Archive for Sport

World Cup Preview: Brazil vs. North Korea

June 15, 2010 at 5:25 PM · Filed under Football, Sport, World Cup ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

North Korea have to be the unluckiest team in this year’s world cup. They have qualified for the first time since 1966 only to draw favourites Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast in their Group G. No one expects North Korea to make it past the group stages and repeat  history they had created in 1966 when they had  beaten Italy to progress to the quarter-finals.  Unfortunately it seems this time North Korea might have to live up to  Karl Marx’s famous quote about History repeating itself the second time as farce. This match is the biggest possible mismatch in terms of the most recent FIFA rankings at the 2010 World Cup.

Brazil

Ranking: 1

Brazil, like they always are, are among the favourites to lift the World Cup 2010. They are the most successful nation in the history of the tournament having won it a record 5 times and the only one team to have played in every tournament. Brazil is managed by Carlos Dunga who has often been criticized for not playing ‘attractive’ football and had left many people stunned with his decision to leave Ronaldinho out of the Brazil World Cup squad. The pressure is on for Brazil who are expected not only to win the match against North Korea but also to win it in samba style with plenty of goals. This is Carlos Dunga’s first job as a manager but that shouldn’t bother the Brazilian as he has an enviable squad  made up of world-class players like Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Dani Alves, Maicon and the young skillful speedy Ramirez . Their goal keeper Julio Caesar who returns to goal after missing a friendly against Tanzania due to a back injury and is absolutely crucial to Brazil’s win. The only thing not in Brazil’s favor is that their mid-fielders Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo aren’t in form and the uncreative ways of the  experienced Elano, who in all probability will be selected to start ahead of Ramirez.

North Korea

Ranking: 105

North Korea are managed by Kim Jong-hun, who has at his disposal Jong Tae-se who is dubbed as the Asian Wayne Rooney and AFC Young Player of the Year for 2007 Kim Kum-il, who is the only North Korean to ever win an Asian Football award. The manager did a great job with his team in qualifiers and will need to apply all his defenses to keep out the creative Brazilians. North Korea had named striker Myong-Won as a third choice goalkeeper, thus taking an additional striker but that tactic has backfired after  FIFA declared that the striker can only be used between the sticks. So that leaves North Korea with a lone-striker up front with five defenders and four across the midfield. They can trust their captain Hong Kong Jo to play a very physical tough tackling game.

The fact that the Brazilian realise that this would be their only somewhat easy match in the Group, doesn’t make things easier for North Korea either. Brazil will want to score as many goals as possible against the North Koreans and the same can be expected by all the other two teams in the group who will target North Korea to improve their chances should goal-difference come into play to decide this group’s first and second place. To say that it will be tough for North Korea would be an understatement but if they can put up any sort of battle against Brazil, it would do wonders for their reputation the world over. If nothing else the freezing cold weather in Johannesburg should work in North Korea’s favour a[part from the fact that they are an unknown quantity for the fancied Brazilians.

Manager Speak

“We have to congratulate the Asian teams, they have evolved tremendously over the years. They are no longer the weaker team. Sometimes we believe that a certain team is the best, but football does not lie. We have to respect our opponents and do everything in our grasp to win.” – Carlos Dunga, Brazilian manager.

“I am going to play to win. I know Brazil are one of the favourites for the title but the Korean mentality is very strong.” – Kin Jong Hun, North Korea manager.

Stars to Watch Out For

Brazil: Kaka, Júlio César, Luís Fabiano, Dani Alvez,

North Korea: Jong Tae-se, Kim Kum-il

Go Figure!

Min Jong-chol was North Korea’s joint-top scorer during qualifying, finding the net four times despite playing only two games.

This is North Korea’s first appearance in the World Cup for 44 years – the fourth-longest interval between World Cup participations

Brazil have won all 15 meetings with sides not from Europe or South America, keeping 13 clean sheets

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Tiger Woods to Make Historic Return at Augusta

March 17, 2010 at 7:26 PM · Filed under Sport ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Tiger Woods has many records to his name and now he is taking on Barack Obama. No, Tiger isn’t running for President but it is speculated that his return will be one of if not the biggest media spectacle since Obama’s inauguration. The world no.1 who hasn’t played competitively since November 15, when he won the Australian Masters in Melbournesaid, “The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played.”

“I have undergone almost two months of in-patient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.”

The 34-year old golfer crashed his car outside his Florida home only a fortnight after winning in Melbourne. The seemingly innocuous incident lead to unexpected revelations about his personal life and a break from golf. Tiger Woods emerged only in February to apologise for his actions after he had been forced underground by the media frenzy. It had been hinted that he could make a comeback in March in Florida at the Travistock Cup tournament or at the Arnold Palmer Invitational which starts on the 25th of March.

So it comes as a pleasant surprise for his fans that he will be at the year’s first major at Augusta. However, many feel that his decision to make a comeback at the Masters is because traditionally the Masters’ galleries are more polite than anywhere else and because the media and public access is restricted.  Tiger Woods is third in the all-time PGA Tour rankings in terms of career victories with 71 successes, only Sam Snead (83) and Jack Nicklaus (73) having done better than him.

Tiger Woods is not new to come-backs, he came back after his father’s death in 2002 and in 2008 he won the US Open at Torrey Pines while playing with a double stress fracture in his left shinbone.

The world’s fascination with this phenomenal golfer has always been very high and it has probably only increased after the revelations of his flaws.  So it’s inevitable that the run-up to the first major championship of the year will be dominated by questions about Tiger Woods. His competitors might find this  a tad annoying but his supporters couldn’t be happier.

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Tiger Woods voted AP’s Athlete of the Decade

December 16, 2009 at 8:53 PM · Filed under BC First, Sport ·Tagged , , , ,

After a terrible few weeks and horrible news headlines, Tiger Woods has finally got some good news. The Associated Press selected Tiger Woods as the Athlete of the Decade. Woods received 56 of the 142 votes cast by the members of The Associated Press showing that no matter how shocking the sex scandals, no one can take away the fact that not only is Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer ever but  is also the best thing to have happened to golf.  His influence on popularizing the game is immense. TV ratings for golf soared when Tiger Woods was playing and owing to his broad appeal, the prize money has increased many fold since he joined the PGA . Woods has won 64 times including 12 majors, bringing home a trophy from every continent where golf is played. In a decade, Tiger Woods has won 56 PGA Tours and 12 major titles this decade to go along with the two he won in the 90s. He is only 4 short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus. Although there were many big-names from the world sport nominated, it really wasn’t much of a contest for Tiger Woods.

Interestingly, more than half of the votes cast by the members of The Associated Press were after the car-crash which set off the stories of his infidelities. Lance Armstrong, the 6-time Tour De France winner and cancer-survivor finished second with 33 votes. Tennis Maestro Roger Federer, who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man was third with 13 votes. Record-setting Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps came in fourth with 13 votes ahead of  New England quarterback Tom Brady (6) and sprinter Usain Bolt with 4 votes.

The voting showed, quite rightly that three-weeks of damaging reports cannot take away from 10 years of incomparable golfing achievements.

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Florida Highway Patrol will not press charges against Tiger Woods

December 1, 2009 at 9:24 PM · Filed under BC First, Sport ·Tagged , , , ,

The Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed that they will be not be pursuing criminal charges against Tiger Woods in connection with the car accident last Friday and confirmed that there will be no further investigations into the matter. Woods hit a fire hydrant while pulling out of the driveway of his Isleworth, Florida, home and then drove into a tree on his neighbor’s property.

Maj. Cindy Williams from Florida Highway Patrol said Woods was guilty of careless driving and Woods had met all the legal requirements of Florida law by providing his driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. The FHP added that after reviewing the evidence, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence available to issue a subpoena for any additional medical information that might exist in this case.

“There are no claims of domestic violence by any individual”, the Major confirmed.

Woods, 36, has been given a citation for careless driving and if found guilty will be fined $164 and 4 points on a driving record.

The golfer, who was treated for facial lacerations, withdrew from his own golf tournament blaming the injuries from the crash.

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Tiger Woods in Car Accident

November 27, 2009 at 9:37 PM · Filed under BC First, Sport ·Tagged , ,

The American media is reporting that Golf superstar, Tiger Woods has been seriously injured in a car accident in Florida. Tiger’s in his 2009 Cadillac sport utility vehicle allegedly hit a fire hydrant while pulling out of the driveway of his Isleworth, Florida home, and then drove into a tree on his neighbour’s property around 2:25 a.m. Friday morning.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Woods, 33, was then was taken to Health Central Hospital where he received facial lacerations but the hospital has not confirmed this.

The airbags in Woods car did not deploy, indicating that the vehicle was traveling under 33 mph. The accident is not believed to be alcohol-related but the FHP is planning an investigation and charges could be pending.

Mark Steinburg, the golfer’s agent told CNBC via email that Woods “is fine.”

Woods who has won 14 title and is the current number one, had undergone from re-constructive knee surgery in 2008 and has since made a triumphant return to the US professional circuit. Woods next tournament is Dec. 3-6 at the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California according to his official website tigerwoods.com

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Usain Bolt : The Spirit of Sport

October 26, 2009 at 1:23 PM · Filed under BC First, Sport ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Pablo Picasso was destined to be a great painter, Albert Einstein a great physicist, Mozart to write great symphonies. Whenever we look back at the lives of the ‘greats’, we can’t help but think that they were custom built to succeed in what they did succeed in. If you’ve ever watched Roger Federer play, you would have most definitely thought that this man was custom built by God to play Tennis. Every sport has such people, who leave you in awe of their talents and may be in a moment of weakness, make you crib and question God’s equal love to all mankind. I know I have often had those moments when I see Tiger Woods play. My exploits with the golf club are the sort that will probably make it to a ‘compilation of the worst ever: ugliest shots of the game’. Until now, I used what I call the untalented person’s mantra to feel good about themselves, ” Its better to be a jack of all trades in this generation of multitasking and convergence than the master of one”.  This worked perfectly till; the Bolt from Jamaica hit me! Usain Bolt, is there anything this man can’t do? I mean it’s sick how good he is at everything sport. The man can run 100 meters in a record 9.58 seconds (the time it took me to type 9.58!). He also holds the record for the fastest 200 metres run and just to be doubly sure, the second fastest time as well. He and his teammates also hold the 4×100 metres relay. Okay, we all know the man can run!

saincris

He can also however, play football. He claimed to be a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United when he was in England for the 150 metres run.  He joined the United team for practice and met Cristiano Ronaldo (sigh) and gave him sprinting lessons. He went and saw United play live and along the way found time to run the last 100 m of the150metres race in 8.70, the fastest ever recorded time over a 100 m distance. May be he was in too much of a hurry to get to the Manchester United game! Recently, he seems to have changed his allegiance from Manchester United to Real Madrid where he went to see his favourite footballer Cristiano Ronaldo where he was asked who would win between him and Ronaldo in a 100 race metres with a football at their feet. Usain said,” Definitely I think I can do that. I don’t think Cristiano can beat me. I’m the fastest man in the world so I can do that.”

boltgayle

I don’t think Ronaldo would disagree with Bolt. If there is anything related to sport, Bolt can do it just a little better than anyone else. He definitely proved what a sport phenomenon he was when he joined West Indies batsman Chris Gayle and his team consisting of pace bowlers Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose in a mini tournament to raise funds for school sports equipment. Usain Bolt has often said that Cricket is his first love and that if he weren’t a sprinter he would have been a fast bowler but no one I think expected him to not only hit a superb six off the legendary Chris Gayle’s off-spin but also bowl out the former West Indies opening batsman. That is the thing about Bolt despite being perfect; he can still manage to up his game.

What makes Bolt even more extraordinary is that he isn’t merely a player. Anyone, with talent and perseverance and hard work can achieve considerable success as a player. Bolt is a true sportsman who gives a whole lot to charity and promoting sport. He is one of those sportspeople who values good sportsmanship over gamesmanship, which explains why he wants his favourite footballer to stay on his feet more. He epitomises sportsmanship  and it was for all to see when he raced a local child during his visit to a school in Thessaloniki in Greece and let him win. The joy on the little kid’s face says all about the phenomenon that is Usain St. Leo Bolt (Usain St. Joy Bolt!).

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‘Oudin it?

September 7, 2009 at 7:13 PM · Filed under Sport, US Open ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

It’s been a while since I wrote here, don’t really have anyone or anything to blame. I am just lazy and take the short, faster way out (read twitter). Not only was I being lazy, I recently realized I was being a little too smug and almost considering myself, a pundit of sorts. I was challenging all my friends about predicting correctly all the high profile football and tennis matches since The Champions League Final. So as you can well imagine my head was getting a little too big for my puny body and I was almost on the verge of a ‘lift-off’, which I definitely didn’t want since I don’t know if there is any sport out in space! Might have been good riddance for my friends I am guessing, since I was ruining most of their games by predicting so accurately the results. Oh well, thank God, all that is behind us now, and its all thanks to the ‘US Open’ where absolutely wonderful things are now happening. It started off as the dullest of US Opens, since it was the first time all the top 16 seeded players made it to the round of 32, and me with my big ‘predict all’ head thought it would be an easy tournament to call. I was wrong, there was a wonderful upset with Andy Roddick (who I absolutely adore and desperately want winning another title) got taken by John Isner in one of the best matches since the Federer-Roddick Wimbledon final this year and the Federer-Nadal Final the year before. I was just about beginning to buy the whole women’s tennis not being as interesting as men’s tennis when Kim Clijsters came back and I was hooked again. Despite Kim being back, I thought Venus would probably win and Serena would probably be in the Finals playing her sister or in the semis playing well but not as well as I feel she can play. And then it happened, Venus Williams taken out by ‘Kim Possible’ in the 4th round. It was interesting. I had never heard of Melanie Oudin and I would have bet good money on either of Pavluchenkova or Dementieva easily beating her, a 17 year old from Georgia. And if the 2 Russians couldn’t get her, I knew compatriot Sharapova would make quick business of her. Boy! Was I wrong and am I glad that I didn’t start putting money where my mouth is as I watch Oudin beat her fourth Russian Petrova and on her way to her first slam quarterfinals. A fairytale and here’s hoping it has a wonderful ending. If only this unpredictability of sport can continue and Croatia can go on to beat England on Wednesday and make it tough for England to qualify for the World Cup. No wait, hasn’t that kinda thing happened before?

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