Is taking part in school sport just a matter of keeping fit, or are there more unexpected benefits? And what of those pupils who want to make a career out of sport do they also need a good education?
Olympic champions Carl Lewis and Ian Thorpe conquered the world in their chosen sports, swimming and athletics.
The two sporting heroes advocate sport on the school curriculum and recall their days in the classroom.
*Beating the bullies through sport*
Sports lessons can tackle the problems of bullying and bad behaviour in school helping young people channel aggression and anger into healthy competition. A project in the USA is leading the way and shows why which shows why playing games matters in school matters.
*Sowing the seeds of excellence in Senegal*
Basketball is the key for a better future. That’s the belief behind the Seeds Academy, based 70km from Dakar, the capital of Senegal. It is where teenagers come to practice their favourite sport, and prepare for what might be their future career. Sacrifice, rigour and discipline are the key values at this academy.
Published on Jan 31, 2013
Human Rights Watch releases 2012 annual report, warning of the steady decline in human rights in Russia after President Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency.
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A representative from Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that 2012 was the worst year for human rights in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division Deputy Director Rachel Denber spoke with journalists in Moscow.
She says Russia’s human rights last year was the worst she could remember in her 20 years of work in the former Soviet Union.
[Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division]:
“After the return of Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin, and I would say even before then, not only was the cautious progress towards liberalization of the ‘Medvedev-era’ liquidated, but in these months, authoritarianism in Russia reached a level unseen in this country’s recent history. The foundation of this authoritarian turn was a package of laws adopted by the State Duma. I don’t think it’s necessary to describe them in detail now, but I will just list them: this is restrictions on the freedom of assembly, restrictions on Internet content, the return of criminal liability for slander—which had been cancelled by Medvedev in the previous months—and this, of course includes the law about so-called foreign agents.”
Last summer, shortly after Putin was sworn into office, Russia passed a series of laws branding many rights and campaign groups as “foreign agents”.
It’s a move opponents say was an attempt to stifle protests against Vladimir Putin.
Denber says the decline in Russia’s human rights situation has been steadily worsening.
[Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division]:
“For a decade since the so-called ‘colour revolutions’, the Russian authorities have been attempting to marginalize, demonize, and discredit opposition politicians, human rights activists, civil society organizations, and the political opposition.”
Human rights organizations are voicing the rights issues against the fact that Russia is set to hold the Winter Olympics in February 2014.
[Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division]:
“Soon, in almost one year, the Olympics will take place in Russia, in Sochi, and I want to say that this is, of course, a very joyful occasion. But I want to say that the attack on civil society and this excessive suspicion towards foreigners is simply not compatible with the role of Russia as an Olympic Games host country. This, in my opinion, contradicts the Olympic spirit.”
Human Rights Watch says they have noted abuses such as expropriation of property, linked to Russia’s preparations for the 2014 Olympic Games.
Other issues raised include the harassment of Kremlin critics and human rights activists, and the Russian legislation banning so-called ‘homosexual propaganda’.
Also raised were the failures of the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development to meet World Health Organization standards.
Published on Feb 2, 2013
Brazilian graffiti artist, Toz, is painting a giant mural in Rio de Janeiro’s port region, as the area gears up for the 2016 Olympics.
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A giant and colorful mural is bringing a bit of life to Rio de Janeiro’s poor port region. The area is being renewed for the 2016 Olympic Games.
The vibrant artwork is courtesy of Brazilian graffiti artist Toz who, together with his friends, is filling the 98-foot tall mural with bright colors and random caricatures.
The artwork is already the biggest of its kind in the city, and was commissioned by Lojas Americanas and B2W, two of the biggest brands in Brazil, which own the building where the mural is being painted.
[Toz, Brazilian Graffiti Artist]:
“My vision was to design something where there was enough space for my artist friends to showcase their work and also for me expose my work. That’s why I had this idea of these triangles, as if they were small windows into different worlds and ideas.”
To fill the space, Toz and eight other artists have used 1500 cans of spray paint so far.
Rio still has some way to go to catch up to other world cities, such as London and Berlin, when it comes to street art, but Toz believes the talent and the spaces are there.
[Toz, Brazilian Graffiti Artist]:
“Graffiti was born in those areas—the more distant and neglected areas—and today here we are, painting the side of a building, so I think not just here, but in any place which is destroyed and neglected is a perfect place for graffiti artists.”
For the people who work and live in the area, the colorful mural is a pleasant addition to the bleak surroundings.
[Carlos Magno, Construction Worker]:
“It used to be an ugly building, but now it can even become a tourist attraction, I think it’s cool.”
Rio de Janeiro’s port region will be one of the focal points of the 2016 Olympic Games.
City servants are investing millions of real (pronounced re-Al) in new transport links, road works and new housing, to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected during the summer of 2016.
Published on Oct 10, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish
The sport of chess boxing may sound like a joke, but its competitors take it very seriously. It is billed as the ultimate test of physical and mental strength. As Al Jazeera’s Jessica Baldwin reports from London’s Royal Albert Hall, audiences are growing and organisers are predicting a new craze.
“Physical endowment accounts for only about 20% of athletes’ abilities.”
Published on Aug 4, 2012 by VOAvideo
Swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time during the London Olympics. Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, Zara Philllips, helped her equestrian team win a silver medal. The American women’s gymnastics team won gold. All of them are very different athletes. All elite. Do they have a genetic edge over the rest of us? Carol Pearson consulted with doctors at the Mayo Clinic.
In this http://www.WatchMojo.com video, we take a look at the life and career of female race car driver Danica Patrick, who raced for the IndyCar series and now competes in NASCAR.
Contemporary critics universally commended the music video for its themes and production values. The video was both heralded and criticized for confronting women’s rights in Saudi Arabia; the portrayal of women wearing the niqab driving cars is strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia, while some media outlets accused the video of propagating Arab stereotypes.[30][31] Claire Suddath of Time agreed that at first glance, the video appeared to be a political statement on women drivers in Saudi Arabia and a stylish, aesthetically pleasing piece, stating that the video was fun either way and that audiences could all agree that women and men should be able to “drag race, pop wheelies and drive their cars on two wheels” equally.[32] Dina Dabbous of Jordanian publication Al Bawaba praised M.I.A. for presenting an accurate picture of male customs in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, continuing “if she’s being accused of stereotyping, then she’s turning the oriental fantasy on its head when she has Arabian women dressed in khaki styled, though still Arabian, dress or gear, toting guns and strutting their stuff with a swagger unknown to the conservative female society that has women closed off or ‘haremed’ from the male gaze. M.I.A’s girls are a far-cry from the harem-veiled subversive mysterious women of the oriental fantasy in their floaty feminine veils, if we’re accusing her of feeding stereotypes. She’s toying with the militarized West infiltrating Arabia. Sexing it up a notch to have her ‘bad girls’ taking male guns and aggro”.[30]
Jai Alai might be the fastest ball sport in the world, or the fastest ball sport failing to gather a crowd. It was born in Europe’s Basque country and transported to the United States, where, for a time, it was a popular betting sport, especially in Florida. But as Selah Hennessy discovered in Orlando, Florida, jai alai is struggling to bring in the fans, despite the high dangers involved in playing.
Football – the American form of the sport – is an iconic part of American high school life, especially in small towns, like Macomb, Illinois, and everyone gets involved. Selah Hennessy report from Macomb, Illinois.
Roller derby was once a popular sport for men and women in the United States until it fizzled out a few decades ago. Then, about ten years ago, it was revived in Austin, Texas, as an amateur sport for women. Since then, it has spread all over the U.S.A. Selah Hennessy went to the national roller derby championship in Denver and caught up with the “Texecutioners” – the roller girls from Texas, where the sport was reborn.
Violent images: Children as young as seven are being drawn into Muay Thai prize-fighting in Thailand, in what they see as a route out of poverty. Report by Sam Datta-Paulin.
Deborah Acosta discusses how Miami keeps ranking at the bottom of the barrel on recent national lists, including most miserable, and vainest city in the US.
