International Games News May 2004

Alphabetical List of Games	Games in May
2004 Schedule	Defi Sportif, Montreal, Canada, April 24 - May 2
2004 Schedule	Indian Ocean Masters Games, Geraldton, Australia May 1-9
April 2004	SELL Games , Tampere, Finland, May 20-23
March 2004	African University Games, Bauchi, Nigeria, May 22-31, 2004
February 2004
January 2004
January 2004	Games in June
December 2003	Games in June
November 2003	Titan Games, Atlanta, Georgia, June 18-20
October 2003	Alps Adriatic Youth Games, Rijeka, Croatia June 21-24
September 2003	European Heart/Lung Transplant Games, Dublin, Ireland, June 24-27
August 2003	World Medical Games, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, June 26 - July 3
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003	Baseball may be added to Asian Games May 27, 2004 Doha 2006 Asian Games organizers are "working hard to add baseball and softball" to the 2006 games, according to Abdulla Khalid Al Qahtani, the director general of the organizing committee. Strong lobbying from Japan and games sponsors in Japan, have convinced organizers to try and include baseball and softball in the games. The organizing committee will take the proposal before the Olympic Council of Asia on July 1. Doha organizers would also like to add canoe/kayak events, rowing and bodybuilding, for a total of 38 sports. If approved this would be a record number of sports for the games. Baseball has been a part of the last four Asian Games, in Beijing in 1990, Hiroshima in 1994, Bangkok in 1998 and Busan in 2002. South Korea has won the last two gold medal games. Al Qahtani was quoted in Malaysia's Star newspaper saying, “Actually, we don't have a field. We don't have a stadium. But now we have allocated the land sufficient for baseball.” Al Qahtani was still certain that there would be a good chance that Baseball and softball would be added to the games. Triathlon and chess have already been added as new sports for the 2006 games, with chess a very popular game in Qatar.
March 2003
Feb. 2003
January 2003

Full 2003 Schedule
Games in Africa
Games in Asia
Games in Europe
Games in North America
Games in South America
Games in Oceania
Games for Disabled Athletes..
Masters/Seniors Games
Winter Games
Games for Youth

COSUD names hosts for next two South American University Games

May 26, 2004

COSUD, the Confederación Sudamericana Universitaria de Deportes, or South American University Sports Confederation, has announced that the 2006 South American University Games will be held in Columbia and the 2008 games in Brazil.

COSUD was founded in 1985, but the organization lay dormant until this past year when it was revived.

FISU also announced that Harbin, China, host of the 1996 Asian Winter Games, had expressed interest in hosting the 2009 Winter World University Games.

Belgrade, the Rhône-Alpes Region in France and Monterrey, Mexico have expressed interest in the 2009 summer games. Discussions regarding Edmonton or Montreal as Canada's 2009 candidate city have yet to be announced.

JCC's getting ready for Maccabi Games

May 26, 2004

Jewish Community Centers are getting ready for this summers JCC Maccabi Youth Games, which are scheduled to be held in four locations.

Austin, Texas will hold the first games of the summer from August 1-6, with one of the busiest sports schedules with thirteen sports.

Rockville Maryland, near Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio, will host games the following week, From August 8-13. (The 13th is scheduled to be the day of the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Athens).

The final JCC Maccabi Games of the year will be in Boston, from August 15-20 and organizers are expecting, participants from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Venezuela, and Israel.

This years JCC Maccabi events incorporate a "Star Reporter" component, where young participants can be part of the team, with all of the team benefits, with the responsibility to serve as junior journalists for the games.

The Jewish Community Centers have also announced that Richmond, St. Paul and San Antonio will be the three sites of the 2005 JCC Maccabi Games.

Two cities have been mentioned as candidates for the 2007 European Maccabi Games, Rome and St. Petersburg.

Links to 2004 JCC Maccabi Games.

Iraqi Athletes to participate in Titan Games

May 25, 2004

While the delegation from Iran is that was scheduled to participate in the Titan Games is backing away from the games, the USOC announced that three athletes from Iraq will take part in the games. The participation has been arranged with the cooperation of the USOC, the IOC's Olympic Solidarity Program and the US Department of State.

The Iraqi boxer is Najah S. Ali, who was discovered in Iraq by Maurice “Termite” Watkins, the pest control specialist and former boxer who rose to fame last year when he began training Iraqi boxers on the side. Watkins fires up his Iraqi team with shouts of 'Iraq is back!"

Ali will be able to participate in the Olympics after being given one of five discretionary entries from the IOC. Ali fought in two pre-olympic tournaments, but was not able to qualify for the games in either.

Two Greco-Roman wrestlers, Ahmed J. Jasim and Ahamad N. Weali, are also lined up to participate in the Titan Games.

Iran announces boycott of Titan Games

May 24, 2004

Iranian wrestlers gave all indications last month that they were excited to be headed to Atlanta to wrestle in the Titan Games in June, but now the trip might be off.

Iran's wrestling federation has announced that Iran will not compete in the games, but instead will boycott over the issue of the US presence in Iran. The federation has reportedly not communicated this directly to the USOC or Titan Games organizers. Iranian fencers will also stay away from an event in New York City in June.

Iran wants US military forces to pull out of holy muslim cities in Iraq, and only then would consider participating in the games.

Officials with the United States Olympic Committee and the Atlanta Sports Council are taking a wait-and-see attitude about Iran's announced plans to boycott the Titan Games in Atlanta next month.

Other nations with athletes scheduled to participate in the games are Canada, China, Columbia, the Republic of Georgia, Germany, Korea, Mexico and the U.S.

Last year Cuba's boxing team dropped out of the Titan Games at the last minute.

No party for Police Fraternity

May 19, 2004

The Fraternité des policiers (Fraternity of Police) in Quebec has asked its members not to take part in a promotional fundraising plan put forth by the organizing committee of the 2005 World Police and Firefighters Games to be held in Quebec City.

Police, firefighters, customs agents and correctional officers had been given the opportunity to purchase beer and earn a rebate at certain stores. Under a program using loyalty cards given out by the games organizers, officers and firefighters could get 1 dollar off a 12-pack and 2 dollars off a 24 pack of beer, with 50 percent of the rebate going towards the organizing committee of the 2005 games.

The Fraternité des policiers said that the plan was against police ethics.

The organizing body of the games had hoped to make the program available up until the year 2007, though the games will be over in July of 2005.

Male and female Afghani athletes to participate in Athens Paralympics

May 19, 2004

Afghanistan has chosen a paralympic team for the first time since 1996, and, this time, female athletes will be included on the team

About 80 athletes participated in the Paralympic Trials at Olympic Stadium in Kabul. Three male and three female athletes were chosen to participate in Athens.

No party for Police Fraternity

May 19, 2004

The Fraternité des policiers said that the plan was against police ethics.

The organizing body of the games had hoped to make the program available up until the year 2007, though the games will be over in July of 2005.

Cassels, Diamond controversy still not over

May 18, 2004

The simmering controversy between Australian shooters Michael Diamond and Nathan Cassels has yet to cool off.

The case started in court and looks to end in court. Diamond, an Olympic shooting champion for Australia, was involved in a domestic dispute, and while that case was in the courts, had his gun license suspended and was not able to compete in Australia's Olympic Trials.

That case was decided and Diamond cleared of wrongdoing. Diamond then asked for another shot at the team. The Australian shooting federation, and the two shooters, Diamond and Cassels, agreed to a best of three test in shooting events in Sydney, Cairo and Athens.

The two shooters, tied in the first round in Sydney, but Diamond took the next two rounds, and thought he had earned a place on the team.

Cassels, after originally saying that he would accept the decision, saying "Whoever won at the three World Cup events was the competitor to represent (Australia) and the best man won," has reversed course and said he would file a lawsuit, which he has, to maintain his place on the team.

Diamond has stated that Cassels agreed to the shootoff format, and is now only going to court because the shootoff didn't go his way. If Cassels wanted to go to court, he should have gone to court first, and not agreed to the shootoff.

Cassels brought his arguments before a a panel of the Australian Shooting Association on May 5, but the case was not resolved.

The case is now scheduled to be heard by three senior members of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Melbourne, May 25th and 26th.

2006 Commonwealth Games village might be cozy

May 18, 2004

The Australian newspaper has quoted Guy Pahor, project director for the building of the Commonwealth games village, that as many as 25 athletes might have to live together in each of the four bedroom, four story houses that are being built for the games.

Other members of Melbourne's organizing committee disagreed, saying that no definite plans have been put in place.

The housing will be used during the games, without kitchens and some other permanent fixtures. After the athletes move out, the residences will be completely finished, and then sold. After the games the village will also include some 700 apartments, and a 100 bed nursing home.

Juegos Transandinos to be postponed?

May 16, 2004

Organizers have announced that the Juegos Transandinos games for youth in Peru may be postponed or cancelled because off civil unrest in the Llave-Puno region.

The games were scheduled to begin on May 31st, and any postponement is not yet final.

Mayagüez wins 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games bid

May 15, 2004

ODECABE, the Organización Deportiva Centroamericana y del Caribe, or Central American and Caribbean Sports organization, announced today that Mayagüez, Puerto Rico has been chosen over Guatemala City to host the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Mayagüez won 22 votes to 16 for Guatemala City, in the vote by ODECABE representatives at meetings in Havana, Cuba.

ODECABE president Héctor Cardona, announced that the organization was certain that Mayagüez will have no problems organizing the games.

After the vote, representatives turned their attention to preparations for the 2006 Central American And Caribbean Games, scheduled to be held in Cartagena, Colombia. High on the list of priorities are housing for the athletes and security.

ODECABE has plans to send an inspection committee to Cartagena in 40 days to check on preparations for the 2006 games.

Toronto and New Delhi offer competing theories on 2014 Games bids

May 15, 2004

Toronto, Canada, and New Delhi, India both mentioned this week bidding for games held in the year 2014, a "maybe" for a Toronto 2014 Commonwealth Games bid, and an announcement by Indian Olympic Association head Suresh Kalmadi that New Delhi would be bidding for the 2014 Asian Games.

The two cities are taking completely different strategies to landing the games however. Toronto officials have speculated that any possible Toronto bid, hinges on the award of the 2010 World Cup, which is scheduled to go to Africa, and possibly South Africa. Toronto's reasoning is that if South Africa were to land the 2010 World Cup, they would not have the resources to host, the Commonwealth Games in 2014 opening the possibility for a Toronto bid for the games. (Ed. Update. It was announced today that South Africa has been awarded the 2010 World Cup.)

Toronto would have to be selected over Montreal by Canadian officials first, then compete against what might be a crowded field for the games, with cities in Nigeria, Scotland, New Zealand, and Singapore as well as South Africa, showing interest in bidding for the games.

India's argument takes the exact opposite approach. India's has already won the right to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and wants to bid for the 2014 Asian Games in order to keep up the momentum and be able to host the 2016 Olympic Games. One city hosting, three major games so closely in succession would be unprecedented.

India may also find itself in a contradictory situation if it does decided to pursue the both the Asian Games and Asian Paralympic Games in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

India successfully used the argument during the 2010 Commonwealth Games bid race, that "the games should go to new places." New Delhi was up against Hamilton, Canada, and Canada had already hosted four Commonwealth Games. (called the British Empire Games in 1930, The British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, and the British Commonwealth Games in 1978.)

India has already hosted the Asian Games twice, the inaugural games in 1951 and the 1982 games, and is planning to host the 2007 World Military Games in Hyderabad, prior to hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Kalmadi made his announcement that India would like to host the Asian Games on the same day that the Olympic Council of Asia was holding a fun run in Delhi to promote the next Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in 2006. The OCA has announced that the fun runs will be held in some 100 cities throughout Asia.

B of the Bang to commemorate 2002 Commonwealth Games

May 14, 2004

'I'll be gone by the B of the Bang," was what Linford Christie, Great Britain's most recent 100m Olympic champion was fond of saying about his quick, explosive starts.

This summer, the city of Manchester will get their very own, 56 meter (184 feet) tall, 150 ton visual representation of Linford's words, in the form of a sculpture, called B of the Bang, commemorating the Manchester Commonwealth Games. The sculpture will be the tallest in the UK.

Sculptor Thomas Heatherwick won an international contest with his massive starburst design, 180 spikes radiating from a central core, illustrating the explosion of the starters pistol and the energy of the athletes.

The commission was announced on January 23, 2003, less than six months after the games were finished. The sculptor and builders established a very aggressive schedule, expecting the sculpture to me installed by August of 2003.

In March of 2003, it was announced that the cost of the sculpture would be some 1.4 million pounds, nearly double the original estimate of 750,000 pounds. The original estimate was for the sculpture alone, with the second amount taking into account the mounting and installation of the sculpture.

Discussions of how the work would be funded slowed the project, and issues over funding reappeared in November 2003 when some controversy ensued over some 120,000 pounds that the city of Manchester was giving to support the project.

Work has continued and the sculpture is scheduled to travel by large trucks in June to the installation site.

AK Heavy Engineering in Sheffield completed the fabrication and machining of the steel. The company has worked on projects such as the machines for boring the Chunnel and the base and roof of the new Wembley Stadium.

The steel in the sculpture contains some copper, which is designed to weather resist corrosion but eventually develop a purple orange patina.

B of the Bang will be located on the corner of Alan Turing Way and Ashton New Road, next to the city of Manchester Stadium.

Thomas Heatherwick said when he won the commission "I am honored that my design has been chosen to become part of the Manchester’s rich architecture and urban landscape. Manchester’s regeneration and the astounding success of the Commonwealth Games are testimony to the determination of all involved. I hope my design conveys some of the energy which drives Manchester forward and was also exhibited by every individual athlete during the Games."

See the B of the Bang web site.

For a discussion of the engineering and fabrication of the structure see Professional Engineering Publication's article, "A star is born."

TWI named 2006 Commonwealth Games television broadcaster

May 14, 2004

Transworld International (TWI) Australia, will be the Host Broadcaster for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, responsible for providing the international feed to networks from outside Australia.

Australia's Nine Network holds the Australian rights for the games.

TWI is the broadcast division of the International Management Group (IMG).

Nigeria to tie 2014 bid to Nation's Centennial

May 13, 2004

Nigeria will bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and if chosen to host the games will use the event as part of the nations Centennial celebrations, the Nigerian Paper Vanguard reported today.

Nigeria will officially announce the bid during the Athens Olympic Games. The Government has set up a committee to build support for the bid.

Tampere and Liberec announce 2009 bids

May 13, 2004

Tampere, Finland and Liberec, Czech Republic have announced bids for the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festivals.

Tampere will bid for the summer games, Liberec the winter edition, the final decision is to be announced in Dubrovnik in December. Greece had mentioned a possible 2009 bid, but was not included in the announcement made during the European Olympic Committees Seminar for Secretaries General and Chefs de Mission in Belgrade.

The next Summer European Youth Olympic Festivals are scheduled to be held in Lignano, Italy in 2005 and Belgrade, Serbia-Montenegro in 2007. The winter editions are scheduled for Monthey, Switzerland in 2005 and Jaca, Spain in 2007.

African Games village to be sold, finally

May 11, 2004

Nigerian officials announced during last years African Games in October, that the new housing in the games village would be sold to individuals, after the games and after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings in December 2003.

Bureaucratic red tape, and an ineffective government commission, have held up the sale, and the empty village was opened up again and used during the past month for the Nigerian National Games, as it was reportedly the only place with available capacity to host the games.

Now the government has announced that the housing units will finally go on sale, with priority said to be for less-privileged citizens.

Fortune International Bank Plc has been named as the official bank for the sale by the government. Interested parties need to purchase an application form from the bank for 5,000 nairas ($37 US). Applicants will then be evaluated for the 546 available units.

The disposal of the housing is scheduled to take place very quickly, with the government setting a deadline of May 19 for the applications and the housing planned to be allotted by the end of the month.

With the sale of the village, the housing will no longer be available for athletes in training, or for use in a future Commonwealth or Olympic Games village.

Perth to host Gravity Games H20

May 11, 2004

Perth, Australia will host the first Gravity Games Water (Gravity Games H20) competition in October of this year.

The Outdoor Life Network (OLN) purchased the games in January this year and hopes to revitalize the games. Summer Gravity Games have been held annually since 1999 with Winter Gravity Games organized just once, in 2000.

The franchise is expanding with the addition of the Gravity Games H20 event and the renewing of the Winter Gravity Games in 2005. There have also been mentions of adding a "Gravity Games Mountain" event.

The summer Gravity Games will be held in Cleveland in September.

The Gravity Games Water event in Perth in October will feature wake boarding, kite surfing and tow-in surfing, and an H20 festival with a skate park, climbing wall and BMX course and concerts.

About 250 athletes from around the world will participate.

Isle of Man government will back Commonwealth Youth Games bid

May 8, 2004

The Isle of Man is hoping to land the 2008 version of the Commonwealth Youth Games.

The Commonwealth Games Association of the Isle of Man has been assured of the support of the Islands Chief Minister Richard Corkill, Treasury Minister Allan Bell, Tourism and Leisure Minister David Cretney that they will support a bid.

The Commonwealth Games Federation will be deciding the host of the 2008 games during its annual general meetings in Athens, during the Olympic Games.

The Isle of Man has said that it will be sending a team of 13 athletes to this years Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Australia.

INAS-FID to hold Global Games this summer

May 3, 2004

The International Sports Federation for Persons with an Intellectual Disability (INAS-FID), which is being held out of the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens by the International Paralympic Committee, will hold their own event, the INAS-FID Global Games in Bollnäs, Sweden, July 25-August 3, 2004.

The intellectually disabled class of athletes will not be in Athens this year, after the scandal at the Sydney Paralympic games in 2000 in which it was revealed that several athletes from Spain did not meet the criteria of mentally disabled. Rather than suspend just those athletes from those sports and nations in violation, the International Paralympic Committee decided to suspend all intellectually disabled athletes from the games.

The IPC and INAS-FID have had numerous discussions regarding eligibility and determination of status since Sydney, but the talks were not concluded in time to reinstate the class back into the games.

The INAS-FID has decided to host their own event this year, with athletics, basketball, football, swimming, table tennis and tennis.

Indian Ocean Masters Games open in Geraldton

May 2, 2004

Geraldton, Australia opened the first Indian Ocean Masters games on May 1, with a parade from the Queens Park Theater to the Queen's Oval.

Australia's Midwest Times reports that about 900 athletes are participating in the games. Several sports have been dropped for low participation levels including beach volleyball, cycling, field hockey, netball, and men's and women's soccer, a common occurrence for first year events.

Middle Europe Youth Games proposal

May 2, 2004

Croatia's five year old Youth Sports Games may go international soon according to representatives of the games.

The national Croatian event currently joins up to 30,000 participants in ten sports over a summer long program. The games use a local and regional qualifying system with winners advancing to the games finals in Split.

Organizers have had discussions with several other interested European nations, with the possibility of establishing a Middle Europe Youth Games.

Commonwealth Games finalist Haughian killed in car accident

May 1, 2004

Sam Haughian, just twenty-four years old, and one of Great Britain's young distance running stars was killed in a car accident in South Africa April 23rd. Haughian was in South Africa for a high altitude training camp, and was with his girlfriend, returning from a visit to relatives in South Africa when the accident occurred.

Haughian was an accomplished cross country runner, running in European and World Championship competitions, for the past several years.

Haughian improved dramatically in 2002 running 13:19.45 for fifth place in the Commonwealth Games 5000 meters in Manchester.

ESPN can shoot guns in Madison Park

May 1, 2004

Police in Madison, Wisconsin have given ESPN permission to go ahead and hold the shooting events for the Great Outdoor Games in Quann Park, despite protests from neighborhood groups in the area.

The Capitol Times reports that acting Police Chief Noble Wray granted the application after meeting with ESPN and city and county officials.

Protesters did win a few concessions. A few minor changes will have to be made to the venue to enhance safety and the events will end at 10:00 pm, and not 10:30 as was originally scheduled. The police were the first to deny the application, primarily because they wanted to make certain that safety issues had been addressed.

Another paper, the Wisconsin State Journal asked organizers of last years event in Reno about safety. The marketing director for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, Deanna Ashby, said "Their safety precautions were of the upmost," Ashby said. "Those guys run a top-of-the-line event."

Madison Alderman Matt Sloan, a leader in the protest, was disappointed that the application had been granted, calling the action, "clearly an instance where the city of Madison's process really let a neighborhood down."

After the decision was announced, protesters told Beth Johnson of the Wisconsin State Journal of their plans to continue the protest, including wearing dog costumes and climbing fences in an attempt to "take back the park" during the games. Other neighbors said that they would record the sounds of the guns shooting during the competition and play then back, with speakers pointed back towards the park.

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