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World Sports News Roundup
USA:
Most Expensive Hair
in the world on a man!
Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy
Polamalu may have just become the man
with the most expensive hair in the world.
Head & Shoulders has revealed that it
has insured Polamalu’s massive curls for
US$1 million with Lloyd’s of London in an
effort to protect the locks of the shampoo
brand’s new spokesman.
Polamalu has reportedly not trimmed
his three-foot long locks in the last eight
years and takes some 45 minutes before
each game to set it. Polamalu, who is of
Samoan decent, said it is important in
their culture to take care of one’s hair as it
“is a sign of power and strength.”
USA:
Death raises issues
over amateur fight
management
The management of mixed martial arts
tournaments in the US has been brought
into question following the death of a
amateur kickboxer in July.
Adrienne Simmons, 34, who practised
Muy Thai kickboxing, was taking part
in the International Kickboxing Match
sponsored by the International Kickboxing
Federation in Florida hotel when she
was hit with a left hook that knocked her
unconscious.
The fight was stopped and a doctor
attended. She was taken to a hospital
where she was treated for two days
before dying.
While the local police ruled that Simmons’
death was an accident, the coach of her
opponent, Lindsay Scheer, said there
was no on-call ambulance for the fight.
According to witnesses including her
boyfriend, she was lucid during the hour it
took for medical assistance to arrive.
Simmons’ boyfriend, Chike Ajuda,
commented on the delays that may have
cost the female kickboxer her life, “There
was no paramedics or ambulance on
site, which there should be at any fight.
This was a huge fight with 200 people - a
huge capacity for something to go wrong
of this nature,” Ajuda told WFTV. “There
was no one on site, so it took, from what
I understand, 30 minutes before she was
placed on gurney and ready for transport…
So it was about an hour before she was
prepped for surgery.”
Simmons had been fighting her third
match in two days, ESPN reported.
England:
Host for 2013
Champions Trophy
The International Cricket Council has
confirmed England will be the host of the
2013 Champions Trophy.
The event began as the ‘ICC Knockout’
in 1998 before changing to a round-robin
format in 2002.
Following the criticism of the prolonged
2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, there
was a revised Champions Trophy format
in 2009 where the top eight nations were
divided into two groups of four and the top
two from each played in the semi-finals.
The 2009 tournament was held in South
Africa and was won by Australia. England
has held the competition once before – in
2004 – when the hosts were beaten by
West Indies in the final.
Brazil:
FIFA criticises Brazil
2014 plans
FIFA has criticised Brazil’s preparations
for the 2014 World Cup with general
secretary Jerome Valcke questioning the
country’s priorities.
‘The red light has been switched on for
Brazil which is not meeting deadlines,
It’s incredible how late Brazil is, and I’m
talking about all the stadiums. A lot of
deadlines have passed and nothing has
happened. Brazil is not on the right path,’
said Valcke.
Brazil, which hosted the 1950 tournament,
was awarded the event unopposed in
2007.
Brazil plans to host the 32-team
tournament in 12 different cities, but many
are criticising its plans due to an apparent
lack of transport options.
Germany:
David Rudisha
breaks 800m world record
Kenya’s David Rudisha broke the men’s
800m world record in a time of one
minute 41.09 seconds at an IAAF World
Challenge meeting in Berlin on 22
August.
The previous record of 1:41.11 was set by
Denmark’s Kenyan-born Wilson Kipketer
in Cologne in 1997.
With the help of a pacesetter, Rudisha
hit the 400m mark in 48.65sec and he
maintained his pace to the finish.
“I feel great but I am also dreaming of
becoming the first to run under 1:41,” the
21 year old told BBC World Service.
“I have been running fast and I now have
the world record but I have not won any
major championships yet.”
Bahrain:
Grand Prix will revert
to original F1 track layout
for 2011
The Bahrain Grand Prix will revert to its
original track layout for the 2011 race in
March.
The track was lengthened and had a new
loop of corners added for the 2010 race
which opened the season, but the layout
was widely criticised as “boring”.
The 2010 race marked the 60th
anniversary of Formula One racing.
“It was important for us to celebrate this
momentous occasion by doing something
very unique and different,” the circuit’s
acting chief executive Sheikh Salman Bin
Isa Al Khalifa said.
Singapore:
Bid For Youth
Olympics
The IOC reveal that up to 17 countries
have expressed an interest in hosting the
2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games.
The United States and countries from
Africa have confirmed their interest in
hosting the Games.
IOC executive director for the Olympic
Games,
Gilbert
Felli,
confirmed
discussions have taken place: ‘We have
had discussions with the USOC (United
States Olympic Committee) and some
cities in the United States who have the
idea for the winter or summer Games.’
IOC President Jacques Rogge stated that
the first summer Youth Olympics, held
in Singapore this August have been a
success: ‘We’ve been very pleased with
the organisation, the competition and the
non-sport activities.’
The inaugural Winter Youth Olympic
Games will be held in Austria, in 2012
with the next Summer Youth Olympics
taking place in Nanjing, China in 2014.
South Africa:
Tri-Nations
New Zealand sealed the 2010 Tri-Nations
title in dramatic fashion after two very late
tries set up an enthralling win over South
Africa in Johannesburg.
The hosts had led 22-17 up until the 78th
minute when All Blacks skipper Richie
McCaw scored a controversial try in the
corner to level the scores.
Israel Dagg secured the title when he
latched on to Ma’a Nonu’s pass.
The loss was a bitter blow for South
Africa captain John Smit on his 100th Test
appearance at the FNB Stadium.