FC Bayern München in lederhosen

**

After defeating FC Schalke in an away game, players for FC Bayern München donned traditional Bavarian dress including the lederhosen. Of course, Oktoberfest has already started.

World in Union

The 2011 Rugby World Cup began on 9 September 2011 with the New Zealand All Blacks defeating Tonga 41-10. Every four years, the competition begins with the rugby union anthem World in Union. This was first heard in 1991 at Twickenham sung by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. This year, it was sung by New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra. It is probably the best sporting anthem of all time. Of course the tune would be familiar to most people from the Thaxted melody of Gustav Holst's The Planets (Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity) and also in the hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country.

British ITV's introduction to their rugby coverage makes best use of Hayley Westenra's rendition of World in Union

The 2007 All Stars recording for the RWC in France was also well done

I Vow to Thee, My Country

Holst The Planets - Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

Tennis routines

It's Wimbledon time and Xan Brooks writing in the Guardian has written an excellent article about tennis superstitions

Like Fight Club, it seems that the first rule of tennis superstitions is that you do not talk about tennis superstitions. "I do not have superstitions," snapped Djokovic, the man who won't use the same shower twice and who reputedly fears he can't win Wimbledon unless his poodle, Pierre, is allowed to join him in London. "I have routines. I call them routines."

Read more, particularly about the player who "insists on lining his water bottles up in a row, so that all the labels are pointing in exactly the same direction".

Of course, news about tennis player superstitions isn't new. See BBC (2003) and ABC (2007).

A video from Tennis Warehouse during BNP Paribas Open 2010

Blade Runner stars for A*Men

Back in September 2008, I wrote about paralympian Oscar Pistorius as an athlete to watch at the Beijing Paralympic Games. As it turned out, he won gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres (T44) sprints.

Pistorius has recently been chosen as the new face Thierry Mugler's fragrance for men A*Men. It is an inspiring choice.

The 30-second commercial clip was directed by Ali Mahdavi


A behind the scenes look has also been produced


Pistorius the Blade Runner is indeed a star.

Sporthocker

Sporthocker (Hockern in Germany) is a relatively new sport that originated in Germany in 2001 where a stool is used to perform tricks used in skating, juggling, acrobatics, dancing and even parkour. The completion of tricks is signified by sitting on the stool.

The sport really took off in late 2007 when a specially designed stool was created by brothers Michael and Stephan Landschütz from SALZIGdesign (priced from €100). Popular contests called Hocktoberfest have been held since 2007.

The Landschütz brothers talk about the sport (as finalists for 2011 ispo BrandNew awards)


From Hocktoberfest 2010, a finals performance


SALZIG Sporthocker Events' Hock Hart 16-18 April 2010
Ein sonniges Wochenende von Hockerern für Hockerer


News report from MDR Fernsehen on 19 August 2010 in which some Hockerer und Hockerin talk about and demonstrate some skills


Skateboards are so yesterday.

Berlin has lately become a centre for new sporting trends. Chess Boxing also originated in Berlin.

It's a pity that the only Australian media reporting of the sport was so disparaging.

A grand final with no winner or loser

The 2010 season AFL grand final was on this afternoon. Collingwood Magpies and Saint Kilda played both drew at 68 points apiece at full time. There was no extra time. Both teams now have to go through it all over again next Saturday.

Both players and supporters expressed the same feeling.


Photo by by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images (via PicApp)


Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images (via PicApp)

more games

The Vancouver Winter Olympics were held earlier this year in February. The Winter Olympics alternate in between Summer Olympics, with the next (summer) games to be held in London in 2012.

Actually, that is not strictly true. The next games are also this year.

In three weeks time, there will be a Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore. From the International Olympic Committee (IOC) website

The Vision

The vision of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values. It was during its Session in Guatemala City in July 2007 that the IOC decided to create a new sporting event to educate, engage and influence young athletes inspiring them to play an active role in their communities.

What?

The Youth Olympic Games are a sporting event for young people, balancing sport, culture and education. These Games work as a catalyst in these fields throughout the Olympic Movement.

Young athletes will participate in high-level competitions and alongside the sports element of the event, will participate in a Culture and Education Programme (CEP) focused on five themes: Olympism and Olympic values, skills development, well-being and healthy lifestyle, social responsibility and expression through digital media.

Non-athletes (young ambassadors, young reporters etc.) will also participate with young athletes in CEP activities.

The sports programme of the first edition of the summer YOG will encompass all 26 sports on the programme of the 2012 Olympic Games, with a smaller number of disciplines and events. Some disciplines will be non-olympic with mixed gender or/and mixed NOC events.
For the winter editions, the athletes will compete in all seven Olympic winter sports, with again a smaller number of disciplines and events.

Who?

The Youth Olympic Games aim to bring together talented young athletes – aged from 14 to 18 - from around the world (exactly 205 NOCs are expected for the Summer editions), but also non-athlete participants such as young ambassadors and young reporters.

The first ever Summer Youth Olympic Games will bring together approximately 3,600 athletes and 1450 officials in 2010 and the first Winter Youth Olympic Games will bring together around 1,000 athletes and 500 officials in 2012.

When?

The YOG follow the traditional cycle of four years, with Summer Games in 2010, 2014, 2018, etc and Winter Games in 2012, 2016, 2020, etc

The first edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010.

The first edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held in Innsbruck from 13 to 22 January 2012.

Australia will be fielding a large team. Given all the media attention (eg ABC) being devoted to the upcoming federal election in Australia, most people will not even be aware of these games.

That is, until the Commonwealth Games from 3 to 14 October 2010 in New Delhi.

Germans want to grill the messenger

Watch in sequence. The third is a bonus.







Also see Der Spiegel (in English)

England's unofficial 'national anthem'

BBC News has reported that the hymn 'Jerusalem' music written by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916 to a William Blake poem is set to be the national anthem for the English team at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Previously, 'God Save the Queen' was played, as it currently is during the World Cup in Johannesburg. Excerpt

For the first time, Jerusalem will be played to celebrate English winners at this year's Commonwealth Games.

The anthem was chosen for medal ceremonies at the event in Delhi - ahead of the God Save The Queen and Land of Hope and Glory - after a public vote backed by Commonwealth Games England.

The words are very religious in nature:

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green
And was the holy lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen

And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills

Bring me my bow of burning gold
Bring me my arrows of desire
Bring me my spears o'clouds unfold
Bring me my chariot of fire

I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
'Til we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land
'Til we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land

The unofficial anthem/song of Scotland is 'Flower of Scotland'


The official anthem of Wales is 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' (Land of My Fathers)


Of course, officially the national anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 'God Save the Queen'


Explaining how England, Scotland and Wales are considered to be 'countries' despite being part of sovereign state United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is another matter.

Lena's Satellite auf Deutsch - 'Schland, oh, Schland'

Last month, I wrote about the Eurovision Song Contest. In mentioning the winning song, I had a gripe that though the entry was from Germany, the song 'Satellite' itself was sung in English.

Not all is lost. A German-language version has been covered, albeit a spoof for the World Cup Fußball.



From Der Spiegel

A prank video by university students in Germany has brought two of the country's recent obsessions together. But now, what started as a prank has ended in a recording contract with one of the world's largest entertainment companies and looks set to become a big hit in the next few weeks.

Inspired by Germany's victory in the Eurovision song contest in late May, the students, from the town of Münster, performed a parody of the winning song "Satellite," performed by Lena Meyer-Landrut. But the group changed the lyrics of the catchy pop song into an homage to the German national football team, now competing the the World Cup in South Africa. Instead of "Love, oh, Love," the refrain became "Schland, oh, Schland" -- football shorthand for Deutschland (Germany).

The idea of making the Eurovision hit song World Cup-friendly came from student Christian Landgraf. He changed the lyrics and recorded the new version with his brother Matthias and several friends.

Two days later, they made a video to accompany the music. One of the students dressed up as Lena, complete with a brunette wig and danced around in a Münster park, the extras bedecked in red, gold and black scarves and the national football team's shirts. The entire video was shot in under an hour. The group, which began calling itself Uwu Lena, created a web page and the video was posted on YouTube last Thursday.

Read more

Schön!

Vuvuzela

One thing that observers of the 2010 FIFA World Cup won't forget is the noise from those ubiquitous vuvuzela (plastic horns).





There is even a debate about it - see AtlanticWire.

The question is, which of the two teams is the sound (or noise if you prefer) supporting?

Those curling pants

Norway's curling team at the Vancouver Winter Olympics has attracted a lot of media and public attention, not over their performance, but by their attire.

photos from AFP




From MSNBC Today Show

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Even His Majesty King Harald V of Norway has expressed an interest in the pants


They even have a facebook fan page, dedicated to the pants.

Cool pants. I like them.

Vancouver Winter Olympics - Frenchgate

The opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics has sparked a national debate over the use of the French language amongst Canadians, with claims that there was not enough or that there was too much. Werner Patels was embarrassed and wrote in his blog

Turn to any news channel or open any newspaper, and one topic you’ll likely find discussed just about everywhere in Canada right now is the perceived slight of the French language at the Olympic Games in Vancouver. At the same time, letters pages in (Albertan and Western Canadian) newspapers are filling up with irate comments about how the “French should go home and shut up”.

I first became aware that there was an issue on the night of the opening ceremony, when my Twitter page started being inundated with angry comments about the use, not lack, of the French language. I decided then not to reply to or comment on any of them, because, frankly, they made me feel embarrassed and ashamed. Albertans tend to have a bad reputation in the rest of the country, and the last thing we need is to be known as French bashers (particularly in a province where, like in the rest of the country, the rate of functional illiteracy – in just one language! – now borders on fifty per cent).

Those who criticized the use of French at the Olympics proved only one thing: that they’re utterly uneducated and uninformed about what goes on in the world. The Olympics organization is an international organization, and its first and primary official language is French. Naturally, any official Olympics business is conducted in French first, and English second. So, when, for example, Canada’s Governor-General Michaëlle Jean spoke in French first and then switched to English, she merely adhered to the practices of the international organization. Now, though, many Canadians (in the West) appear to be calling for her head to roll over this “affront”.

Read more

The editors at La Presse (a daily published in Montreal) are not happy. I agree with them. In fact, I would go as far as suggesting that instead of the usual practice of alternating between French and English, they should have mangled it into Franglais.

Who said sport and politics don't mix?

The roo stays

From ABC News by Lisa Millar and staff

The giant boxing kangaroo flag will continue to fly in the athletes' village in Vancouver after Australian Olympic bosses reached an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The flag hangs over two storeys of the apartment block where the Australians are staying.

The IOC wanted it removed but Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) president John Coates says he has reached a compromise and it can now stay in place for the duration of the Winter Olympic Games.

"But we will need to register the boxing kangaroo with the IOC as the third identification we have," he said.

Australian athletes have welcomed the decision.

Australian gold medallist Anna Meares says the boxing kangaroo flag is an iconic symbol that has become a team mascot at Olympic Games.

"It's something that really is held dearly to all Australians," she said.

"It's great to see that it can stay."

While it is already an Australian Olympic trademark, the boxing kangaroo will now be registered with the IOC along with Australia's national flag and the coat of arms.

The IOC initially asked the Australian team to take down the banner because it was deemed too commercial.

Calls to ban the boxing kangaroo flag was branded as scandalous, ridiculous and infantile.

The boxing kangaroo became Australia's sporting symbol in 1983 when it was used in the successful America's Cup.

John Longley was part of the crew.

"It was an image that we created, to be a symbol for what we stood for, which was the red gloves," he said.

"It used to have a red eye and the puffed up chest and so forth. It was aggressive - we're taking the world on."

The AOC has since bought the trademark and now the boxing kangaroo is seen among crowds at Olympic and Commonwealth Games and other major sporting events.

(photo by AFP: Mark Raltson via ABC)

Duh! Australia's Olympic mascot. And a very iconic one at that. Hard to believe that the IOC deemed it 'too commercial'. Hello, the Olympic movement was commercialised years ago.

The most interesting thing about Scott Fujita

Scott Fujita (#55) is a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, which is lining up against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

The most interesting thing about Fujita is his background.



By David Fleming in ESPN magazine

Given up by his birth mother when he was 6 weeks old, Scott was adopted by Helen and Rod Fujita and raised in Camarillo, Calif. Helen, a retired secretary, is white. Rod, a retired high school teacher and coach, is a third generation Japanese-American. He was born inside an Arizona internment camp during World War II.
...

Many adopted kids grapple to come to terms with who they are and where they came from, especially those raised by parents who don't look like them. But Fujita says he doesn't struggle with his identity, never has. First as a child and now as a football player, his path to success has always been about the same thing: defining for himself who he is. "That's the connection point for Scott," Lillie says. "You choose to be what you are. It's not your location, your obstacles or your skin. You. You choose. He learned that from his family."

Not that he wasn't tested. When his parents took him and older brother, Jason, who was also adopted, to stores, they got the occasional odd looks. Sometimes Scott had to show his ID to substitute teachers who didn't believe that his last name belonged to him. And he ate so much rice with chopsticks that he was 8 before he knew what to do with a baked potato. But he shrugged off most of it, confident in thinking of himself as half Japanese at heart. To his dad, it was even simpler: "American, Japanese. To me he's always just been my son."

Every Jan. 1, the Fujitas celebrated Shogatsu, Japanese New Year's. Every May 5, Rod would raise a koi flag on a bamboo pole in the backyard in honor of the Japanese national holiday of Kodomo-no-hi (Children's Day). But because Rod had become, as he says, "Americanized," most of Scott's knowledge of Japanese culture came from Lillie and Nagao, Scott's grandfather.

See also
- New York Times, 2010 February 2
- Huffington Post, 2009 October 6

Most people are naturally curious about other people's names, particularly if they don't look the part. There are always stories that challenge assumptions.

Given that migration from other places go back many generations, it shouldn't be surprising what anybody looks like. In Australia, Josh Quong Tart is a young actor in a television soap, descended from Mei Quong Tart - for people who don't know the history of Sydney, he is probably forever explaining his name.

With the United States 2010 Census coming up on 1 April, it would be interesting how Scott would respond to the question (9) about race. Ultimately it shouldn't matter, but the question needs to be asked in order to measure the level of discrimination in the provision of services, in employment and housing etc.

As for the Super Bowl, Go Saints!

chess boxing 2

I previously wrote about chess boxing in July last year, of the popularity this new sport was gaining in Germany.

This morning, on Australia's ABC News Breakfast (broadcast on ABC2), there was a report on chess boxing in London by Emma Alberici (London correspondent).


transcript (Boston Globe should read Dome of Boston Arms or 'Boston Dome')

UK's ITV1 London Tonight program reported on chess boxing in April last year when the sport was just emerging.



It should be an Olympic sport!

See
- World Chess Boxing Organisation
- London Chess Boxing Organisation

games of former empires

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years (in between Olympic Games years), with participant nations and territories from the Commonwealth members participating (71 teams from 53 members). Most were formerly part of the British Empire or constitutionally linked with members who were, with Mozambique being the only exception. The Commonwealth Games evolved from the British Empire Games which began in 1930.

Just recently this year (27 September to 6 October), the French Jeux de la Francophonie was held. Participants were members of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (56 member nations, 3 associate members and 14 observers). Many were former French colonies, but most united by the French language. Mozambique is an observer. The games were first hosted in 1989 in Rabat and Casablanca in Morocco.

Only a few months earlier this year, the Portuguese Jogos da Lusofonia was held. Participants were members of Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (11 members). Most were former Portuguese colonies and united by the Portuguese language. Mozambique is definitely a member. The games were first hosted in 2006 in Macau, China.

Unusually, Spain, former members of the Spanish Empire and Spanish-speaking nations have not yet united to hold their own games in this manner. Should they do one day, Mozambique would probably also want to participate.

Rio 2016 postscript

Rachel Maddow gave her take on some American reactions to the failed Chicago bid.



'Conservatives' appear to be rather unpatriotic to their own country. Perhaps they should give up trying to undermine the President who was elected by the majority.

They would cut off their own noses to spite their own faces.

Rio 2016

The late Peter Allen sang that when his baby smiled at him, he'd go to Rio. In seven years, athletes from around the world will have their nations' smiles.

Early today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Rio de Janeiro as the host city for 2016

Rio de Janeiro Elected As 2016 Host City

The city of Rio de Janeiro has been elected as the Host City of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016 following a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session. IOC President Jacques Rogge made the announcement at the close of the first day of meetings of the IOC’s 121st Session in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rio de Janeiro received 66 votes compared to Madrid’s 32 in the final round of voting.

“Well done, Rio!”
Following the election, Rogge said, “I would like to congratulate the city of Rio de Janeiro on its election as the host of the 2016 Olympic Games. Rio de Janeiro presented the IOC with a very strong technical bid, built upon a vision of the Games being a celebration of the athletes and sport, as well as providing the opportunity for the city, region and country to deliver their broader long-term aspirations for the future. This call to “live your passion” clearly struck a chord with my fellow members, and we now look forward to seeing Rio de Janeiro staging the first Olympic Games on the continent of South America. Well done, Rio!” He continued, “I would also like to thank Nawal El Moutawakel and her Evaluation Commission team for the excellent work that they undertook and which allowed us to reach today’s decision.”

Games of Celebration and Transformation
The Rio 2016 Games will be, first and foremost, a celebration of athletes, who will perform in world-class venues all located in the host city itself. The Rio Games will also celebrate and showcase sport, thanks to the city’s stunning setting and a desire to lift event presentation to new heights. At the same time, Rio 2016 will be an opportunity to deliver the broader aspirations for the long-term future of the city, region and country – an opportunity to hasten the transformation of Rio de Janeiro into an even greater global city.

A Sporting Celebration
Rio 2016 will provide the best possible environment for peak performances. Athletes will enjoy world-class facilities, including a superb village, all located in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, in a compact layout for maximum convenience. The competition venues will be clustered in four zones – Barra, Copacabana, Deodoro and Maracanã – and connected by a high-performance transport ring. Nearly half of the athletes will be able to reach their venues in less than 10 minutes, and almost 75 per cent will do so in less than 25 minutes. Of the 34 competition venues, of which 18 are already operational, eight will undergo some permanent works, seven will be totally temporary and nine are constructed as permanent legacy venues.

The Vote
The IOC members made their choice for 2016 following a long and detailed process, which included the presentations made today by the cities of Chicago (United States), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Madrid (Spain)*, a report and presentation from the IOC’s 2016 Evaluation Commission, chaired by Nawal El Moutawakel, the Candidature files of each city, and a technical meeting for the IOC members held in Lausanne this June.

* Cities are listed in the order of drawing of lots as performed by the IOC Executive Board in December 2007.

Results of the vote:

Round 1
Madrid: 28 votes
Rio de Janeiro: 26 votes
Tokyo: 22 votes
Chicago: 18 votes

Round 2
Tokyo: 20 votes
Rio de Janeiro: 46 votes
Madrid: 29 votes

Round 3
Rio de Janeiro: 66 votes
Madrid: 32 votes

The voting system is very similar to the preferential system used in Australia in federal and state elections. It is fairer that those whose votes don't count as their preferred candidate is eliminated can exercise a secondary option and so on.

Quite interesting that votes for Tokyo and then Madrid did not significantly increase, with subsequent votes going to Rio. Quite conclusive.

Meanwhile in Chicago, the Sun-Times has blamed anti-American sentiment. Hello! The IOC isn't exactly a democratic organisation. Members do not represent governments. In any case, after recent games in Atlanta (1996) and Los Angeles (1984), hosting another in the USA so soon in 2016 might be a bit greedy. Likewise for Spain after Barcelona (1992).

Perhaps no country should be allowed to bid for at least 40 years since their previous games.

Come Play!

Australia has officially bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Come Play!

The bid film is awesome, with a cameo by the Australian Prime Minister at 1 minute 49 seconds into it.