KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Sapporo 1972 inspired new generation of Asian winter athletes

05/12/2013

The Sapporo 1972 Olympic Winter Games were the first to be held outside Europe and North America and helped bring winter sports to a new audience within Asia.

The city of Sapporo itself enjoyed numerous benefits from hosting the Games, with several infrastructure projects initiated during preparations. Transport investments included extensions to two airports, improvements to the main railway station, 41 new or improved roads – totalling 213 km – and the construction of a 45km rapid transit system. Improved urban heating systems, water systems, and sewage treatment facilities were also built, along with 12 new sports venues.

The facilities that were used for speed skating, figure skating, ice hockey and the Closing Ceremony are all still in use today, while the Okurayama and Miyanomori ski jumping hills have since hosted several FIS World Cup and World Championship events.

Mount Teine, which hosted the Alpine skiing events during the Games, has also become a popular ski destination and has twice hosted the Asian Winter Games, as well as being one of the main facilities for regional and national ski competitions.

But perhaps the biggest impact that the Sapporo Winter Games had was on the next generation of winter athletes in Asia.

Prior to 1972, no Asian country had ever won a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games, but in Sapporo the host country swept the medals in the normal hill ski jumping event, with Yukio Kasaya winning gold.

As Japan’s first ever Winter Olympic gold medallist, Kasaya became a national hero and helped inspire more interest in winter sports across Asia.

By the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, Asia countries were regular medal winners, with Japan leading the way with seven medals and the Republic of Korea winning two gold, one silver and one bronze.

The Winter Games returned to Japan in Nagano in 1998, while today the Republic of Korea is also preparing to host the Games for the first time, with the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee hoping to further expand the reach of winter sports across Asia. 

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Medal Design Competition now closed for entries

03/12/2013

It is that nerve-wracking time…  the Youth Olympic Games 2014 Medal Design Competition is now closed and the hundreds of fantastic entries are now in the hands of the IOC judging panel!

The judges, who include Olympic cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick and Olympic medallists Yang Yang (China), Claudia Bokel (Germany) and Yelena Isinbaeva (Russia) will meet at the IOC headquarters in December to deliberate over the many designs entered from over 50 countries.

Check out the gallery of entries on www.medaldesigncompetition.com 

The winning design will be announced later this month.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

The IOC, the FC Barcelona Foundation (FFCB) and the Olympafrica Foundation unite for young people in Africa

©IOC / Richard Juilliart (2), Olympafrica Foundation (2)

04/12/2013

The IOC, the Olympafrica Foundation and the FC Barcelona Foundation (FFCB) have announced a new agreement to bring sport to people of all ages and abilities throughout Africa. Following the success of a previous pilot programme, IOC President Thomas Bach, FC Barcelona Chairman Sandro Rosell, and IOC honorary member and President of the Olympafrica Foundation and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) General Lassana Palenfo today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne.

This agreement will see the programme being developed and implemented until 2016. The programme will use the network of the 39 Olympafrica centres throughout the continent to promote values of sport and education through to 2016.

A successful pilot project

This new agreement follows on from the MoU signed on 17 April 2013 between the IOC and the FC Barcelona Foundation, supporting joint actions in the area of development through sport and the promotion of the Olympic values. The two sports organisations made a commitment to strengthening the Olympafrica Foundation’s existing football programme on offer in community sports centres to young people throughout Africa, adding an educational aspect thanks to the implementation of the FFCB’s FutbolNet method. FutbolNet’s objective is to pass on the positive values of sport to the young participants through the pleasure of playing and practising football.

This year, the Olympafrica centres in 23 African countries hosted 26 local tournaments for 12 to15 year-olds, held over two months. Furthermore, a regional tournament took place in May in Burundi, bringing together teams from the Olympafrica centres in neighbouring countries. The programme was greatly appreciated by the 2,500 young participants who took part in the tournaments in the various centres, as well as by the Olympafrica educators. Finally, the sports equipment provided to each centre, including balls and jerseys, contributed to the success of this pilot project.  

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This is an exciting project that will first and foremost bring the joy of sport and competition to children and people of all ages throughout Africa. While enjoying sport, they will also learn the values that make sport such a powerful tool in the fields of development and education. It is great to bring our network of Olympafrica centres together with the FC Barcelona Foundation and to see the programme developing over the next three years.  I would like to thank the FC Barcelona Foundation and the Olympafrica Foundation for their continuing commitment to sport and to the people whose lives it greatly influences.”

Sandro Rosell commented: “We are very proud to work with an organisation as prestigious as the International Olympic Committee. Thanks to this project we can continue to spread our belief that sport, and football in particular, is an inexhaustible source of values and a universal language. This project has enjoyed success in Catalonia, Brazil and the Middle East, and thanks to this partnership it can keep on developing in Africa.”

General Lassana Palenfo concluded: “We would like to thank the IOC and the FC Barcelona Foundation for implementing and developing the Olympafrica FutbolNet Cup. For us, this programme is an important educational and social tool which contributes to young people’s development on the continent. The support of the IOC and the FFCB has allowed us, and, above all, will continue to allow us to provide more opportunities to young African people and local communities to practise sport and to become empowered.”

As from next year, all the operational Olympafrica centres will benefit from the Olympafrica FutbolNet Cup programme, with some 100,000 young people participating. The number of regional tournaments will also increase gradually, and a continental final will be organised from 2015 onwards. 

Development through sport in Africa

Olympafrica, which was initiated by the IOC, aims to further social development through sport and promote the creation of small-scale sports and socio-educational centres in African countries, in collaboration with National Olympic Committees and local communities, in order to encourage and assist the development of talented youngsters through local training programmes. The idea for such an initiative was first launched in 1988 to enable developing countries to benefit fully from the positive impact of Olympism. Today, the Olympafrica programme offers a wide range of sporting, social and educational activities for young people and communities in 39 centres across 35 African countries.  

Find out more about the IOC’s development through sport activities 

Find out more about the FC Barcelona Foundation

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

New ski resort the legacy from Squaw Valley Winter Games

©Getty Images

04/12/2013

Before being awarded the rights to host the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley was virtually unknown among skiers, let alone the wider world.

Located on the banks of the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe, approximately 300km from San Francisco, the area boasted spectacular mountain terrain ideal for skiing, but prior to the Games had only one chairlift and two tow ropes.

The resort had originally opened in 1949, but by 1954 the operators were keen to attract more visitors to the area and decided to submit an application to host the 1960 Winter Games.

When Squaw Valley was awarded the Games in 1955, it kick-started a major development project that would benefit the area for years to come.

In preparation for the Games, a 600-room Olympic Village was built, as well as an 8,000-seat arena, a ski jump area, three outdoor skating rinks and a 400-metre speed skating oval.

Access roads were also improved, including the construction of a four-lane freeway stretching nearly 80km, while the Reno airport in Nevada was expanded to accommodate international flights and hotels and restaurants were also built to house the extra visitors.

Following the success of the Games, Squaw Valley has firmly established itself as a major ski destination.

“I think [the ’60 Games] changed California and skiing forever,” said Nancy Cushing, the former chairman and CEO of the Squaw Valley resort in 2010. “Before that, a lot of people didn’t think there was skiing in California.”

Today, the Lake Tahoe region is home to North America’s largest concentration of ski resorts, which in turn have inspired a new generation of skiers, including the USA’s Turin 2006 giant slalom gold medallist Julia Mancuso, who grew up in nearby Truckee.

“Growing up in Squaw really gave me the Olympic spark,” said Mancuso recently. “It was such an amazing place because I had so many great role models to look up to.”

 

Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS-Free Generation

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

on Saturday, 30 November 2013. Posted in 2013

WORLD AIDS DAY 2013

MESSAGE of H.E. LE LUONG MINH

ASEAN Secretary-General

This year’s theme of the World AIDS Day - “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS-Free Generation” - resonates well with the current progress of ASEAN towards an ASEAN Community by 2015 with one vision and one identity.

An ASEAN Community in a stable political and secure environment amidst a robust economy and progressive socio-cultural development can only be sustainable if the current and future generations are assured of a healthy and disease-free community. Such a community includes an AIDS-free generation. More specifically, a community that is free from the impacts brought about by HIV and AIDS.

In commemorating the World AIDS Day this year, the ASEAN Community also marks the second year of moving towards the targets of the ASEAN Declaration of Commitment: Getting to Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS-Related Deaths. This was adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 19^th ASEAN Summit in November 2011 with specific targets outlined for 2015. The implementation of this Declaration commenced through the ASEAN Cities Getting to Zero Initiative in 13 cities/areas within the ASEAN region. Progress has already been made in the localization of this Declaration in these cities/areas in ASEAN.

Proactive, dynamic and harmonized actions are constantly called upon from ASEAN Member States in pursuing the targets committed by their respective ASEAN Leaders through this Declaration. ASEAN, through the ASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA), has progressively worked towards the sharing of responsibilities in getting to three zeros in the ASEAN communities. The shared responsibilities in strengthening the achievement of targeted results include, among others, the need to invest more in developing innovations in preventing the spread of HIV; and to advocate for a committed stance in implementing innovative and evidence-based research programmes and policies to combat HIV and AIDS.

ASEAN needs strong political will, adequate financial resources and effective evidence-based approaches and support from partners in order to achieve these three zeros. I urge all concerned to continue to work on the ASEAN Declaration of Commitment in getting to zeros and build on political commitments, investments, energy, activism and determinations that have brought us to this turning point.

1 December 2013

PERSONAL SHARE IN FACEBOOK DECLINES

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

YESTERDAY, AT 10:30 A.M. WHILE I WAS RIDING MY MOTORBIKE - HERO HONDA SUPERSPLENDOUR BLACK MODEL, THE REAR TYRE OF THE MOTOR BYKE PIERCED INTO NAILS  BESIDE THE WALL OF KULBANI HIGH SCHOOL (H.S.) IN FRONT OF A NATIONALISED BANK BRANCH  NAMED PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK (1629 CODE ) AT KULBANI VILLAGE,KESHIARY BLOCK ,  WEST MIDNAPORE DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL IN INDIA. THE ROAD IS NARROW SOIL 'KACHHA RASTA,. THE ANNUAL EXAMINATION OF KULBANI HIGH SCHOOL (H.S.) IS CONTINUINING LIKE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS IN INDIA. I MADE PHONE CALL TO MOTOR MECHANIC TO GET RID OF THE TROUBLE REPEATEDLY. AS THE KNOWN PROFESSIONAL MOTOR MECHANIC DID THE REPAIR OF THE SAME BIKE EARLIER. AFTER THE END OF THE EXAMINATION I SAW SMALL NAIL ENGULFED THE TYRE. I PULL IT OUT AND FILLED THE TYRE AIR WITH A HAND PUMPER BROUGHT FROM A COLLEGUE RESIDENT. WHEN I REACHED THE MOTOR CYCLE REPAIR SHOP I FOUND NONE. I MADE ANOTHER PHONE CALL IN FRONT OF THE CLOSED SHOP, THE REPLY CAME FROM A HIM FROM KESHIARY, A NEAR BY MARKET PACE APPROXIMATELY 13.5 K.M. DISTANCE FROM THE VILLAGE. I CAME TO ANOTHER SHOP OUTLET WHICH WAS HALF CLOSED. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE THE SHOP OWNER APPEARED THERE. BUT HE INFORMED ME HIS INABILITY TO DO THE ALTER AS HE HAD LEFT THE JOB OF TYRE REPAIRING, HE OWNS A HARDWARE SHOP. THE OPTION OF GETTING RELIEF FROM THE OBSTACLES ARE FEW. THE VILLAGE 'HAT'- A WEEKLY BAZAR WAS HOLDING AS USUAL IN NEARBY 'HAT TOLA'-  A OPEN SPACE FOR SELLING AND BUYING. THE VILLAGERS WERE GOING TO 'HAT'. I HEARD FROM MATURED AND LOUD VOICE A THREATENING WORD, " WE WILL MAKE YOU JOBLESS" WHEN I WAS STARTLED FOR A WHILE NOT FINDING THE SOLUTION TO RETURN MY RESIDENT AT BALARAMDIHI, JHARGRAM, MORE THAN 62 KILOMETRES FROM MY WORKING PLACE. AT LAST I CAME TO A CYCLE REPAIR OUTLET AT DANDISAI BUS STOP AT KULBANI VILLAGE. THE YOUNG MAN AGREED TO DO THE JOB. AFTER NEGOTIATING WITH OTHER CUSTOMER SUFFERERS HE STARED TO TACKLE THE TASK. THE REPAIR TOOK PLACE THERE WITH NO JOSTLE AND CHAOS.  THE CYCLE MECHANIC COMPLETED THE JOB. I PAID HIM RUPEES THIRTY   ACCORDING TO HIS WISH. AT THAT MOMENT I PUSHED THE KEYS OF MY CELL PHONE TO SHARE MY THEN EXPERIENCE. I POSTED THE SHARE REPEATEDLY BUT THE COMPOSITION WAS LOSING IN THE WEB. MANY EFFORTS BECAME FAILED. REACHING HOME I COMPILED THE DAY'S EXPERIENCE AND AGAIN PUSHED KEYS TO SHARE. I WAS UNABLE TO POST IN A SINGLE PARAGRAPH THOUGH I WAS ACTIVE TO DO MY WILLINGNESS . TILL NOW I AM UNDONE IN FACEBOOK. THE MEDIA REPORTS AND COVERAGE OF FACEBOOK ABOUT LEGAL AND ILLEGAL POSTING MAKE ME ATTENTIVE TO MUCH HYPED MODERN SOCIAL MEDIA  IN THE PRESENT WORLD ABOUT ITS SINCERITY. THE PAST EXPERIENCE ABOUT BLOCKING MY FRIENDSHIP REQUEST OPTION AND LOSING ARTICLES CAN NOT STOP ME LEAVING THE WEBSITE. THE RELENTLESS EFFORT TO MAKE ME OUSTED FROM FRIENDS IN SOCIAL MEDIA IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE THE MOST PUBLISHED FOREIGN BASED MEDIA.

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay reaches Kemerevo

©Sochi 2014

02/12/2013

The eighth week of the 123-day Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay ended in Kemerovo, the Russian industrial city and administrative centre of Kemerovo Oblast, when Olympic 1984 skating bronze medallist Natalya Shive lit the city cauldron to end the two-day Kuzbass stage of the relay.

The flame had earlier been carried through the administrative centre of the region by the former world heavyweight boxing champion Nikolai Valuev, who later admitted he had tried to run slowly in order to maximise his enjoyment of carrying the Olympic flame..

"I can choose the style of boxing, but not running. I ran these complicated two hundred meters slowly, with feeling, wit and punctuation, prolonging the pleasure", Valuev, 40, later recalled.

The 2.11m tall former WBA world champion handed the flame onto another former boxer, flyweight Yuri Arbachacov, who was followed by 1988 Olympic race walking champion Vyacheslav Ivanenko, before Shive completed the leg.

Earlier in the week, the Olympic flame had been raced down a ski slope in the Bobroviy Log fun park in Divnogorsk by Russian Olympic team skier Evgeny Lisitsa during the journey through the Krasnoyarsk region.

And there were colourful firework celebrations as the flame reached Abakan. The symbol of the Sochi Olympics went on the crest of the highest dam in Russia – the Sayano-Shushenskaya power plant – before journeying to Novokuznetsk and onto the capital of the republic of Tuva, Kyzyl.

The route has been designed to ensure that around 90 per cent of Russia’s population will be within an hour of the Relay at some stage, allowing approximately 130 million residents to participate in the event.

Find out more about the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners athttp://torchrelay.sochi2014.com/en/partners

More information on the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay can be found athttp://torchrelay.sochi2014.com/en/

Information on tickets for Sochi 2014 is available here