The Oly and the Olive Branch – I [ The Extra-Ordinary Ones ]

This is the last one of this series of three. While watching every events in Olympic we wait with baited breath for the winners who ends up to the podium and it seems that things are like a cakewalk for the participants but it is not. However, participating in Olympic is itself is an extra-ordinary achievement.  Today I will peep into the history of Olympic and narrate about some who may or may not ends up to the podium but their tales are even more encouraging than the others.

Greg Louganis

American Greg Louganis won two gold medals in diving in 1984 and was favored to repeat at the Seoul Games in ‘88. During the preliminary competition, he banged his head on the diving board while attempting a reverse 2 1/2 pike. He had to be rescued from the pool and taken to the locker room to have his wound stitched up, and many thought he would be unable to compete. Despite a concussion, the courageous champion returned to the board minutes later and completed the preliminary round with his highest score of the day. The next day, he flawlessly executed the same dive he was injured on and won both gold medals he was competing for.

Kerri Strug

Kerri Strug was the last remaining competitor for the United States as they stood neck-and-neck with gymnastics powerhouse Russia for the gold medal in all-around team gymnastics competition at the 1996 Olympics. She needed to nail the vault in order to secure the gold for the U.S. Strug fell during her first attempt and badly sprained her left ankle. In obvious pain, she limped back to the runway and performed her routine, concluding with a majestic one-foot landing. The judges awarded her a 9.70 and the U.S. won the gold medal. Who can forget the image of Strug’s coach carrying her onto the podium to join her teammates for the medal ceremony?

Gail Devers

A young talent in the 100 m and 100 m hurdles, Devers was in training for the 1988 Summer Olympics, started experiencing health problems, suffering from among others migraine and vision loss. She qualified for the Olympics 100 m hurdles, in which she was eliminated in the semi-finals, but her health continued to deteriorate even further. In 1990, she was diagnosed with Graves' disease, and underwent radioactive iodine treatment  Devers recovered quickly and resumed training. At the 1991 World Championships, she won a silver medal in the 100 m hurdles.

At the 1992 Summer Olympics, Devers starred. She qualified for the final of the 100 m, which ended in an exciting finish, with five women finishing close (within 0.06 seconds). The photo finish showed Devers had narrowly beaten Jamaican Juliet Cuthbert.

Derek Redmond

After missing the 1988 Olympics due to injury, Derek Redmond of the United Kingdom entered the 1992 games in Barcelona as one of the favorites in the 400 meters. During the semifinal heat, he appeared to be cruising towards the finals, when he tore his right hamstring and collapsed to the ground in agony. Determined to finish the race, he waived off the medical crew and began hopping around the track, tears streaming down his cheeks from the pain. Redmond’s father made his way to the track, pushing officials away in the process, and helped his son finish the race.

Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius won a battle for Paralympians in 2008 when his appeal fighting for the right to compete in the Olympics was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport – they decided his "blades" didn’t offer him an advantage over able-bodied athletes. Four years later Pistorius walked into the Olympic Stadium as a member of the South African team and on August 4 he ran his first race, the 400m, finishing second to qualify for the semis. He didn’t make the finals, but that wasn’t his goal: "The whole experience is mind-blowing," Pistorius said after his race. “It’s a dream come true. It’s really a humbling experience to be here.”

Whatever Oscar Pistorius achieved it is incomparable and will be standout in our memory for many years.

!!!Burning Desire Is The Primary Tool For A Great Achievement!!!

The Oly and the Olive Branch – II [ The Golden Moments ]!!

It is hard task to pick a few of those unlimited golden moments from the greatest sports events on the earth. Among a few billion only three ends up to the podium and among those three only one who can share his pride, the national anthem with another billions. However, some out of these numerous golden moments, there are a few which were outstanding.

1. Jesse Owens - America Vs Adolf Hitler

James Owens the American track and field athlete participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he won four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. He was the most successful athlete at the 1936 Summer Olympics, a victory more poignant and often noted because Adolf Hitler had intended the 1936 games to showcase his Aryan ideals and prowess.

2. Mark Spitz - Seven out of Seven and out of Seven

Seven events, Seven gold medals and seven world records.

1972 marred by what known as Munich Massacre, where -- but after resumption of the gold one man came out of the pool dishing out 7 gold. Incidentally,  Spitz, is a Jewish.

By modern standards the races look prehistoric. The men did not wear swim caps or goggles or high-tech suits. Spitz took it a step farther, refusing to shave his trademark mustache and keeping his dark hair long. It was by acclamation the greatest individual Olympic performance ever seen up to that time. In 2008 Beijing Oly, Michael Phelps succeed to broke that seven jingle but without the iconic poster that came with - hands on hips, smile wide, mustache thick, wearing nothing but a stars-and-stripes Speedo and seven gold medals around his neck.

3. Michael Phelps  Eight out of Eight and over all 22.

In 2008 an American man travelled to China on a special mission and rest was the history. Michael Phelps, the American swimmer was the talk of Beijing heading into the 2008 Games as many in the media speculated that he could come away with 8 gold medals. The University of Michigan product was up to the task. After winning a 7th gold medal by the narrowest of margins (.01 seconds) in the 100 meter butterfly, he won his 8th gold medal in the 4×100 meter medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games, which had stood since Munich in 1972.

4. Flo-Jo – Style, Speed and Legacy

Florence Griffith-Joyner captivated audiences at the 1988 Seoul Games with her distinctive sense of style, catchy nickname and unfathomable speed. Before races, the cameras focused on her long fingernails, three of which were painted red, white and blue, and a fourth one gold for the medals she intended to win. Flo Jo won gold in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 4×100 meter relay and silver in the 4×400. The most astonishing aspect of her races was the lengthy margins of victory, especially in the 200 meter, in which she set a world record that still stands today.

5. King Carl - World’s Greatest Athlete

Leading up to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Carl Lewis boasted that he would duplicate Jesse Owens’ feat of capturing gold medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and 4×100 meter relay. After winning the first three events fairly easily, the American punctuated his performance by leading the U.S. relay team to a gold medal and world record. Based on his epic showing in Los Angeles, he was referred to as the “world’s greatest athlete” for years to come.

6. Usain Bolt – The Thunder Bolt

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter widely regarded as the fastest person ever. He is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records. Along with his teammates, he also set the world record in the 4×100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, the first man ever to win 6 Olympic gold medals in sprinting, and a five-time World champion. He was the first to achieve a "double double" by winning 100 m and 200 m titles at consecutive Olympics (2008 and 2012).

7. Nadia Elena Comăneci – A perfect Ten

The 14 years Romanian gymnast was the winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the first female gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is also the winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. She is one of the best-known gymnasts in the world.

8. Michael Johnson - The Man With The Golden Boots

Michael Johnson delighted the home crowd while earning the title of “world’s fastest man” at the 1996 games in Atlanta. It looked as if his gold shoes weren’t even touching the ground as he zoomed past the competition with his unorthodox, upright style. Johnson shattered his own world record in the 200 meter by .34 seconds and putting up a time of 19.32 seconds that still stands to this day, and became the first male sprinter to win both the 200 meter and 400 meter races in the same games.

9. Mo Farah - Little man and his big leap

Mohammed "Mo" Farah is a Somali-born British international track and field athlete. He is the current 10,000 m Olympic champion and 5000 m Olympic, World and European champion. Farah is also noted for his unique victory celebration dance known as the "Mobot". He adopted the move following a television appearance in May 2012 opposite sports presenter Clare Balding on the panel game show A League of Their Own.

10. Cathy Freeman – Fast and Forward

Cathy Freeman, the former Australian sprinter was the first Olympic champion for the for an event at which she lit the Olympic Flame. Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal Commonwealth Games gold medalist at age 16 in 1990. She announced her retirement from athletics in 2003. She won a gold medal 400 meters at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

!!!Here all the glitters is real gold .!!!

The Oly and the Olive Branch – I [ The Controversies ]

The greatest sports event does not need an introduction. I decided to peep in depth to find a few details and the ups and downs of it. Most exciting thing was Indian performances, of-course one cannot compare to the China and USA but it was far better than before. If taken care, then country could do better in these following  criteria like Wrestling, Archery, Boxing and Shooting. Even in discus for men and  women also encouraging and above all nobody noticed that an Indian came tenth in Walking. Today Let me start with top ten controversies of  Summer Olympic.

1.            Munich Massacre

Act of Terrorism is a big black spot for the society we are living and undoubtedly it started with IRA and PLO. Terrorism is nothing but creation of some maniac who start to behave like a self proclaim ruler. It is also a good profitable business for those brains sitting behind and remote controlling the hand to destroy the world peace. Fund is no problem for them since oil exploration in Arab world. The worst moment of all Olympic was the Munich Massacre

September. 5, 1972, when a group of Palestinian terrorists stormed the Olympic village and took hostage 11 Israeli athletes and coaches.

The standoff lasted 16 hours, ending in a botched rescue attempt. By the time it was over, all 11 hostages and a German police officer were dead.

There was talk of halting the games right then, but IOC president Avery Brundage determined that could not happen.

"I am sure the public will agree that we cannot allow a handful of terrorists to destroy this nucleus of international cooperation and goodwill we have in the Olympic movement," he said to a crowd of 80,000 attending a memorial service inside the Olympic Stadium. "The Games must go on."

2.            Boycott in 1980 and 1984

Era of cold war USA, West Germany and some other country partially boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan and four years. In return Soviet Union and 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies of the Soviet Union boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

3.            Ben Johnson

On September 24 1988, Johnson beat Carl Lewis in the 100m final at the Olympics, lowering his own world record to 9.79 seconds.  However, Johnson's urine samples were found to contain stanozolol, and he was disqualified three days later.

4.            Marian Jones

She was having a smile that could kill a million and I was too ardent for of her. She always asked too much, may be some of those are beyond her capacity yet she was gone for it. Finally all she got not only for her  enormous talent, there was something else.  At the 2000 Olympics sprinter Marion Jones raced into the history books as the first woman to claim five medals in a single Games, three of them gold. Eight years later, Jones is headline news again - sentenced to serve six months in jail for lying to investigators after admitting her golden achievements in Sydney were fuelled by steroid abuse.

5.            Black Panther salute

In 1968 summer Olympic in Mexico City,  two Americans, Tommie Smith and John Carlos who won gold and bronze in 200 meters dash,  while standing on the medal podium raised their black-gloved fists firmly in the air, is arguably the singular most iconic image an Olympic Games has ever produced. Smith and Carlos insist the gesture was an homage to human rights, not solely a black power salute.

6.            US basketball team gets robbed

The USA men's basketball team seemed to have won a gold medal in Munich in the 1972 Summer Olympics. Inexplicably, game officials gave the Soviet Union three straight chances to inbounds the ball with 3 seconds left, despite the clock running out twice. The Soviets got a basket to win 51-50 as time expired.

7.            Korean boxing fix

At the 1988 Games, he represented the United States in the light middleweight division. Jones won every round in dominant fashion to reach the finals. The final was no different as Jones outlanded his South Korean opponent Park Si-Hun 86-32. Unfortunately, the judges were either pressured, coerced or bribed to favor the local fighter and awarded Park an indefensible 3- 2 decision. One judge admitted the decision was a mistake and all three judges ended up being suspended.

Currently concluded London Olympic also having a fair share of controversies

8.            Badminton Scandal

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) disqualified eight badminton players from the women's doubles event at the London Olympics after being accused of "throwing away matches" for favourable draw in the knockout rounds. Two teams from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia were disqualified for intentionally playing bad shots to throw away matches, which was not in the spirit of the Games.

9.            Boxing Woes

Indian boxer Vikas Krishan’s  joy was short-lived as the International Boxing Association (AIBA) overturned the result of his pre-quarterfinal bout, just five hours after he had won against America's Errol Spence. The 20-year-old Indian had won 13-11 over Errol Spence of United States in a thrilling contest but in a dramatic turn of events, the AIBA declared the result 15-13 in favour of the American after the review of the match following an appeal from the U.S. team. They cited fouls committed by the Indian for the result overturn.

10.       Delayed clock

Korean fencer Shin A-Lam alleged that she was robbed off an Olympic medal in the women's epee. A delayed clock that caused her to lose during the London 2012 Olympic Games' Women's Epee Individual Fencing Semifinals, July 30, 2012. Germany's Britta Heidemann scored the final point with one second left on the clock to win against Shin, whose appeal to the technical director was rejected. Shin claimed that a timekeeping mishap allowed her opponent extra time to strike and refused to leave the piste for 75 minutes following the match

!!!Often Oly continues sans the Olive Branch.!!!

The Courage Under Fire!!!

I am an ardent fan of Meg Ryan and same can be said for the person about whom I am writing today. However, I am not writing about the film where Meg Ryan shifted her base from the feel good rom-com to a little heavier thing, in the film she was a military helicopter pilot. I am writing about another woman who is only 5’ 2” tall and she is fighting on. She is none other than M. C. Mary Kom. It is little odd because even being a sports junkie boxing was never an item in my menu but still I rooted for her.

Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, also known as MC Mary Kom, Magnificent Mary or simply Mary Kom, is an Indian boxer. She is a five-time World Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.

Mary was on March 1, 1983, born in Kangathei, Manipur. Her parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom, worked in jhum fields.  She is an ethnic Manipuri, also known as Meitei. She completed her primary education from Loktak Christian Model High School, Moirang, up to her class VI standard and attended St. Xavier School, Moirang, up to class VIII. She then moved to Adimjati High School, Imphal, for her schooling for class IX and X, but could not pass her exam. She did not want to reappear for her exams so she quit her school and gave her examination from NIOS, Imphal and graduation from Churachandpur College. Although she had a keen interest in athletics from childhood, it was the success of Dingko Singh that inspired her to become a boxer in 2000. She is married to K Onler Kom and has twin sons, Rechungvar and Khupneivar.

Kom initially tried to hide her interest in boxing from her family, since it was not considered a suitable sport for a woman. However, after her victory in the Manipur state women's boxing championship in 2000, her career became public; her father discovered his daughter's achievement through a photograph in a newspaper.

Mary, a five-time world champion, had won several medals in the 46 and 48kg categories. She was forced to shift to this category and gain weight two years ago after the world body decided to allow women’s boxing in only three weight categories—the lowest one being 51kg.

The first Olympic round was held on 5 August 2012, with Kom defeating Karolina Michalczuk of Poland 19-14 in the third women's boxing match ever to be fought at the Olympics. In the quarter-final, the following day, she defeated Maroua Rahali of Tunisia with a score of 15-6. She faced Nicola Adams of UK in the semi-final on August 8, 2012 and lost the bout 6 points to 11. However, she stood third in the competition and garnered her first Olympic Bronze medal.

Arjuna Award (Boxing), Padma Shree (Sports), People of the Year- Limca Book of Records,  CNN-IBN & Reliance Industries' Real Heroes Award,  Pepsi MTV Youth Icon 2008, ‘Magnificent Mary’, AIBA, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, 2009, International Boxing Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing,Sportswoman of the year 2010, Sahara Sports Award.

Achievements

Year	Place	Weight	Competition
2001	Second	48	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2002	First	45	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2002	First	45	Witch Cup
2003	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2004	First	46	Women’s World Cup
2005	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2005	First	46	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2006	First	46	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2006	First	46	Venus Women’s Box Cup
2008	First	46	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2008	Second	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2009	First	46	Asian Indoor Games
2010	First	48	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2010	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2010	Third	51	Asian Games
2011	First	48	Asian Women’s Cup
2012	First	51	Asian Women's Championships
2012	Third	51	Summer Olympics

!!!Fortune helps the brave and brave Mary shown how true it is.!!!

Horror Homes?

Millions of Indians out of 1.25 billion are either homeless or discarded by their own. Out of these there are some who considered to be lucky one when they  found themselves under a roof. These roof provided by the shelter homes which either run by state Governments or aided by the same. Let us go beyond those wall and find out how blessed these peoples are who are assumed to be safe inside those so-called shelter homes.

Apna Ghar, Rohtak, Haryana.

Apna Ghar's shocking stories emerged after 3 girls escaped in the first week of May from this shelter house to Delhi and gave their statement in front of the child welfare committee. In a surprise raid by the team  of the National Commission for Protection of Child Right (NCPCR) nearly 120 people including children, girls and women were rescued. The inmates were allegedly subjected to sexual abuse, physical and mental exploitation and used as bonded labour. The home is run by the NGO Bharat Vikas Sangh.

Some female inmates of the protection home had even alleged that the in-charge of the place, Jaswanti Devi, had forced some of the girls from the home into immoral activities.

They alleged that they used to be brutally assaulted by the in-charge to force them to go with outsiders, including influential people and even police officials. Some girls alleged that they were sexually exploited several times within and outside the protection home.

The toddlers, who narrated horrifying stories of extreme abuse including forced acts of oral sex, are among the 103 severely tormented young women and children rescued from the shelter home. "Sickening and shocking," is how National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) member Vinod Kumar Tikoo, 58, described what he saw when he raided the shelter home on May 9.

Jaswanti was arrested last month along with her son-in-law Jai Bhagwan by the Haryana Police.

Nari Niketan, Chandigarh.

Three girl inmates of a shelter home in Haryana's Karnal town have gone missing under mysterious circumstances. The girls belong to Nari Niketan shelter home.

Though none of the three girls have been rescued as yet, a special team had been constituted to rescue the three girls, he said.

A probe had also been ordered by the Karnal district administration to check out the circumstances under which the inmates had gone missing from the complex, which remains under security. The girls who have gone missing hail from Allahabad, Charki Dadri in Sirsa and Jhajjar.

The Nari Niketan, where some inmates of Rohtak's Apna Ghar shelter home have also been kept, houses girls including those rescued from flesh trade rackets. Meanwhile, police have registered a case in the Nari Niketan incident.

Revealing and disturbing details of sexual abuse, pornography, forcible abortion, beating and intoxication of dozens of inmates of shelter homes in Rohtak, a city in India’s northern state of Haryana, are heart-rending and need to be condemned in a strongest-possible manner.

Hoogly, West Bengal.

The shutting down of a rehabilitation centre in Hooghly district, where a destitute woman was suspectedly raped and murdered a fortnight ago, has come as a blessing in disguise for hapless inmates of the "horror home".

Now shifted to a shelter home at Narendrapur off Kolkata, the women say they have got a fresh lease of life.

"We too would have died there due to malnutrition or neglected healthcare. We are lucky to have escaped from there. Almost every month a woman use to die there," 25-year-old woman inmate alleged. Trafficked at the tender age of five, she was staying at the welfare home run by local NGO Dulal Smriti Samsad in a village, 60 km from here.

Following allegations of sexual exploitation and unnatural deaths, the home was closed down by the state government while CID officials are already investigating how many of the inmates had died in the last few months and why were they buried secretly. Skeleton and human bones have already been dug up from the banks of river Damodar.

The police has already arrested home secretary Udaychand Kumar and his aide Shyamal Ghosh, the prime accused in the case, which came to light after the mysterious death of 32-year-old Guriya was reported from the home premises early this month. Inmates have alleged that Ghosh used to molest and rape many of the inmates.

"He was given a free run inside the rooms. Two young mute girls were sexually harassed by him regularly. Those who opposed were beaten up," alleges 19-year-old girl.

"When asked for extra food or even for salt we were beaten up with a thick wooden stick," she says recalling how many inmates "died because of lack of medical attention and malnourishment".

There are dozens of shelter homes running in various states of India. They not only receive hefty grants from the respective governments but also get donations from people. This is the right time that working of all the shelter homes should be reviewed thoroughly mainly because reports of similar abuse of inmates, especially sex-exploitation of girls, have been increasing steadily. The courts in different states should take suo motto of media reports and order immediate scrutiny by constituting judicial panels.

!!!Safe Haven? or House of Death?!!!