|
Alphabetical
List of Games
|
|
|
Games
in November
|
| Afro-Asian
Games, Hyderabad, India, October 24 - November 2 |
|
|
World
Wheelchair Games, Christchurch, New Zealand, October 25 - Nov. 1 |
|
Interview
with Sandu Rebenciuc
|
Australian
Masters Games, Canberra, Australia, October 31- Nov. 9 |
|
|
Games
in December |
| October
2003 |
World
Military Games, Catania, Italy, December 4-11
|
| September
2003 |
South East Asian Games, Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam, December 5-13
|
| August
2003 |
ASEAN PARA Games Hanoi,
Vietnam, December 19-26
|
| July
2003 |
FESPIC
Youth Games, Hong Kong, December 23-27 |
| June
2003 |
Pan-American
Maccabi Games, Santiago, Chile, December 24 - January 5 |
| May
2003 |
|
| April
2003 |
Malaysia to forego
2010 Asian Games bid if newcomers emerge
November 30, 2003
Malaysia has confirmed its intentions of
wanting to launch a bid for the 2010 Asian Games, but only of any
newcomers are not in the bid race.
Malaysia will send a letter stating its
intent to bid for the games, prior to the December 20 deadline. However,
if any nation that has not yet hosted the games enters the race, Malaysia
says that it will pull out of the race.
Malaysian officials were frustrated that
Malaysia was overlooked by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for the 2006
games because delegates voted for Qatar which has never hosted a major
games.
Malaysia has hosted several international
games, including the 1998 Commonwealth Games, but has yet to host the
Asian Games.
|
| 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 |
|
Commonwealth Youth Games
countdown: One year to go
November 29, 2003
Bendigo, Australia, in a ceremony marking
one year to go until the second Commonwealth Youth Games open, unveiled
their new logo for the games.
The games are scheduled to open on
November 29, 2004 and will feature ten sports: athletics, badminton,
boxing, cycling, gymnastics, lawn bowls, rugby 7's, swimming, tenpin
bowling and weightlifting.
About 1000 athletes from 20 Commonwealth
nations are expected to participate.
Winter X Games Live on
ESPN
November 23, 2003
ESPN will televise the Winter X Games on
live television for the first time ever in 2004. Moto X, Ski, Snowboard
and Snowmobile will be featured live.
Chris Stiepock, the Winter X Games general
manager said, "We felt that now was the time to take the Winter X
games to that level and make them even grander.'' "I tend to feel
ESPN viewers would really relish live programming in winter action sports.
When you see a guy fall live, it affects the whole nature of the
competition. It's a different tack for us to take.''
"The viewers have told us they don't
want all the up close and personals. They don't want to see that some
athlete is good at horseback riding. They want to see that athlete on a
snowboard doing tricks." "With the huge barrage of media
available to kids, they can get the background information elsewhere. They
want to see the competition, because TV does that best.''
X Games events from Aspen will be held
January 23 -27, with TV coverage from January 24-27.
Vietnam holds ceremony for
SEA Games athletes
November 23, 2003
A musical tribute to the Vietnamese
National teams getting ready to participate in the SEA Games was held in
Hanoi at the My Dinh National Stadium.
The host Vietnamese team has 759 athletes
and over 250 other members. The games events are to be split between
Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The opening ceremony will be held in Ho
Chi Minh City on December 5th. The ceremony will feature over 400 singers
and dancers who will sing well-known Vietnamese songs, the official songs
of the previous SEA Games, and a fashion show with costumes of Vietnam's
various ethnic groups.
Vietnam is hosting several other
activities to get ready for the games, including an "SEA Games
Color" week, a street festival to present folk culture and dress of
the nations participating in the games, "Businesspeople on Parade for
the SEA Games", the "Youth Sporting Festival for the SEA
Games", and "SEA Games Comedy Stage."
Olympic Games shot put may
be held in ancient Olympia: IOC to confirm
November 22, 2003
The organizing committee of the Athens
2004 Olympic Games and the IAAF have agreed to hold the shot put
competition in the ancient stadium in Olympia as opposed to Athens.
The IOC Executive Board still needs to
approve of the plan, which will be considered in meetings next month, and
the Greek Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Authorities are also
still involved in the discussions.
Early reports had only the men's event
being held in Olympia. Now both the men's and women's shot put are
included in the proposal. All participants are to be housed at the
International Olympic Academy which was begun at the site in 1961.
Special care is being taken to preserve
the historic and archeological state of the stadium at Olympia. The event
will be featured on tlevision, but mostly portable television cameras will
be used. No temporary stands, video display screens or other construction
is to be permitted.
The Indian
Conundrum
November
20, 2003
One week ago, India won the right to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games by
successfully arguing that the games should go to new frontiers.
India’s opponent in the 2010 bid race was Hamilton, Canada.
Canada has hosted the Commonwealth Games on four previous occasions
while India has never hosted a Commonwealth Games.
In the immediate euphoria of winning the 2010 bid, Indian officials are
repeating an argument made during last months Afro-Asian Games, that the
successful hosting of the Afro-Asian Games would lead to winning the
Commonwealth Games bid, which would then lead to an Indian Asian Games bid
in 2014 and an Indian Olympic Games bid in 2016 (or 2020).
To host three major games in succession, in a period of six years time
would be unprecedented, and highly unlikely, but if successful, a massive
coup for a nation that has not held too many international games to date:
Perhaps India is just
making up for lost time after hosting just six international games since
1934.
Western
Asiatic Games, Delhi-Patalia,
1934
Asian
Games, New Delhi, 1951
Asian
Games, Delhi, 1982
South
Asian Federation Games, Calcutta,
1987
South
Asian Federation Games, Madras,
1995
Afro-Asian
Games, Hyderabad, 2003
Considering that it took
India 18 years to finally pull off the first Afro-Asian Games, perhaps
India should keep it simple and focus on organizing the very best
Commonwealth Games possible in 2010.
To further complicate
matters, India was awarded the 2007 World Military Games on the same day
as they were awarded the Commonwealth Games.
But, would more bids
from India perhaps put them in the same situation that they argued that
Canada was in? Would other nations argue that India is now hosting too
many games? The
successful argument that India used to win the 2010 Commonwealth bid could
be used against them if they begin to host too many games in such a short
span.
Those responsible for
games bids in India should also take a close look at the historical
record. Hosting an Asian Games or Commonwealth Games has not, in the past,
been a predictor of winning a future Olympic Games bid.
Asian
Games bids are generally awarded with just four years notice, with Olympic
Games bids seven years notice. A
2014 Asian Games bid would probably be awarded during the 2010 Asian
Games, a games which will probably be occurring at or around the very same
time as the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The 2016 Olympic Games will probably be awarded during the summer
of 2009 and the 2020 Olympic Games be awarded during the summer of 2013.
There is a certain
reasonable logic that states that once facilities are in place, they
should be used again for other events, especially if a second games are
more likely to make money if venues are already paid for?
Why not use the organizational expertise and volunteer base that
has been developed. The table
at the end of this article does show that this happens on occasion.
The counter-arguments
say that government funding resources, the volunteer base, and corporate
sponsorship will wear thin if they are overused. It is up to each locale
to decide if they have the time, energy and resources to attempt to bid,
or host large events in close succession. India will have to do the same.
In the real world it is
quite rare for an Asian Games or a Commonwealth Games to lead to a
successful Olympic Games bid. Only
Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing have ever gone on to host an Olympic Games after
hosting an Asian Games. In
Seoul’s case, Seoul had been awarded the Olympic Games prior to being
awarded the Asian Games. The
Asian Games could be seen as a test event for the Olympic Games, but not
as an event that won the bid for Seoul.
Japan was given the 1964 games in part due to the fact that they
had been scheduled to host the 1940 Olympic Games prior to the outbreak of
WWII. Beijing was hoping that
the 1990 Asian Games would help them land the bid for the 2000 Olympic
Games, but lost that vote to Sydney.
Bangkok has hosted the Asian Games on four occasions, but was cut
in the early rounds of bidding for the 2008 Olympic Games.
London and Sydney are
the two cities (of 17 Commonwealth Games) to host a Commonwealth Games and
then an Olympic Games, but in Sydney’s case, the lag was sixty-two
years, hardly a connection, and London was given the 1948 games in part as
a reward for surviving the ravages of WWII.
Of the major IOC
sponsored games; the African
Games, Arab Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Mediterranean Games,
Olympic Games, and Pan-American Games, plus the World University Games
(summer only), Only one city to date, Beijing, has ever hosted two of the
other major games prior to hosting an Olympic Games.
The time lag in Beijing’s Case will be 18 years from the time the
1990 Asian Games were held until the 2008 Olympic Games, with the 2001
World University Games in the middle.
India
winning the 2010 Commonwealth Games would more likely predict that India
would host, for instance, a World University Games some time between 2012
and 2020.
Time
will tell.
Cities
that have hosted two or more major games: (most of which then mentioned
Olympic ambitions)
Alexandria,
Egypt: Mediterranean Games, 1951;
Arab Games, 1953
Algiers,
Algeria: Mediterranean Games, 1975;
African Games, 1978.
Athens,
Greece: Olympic Games, 1896;
Mediterranean Games, 1991,
Olympic Games 2004
Auckland,
New Zealand: Commonwealth Games, 1950;
Commonwealth Games, 1990
Bangkok,
Thailand: Asian Games, 1966;
Asian Games, 1970;
Asian Games, 1978;
Asian Games, 1998.
Barcelona,
Spain; Mediterranean Games, 1955;
Olympic Games, 1992.
Beijing,
China: Asian Games, 1990;
World University Games, 2001;
Olympic Games, 2008
Beirut,
Lebanon: Arab Games, 1957;
Mediterranean Games, 1959;
Arab Games, 1997.
Budapest,
Hungary: World University Games, 1935;
World University Games, 1965
Cairo, Egypt: Arab
Games, 1965; African
Games, 1991.
Casablanca,
Morocco: Arab Games, 1961;
Mediterranean Games, 1983;
Arab Games, 1985.
Damascus, Syria: Arab
Games, 1976; Arab
Games, 1992
Delhi, India: Asian
Games, 1951; Asian Games 1982.
Edinburgh,
Scotland: Commonwealth Games, 1970;
Commonwealth Games, 1986
Edmonton,
Canada: Commonwealth Games, 1978;
World University Games, 1983.
London,
England: Olympic Games, 1908;
Commonwealth Games, 1934;
Olympic Games, 1948.
Mexico
City, Mexico: Pan-American Games, 1955;
Olympic Games, 1968;
Pan-American Games, 1975;
World University Games, 1979.
Moscow, Russia: World
University Games, 1973;
Olympic Games, 1980,
Moscow
Paris,
France: Olympic Games, 1900;
World University Games, 1923;
Olympic Games, 1924;
World University Games, 1928;
World University Games, 1937;
World University Games, 1957.
Rome,
Italy: World University Games, 1927;
Olympic Games, 1960;
World University Games, 1975.
Seoul,
Korea: Asian Games, 1986,
Olympic Games, 1988.
Sofia,
Bulgaria: World University Games, 1961;
World University Games, 1977.
Sydney,
Australia: Commonwealth Games, 1938;
Olympic Games, 2000.
Tokyo,
Japan: Asian Games, 1958;
Olympic Games, 1964;
World University Games, 1967.
Tunis,
Tunisia: Mediterranean Games,
1967; Mediterranean
Games, 2001.
Turin,
Italy: World University Games, 1933,
World University Games, 1959,
World
University Games, 1970.
Winnipeg,
Canada: Pan-American Games, 1967,
Pan-American Games, 1999.
Federation of
Gay Games gives deadline for new bids.
November
19, 2003
With the withdrawal of
Montreal as the host of the next Gay Games in 2006, the Federation of Gay
Games has opened up the bid process once again.
Cities will have until
December 1st to decide whether they want to bid for the games. So far only
two cities from the previous bid race, Chicago and Los Angeles, are
considering bidding. Atlanta has already notified the Federation that they
will not enter the race.
The bid process will then
take about three months with the new 2006 Gay Games host city announced on
or around March 1, 2004. This would give the new host a very short window
of time to work with, as the Federation has stated that they plan to hold
to the quadrennial schedule and hold the games in 2006.
Did Canada
Break Commonwealth Games bidding rules?
November
17, 2003
Mihir Bose of the London
Telegraph is reporting that the Canadians, who had pointed fingers at
India, accusing them of breaking the bidding rules, reportedly broke the
rules themselves.
Bose has reported that
Commonwealth Games Federation secretary general, Louise Martin said that
Canada broke the rules when they updated their bid regarding an offer to
provide training scholarships, but did not inform the Federation first of
the change.
Martin also said that the
Indians did nothing wrong, " It was all above board and as per our
rules."
India's NOC President Suresh
Kalmadi reported that the Canadians apologized for the incident and
remarks before the delegations had left Jamaica.
Doha behind
on 2006 Asian Games preparations?
November
15, 2003
Malaysian news sources are
suggesting that Kuala Lumpur might end up hosting the 2006 Asian Games if
preparations in Doha, Qatar do not speed up.
Randhir Singh
Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of Asia said "Definitely
they are sluggish and the Games are only three years away. They should be
more active."
The OCA is sending a group to
Doha to study the situation.
Kuala Lumpur finished second
in the voting for the 2006 games, and feels that they might be the ones to
rescue the games if Doha can not be ready in time.
No alarm, however, is being
expressed from Qatar, who are continuing to prepare for the games, which
Doha plans to hold December 1-15, 2006.
Vietnam
making final arrangements for SEA Games
November
14, 2003
Vietnam is wrapping up
preparations for the 22nd South East Asian Games. The games will be held
in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam participated in the
SEA Games from 1961 until 1973, but then did not participate from 1973
until 1987, returning to the games again in 1989.
This will be the very first
time that Vietnam has hosted the games.
Among the finals details of
the games organization:
-Visas will not be necessary
for the athletes or members of the sporting delegations of the SEA Games
or the ASEAN Para Games.
-The Ho Chi Minh City
Electricity Corporation's Transmission Centre has guaranteed that there
will be no power outages during the games.
-Viet Nam Television will
broadcast eight men's and five women's football games from the games.
-The medical company
International SOS will handle medical services and emergencies for the
games.
Delhi crushes
Hamilton in 2010 Commonwealth Games vote
November
13, 2003
Delhi, India has been
selected by the Commonwealth Games Federation as the host city for the
2010 Commonwealth Games by an overwhelming 46 to 22 margin over Hamilton.
It was the second large games
awarded to India today, as the CISM had earlier announced that the 2007
Military World Games would be hosted by Hyderabad, India. It is thought to
be the first time that two large games (other than the Paralympic Games
and Olympic Games which are now awarded on the same day to the same city)
have been given to a single nation on the same day.
India's Commonwealth bid
organizers had argued strongly for the past year that the games should go
to new regions of the world, as opposed to being shared essentially by
Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Hamilton, Canada, the other
city in the running for the games, and the city where the first
Commonwealth Games (then known as the British Empire Games) were held, was
hoping that nostalgia, and an argument that Canada could simply organize
the games more efficiently and safely, would win the bid.
India's final push for the
games included hosting the Afro-Asian Games this past month, just weeks
before the 2010 vote.
Delhi had bid unsuccessfully
for the Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994.
Toronto jumping the gun on 2014 Commonwealth
games bid Editorial: Daniel Bell
November 13, 2003
Before the body of the Hamilton Commonwealth Games bid was even cold,
civic promoters in neighboring Toronto had already begun talking up a
possible 2014 Commonwealth bid.
While newspapers around the globe were congratulating Delhi with
headlines such as "India wins bid to host 2010 Commonwealth
Games" and "New Delhi to stage 2010 Commonwealth
Games," the Toronto Star
announced the results, "Hamilton
loses Commonwealth games bid."
Theorizing had begun in Ontario two weeks before the 2010 vote that a
Hamilton loss for the 2010 games would bode well for a Toronto victory for
2014.
Commonwealth Games officials in Canada said that any serious bidding
for the next Commonwealth Games would not start for over a year.
When the bidding does start in earnest, Toronto may likely find that a
2014 bid is not the sure thing that they seem to think it will be.
South Africa, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand are all said to be giving
serious consideration to a run for the games in 2014.
The very same argument that decided the 2010 games vote, that the games
should go to other countries, might very well still be in play when the
time comes for the 2014 vote.
Nineteen of the current seventy-two Commonwealth nations are from
Africa. The Commonwealth Games have never been to Africa.
| Region |
# of Nations |
# of Commonwealth Games hosted |
| Africa |
19 |
0 |
| Oceania |
14 |
6 |
| Europe |
10 |
5 |
| Americas |
6 |
4 |
| Asia |
8 |
2 (after 2010) |
| Caribbean |
15 |
1 |
Canada is already due to host the following games during
the period from 2004 to 2010.
Pan
American Deaf Youth Games, Montreal,
2004
Arctic
Winter Games, Wood Buffalo, 2004
Can-Am
Police-Fire Games, London, ON, 2004
World
Masters Games, Edmonton, 2005
World
Transplant Games, London, ON, 2005
World
Police and Fire Games, Quebec City,
2005
Millennium
Winter Senior Games Canmore, 2005
Millennium
Summer Senior Games Calgary, 2005
ISF
Gymnasiade, Sherbrooke, 2006
Rendezvous
2006, Montreal, 2006
Arctic
Winter Games, NW Territories, 2008
World
Police and Fire Games, Vancouver,
2009
Winter
Paralympic Games, Vancouver, 2010
Olympic
Winter Games, Vancouver, 2010
Canada is also exploring a bid for the 2009 World
University Games.
One reasonable theory is that all of this games experience makes Canada
a safe bet for hosting other games.
The competing theory however remains, that games, and the benefits that
are said to accrue from them, need to go to other places around the world.
Hyderabad chosen as 4th World Military Games Host
November 13, 2003
Following immediately on the heels of the Afro-Asian Games, the CISM
(Conseil International du sport Militaire) has selected Hyderabad,
India as host of the 4th edition of the Military World Games.
The quadrennial games are scheduled to be held in 2007. Turkey, South
Africa and Dubai had also been mentioned in the past as possible hosts for
the games.
The relatively new games began in 1995 in Rome, but since that time
have had difficulty with hosts. Mar del Plata,
Argentina was supposed to host the 1999 games but they were were moved to
Zagreb, Croatia.
The 2003 games were first awarded to Madrid, Spain, but
after difficulties Spain gave up the games. The CISM then awarded the
games to Catania, Italy.
Catania was planning to host the games in the summer of
2003, but the games have been postponed to December 4-11 of this year.
The CISM also has temporarily reinstated Iraq to
membership. Iraq had been suspended from the CISM since it invaded Kuwait
in 1990.
India could go two-for-two today if they are also chosen as the 2010
Commonwealth Games host. Commonwealth Games selectors in Jamaica will vote
later today.
Delhi crushes Hamilton in 2010 Commonwealth Games
vote
November 13, 2003
Delhi, India has been selected by the Commonwealth Games Federation as
the host city for the 2010 Commonwealth Games by an overwhelming 46 to 22
margin over Hamilton.
It was the second large games awarded to
India today, as the CISM had earlier announced that the 2007 Military
World Games would be hosted by Hyderabad, India. It is thought to be
the first time that two large games (other than the Paralympic Games and
Olympic Games which are now awarded on the same day to the same city) have
been given to a single nation on the same day.
India's Commonwealth bid organizers had argued strongly for the past year that the
games should go to new regions of the world, as opposed to being shared
essentially by Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Hamilton, Canada, the other city in the running for the games, and the
city where the first Commonwealth Games (then known as the British Empire
Games) were held, was hoping that nostalgia, and an argument that Canada
could simply organize the games more efficiently and safely, would win the
bid.
India's final push for the games included hosting the Afro-Asian Games this
past month,
just weeks before the 2010 vote.
Delhi had bid unsuccessfully for the
Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994.
Commonwealth Games host cities:
- 1930 Hamilton, Canada
- 1934 London, England
- 1938 Sydney, Australia
- 1950 Auckland, New Zealand
- 1954 Vancouver, Canada
- 1958 Cardiff, Wales
- 1962 Perth, Australia
- 1966 Kingston, Jamaica
- 1970 Edinburgh, Scotland
- 1974 Christchurch, New Zealand
- 1978 Edmonton, Canada
- 1982 Brisbane, Australia
- 1986 Edinburgh, Scotland
- 1990 Auckland, New Zealand
- 1994 Victoria, Canada
- 1998 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 2002 Manchester, England
Melbourne, Australia won the 2006 bid by default when the rest of the
competitors dropped out.
Vietnam
making final arrangements for SEA Games
November
14, 2003
Vietnam
is wrapping up preparations for the 22nd South East Asian Games. The
games will be held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam
participated in the SEA Games from 1961 until 1973, but then did not
participate from 1973 until 1987, returning to the games again in 1989.
This will be the very first time that Vietnam has hosted the games.
Among
the finals details of the games organization:
-Visas
will not be necessary for the athletes or members of the sporting
delegations of the SEA Games or the ASEAN Para Games.
-The
Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation's Transmission Centre has
guaranteed that there will be no power outages during the games.
-
Viet Nam Television will broadcast eight men's and five women's football
games from the games.
-The
medical company International SOS will handle
medical services and emergencies for the games.
Authorities
to watch for match fixing at SEA Games
November
11, 2003
Recent gambling, bribery and
match fixing scandals in Vietnam have led authorities to issue a warning
that they will be cracking down on any attempts to influence or change the
outcome of games played at the upcoming South East Asian Games.
The Public Security Ministry
in Vietnam has sent out a message to all cities and provinces telling them
to be extra alert for illegal activity.
Gambling is illegal in
Vietnam, but is still widespread.
The SEA Games opening
ceremonies are scheduled for December 5, while the football tournament
will begin earlier on November 29th.
Montreal and
Federation of Gay Games to part ways
November
11, 2003
The Federation of Gay Games
gave Montreal Gay Games organizers until 1 PM Wednesday to decide whether
they would agree to stipulations that the Federation is trying to put into
place, over the size and the budget of the games.
Montreal 2006 didn't need the
extra time, and announced later on Tuesday that they would be heading
forward with their own games in Montreal in 2006, without the sanction of
the Gay Games.
The Federation had reached
out to Montreal by saying that they would give up their right to any share
of a post-games surplus and had voted 40-4 with two abstentions, in favor
of the motion.
The two sides have been
waging a public battle for several weeks and were meeting in Chicago at
the Federations annual meeting to try and work out an agreement.
To date, disputes over the
size and scope of the games had meant that the actual contracts and
license fees for the games had gone unsigned, and unpaid.
With Montreal organizers
defiantly stating that they will host their own games in 2006, calling the
games Rendez-Vous Montréal 2006, Sport and Cultural Festival, the
Federation of Gay Games has several issues to decide, such as whether to
choose a new host city, and whether or not to host games in 2006 or 2007.
The issue could end up in the
courts over the rights to host the games.
Montreal's Gay Gay Games bid
history:
November 25, 1997 - Montreal
is one of four cities that lose to Sydney, Australia for the 2002 Gay
Games bid.
October, 2001 at Meeting in
Johannesburg, South Africa, Montreal is selected over Atlanta, Chicago and
Los Angeles. The bid drew immediate criticism when during their final bid
presentation, the Montreal presenters waived a $100,000 check in front of
the selectors, saying it was the down payment for the license fee.
April 2003 - Games contracts
still not signed
June 24, 2003 - Montreal
agrees to some reductions in the size of the games, but not enough to
please the Federation of Gay Games.
October 17, 2003 - A press
release from Montreal organizers says the impasse between Montreal 2006
and the FGG has reached a "crisis." Disagreements are leaked
publicly over several weeks. The Federation and Montreal organizers agree
to meet in Chicago in November at the Federation's annual meeting to work
out their differences.
November 10, 2003 - After
long discussions in Chicago, the Federation of Gay Games issues both an
ultimatum, and some concessions, giving Montreal 2006 unto November 12th
to agree and sign contracts.
November 11 - Montreal 2006
decides it will no longer negotiate with the Federation of Games Games,
and will plan to host their own games, without sanction.
Traditional
Sports to be included in African Games?
November
10, 2003
The Confederation of African
Traditional Sports (CONATS) is proposing that certain African traditional
sports be included as medal events in the next All African Games,
scheduled for 2007 in Algiers, Algeria.
Proponents of traditional
sports have been trying to get traditional sports into the African Games
for the past three editions, but so far have not succeeded.
Most of the sports would not
meet the criteria of being practiced in enough countries to merit being
included in the games as medal sports.
Ayo, Dambe and Kokawa are
three of the proposed sports.
Gay Games
negotiations stalled
November 9,
2003
The disagreement over the scope,
budget and control of the direction of the 2006 Gay Games went
unresolved today as the Federation of Gay Games and Montréal 2006,
the organization planning the 2006 games met in Chicago at the
Federation's annual meetings.
Montréal was awarded the games in
2001 but certain contracts have gone unsigned because of basic
disagreements over how many athletes should be included in the games
and how much can be raised and should be spent. Montréal 2006
wants as many as 24,000 participants to play in the games. The
federation wants the games limited to 12,000.
After today's meetings, Montréal
2006 released a statement saying that the federation has now placed
new demands on the negotiations, and no progress was made on the
current issues on the table.
Monday, the negotiators from the federation will give its report to
the federation members.
Montréal 2006 has mentioned on
several occasions that no matter what the federation decides, there
will be games held in Montréal in 2006, with or without the
sanction of the Federation of Gay Games.
The split, with competing games,
could serve to be the beginning of the end for the troubled games,
which have lost money the last four times they have been held.
African Games medals
protest to go to CAS?
November 9,
2003
Egyptian sources are indicating that
an official complaint has been filed by Egypt with the Court of
Arbitration for Sport over the discrepancies in the medals table
from the 2003 African Games held in Nigeria.
The
main dispute is with the number of medals that Nigeria has claimed
that it won in the sport of powerlifting for the disabled. In many
events, there were reportedly fewer than the required five nations
participating in order to qualify the event as a medals event.
Nigerian
organizers said that the international rules were being followed
while other nations, notably South Africa and Egypt, disagreed.
African Games malaria spreads
November 7, 2003
Another participant in the Abuja, Nigeria African Games has died
of malaria, this time a South African assistant team manager in
handball. South African sport authorities said that they had
made efforts to minimize the possibility of malaria affecting the
team, both before the team left for Abuja, and during the games.
Several members of the south African team's administrative staff
and football, volleyball and handball players have also been treated
for malaria in South Africa after the games.
The Kenyan team also had problems with malaria at the games with
athletes and officials from athletics, badminton, and basketball
affected.
Last week it was reported that the illness had struck several
members of the Egyptian All African Games team.
Commonwealth Youth Games land first sponsor
November 7, 2003
ABC Radio of Australia has reported
that Beck Legal, a Bendigo law firm, has signed up as the
first sponsor of the Commonwealth Youth
Games, the be held in Bendigo.
The firm will begin by assisting with contracts for the games.
Michelle Pryde, the games Director said that the games are
looking for sponsors in every sector, "food, transport,
logistics -you name it- anything that could really help with putting
a great games on and easing my budget a little bit is always
helpful."
The good news for the games came in the week after the Australian
Commonwealth Games Association had toured Bendigo and the venues to
be used for the games, as part of their Annual General Meeting.
Typhoid epidemic hushed
during Central Asian Games?
November 6,
2003
Eurasianet is reporting that an
epidemic of typhoid has been sweeping through Dushanbe, Tajikistan
and that Tajik health officials decided not to disclose that an
outbreak was occurring because of the Central Asian Games that were
being held in Dushanbe from October 14-20.
Announcements were made immediately
after the games closed. Thousands have been affected by the epidemic
and hundreds hospitalized.
Over 700 athletes
from the five central Asian nations of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan competed in athletics, boxing,
football, judo, kurash, taekwondo, shooting, wrestling, and
volleyball at the games, with visiting Kazakhstan taking home the
most medals.
Athletes from
Tajikistan were to be rewarded with $500 dollars for gold medals,
$300 for silver and $200 for bronze medals at the games.
2003 Central
Asian Games Medals
| Nation |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
| Kazakhstan |
48 |
31 |
33 |
112 |
| Uzbekistan |
36 |
35 |
20 |
91 |
| Tajikistan |
18 |
22 |
17 |
56 |
| Kyrgyzstan |
5 |
14 |
40 |
59 |
| Turkmenistan |
0 |
5 |
18 |
23 |
Melbourne
2005 gets even busier
November
6, 2003
There will be plenty of
test events in Melbourne leading up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Organizers of the Pacific School Games have announced that the 7th
edition will be held in Melbourne from November 26 to December 4,
2005.
The Deaflympics and
Australian Universities Games will also be held in Melbourne in
2005, the Deaflympics scheduled January 5-16, with the Australian
Universities Games traditionally held in late October and early
November.
The Pacific School
Games were inaugurated in 1982 in Brisbane as a precursor to the
1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games. Organizers expect well over 3000
school age athletes from as many as 35 countries.
Sports will include
athletics, basketball, swimming and diving, and events for the
disabled and will be held at Olympic Park and the Melbourne Sports
and Aquatic Centre.
More
interest in 2009 World University Games
November
6, 2003
Interest is beginning
to stir from around the globe from cities thinking about the
possibility of hosting the 2009 Universiade.
FISU is reporting that
Belgrade, Yugoslavia will make an official announcement at the FISU
executive committee meetings in Tarvisio, Italy in January.
Belfast, Ireland has
completed both a feasibility study and a preliminary plan, and a bid
committee has been begun in British Columbia.
Earlier mentions of
interested cities and nations include Germany, the Netherlands and
San Antonio, Texas.
Venues
are ready for Vietnam's South East Asian Games
November
5, 2003
Vietnam has declared
that the venues are ready for the SEA Games which are scheduled to
open on December 5 in Hanoi.
Final preparations such
as computers, communication lines and sports equipment are now being
made ready.
Roads, both in Hanoi
and Ho Chi Minh City have been upgraded for the events.
Meanwhile other SEA
nations are making their preparations for the games. Samsung will
sponsor 33 "patriotic supporters", who will be chosen in a
contest, to travel to Vietnam to cheer for Malaysian athletes at the
games. Samsung sponsored 100 supporters for the 2002 Asian Games in
Korea.
The contest consists of
writing an "original cheer to support Team Malaysia in
Vietnam." "The cheer can be in any format - written,
audio, video, music script or digital, and will be judged based on
originality and its ability to have the best impact as a
cheer."
BIMP-EAGA Friendship
Games to resume annually?
November 5,
2003
The Philippines have offered to host
next years BIMP-EAGA Games (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia- Philippines -
East ASEAN Growth Area) in Zamboanga City.
The games were begun in 1996 in
Manila and intended to be held on an annual basis. The games were
held in 1997 in Brunei, but then not held again until this past
summers games in the Philippines.
Filipino officials are hoping that
the games will bring attention and increased economic activity to
Zamboanga City.
Melbourne 2006
Commonwealth budget runs annual deficit
November 5,
2003
The Age newspaper in Melbourne has
reported that the past year's annual budget for the Commonwealth
Games ran a deficit of 6.5 million AUS dollars.
The deficit was attributed to the
fact that the Melbourne organizers decided to pay the games
licensing fee all at one time.
The office of
Victorian Sports Minister Justin Madden has stated that overall
there was a healthy surplus and the games budget is in no danger at
all.
2008 Arctic
Winter Games bid talks begin
November 5,
2003
The Arctic Winter Games
established rotation will take the 2008 Arctic Winter Games to the
North West Territories in Canada, and regions are beginning
discussions as to which NWT town will serve as host.
Hay River, Forth Smith and
Fort Resolution and the South Slave region are speculating about
bids.
The 2004 Arctic Winter
Games are scheduled to be held in Wood Buffalo, Alberta and the 2006
Games on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.
Gay
Games feud continues
November
5, 2003
The
Federation of Gay Games and Montréal 2006, the organization that
won the bid to host the 2006 Gay Games, have continued to debate
details of the organization and funding of the games.
Montréal
2006 has insisted that they need a total of 15,540
registered paying participants to break even, and have
released several press releases over the past two weeks with
statements they claim show that worldwide support for the games will
reach that level.
The
Federation of Gay Games, on the other hand, having watched the
last four Gay Games run deficits, is hoping to put an end to the
string, and is urging Montréal 2006 to scale back its numbers and
expectations.
The
disagreement has reached an impasse to the point where the
Federation of Gay Games has said it will take the Games away from
Montreal and re-award them. Montreal says no matter what
happens, Montreal will have games in 2006, with or without the
Federation.
The
issues are scheduled to be decided during the 2003 Federation of Gay
Games annual meetings in Chicago November
8 through November 14.
Gorge Games hope to return to Hood River in 2004
November 5, 2003
The Gorge Games, Hood River Oregon's planned annual extreme sports
festival, is hoping for a return in 2004.
The games were cancelled in 2003 after Ford declined the title
sponsor role.
The rights to the games have also been returned to Hood River's
Limitless Event and Marketing, the company owned by the Games Founder
Peggy Lalor.
The games began in 1996 and are generally planned to be held on an
annual basis. The games have been cancelled in 1999 and 2003 due to
lack of sponsor support.
The Games have had some television exposure with NBC broadcasting
some events from 2000 to 2002.
Shanghai,
China hosts sister-cities for games
November
4, 2003
Shanghai, China invited
several of its sister-cites to participate in athletics, swimming
and synchronized swimming, November 2 and 3rd. Delegations from
Busan, South Korea; Dunedin, New Zealand; Hamburg Germany;
Liverpool, England; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Osaka, Japan, St.
Petersburg, Russia, Vladivostok, Russia and Yokohama, Japan accepted
invitations to the games.
Shanghai hopes to
expand the games to include all of its sister cities in future
editions.
Sister-cities to
Shanghai:
Constanta, Romania;
Oslo, Norway; Barcelona, Spain; Valparaiso, Chile; Guayaquil,
Ecuador; Kwazulu, South Africa; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Chiang
Mai, Thailand; Maputo, Mozambique; Jalisco State, Mexico; Espoo,
Finland; Rosario, Argentina; Santiago, Cuba; Windhoek, Namibia;
Porto, Portugal; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Port Vila, Vanuatu; Ho Chi
Mihn; Vietnam; Haifa, Israel; Alexandria, Egypt; Istanbul, Turkey;
Queensland, Australia; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Marseille, France;
Casablanca, Morocco; Pomorze, Poland; Piraeus; Greece; Montreal,
Canada; Antwerp, Belgium; Karachi, Pakistan; Manila, Philippines,
Zagreb, Croatia; San Francisco, USA; Milan, Italy; Hamhung, South
Korea; Aden, Yemen; Chicago, USA; Goteborg, Sweden; Rhone-Alps
Region, France; Cholla-Nomdo, Korea; London, Great Britain; Nagasaki
Prefecture, Japan.
First
Afro-Asian Games are History
November
3, 2003
At long last,
Afro-Asian Games history has been made and a closing ceremony for an
Afro-Asian Games has been reached. The games were scheduled on six
occasions times since 1985. India finally pulled it off this year,
inspired in good part by high-hopes to host a more established
games, the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
In that regard, the
2003 Afro-Asian Games were a small test event, with fewer than 2000
total participants (athletes and officials) and only eight sports.
While few problems were reported during the games, evaluators must
keep in mind how small the event was when they vote in less than ten
days on whether New Delhi or Hamilton, Canada will host the 2010
Commonwealth Games. Popular sentiment is that the games should move
to a new country, putting India in the drivers seat to host the
Commonwealth Games. Canada has already hosted the Commonwealth Games
on four occasions.
The games had some
local opposition within India, with many questioning the estimated
$27 million dollar (US) budget for the games.
President of the
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and chief of the Afro-Asian Games
Council Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, added his weight behind
India hosting the Commonwealth Games when he announced at the
opening ceremony saying "believe in Asia, believe in India and
trust me, India can host the Commonwealth Games successfully."
The games were held
over the Indian holiday period of Diwali (analogous in some respect
to holding a games over the Christmas Period in North America or
Europe) which was criticized by some. In addition, the Muslim period
of Ramadan began during the games.
The intent of the
Afro-Asian Games was to reward the top four finishing teams and
individuals from the 2002 Asian Games and the 2003 African Games,
and have them meet head to head. In practice this turned out to be
quite difficult to achieve.
Stars of the games were
Sania Mirza, an Indian junior tennis player ranked in the 400s
worldwide, who picked up four gold medals, in women's singles,
women's doubles, mixed doubles, and for the women's team
competition.
Japanese swimmers
picked up numerous medals, Mizuki Wakabayashi with four gold medals,
Takamitsu Kojima and Genki Imamura with three each.
China's Sun Dan from
China, broke a world record in the women over 75 kilo category by
lifting 168.5 kilos in the clean and jerk.
A surprise for
Afro-Asian Games organizers was the arrival of Namibian champion
sprinter Frankie Fredericks, who, it was reported after the African
Games, was retiring. Fredericks stated that he had been
misunderstood and that he had only said that the Abuja Games were
his final African Games, but he is not yet retiring! Frederick's
would be 40 years old the next time the African Games are scheduled
to roll around in 2007. Fredericks, took the
100 and 200 meter golf medals in Hyderabad, saying that he wanted to
support the inaugural games and hoped that other athletes would
support future Afro-Asian events.
On a continental level,
Asia won 82 gold, 80 silver and 88 bronze medals while Africa won 49
gold, 41 silver and 66 bronze medals.
On a country basis,
China, India, Japan, Nigeria and South Africa led the medals table.
A comparison of India's
performance at the 2002 Asian Games and the 2003 Afro-Asian Games
proves how valuable it is to host a games. In the 2002 Asian Games,
with 44 nations and 38 sports, India won 10 gold, 12 silver and 13
bronze medals, or 35 out of a total of 1350 medals awarded at those
games about 2.6 percent of the medals.
In the 2003 Afro-Asian
Games, with just 8 sports, and 406 medals, Indian athletes won 80
total medals, or 19.7 percent.
| Nation |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
| China |
25 |
11 |
5 |
41 |
| India |
19 |
32 |
29 |
80 |
| Japan |
15 |
6 |
2 |
23 |
| Nigeria |
10 |
12 |
13 |
35 |
| South Africa |
10 |
11 |
15 |
36 |
| Korea |
7 |
6 |
11 |
24 |
| Algeria |
7 |
6 |
9 |
22 |
| Uzbekistan |
7 |
2 |
3 |
12 |
| Combined Africa 1 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
10 |
| Kazakhstan |
5 |
8 |
6 |
19 |
| Ethiopia |
5 |
5 |
3 |
13 |
| Sudan |
3 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
| Iran |
2 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
| Kenya |
2 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
| Philippines |
1 |
4 |
10 |
15 |
| Egypt |
1 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
| Seychelles |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
| Combined Africa 2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Namibia |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
| Tanzania |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Cameroon |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Vietnam |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Senegal |
0 |
6 |
3 |
9 |
| Thailand |
0 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
| Pakistan |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| Indonesia |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| Burkino Faso |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Qatar |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Tajikistan |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Zimbabwe |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
| Uganda |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
| Sri Lanka |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
| Malaysia |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Chinese Taipei |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Congo |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Mongolia |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Libya |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
The closing ceremony,
began with a demonstration by jet fighters from the Indian Air
Force, then a mixture of African and Asian cultural performances,
with singers and dancers from India led by Remo Fernandes, Umoja of
South Africa, Imperial State circus of China, Lebanese singer Diana
Hadad, and Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas.
The newly established
Afro-Asian Games council has announced that the next Games will be
held in 2007 in Africa, with Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt being
considered as hosts. A decision is preliminary scheduled to be made
by the Association Of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA)
in the next few months.
Hong
King wins 2009 East Asian Games bid
November
3, 2003
Hong Kong, China has
outpolled Taipei, Taiwan for the right to host the 2009 East Asian
Games. Mongolia had earlier withdrawn from the bidding.
Annisa Wong, Hong
Kong's director of leisure and cultural services, estimated the
Games will cost 170 million Hong Kong dollars or 22 million $US.
Earlier estimated budgets discussions in July had said that the
games would take about 84 million dollars US.
Hong Kong is scheduled
to host the inaugural FESPIC (Far East and South Pacific) Youth
Games in next month.
Hong Kong hosted the
1982 Far East and South Pacific Games for the disabled and the 1984
Asia Pacific Games for the deaf.
The East Asian Games
Association also announced the seventeen sports that will be on the
schedule for the 2005 EA Games in Macao will be: athletics,
basketball, bowling, dancesport, dragonboat racing , field hockey,
football, gymnastics, karate-do, rowing, shooting, soft tennis,
taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting and wushu. The games are now
scheduled for October 29 to November 6, 2005.
2005
East Asian Games Web Site
Pakistan confirms readiness for 2004 South
Asian Federation Games
November 1, 2003
Pakistan's Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hasan, the
Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the South Asian Federation
Games, has issued a statement that Pakistan is ready to host the
games.
Pakistan was to host the games earlier this
year, and had already begun the torch relay, when the games had to
be cancelled with the beginning of the Iraq war.
The games are now scheduled to be held
March 29 to April 7, 2004, with the same budget as the 2003 games
were to have had, Rs, 450 million, about 8 million $US.
CISS
President John M Lovett passes away
November
1, 2003
John Lovett, President
of the CISS (Comite International des Sports des Sourds -
International Committee of Sports for the Deaf) passed away in
Melbourne, Australia on October 30th.
Lovett was involved in
deaf sport administration for over three decades. He led the
Australian team to several editions of the World Games for the Deaf
during the 70s, became part of the CISS executive committee in 1981
and the CISS president in 1995.
In Australia, Lovett
was the General Secretary of the Australian Deaf Sports Federation
from 1968 to 1985 and President of the Australian Deaf Sports
Federation from 1985 to 1995. He also served as a member of
Disability Advisory Council of Australia from 1985 to 1991 and as a
member of Australia's National Advisory Committee on Sports and
Recreation for the Disabled from 1986 to 1989.
Lovett was one of the
many relay runners to carry the 2000 Olympic torch as it passed
through Melbourne on its way to the Olympic Games in Sydney.
Lovett, a native of
Melbourne, was 60 years old.
The next World Games
for the Deaf, now known as the Deaflympics, are scheduled to be held
in Melbourne in 2005.
FISEC
Games to return to Valletta
November
1, 2003
Valletta, Malta will
once again host the FISEC (Federation Internationale Sportive de
l'Enseignement Catholique) Games in 2004.
Valletta, after hosting
the games in 1997 and 2002, and the Games of the Small Countries of
Europe in 1993 and 2003, has several well established sports venues,
and organizational experience and strong government support, which
has recently made it an attractive location to hold games of this
size.
The games will include
football, handball, swimming, tennis, table-tennis, basketball and
volleyball, with the possible inclusion of table tennis and
gymnastics if delegates vote to add those sports at meetings next
month.
Arafura
Games to make 2005 comeback
November
1, 2005
Planners in Darwin,
Australian are working hard to make sure the 2005 Arafura Games are
a success after the cancellation of the 2003 event. The 2003 games
were canceled at the last minute over fears of the uncertainty of
the SARS virus and its possible spread.
Over the past two
months Darwin has hosted meetings with the heads of delegations from
possible participating nations to communicate plans for the 2005
games which are scheduled for May 14-21.
The planners discussed
the Arafura Games Charter, which now provides for a National
Indigenous Development team, a team made up of aboriginal athletes
from around Australia, to compete together as a team.
The meetings also
discussed increasing opportunities for disabled athletes to compete
in the games, and the possibility of American collegiate teams
participating in the games.
Games organizers also
said that they plan to continue hosting the games in Darwin in 2007,
2009, 2011 and beyond.
Indian
High School Sports Festival to go International
November
1, 2003
Dubai's Indian High
School Sports Festival, to date a national event for Indian High
Schools in the United Arab Emirates, is planning to invite
international participation beginning next year.
The Indian Highs
School, Dubai began the sports festival in 1996. Last year one
Indian school from Chandigarh, India participated in the events.
The festival will now
be opened up to schools from Europe and the Americas.
Perth
to inaugurate Indian Ocean Rim University Games
November
1, 2003
Australian University
Sport has announced that the city of Perth will be the host for the
first ever Indian Ocean Rim University Games.
The games are currently
scheduled to be held November 28 - December 4, 2005, with
expectations that up to 2000 university athletes from 25 nations
will take part.
Badminton, football,
futsal, field hockey, judo, rugby union, taekwondo, tennis,
volleyball and water polo are currently planned for the games
sports.
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