Olympic imperialism

Ye Shiwen, 16, Gold Medal 400m Medley Swim.

FLASHBACK – The Western press lashed out as one against China’s medal-winning athletes at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Without the slightest shred of evidence, it systematically raised suspicions of doping, pointing the finger in particular at the young swimmer Ye Shiwen. MANLIO DINUCCI* reminds us that such anti-Chinese racism has a bitter taste of déjà vu.

Manchester City’s plan for global domination

Football has already been transformed by big money – but the capitalists behind Man City are trying to build a global corporation that will change the game for ever | GILES TREMLETT in The Guardian 

(December 15) – On 19 December 2009, Pep Guardiola stood and wept in the middle of Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The 38-year-old Barcelona manager clasped a hand across his face as his body gave way to huge, shoulder-heaving sobs. Zlatan Ibrahimović, the club’s towering Swedish striker, wrapped a tattooed arm around Guardiola’s neck and then gave him a vigorous push in order to jolt him out of it. But Guardiola could not stop.

Commentary: Unprecedented solo rerun by US women’s relay team runs against Olympic spirit of fairness

American womens’ 4X100m

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) – Although the U.S. women’s 4×100 metres relay team won a gold medal in Rio Friday, its victory is not without controversy.

Many had not expected to see the U.S. team in the final after sprinter Allyson Felix dropped the baton in the relay.

The American womens’ 4X100m that failed to qualify earlier today, gets a “do over”

American women’s 4X100m relay team

From a Facebook post by Tony Seed on August 19, 2016. 

The American womens’ 4X100m relay team that failed to qualify earlier today got a “do over.”

Allyson Felix lost her balance during a baton exchange after making contact with a Brazilian sprinter, but that it did not make her drop the baton; she threw it away like a hot potato. Perhaps she knew they could complain and get a re-run. This team had lost fair and square; the incident is what can be considered a normal hazard of competition and the U.S. team should not have been afforded a second chance. Sport can and should allow for such failures, as it is fair and healthy.

Chinese investors snap up another English soccer team only a month after acquiring Aston Villa

STEVE DOUGLAS

West Bromwich Albion’s Welsh Head Coach Tony Pulis (C) celebrating at the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion| Lindsey Parnaby / AFP / Getty Images

AP (August 5) – West Bromwich Albion will soon become the latest English football club to be bought out by Chinese investors.

The Premier League team said Friday that Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Limited, headed by entrepreneur Lai Guochuan, will complete a takeover of the club, subject to approval by the league and English financial authorities.

IOC awards 2022 Winter Olympic to Beijing

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Throughout more than 120 years of Olympic history, no city has hosted both the winter and summer games. Now, Beijing will be the first do it — and in the span of just 14 years.

The Chinese capital was awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics on Friday, beating Kazakh rival Almaty 44-40 in a surprisingly close vote marred by technical problems, taking the games back to the city that hosted the summer version in 2008.

The FIFA war is not about football or corruption

Why are the Americans so interested in “cleaning up” a game that has been managed mostly by Europeans so far? Why did Swiss cops come with New York Times journalists in tow? Why did they arrest officials exclusively from South and Central American federations? The FBI’s move against seven FIFA officials on charges of corruption is seen by most countries as a desperate US-Euro effort to isolate Russia and re-open the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. SHOBHAN SAXENA*

From Brazil to Russia: symbolic hand-over at the Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, 13 July 2014. Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, stands between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff in this grab from the official FIFA video of the event. Russia will host the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

Rio de Janeiro (May 31) – Forget the analogies about football being more important than life and religion. The Beautiful Game has always been all about politics among nations – on and off the pitch. And now, it’s reaching Cold War levels.