News

Five years on Athens still saddled with white elephants

Five years after the flame went out on the Athens 2004 Olympics the Greek capital is still saddled with white elephants, organisers said . The President of the Hellenic Olympic Commitee, Spyros Capralos, said that Athens, in many cases, ended up building too many venues without the foresight of having them serve the athletic needs of the country following the Olympics. "As a result many of these venues have been totally abandoned," Capralos said. After spending approximately 2.2 billion euros on construction to stage the Games, Athens has been criticised for its rush-built venues with no post-Games purpose. Olympic organisers had deliberately positioned many of the venues in run-down areas, hoping their presence would serve to upgrade the areas. But nearly five years after the Games, many of the Athens venues remain fensed-off and boarded up, awaiting private funding to be reopened while the Greek government has spent hundreds of millions of euros on maintenance costs. The venues, which include a 152-million euro rowing centre, 42- million euro canoe, kayak centre a 131-million euro sailing facility, have been under lock and key since the Games. Dozens more such as the taekwondo and weightlifting stadiums have been rented on short-term contracts and used periodically to host concerts, trade shows and festivals since the Summer Games. With a soaring public debt and admissions of irresponsible spending during the preparation of the Olympics with delays, many Greeks are disillusioned with the legacy the homecoming Olynpics has left on their country. But Capralos also said that Athens has benefited from the Games. "There are many works which Athenians benefit from daily due to the Olympics such as the public transportation system, highway network and hospitals," he said. "All of us Greeks were successfully in promoting our country during the Games but the same cannot be said for the 'day after," said Capralos, who served on the organizing committee for the Games. (Earth

Arafura Games preview

Oceania's best weightlifter, Nauruan national Peter Yukio, will be competing at the Arafura Games. Yukio is regarded as the top lifter in Oceania and the Commonwealth after winning gold in the men's 77kg category at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Limasso, Cyprus, in December last year. Yukio edged out Fiji's top Olympic lifter Josefa Vueti with a world class performance totalling 330kg by snatching 145kg and lifting another 185kg in the clean and jerk. Yukio is one of only two competitors from the small island nation of Nauru at Arafura

16th Asian Games

The 16th Asian Games (www.gz2010.cn/en), part of the worldwide Olympic movement and governed by the Olympic Council of Asia is pleased to report very significant progress with the National Olympic Committees that will be bringing more than 12,000 athletes to Guangzhou next year. "Among the 45 member National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), 43 have completed their sports entry procedures. Only Afghanistan and East Timor yet to submit their entry forms.On average, each NOC will compete in 24 sports and each sport will have participants from 23 NOCs. It is estimated that some 12,000 athletes will participate in the Guangzhou Asian Games, outnumbering all previous Asian Games," said Mr. Li Naizhen, Executive Vice Director of Sports Department of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC).  According to Mr. Li, any member National Olympic Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia can register to compete in any sport of the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games; there will be no qualifying matches and limitations on the number of participant teams. The number of National Olympic Committees that will be participating in boxing, shooting, judo, weightlifting, and wrestling is nearly equal that of the Doha 2006 Asian

National Coach for Tonga

Maamaloa Lolohea, one of the best lifters Tonga has ever produced, an Olympic representative and South Pacific Games gold medalist in the 105+Kg category , has been appointed full time coach of Tonga. Maamaloa spent two years at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute under an IOC coaching scholarship. He already has a lot of lifters and is developing an excellent junior team.(by

Youth World Championships Entry deadline expiring today!

Final Entries to the 1st EGAT Youth World Championships (ChiangMai, THA) are to be sent until today, 4th May 2009. Please refer to: 1st EGAT YWC

Weightlifting legend Süleymanoğlu stable

Süleymanoğlu was taken to Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Hospital on Thursday after having a seizure from a high fever. The hospital's vice chief of medicine, Dr. İbrahim Morgül, said Süleymanoğlu was in stable condition, but more tests were needed before making a diagnosis about the 42-year-old iron pumper. "We have yet to know if the problem is about the brain, the lungs or diabetes," said Morgül. "We have taken care of his seizures and he is stabilized. But we will only understand more about his situation after more tests." Turkish Weightlifting Federation chairman Hasan Akkuş visited Süleymanoğlu in his room and said the athlete's condition did not look bad. "He is not very well, but not bad at all," said Akkuş. "I talked with him, and he said 'We will get over this,' to me." One of the greatest weightlifters in the sport's history, Süleymanoğlu is a three-time Olympic winner, earning gold medals in the Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 games.