwal, Tejaswini Sawant, Gagan Narang, Sushil Kumar, Vijender Kumar and Mary Kom. India will be hoping that Mary Kom wins the gold in 2012 London Olympics, where women's boxing will make its debut.
India is targeting around 10-12 medals during London games.
An Olympic flag was raised outside City Hall on Friday, 26 September 2008 to celebrate the start of the cultural Olympiad. The flag will continue to fly outside City Hall until the day of the Olympic opening ceremony. On the same day, the Paralympic flag was raised outside City Hall.
Find out everything you need to know about [http://www.thesportsmirror.com/]London Olympics 2012 at [http://www.thesportsmirror.com/]The Sports Mirror.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Going-for-Gold---India-at-the-London-Olympics&id=6262811] Going for Gold - India at the London Olympics
The London Olympics 2012 has been officially named as the Games of the XXX Olympiad. These games will be held in London, United Kingdom and the events will take place from 27 July 2012 to 12 August 2012. The opening and the closing ceremony of the event will be held in Olympic Stadium. Post this big sports event, London will be recognized as the first city to officially host the Olympic Games three times. London was elected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC session in Singapore, defeating Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris after four rounds of voting.
The motto of the London Olympics 2012 is "Live as one". The mascots of this edition are Wenlock and Mandeville, two figures with one eye each with a metallic finish. Both of them are designed with deep implied meaning and convey various messages to the world. The London games features 26 sports and a total of 38 disciplines. The major sports events that will draw the attention of the spectators and media in 2012 edition are swimming, archery, football, table tennis, volleyball, boxing and weightlifting.
The number of countries participating in the Olympics 2012 goes up to more than 200 with the count of athletes touching the 18,000 mark.
India made its debut in the Paris Olympics in 1900 and has won a total of 20 medals, nine of them gold.
Eying more laurels in the London Olympics, India have already started its preparations in three disciplines - shooting, archery and hockey. India is eyeing to qualify in about 16 disciplines in the London Olympics. The 16 disciplines which are on India's radar for the London Olympics are archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, gymnastics, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
Major Indian medal hopes expected to compete in London include Saina Nehwal, Tejaswini Sawant, Gagan Narang, Sushil Kumar, Vijender Kumar and Mary Kom. India will be hoping that Mary Kom wins the gold in 2012 London Olympics, where women's boxing will make its debut.
India is targeting around 10-12 medals during London games.
An Olympic flag was raised outside City Hall on Friday, 26 September 2008 to celebrate the start of the cultural Olympiad. The flag will continue to fly outside City Hall until the day of the Olympic opening ceremony. On the same day, the Paralympic flag was raised outside City Hall.
Find out everything you need to know about [http://www.thesportsmirror.com/]London Olympics 2012 at [http://www.thesportsmirror.com/]The Sports Mirror.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Going-for-Gold---India-at-the-London-Olympics&id=6262811] Going for Gold - India at the London Olympics
Monday, January 23, 2012
1924 First Winter Olympics: Fun Facts
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Becky_Springdale]Becky Springdale
Chamonix 1924 First Winter Olympics: Fun Fact 1
Retrospective Designation
The French Olympic Committee organized an "International Winter Sports Week" in association with the 1924 Summer Olympics. But it was only in 1925, that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to hold Winter Olympic Games independent of the Olympic Games. As a result, the 1924 International Week of Winter Sports had its name officially changed to I Olympic Winter Games.
The First Winter Games were hosted at Les Houches, Chamonix France.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 2
What happened prior?
Prior to the 1924 Winter Olympics, only some winter sports were Olympic events. For example, Ice Hockey was introduced as an Olympic Event in Antwerp in 1920 and Figure Skating was an Event at the London Olympics in 1908 and the Antwerp Olympics.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 3
Last medal - 1974
The final medal for the 1924 Winter Games, was presented in 1974. A scoring error was noticed 50 years after the event and the bronze medal for ski jumping was presented to the American, Anders Haugen. He was the first American to win a ski jumping medal.
Haugen had been recorded as finishing fourth and the bronze medal had been awarded to a Norwegian skier Thorleif Haug, who also won three gold medals at the 1924 Winter Games.
In 1974, at the age of 86, Haugen traveled to Norway and was given the bronze medal by Thorleif Haug's daughter.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 4
Gold recognized in 2006
Great Britain won the Gold at the Curling event at the 1924 Winter Games, although it wasn't recognized until 2006, 82 years later.
It seems Curling was thought to be a demonstration event in the 1924 Games and it was only a campaign by The Herald in Glasgow that led to the IOC's decision in 2006 to award the gold medal.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 5
Award for No Event
A Prize was awarded at the closing of the 1924 Winter Games for the sport of rel=nofollow [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_Winter_Olympics]Alpinisme or "Haute Montagne". This is a European term for mountaineering. The prize was awarded to Charles Granville Bruce, who led the expedition that attempted the climb of Mount Everest in 1922.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 6
Biathalon Beginnings
The demonstration event Military Patrol was first included in the 1924 First Winter Games. This is a combination of cross country skiing, mountaineering and shooting. The modern sport is Biathalon and this was first introduced into the Winter Olympics program in 1960.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 7
1924 - 1992
The Winter Olympics would continue from the start in 1924 to be held in the same years of the Olympic Games proper until 1992.
Chamonix: Future Olympic Host?
The original buildings from the 1924 events at Les Houches are not much in evidence now although the Olympic Stadium has been rebuilt.
Currently you can [http://www.ski-chamonix.net/ski-les-houches.html]ski Les Houches. The famous Kandahar piste here is home to the World Cup Downhill Championships. It is long, steep and fast.
Annecy, a town about an hour from Chamonix is contender to be host to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Read more on the 1924 First Winter Olympics: Fun Facts. [http://www.ski-chamonix.net/index.html]www.ski-chamonix.net
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?1924-First-Winter-Olympics:-Fun-Facts&id=6286452] 1924 First Winter Olympics: Fun Facts
Chamonix 1924 First Winter Olympics: Fun Fact 1
Retrospective Designation
The French Olympic Committee organized an "International Winter Sports Week" in association with the 1924 Summer Olympics. But it was only in 1925, that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to hold Winter Olympic Games independent of the Olympic Games. As a result, the 1924 International Week of Winter Sports had its name officially changed to I Olympic Winter Games.
The First Winter Games were hosted at Les Houches, Chamonix France.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 2
What happened prior?
Prior to the 1924 Winter Olympics, only some winter sports were Olympic events. For example, Ice Hockey was introduced as an Olympic Event in Antwerp in 1920 and Figure Skating was an Event at the London Olympics in 1908 and the Antwerp Olympics.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 3
Last medal - 1974
The final medal for the 1924 Winter Games, was presented in 1974. A scoring error was noticed 50 years after the event and the bronze medal for ski jumping was presented to the American, Anders Haugen. He was the first American to win a ski jumping medal.
Haugen had been recorded as finishing fourth and the bronze medal had been awarded to a Norwegian skier Thorleif Haug, who also won three gold medals at the 1924 Winter Games.
In 1974, at the age of 86, Haugen traveled to Norway and was given the bronze medal by Thorleif Haug's daughter.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 4
Gold recognized in 2006
Great Britain won the Gold at the Curling event at the 1924 Winter Games, although it wasn't recognized until 2006, 82 years later.
It seems Curling was thought to be a demonstration event in the 1924 Games and it was only a campaign by The Herald in Glasgow that led to the IOC's decision in 2006 to award the gold medal.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 5
Award for No Event
A Prize was awarded at the closing of the 1924 Winter Games for the sport of rel=nofollow [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_Winter_Olympics]Alpinisme or "Haute Montagne". This is a European term for mountaineering. The prize was awarded to Charles Granville Bruce, who led the expedition that attempted the climb of Mount Everest in 1922.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 6
Biathalon Beginnings
The demonstration event Military Patrol was first included in the 1924 First Winter Games. This is a combination of cross country skiing, mountaineering and shooting. The modern sport is Biathalon and this was first introduced into the Winter Olympics program in 1960.
Chamonix 1924: Fun Fact 7
1924 - 1992
The Winter Olympics would continue from the start in 1924 to be held in the same years of the Olympic Games proper until 1992.
Chamonix: Future Olympic Host?
The original buildings from the 1924 events at Les Houches are not much in evidence now although the Olympic Stadium has been rebuilt.
Currently you can [http://www.ski-chamonix.net/ski-les-houches.html]ski Les Houches. The famous Kandahar piste here is home to the World Cup Downhill Championships. It is long, steep and fast.
Annecy, a town about an hour from Chamonix is contender to be host to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Read more on the 1924 First Winter Olympics: Fun Facts. [http://www.ski-chamonix.net/index.html]www.ski-chamonix.net
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?1924-First-Winter-Olympics:-Fun-Facts&id=6286452] 1924 First Winter Olympics: Fun Facts
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Most Common Sports And Activities In The Olympics
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lori_Buenavista]Lori Buenavista
There are 32 individual and team sports played in the Olympic Games. The 2010 Olympic Games listed a total of 80 participating nations who competes each other for a prize. Some of the most popular sports include the following.
Alpine Skiing
Alpine skiing started as a sport in the Olympics on 1936. There are five main events in this sport. The events include the slalom, downhill, giant slalom, combined, and super G. The sports often require the skiers to slide down a snow-covered hill.
Artistic Gymnastics
It is one of the fields of gymnastics wherein the gymnast need to perform different routine. The gymnast is the term given to the person who does the stunts with the use of different apparatus. Some of the equipments or apparatus they use include the vault, parallel bars, and high bars.
Badminton
Badminton is one of the racket sport played by 1 or two players on each team. They make use of the net, racket, and the shuttlecock. Usually the game is often played up to 15 points. There are different rules that govern the men and women division.
Baseball
Baseball started even before the American Civil War. The first organized baseball league is the National Association of Base Ball Players. Baseball was also known as the national pastime of many people before.
Basketball
It is one of the many team sports played by two teams in a court. Basketball is one of the most watched sports nowadays because of the emergence of many celebrities who became famous because of basketball. Basketball players get points by simply shooing on the basket.
Bowling
The sport makes use of a bowling ball. They are often played by throwing the ball into the flat surface where bowling pins stand on the other side. It is one of the most preferred sport by some people because it helps those muscle groups that are not often exercised in other sport activities.
Football (Soccer)
It is also a team sport which aims to advance the ball into a certain goal. Unlike basketball which makes use of the hand in dribbling the ball, soccer makes use of the feet and legs by simply kicking the ball into the goal.
Taekwondo
It is a Korean Martial Arts which spreads all over the world. It was commonly termed after three Korean terms "tae" which means to break or strike with the use of the feet, "kwon" which means to strike with the fist, and do" which is an art. Thus, the sport means the art of kicking and punching.
Archery
This is an individual sport. The archer makes use of different materials like the bow, rel=nofollow [http://www.redmountainarchery.com/home/products/economy-arrows]arrow shafts or cedar arrow shafts, arrows, target, and protective equipments.
Lori Buenavista has been in the field of archery for a long time and maintains a website about [http://www.redmountainarchery.com/home/products/cedar-arrow-shafts]cedar arrow shafts where you can get answers to the rest of your questions.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Most-Common-Sports-And-Activities-In-The-Olympics&id=6364849] Most Common Sports And Activities In The Olympics
There are 32 individual and team sports played in the Olympic Games. The 2010 Olympic Games listed a total of 80 participating nations who competes each other for a prize. Some of the most popular sports include the following.
Alpine Skiing
Alpine skiing started as a sport in the Olympics on 1936. There are five main events in this sport. The events include the slalom, downhill, giant slalom, combined, and super G. The sports often require the skiers to slide down a snow-covered hill.
Artistic Gymnastics
It is one of the fields of gymnastics wherein the gymnast need to perform different routine. The gymnast is the term given to the person who does the stunts with the use of different apparatus. Some of the equipments or apparatus they use include the vault, parallel bars, and high bars.
Badminton
Badminton is one of the racket sport played by 1 or two players on each team. They make use of the net, racket, and the shuttlecock. Usually the game is often played up to 15 points. There are different rules that govern the men and women division.
Baseball
Baseball started even before the American Civil War. The first organized baseball league is the National Association of Base Ball Players. Baseball was also known as the national pastime of many people before.
Basketball
It is one of the many team sports played by two teams in a court. Basketball is one of the most watched sports nowadays because of the emergence of many celebrities who became famous because of basketball. Basketball players get points by simply shooing on the basket.
Bowling
The sport makes use of a bowling ball. They are often played by throwing the ball into the flat surface where bowling pins stand on the other side. It is one of the most preferred sport by some people because it helps those muscle groups that are not often exercised in other sport activities.
Football (Soccer)
It is also a team sport which aims to advance the ball into a certain goal. Unlike basketball which makes use of the hand in dribbling the ball, soccer makes use of the feet and legs by simply kicking the ball into the goal.
Taekwondo
It is a Korean Martial Arts which spreads all over the world. It was commonly termed after three Korean terms "tae" which means to break or strike with the use of the feet, "kwon" which means to strike with the fist, and do" which is an art. Thus, the sport means the art of kicking and punching.
Archery
This is an individual sport. The archer makes use of different materials like the bow, rel=nofollow [http://www.redmountainarchery.com/home/products/economy-arrows]arrow shafts or cedar arrow shafts, arrows, target, and protective equipments.
Lori Buenavista has been in the field of archery for a long time and maintains a website about [http://www.redmountainarchery.com/home/products/cedar-arrow-shafts]cedar arrow shafts where you can get answers to the rest of your questions.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Most-Common-Sports-And-Activities-In-The-Olympics&id=6364849] Most Common Sports And Activities In The Olympics
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The History of the Winter Olympic Games
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrey_Vasin]Andrey Vasin
The first Winter Olympic Games started in 1901. It was originally called the "Nordic Games." First held in Sweden, the games were organized by Viktor Gustaf Balck. Three years later, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), under the leadership of Italian count Eugenio Brunetta d'Usseaux, proposed the staging of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. However, the IOC members opposed the proposal due to the lack of facilities for winter sporting events. In 1920, the Antwerp Winter Olympic Games was held after the First World War. After the IOC Congress in 1921, the committee chose France to host the 1924 Winter Olympics.
During the Second World War, the IOC postponed the 1940 Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan. The IOC's decision in postponing the said event led to its withdrawal in 1938 after the invasion of Japanese forces in China. In 1939, the games were moved from Sapporo to Garmisch-Partenkirchen City in Germany. However, due to the German Invasion in Poland, the IOC again cancelled the games in the city. The 1944 Winter Games in Italy were also cancelled.
After the World War II years, the IOC decided to continue the celebration of the Winter Olympics. The committee chose the Norwegian capital Oslo to host the 1952 Winter Games. The event pioneered the lighting of the "Winter Olympic Flame" which was originally designed by home skiing professional Sondre Nordheim. The lighting was spearheaded by Olympic medalists Hjalmar Andersen of Norway and Chiharu Igaya of Japan. The 1956 Olympics in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy became the most-talked about Olympic event after torch bearer Guido Caroli suffered from an accident while lighting the Olympic flame. The 1960 Winter Games were held in Squaw Valley, a remote village in the US. The opening and closing ceremonies of the 1960 games were produced by Walt Disney. Since then, the IOC has been frequently offering North American and some Asian countries to host the Winter Olympics.
In 2003, Canada accepted IOC's offer to host the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. However, the event stirred controversies after lack of safety measures were found in most of its facilities, including the Olympic track which caused the death of one of its participants, a Gregorian luger named Nodar Kuramitashvili. In July 2007, the IOC chose Sochi City, Russia to host the 2014 Winter Olympics games. The host city for the 2018 Winter Games is not yet determined by the IOC for now.
Find information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-the-Winter-Olympic-Games&id=6375307] The History of the Winter Olympic Games
The first Winter Olympic Games started in 1901. It was originally called the "Nordic Games." First held in Sweden, the games were organized by Viktor Gustaf Balck. Three years later, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), under the leadership of Italian count Eugenio Brunetta d'Usseaux, proposed the staging of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. However, the IOC members opposed the proposal due to the lack of facilities for winter sporting events. In 1920, the Antwerp Winter Olympic Games was held after the First World War. After the IOC Congress in 1921, the committee chose France to host the 1924 Winter Olympics.
During the Second World War, the IOC postponed the 1940 Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan. The IOC's decision in postponing the said event led to its withdrawal in 1938 after the invasion of Japanese forces in China. In 1939, the games were moved from Sapporo to Garmisch-Partenkirchen City in Germany. However, due to the German Invasion in Poland, the IOC again cancelled the games in the city. The 1944 Winter Games in Italy were also cancelled.
After the World War II years, the IOC decided to continue the celebration of the Winter Olympics. The committee chose the Norwegian capital Oslo to host the 1952 Winter Games. The event pioneered the lighting of the "Winter Olympic Flame" which was originally designed by home skiing professional Sondre Nordheim. The lighting was spearheaded by Olympic medalists Hjalmar Andersen of Norway and Chiharu Igaya of Japan. The 1956 Olympics in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy became the most-talked about Olympic event after torch bearer Guido Caroli suffered from an accident while lighting the Olympic flame. The 1960 Winter Games were held in Squaw Valley, a remote village in the US. The opening and closing ceremonies of the 1960 games were produced by Walt Disney. Since then, the IOC has been frequently offering North American and some Asian countries to host the Winter Olympics.
In 2003, Canada accepted IOC's offer to host the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. However, the event stirred controversies after lack of safety measures were found in most of its facilities, including the Olympic track which caused the death of one of its participants, a Gregorian luger named Nodar Kuramitashvili. In July 2007, the IOC chose Sochi City, Russia to host the 2014 Winter Olympics games. The host city for the 2018 Winter Games is not yet determined by the IOC for now.
Find information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-the-Winter-Olympic-Games&id=6375307] The History of the Winter Olympic Games
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games: Its Role in Infrastructure, Telecommunication, and Politics
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrey_Vasin]Andrey Vasin
For Russia the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games will play a huge role in its infrastructure, telecommunication, and politics. In a report released by the Federal Target Programme (FTP), as of June 2009 the organizers of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games have been designating its Olympic facilities in advance. According to the FTP, the Russian government is expected to allot $580 million for the construction of facilities for the Winter Olympic Games. The budget will be also used for the following:
Construction of digital broadcasting infrastructures, including radio and TV stations assigned to cover the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.
Assembly of "info-communication centers" for HDTV satellite coverage of the games worldwide.
Modernization of the TETRA local mobile radio for the 100 target user groups who will cover the events via radio.
The extension of fiber-optic cables along the Anapa-Dzhubga-Sochi highway and other Krasnodar towns. The cables will enable live news feeds and video conferences from the games.
The Sochi City Light Metro is expected to take its construction between the Krasnaya Polyana and Adler roads. The Krasnaya Polyana is where the Olympic Park will be located. The Adler railroad meanwhile will be constructed to enable its regional telecommunications services during the Winter Olympic season. In December 2009, The Russian Railways ordered the designation of 38 Seimens Mobility trains in Sochi. The trains will serve as the official transportation of the athletes and other delegates. A 3.5 km runway extension is set to be constructed along the Sochi Airport. The runway will be situated along the Mzymta River fronting Sochi City's backup airports.
As of May 2009, Russian Railways already started the construction of the "Tunnel Complex No.1" within the Adler and Alpica railroads. The railway tunnel is expected to be finished in 2013. According to Vladimir Yakunin, head of Russian Railways, the Tunnel Complex No. 1 is where the mobility trains provided by Seimens will take its passage. Yakunin also stated that the construction of the tunnel is expected to cost 200 billion Rubbles (Russia's official currency).
In May 2010, the National Anti-Criminal and Anti-Terrorist Fund in Russia expressed their concerns regarding the tight security of Sochi City in the upcoming Winter Olympics. According to Oleg Nechiporkenko, chief analyst of the said agency, the city's capacity to host the 2013 Winter Olympic Games is impossible due to the car bombing incidents that continues to occur in some Krasnodar communities. Envoy to North Caucasus Alexander Khloponin stated the event's impact in the Sochi's tourism industry.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-2014-Sochi-Winter-Olympic-Games:-Its-Role-in-Infrastructure,-Telecommunication,-and-Politics&id=6375326] The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games: Its Role in Infrastructure, Telecommunication, and Politics
For Russia the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games will play a huge role in its infrastructure, telecommunication, and politics. In a report released by the Federal Target Programme (FTP), as of June 2009 the organizers of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games have been designating its Olympic facilities in advance. According to the FTP, the Russian government is expected to allot $580 million for the construction of facilities for the Winter Olympic Games. The budget will be also used for the following:
Construction of digital broadcasting infrastructures, including radio and TV stations assigned to cover the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.
Assembly of "info-communication centers" for HDTV satellite coverage of the games worldwide.
Modernization of the TETRA local mobile radio for the 100 target user groups who will cover the events via radio.
The extension of fiber-optic cables along the Anapa-Dzhubga-Sochi highway and other Krasnodar towns. The cables will enable live news feeds and video conferences from the games.
The Sochi City Light Metro is expected to take its construction between the Krasnaya Polyana and Adler roads. The Krasnaya Polyana is where the Olympic Park will be located. The Adler railroad meanwhile will be constructed to enable its regional telecommunications services during the Winter Olympic season. In December 2009, The Russian Railways ordered the designation of 38 Seimens Mobility trains in Sochi. The trains will serve as the official transportation of the athletes and other delegates. A 3.5 km runway extension is set to be constructed along the Sochi Airport. The runway will be situated along the Mzymta River fronting Sochi City's backup airports.
As of May 2009, Russian Railways already started the construction of the "Tunnel Complex No.1" within the Adler and Alpica railroads. The railway tunnel is expected to be finished in 2013. According to Vladimir Yakunin, head of Russian Railways, the Tunnel Complex No. 1 is where the mobility trains provided by Seimens will take its passage. Yakunin also stated that the construction of the tunnel is expected to cost 200 billion Rubbles (Russia's official currency).
In May 2010, the National Anti-Criminal and Anti-Terrorist Fund in Russia expressed their concerns regarding the tight security of Sochi City in the upcoming Winter Olympics. According to Oleg Nechiporkenko, chief analyst of the said agency, the city's capacity to host the 2013 Winter Olympic Games is impossible due to the car bombing incidents that continues to occur in some Krasnodar communities. Envoy to North Caucasus Alexander Khloponin stated the event's impact in the Sochi's tourism industry.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-2014-Sochi-Winter-Olympic-Games:-Its-Role-in-Infrastructure,-Telecommunication,-and-Politics&id=6375326] The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games: Its Role in Infrastructure, Telecommunication, and Politics
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: An Overview
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrey_Vasin]Andrey Vasin
The 2014 Winter Olympic Games, or officially known as 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, will be the next worldwide winter sports event to be held from February 7 - 23, 2014 in Sochi City, Krasnodar Krai province, Russia. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose Sochi as the next city to host the Winter Olympic Games during its 119th session held in Guatemala on July 2007. This will be the first time Russia will host the Winter Olympics. In 1980, the country hosted the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. 2014 Sochi Olympic Games are very important for the Russian economy and politics, as well as for overall country image.
In March 2008, days after the Russian Presidential Elections, a referendum was held in Sochi in election for the "Official Mascot for the 2014 Winter Games." More than 270,000 local residents responded to the referendum's call and eventually paved way for the selection of four mascot candidates: A polar bear, dolphin, snowflake and "ded moroz." A representative from the Sochi City administration revealed that the majority of the votes went to the dolphin. However, representatives from the Sochi Organizing Committee for Sports disagreed with the city's idea of using the dolphin as a probable official mascot for the2014 Sochi Winter Olympics due to inconsistencies from elections held in other Russian towns and cities.
In December 2009, the official logo for the Sochi Winter Games was released. According to IOC President Jacques Rogge, the logo's innovative and appealing design signifies the crucial role of the Winter Games in uniting the youth. In February 2010, the official results from the public vote for the official mascot were announced in the "Talismaniya Sochi 2014," a TV show produced by Russia's biggest network, Channel One. Based from the highest number of votes garnered, The Mascot Election Council named the three official mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics - "The Leopard" by Vadim Pak, "The Polar Bear" by Oleg Serdechniy and "The Hare" by Silviya Petrova.
The council's announcement of the three mascots caused several controversies and criticisms. According to Sochi city officials, the votes were manipulated during the second round of voting. They also questioned the credibility of choosing the three mascots, which were reportedly said to be plain favorites of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chairman and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko aired his statements in Channel One but refused to comment on the online vote results that went to the "Zoich Frog." Chernyshenko also stated his vision for the Winter Olympics.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-2014-Sochi-Winter-Olympics:-An-Overview&id=6375406] The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: An Overview
The 2014 Winter Olympic Games, or officially known as 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, will be the next worldwide winter sports event to be held from February 7 - 23, 2014 in Sochi City, Krasnodar Krai province, Russia. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose Sochi as the next city to host the Winter Olympic Games during its 119th session held in Guatemala on July 2007. This will be the first time Russia will host the Winter Olympics. In 1980, the country hosted the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. 2014 Sochi Olympic Games are very important for the Russian economy and politics, as well as for overall country image.
In March 2008, days after the Russian Presidential Elections, a referendum was held in Sochi in election for the "Official Mascot for the 2014 Winter Games." More than 270,000 local residents responded to the referendum's call and eventually paved way for the selection of four mascot candidates: A polar bear, dolphin, snowflake and "ded moroz." A representative from the Sochi City administration revealed that the majority of the votes went to the dolphin. However, representatives from the Sochi Organizing Committee for Sports disagreed with the city's idea of using the dolphin as a probable official mascot for the2014 Sochi Winter Olympics due to inconsistencies from elections held in other Russian towns and cities.
In December 2009, the official logo for the Sochi Winter Games was released. According to IOC President Jacques Rogge, the logo's innovative and appealing design signifies the crucial role of the Winter Games in uniting the youth. In February 2010, the official results from the public vote for the official mascot were announced in the "Talismaniya Sochi 2014," a TV show produced by Russia's biggest network, Channel One. Based from the highest number of votes garnered, The Mascot Election Council named the three official mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics - "The Leopard" by Vadim Pak, "The Polar Bear" by Oleg Serdechniy and "The Hare" by Silviya Petrova.
The council's announcement of the three mascots caused several controversies and criticisms. According to Sochi city officials, the votes were manipulated during the second round of voting. They also questioned the credibility of choosing the three mascots, which were reportedly said to be plain favorites of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chairman and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko aired his statements in Channel One but refused to comment on the online vote results that went to the "Zoich Frog." Chernyshenko also stated his vision for the Winter Olympics.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-2014-Sochi-Winter-Olympics:-An-Overview&id=6375406] The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: An Overview
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrey_Vasin]Andrey Vasin
The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee comprises of some of the most distinguished politicians in Russia. The committee will take the responsibility of managing all events related to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, including execution of financial plans for the Sochi 2014 budget. The committee will not only monitor and manage the course of the Olympic objects' development, but resolve all issues around the environment, public relations and political image. The committee is spearheaded by three members:
Alexander Zhukov is a former deputy prime minister of Russia who was recently elected as President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in May 2010. Before entering politics, Zhukov successfully finished his Economics and Mathematics degree at the Moscow State University. He also finished his master's degree from the Harvard Business School in 1991. Zhukov served as vice president of the AVTOTRAKTOR Industry and became a board director for East-West Bank in 1992. He formally began his political career in 1994 when he was appointed by former acting Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin to serve as deputy head for the State Duma Financial Committee. A decade later, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov appointed Zhukov as the first Russian deputy prime minister under his rule. Prior to his appointment as head of the ROC, Zhukov has played an active role during the initial preparations for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games last year. He will take over Leonid Tyagachev's seat after his voluntary resignation as 2010 Vancouver Olympic Committee head.
Dmitry Kozak is the current deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation. He is famously known to his countrymen as a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kozak served as chairman of the Putin's campaign team when the latter ran for presidency during the 2004 Russian Presidential Elections. He also became an active member of the media committee administered by the Russian government until 2008. Born in the remote village of Bondurovo located in the Kirovohrad region, Kozak served as the head of the legal department of the Monolit-Kirovstroy Company and chief legal consultant for the Russian Association of Trade Ports in 1989.
Alexei Kudrin is the country's deputy prime minister for finance. He entered the world of politics in 1996 under the presidential rule of Boris Yeltsin. With more than ten years of service, Kudrin's highly-reputed status in approving budget reforms and intensifying the country's "free market" rule earned him the "2010 Finance Minister of the Year" award from Euromoney magazine and World Trade Organization. Born in October 12, 1960, Kudrin graduated in Finance and Economics.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Sochi-2014-Winter-Olympic-Games-Organizing-Committee&id=6375431] The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee
The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee comprises of some of the most distinguished politicians in Russia. The committee will take the responsibility of managing all events related to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, including execution of financial plans for the Sochi 2014 budget. The committee will not only monitor and manage the course of the Olympic objects' development, but resolve all issues around the environment, public relations and political image. The committee is spearheaded by three members:
Alexander Zhukov is a former deputy prime minister of Russia who was recently elected as President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in May 2010. Before entering politics, Zhukov successfully finished his Economics and Mathematics degree at the Moscow State University. He also finished his master's degree from the Harvard Business School in 1991. Zhukov served as vice president of the AVTOTRAKTOR Industry and became a board director for East-West Bank in 1992. He formally began his political career in 1994 when he was appointed by former acting Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin to serve as deputy head for the State Duma Financial Committee. A decade later, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov appointed Zhukov as the first Russian deputy prime minister under his rule. Prior to his appointment as head of the ROC, Zhukov has played an active role during the initial preparations for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games last year. He will take over Leonid Tyagachev's seat after his voluntary resignation as 2010 Vancouver Olympic Committee head.
Dmitry Kozak is the current deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation. He is famously known to his countrymen as a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kozak served as chairman of the Putin's campaign team when the latter ran for presidency during the 2004 Russian Presidential Elections. He also became an active member of the media committee administered by the Russian government until 2008. Born in the remote village of Bondurovo located in the Kirovohrad region, Kozak served as the head of the legal department of the Monolit-Kirovstroy Company and chief legal consultant for the Russian Association of Trade Ports in 1989.
Alexei Kudrin is the country's deputy prime minister for finance. He entered the world of politics in 1996 under the presidential rule of Boris Yeltsin. With more than ten years of service, Kudrin's highly-reputed status in approving budget reforms and intensifying the country's "free market" rule earned him the "2010 Finance Minister of the Year" award from Euromoney magazine and World Trade Organization. Born in October 12, 1960, Kudrin graduated in Finance and Economics.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Sochi-2014-Winter-Olympic-Games-Organizing-Committee&id=6375431] The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games Organizing Committee
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Meet the Team Behind the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrey_Vasin]Andrey Vasin
The Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi, Russia is a gargantuan event involving multiple facets. To make the pressure greater, the International Olympic Committee believes that each Olympic staging must be better than the last one. In fact, the whole world is watching them. Not one person, or even one group, can tackle such a massive task alone. This is why the team that would make this Olympic Games possible is not the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee alone. Rather, this committee is part of a bigger team, the entire Olympic family. It is a collaboration of different groups trying to find new solutions, set new standards, and create significant and positive changes across the world.
The first member of the team that makes the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi possible is the International Olympic Committee itself. As the supreme authority of the Olympic movement, they aim to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating the youth through sport. They aim in promoting the values of Olympism, which are excellence, respect, and friendship. The second member of the team is the International Paralympic Committee. An international organization committed to giving disabled people a chance to achieve athletic excellence; it aims to promote the values of Paralympism, which are courage, determination, inspiration, and equality. Then there are the so-called ambassadors. These people who belong in different areas of the society are going to be the representatives of the Sochi 2014 team to the rest of the world.
There are more groups that are involved in organizing these games. Partners are various business organizations helping to aid the pursuit of making this Winter Olympic Games successful. Composed of local and global companies, they are involved in helping out the Sochi Organizing Committee. Also, a non-commercial partnership program allows interested non-profit organizations to be involved with operations regarding the staging and operation of the Games. Interested groups that may want to join in organizing this event may submit their intent on the Sochi 2014 website.
Last but certainly not the least, the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi is made up of volunteers. Composed by thousands of diverse individuals, they create the unique atmosphere of hospitality and warmth that is at the heart and soul of any Games. They are made up of people from all corners of the globe helping to make the organizing and hosting the games possible. Anyone is eligible to be a volunteer for the Sochi Games, as long as they are sympathetic, kind, generous, and willing to help, coordinate, and learn.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Meet-the-Team-Behind-the-Winter-Olympic-Games-2014-in-Sochi&id=6375438] Meet the Team Behind the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi
The Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi, Russia is a gargantuan event involving multiple facets. To make the pressure greater, the International Olympic Committee believes that each Olympic staging must be better than the last one. In fact, the whole world is watching them. Not one person, or even one group, can tackle such a massive task alone. This is why the team that would make this Olympic Games possible is not the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee alone. Rather, this committee is part of a bigger team, the entire Olympic family. It is a collaboration of different groups trying to find new solutions, set new standards, and create significant and positive changes across the world.
The first member of the team that makes the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi possible is the International Olympic Committee itself. As the supreme authority of the Olympic movement, they aim to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating the youth through sport. They aim in promoting the values of Olympism, which are excellence, respect, and friendship. The second member of the team is the International Paralympic Committee. An international organization committed to giving disabled people a chance to achieve athletic excellence; it aims to promote the values of Paralympism, which are courage, determination, inspiration, and equality. Then there are the so-called ambassadors. These people who belong in different areas of the society are going to be the representatives of the Sochi 2014 team to the rest of the world.
There are more groups that are involved in organizing these games. Partners are various business organizations helping to aid the pursuit of making this Winter Olympic Games successful. Composed of local and global companies, they are involved in helping out the Sochi Organizing Committee. Also, a non-commercial partnership program allows interested non-profit organizations to be involved with operations regarding the staging and operation of the Games. Interested groups that may want to join in organizing this event may submit their intent on the Sochi 2014 website.
Last but certainly not the least, the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi is made up of volunteers. Composed by thousands of diverse individuals, they create the unique atmosphere of hospitality and warmth that is at the heart and soul of any Games. They are made up of people from all corners of the globe helping to make the organizing and hosting the games possible. Anyone is eligible to be a volunteer for the Sochi Games, as long as they are sympathetic, kind, generous, and willing to help, coordinate, and learn.
Find more information about Sochi Winter Olympic Games on http://olympicwintergamessochi.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Meet-the-Team-Behind-the-Winter-Olympic-Games-2014-in-Sochi&id=6375438] Meet the Team Behind the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi
Monday, January 9, 2012
2012 Olympic Games
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Richard_Allen]Richard Allen
Are you planning on going to the London 2012 Olympics? Well if you are then you need to get a ticket and at the minute that may not be so easy.
The first wave of tickets that were issued allowed you to bid for tickets over a six-week window. You could bid for as many sessions and as many tickets as you liked. The only stipulation being that if you got all of the tickets that you applied for you were legally obliged to buy them all. So if you applied for �5,000 worth of tickets and by some lucky chance managed to get them all then you needed to have �5,000 on hand when it came to paying.
The problem and the thing that most people have found most annoying was that the money was not taken off of your Visa card straight away; it was only taken several weeks later, and even then you had to wait several more weeks after the money was taken out in order to find out what tickets you had actually got.
This led to a somewhat annoying situation of people having money taken out of their accounts without a clue as to what tickets that they had been successful in getting.
Many people applied for far more tickets than they needed on the assumption that they would only get a fraction of the ones they wanted, and indeed this has proved to be true with many people applying for around �2,000 of 2012 tickets only to get just �120 worth.
The opening ceremony and closing ceremony, as well as the major athletics finals were massively oversubscribed resulting in many people missing out. Indeed over 250,000 people that applied got no tickets at all in the first ballot.
There was then a second chance to buy tickets but only open to those who had got none in the first wave. However this second wave of tickets was released on a first come first served basis, this time however people only had to wait 48 hours to know what tickets they had got, and they could only apply for three sessions, which seems much fairer and has left many people asking the question why no limit was put on the number of applications in the first wave.
Overall this process has left many people frustrated and ticketless, with stories of some people getting all the allocation they wanted including opening ceremonies as well as 100m finals, leaving many people questioning how fair the process was. London 2012 now faces a battle to win back public credibility.
Visit us for all the latest news on [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]London 2012 from tickets, to accommodation and travel, why not find out the latest news on the [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]2012 Olympic games?
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?2012-Olympic-Games&id=6380802] 2012 Olympic Games
Are you planning on going to the London 2012 Olympics? Well if you are then you need to get a ticket and at the minute that may not be so easy.
The first wave of tickets that were issued allowed you to bid for tickets over a six-week window. You could bid for as many sessions and as many tickets as you liked. The only stipulation being that if you got all of the tickets that you applied for you were legally obliged to buy them all. So if you applied for �5,000 worth of tickets and by some lucky chance managed to get them all then you needed to have �5,000 on hand when it came to paying.
The problem and the thing that most people have found most annoying was that the money was not taken off of your Visa card straight away; it was only taken several weeks later, and even then you had to wait several more weeks after the money was taken out in order to find out what tickets you had actually got.
This led to a somewhat annoying situation of people having money taken out of their accounts without a clue as to what tickets that they had been successful in getting.
Many people applied for far more tickets than they needed on the assumption that they would only get a fraction of the ones they wanted, and indeed this has proved to be true with many people applying for around �2,000 of 2012 tickets only to get just �120 worth.
The opening ceremony and closing ceremony, as well as the major athletics finals were massively oversubscribed resulting in many people missing out. Indeed over 250,000 people that applied got no tickets at all in the first ballot.
There was then a second chance to buy tickets but only open to those who had got none in the first wave. However this second wave of tickets was released on a first come first served basis, this time however people only had to wait 48 hours to know what tickets they had got, and they could only apply for three sessions, which seems much fairer and has left many people asking the question why no limit was put on the number of applications in the first wave.
Overall this process has left many people frustrated and ticketless, with stories of some people getting all the allocation they wanted including opening ceremonies as well as 100m finals, leaving many people questioning how fair the process was. London 2012 now faces a battle to win back public credibility.
Visit us for all the latest news on [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]London 2012 from tickets, to accommodation and travel, why not find out the latest news on the [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]2012 Olympic games?
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?2012-Olympic-Games&id=6380802] 2012 Olympic Games
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Looking Forward To London 2012
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Billy_D_Ritchie]Billy D Ritchie
The Olympics have long been one of the greatest and most popular events in world sport. It is a festival of sporting events drawing people together from all disciplines, and attracting both amateurs and professionals. For many sportsmen, there will be no greater honor than receiving a gold medal at the Olympics. Following the exceptional and dramatic event which was hosted in Beijing in 2008, the games now move to the UK, and preparations are close to completion for the London Olympics 2012.
The Olympics have an almost universal popularity, and have something to offer for everyone who will be watching, whether they are in the stadium or the courses watching the sports live, or relaxing and watching the show on television.
The Most Popular Events
The Olympics are often portrayed as being games where the focus resides mainly on the athletic events. This is certainly not the case for the London Olympics 2012, as there are going to be 302 events spread across 26 sports where medals will be awarded.
It is fair to say that Athletics is one of the important events, with the final of the 100m sprint being the marquee event in the games. Nevertheless, there are also plenty of other sports which will be massively popular, including the Boxing, Cycling, Swimming, and the Rowing, where vast numbers of people will attend and watch.
Minority Sports
The London Olympics 2012 will also provide a platform for people to watch minority sports too, with examples such as Archery, BMX biking, modern pentathlon, and synchronized swimming going to be given attention on a world stage up with some of the biggest sports in the world.
There have been a few sports which haven't made the cut for the London Olympics 2012, and these have been baseball and softball, which were considered not to be universal enough to warrant being included. There was talk of adding further sports to the schedule such as Netball or Rugby Sevens, but no sports received enough votes from the IOC committee for them to become an Olympic sport.
Worldwide Attention
Although there will be hundreds of thousands of people from around the world attending the Olympic events within the UK, it is in the worldwide broadcasting of the London Olympics 2012 that much of the funds to host the games will have come from. There will be hundreds of millions of people around the world who will watch the games from around the world, and the Olympics is likely to be among the most watched sporting events of 2012.
The Legacy Of The Olympics
When it comes to the effect of any Olympic Games, and especially that of the London Olympics 2012, it will be in the permanent legacy for the city of London that the Olympics will be judged within the city. The regeneration of the Olympic Park in the east end of the city is one of the main projects that has been taking place, and has delivered a lot of investment into the area. It is hoped that the effect of the Olympics will be dramatic for the quality of life for people in London.
Billy D. Ritchie
Director Of Content
Leadsbyfone, LLC [http://www.london2012.com/]London 2012 Official Site [http://darrellritchie.blogspot.com]My Blog
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Looking-Forward-To-London-2012&id=6389382] Looking Forward To London 2012
The Olympics have long been one of the greatest and most popular events in world sport. It is a festival of sporting events drawing people together from all disciplines, and attracting both amateurs and professionals. For many sportsmen, there will be no greater honor than receiving a gold medal at the Olympics. Following the exceptional and dramatic event which was hosted in Beijing in 2008, the games now move to the UK, and preparations are close to completion for the London Olympics 2012.
The Olympics have an almost universal popularity, and have something to offer for everyone who will be watching, whether they are in the stadium or the courses watching the sports live, or relaxing and watching the show on television.
The Most Popular Events
The Olympics are often portrayed as being games where the focus resides mainly on the athletic events. This is certainly not the case for the London Olympics 2012, as there are going to be 302 events spread across 26 sports where medals will be awarded.
It is fair to say that Athletics is one of the important events, with the final of the 100m sprint being the marquee event in the games. Nevertheless, there are also plenty of other sports which will be massively popular, including the Boxing, Cycling, Swimming, and the Rowing, where vast numbers of people will attend and watch.
Minority Sports
The London Olympics 2012 will also provide a platform for people to watch minority sports too, with examples such as Archery, BMX biking, modern pentathlon, and synchronized swimming going to be given attention on a world stage up with some of the biggest sports in the world.
There have been a few sports which haven't made the cut for the London Olympics 2012, and these have been baseball and softball, which were considered not to be universal enough to warrant being included. There was talk of adding further sports to the schedule such as Netball or Rugby Sevens, but no sports received enough votes from the IOC committee for them to become an Olympic sport.
Worldwide Attention
Although there will be hundreds of thousands of people from around the world attending the Olympic events within the UK, it is in the worldwide broadcasting of the London Olympics 2012 that much of the funds to host the games will have come from. There will be hundreds of millions of people around the world who will watch the games from around the world, and the Olympics is likely to be among the most watched sporting events of 2012.
The Legacy Of The Olympics
When it comes to the effect of any Olympic Games, and especially that of the London Olympics 2012, it will be in the permanent legacy for the city of London that the Olympics will be judged within the city. The regeneration of the Olympic Park in the east end of the city is one of the main projects that has been taking place, and has delivered a lot of investment into the area. It is hoped that the effect of the Olympics will be dramatic for the quality of life for people in London.
Billy D. Ritchie
Director Of Content
Leadsbyfone, LLC [http://www.london2012.com/]London 2012 Official Site [http://darrellritchie.blogspot.com]My Blog
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Looking-Forward-To-London-2012&id=6389382] Looking Forward To London 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Olympian Translation Needs
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Helen_Fream]Helen Fream
With the next Olympic Games looming in 2012, and London frantically trying to prepare itself for an invasion of tourists, athletes and spectators a question which might not be oft considered is that of translation. For the Beijing Olympics in 2008 the Chinese invested both time and money (perhaps not enough!) into providing English translation for the Olympic visitors. However, although many improvements were made to new and existing translations the overriding preference for quantity and price over quality and accuracy was fairly obvious. 'Chinglish' translations were still appearing on billboards, shop signs and menus despite best efforts to remove embarrassing mistakes. Anyone who has visited China will smile in recognition at this point, as they will have undoubtedly come away with several pictures of amusing signage- invariably with one or more 'toilet gags'.
It seems the huge demand for translation and interpretation from human translators during the Beijing Olympics was supplemented with the unreliable likes of Google Translate or other machine translation tools. Preparing itself for 2012 is one ginormous task for London in terms of improving infrastructure and ensuring the event for millions of spectators is not a disaster. Translation and interpreting services may come further down the list after developing tube lines and building stadiums, but it is still hugely important to the functioning of the games.
The official languages of the Olympic Committees and, therefore, the Games are French and English, and (if applicable) the host country's language. Fortunately, as English is the 2012 host country's language every announcement made during the Games will only be made into 2 languages and not 3, which will speed up the proceedings considerably. Although there will 'officially' only be requirements for interpreters and native speakers of French the other 215 countries taking part in the 38 sporting disciplines will need their own translators and interpreters out of English both for the media coverage and for the competing athletes. This could be a very lucrative time for freelance interpreters and English translation providers interested in sport.
Moreover, it is not only sport specific translation and interpreting services that will be in demand. London's restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions are gearing themselves up for the extra 500,000 visitors expected to flock to the capital next summer. Menus, leaflets and websites are all being translated so that the visiting Olympic fans can enjoy London's sightseeing and gastronomic delights.
One thing is for sure the London 2012 Olympic Committee should learn from the Chinese example and invest in reliable language service providers for their translation requirements. This will ensure that the only red faces during the Games belong to the medal winning athletes and not the host nation's event organisers.
Helen Fream is a project manager for Rosetta Translation, a leading [http://www.rosettatranslation.com/]language services provider. Headquartered in London, the company has particular expertise in [http://www.rosettatranslation.com/language/english_translation/]native English translations.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Olympian-Translation-Needs&id=6385083] Olympian Translation Needs
With the next Olympic Games looming in 2012, and London frantically trying to prepare itself for an invasion of tourists, athletes and spectators a question which might not be oft considered is that of translation. For the Beijing Olympics in 2008 the Chinese invested both time and money (perhaps not enough!) into providing English translation for the Olympic visitors. However, although many improvements were made to new and existing translations the overriding preference for quantity and price over quality and accuracy was fairly obvious. 'Chinglish' translations were still appearing on billboards, shop signs and menus despite best efforts to remove embarrassing mistakes. Anyone who has visited China will smile in recognition at this point, as they will have undoubtedly come away with several pictures of amusing signage- invariably with one or more 'toilet gags'.
It seems the huge demand for translation and interpretation from human translators during the Beijing Olympics was supplemented with the unreliable likes of Google Translate or other machine translation tools. Preparing itself for 2012 is one ginormous task for London in terms of improving infrastructure and ensuring the event for millions of spectators is not a disaster. Translation and interpreting services may come further down the list after developing tube lines and building stadiums, but it is still hugely important to the functioning of the games.
The official languages of the Olympic Committees and, therefore, the Games are French and English, and (if applicable) the host country's language. Fortunately, as English is the 2012 host country's language every announcement made during the Games will only be made into 2 languages and not 3, which will speed up the proceedings considerably. Although there will 'officially' only be requirements for interpreters and native speakers of French the other 215 countries taking part in the 38 sporting disciplines will need their own translators and interpreters out of English both for the media coverage and for the competing athletes. This could be a very lucrative time for freelance interpreters and English translation providers interested in sport.
Moreover, it is not only sport specific translation and interpreting services that will be in demand. London's restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions are gearing themselves up for the extra 500,000 visitors expected to flock to the capital next summer. Menus, leaflets and websites are all being translated so that the visiting Olympic fans can enjoy London's sightseeing and gastronomic delights.
One thing is for sure the London 2012 Olympic Committee should learn from the Chinese example and invest in reliable language service providers for their translation requirements. This will ensure that the only red faces during the Games belong to the medal winning athletes and not the host nation's event organisers.
Helen Fream is a project manager for Rosetta Translation, a leading [http://www.rosettatranslation.com/]language services provider. Headquartered in London, the company has particular expertise in [http://www.rosettatranslation.com/language/english_translation/]native English translations.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Olympian-Translation-Needs&id=6385083] Olympian Translation Needs
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
2012 Opening Ceremony Tickets
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Richard_Allen]Richard Allen
Are you hoping to go to the 2012 opening ceremony? Well if you are then you are not alone. However all of the tickets have been sold. So how do you go about getting one?
Well unless you have very deep pockets then you are in for a struggle, but let us look at a few ways that you might get a ticket.
Corporate tickets - many of the tickets sold will have been bought by companies wanting to use them for client entertaining. So if you buy in goods or services then start dropping hints to your supplier that you would love to go to the 2012 games but have missed out on tickets. You may well find that one is forthcoming.
Or look to buy a ticket from a company from abroad such as Cosport who are handling a lot of the tickets sales from abroad. You may however need to get someone to buy them on your behalf if they will not deal direct, however try dealing with them directly in the first instance.
One of the best ways to buy them is via Thomas Cook (The games official travel partner) who are offering deals with a hotel thrown in with the price. Personally this is the route I would take to get a ticket.
There will be some more tickets released at the end of the year but it is unclear whether there will be any more opening ceremony tickets release or not. There may be a few returned tickets but they are likely to be small in number.
The one thing not to do is to buy them on the black market, as there will undoubtedly be a large number of fake tickets floating around, and you could find yourself with a wasted journey and a big expense bill if you have paid for transport and a hotel only to find you are refused admission to the games.
You cannot legally buy a ticket off of someone for more than its face value, and if someone does sell you one for more than its face value then this is classed as ticket touting with a minimum fine of �5,000
Also there are dozens of fake websites offering Olympic tickets so be very wary when buying tickets online.
The only official source for tickets is the official London 2012 site, which will have more tickets on sale later this year.
Find all the latest news on tickets and how to get [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]2012 Opening Ceremony Tickets and have your say on my forum for the [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]London 2012 Games.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?2012-Opening-Ceremony-Tickets&id=6391018] 2012 Opening Ceremony Tickets
Are you hoping to go to the 2012 opening ceremony? Well if you are then you are not alone. However all of the tickets have been sold. So how do you go about getting one?
Well unless you have very deep pockets then you are in for a struggle, but let us look at a few ways that you might get a ticket.
Corporate tickets - many of the tickets sold will have been bought by companies wanting to use them for client entertaining. So if you buy in goods or services then start dropping hints to your supplier that you would love to go to the 2012 games but have missed out on tickets. You may well find that one is forthcoming.
Or look to buy a ticket from a company from abroad such as Cosport who are handling a lot of the tickets sales from abroad. You may however need to get someone to buy them on your behalf if they will not deal direct, however try dealing with them directly in the first instance.
One of the best ways to buy them is via Thomas Cook (The games official travel partner) who are offering deals with a hotel thrown in with the price. Personally this is the route I would take to get a ticket.
There will be some more tickets released at the end of the year but it is unclear whether there will be any more opening ceremony tickets release or not. There may be a few returned tickets but they are likely to be small in number.
The one thing not to do is to buy them on the black market, as there will undoubtedly be a large number of fake tickets floating around, and you could find yourself with a wasted journey and a big expense bill if you have paid for transport and a hotel only to find you are refused admission to the games.
You cannot legally buy a ticket off of someone for more than its face value, and if someone does sell you one for more than its face value then this is classed as ticket touting with a minimum fine of �5,000
Also there are dozens of fake websites offering Olympic tickets so be very wary when buying tickets online.
The only official source for tickets is the official London 2012 site, which will have more tickets on sale later this year.
Find all the latest news on tickets and how to get [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]2012 Opening Ceremony Tickets and have your say on my forum for the [http://www.2012olympicsforum.com]London 2012 Games.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?2012-Opening-Ceremony-Tickets&id=6391018] 2012 Opening Ceremony Tickets
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The All-Africa Games
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Cecelia_Owens]Cecelia Owens
The All Africa Games were conceived by the founder of the modern Olympic Games in the 1920s, but it would be 1965 before the first games were actually held. The first games took place in Congo and more than 2500 athletes from 30 countries participated. United Arab Emirates took the most medals home from those first games in Brazzaville.
The second round of games was canceled due to a military coup in the country it was set to be held in. The next games were held in 1973, in Lagos. After a few false starts before the 1987 All-Africa Games, the games have been held every four years to present day. The 2011 games will be held in September, in Maputo, Mozambique.
Since the first games, Egypt has taken home top medals from the games four times. South Africa won top honors twice. Overall Egypt has won 1079 medals at the Games. Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia round out the rest of the top five overall medal winners. The lowest awarded medal count belongs to Guinea-Bissau, who won a solitary bronze in 1999.
There have been 32 sports played at the Games. This year, 26 are planned for play including football, squash, swimming, badminton, basketball, hockey and boxing. A new addition for this year is chess. Rowing is planned to be held at the Mindolo Dam.
This year, Nigeria has qualified for the games after beating Ghana at football. Egypt and Madagascar have also qualified, and Mozambique was automatically qualified as host country. Qualifications for football, arguably the most popular sport represented at the Games, are still underway.
The buildings for the games have been under construction for more than three years now, since Mozambique was given the honor of hosting the All-Africa Games. Portugal has donated 150 million dollars toward construction of the game village. The Chinese built the stadium for the games. The stadium will hold 42,000 people and is the biggest sports stadium built in Mozambique.
The Young Warriors of Zimbabwe play for their late coach, Fabisch, after losing him to cancer in 2008, and for their earlier losses at the All-Africa Games. They are said to play as a family, and look as strong as the earlier team of 1991.
One remarkable feature of the All-Africa Games is that it incorporates the Paralympic athletes as well. Anita Foudjour won medals for wheelchair track in 2007. Like many other African para-athletes, she was crippled by polio.
The top chess qualifiers for 2011 are Olamide Ajibowo and Nsisong Bassey of Lagos. Chess may seem an unlikely addition to the sports event, but avid fans are eager to see how an African competition will level up to the world stage.
In September 2011 the All-Africa Games will be held in Mozambique. Qualifying trials are presently underway, with athletes in more than 30 countries striving for the honor of representing their nation at the Games this year. The new stadium and athlete's village promise smooth accommodations for the competitors and attendees alike. Fans and press from around the world will flock to see the Games and record this year's glorious moments of athleticism.
Cecelia Owens loves travel and she does freelance writing for the top South African travel comparison website, where she also wrote the blog post "2011 All Africa Games Coming To Maputo" which you can read [http://blog.bestflights.co.za/2011-all-africa-games-coming-to-maputo.php]here.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-All-Africa-Games&id=6398905] The All-Africa Games
The All Africa Games were conceived by the founder of the modern Olympic Games in the 1920s, but it would be 1965 before the first games were actually held. The first games took place in Congo and more than 2500 athletes from 30 countries participated. United Arab Emirates took the most medals home from those first games in Brazzaville.
The second round of games was canceled due to a military coup in the country it was set to be held in. The next games were held in 1973, in Lagos. After a few false starts before the 1987 All-Africa Games, the games have been held every four years to present day. The 2011 games will be held in September, in Maputo, Mozambique.
Since the first games, Egypt has taken home top medals from the games four times. South Africa won top honors twice. Overall Egypt has won 1079 medals at the Games. Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia round out the rest of the top five overall medal winners. The lowest awarded medal count belongs to Guinea-Bissau, who won a solitary bronze in 1999.
There have been 32 sports played at the Games. This year, 26 are planned for play including football, squash, swimming, badminton, basketball, hockey and boxing. A new addition for this year is chess. Rowing is planned to be held at the Mindolo Dam.
This year, Nigeria has qualified for the games after beating Ghana at football. Egypt and Madagascar have also qualified, and Mozambique was automatically qualified as host country. Qualifications for football, arguably the most popular sport represented at the Games, are still underway.
The buildings for the games have been under construction for more than three years now, since Mozambique was given the honor of hosting the All-Africa Games. Portugal has donated 150 million dollars toward construction of the game village. The Chinese built the stadium for the games. The stadium will hold 42,000 people and is the biggest sports stadium built in Mozambique.
The Young Warriors of Zimbabwe play for their late coach, Fabisch, after losing him to cancer in 2008, and for their earlier losses at the All-Africa Games. They are said to play as a family, and look as strong as the earlier team of 1991.
One remarkable feature of the All-Africa Games is that it incorporates the Paralympic athletes as well. Anita Foudjour won medals for wheelchair track in 2007. Like many other African para-athletes, she was crippled by polio.
The top chess qualifiers for 2011 are Olamide Ajibowo and Nsisong Bassey of Lagos. Chess may seem an unlikely addition to the sports event, but avid fans are eager to see how an African competition will level up to the world stage.
In September 2011 the All-Africa Games will be held in Mozambique. Qualifying trials are presently underway, with athletes in more than 30 countries striving for the honor of representing their nation at the Games this year. The new stadium and athlete's village promise smooth accommodations for the competitors and attendees alike. Fans and press from around the world will flock to see the Games and record this year's glorious moments of athleticism.
Cecelia Owens loves travel and she does freelance writing for the top South African travel comparison website, where she also wrote the blog post "2011 All Africa Games Coming To Maputo" which you can read [http://blog.bestflights.co.za/2011-all-africa-games-coming-to-maputo.php]here.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-All-Africa-Games&id=6398905] The All-Africa Games
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