On the field

FROM ISSUE # 157 (January 2009) | IN THIS ISSUE
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Protestors from Los Angeles to Seoul worked tirelessly to prohibit Beijing from hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics due to the country's numerous human rights violations including the Tibet situation as well as breaking international law by forcibly repatriating North Korean refugees, but the efforts were in vain and the games went on. 

Good thing for the Brits, who bagged 16 gold medals, making it the country's most successful Olympics take-home in an entire century.

Ten minus six and that's the number of gold medals just one talented American athlete has to his name. American swimmer Michael Phelps, broke a record and became the first person to ever win 10 gold medals resulting in comments such as "he was half man and half fish."

In Nepal, Canadian Neel Jones and Briton Holly Budge became the first sky divers to ever jump from 1000 ft above Mount Everest. Imagine…what a view!

Athletes weren't the only ones to break records; apparently in 2008, on the whole, sporting events had the highest viewership in recorded history. With all that fan support, it's no wonder athletes could go farther, harder, faster; nothing like a little morale to help a winner win bigger. 

The official slogan for the Euro 2008 (read: Eurocup) was 'Expect Emotions' and come they did.  Greece, the previous champs, finished almost dead-last while Spain gained its second title ever in the competition.

The 2008 Men's Wimbledon might just go down in history as one of the best ever with Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal in the finals. Both athletes played with their natural skill and grace, but in the end, Nadal dethroned his top competition and became the new king of the court.

Tension flew high on the cricket field after Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh slapped Australian all-rounder, Andrew Symonds with a mouthful of racial slurs. Singh's words cost him a few banknotes along with his reputation, but it added drama to the first ever Indian Premier League where Bollywood joined hands with India's second religion–cricket.

Saving the best thing for last, Nepal's Under-19 women's cricket team won the ACC U19 Championship this December, making this their first ever international win. They had to crush Malaysia's dream to do so but we aren't complaining. 

Change is the only inevitable thing in the world and this year, with the change of the date in our calendars, let's hope we change for the better. Happy 2009!