Stories about Sport from October, 2011
Russia/India: Video of a Paraglider Pilot Attacked by an Eagle in Himalayas
11-minute headcam video [ru] of a story that could end up with a human casualty. Russian paraglider pilot making his first flight in Himalayas was attacked by three eagles, one of which got trapped into the paraglider strings. Thanks to the second parachute the pilot could land and then –...
Puerto Rico: Sports Journalism and Female Athletes
Blogger and sports journalist Rafael R. Díaz offers a critique of the sexist language sports journalists in Puerto Rico used to describe the triumph of the female basketball team at the Pan American Games [es] being held in Guadalajara, Mexico. The women'es basketball team won the gold medal in a...
Russia: Retired Tennis Star Marat Safin to Run for Parliament
Russian tennis phenomenon, Marat Safin, has announced that he will run for the Russian State Duma in the December 4 elections. However, his public image, as illustrated by citizen media outlets, has until now not been focused on public service. Donna Welles reports.
South Africa: Motorcyclist in Amageza Rally Rescues Calf
The video captured on a helmet cam by South African Johan Gray is making him famous. While doing one of the qualifying rounds for the Amageza 2012 motorcycle endurance race he spotted a calf trying to stay afloat in a canal. He stopped to help the stranded animal and then...
Russia: Success of National Wrestling System Explained
Russian wrestlers are often considered to be the best in the world. Citizen media suggest that a possible explanation for this is the relationship between politics and wrestling in Russia.
Barbados: FIFA & Ethics
Barbados Free Press is keeping its eyes on the unfolding controversy with former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and other regional football officials.
Jamaica: Cricket & Writing
The game of cricket taught diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp how to stay his wicket – in writing and in life.
Russia: Soccer Team Qualifies for Euro 2012 – “On To Ukraine and Poland!!!”
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship is referred to by some as 'Polkraine 2012' since it will be held in both Poland and Ukraine. Russia officially qualified with a 6-0 win over Andorra; citizen media has captured the popular perception of the qualifying round.
Worldwide: Dialogue and Peace Through Sport
Joël Bouzou, a bronze medalist during the 1984 Olympic Games and World Champion of modern penthathlon in 1987, is the founder and president of Peace and Sport, an NGO created in 2007 whose motto is "Building sustainable peace through sport".
Uganda: Heartbroken Ugandans Discuss Failure to Make a Comeback to Continental Tournament
Next year’s African Cup of Nations will be missing many giants in African soccer like Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa but last weekend’s deciding match between Uganda and Kenya was much harder for Ugandans to take in.
Lebanon: New Blog about Football
Disappointed to discover that there were very few, if any, English-language websites or blogs dedicated to soccer in the land of the cedar tree, Fitzroy Morrissey hopes to rectify this situation through this new blog, Football In Lebanon.
Ukraine: New Documentary Highlights the Klitschko Brothers’ Lives and Careers
Popularly dubbed "The Klitschko Brothers", Ukrainians Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have dominated the heavyweight boxing division since Lennox Lewis retired in 2004. However, their production of an autobiographical documentary film, demonstrates that these men are more than athletes.
Kenya: What is next for Kenyan football?
What is next for Kenyan football?: “Unless you were truly optimistic, Kenya's non-qualification to the 2012 Africa of Nations did not come as a suprise. Even after last minute efforts by local football enthusiasts and political leaders offering this and that package, Harambee Stars couldn't push themselves to the final...
Panama Opens Baseball World Cup
The 39th Baseball World Cup of the IBAF (International Baseball Federation) has started in Panama with the participation of 16 countries. Panama is the host and the country's streets are filled with flags and reminders that "The world is in our home". The excitement has also been shared through social networks.
Brazil: FIFA's Demands in the Run Up to the World Cup 2014
Brazilian blogger José Carlos denounces [pt] the controversial demands of FIFA (the highest governing body of football) on the preparation of the World Cup 2014 . Several Brazilian laws, such as the half price tickets’, may be violated to ensure greater exposure of FIFA's products and profits.
Uganda: Breaking a 33 Year Jinx
Ugandans are anxiously waiting to make a comeback in African football: “Today, Kampala is very colourful. Lately it’s only this colourful on events like these. It’s two days before Uganda ‘celebrates’ it’s 49 years after independence but those years seem to mean nothing much this friday as Uganda plays Kenya...
Azerbaijan: Down for the count?
Tamada Tales comments on remarks made by a senior member of the ruling government party in Azerbaijan in response to allegations made by the BBC that a senior official tried to bribe the oil-rich country's way to two gold medals for boxing in next year's Olympic Games to be held...
Trinidad & Tobago: Making Our Own Films
In a review republished at Trinidad and Tobago News Blog, Corey Gilkes found that the cricket documentary, Fire in Babylon, “showed just how important it is that WE need to start telling our own stories from our perspective.”