Stories about Sport from October, 2012
Colombian ‘Tiger’ Radamel Falcao, Nominated for FIFA Ballon d'Or
The Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid has launched a video promoting Colombian striker Radamel Falcao's bid to become the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or. The campaign has been well received among Colombians, who have been sharing the spot and commenting the campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #UnTigreDeOro (A golden tiger).
Puerto Rico: Prejudice Between the Lines
Félix Jiménez denounces in a short note in the digital magazine 80grados the prejudice that is revealed between the lines in the sports sections of the country's main newspapers when covering Orlando Cruz, the Puerto Rican boxer that recently came out as openly gay. Jiménez says: To review articles supposedly supporting Cruz is...
Tajikistan's ‘Million Dollar Baby’ Hangs Up Her Gloves
Mavzuna Chorieva, Tajikistan's female boxer who brought the country its only medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, has married and hung up her gloves, at least for a year. While many people in the country are happy for Chorieva, some have been disappointed over her decision.
Facebook Donations Support Volleyball in Tajikistan
A new Facebook page, Volleyball for Tajikistan, has recently been launched to raise funds for two volleyball teams created in the country's south. Within eight days after the launch, people from across the United States donated enough money to purchase uniforms for 26 young Tajikistani volleyball players, including 13 girls.
USA: Commissioner David Stern Set to Exit NBA in 2014
One of sport's longest serving administrators, Commissioner David Stern, has announced he will be leaving his job as head of the world's most popular basketball league, the NBA (National Basketball Association). The announcement comes just a few days before the 2012-13 season start, on 31 October, 2012.
Former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola Sacked
Last Friday 19 October, former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola was dismissed. The move came after a hearing against him found him guilty of accepting bonuses and not declaring among other charges.
FIFA Approves Use of Goal-Line Technology
Yesterday, 23 October, international football association FIFA announced that Hawk-Eye and GoalRef goal-line technology can be used, starting with the Club World Cup championship in December. Read blogger responses to the news.
Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica Continue on the Road to 2014 World Cup
Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica advanced to the final qualifying round in the Concacaf (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) competition to reach the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Football fans on various social networks have been discussing the exciting qualification matches.
China: Basketball Grandma
To avoid medical spending and keep herself healthy, Zhu Shumei, a 76 old granny plays basketball every day for more than 20 years on a university campus in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. JIng Gao from Ministry of Tofu has translated the local feature story.
Zimbabwe: Asiagate Scandal Continues to Haunt Football Hopes
While various countries across Africa were playing for qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations 2013 to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) was dealing with the match-fixing scandal that popularly has come to be known as Asiagate.
Turkmenistan: Build Athletes, Not Stadiums
My countrymen appreciate the new [sports] infrastructure..., but they generally feel that what really needs to be built aren’t facilities, but actual athletes.
Uganda: The Golden Jubilee Gift That Never Was
As Uganda was celebrating 50 years of independence on 9 October 2012, everyone was hoping that qualification for the African Cup of Nations would be the best gift Ugandans would get. It never happened. Uganda's national soccer team, the Uganda Cranes, last qualified for the African Cup of Nations in 1978 when it reached the finals but finished second.
Puerto Rico: Boxer Orlando Cruz Is Proud to Be Gay
Puerto Rican boxer Orlando 'The Phenomenon' Cruz is breaking stereotypes with his recent announcement about his sexual orientation. Cruz, currently the number four featherweight boxer in the world, is the first in the history of boxing to publicly declare his homosexuality while active professionally.
Spain: Greeting Real Madrid With Catalan Separatist Flags
When the rival soccer teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona meet for a match on October 7, a Catalan activist group is encouraging fans to bring their Catalan separatist flags in order to fill the stadium with nationalist symbols.
Burkina Faso: Architect Innovates with Sustainable Primary School
Architect Diébédo Francis Kéré has designed a sustainable primary school in Gando, Burkina Faso, using mud bricks and corrugated iron. The innovative design allows much needed light and ventilation in a village where temperatures sometimes reach 104° F.
Former FIFA Official Corruption Case – Blogger Asked to Reveal Sources
The ongoing case of corruption claims against former FIFA Vice-President and Asian Football Confederation President Mohammed bin Hammam, has led to a Singapore Court ordering former journalist and blogger James M. Dorsey to reveal his sources.