Scandal of the Ages: Documents Reveal Underage Chinese Gymnast

What began as whispers among the media and gymnastics insiders weeks ago about the ages of three of China's female Olympic gymnasts -- Jiang Yuyuan, Yang Yilin and He Kexin -- has grown into ear-shattering, head-hurting shouts. Despite assurances by Chinese officials that all three are 16, the minimum age of eligibility for Olympic competition, newly discovered documents and records prove otherwise.

The New York Times first looked into the age of China's gymnasts with a story on July 27 that focused primarily on He Kexin, whose birthdate on numerous online records was listed as January 1, 1994, making her 14 when the Games began and ineligible to compete.

When the world was officially introduced to He Kexin this week, even those unwise to the ways of competitive gymnastics could tell that with He, something was not right. At 4-foot 8-inches tall and weighing 72 pounds, the Beijing native appears significantly younger than most of her Chinese teammates much less her American and European counterparts.

The world's foremost expert on female gymnastics Bela Karolyi has routinely referred to the 2008 Chinese team as "half people" and in his contributions to NBC as a commentator during the Games he has railed against the Chinese for engaging in age falsification. After China outscored the U.S. in the qualification round, Karolyi had this to say about the Chinese gymnastics officials:

"These people think we are stupid...We are in the business of gymnastics. We know what a kid of 14 or 15 or 16 looks like. What kind of slap in the face is this? They are 12, 14 years old and they get lined up and the government backs them and the federation runs away. There is an age limit and it can't be controlled."

Chinese Olympic officials have forcefully defended He's eligibility, maintaining that when asked, they submitted proper passport documentation to the IOC. He's passport says her date of birth is January 1, 1992, making her 16 and old enough to compete. However, as Karoyli told the AP, "passports mean nothing."

China has a rich history of age falsification in Olympics competition, especially in gymnastics. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, three years after the minimum age was raised to 16 in gymnastics, Chinese gymnast Yang Yun competed and won a bronze medal in the uneven bars (coincidentally this event is also He's specialty). Yang's passport said she was born on December 24, 1984 and turning 16 in the year of the Games, making her eligible. She later confessed in a television interview that she was only 14 at the time of the competition and that she and her coaches had lied about her age.

As in the case of Yang Yun, the existing records prior to the Olympics -- local registries, athletic records and news articles -- were all correct, whereas the documentation she showed Olympic officials to confirm her eligibility proved to be false. It is no coincidence that He Kexin's passport was issued on February 14, 2008, a mere 6 months before the Olympics.

What did the IOC have to say about the scandal? President Jacques Rogge said, "The IOC relies on the international federations, who are exclusively responsible for the eligibility of athletes. It's not the task of the IOC to check every one of the 10,000 athletes." Not every one Jacques, but maybe just the ones who look like they're ten.

So, for all of those who are still left unconvinced, (here is) a collection of evidence that will demonstrate not only that the Chinese gymnast in question was born in 1994 and underage, but that Chinese officials, over the last few weeks, have systematically tried to cover it all up.

Read the full report on the evidence from The Huffington Post HERE
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Is China Faking The Fans Too?

While most sports at the Games are experiencing a dearth of spectators, there are instances of entire sections being packed with fans dressed identically

After the faux pas of the opening ceremony, where officials admitted featuring one girl on stage instead of another for her attractive looks, there has been yet another allegation at the organising committee.

There were entire sections of empty seats behind both goals at the team handball stadium on Monday. Next to them were sections packed with fans dressed in identical shirts, pounding inflated bats and being led in rehearsed cheers.

That emptiness and eagerness in a single frame provided two early mysteries to these supposedly sold-out Games.

Though these Games are being run with predictable, well-mannered efficiency and few logistical snags, the most sensitive issue facing the organising committee has emerged quickly — Why the empty seats?

And, oh, by the way, who are those uniformed cheerers so enthusiastically providing bursts of colour and choreographed chaos at archery and wrestling, and most events in between?

Empty seats are not an uncommon problem at the Olympics, in part because corporate sponsors receive most of the best tickets. Beijing organising committee officials said that not all of those tickets were being used.

“It is a challenge for us,” Wang Wei, executive vice president of the committee, said on Sunday. “We are now in the process of trying to manage that.”

But, while many athletes have been thrilled to compete in front of far more fans than they are accustomed to, nearly every event has had at least a noticeable smattering of empty seats. Most arenas have been about three-quarters full, with a few barely half full.

On Monday, the competition sites for tennis, boxing, basketball, field hockey and handball were among those with large splotches of empty seats. The 10,000-seat centre court at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre was about three-quarters full for Roger Federer’s match against Dmitry Tursunov. Even seats at swimming events were vacant.

Mostly, however, the Beijing organising committee pointed toward the corporate sponsors for the plight.

“Sponsors may give their tickets to their friends and important customers and they may not appreciate as much and come to the preliminaries,” Wang said. “We are trying to persuade people to respect their rights to watch the Games.” (DNA News)
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No Liqour Please, We're PAS

The state government must make sure that liquor is not served at events sponsored by a beer company in conjunction with the visit of Chelsea Football Club to Malaysia.

Selangor Pas Youth chief Sallehin Mukhyi said the presence of Muslims, including state leaders, at the events should be taken into account.

"We have nothing against them coming but we do not want liquor to be served at functions attended by Muslims. This will not only involve Pakatan Rakyat leaders and Selangor residents, it will also be done on state premises."

He said Pas Youth hoped the state government would study the programmes planned for the English football club before allowing it to come for the friendly match. "We urge the state government to cancel several of the programmes, which are against the tenets of Islam."

Sallehin said Pas had no issue with the football match as the party looked at it as a healthy activity.

"Since the match is with an international club, this would establish a good relationship at an international level. However, we do not want events conducted prior to the match to have liquor."

He said since the PR government included Pas, it would not be appropriate for a function to include liquor. He said an event serving liquor was not only against the tenets of Islam but also Malay culture. Therefore, the state Pas Youth wing would not hesitate to send a memorandum of protest to the state government on the issue.

This is not the first time the wing has asked the state government to step in to change parts of a function deemed un-Islamic.

It had submitted a memorandum to the menteri besar's office to protest plans to have artistes Ella and Mas Idayu perform at the Sultan of Selangor Cup football match on July 6 and threatened to hold a demonstration if the event went ahead. However, the show featured both artistes and went on without a hitch.

The match between Chelsea and the Malaysian national team is set to take place at Shah Alam Stadium on July 29. (NST)

***** No liqour and no women artistes. Both are against Islam and the 'Malay culture'. However go to 4-D shops on draw days and see how many Malays throng these outlets. Go to girlie bars on any day/night and see how Malay culture and the religion has not discouraged so many of them from patronising these places.

Frankly there is only so much that a democratic government should do to discourage citizens from indulging in their likes and tastes. But then again those who dream of absolute theocratic states and caliphates are not bound by the inconvenient fundamentals of a functioning democracy. Voting PAS anyone?

Some Malaysian Muslim Groups Urge Govt To Reverse Decision And Ban Chelsea's Israelis Muslim groups have urged the Malaysian government to stop Chelsea's two Israelis from entering the country when the English team visits in July, warning the tour could face protests if they are allowed in,' reports Reuters.Chelsea, whose coach Avram Grant and midfielder Tal Ben Haim are Israeli citizens, are set to play in mainly Muslim Malaysia as part of their Asian summer tour.Malaysia has no ties with Israel and normally bars Israelis from entering the country, but the home minister decided at the weekend to allow the pair to enter the country, on the grounds they were taking part in a sporting event, free of politics.A group of 21 Muslim and non-government groups now want the government to reverse its decision and has sent a petition to the minister."If the Israeli footballers are allowed entry, the government would be seen as being insensitive to the feelings of the Palestinian victims of Israeli ethnic cleansing and atrocities, and the majority of the Malaysians who sympathise with them and support their struggle for justice and peace," the petition says.Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, a spokesman for the group, said on Monday that the signatories would consider staging protests during the tour if the government refused to back down. "People are very, very angry with the decision, so we are going to have discussions on this," he said.The last time Israeli athletes were allowed in Malaysia was for the 1997 ICC Trophy cricket tournament, which resulted in street protests in Kuala Lumpur.The London club are due to play Chinese Super League team Guangzhou Pharmaceutical on July 23 and a Malaysia select team in Kuala Lumpur on July 29.Image - Source

Muslim groups have urged the Malaysian government to stop Chelsea's two Israelis from entering the country when the English team visits in July, warning the tour could face protests if they are allowed in,' reports Reuters.

Chelsea, whose coach Avram Grant and midfielder Tal Ben Haim are Israeli citizens, are set to play in mainly Muslim Malaysia as part of their Asian summer tour.

Malaysia has no ties with Israel and normally bars Israelis from entering the country, but the home minister decided at the weekend to allow the pair to enter the country, on the grounds they were taking part in a sporting event, free of politics.

A group of 21 Muslim and non-government groups now want the government to reverse its decision and has sent a petition to the minister.

"If the Israeli footballers are allowed entry, the government would be seen as being insensitive to the feelings of the Palestinian victims of Israeli ethnic cleansing and atrocities, and the majority of the Malaysians who sympathise with them and support their struggle for justice and peace," the petition says.

Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, a spokesman for the group, said on Monday that the signatories would consider staging protests during the tour if the government refused to back down. "People are very, very angry with the decision, so we are going to have discussions on this," he said.

The last time Israeli athletes were allowed in Malaysia was for the 1997 ICC Trophy cricket tournament, which resulted in street protests in Kuala Lumpur.

The London club are due to play Chinese Super League team Guangzhou Pharmaceutical on July 23 and a Malaysia select team in Kuala Lumpur on July 29.
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What A Monumental Waste Of The People's Money

Following a report today that a Cabinet minister had links with a NGO that purportedly spent RM1.4 million of public funds on entertainment claims, the Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation Malaysia (WSFFM) emailed to newspapers in the evening its explanation on its spending in addition to a detailed expenditure list.

The WSFFM said it organised the National Women Games last year, with the participation of 3,400 athletes and 600 officials. In addition, it also hosted an international conference, attended by 289 participants, and various courses for 780 officials.

For the games, it provided free internal transport between the games village and competition venues, as well as meals for athletes and officials. It also gave gifts of pillow, pillowcase, bed sheets and blankets to the athletes and officials. Each set was priced at RM44.

The WSFFM explained that these were given as it would have cost the organisers RM60 per person per day to rent these items at the Games village. T-shirts were also given to athletes, officials, volunteers, technical officers and others for easy identification.

On grants, it said RM30,000 was given to each of the 15 state sports council and to the national sports associations for organising the competitions. In the email, it also listed wages and allowances but no amount was given.

On the RM1.4 million entertainment bill, WSFFM said: “The precise definition of the term entertainment used in the accounts encompasses a broad range of expenses related to sported events, athletes and team management participating in the National Women Games 2007. This included ceremonial events, opening and closing ceremonies, and prize giving ceremonies.”

“The WSFFM is able to justify every single expense and investment the government, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council provide to women and sports through us. There is no manipulation in our expenditure, no one has taken a single sen for personal gain and we have been very transparent to publish this for public consumption.”

The NGO’s spending was highlighted in The Sun today, which claimed it had obtained a copy of the NGOs annual report.

Also listed in the expenditure, besides the entertainment claim, was:
:: RM1.18 million on grants,
:: RM2.1 million on meals and accommodation,
:: RM932,000 on media and advertising,
:: RM710,000 on post and production,
:: RM710,000 on printing and stationery,
:: RM865,400 on equipment rental,
:: RM242,000 for volunteers allowances,
:: RM117,700 on wages, and
:: RM858,000 for travelling and transportation. (NST)

***** These are still early days and what we are witnessing is merely the tip of the iceberg. There are many, many more horror stories like the above and the terrible wastage of public funds by the avaricious Umnoputeras will come out one by one. The people can then decide whether to allow these buggers to survive till the next elections or banish them politically in a mid-term poll, should Pakatan Rakyat wrest control of the federal government.
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Chinese Anger And Terror Warnings Cloud Olympics

China said it was outraged by a resolution by U.S. lawmakers urging an end to a crackdown in Tibet as a Beijing-run newspaper linked al Qaeda to claimed plots to attack the Beijing Olympics.

The condemnation came in response to a U.S. House of Representatives resolution urging China to open dialogue with the Dalai Lama, end a crackdown on nonviolent Tibetan protesters and halt repression in the region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said her government was "strongly indignant and resolutely opposed" to the resolution passed on Wednesday with the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Jiang said the U.S. lawmakers should instead direct their ire at what Beijing calls the Dalai Lama's clique, which China has blamed for deadly rioting in Tibet's regional capital, Lhasa, on March 14 and subsequent protests.

"It is confusing black with white and is vicious-minded of certain members of the U.S. House of Representatives to not only fail to condemn the attacks, smashing, looting and arson in Lhasa ... but rather to point the spear at the Chinese government and people," Jiang said.

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, has rejected claims that he orchestrated the violence, and Western governments have urged China to open up conciliatory contacts.

But China has underscored the gulf in perceptions over Tibet by saying that groups campaigning for independence there have joined militant Muslim Uighurs fighting for an independent "East Turkestan" in the northwest region of Xinjiang.

China said on Thursday it had foiled "terrorist" plots to kidnap foreigners and carry out suicide attacks around the Beijing Olympics in August.

COLLUSION

The Wen Wei Po, a Hong Kong newspaper backed by the mainland, said Uighur extremists were colluding with the exiled Tibetan Youth Congress and even al Qaeda to target the games. "Al Qaeda, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Tibetan Youth Congress are all planning to make the Beijing Olympic Games the target of terror attacks, and have strengthened collusion and collaboration," the paper said in a commentary. The Dalai clique is not only implicated with al Qaeda, it is colluding with the East Turkestan organization ."

Human rights groups have said Beijing is using the perceived terror threats, denied by exiled Uighur groups, to justify tough controls in Xinjiang.

Konchok Yangphel, a New Delhi-based spokesman for the Tibetan Youth Congress, said the Wen Wei Po report was ridiculous. "We are trying to stick to nonviolence and demonstrations and have not engaged in violence," he said by telephone. But he said the group did not rule out the possibility of violence in Tibet "if people are forced by Chinese violence."

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said he was happy with how preparations for securing the Aug. 8-24 Games were proceeding. "We discuss security each time we meet the Beijing organizing committee, we have received assurances from the authorities that there will be the necessary and appropriate level of security," he told a news conference in Beijing at the end of a two-day meeting of the IOC's executive board.

TORCH RELAY

The Beijing Games torch relay, which has been dogged by protests by Tibet activists, resumed under heavy security in Buenos Aires on Friday after disruptions in London, Paris and San Francisco.

Buenos Aires deployed thousands of police and city officials to keep order, but the relay was not interrupted, with the greatest threat just a couple of tossed water-filled balloons. Enthusiastic onlookers outnumbered activists protesting China's rule of Tibet. Police separated small groups of pro- and anti-China protesters who gathered in front of Argentina's pink presidential palace and at other points along the route.

Chief Beijing organizer Liu Qi earlier told the IOC his team was working to avoid more chaotic scenes in the remaining legs of the relay. The torch relay's San Francisco route was abruptly changed by city officials this week, and Indonesia has said it would significantly shorten its leg on April 22.

Jin Jing, 27, a wheelchair-bound Chinese torch bearer, gained national fame after fending off protesters in Paris. "I still feel very angry now, and I think the man was very irrational," the Paralympic fencer told Reuters. "Hosting the Olympics is such a good thing for our country, so why do they want to ruin it?"

Zhan Yongxin of Chinese Foreign Ministry office in Hong Kong said the attack showed "some people are physically able, but spiritually disabled, while others have disabled bodies but their spirit is sound."

Kenyan Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai pulled out of Sunday's Tanzanian relay leg to highlight her concerns about Tibet.
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More from Reuters: China says unity at stake over Tibet, denounces European Parliament's call to boycott Olympics opening ceremony

Sports Ministry Drops Plan for RM490 Million Brickendonbury Sports Centre

What started as an ambitious but financially questionable 'plan' to help our athletes prepare for the 2012 London Olympics, by creating a new multi-million ringgit sports centre at the Malaysian-owned Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre in Brickendonbury, Hertfordshire, came to a conclusive end when the new Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the controversial project was being shelved.

A baby of the then sports minister Azalina Othman, who had mooted the idea in July 2006, had said that the centre would see aspiring Malaysian athletes 'train and compete' in European tournaments. No one bought that story and many viewed it as a greedy, underhanded attempt by some interested parties to bilk the country to the tune of hundreds of millions of ringgit.

After strong domestic opposition even from within Umno, deputy prime minister Najib Tun Razak said that Malaysia had decided to drop the controversial plan. It was reported then that the sports facility would cost about 490 million ringgit. Najib had further stated that the authorities would use an existing facility at the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre. Many feared that the 'existing facility' ruse would still cost hundreds of millions. (Incidentally our sporting performance as everyone knows has flagged in recent years even in events at which we used to excel, such as badminton and hockey. Only Nicol David is a world-class Malaysian sports person today. Unfortunately for her, she does not belong to the 'right' group, for otherwise the rewards would have been astronomical.)

There was also talk last year that the government planned to use an arms deal with Britain to buy two frigates and other hardware as leverage to persuade British planners to approve the sports centre in the Green Belt in East Herts. That devious attempt too proved a non-starter.

However Azalina was hell-bent on pushing through the unpopular plan and in the process seemed ready to defy the PM. And while Najib publicly said that the whole sports centre idea was being dropped, in truth the ministry furtively put in an application but luckily around mid-November 2007, the East Herts Council Development Control Committee shot it down. Azalina was left licking her wounds while Najib pretended that nothing had happened perhaps waiting for another opportune moment to refloat the plan.

Now at last there appears to be a finality of sorts to the whole fiasco and it is hoped that this controversial money-making scheme will be buried for good.
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Malaysia May Lift Travel Ban On Chelsea's Israeli Pair

Malaysia on Monday hinted it may lift a travel ban on Israelis to allow Chelsea coach Avram Grant and midfielder Tal Ben Haim to come here on a mini-Asian tour by the English Premier League title contenders.

"I am not sure what the decision would be yet. But it would be a pity that politics should get in the way of sports," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

"There is a travel ban. I will have to study the situation first but I would like to see Chelsea although it is not my (favourite) team, I would like to see them playing here."

Malaysia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and its citizens must obtain special permission to travel here.

Chelsea last week said they could be forced to cancel the Malaysian leg of their tour if the Israelis were not allowed into the country.

The Football Association of Malaysia had said tour organisers would raise the issue with the foreign ministry in order to obtain clearance for the pair.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, who announced matches in Malaysia on July 29 and in China tentatively on July 23 in the southern city of Guangzhou, was confident approval would be secured.

But he indicated the London glamour side could be forced to ditch the Malaysian visit if Grant and Ben Haim were banned from entering the country.

"We clearly could not travel without our top coach. This (tour) is a critical part of training for the 2008-2009 season," he told AFP. It will make no sense to travel without a key member of the coaching staff."

Najib backed the rare tour by the Premier League giants, saying it would boost Malaysian football. "It's good for local football, definitely," he said.

Chelsea, who have strong support in Malaysia, are scheduled to play the much-derided national team who have slipped down the rankings to 164 after their heyday in the 1970s.

The incident echoes last year's botched visit by Manchester United, who were forced to call off their trip after the Asian Football Confederation complained it clashed with Malaysia's co-hosting of the Asian Cup.

In 1997, Malaysia allowed Israel to compete in the 22-nation ICC Trophy cricket tournament here but the decision sparked a series of demonstrations in the capital.

***** What a change of view when compared to a few decades ago. In November 1986, Malay fanatics here, totally oblivious to the rules of international relations and diplomacy, fueled by their hatred for Israel and discreetly egged on by Umno, vehemently protested, including threats of suicide, the visit of the then Israeli President Chaim Herzog to neighbouring, sovereign Singapore! It's good to see a little commonsense, rationality and pragmatism at play now.
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Malaysia Facing Suspension From International Taekwondo For Government Interference

Malaysia is facing suspension from international taekwondo because of government interference in its affairs, a senior official said on Wednesday.

T. Kumar, secretary general of the Malaysian Taekwondo Association (MTA), told Reuters that a dispute with national sports commissioner Elyas Omar could threaten their participation at the Beijing Olympics.

The MTA was deregistered in 2005 because it refused to give voting rights to clubs. However, under an agreement with Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said in July, it backtracked and was allowed to resume operations.

According to media reports, Elyas is still refusing to recognise the MTA.

"The WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) has been very lenient with us," Kumar said. "They have not done anything yet but we know they are concerned about the situation and we never know what will happen in the future. "If they act, then it could threaten our place in the Olympics."

The WTF, which has the right to suspend associations subjected to government interference, has so far resisted moves to intervene.

Two members of Malaysia's taekwondo team, Elaine Teo (57kg) and Che Chew Chan (67kg), have already booked places in Beijing via an Olympic qualifying tournament in Vietnam in November. (Guardian.co.uk)

***** The office of sports commissioner was introduced by the government as a back door attempt to control all sports associations in the country. In the process successive holders of the post have decimated Malaysian sports. Elyas is no exception.
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Malaysia's FIFA Ranking Drops Further

The latest world football ranking issued by Fifa sees the Malaysian team dropping further to 165 from 164 in January after being pipped by Pakistan.

The latest list obtained from the Fifa website Monday saw the Malaysian squad, who are aspiring to qualify for the World Cup, languishing at the bottom together with minnows.

The other countries at the bottom include Seychelles (163), Netherlands Antilles (161), Tahiti (159), Turks and Caicos Islands (158), and Myanmar (157) which lack basic infrastructure such as fields, stadiums and sports equipment.

On the other hand, countries which are at war such as Palestine (162), Myanmar (157), Liberia (145), Chad (143), Lebanon (141) and last year's Asia Cup champion, Iraq, put up better showing.

Malaysia's lower ranking was due to the poor performance at international competitions especially during the Asia Cup championship and SEA Games in Korat, Thailand last year.

In the Asia Cup in July, Malaysia, as the host, became the whipping boys in the group matches losing to China 1-5, Uzbekistan 0-5, and Iran 0-2 while in the SEA Games in Korat, the Malaysian team failed to qualify for the semifinals.

After reaching their highest ranking of 79th position in 1993, Malaysia took a nosedive following several internal factors.

The current ranking of 165 is the worst ever for Malaysia since 15 years ago, where they are now among the 36 bottom teams in the Fifa list of 201 countries.

In addition, their position among the 46 countries in the Asian continent has also dropped from 27th to 32nd.

Meanwhile, the performance by neighbouring countries climbed significantly led by Thailand (10), Vietnam (16), Indonesia (20), Singapore (21) and Myanmar (29).

Argentina continue to remain in the top spot in world ranking for the fifth year consecutively, followed by Brazil in the second spot and World Cup champions Italy occupying the third slot.

***** This is the price we have to pay for mindlessly allowing the involvement of royalty, opportunistic politicians and sycophantic officials in the administration of the FAM and its affiliates. Malaysia Boleh?
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Serbia's Novak Djokovic Thrashes Federer In Straight Sets

Serbia's Novak Djokovic humbled world number one Roger Federer in straight sets to reach the final of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday.

Third seed Djokovic won 7-5 6-3 7-6 to end Federer's hopes of a fourth Australian Open title and his run of 10 straight grand slam final appearances.

Djokovic will play unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in Sunday's final as both men seek their first grand slam title.

"It's amazing, an indescribable feeling to beat the number one player of the world, probably one of the best players this sport has ever had, in straight sets," Djokovic said.

"I'm very, very proud of myself.

"It's very difficult to play against a player who is so dominant on any surface and he's been so successful for the past couple of years.

"I'm just so amazed at how well I coped with the pressure, in the most important moments I played my best tennis."

The 20-year-old Djokovic has been threatening a breakthrough for some time but few could have predicted the manner of his victory against the top seed who was chasing his 13th grand slam crown.

Federer looked to be on course for the first set as he broke to lead 5-3, but Djokovic immediately broke back and a further break saw him take the opener on his first set point after 45 minutes.

Federer, taken to five sets earlier in the tournament by another Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, was visibly rattled and lost his service again early in the second.

A further break saw Djokovic lead 5-1 but in the first signs of a Federer fightback saw his own delivery broken.

But Djokovic held his nerve to serve out for a two sets to love lead, wrapping it up with an ace.

Federer kept up the pressure in the third set and had four set points on the Djokovic service as he led 6-5.

But the young pretender boldly saved them all to force a decisive tiebreak which he took on his first matchpoint as the Swiss tamely netted a forehand.

"I think he made the more important points today, it was a bit unfortunate for me," Federer said. "It depends a lot on day form, you can't always play your best. There is no doubt I have played better before.

"I've created a monster that I need to win every tournament -- still the semifinals isn't bad." (CNN)
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No More World Records After 2060

There will be no new sporting world records after 2060 as humans will have reached their physiological limits, French scientists have said.

The conclusion by experts at the biomedical and epidemiological institute of sport, Irmes, followed analysis of 3,260 world records set since 1896 — the year of the first modern Olympics.

Then, athletes used 75 per cent of their physical capacity, while today, according to the study, they use about 99 per cent.

After looking at five disciplines — athletics, cycling, weightlifting, swimming and speed skating — the researchers are convinced that the human race will soon hit a wall.

“It’s the beginning of the end,” said Jean-François Toussaint, the head of Irmes.

Some current records are likely never to be broken, such as 10.49 seconds for the women’s 100 metres set by Florence Griffith-Joyner, in 1988. Toussaint suggested that in the future records should be less important than the way a race is run and the quality of the sporting contest.

***** Very interesting conclusion. But one can't rule out the emergence of exceptional men and women who could turn the physiologists' theory on its head. We'll just have to wait another five to six decades to see if the human spirit and determination can transcend the physical limitations of the body. Will we be witnessing the advent of superhumans?
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Human Rights Watch Slams Beijing Olympic Committee For 'Discrimination'

Medals For Beijing 2008
A US-based human rights group has slammed Beijing Olympic Committee for “discrimination” against individuals, especially women and for adopting "unfair hiring practices."

The sharp criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW) came in the wake of reported remarks by a Committee's spokesperson that medal presenters must be female university students between the ages of 18 and 25 and must fit into the uniforms.

Stating that the Committee has "very clear conditions and demands," the spokesperson was quoted as saying they need to be of a height between 1.68 metres and 1.78 metres and they cannot be too fat.

But in a letter to the Committee, Human Rights Watch blasted the eligibility requirements as "discriminatory" and said they violate China's obligations as a party to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

"Gender, age and appearance requirements arbitrarily exclude individuals from jobs for which they are professionally qualified and constitute discrimination," said the letter sent to the Committee by Executive Director Asia Division Brad Adams.

The letter was released by HRW on Wednesday. Human Rights Watch is aware that similar requirements are often included in job advertisements in China, yet such discrimination rely on gender-based stereotypes and limits women and men's equal access to employment, including prestigious jobs such as presenting awards at the Olympics.

Referring the requirement that female presenters "must have a very clear understanding of the Olympic spirit and the Olympic movement", Adams said. "We submit that there is no better way for China to demonstrate its commitment to women's rights and Olympic values than to ban ads and comments that so blatantly discriminate, even before the Games open in Beijing on August 8, 2008."

In planning the Olympics, officials at the highest levels of government should publicly condemn discrimination rather than reinforce harmful stereotypes and unfair hiring practices, the letter said.
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UK Town Council Rejects Malaysian Training Centre Plan At Brickendonbury

What started as an ambitious but financially questionable 'plan' to help our athletes prepare for the 2012 London Olympics, by creating a new multi-million ringgit sports centre at the Malaysian-owned Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre in Brickendonbury, Hertfordshire, came to an ignominious end when the town council there firmly rejected the scheme.

The National Sports Institute (NSI) announced that its application to build the centre was given the "up yours" sign by the town council. NSI director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz, who was present at the hearing, said that it was unfortunate that the decision had gone this way.

Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman, who had mooted the idea last July, had said that the centre would see aspiring Malaysian athletes 'train and compete' in European tournaments. No one bought that story and many viewed it as a greedy, underhanded attempt by some interested parties to bilk the country to the tune of hundreds of millions of ringgit.

After strong domestic opposition even from within Umno, deputy prime minister Najib Tun Razak said that Malaysia had decided to drop the controversial plan. It was reported then that the sports facility would cost about 490 million ringgit. Najib had further stated that the authorities would use an existing facility at the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre. Many feared that the 'existing facility' ruse would still cost hundreds of millions. (Incidentally our sporting performance as everyone knows has flagged in recent years even in events at which we used to excel, such as badminton and hockey. Only Nicol David is a world-class Malaysian sports person today. Unfortunately for her, she does not belong to the 'right' group, for otherwise the rewards would have been astronomical.)

There was also talk last year that the government planned to use an arms deal with Britain to buy two frigates and other hardware as leverage to persuade British planners to approve the sports centre in the Green Belt in East Herts. That devious attempt too proved a non-starter.

Now it looks like the government very quietly did put in an application to build the centre despite the earlier announced turnaround. Apparently the mat sallehs have more respect for rules, regulations and the environment than our pemimpin or majlis tempatan do. Thank goodness for small mercies. We've just saved half-a-billion ringgit, out of which probably a substantial portion would have ended up in a couple of Swiss bank accounts. For the time being at least the public have won. But I'm sure our pemimpin will think up of even 'better' schemes as the days go by. Malaysia Boleh!
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From Bernama: Malaysia's Application To Set Up HPTC In Brickendonbury Rejected.

Shahidan Kassim, God's Gift To Malaysian Sports, Speaks Out

There is nothing wrong with having a political figure run a sports association or body, said Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, reports TheStar.

Saying that he was ready to let go of his positions in sports organisations anytime at the request of the Cabinet, Shahidan said: “Our presence has always brought stability to the association concerned. We have never destroyed the sport, we advanced it.”

Last Wednesday, the Cabinet announced that ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries were prohibited from holding posts in sports bodies. However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he would get feedback from each mentri besar and chief minister before deciding whether to extend the ban to them as well.

Shahidan, who is among other things the president of the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union, said he was ready to resign immediately if he was found to be “ruining” any association. However, he challenged anyone to prove to him that any sports association in Malaysia had suffered from having the leadership of a political figure. He said certain quarters had been implying that such political figures were “useless” in leading these organisations. If any changes are to be made, let it be a change that will advance us, not leave us behind,” he told reporters.

For this reason, Shahidan proposed that the Malaysia Olympic Council should be headed by the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister. His reasoning was that political figures were willing to volunteer their time and could find financial support more easily. “On the other hand, getting professionals to head the associations might not be easy. Some of them are only interested in the money,” he said.

***** There are times when one must wonder from which forsaken planet some of these politicians come from. Safely ensconced in tiny Perlis, our man Shahidan thinks that he is such a great saviour of sports that not only does he defend the involvement of all politicians but denigrates professionals as well. On top of that he gives advice. And what well thought out advice! He proposed that the Olympic Council of Malaysia should be headed by the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister.

This clearly shows that he has absolutely no clue about the reasons behind the PM's move to ban political specimens from sports. Politicians especially the heavyweights are the main reason why sports in our country has entered a stage of prolonged hibernation and no amount of screaming "Malaysia Boleh" is going to rouse it. Pak Lah's directive is the only thing which can save the sorry state we are in. In fact he must go ahead and ban MBs and CMs along with their state exco colleagues and other feudalistic nitwits that leech on our political system.
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Ministers, Deputy Ministers Barred From Holding Posts In Sports Bodies. Ban MBs, CMs Too

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has barred ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries from holding posts in sports associations, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said Wednesday.

She said the prime minister issued the directive, which took immediate effect, at the weekly Cabinet meeting today. The move is to ensure ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries are not bogged down with too many responsibilities.

The directive, however, was not binding on menteris besar and chief ministers, she told Bernama.

Meanwhile, the directive was greeted with mixed reaction by the sports fraternity.

Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi said the prime minister may have his reasons to issue the directive as people involved in sports bodies, especially at national level, need to devote a lot of time and at the same time are required to attend to their ministerial duties and functions.

Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) secretary Chan Foong Keong said though it would be a big loss to the association, "we will have to adhere to it since the prime minister has made the decision." TTAM is among sports associations affected by the directive. The others are Malaysian Body Building Federation (MBBF), Equestrian Association of Malaysia (EAM) and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn is MBBF president; Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy (TTAM president); Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis (EAM president); and Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Anifah Aman (FAM vice-president).

Energy, Water and Communication Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik is International Wushu Federation vice-president.

A number of state and district-level associations is also expected to be affected by the directive as some ministers and deputy ministers are known to hold positions in them.

***** Despite what some of these officials may say, in the long run this is the best thing that can happen to Malaysian sports. However the PM should exercise his personal authority and also ban as many MBs and CMs as possible from further ruining sports in our country.

While it may be construed as disrespect if Pak Lah were to mention Royalty, it is high time that those Royals who are involved in sports take the hint and regally step down. They will be doing the nation a great favour.

One reason why so many politicians are into sports, apart from the pemimpin's desire for publicity, is the damn opportunistic leeches that many of these sports officials are. They suck up to these leaders who know diddly-squat about a sport merely for personal gain. In the process true sportspersons and knowledgeable administrators are sidelined and the old order persists long, long after the expiry date. And as an end result, these power brokers have murdered sports in our country.

All we can say is "better late than never". Well done Pak Lah.
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UPDATE.
Obedient Cabinet: Ministers Adhere To Directive To Vacate Posts In Sports Bodies.
Penang CM Koh: "No way Jose, I'm stayin' on as FAP President. No capable successor bradder!"

Wimbledon Tennis: The All England Club Yields To 21st Century Realities.

Wimbledon has finally discarded a controversial tradition as women, at last, will be paid as much as the men. After years of holding out against equal pay, the All England Club yielded to 21st century realities on Thursday and agreed to offer the same prize money to both sexes at the world's most prestigious tennis tournament.

"I knew it was just a matter of time. They resisted the longest they could. They have made the right decision and they really had no choice," defending Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo said.

The move puts Wimbledon in line with the other Grand Slams. The US Open and Australian Open have paid equal prize money for years. The French Open paid the men's and women's champions the same for the first time last year, although the overall prize fund remained bigger for the men.

Wimbledon will pay equal money from the first round through the final at the June 25-July 8 grass-court championships.

"It's good news for all the women players, and recognizes their major contribution to Wimbledon and we also believe it will serve as a positive encouragement for women in sports. In short, good for tennis, good for women players and good for Wimbledon," club chairman Tim Phillips said.

Factors involved

Wimbledon cited a combination of commercial, political and sporting factors for the decision. "We think now is absolutely the right time to make this move. We have a reputation both for the championships and for the All England Club and we have to look after that," Phillips added.

The WTA Tour had lobbied for years to get Wimbledon to adopt equal pay. "This is an historic and defining moment for women in the sport of tennis, and a significant step forward for the equality of women in our society," WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott said.

The All England Club previously held out against equal prizes as a matter of principle. Phillips had cited surveys showing that men give better value than the women. The men play best-of-five set matches, while the women play best of three. Also, the women make more money overall because they also play in doubles, while the top men usually play only singles. That thinking, however, has changed.

"I don't think that the amount of time that somebody spends on the court or the closeness of the matches is the preeminent factor in reaching a conclusion on this. We looked at the commercial factors very much in the past, as much as the political ones. We look at it on the whole," club chief executive Ian Ritchie said.

Phillips also said that "broader social factors" played a part, noting that 55 per cent of Wimbledon's spectators were women and that the club will host the 2012 Olympic tennis tournament.

"The greatest tennis tournament in the world has reached an even greater height today," three-time champion Venus Williams said. Six-time singles champion Billie Jean King, a pioneer for women's sports, said the decision was "a long time coming. With women and men paid on an equal scale, it demonstrates to the rest of the world that this is the right thing to do for the sport, the tournament and the world," she said.

Wimbledon's prize fund will be announced in April. It will cost the club about $1.1 million to ensure equal pay, an increase that will be funded through operating costs rather than a reduction in the overall purse.(NDTV.Com)
Interesting read: Wimbledon money decision gets mixed reaction

French Politician Sacked For Race Comments.

France's Socialist Party on Saturday expelled a politician who said there were too many black players on the national soccer team, party officials said.

Georges Freche was quoted by Midi Libre newspaper in November as saying he was ashamed that as many as nine of 11 starters on the French team were black.

"It would be normal if there were three or four, that would be a reflection of society," Freche was quoted as saying. "But if there are so many, it's because whites are no good. I'm ashamed for this country."

***** Thank God we don't have such racist comments being openly expressed here or given prominence. Otherwise what little gains we have made in badminton, basketball, karate, squash, swimming and tae kwon do would have been for nought.
Read the full report HERE.
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Serena Williams - 'Queen' Of Australia.

Serena Williams demolished top seed Maria Sharapova in a one-sided final to win her third Australian Open and eighth Grand Slam title on Saturday.

The unseeded American's speed and power overwhelmed Sharapova 6-1 6-2 in one hour two minutes.

Victory caps a remarkable comeback for Williams, who slipped to 81 in the rankings after a serious knee injury.

The 25-year-old will move up to 14 in the world next week, while Sharapova will regain the number one spot.

"You can never underestimate her as an opponent," said Sharapova. "I know what she's capable of and she showed that today. She's an amazing champion and she's showed it here many times. I look forward to playing her many more times and winning a few, I hope."

Williams responded: "I'd like to thank Maria for being such a great champion. She has many more years to go than I do, she's such a great fighter and always fighting to the last point, which is what I like to see."

It was a humbling experience for the new world number one who was blasted off the court from the opening moments.

Williams climbed all over the Sharapova serve and dominated with her own, giving the Russian few opportunities to get a foothold in the match. Under severe pressure, Sharapova double-faulted twice on her way to dropping serve in the second game, and two fizzing returns gave Williams another break in game four. After five games Sharapova was still to make a single winner and the first set raced by in 27 minutes.

And there was no let-up in the second set as Williams broke immediately with a backhand winner down the line. The only glimpse of hope for Sharapova came in the following game when Williams made two double faults to give up a break point, but she recovered with an ace.

Sharapova was able to hold a couple of service games to make the score slightly more respectable but Williams was never threatened, sealing victory with a backhand winner before falling to the floor in celebration. (BBC NEWS)
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