Friday, August 14, 2009

Early Years of the Summer Olympics

Early Years of the Summer Olympics

When were the first Summer Olympics?

The first official Summer Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. They were set up by a Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, in conscious homage to the ancient Olympic Games that were held in Olympia in Greece between 776 BC and 393 AD – an amazing period of a thousand years. In 1894, de Coubertin presented his idea at a congress in the Sorbonne in Paris. Early proposals for the site of the first modern Summer Olympic Games included Paris and London, but in the end it was unanimously agreed that Athens would be the most appropriate venue. They were opened on Easter Monday 1896 by the King of Greece, King George I.

What events were included?

The first Summer Olympics were a modest affair by today’s standards. Drawing heavily on the traditions of the ancient Olympics Games, they nonetheless included modern sports such as shooting and tennis. The centerpiece of the Summer Olympics was, and remains, athletics, but in addition there were medals awarded in cycling, gymnastics, fencing, wrestling, and weightlifting.

The athletics program at the first Summer Olympics also included the first-ever competitive running of the Marathon, which appropriately enough started at the Greek town of Marathon, and which was won by a Greek water carrier, Spyridon Louis. He remains a national hero in his home country.

Winter events such as skating were planned for the first Olympic games, and took place in early competitions. It was not for some years that the Summer and Winter Olympics were separated and the first Winter Olympics held in Chamonix in 1924.

How did the early Olympics differ from nowadays?

The early Summer Olympics were a very different affair to today’s global circus. The first games, in Athens, lasted just over a week, and comprised some nine different disciplines such as athletics and weightlifting – a far cry from today’s twenty-eight sports. There was no Olympic village: until 1932, all athletes had to organize their own accommodations. In addition, women were not allowed to compete in the first Summer Olympics – as they had not in ancient times – and were only admitted to the games in 1900. In all, fourteen nations were represented, and the final medal table was topped by the USA. Some things have not changed
main article image The Summer Olympic Games are not historically documented until 776 BC, but it is widely accepted that they had been in practice from as early as the 13th century BC

History of the Summer Olympics

History of the Summer Olympics

The Beginnings of the Summer Olympic Games.

The Summer Olympic Games are not historically documented until 776 BC, but it is widely accepted that they had been in practice from as early as the 13th century BC. There are several Greek legends that speak of the beginnings of the Summer Olympic Games. One indicates that it was begun when Herakles won a race then asked that the race be run every four years. Another legend mentions King Iphitos who asked the Oracle of Delphi how to deal with a current war that was ravaging his country. The Oracle advised him to hold games in honor of the gods, which would require a truce. Whatever the origins of the Olympic tradition, it is obvious that it was originally of a religious nature.

The Olympics in Ancient Greece.

The history of the Summer Olympic begins in Olympia, where they were first held. The ceremonies held for the winners were similar to those we hold today but instead of medals they received palm branches to hold and red ribbons which were tied around their heads and hands as a sign of their victory. At the completion of the games there was another ceremony and they would be crowned with a wreath of olive branches. When the athletes returned home they were often awarded large sums of money and fame, just like our present day Olympic athletes.

The Sports of Ancient Olympic Games.

The ancient Olympic Games had their roots in only one competition, a foot race called the stadion or stade. It was the distance of one stade, or sprinting from one end of the stadium to the other which measured about 200 meters. The earliest known documents that mention the Olympic Games are from 776 BC, and Coroibus of Elis is listed as the winner of the race. The events included the stade, the diaulos, which was similar to the 400 meter race and the Pentathlon. The Pentathlon was another ancient sport and included the stade, the diaulos and a long race called the dolichos which was from 1400 meters to 4800 meters. There was also a race called the Hoplitodromos and entailed running about a mile in armor weighing from 50 to 60 pounds. This was particularly grueling and was a display of military strength, speed and stamina. Also included were boxing and wrestling, as well as the equestrian sports of riding and chariot racing.

The Athletes of Ancient Olympic Games.

The athletes that participated in the ancient Olympic Games were of the highest quality and prestige. They performed nude as the body was viewed as a thing of great beauty. Only Greek speaking men were allowed to compete in the ancient Games, however these men came from all the different areas in Greek city-states and colonies. The athletes had to qualify and meet the requirements of the Games. Women were not only excluded from participating in the games, but they were not allowed to observe them, as this was considered a sacred activity only for men.

The ancient Greeks had established a long and valuable tradition in their Olympic Games. They were celebrated every four years during August and September. They held the Games until the forth century BC when the Roman Emperor Theodosius, abolished them due to their pagan roots.

The Beginning of the Modern Games.

The modern Olympic Games have much in common with those of ancient Greece. They were reestablished by a French aristocrat, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who urged the founding of the International Olympic Committee in 1894. The committee originally scheduled the first modern Summer Olympic Games for the year 1900, but later pushed that date back to 1896. They were held in Athens Greece during the first week of April. The games included 14 countries and had over 200 participants, but most of them were Greek. Women were not allowed to compete in the 1896 Summer Olympic Games and did not make an appearance until the year 1900, when they competed in lawn tennis and golf.

The1936 Summer Olympics were held in Germany, amidst the Nazi regime of pre-World War II. We see the beauty and spirit of the 1936 Summer Olympics in the amazing victory of Jesse Owens who won four gold medals all while dealing with the immense pressure of racism and hate. Hitler was looking forward to showcasing his supposedly superior German Arian athletes but Jesse Owens proved him wrong by winning a gold medal in the 100 meters, 200 meters, the long jump and the four person 100 meter relay. The 1936 Summer Olympics was truly a memorable and important step in the right direction towards racial equality and justice.

The 1996 Summer Olympics repeated the feelings from the 1972 Winter Olympics when a terrorist group kidnapped 7 Israeli athletes. The 1996 Summer Olympics are remembered most for the terrorist attack that killed one and injured over a hundred more, but the games continued. There was a large turn out with 196 countries competing. The 1996 Summer Olympic Games heralded two new sports, softball, and soccer, and the US women won the gold medal in both new sports. Michael Johnson won double gold medals in the 200 meter and the 400 meter as did a French woman Marie Jose Perac.

The 2000 Summer Olympics show another record turnout and bridging of hostility for the Games. 199 nations gathered to celebrate, and North Korea and South Korea united to enter the field under the same flag and uniform. Ian Thorpe of Australia broke his own world record in the 400 meter freestyle and managed to take four medals, three of which were gold. The 2000 Summer Olympics show the US softball team defending its previous win with a new medal and Michael Johnson wins the gold in the 400 meter. The 2000 Summer Olympics also marked the turning of a new century the first Olympic Games to be celebrated in the 21 century.

The Olympic Games just as before, continue to evolve and change with more sports being added and more people being eligible. The History of the Olympic Games spans thousands of years, and continues today to bridge the gap between countries. All differences between people can be put aside for the glory of the games

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History of Sports

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History of Sports

Sports are timeless activities; ones that humans have enjoyed since at least ancient times, as exemplified by the Greek Olympic Games. Indeed, ethnographic and archaeological evidence such as cave paintings and the accounts of early European explorers indicate sports may well go back to the very beginning of humankind. Many of the sports played and celebrated today, such as football, even have their roots in various kicking and running ball games played throughout medieval Europe. Sports such as golf and horse racing were also played among the European aristocratic classes, especially those of Britain.

History of sports

Of course ancient Olympics, medieval aristocrats, cave people, and hordes of peasants kicking a ball from one village to the next is, despite the genealogy, rather far removed from sports as we know them today. The development of modern sports is tied very much to the history of the industrial revolution and the creation of the first public schools, the latter of which sought to incorporate physical activity in the curriculum. The net result of this process was to cleanse (as in reduce violent elements) and codify various games such as soccer or rugby and of course later on, basketball and football, both of which were very much shaped on college campuses in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, at least in the United States.

History Illustrated Sports

It is clear that the history of sports as series of incredibly popular spectator events would not exist in its current shape without the likes of magazines like Sports Illustrated. Initially there was much resistance to the idea of a sports magazine. The prevailing views were that sports are beneath journalism and that there would be no audience, and therefore money, in such an undertaking. Of course, the history of Sports Illustrated demonstrates that such views were mistaken. These days Sports Illustrated is credited as one of three main factors for the explosion of popular sports, the other two being economic prosperity and sports broadcasting.

History of Basketball

Basketball is the only popular spectator sport that bears the distinction of being invented by a single person, as opposed to being the adaptation or evolution from or of another sport. Dr. James Naismith is a name inseparable from the history of basketball, a game he conceived as an indoor activity for energetic New England youth to wile away the winter months. January 20, 1892 was the date of the first official basketball game ever played. Naismith went on to coach his invention in Kansas for six years, and thus successfully helped spread the game, with the help of the YMCA, throughout college campuses. In 1946, the National Basketball Association was founded, organizing professional basketball teams for the first time in history.

Broadcasting History Sports

The history of sports broadcasting, namely television and radio, is a curious phenomenon in that each was, in part, the cause of the other’s success. Some of the first (and most popular) radio and television broadcasts were sports events. While broadcasting mediums helped popularize spectator sports, according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, “with only 190,000 television sets in use in 1948, the attraction of sports to the networks in its early period was not advertising dollars…but as a means of boosting demand for television as a medium.” In time, of course, the number of televisions and television stations grew at an exponential rate, so that in 1979 ESPN was launched, reaching over 4 million homes by 1980.

History of Baseball

The earliest reference to baseball in the United States is from the bylaws of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 1791, which forbid the game to be played within 80 yards of the town hall (for reasons not too difficult to imagine). It was not until 1845 that the New York Knickerbockers were founded. Although the amateur club was eventually disbanded, it does bear the honor of being the first team to play baseball under modern rules. In 1870 the game began a move toward professionalism, and in 1875 the National League (the same one that exists today) was established. The American League (originally called the Eastern League) was founded in 1893 to compete against the National League, which it did aggressively.

History of Golf

Golf is a sport with a history so rich it defies summation. What most assume to be golf’s antecedent, “chole”, was first recorded in 1354. The game was actually a hockey derivative played in Flanders. Eventually, in 1421, some Scotsmen fighting with the French in Flanders were introduced to the game, and then took it home to Scotland. Over the next two centuries the game spread throughout Great Britain. There are numerous records of kings, queens, and other royalty playing the game, as well as a number of decrees that granted the commoners the right to play in specific public spaces. In fact, Mary Queen of Scotts is the first female golfer on record.

History of Football

The name “football” is associated with a number of different games, such as soccer, rugby, and American football. There is also Gaelic football, Canadian football, and Australian football. Much of the history of football in the United States has to do with the transition from a kicking game to a running game, and the slow changes and codifications of rules systems and safety guidelines. American football really received its start in the 1820s as an inter-mural sport played by prestigious New England universities. Each university tended to adopt its own rule book, and it was in the course of playing other schools that the rules for American football as we know it were first written. In the early 1900s the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was established to codify rules and reform safety protocols. In 1920, football was officially made a professional sport with the founding of the National Football League (NFL).

The history of sports is rich in depth and detail. Sports that seem recent are, in many cases, not so different from sports activity from hundreds of years ago, only with more spectacle and glamour
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Sport should be gender-neutral

Sport should be gender-neutral

Women will be allowed to box at the 2012 Olympics. That's great for gender equality, but might not be so good for the boxers

joan

Joan Smith guardian.co.uk,

Friday 14 August 2009 09.00 BST

Article history

It's hard not to be driven mad by the sexism that still pervades the world of sport. When people talk about English cricket – usually to moan about how badly the national team is doing – it's taken as read that they mean the men's team. The women have actually won just about everything in sight in the last few months, including the world cup, the ICC World Twenty20, a 4-0 win over Australia in the Natwest series and a draw in the one-off test to retain the Ashes. Only last month, the prime minister invited the women's team to 10 Downing Street in recognition of their achievements, but sports journalists remains obsessed with Flintoff, Pietersen, Vaughan and the other household names who tower over "English cricket".

Nor is sexism confined to cricket (or indeed football, which is just as dominated by overpaid male celebrities). Just before the International Olympic Committee announced that women will be allowed to box in the 2012 Olympics – for the first time since 1904 – the British boxer Amir Khan explained that the prospect made him uneasy. "Deep down, I think women shouldn't fight", said the Olympic silver medallist. "When you get hit it's very painful. Women can get knocked out." So can men, of course, and what Khan is expressing is an age-old prejudice: the notion that there's something inherently manly about punching someone else in the head.

Despite his reservations, Khan went on to say that he would applaud British women boxers at the 2012 Olympics, while the sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe was positively enthusiastic. "This move is a massive boost for women's boxing", he declared. Boxing has become increasingly popular among young women in recent years, boosted by Hilary Swank's portrayal of an amateur female boxer in the movie Million Dollar Baby. The most celebrated woman boxer in history is Muhammad Ali's daughter Laila, who once defeated Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, daughter of her father's old opponent Joe Frazier, on points. Some young women in this country regard learning to box as empowering, giving them confidence and challenging stereotypes about masculine and feminine behaviour.

That doesn't mean there's no problem. Obviously if men are allowed to box in the Olympics, women should be able to participate as well. But many of us question whether boxing is a sport at all, and remain unconvinced by the proposition that the skill displayed by boxers of either sex outweighs the fact that it's about two human being trying to inflict damage on each other. Licensing displays of aggression inevitably legitimises them, and boxing is one of the few activities where the participants are encouraged to do something (assault) which would in normal circumstances be against the law.

Men have died from injuries sustained in the boxing ring, and controversy rages over the extent to which the blows inflicted on Muhammad Ali during his professional career contributed to the Parkinson's disease which has radically restricted his speech and movement. While British women who want to box are right to complain about the prejudice that's kept them out of the Olympic arena until now, there are excellent reasons for thinking that boxing isn't a sport. There's actually something quite sick about watching two people beating each other to a pulp, regardless of gender

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

squash

National Ranking (Women)

July 2009
RankPlayerWISPA
Points
Total
1Maria Toor Pakay79218
2Muqaddas Ashraf2090
3Saima Shoukat2182
4Zoya Khalid2080
5Rushna Mehboob2172
6Aliya SurfrazNIL30
7Riffat Khan3030
8Anoosha Asim3030
9Mehwish HanifNIL10
10MonisaNIL10

squash

National Ranking (Women)

July 2009
RankPlayerWISPA
Points
Total
1Maria Toor Pakay79218
2Muqaddas Ashraf2090
3Saima Shoukat2182
4Zoya Khalid2080
5Rushna Mehboob2172
6Aliya SurfrazNIL30
7Riffat Khan3030
8Anoosha Asim3030
9Mehwish HanifNIL10
10MonisaNIL10

squash

National Ranking (Men)

July 2009
RankPlayerPSATotal
1Aamir AtlasWR-18N/A
2Farhan MehboobWR-19N/A
3Mansoor ZamanWR-43N/A
4Yasir Butt83209
5Waqar Mehboob56182
6Safeer Ullah31140
7Shahid Zaman66134
8Aqib Hanif2585
9Arshad Iqbal3984
10Amjad Khan1883

Squash United Behind 2016 Olympic Bid


Squash United Behind 2016 Olympic Bid Just ahead of the IOC Executive Board decision in Berlin, the bodies which govern and manage Squash - and top players - have reaffirmed their commitment to the Squash 2016 bid Just ahead of the IOC Executive Board decision in Berlin on which sports to recommend to the IOC for inclusion in the Olympic Games from 2016, the bodies which govern and manage Squash - as well as the sport's top players - have reaffirmed their commitment to the bid for Squash to become an Olympic sport.The Professional Squash Association (PSA) and the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) - the organisations which run the professional men's and women's tours, respectively - led by the World Squash Federation (WSF), the sport's governing body, are all united behind the campaign. Natalie Grainger, the WISPA President who is ranked two in the world, said: "There could be no greater achievement for Squash than to become an Olympic sport. Squash is primed and ready to take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity of becoming part of the Olympic movement. Squash has produced some great athletes, all of whom are crying out for that sacred moment to compete on the greatest of sporting stages, hoping for glory - the Olympic Games."Women's world No1 and Squash 2016 Ambassador Nicol David, the Malaysian who recently won gold at the World Games, said: "Just having competed in the World Games has whetted all our appetites for the chance to compete in the Olympics, the greatest sports event on earth! If we get selected - as we hope so much that we will - the seven years until 2016 will fly by. I am ready to start my training programme now!" Alex Gough, PSA Chief Executive Officer and a former world No5, added: "Squash is a vast and ever-growing sport, played by 20 million people in 175 countries. We at the PSA represent those at the top level of the game, but there is no doubt that being an Olympic sport would resonate with everyone who plays, especially the young players across the world who would have something amazing to aim for and aspire to." Nick Matthew, the current men's world No5 and World Games gold medallist, said: "Standing on the podium at the World Games in Taipei, being presented with the Squash gold medal, emphasised - even more than before - what it must be like to win a medal at the Olympic Games. The feeling at a multi-sport games is somehow different to a normal world ranking event and it would be just amazing if we were included." WSF President, N Ramachandran, concluded: "The entire sport of Squash is united behind the bid for inclusion in the Olympic Games. The professional tours would change their schedules in Olympic years to ensure that the Olympic Games would be in its rightful place at the very pinnacle of sporting achievement possible. "On behalf of Squash players the world over, I hope that the IOC sees the potential of our wonderful sport."

Basketball: Results of Asian Basketball Championships

12 August 2009
© 2009 AFP

Results of second-round matches in the Asian Basketball Championships played Wednesday in the eastern Chinese city of Tianjin:

GROUP E

Taiwan 99 Japan 79

Philippines 85 Kuwait 71

Iran 82 South Korea 66

GROUP F

Lebanon 105 Kazakhstan 56

Qatar 91 United Arab Emirates 45

China 89 Jordan 83

afp

Olympic Games list

Summer sports:
Aquatics
Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Basketba
ll
Boxing
Canoe / kayak
Cycling
Equestrian
Fencing
Football
Gymnastics
Handball
Hockey
Judo
Modern pentathlon
Rowing
Sailing
Shooting
Table tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball
Weightlifting
Wrestling
Winter sports:
Biathlon
Bobsleigh
Curling
Ice Hockey
Luge
Skating
Skiing

Cycling

Cycling sports using bicycles or unicycles.

Bicycle

Skibob

Unicycle

Combat sports

Combat sport is a competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using certain rules of engagement.

Grappling

Skirmish

Weapons

Striking

Mixed or hybrid

Competitive aerobatics


Lima Lima aerobatics team performing over Louisville.

Powered

Unpowered

Cue sports

Dance

Three ballet dancers performing a grand jeté jump

Equine Sports

Sports using a horse

Fishing

Flying disc sports

Football family

Gymnastics


Trampoline gymnast Jason Burnett at 2008 Canadian National Championships

Handball Family


Basketball player Dwight Howard making a slam dunk at 2008 Summer Olympic Games

Handball games often have similarities to racquet or catch games.

Hockey family

Hunting

Sometimes considered blood sports.

Kite Sports

Mixed discipline

The three components of triathlon: swimming, cycling, running

Motorboat racing

Motorcycle racing

Orienteering family

Paddle sports

Canoeing

Kayaking

Rafting


Rafting

Rowing

Parachuting

Wingsuit flying

Polo

Racquet (or racket) sports

Sports where a player use a racquet (or racket) to hit a ball or other objects.

Radiosports

Sports using a radio

Remote control

Running


200 meters sprint

Sailing


Windsurfing

Skiing

Sled sports

United States Air Force Major Brady Canfield, 2003 U.S. skeleton champion, shows his takeoff form.

Shooting sports

Sports using a firearm:

Sport Stacking

Street stunts

Tag games

Kabbadi match in progress

Walking

Weightlifting

Mind sports

Requiring little or no physical exertion or agility mind sports are often not considered true sports. Some mind sports are recognised by sporting federations. The following list is intended to represent anything that is likely to be referred to as a mind sport, not to argue their validity as sports.

Card Games

Speedcubing

Strategy Board Games

A game of mahjong being played in Hangzhou, China

Competitive Video Games

Games played in tournaments worldwide include:

Miscellanea

Air sports

Animal sports

Athletics (track and field)


Pole vault

Electronic sports

Sports played using electronic devices.

Endurance sports

Miscellaneous sports

Skating sports

Snowsports

A snowborder and a skier
A ski jumper using the V-style

Freestyle skiing

Strength sports

Sports mainly based on sheer power.

Arm Wrestling

Tables sports

Chess
Pool balls

Target sports

Sports where the main objective is to hit a certain target.

Team sports

Sports that involve teams.

Windsports

Sports which use the wind (apart from sailing):