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headlines Federer tops the tennis money leader board |
November/December 2007 Edition
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To keep you up-to-date on the ever complicated qualifying path to the final 32 at the next Soccer World Cup in South Africa in 2010, this is how it works in the case of the European teams: 53 European teams are divided into six groups of
seeds from first to sixth (with 8 counties in the sixth seed grouping). Teams are
then drawn from each of the six "pots". Nine group winners qualify for the
final 32 in South Africa. The eight best runners up pair off for two-legged playoffs
to claim the final four European places. Africa: 6 places including hosts S. Africa
Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt
advised that the figure agreed for the 80,000-seater stadium with main contractors, Robert
McAlpine was only a forecast - despite a provision for inflation, VAT and its' conversion
down to a 25,000 seater legacy athletics venue. The final bill will only be known
once the work is complete a year before the London Games open! To add to the turmoil, the 'innovative' design is the first of its kind, and is based on the construction of a sunken bowl which will effectively form the permanent 25,000-seater track-and-field arena which will remain after the Games have finished. The temporary seating erected on a platform around the perimeter of the main bowl will boost the capacity to 80,000 during the months of Olympic and Paralympic competition. The scaffolding will be covered by a 'wrap' of Olympic images. ODA chief executive David Higgins has confirmed work on the stadium would start three months early, in May 2008. "The quicker we start, the more time we have to ensure completion in an effective time to allow the test events to happen in 2011." However, all eyes will remain on the budget as the cost of temporary seater is greater than that of a permanent structure. Watch this space! hotshot:  tennis
turmoil Is tennis in turmoil or is the sport just catching up with the rest of the world when it comes to cheating? The latest of the victims of the sport - where the prize money for women's tennis is starting to move into the superleague - is Marina Hingis. She first retired from the game in 2003 aged 22 and her recent return to the game found the ex-Number One prepared to take on the new breed of world class competitors. But her demise at 27 years of age was just around the corner when it was recently confirmed that she tested positive for cocaine during this year's Wimbledon. Next up is the debate about throwing matches and this is the latest in a string of events which might dictate a trend. Take Alessio di Mauro as an example. The 31 year old Sicilian was the first tennis player to be banned for betting and has received a 9-month ban and a fine of US$60,000 for placing 120 bets on matches in a seven month period. Similarly, Russian Nikolay Davydenko is under scrutiny as the ATP investigates suspicious betting patterns that took place back in August when the Russian was playing a match in the Masters Series in Paris against Vassallo Arguello. Davydenko retired with the score at one set all. These
kind of stories will play and play; as with most sports it it only the minority that make
the big bucks and the rest have to pay their own way - which can prove to be very costly. sidelines: can't wait for June 7-29, 2008 
While most Europeans can't wait for next year and Euro 2008, joint hosts of the European soccer tournament, Austria has one of the worse records in 'host history' despite the fact that they are seeded in the top four by default in their capacity as host country. Ranked 88th in the world, Austria's Football Association is not
receiving the best of press. It has also alienated two of their best national
players who now will not be included in the national team as a result of their apparent
criticism of the football establishment. Here is the 2008 line up: Group A fashion icon...... taking a chance on adventure
Living quarters for the couples will be a 3 metre x 4 metre square carbon fibre black box. With no toilet or shower, minimal cooking facilities and the constant thud of the waves against the bows of the boats, this will require the perfect relationship to succeed. However, it may compare favorably with another challenge of a more user friendly event. The London Sunday Times has joined forces with Land Rover to offer a drive of a lifetime. A US$ 20,000 bursary will be given to the successful applicant who designs a Land Rover Defender trip which starts and ends in the UK. The winning applicant/s may get their trip of a lifetime but will also expose themselves to the likes of video footage and blogs, the content of which will be at the sole discretion of timesonline.co.uk. Fifteen minutes of fame
perhaps flavored with embarrassing arguments between driver and navigator will provide
these brave souls with a fresh take on a trip of a life time with media scrutiny to match.
And the line-up:
Beijing's legacy as hosts of the 2008
Summer Olympics can only be described as a fantastic illustration of the new economy.
In 2003 China decided that it needed a new terminal at the airport. Architect
Norman Foster and an army of 50,000 workers built the terminal and a new runway in record
time and on time for the start of the Olympics 8.8.2008. And just to make the point,
they have also completed a railway link from the new 'Bubble' terminal into the
city. And no host city would be complete without a new iconic cultural center. For a mere US$350 million, The New National Theater is filled by three venues - an opera house, a concert hall and theatre which together seat 5,500. It will stand proudly alongside its fellow new builds and adds to the list of architectural 'inputs' - this time French architect Paul Andreu. A new economy with inexpensive labour is the perfect fit for a city/country that aspires to host one of the greatest events in the world and truly put the place on the map as an international destination which reflects a blend of new and old cultures.
One of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Macharia Yuot was separated from his family and forced to walk nearly 1500 miles through Ethiopia and Kenya. He spent several years at a camp with 80,000 other refugees before he was told that he would be one of 3,800 Sudanese boys resettled in the United States. Yuot ended up living with a foster family in Philadelphia, where he attended high school, learned to speak English, and began running for the school's track team. He blossomed as a runner while studying social work at Widener University. An assistant coach spotted Yuot's potential and told track and cross-country coach Vince Touey that the African kid with long legs and an endearing smile was raw but had potential. He won five NCAA Division III titles, including a remarkable three-day span in 2006 when he won the 5000 meters, 10,000 meters, and 3000-meter steeplechase. After a sixth-place debut (2:25:39) at the Philadelphia Marathon in November 2006, he is now focusing on the marathon distance: 2007 has been a significant year for the athlete as
he has his sights set on the 2008 Olympic Games. He finished 13th in 29:49 at the Healthy
Kidney 10K in New York City on May 19, 2007; and became an American citizen in August
2007, making him eligible to compete for Team USA. He set a personal best in the
2007 New York Marathon with a time of 2 hours and 18 mins and hopes to qualify for the
2008 Olympic Team Trials. |
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Juan Gilberto Funes 
The main
Olympic Stadium designed by Herzog & de Meuron is famously known as the 'bird's nest'
as steel shaped noodles or twigs (take your choice) make this an extraordinary design
feat.
refugee camps
