62 Sport THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 8- 14, 2013 BRIEFS
62 Sport THE MYANMAR TIMES JULY 8- 14, 2013 BRIEFS
Philadelphia Flyers woo all-star forward Lecavalier Vincent Lecavalier, who has played his entire career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, has agreed to a multi-million dollar contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 33-year-old Canadian was made available to other National Hockey League teams after Tampa Bay made him a free agent by deciding to use a compliance buyout on his contract.
The Flyers beat out the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens for the services of Lecavalier, who played for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Bailey. Photo: AFP
Cincinnati Reds’ Bailey tosses second career no-hitter Cincinnati pitcher Homer Bailey threw the second no-hitter of his career on June 2 as the Reds blanked the San Francisco Giants 3-0 at Great American Ball Park.
The 27-year-old Bailey’ s other nohitter was the last of the 2012 Major League Baseball season and the right-handed pitcher followed that up on June 2 with the first of this season.
Bailey had a perfect game heading into the seventh inning until walking Blanco for the lone Giant baserunner of the contest.
London Bournemouth to host Real Madrid in friendly English second-tier outfit Bournemouth announced that they are to host Spanish super club Real Madrid in a glamour friendly game on July 21.
The south coast side, who secured promotion to the Championship last season, will take on Carlo Ancelotti’ s team at Dean Court.
Arlington Rangers gamble on minor league deal with Ramirez Controversial slugger Manny Ramirez, who left Taiwan’ s EDA Rhinos last month to pursue a possible return to Major League Baseball, could get his chance with the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers inked Ramirez to a minor-league contract on July 3.
The 41-year-old dreadlocked Dominican arrived in Texas on Jully 4 and report to the Rangers’ minor league affiliate Round Rock.
“ It’ s a no-risk flyer in a lot of ways,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said in comments posted on an mlb. com blog.“ Our history, we like giving guys second chances.
Montpellier RadioShack dump Schleck RadioShack cycling team have announced they will not renew the contract of former Tour de France podium finisher Franck Schleck.
Schleck, the older brother and teammate of 2010 Tour de France champion Andy, was handed a oneyear ban after it was announced before the 16th stage of last year’ s race that he had tested positive for a banned diuretic.
His ban is about to end but RadioShack’ s management company Leopard are not offering the Luxemburger a new deal.
“ With the end of Frank Schleck’ s suspension approaching, Leopard and its partners have assessed the situation in view of a possible renewal of the collaboration with Frank Schleck,” said a statement from the team. – AFP
SOWETO
Mandela the boxer inspires new generation
IN a sweaty township gym where Nelson Mandela once trained as a young boxer, athletes are still pumping iron today, inspired by the peace icon’ s example as he fights for his life in hospital.
Things haven’ t changed much since the early 1950s, when a youthful Mandela worked out on week – nights at the Donaldson Orlando Community Centre, or the“ D. O.” as it’ s still affectionately known.
Spartan and slightly run down, the walls ooze with the intermingled history of sport, community life and the decades-long fight against apartheid oppression.
It was here that Mandela came to lose himself in sport to take his mind off liberation politics.
Nestled in the heart of South Africa’ s largest township just south of Johannesburg, the community centre was also where famous African songbirds like Miriam Makeba and Brenda Fassie first performed.
The 1976 riots against the imposition of the Afrikaans language in black schools were planned from the D. O. as Mandela and other leaders languished in apartheid jails.
“ Here, look, these are the very same weights Madiba used for training,” proud gym instructor Sinki Langa, 49, said, using Mandela’ s clan name.
“ They have lasted all these years,” he said as he added another set to a bar his fellow trainee Simon Mzizi, 30, was using to furiously bench-press, sweat dripping down his face.
Nearby, other fitness enthusiasts worked out to the tune of soothing music, which unusually for a gym included opera.
The D. O., or Soweto YMCA as it is called today, opened its doors in 1948, the same year the apartheid white nationalist government came to power.
Built with funds donated by Colonel James Donaldson, a self-made entrepreneur and staunch supporter of the now governing African National Congress( ANC), the D. O. centre includes a hall and several sparsely furnished smaller rooms like the one
AUNG SI HEIN aungsiheinmm8 @ gmail. com
Nelson Mandela wishes Philip Ndou good luck in Johannesburg on October 7, 2003. Photo: AFP
where Mandela sparred as a young man.
Today the gym is housed in an adjacent hall, which was the original building on the grounds erected in 1932.
Mandela joined the D. O. in around 1950, often taking his oldest 10-year-old son Thembi with him.
In a letter to his daughter Zinzi, while on Robben Island where he spent 18 of his 27 years in jail, Mandela recalled his days at the gym.
“ The walls... of the DOCC are drenched with the sweet memories that will delight me for years,”
‘ I did not enjoy the violence of boxing as much as the science of it.’
Nelson Mandela Former President of South Africa
FIFA, Myanmar lay out vision
THE Myanmar Football Federation and FIFA unveiled on June 27 a new eight – year strategic plan for the country’ s football program that includes five key upgrades aimed at facilitating the sport’ s development domestically.
The five projects include a new Myanmar Football Federation( MFF) headquarters, establishing two football academies in Mandalay, renovations to Yangon’ s Thuwunna Stadium and a youth training academy in Yangon.
The projects are estimated to cost around US $ 2.3 million. FIFA, the sport’ s world governing body, will help to cover the expenses along with the Myanmar government and the MFF.
“ We exercise teamwork when working on these projects,” MFF president and business tycoon Zaw Zaw said of the approach. He added that FIFA and MFF would also like to see the U-17 national team qualify for the U-17 World Cup.
“ As our proverb goes,‘ If you do, FIFA does.’ We are going to cooperate with you so long as Myanmar has ideas. In order for FIFA to help Myanmar football, we need your imaginations and ideas. You know Myanmar football and how to improve it,” a FIFA representative said.
Though the outlook for the future of Myanmar football is bright, Zaw Zaw said that even with FIFA assistance he feared that Myanmar could be left behind due to the country’ s poverty level.
“ Our problem is lack of infrastructure and facilities. Our people still can’ t move beyond their concern for their basic needs, so they can’ t invest their time and money in football,” Zaw Zaw said.
“ Our medical assistance also barely nhelps. Once a player gets injured, his recovery takes longer than it should. Because of these factors our football has not yet been revived.” he wrote in the letter, published in his 2010 book Conversations with
Myself”
Training at the D. O. was tough and included sparring, weightlifting, running and push-ups.
“ We used to train for four days, from Monday to Thursday and then break off,” Mandela told journalist Richard Stengel in the early 1990s, while writing his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.
When he was handed a life sentence in 1964, Mandela kept up the harsh regime of his training to stay fit and healthy.
“ I was very fit, and in prison, I felt very fit indeed. So I used to train in prison... just as I did outside,” Mandela said in a transcript of his conversation with Stengel.
Mandela was eventually released from jail in 1990 and in 1994, he was elected South Africa’ s first black president.
In Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela admitted he was“ never an outstanding boxer”.
“ I did not enjoy the violence of boxing as much as the science of it,”
DEFENDING Myanmar National League champions Yangon United travelled to Shan State to take on KBZ with league leadership up for grabs, but could only come away with a 1-1 draw in their June 29 match – up.
However, it is United that will be happier with the result since they remain top of the ladder with a three-point lead.
United took the lead almost immediately after the kick-off, with Cezar finding the net with a free kick. And the Yangon side looked likely to leave KBZ Stadium in the elderly statesman said.
“ It was a way of losing myself in something that was not the struggle,” Mandela wrote.
“ Back in those days, boxing was very popular. It was part of that culture,” Shakes Tshabalala, 81, who has been involved with the centre from the start said.
Pugilism always played a big part in Mandela’ s life and at his nearby house, today a museum, boxing-related items like the WBC World Championship belt donated by Sugar Ray Leonard are on display.
Back at the centre, a new generation of youngsters are training.
Although few of them box today, they draw their inspiration from Mandela’ s example in healthy living.
While the ailing 94-year-old statesman is battling a recurring lung infection, the gym-goers firmly believe the liberation icon will return for one last round.
“ Mandela was a sportsman. This is why today he is still alive,” said gym instructor Langa.
“ I am worried about him, but I know he’ ll win. He’ s a fighter,” – AFP
Top of the table clash ends in draw
KYAW ZIN HLAING kyawzinhlaing91 @ gmail. com
Taunggyi with full points until KBZ midfielder Nunez scored from a free kick in the 73 rd minute, levelling scores.
The closely contested match was a feast for true football supporters, with both sides struggling to gain ascendancy, KBZ desperately tried to claw their way back into the match after the shock opening goal.
Yangon United coach Ivan Venkov Kolev said his charges failed to convert their chances.
“ In the second half, we had three good chances but didn’ t score,” he said.“ KBZ is one of the top teams in the national league and the referees always give some extra help to the home side.”