Gold winner set to be a millionaire

BEFORE the Olympics Chen Xiexia was already a champion and well known within the world of women's weightlifting, but now she look forward to riches beyond her wildest dreams. When the 25-year-old became China's first gold medal winner of the Olympics, all sorts of doors opened.According to one report in the Oriental Sports Daily here she can expect to receive as much as 10 million yuan (RM4.79 million) for her feat, with income coming from a variety of sources.China's General Administration of Sport is awarding each gold medal winner with 250,000 yuan, an increase of 50,000 yuan from the Athens Olympics as an extra incentive to reach for glory.But, according to the China Daily, that is just the beginning with more rewards coming from athletes' home provinces, in Xiexia's case the southern province of Guangdong, as well as sponsors. In addition, the Fok Ying Tung Foundation, launched by a Hong Kong entrepreneur and philanthropist, has given each of China's gold medal winners one kilogramme of gold and US$80,000 (RM264,000) since 1984.The China Daily added that all cash rewards or other prizes that China's athletes derive from their gold medal success are tax free.

Sources : AFP
Date : 12 August 2008

Peluang tamat kemarau 12 tahun

Pemain badminton negara, Lee Chong Wei semakin hampir bagi menamatkan kemarau pingat selama 12 tahun buat kontinjen Malaysia pada Sukan Olimpik XXIX.
Pemain No. 2 dunia itu akan berdepan pemain Korea Sela- tan, Lee Hyun Il pada aksi separuh akhir di Gimnasium Universiti Teknologi Beijing petang ini.
Namun, dia diramal berdepan tentangan sengit daripada pemain bukan pilihan dari Korea Selatan itu yang mengejut- kan pilihan ketiga dari China, Bao Chunlai pada aksi suku akhir semalam.
Berdasarkan rekod pertemuan antara Chong Wei dan Hyun Il tahun ini, ia dilihat agak seimbang.
Chong Wei pernah menewaskan Hyun Il pada Terbuka Malaysia dalam pertarungan tiga set.
Kemudian, pada Terbuka Korea Selatan, Hyun Il pula berjaya menjinakkan Chong Wei pada pusingan kedua sebelum dia menewaskan jaguh China, Lin Dan pada perlawa- nan akhir.
Kejayaan buat Chong Wei hari ini bukan sahaja memasti- kannya slot ke perlawanan akhir, malah ia bakal menjanji- kan pingat keempat dalam sejarah Olimpik Malaysia yang semuanya hadir menerusi acara badminton.
Chong Wei juga memiliki peluang yang tidak pernah dicapai oleh mana-mana pemain badminton Malaysia selama ini iaitu membawa pulang pingat emas pertama buat negara selepas acara itu hanya mampu menghadirkan satu pingat perak dan dua gangsa pada tema- sya 1992 di Atalanta dan 1996 di Barcelona.
Begitupun, seandainya tewas, Chong Wei terpaksa merebut pingat gangsa pada penentuan tempat ketiga dan keempat.

Sumber : Kosmo
Tarikh : 14 Ogos 2008

The Olympic Games and Political Games

Growing up in the 1980s, my olympic heroes were Coe, Ovett and Cram, Carl Lewis, Daley Thompson and Torvill and Dean. I loved the story of Jesse Owens versus the Nazies and even our feeble Eddie the Eagle pulled at the heartstrings. Repression of political activists, detention without trial featuring the scary Re-education Through Labour scheme and censorship in China are unfortunately overshadowing the competition for me and many others at the moment. Politics have been prominent in the Olympic Games snce 1936 when Hitler hijacked them as a piece of Nazi propaganda. The 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia were boycotted by various nations for numerous reasons and 1968 saw the volatile Mexico City games. More than 200 protesters by government forces in October 1968 and the US government had supported the Mexican authorities eith weapons, ammunition, radios and riot control training in an attempt to prevent disruption to the olympic Games. The Munich Games in 1972 were hijacked by Palestinian terrorist with eleven Israeli athletes being kidnapped and eventually killed. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted Beijing the games in July 2001 under the proviso that human rights in China would improve. Many people believe that the Olympic can be used as a positive political force, citing the banning of South Africa between 1964 and 1992. Over the last twenty years or so, scandals involving performance enhancing drugs have probably eclipsed the political Olympic storms. The majority of the athletes participating in the Olympic have legimately reached the pinnacle of their sport and deserve our respect. Accept that politics are part and parcel of any event involving the nations of the world and ignore it.

Sources : www.discoveryarticles.com/151911/1/The Olympics-and-Political- Games
Date : 10 August 2008

Athletes need better protection

The industrial Court has advised athletes to insure themselves instead of relying on other for financial assistance. Ganesan suffered injuries in an accident while on his way to centralised training at Bukit Jalil for the Vietnam SEA Games. The Industrial Court, instead, held in favour of Socso that according to the Social Securities Act 1969 it was not a 'workplace accident'. The court pointed out that athletes should be cared for by the National Sports Council and their respective national associations. He hoped the relevant sporting bodies will take a good look at athletes welfare without discrimination and National Sports Council director general, Datuk Zolkples Embong stressed atheletes are well taken care of and can seek assistance from the welfare department.

Sources : Malay Mail
Date : 04 August 2008