Tag Archives: Sports

Tiger Woods wins inaugural FedEx Cup

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Tiger Woods at his best is unmatchable. Even when Woods appears to be slightly slack, others still find it hard to keep pace with him. That was demonstrated at East Lake when the American ace golfer scored his lowest career score at the Tour Championship yet won the competition by an overwhelming eight strokes. This was Woods’ fourth win in his last five events and the 31-year old now becomes the only two-time winner of the event and the champion of the inaugural FedEx Cup. This presents him with $10 million for winning the FedEx Cup and also gifts him $1.26m dollars for winning the tournament. Woods finished the FedEx Cup on 23 under, two strokes better than his previous best total of 21 under at the 2000 NEC Invitational. He sustained the lead throughout the final round carding a four-under-par 66 at East Lake and ran away with the championship. But Tiger Woods’ gallop to glory wasn’t a free ride on the highway and was punctuated by edginess early on when the American appeared a little shaky, with a bogey at the par-three second followed by a 10-foot par save at the third after starting the final round with a three-shot advantage over fellow American Mark Calcavecchia. But Tiger can rarely remain withdrawn in his den. Woods came out and went up three birdies in four holes starting at number six to go four shots clear at the turn and added three more birdies on the back nine before bogeying the 17th yet still managed to shatter the tournament record by six shots. The FedEx Cup victory was Tiger Woods’ 61st victory on the US PGA Tour and he is now just one win behind Arnold Palmer on the all-time list. After the win, Tiger Woods said: It’s been just a phenomenal week. I just hit shot after shot and when I got on the greens my speed was good all week. Calcavecchia shared the second place with US Masters champion Zach Johnson on 15 under while Sergio Garcia of Spain finished third on 14 under. Image Source:African-Americans Source: BBC

Racing Legend Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash

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The world of motorsport is mourning the unfortunate death of one its greatest heroes. Former World Rally Champion Colin McRae has passed away in a tragic helicopter crash on September 15, 1 mile north of Lanark, Scotland, close to the McRae family home. The 39-year old Scot is survived by his wife Alison, and daughter, Hollie. McRae’s agent Jean-ric Freudiger has confirmed that McRae himself was piloting the helicopter at the time of the crash and that his 5-year old son Johnny too died in the crash. Two family friends, Graeme Duncan and Johnny’s six year old friend Ben Porcelli who were inside the helicopter at the time, have also been confirmed as dead. Scottish driver Colin McRae came from a family rich in the tradition of motorsport. His father Jimmy McRae is a five-time British Rally Champion and his younger brother Alister too is a notable professional driver. McRae won the world driver’s title in 1995 with Subaru and was actually the first Briton to win the World Rally Championship He was also championship runner-up on three occasions in 1996, 1997 and 2001 and finished third in 1998. He is hugely admired for his never-say-die attitude and winning mentality. Messages of support have been pouring in from all corners of the motorsport world. McRae’s former manager at Subaru,David Richards, has this to say about the motorsport legend: He had a competitive spirit like I’ve never seen in any other individual in my life. He was one of those people who had an extraordinary spirit that you just can’t define. It’s a terrible loss. That was his style. He had a real have-a-go instinct. It was a special thing that you would never want to take that away from him. Nicky Grist has been McRae’s co-driver since 1997 and he says: I have to say they were the best times of my life. We used to drive to the max and push everything to the absolute limit. But when it came to socializing we had great fun also. McRae’s compatriot and Formula One driver David Courthard describes McRae as fearless and flamboyant while FIA President Max Mosley says: Some of his achievements in rallying were absolutely extraordinary. Everywhere he went he was an ambassador, an ambassador for the sport and for Scotland, he was terrific. Other notable personalities to have sent their condolence and sympathy are three-time F1 champion Sir Jacky Stewart, motorbike legend Valentino Rossi, BP-Ford World Rally team director Malcolm Wilson, Renault F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen and chief executive of Motor Sports Association Colin Hilton, all of whom agree that with the death of Colin McRae, the world of motorsport has lost one of its best sons for good. Image Source: The Telegraph, UK Source: BBC

UCI aims complete eradication of doping

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Inevitable doping scandals tarnishing cycling as a sport have, of late, provoked cycling’s governing body to impose severe sanctions, leading to a life ban on riders found guilty. Pat McQuaid, the president of the International Cycling Union said: I would certainly be in favour of doing that, as far as I’m concerned, it is a zero-tolerance policy. I think the punishment is tough enough because when guys get caught it’s the end of their career. This summer, the Tour de France witnessed the most dismal state of all times for cycling fans as early hopes of a clean and exciting race were totally devastated. As sponsors are increasingly distancing themselves, the sport is totally in a state of chaos. Until recent, the Gerolsteiner GmbH, a German mineral water company is inclined to cease its long-time promotional contract of professional cycling. Proceedings such as these, have forced the UCI to rage a war against doping with all the professional teams having signed the most rigorous testing regime in the world of sports, thereby laying evidence of cycling’s determination to win back public confidence. Image Courtesy Via: BBC

Scotland leads the way after trouncing Romania

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Earlier, South Africa whitewashing defending champions England 36-0 at the Rugby Worlds and now it was the turn of the Scots to rout Romania 42-0 in a one sided game. Joining All Blacks in points tally to top its group stage the recent run places the Scots in soaring spirits for their match against the title favorites. However it won’t be an effortless go for the Scotland team to upset All Blacks, who are on to inescapable winning streak. Scots took a 21-0 halftime lead as Paterson, Hogg and Lamont all found a way and had no mercy for the Romanian’s. Flanker Allister Hogg the pick of the day scored in the 17th minute securing a bonus point for the team with a fourth try five minutes after halftime and completing his hat-trick seven minutes later. Paterson further added extra points for both tries to maintain his and teams 100 percent conversion rate in the competition. Tournament’s joint top try-scorer Lamont broke away Romania’s defense on an angled run for his second of the match and fourth of the World Cup. Romania desperately tried to break their duck but despite eight phases of pick and drive play from their forwards eventually failed to cross the Scotland line. Image Courtesy Via: Bloomberg

Suspended Tank Johnson joins the Cowboys

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Last three seasons with the Chicago Bears, Johnson won’t be available until the second half of the season because of an eight-game NFL suspension for violating probation on a gun charge. Cowboys sign the defensive tackle for a two-year contract with an intention of providing a late-season depth on a defensive line that lost starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson for the year. The team also released cornerback Nate Jones to create room for Johnson’s entry. Johnson, a second-round draft choice in 2004, played three seasons with the Bears and recorded 101 tackles and nine sacks. Playing the decisive role Johnson along with other teammates helped the Bears establishing the League’s most productive defense during the 2005 NFL season. During the start of the 2006 season, Johnson was seen in more action due to the loss of Tommie Harris but his professional career was interrupted by recurring legal problems that led his final release from the Bears. Johnson would become eligible to play by November that would be Cowboys ninth game of the season. Image Courtesy Via: Bloomberg

Jonny Wilkinson is back for England!

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He’s back! The man became a legend by clinching the first Rugby World Cup for England with that famous last minute drop goal in Sydney. Regarded by many as the best ever Englishman to play the sport., Jonny Wilkinson, is back to full fitness and is out to save England from the brink of World Cup elimination. Wilkinson will feature against Samoa in a critical Group A match that could decide whether the defending world champions secure their passage to the knockout stages against a modest Samoa team at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes. The crucial Pool A match takes placed on Saturday and the fit-again England superhero would be looking forward to rekindling England in the competition. Wilkinson’s troublesome ankle kept him out of the two matches that England have played so far in the competition and in both of these matches, his presence was severely missed. When England lost 36-0 to South Africa, the Newcastle fly-half’s absence was considered as the decisive factor in that heavy defeat. Wilkinson is the talisman for this talented but somewhat edgy England rugby team and his return to action has received a huge and hearty welcome. England went radically of the boil after that famous night in Sydney in 2003 when Wilkinson’s extra time drop goal won the World Cup for England for the first time in their history. It is no coincidence that the slide down the hill for England since then had coincided when Wilkinson was nursing a string of injuries on the sidelines and it was no matter of freak either that Jonny Bravo’s return to the England line in late January this year was marked by a comprehensive 42-20 victory over Scotland in the Six Nations opener. And now Jonny Wilkinson, the darling of the England rugby fans, is back from the wilderness of injuries and will charge England against Samoa this Saturday. Olly Barkley also return to the team and so do Mark Cueto, Mathew Tait, Joe Worsley and George Chuter. Barkley will move to the inside centre replacing Andy Farrell with Wilkinson to play in his usual fly-half role and this positional switch is expected to transpire a new rhythm to England coach Brian Ashton’s gameplan. But the best part of the strategy formulated by Ashton is of course the fact that Jonny Wilkinson is back in the team. The inspiration behind England’s success in the last World Cup is ready once more to grace the scene in France. Image Source: Hackett Source: BBC

Landis loses appeal and held guilty for doping

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The 2006 edition of Tour de France enabled Landis in capping one of the most remarkable comebacks in cycling history but for now he cannot boast it for long, as he has been stripped off the title after a panel upheld a two-year ban on the cyclist and rejected his appeal against it. Since Landis’s affair becoming public, the headlines about top cycling rider’s involvement in doping scandals became quiet persistent. Adding to the black list, the American is the first Tour de France winner to forfeit his title following the drug abuse, meanwhile Spain’s Oscar Pereiro who finished second, has been named the king of mountains. Landis’s ban runs till 2009, but he claims any wrongdoings and blames the incompetence of the testing agencies for the result. Pat McQuaid, UCI president, said, Landis has been found guilty. It proves that the system works no matter who you are. We now await and see if he does appeal to CAS. It’s not a great surprise considering how events have evolved. He got a highly qualified legal team who tried to baffle everybody with science and public relations, and in the end the facts stood up. The verdict that should have come much earlier has certainly been a remarkable stride in building the lost integrity of cycling sport that has been blemished by relentless doping scandals. I personally feel that such matters should be severely dealt with resulting in athletes or cyclists worldwide to face straightforward life bans and be treated a criminal offense. Image Courtesy Via: BBC

China, Taiwan at loggerhead over Olympic torch relay

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Chinese capital Beijing is pumped up an year before as it hosts the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The Olympic torch that signifies peace and fraternity has perhaps become a symbol of controversy. Taiwan has disallowed the Olympic torch on its island as both have been at odds over the torch’s route. Taiwan officials sense it as China’s linking of the island to Hong Kong, an attempt to promote its view that China and Taiwan are united. Chinese mountaineers have also planned the final assault point of the torch relay will be 8,300 metres above sea level, to the peak of Mt. Qomolangma. Taking the torch up to Mt. Everest is one of the most technically challenging and politically motivated events Beijing has ever planned. Besides facing the physical challenge of climbing the mountain the torch has to be designed to burn in bad weather, low pressure and high altitude that will bestride the borders of Nepal and Chinese-controlled Tibet. Beijing hopes the feat will impress the world while Tibet facing a harsh 57-years of tyranny has condemned the torch route as a stunt meant to lend legitimacy to Chinese control. Via: ABCNews

McLaren not to appeal against ‘spygate’ sanction

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Though sulking after World Motor Sport Council slapped a £49.2m fine and stripped them of the F1 constructor’s point, McLaren has decided not to appeal against the sanction for the ‘spygate’ scandal. McLaren boss Ron Dennis made it clear that he wants to put the entire episode behind and focus on winning the driver’s title with both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso going great guns. Dennis said, We believe the time has come to put this huge distraction behind us. McLaren wants to win races and world championships. We are fortunate to have, and continue to receive, unwavering support from our employees, sponsor partners and Formula 1 fans across the world. McLaren’s decision not to appeal against the ban makes Ferrari as the F1 champion for the 15th time, which is a new record. The ‘spygate’ scandal came to the fore when official documents about Ferrari cars was discovered at McLaren’ chief designer Mike Coughlan’s place and Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney was suspended for allegedly supplying the dossier. Image

Casey Stoner aspires to earn Ducati it’s first MotoGP title

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Speed and maturity has raced Stoner to dominance of the MotoGP world and is all set to wrap up his first MotoGP world title in style with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, this weekend. With just four races left, Stoner is looming to become Australia’s first champion, since Mick Doohan. However his Ducati teammate, the two-time defending champion at the Motegi circuit, Loris Capirossi although struggling this season, but this track has always favored him. Keeping the title in sight, Stoner said, In the last two years Loris has managed to stretch the field out, it’d be nice for me to be able to do that this weekend but my feeling is that everything is starting to get closer again now. It should be a nice tight race. Yamaha’s Rossi who still trails by a massive 76 points behind Stoner kept his slim hopes alive for an eighth world title by winning the Portugal grand prix last week, which indeed has motivated his confidence level to a high. Thinking of the championship seems somewhat out of reach for Rossi but at least he can try to keep it open, for as long as possible. Furthermore, Rossi has never won a race here, while Ducati is dominating the circuit for the past two years. Image Courtesy Via: NZHerald