Come to know about sport

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Sun, 1 Nov 2009 01:07:00 -0700

Latest Golf Results Now Available From the Sports Hq - 18.08 to 24.08.08

Author:prem kumar

Barclays Championship – (PGA Tour)

The Barclays Championship was held at Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus - Vijay Singh won The Barclays for a record fourth time Sunday using the following golf clubs: Cleveland HiBore XL driver and Adams a3 Boxer hybrids (16- and 19-degrees) in addition to Cleveland CG1 irons (4-PW) and CG12 wedges. Singh's line-up of golf clubs was completed with a Never Compromise Milled Series Long putter.

Safeway Classic presented by Pepsi – (LPGA Tour)

The Safeway Classic was held at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. Cristie Kerr won the Safeway Classic on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff with Helen Alfredsson and Sophie Gustafson using the following golf clubs: Ping G10 driver, Callaway Big Bertha fairway woods (15, 18 and 21-degree). Kerr also used Callaway Steelhead X-16 irons (4-PW) and Cleveland 588 wedges (54- and 60-deg). Cristie opted for a Ping G5i Craz-E putter to finish on.

The KLM Open – (European Tour)

The KLM Open was staged at Kennemer Golf & Country Club, Zandvoort - Darren Clarke hauled himself into The Ryder Cup reckoning with a superb four stroke victory over Paul McGinley with a final round of 16 under par. Clarke selected the following golf clubs to win The KLM Open: TaylorMade Burner driver and TaylorMade Burner TP fairway wood. Darren opted for a set of TaylorMade rac TP irons (3-9). Darren finished using a Yes! Golf Callie putter.

Boeing Classic - Champions Tour

Kite shot a final round score of 66, coming back from a three shot deficit behind Scott Simpson to clinch his second Boeing Classic title. Tom Kite used a TaylorMade Burner driver with 3-wood and Titleist 975F 5-wood in addition to a Titleist 503H hybrid club (21-deg) and Callaway X-Forged irons (4-PW). Kite also selected Titleist Vokey (56 and 61 degrees) wedges and putted using a Rife Long 2 Bar Hybrid Mallet putter.

Pennsylvania Classic - Nationwide Tour

The Northeast Pennsylvania Classic has been won by Scott Piercy at Elmhurst Country Club, Russia. Piercy fired a six-under 64 Sunday to come from behind and win the Classic. Kang. Scott used the following golf clubs: TaylorMade r7 425 driver and TaylorMade Burner 3- and 5-wood; in addition to using a set of Titleist 690MB irons with Titleist Vokey Spin Milled gap, sand and lob wedges - completed with the addition of a Scotty Cameron by Titleist putter.

U.S. Amateur – USGA

Danny Lee has entered golf's record books and looks certain to becoming the next Tiger Woods after producing a historic victory at the Pineshurst Resort and Country Club whilst using the following golf clubs: TaylorMade Tour Burner driver and TaylorMade Tour Burner fairway wood (14.5-deg). Lee selected to use prototype irons from Callaway (2-PW) with Titleist Vokey (52- and 58-deg) wedges and an Odyssey prototype putter.

The Gettysburg Championship - Duramed Futures Tour

Samantha Richdale has earned her first professional win by two strokes with a finish of 1-over-par 73 whilst using a Cleveland Launcher driver and Titleist 3- and 5-woods. Richdale also selected to use a set of Miura MC-102 irons (3-PW) and TaylorMade (52- and 56-deg wedges). Samantha finished perfectly using a Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2 golf putter.

news of sport

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:20:00 -0700

PHILADELPHIA – Derek Jeter almost seems to delight in the way this World Series is playing out. Forget all those power hitters. Pitching is priceless. "I told you," he said with a smile. Without any offense from Alex Rodriguez, Jeter and the New York Yankees totaled four runs in the first two games and still eked out a split at home. Now, the Series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Saturday night, with Cole Hamels set to start for the Phillies against fellow lefty Andy Pettitte. Three wins from a second consecutive championship, Philadelphia could wrap it up at home. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and crew can't wait to play before their fervent fans in the second-ever World Series game on Halloween. "We're back in our own ballpark. It's going to be hostile. It's going to be loud," Shane Victorino said. Nothing new, according to the Yankees. "Because of the team we are, we get booed and yelled at everywhere we go," Johnny Damon said. "Even coming off the train." Citizens Bank Park is approximately 108 miles from Yankee Stadium, with all those New Jersey Turnpike tolls in between. Both teams zipped down on the train in a little more than an hour — the Phillies after their 3-1 loss Thursday night, the Yankees on Friday afternoon. During batting practice, as one slugger after another sent balls ricocheting around Philadelphia's cozy ballpark, it was hard to fathom how Cliff Lee and A.J. Burnett looked so dominant on the mound the previous two nights. "I can't say enough about our advanced scouting and our reports. They're right on," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. Sooner or later, though, some of these big bats are bound to break loose. Mark Teixeira's only hit in seven at-bats is a solo homer. Phillies bopper Ryan Howard is hitting .222 with six strikeouts. A monster in the playoffs, Rodriguez is 0 for 8 in his first World Series, also with six strikeouts. "I feel pretty good. I mean, it's only been eight at-bats, but I felt like I've had a lot of good swings," he said. "I fouled a couple of pitches off that I should have put in play." A-Rod was mostly an October bust before this year, but Jeter insisted he's not worried. "No, the guy's been killing the ball for three weeks," Jeter said. "It's kind of hard to sit here and overanalyze things. If pitchers make their pitches, they're going to get you out." Damon said the rest of the Yankees need to pick up the slack for Rodriguez. But with offense at a premium, they'll be missing a dangerous bat during the next three games. Because World Series rules do not allow a designated hitter in the National League park, New York must decide whether to put Hideki Matsui in the outfield or on the bench. "As productive as he's been for us this year, you don't want to lose his bat," manager Joe Girardi said. Matsui hit a go-ahead homer off Pedro Martinez in Game 2 and it might seem tempting to start him in right field in place of slumping Nick Swisher. Slowed by knee surgeries, however, Matsui hasn't played the outfield since June 15, 2008, at Houston. He appeared in right field only three times that year, all in April. Matsui was stationed in right during batting practice and jogged after a few fungos, but it was hardly an intense workout. "I don't see any major issues," he said through a translator. "At this point, the way I feel, I think it should be fine. I mean, again, you really have to try and then see how it feels." Speaking before his team took the field, Girardi didn't disclose his plans. "I'm going to look at some things today, watch a little bit, see how he moves around and see if we think that it's physically possible for him to do it," he said. "If we can't do it, we'll use him in a role to pinch hit when we feel that he can be most valuable to us. It might be a situation where you might think about a double switch at high time, but you don't want to lose his bat." Manuel, who acknowledged that several Phillies are fighting flu symptoms, did announce a decision. He picked Joe Blanton to start Game 4 rather than Lee on short rest or rookie J.A. Happ, who will stay in the bullpen. Lee tossed a six-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks for a 6-1 victory in the opener at Yankee Stadium, improving to 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA in four starts this postseason. But he's never pitched on three days' rest. First, the Phillies turn to Hamels, last year's World Series MVP against Tampa Bay. A sure thing last October, the 25-year-old Hamels has struggled this season. He went 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in three NL playoff starts. "It's been a growing process," Hamels said. "It's just coming back and delivering, and I still have an opportunity to help this team out and win some big games." Saturday will be a big one, indeed. Nine of the last 10 teams to win Game 3 when the World Series was tied 1-all went on to take the title. Hamels said that when he was growing up he emulated Pettitte, who set a major league record with his 16th postseason win when he beat the Los Angeles Angels to clinch the AL championship series. The 37-year-old Pettitte is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA this postseason and 3-4 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 World Series starts. "He doesn't seem fazed by anything," Jeter said. "He's pitched in every kind of big game you can think of." Indeed, Pettitte sounded perfectly relaxed one day before his outing, detailing how upset his daughter is that he won't be home for Halloween. "My wife is flying up here to be with me, but my kids, they want to be home for Halloween and go around trick-or-treating and do the things that they normally do," he said. "I'm not going to mess with that with them if that's what they want to do." The Yankees, of course, had some World Series luck on Halloween in 2001, when Jeter's 10th-inning homer capped a Game 4 comeback against Arizona. "I remember that," Pettitte said. "That was special."

Hurricanes Shake Slow Start to Topple Sooners

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Sat, 3 Oct 2009 22:09:00 -0700

Yet in a season defined by upsets and injuries to star players, none of the undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision have established themselves as dominant. So optimism remained for No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 17 Miami entering Saturday night’s game here on a muggy night at Land Shark Stadium.

But with each team already having lost a game, there was still plenty to lose. That is because only one team — Louisiana State in 2007 — has won a B.C.S. title game with two losses. Those Tigers were also the first team to finish atop the Associated Press poll with two defeats.
If the significance of that was forgotten Saturday night, Oklahoma and Miami had to look no further for a clear reminder than the south sideline, where the crystal football awarded to the winner of the B.C.S. title game was on display.
“That’s something

Wilfork: Losing Seymour like losing family

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 7 Sep 2009 02:13:00 -0700

Wilfork: Losing Seymour like losing family

A sleepy Sunday morning was turned upside down for members of the Patriots defense when they learned that defensive end Richard Seymour had been traded to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first-round pick.
Seymour woke up linemates and friends nose tackle Vince Wilfork and defensive end Ty Warren to let them know he had been traded.
"Big Sey", as his teammates affectionately called him, was saying see ya.
A melancholy Wilfork said losing Seymour was like losing family, both on and off the field and that he will be missed. Wilfork lamented the breakup of one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, but said he and the team have no choice but to move on.
"We're all professionals. Change happens all the time. Every year you have change, you have roster change, you have everything changing," said Wilfork. "This is another change and we're going to have to deal with it. I don't care how you feel about it. You got to deal with it and move on. We're getting ready for the most important game of our season, Monday night against a divisional rival, so we have to put everything aside and work."
Warren said that Seymour had confided in him that he thought the writing was on the wall regarding his Patriots career and that something like a trade could happen before the season.
"Sey felt like something was going to happen along these lines," said Warren. "He mentioned that to me months prior to this happening. I didn't put much thought into it."
Warren, who said he was in a hotel room at the Renaissance Boston Hotel & Spa at Patriot Place when he got the news, said that he thought Seymour was joking with him at first.
"I just told him, 'Stop lying. It's Sunday. Man, you serious? It's Sunday. Don't be coming at me like that.' I took a nap and woke up and there were 10 more text messages. I was like alright let me look into this deal and then it was true," said Warren.
"He will definitely be missed. I got his phone number. It won't be hard to talk to him, but as far as a teammate he'll definitely be missed, but again it's the nature of the business. He knew that. It came to fruition and that's what it is."
On the surface it's hard to see how the trade makes the Patriots a better team in the short-term, losing a five-time Pro Bowl defensive end. Warren was asked if you have to trust the organization.
"Absolutely, only they know where we are and where we're going, so you got to trust them to know what they're going to do," said Warren.
Warren said he's not going to change his game to try to compensate for Seymour's loss opposite him at defensive end.
"I blaze my own trails. What one person does doesn't determine what I do. What I do is pretty much in stone," said Warren "They know what they're going to get out of me. I'm not really a rah-rah guy. I don't feel like I'm going to need any extra rah-rah. I'm just going to do what Ty Warren does and that is stick to the plan, work hard. That's kind of my motto."
Warren said there are veteran players who can pick up the leadership slack for Seymour. But young players will be asked to do that too, including second-year linebacker and preseason defensive captain Jerod Mayo.
Mayo admitted the business side of the NFL, as compared to college, has been eye-opening
"I've only been here two years and I'm surprised every day, especially today and yesterday," said Mayo.
Mayo said he is not going to change his leadership approach because of Seymour's absence.
"Not really. I'm just going to come to work every day and keep chipping at the rock, trying to get better and learn my teammates," said Mayo. "They're changing every day, and hopefully we can get some consistency here soon and compete [next] Monday night."
Wilfork, who seemed the most upset by the trade, said the shipping out of Seymour to Oakland is a stark reminder that the business side of the game is never going away.
"It is what it is. Don't get it twisted, it is a business and you have to move on," said Wilfork. "We will. As a defensive lineman, as a friend of his, as an organization and a team, we have to move on from it and we will. This is shocking, but at the same time that's the business side to it. That's nothing but business and you just move on from it. Forget how you feel about it. You have to deal with it."

Walter released

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 7 Sep 2009 02:09:00 -0700

Walter released

The Patriots have released backup quarterback Andrew Walter. The move was confirmed via email by Walter's agent, Jeff Sperbeck.
Walter's release leaves the Patriots with just Tom Brady and rookie Brian Hoyer at quarterback and could be a precursor to the acquisition of a veteran backup QB.
Walter was clearly agitated in the locker room following the Patriots' 38-27 victory over the New York Giants, a game in which he didn't play a snap as Hoyer went the distance.
"I'm ready every week," said a red-faced Walter, following the game. "As far as any other questions I think the guys who played should be the ones to answer the questions."
Walter then tried to end the interview and was asked one more question -- Do you feel with the time you've gotten you would be prepared to play in the regular season?
"It's my job to be a pro, so I'm going to leave it at that," said Walter before walking away.
The Patriots picked up Walter on Aug. 3 after he was released by the Oakland Raiders on July 30.
He played in two preseason games for New England, the opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, and last Friday against the Washington Redskins, when he came on for one series.
Walter was 5 of 9 for 62 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in exhibition game action for the Patriots.

FOXBOROUGH

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 7 Sep 2009 02:02:00 -0700

FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots had a busy day, besides trading defensive end Richard Seymour.
The team signed veteran guard Kendall Simmons to the active roster and started piecing together its practice squad, adding a potential third quarterback in Isaiah Stanback.
Simmons, 30, spent the last seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected him in the first round of the 2002 draft out of Auburn.
Simmons started 81 regular-season games for Pittsburgh and was a starter on their 2005 Super Bowl title team.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 315-pound Simmons started four games at right guard for Pittsburgh last season before he suffered an Achilles’ tendon injury that ended his season.
Terms of his deal were not released.
Stanback, a 2007 fourth-round pick by Dallas, was a quarterback for the University of Washington, but the Cowboys converted him to wide receiver. According to an NFL.com report, the Patriots, who only have Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer at quarterback, want to move Stanback back to QB on the practice squad.
The Patriots brought back a pair of released players - defensive lineman Darryl Richard, a seventh-round draft choice, and wide receiver Terrence Nunn.
They also added rookie defensive back DeAngelo Willingham. According to reports, the team had put a waiver claim on Willingham when he was released by the Buccaneers, but that claim was awarded to the Cowboys. The Cowboys cut the University of Tennessee product Saturday.
Morris lined up Running back Sammy Morris, who suffered an undisclosed injury in the first exhibition game Aug. 13 and didn’t return to practice until Aug 31, said that if Thursday’s exhibition finale against the Giants had been a regular-season game he could have played.
Morris said despite playing in just the one exhibition and having 12 rushes for 45 yards he thinks he’ll be ready for the season-opener against Buffalo next Monday.
“I’ve been doing this a while. My body feels in good shape, so I’ll go from there,’’ said Morris.
O’Connell to Jets Former Patriots quarterback Kevin O’Connell was traded by the Lions to the Jets. O’Connell, waived by the Patriots last Monday, was claimed by the Lions, who used the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft to take Matthew Stafford. O’Connell might not be long for the Jets, either, since New York has rookie starter Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, and Erik Ainge. It’s possible Jets coach Rex Ryan wants to pump O’Connell for info on the Patriots, their Week 2 foe . . . The Eagles released A.J. Feeley, who has been mentioned as a possibility to be the Patriots’ backup QB . . . The Chiefs were awarded tackle Ryan O’Callaghan off waivers from the Patriots . . . Safety/special teams ace Matthew Slater was seen in the locker room without a cast or brace on his injured left arm, but the arm was hanging limply to his side.

Kickboxing

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Wed, 2 Sep 2009 04:38:00 -0700

Kickboxing

Kickboxing refers to the sport of combining the grace and style of boxing with kicking. Kickboxing is a standing sport and does not allow continuation of the fight once a combatant has reached the ground.
Kickboxing is often practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a full-contact sport. In the full-contact sport the male boxers are bare-chested wearing shorts and protective gear including: mouth-guard, hand-wraps, 10-oz. boxing gloves, groin-guard, shin-pads, kick-boots, and optional protective helmet (usually for those under 16). The female boxers will wear a tank top and chest protection in addition to the male clothing/protective gear. In European kickboxing, where kicks to the thigh are allowed using special low-kick rules, use of boxing shorts instead of long trousers is possible.
In addition, amateur rules often allow less experienced competitors to use light or semi-contact rules, where the intention is to score points by executing successful strikes past the opponent's guard, and use of force is regulated. The equipment for semi-contact is similar to full-contact matches, usually with addition of head gear. Competitors usually dress in a t-shirt for semi-contact matches, to separate them from the bare-chested full-contact participants.
Kickboxing is often confused with Muay Thai, also known as Thai Boxing. The two sports are similar; however, in Thai Boxing, kicks below the belt are allowed, as are strikes with knees and elbows.
There are many arts labelled kickboxing including Japanese kickboxing, American kickboxing, Indian, Burmese boxing, as well as French savate. The term kickboxing is disputed and has become more associated with the Japanese and American variants. Many of the other styles do not consider themselves to be 'kickboxing', although the public often uses the term generically to refer to all these martial arts.
The term kickboxing was created by the Japanese boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi for a variant of Muay Thai and Karate that he created in the 1950s. The term was later used by the American variant. When used by the practitioners of those two styles, it usually refers to those styles specifically.

Ice hockey

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Wed, 2 Sep 2009 04:32:00 -0700

Ice hockey

Ice hockey (frequently simply called hockey in countries where it is the most popular form of hockey) is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport. Ice hockey is most popular in areas that are sufficiently cold for natural reliable seasonal ice cover, such as Canada, the northern United States, the Nordic countries (especially Sweden and Finland), and Russia. With the advent of indoor artificial ice rinks it has become a year-round pastime in these areas.

Ice hockey is one of the four major North American professional sports. Worldwide the National Hockey League (NHL) is the highest level for men and the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) and the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) are the highest level for women. It is the official national winter sport of Canada, where the game enjoys immense popularity. While only six of the thirty NHL franchises are based in Canada, Canadians make up a slight majority of the league's players.
While there are 66 total members of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), 162 of 177 medals at IIHF World Championships have been taken by seven nations: Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States[1][2]. Of the 63 medals awarded in men's competition at the Olympic level from 1920 on, only six did not go to the one of those countries. All nine Olympic and 27 IIHF World Women Championships medals have gone to one of those seven countries.[3][4]

Beach Football (Beasal)

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Wed, 2 Sep 2009 04:24:00 -0700

Beach Football (Beasal) is a variant of association football. The game itself is played on a beach, or some form of sand, and emphasises skill, agility and shooting at goal.
Whilst football has been played informally on beaches for many years, the introduction of beach soccer was an attempt to codify rules for the game. This was done in 1992 by the founders of Beach Soccer Worldwide, a company set up to develop the sport and responsible for the majority of its tournaments to this day. This was a major foundation for what we now know as beach soccer and what has led to the sport rapidly growing in populartity.
The irregularity of the soft-sand playing surface leads to a totaly different style of play which is played in football, where players must improvise. The compact pitch, much smaller than a regular football pitch, allows players to score from anywhere on the sand. This leads to high scoring games, with an average of sixty attempts at goal in a single game, with an average scoring rate of one goal every three or four minutes, which means around eleven goals are scored in total per game.

Beach Soccer (Beasal) started in Brazil, more precisely at Leme beach, Rio de Janeiro, and has grown to be an international game. The participation of internationally renowned players such as flamboyant Frenchman Eric Cantona, legendary Spanish strikers Michel and Julio Salinas and Brazilian stars such as Romario, Júnior and Zico has helped to expand television coverage to large audiences in over 170 countries worldwide, making Beach Soccer one of the fastest growing professional sports in the world and converting it into a major showcase for international commercial opportunity.
Beach Soccer had been played recreationally all over the world for many years and in many different formats. In 1992 the laws of the game were envisioned and a pilot event was staged by the founding partners of BSWW in Los Angeles. By 1993, the first professional beach soccer competition was organized at Miami Beach, with teams from the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Italy taking part.

GrowthBeach Soccer (Beasal) started in Brazil, more precisely at Leme beach, Rio de Janeiro, and has grown to be an international game. The participation of internationally renowned players such as flamboyant Frenchman Eric Cantona, legendary Spanish strikers Michel and Julio Salinas and Brazilian stars such as Romario, Júnior and Zico has helped to expand television coverage to large audiences in over 170 countries worldwide, making Beach Soccer one of the fastest growing professional sports in the world and converting it into a major showcase for international commercial opportunity.
Beach Soccer had been played recreationally all over the world for many years and in many different formats. In 1992 the laws of the game were envisioned and a pilot event was staged by the founding partners of BSWW in Los Angeles. By 1993, the first professional beach soccer competition was organized at Miami Beach, with teams from the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Italy taking part.

Kayaking

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Tue, 1 Sep 2009 22:25:00 -0700

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is generally differentiated from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is defined by the International Canoe Federation (the world sanctioning body) as a boat where the paddler faces forward, has their legs in front of them, and uses a double bladed paddle. Almost all kayaks have big decks, however, there are many sit-on-top kayaks, and these boats are growing in popularity. A canoe is defined as a boat where the paddler faces forward and kneels in the boat, using a single bladed paddle. Canoes can be closed deck or open deck.
Whitewater kayaking involves taking a kayak down rapids. Sea kayaking sometimes also referred to as Ocean Kayaking involves taking kayaks out on to the ocean or other open water e.g., a lake. Sea kayaking can involve short paddles with a return to the starting point or "put-in" or expeditions covering many miles and days. Kayaking of all kinds has continued to increase in general popularity through the 1990s and early 21st century.

Kayaks are classified by their intended use. There are six primary classifications: polo, slalom, whitewater, surf, touring/expedition, light touring/day tripping and general recreation. From these primary classifications stem many sub-classes. For example, a fishing kayak is simply a general recreation kayak outfitted with features and accessories that make it an easier kayak from which to fish. Or a creek kayak is a certain type of whitewater kayak, designed to handle narrow gully type rivers and falls. Also within these classifications are many levels of performance which further separate the individual models. In other words, not all touring kayaks handle the same.
There are two major configurations of kayaks - "sit on tops" which as the name suggests involves sitting on top of the kayak in an open area and "cockpit style" which involves sitting with the legs and hips inside the kayak hull and a "spray deck" or "spray skirt" that creates a water resistant seal around the waist. Whether a kayak is a sit-on-top or a cockpit style has nothing to do with which classification it falls under. Both configurations are represented in each of the five primary classifications. While most kayaks are designed to be paddled by a single person, other configurations include tandem and even triple cockpit boats.
Because of their range and adaptability, Kayaking is popular amongst divers, fishers, and adventure enthusiasts.

The Boat Race

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Tue, 1 Sep 2009 22:18:00 -0700

The Boat Race

The Boat Race, also known as the University Boat Race and The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club. It is rowed annually between competing eights each spring on the Thames in London. The event is a popular one, not only with the alumni of the universities, but also with rowers in general and the public. An estimated quarter of a million people watch the race live from the banks of the river, around seven to nine million people on TV in the UK, and an overseas audience estimated by the Boat Race Company of around 120 million,[1] however, other estimates[2] put the international audience below 20 million. The first race was in 1829 and it has been held annually since 1856, with the exception of the two world wars.
Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues and each boat as a "Blue Boat", with Cambridge in light blue and Oxford dark blue.
The 2009 boat race took place on 29 March at 15:40 BST, with Oxford (on the Middlesex station) winning.[3]

ORIGIN

The tradition was started in 1829 by Charles Merivale, a student at St John's College, Cambridge, and his schoolfriend Charles Wordsworth who was at Oxford. Cambridge challenged Oxford to a race in Henley. The second race occurred in 1836, with the venue moved to be from Westminster to Putney. Over the next couple of years, there was disagreement over where the race should be held, with Oxford preferring Henley and Cambridge preferring London. Cambridge therefore raced Leander Club in 1837 and 1838. Following the formation of the Oxford University Boat Club, racing between the two universities resumed and the tradition continues to the present day, with the loser challenging the winner to a re-match annually.
The race in 1877 was declared a dead heat. Legend in Oxford has it that the judge, "Honest John" Phelps, was asleep under a bush as the crews came by leading him to announce the result as a "dead heat to Oxford by four feet", but this is not borne out by contemporary reports.
Oxford, partially disabled, were making effort after effort to hold their rapidly waning lead, while Cambridge, who, curiously enough, had settled together again, and were rowing almost as one man, were putting on a magnificent spurt at 40 strokes to the minute, with a view of catching their opponents before reaching the winning-post. Thus struggling over the remaining portion of the course, the two eights raced passed the flag alongside one another, and the gun fired amid a scene of excitement rarely equalled and never exceeded. Cheers for one crew were succeeded by counter-cheers for the other, and it was impossible to tell what the result was until the Press boat backed down to the Judge and inquired the issue. John Phelps, the waterman, who officiated, replied that the noses of the boats passed the post strictly level, and that the result was a dead heat.
—The Times
Cambridge produced one of the legends of the Boat Race and of rowing worldwide, Stanley Muttlebury, whose crew won the race in the first four of the five years he was a member, 1886-1890. He was viewed as "the finest oarsman to have ever sat in a boat".[citation needed]
Contemporaries writing to The Times to add to his 1933 obituary called attention to his extraordinary physical prowess and natural aptitude for rowing, traits accompanied by mildness, good manners, and natural kindness:
Muttlebury had a natural aptitude which amounted to a genius for rowing, and, as he was not only massively large and full of courage but herculean in muscular strength, it was inevitable that he should be an outstanding exponent of oarsmanship. Added to this, he came to his prime when rowing was in a transitional stage, when the old methods of the straight back and the body catch suited to the fixed seat and the short slide, had necessarily to be superseded by methods required by the long-slide. I consider that long-slide rowing sprang suddenly to perfection in Muttlebury, that on him this new (or partially new) art was built...
"Muttle", as he was known at the varsity and later in life, was one who strove never to hurt (The Times), but there have been two instances where later generations of oarsmen have rebelled against the leadership of the Boat Club President and their coach. Both have involved Oxford University Boat Club and in both cases American oarsmen played a pivotal role.

Sudoku

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Tue, 1 Sep 2009 22:07:00 -0700

Sudoku is a logic-based,[1][2] combinatorial[3] number-placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each. The puzzle setter provides a partially completed grid. Completed puzzles are usually a type of Latin square with an additional constraint on the contents of individual regions.
Sudoku was popularized in 1986 by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli, under the name Sudoku, meaning single number.[4] It became an international hit in 2005.[5]

History

Number puzzles first appeared in newspapers in the late 19th century, when French puzzle setters began experimenting with removing numbers from magic squares. Le Siècle, a Paris-based daily, published a partially completed 9×9 magic square with 3×3 sub-squares on November 19, 1892.[6] It was not a Sudoku because it contained double-digit numbers and required arithmetic rather than logic to solve, but it shared key characteristics: each row, column and sub-square added up to the same number.

From La France newspaper, July 6, 1895.
On July 6, 1895, Le Siècle's rival, La France, refined the puzzle so that it was almost a modern Sudoku. It simplified the 9×9 magic square puzzle so that each row, column and broken diagonals contained only the numbers 1–9, but did not mark the sub-squares. Although they are unmarked, each 3×3 sub-square does indeed comprise the numbers 1–9 and the additional constraint on the broken diagonals leads to only one solution.[7]
These weekly puzzles were a feature of newspaper titles including L'Echo de Paris for about a decade but disappeared about the time of the First World War.[8]
According to Will Shortz, the modern Sudoku was most likely designed anonymously by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor from Indiana, and first published in 1979 by Dell Magazines as Number Place (the earliest known examples of modern Sudoku). Garns's name was always present on the list of contributors in issues of Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games that included Number Place, and was always absent from issues that did not.[9] He died in 1989 before getting a chance to see his creation as a worldwide phenomenon.[9] It is unclear if Garns was familiar with any of the French newspapers listed above.
The puzzle was introduced in Japan by Nikoli in the paper Monthly Nikolist in April 1984[9] as Suuji (or suji) wa dokushin ni kagiru (数字は独身に限る?), which can be translated as "the digits must be single" or "the digits are limited to one occurrence." At a later date, the name was abbreviated to Sudoku by Maki Kaji (鍜治真起, Kaji Maki?), taking only the first kanji of compound words to form a shorter version.[9] In 1986, Nikoli introduced two innovations: the number of givens was restricted to no more than 32, and puzzles became "symmetrical" (meaning the givens were distributed in rotationally symmetric cells). It is now published in mainstream Japanese periodicals, such as the Asahi Shimbun.

ludo

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Tue, 1 Sep 2009 22:02:00 -0700

LUDO

LUDO (from Latin ludo, "I play") is a simple board game, similar to Tock and Sorry!, for two to four players, in which the players race their four tokens from start to finish according to dice rolls. The game is a simplification of the traditional Indian Cross and Circle game Pachisi. The game is popular in many countries and is known as "Ludi" in the Caribbean, "Fia" in Sweden and "Mens-erger-je-niet" in The Netherlands.

HISTORY

Pachisi originated in India by the 6th century[1]. The earliest evidence of this game in India is the depiction of boards on the caves of Ajanta[1]. This game was played by the Mughal emperors of India; a notable example being that of Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, who played living Pachisi using girls from his harem[1]. Variations of the game made it to England during the British Raj, with one appearing under the name Ludo around 1896, which was then patented [1]. In Germany this game is called "Mensch ärgere dich nicht" which in English means "Man, don't get mad".

RULES

At the start of the game, the player's four pieces are placed in the start area of their colour.
Players take it in turn to throw a single die. A player must first throw a six to be able to move a piece from the starting area onto the starting square. In each subsequent turn the player moves a piece forward 1 to 6 squares as indicated by the dice. When a player throws a 6 the player may bring a new piece onto the starting square, or may choose to move a piece already in play. Any throw of a six results in another turn.
If a player cannot make a valid move they must pass the die to the next player.
If a player's piece lands on a square containing an opponent's piece, the opponent's piece is captured and returns to the starting area. A piece may not land on square that already contain a piece of the same colour (unless playing doubling rules; see below).
Once a piece has completed a circuit of the board it moves up the home column of its own colour. The player must throw the exact number to advance to the home square. The winner is the first player to get all four of their pieces onto the home square.

High jump

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Tue, 1 Sep 2009 21:54:00 -0700

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of any devices. It has been contested since the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. Over the centuries since, competitors have introduced increasingly more effective techniques to arrive at the current form. Javier Sotomayor (Cuba) is both the indoor and outdoor world record holder in this event with jumps of 2.43 metres (7 ft 11.67 in) and 2.45 metres (8 ft 0.46 in), respectively. Sotomayor's record, set in 1993, is the longest standing in the history of the men's high jump. Stefka Kostadinova (Bulgaria) has held the women's world record 2.09 metres (6 ft 10.28 in) since 1987, the longest-held record in the event.

History

The first recorded high jump event took place in Scotland in the 19th century. Early jumpers used either an elaborate straight-on approach or a scissors technique. In the latter, the bar was approached diagonally, and the jumper threw first the inside leg and then the other over the bar in a scissoring motion. Around the turn of the 20th century, techniques began to modernise, starting with the Irish-American M.F. Sweeney's Eastern cut-off. By taking off as if with the scissors, but extending his back and flattening out over the bar, the Sweeney achieved a more economic clearance and raised the world record to 6 feet 5.625 inches (1.97 m) in 1895.
Another American, M.F. Horine, developed an even more efficient technique, the Western roll. In this style, the bar again is approached on a diagonal, but the inner leg is used for the take-off, while the outer leg is thrust up to lead the body sideways over the bar. Horine increased the world standard to 6 feet 7 inches (2.0 m) in 1912. His technique predominated through the Berlin Olympics of 1936, in which the event was won by Cornelius Johnson at 2.03 metres (6 ft 8 in).
American and Russian jumpers held the playing field for the next four decades, and they pioneered the evolution of the straddle technique. Straddle jumpers took off as in the Western roll, but rotated their (belly-down) torso around the bar, obtaining the most economical clearance up to that time. Straddle-jumper Charles Dumas broke the elusive 7 feet (2.13 m) barrier in 1956, and American John Thomas pushed the world mark to 2.23 metres (7 ft 4 in) in 1960. Valeriy Brumel took over the event for the next four years. The elegant Soviet jumper radically sped up his approach run, took the record up to 2.28 metres (7 ft 6 in), and won the Olympic gold medal in 1964, before a motorcycle accident ended his career.

news

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:22:00 -0700

MILNER: LET`S NOT LET IT SLIP AWAY
James Milner believes Aston Villa should take encouragement from their away performances last season when they tackle Liverpool at Anfield on Monday evening.
The England winger admits Martin O'Neill's side have to put on a better showing than in their home league defeat to Wigan and the loss away to Rapid Vienna in the Europa League play-off.
But Milner takes heart from Villa's record of 10 league victories on the road during the 2008-09 campaign, including a win at Arsenal - although they were hammered 5-0 at Liverpool during a dismal end to the season.
Milner said: "I don't think it's a good or a bad thing that we've got Liverpool next. It doesn't really matter. You've got to play everyone at some point in the season.
"Obviously they had a bad result at the start of the season (at Tottenham) but they've come back strongly with a win against Stoke so we've got to bounce back quickly as well.
"It's never an easy place to go but it's early in the season and we need to find our form. We showed signs of that against Rapid, when we passed the ball around well, so we just need to get into our stride a bit quicker.
"It's a hard game whenever you play at Anfield but it's up to us to go there and play better than we have done in the two previous games and keep improving."
Milner added: "We obviously had a disappointing day at Liverpool last year.
"With the quality we've got here, we should never lose by that margin so it would be nice if we could bounce back and get all three points.
"We're a good team away from home as we proved at the Emirates Stadium last year so we have to go out and put on a performance.
"It's important and you always want to get your first points on the board as early as possible. We didn't do that on the first day so now we have the chance to go to Liverpool and get a good result."
Manager O'Neill points to how Villa suffered a similar early-season setback 12 months ago at Stoke but then responded in positive style to set up a challenge for a Champions League spot before their late fade-out.
O'Neill said: "You just don't forget these results but you get on with it. Look at Everton, they finished above us last season and had a great season but they had a bit of turmoil and got beaten (by Arsenal).
"We all have to fight back from things. It's a long season and I think it's about getting the first win.
"At a similar stage last season we went to Stoke and got beaten by a late goal and that was dispiriting.
"But we fought back against Liverpool, and drew at home with them, and then by winning away games at Tottenham and West Brom.
"We are capable of getting over it (the Wigan result)."
O'Neill added: "The disappointing aspect was really in terms of our overall performance. That can happen but it just wasn't good enough.
"I didn't expect that because our pre-season had been good in terms of playing lots of games quickly and trying to get fit.
"But it's early season. What you don't want is to get too far behind."
Villa centre-back Curtis Davies is doubtful for the trip to Anfield after a recurrence of his shoulder problem.
Davies suffered the setback during the latter stages of the Vienna clash and his replacement, rookie Shane Lowry, is amongst the candidates to replace him, although Habib Beye could switch from right-back.
O'Neill, who is continuing his pursuit of Sylvain Distin and Stephen Warnock to bolster his back four, will also be hoping striker John Carew is fit to make his first appearance of the season.
Carew, the club's top scorer for the past two seasons, missed the Wigan match with a foot injury and then pulled out of the Vienna game with a virus.

defination of different types of sport

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:57:00 -0700

archery

The use of the bow and arrows in battle, hunting, etc.; the art, practice, or skill of shooting with a bow and arrows.

Shooting

The act of one who, or that which, shoots; as, the shooting of an archery club; the shooting of rays of light.
A wounding or killing with a firearm; specifically (Sporting), the killing of game; as, a week of shooting.
A sensation of darting pain; as, a shooting in one's head.

Hunting Quotations

The perils of duck hunting are great - especially for the duck.

Walter Cronkite
Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope.

P. J. O'Rourke
You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug, especially when its waving a razor sharp hunting knife in your eye.

Hunter S. Thompson
There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.

Ernest Hemingway Mr. Janet Reno?
I think Mr. Janet Reno... I think he's one of the best hunting dogs in the world.

Ted Nugent
You see I'm against hunting, in fact I'm a hunt saboteur. I go out the night before and shoot the fox.

Tim Vine
Shakespeare is the happy hunting ground of all minds that have lost their balance.

kho kho

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:51:00 -0700

Kho Kho is an Indian sport played by teams of twelve players who try to avoid being touched by members of the opposing team, only 9 players of the team enter the field. Kho Kho and Kabaddi, in spite of popular misconception, are not the same.
In Kho-Kho, one team sits or kneels in the middle of the court, in a row, with alternate members in the row facing opposite directions. The other team may send two or three members in the court. The motive for the sitting team is to try and "tag" the opponents. The chasers can only run in one direction and cannot cut across the sitters (unlike the dodgers who can run randomly and in between the sitters). They have to run round the entire row to reach the other side. The other option is to pass the chasing job to another sitter whose back is facing you as you are running. The chaser touches the sitter he wants (usually nearest to the target) and shouts "kho" to signify the change of guard. The objective is to tag all the opponents in the shortest time possible. If the other team takes longer, the former team wins.

Field
The Kho- Kho playground is rectangular. It is 27 meters in length and 15 meters in breadth. There are two rectangles at the end. One side of the rectangle is 16 meter and the other side is 2.70 meters. In the middle of these two rectangles, there shall be two wooden poles. The central lane is 21.60 meters long and 30cm X 30cm on the lane. There are eight cross lanes which lie across the small squares and each of it is 15 meters in length and 30cm in breadth, at right angles to the central lane and divided equally into two parts of 7.30m each by central lane. At the end of central lane, two posts shall be fixed. They shall be 120cm above the ground and their circumference shall be not less than 30cm and not more than 40cm. The post shall be made of wooden poles which are smooth all over. The posts shall be fixed firmly in the free zone tangent to the post-line at a height between 120 to 125cm. The top of the post shall be flat and free from any sharp edges.
Equipment
The equipments used in Kho- Kho are posts, strings, measuring tape (metallic), lime powder, wire nails, two watches, two types of rings having inner circumference of 30cm and 40cm, score sheets and stationery to write results etc

Baseball

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:59:00 -0700

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team (the batting team) take turns hitting against the pitcher of the other team (the fielding team), which tries to stop them from scoring runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. A player on the batting team can stop at any of the bases and later advance via a teammate's hit or other means. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team records three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning; nine innings make up a professional game. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

Evolving from older bat-and-ball games, an early form of baseball was being played in England by the mid-eighteenth century. This game and the related rounders were brought by British and Irish immigrants to North America, where the modern version of baseball developed. By the late nineteenth century, baseball was widely recognized as the national sport of the United States. Baseball on the professional, amateur, and youth levels is now popular in North America, parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean, and parts of East Asia. The game is sometimes referred to as hardball, in contrast to the derivative game of softball.

In North America, professional Major League Baseball (MLB) teams are divided into the National League (NL) and American League (AL). Each league has three divisions: East, West, and Central. Every year, the champion of Major League Baseball is determined by playoffs that culminate in the World Series. Four teams make the playoffs from each league: the three regular season division winners, plus one wild card team. Baseball is the leading team sport in both Japan and Cuba, and the top level of play is similarly split between two leagues: Japan's Central League and Pacific League; Cuba's West League and East League. In the National and Central leagues, the pitcher is required to bat, per the traditional rules. In the American, Pacific, and both Cuban leagues, there is a tenth player, a designated hitter, who bats for the pitcher. Each top-level team has a farm system of one or more minor league teams. These teams allow younger players to develop as they gain on-field experience against opponents with similar levels of skill.

Karate

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:27:00 -0700

Karate (空手?) (Japanese pronunciation: [kaɽate] ( listen), English: /kəˈrɑːtiː/) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) from indigenous fighting methods te (手, literally: "hand"?) and Chinese kenpō.[1][2] Karate is characterised as a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands (karate chop). Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles.[3]

Karate developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom prior to its 19th century annexation by Japan. It was brought to the Japanese mainland in the early 20th century during a time of cultural exchanges between the Japanese and the Ryukyuans. In 1922 the Japanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration. Keio University became the first Japanese university to open a dojo; by 1932, all Japanese universities had dojo. In this era, the name karate (wikt:唐手Chinese hand?) was changed to karate (wikt:空手, empty hand?) to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanese style.[4] After the second world war, Okinawa became an important United States military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.[5]

The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase its popularity, and the word karate began to be used in a generic way to refer to all striking-based Oriental martial arts. Karate schools began appearing across the world, catering to those with casual interest as well as those seeking a deeper study of the art.

Shigeru Egami, Chief Instructor of Shotokan Dojo, opined "that the majority of followers of karate in overseas countries pursue karate only for its fighting techniques...Movies and television...depict karate as a mysterious way of fighting capable of causing death or injury with a single blow...the mass media present a pseudo art far from the real thing."[6] Shoshin Nagamine said "Karate may be considered as the conflict within oneself or as a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training and one's own creative efforts." [7]

For many practitioners, karate is a deeply philosophical practice. Karate-do teaches ethical principles and can have spiritual significance to its adherents. Gichin Funakoshi ("Father of Modern Karate") titled his autobiography Karate-Do: My Way of Life in recognition of the transforming nature of karate study.

Today karate is practiced for self-perfection, for cultural reasons, for self-defense and as a sport. In 2005, in the 117th IOC (International Olympic Committee) voting, karate did not receive the necessary two thirds majority vote to become an Olympic sport.[8] Web Japan (sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) claims there are 23 million karate practitioners worldwide.[9] A karate practitioner is called a karateka.

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:17:00 -0700

Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played on sand. Like other variations of volleyball, two teams, separated by a high net, try to score points against the other by grounding a ball on the other team's court. Competitive beach volleyball teams usually consist of two players, though recreational variations can contain up to six players.

Originating in Southern California, beach volleyball now enjoys worldwide popularity, even in countries without traditional beaches, like Switzerland.

Though popularized in Southern California, the first recorded beach volleyball games took place on the beaches of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawai'i at the Outrigger Canoe Club.[1] Originally designed to give bored surfers something to do when the surf was down, the game quickly developed into more organized six-man matches. The most famous early player was legendary waterman, Duke Kahanamoku.

In 1920, construction of new jetties in Santa Monica, California created a large sandy area for public enjoyment, planting the seed for beach volleyball development in that region. The first permanent nets began to appear, and recreational games were soon being played on public parts of the beach, as well as in private beach clubs. 11 such beach clubs appeared in the Santa Monica area, beginning in late 1922. The first inter-club competitions were staged in 1924, marking the first beach volleyball tournaments to be played in California.

Most of these early beach volleyball matches were played with teams of at least six players per side, much like indoor volleyball. The concept of the modern two-man beach volleyball game, however, is credited to Paul "Pablo" Johnson, an indoor player.[2] In the summer of 1930, while waiting for players to show up for a six-man game, Johnson decided to try playing with only the four people present. The game was forever changed.

basketball

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:09:00 -0700

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a 10 foot (3.048 m) high hoop (the goal) under organized rules. Basketball is one of the most popular and widely viewed sports in the world.[1]

Points are scored by throwing (shooting) the ball through the basket from above; the team with more points at the end of the game wins. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it (dribbling) or passing it between teammates. Disruptive physical contact (foul) is penalized and there are restrictions on how the ball can be handled (violations).

Through time, basketball has developed to involve common techniques of shooting, passing and dribbling, as well as players' positions, and offensive and defensive structures. Typically, the tallest members of a team will play center or one of two forward positions, while shorter players or those who possess the best ball handling skills and speed, play the guard positions. While competitive basketball is carefully regulated, numerous variations of basketball have developed for casual play. In some countries, basketball is also a popular spectator sport.

horse racing

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:28:00 -0700

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling. The common sobriquet for Thoroughbred horse racing is The Sport of Kings.

One of the principal forms of horse racing, which is popular in many parts of the world, is Thoroughbred racing. Harness racing for Standardbred horses is also popular in Australia, New Zealand, the eastern United States and more popular than Thoroughbred racing in Canada and parts of Europe. Thoroughbred racing is done on the flat or over jumps, as steeplechasing or hurdles races. Quarter horse racing is also popular in the western United States and Florida. Racing with purebred Arabian horses exists in several states in the United States, as well as in most of Europe and the Middle East. This form of racing is known as endurance racing.

The different types of racing all concern different breeds of horses. The Thoroughbred races moderate distances at very fast paces. The Standardbred horses use their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. The Quarter Horse is involved in short distance sprinting while the Arabian is involved in endurance racing. These four different breeds of horses possess different muscle structures that make them suitable for their type of racing. These horses race on various track surfaces ranging from dirt to a synthetic surface such as viscoride or polytrack.

The breeding, training and racing of horses in many countries is now a significant economic activity as, to a greater extent, is the gambling industry which is largely supported by it. The time invested in training these horses is extensive and varies according to the type of race the horse is involved in. Exceptional horses can win millions of dollars and might make millions more by providing stud services, such as horse breeding.

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:01:00 -0700

Swimming is movement through water, usually without artificial assistance. Swimming is an activity that can be both useful and recreational. Its primary uses are bathing, cooling, fishing, recreation, exercise, and sport.
Contents[hide]
1 History
2 As recreation and exercise
3 As occupation
4 As a competitive sport
5 Styles
6 Risks
7 Lessons
8 Clothing and equipment
8.1 Swimsuits
8.2 Accessories
9 On coins
10 See also
11 References
12 Bibliography
13 External links

History
See also: History of swimming and Aquatic ape hypothesis
Swimming has been known since prehistoric times; the earliest record of swimming dates back to Stone Age paintings from around 7,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC. Some of the earliest references include the Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas. In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, The Swimmer or A Dialogue on the Art of Swimming (Der Schwimmer oder ein Zwiegespräch über die Schwimmkunst). Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, mostly using breaststroke. In 1873 John Arthur Trudgen introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native Americans. Due to a British disregard for splashing, Trudgen employed a scissor kick instead of the front crawl's flutter kick. Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic games in 1896 in Athens. In 1902 Richard Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world. In 1908, the world swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952.

Cycling

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:52:00 -0700

Cycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle (unicycling), tricycles (tricycling), quadracycles (quadracycling), and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles (HPVs) for the purpose of transport, as a form of recreation, or in racing. It is done on roads and paths, across open country or even over snow and ice (icebiking).

Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number about one billion worldwide.

[1] They are the principal means of transportation in many regions. Bicycling is a highly efficient mode of transportation.

[2] and optimal for short to moderate distances. Compared to motor vehicles, bicycles have numerous benefits including the provision of exercise, generating renewable energy and thus no air pollution, reducing traffic congestion, minimizing noise pollution (nearly silent operation), easier and less costly parking, much lower likelihood of causing a fatality, high maneuverability, ability to travel on roads or special paths, and lower user cost as well as societal costs (negligible damage to roads, and less pavement required).

[3] Criticisms and downsides to cycling commonly include: reduced protection in crashes (including those with motor vehicles)[2], longer travel time (except in densely populated areas), no inherent protection from poor weather, inability to transport passengers, and the physical demands of operation

Table tennis

afterall4u@gmail.com (prem) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:42:00 -0700

Table tennis is a game or sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth with rackets (also known as "bats" or "paddles"). The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. Except for the initial serve, players must allow a ball played toward them only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side. Points are scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. A skilled player can impart several varieties of spin to the ball, altering its trajectory and limiting an opponent's options to great advantage.