The IOC Executive Board has also today accepted the proposal by the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) to site the Youth Olympic Village (YOV) for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in 2010 at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus. Originally the YOV had been foreseen at the National University of Singapore’s University Town. The change is due to the global surge in construction activities and costs of building materials which would have affected the construction of the NUS U-Town.

The NTU campus was identified as the alternative site for the YOV in the Singapore bid. This choice will still meet all the requirements of the YOV and it is consistent with the IOC’s instructions to keep the costs of organising the YOG at a reasonable level.  “Singapore is committed to hosting a successful inaugural YOG,” said SYOGOC Chairman Ser Miang Ng. “The NTU campus will make an outstanding Games village. SYOGOC will continue to work closely with the IOC to ensure that the YOG participants will have their needs well met in comfortable facilities that will provide a memorable living and learning experience during their stay in Singapore in August 2010.”

 

 Learn more on YOG

Today, during an official ceremony in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, IOC President Jacques Rogge handed over a cheque for four million US dollars to Li Chongxi, Deputy Secretary of the Sichuan CPC Committee.

“The IOC has been at the side of the Chinese people and of the victims’ families and loved ones who have suffered from the devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province in May”, said Rogge during the ceremony.

This donation will give a boost to the reconstruction of sports infrastructure in the region.

Li Chongxi warmly thanked the IOC for its support which, in his words, symbolises the care and support from the Olympic Family for the victims of the earthquake. One project which will be undertaken thanks to the funding is the reconstruction of a school for prospective Olympic talents – an important element to promote the region’s sports development.

The IOC’s donation, which follows a first sum of one million USD for immediate disaster relief, is matched by two million USD from BOCOG and two million USD by the National Olympic Committee for China. With only six days left until the start of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Jacques Rogge concluded: “Although for many people finding joy in the Beijing Olympic Games may be difficult, we hope that there will be moments in the next few weeks which will help people to find inspiration and serve as a reminder of the world which stands behind you.”

Boxing may be the only Olympic sport that is still strictly amateur but it has been responsible for launching the professional career of many a great champion. The list of previous winners reads like a who’s who of sport.

 

Muhammad Ali (as Cassius Clay) won the light-heavyweight title in 1960; heavyweights Joe Frazier and George Foreman followed him four and eight years later respectively; 1976 was Sugar Ray Leonard’s year; and in 1992 a young Mexican-American by the name of Oscar de la Hoya won the lightweight title in Barcelona.

 

The all-time Olympic podium is shared by three men who have each won three Olympic gold medals. The first was Hungary’s László Papp, who won at middleweight in 1948 and then at light middleweight at the two subsequent Games. His feat was emulated by two Cuban heavyweights, Teófilo Stevenson in 1972, 1976 and 1980 and, two decades later, Felix Savon. Papp eventually turned professional but neither Cuban ever did and, to this day, Cuba has a fine tradition in Olympic boxing.

 

Hoping to carry that tradition on for Cuba in Beijing will be the 23-year-old heavyweight favourite Osmay Acosta, the 2002 world junior champion. Other countries expected to perform strongly include a very powerful Russian team, who are looking to medal at every weight; the USA, who will be out to improve on just one gold in the last two Games; and Thailand, who as a nation are pinning their hopes on their boxers.

 

Hosts China will be banking on light flyweight Zou Shiming, who won the world amateur title in Chicago last year after beating Harry Tanamor of the Philippines in the final. Tanamor, a southpaw who reached the last 16 in Athens four years ago, was twice a world amateur bronze medallist before taking silver behind Zou last year, and the pair could meet again in Beijing.  Zou will be favourite but Tanamor, who celebrates his 31st birthday during the Games, will be trying to become the first ever Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal.

 

 

 Discover Boxing

 Learn more on Beijing 2008

Following discussions the IOC has held with the organisers of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on the difficulties experienced this week in accessing some web sites, the IOC is pleased to see that the issues are quickly being resolved. 

 

At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as the Chinese women’s volleyball team entered the arena for the final against the USA, their star spiker Lang Ping, nicknamed the “Iron Hammer”, spotted the US coach and three of his players already wearing gold medals. “Let’s pluck those medals from their necks,” she said to her team-mates, and a flawless performance saw China, in their first Olympic Games, finish as winners in straight sets.

 

The re-match
Four years ago in Athens, the Chinese women won again, bringing to an end Cuba’s run of three Olympic titles in a row. Now, China and the US are drawn in the same six-team pool for the 2008 Games and their eagerly anticipated “re-match” will come in the fourth round of games. The “Iron Hammer” is even back as coach – to the Americans! But such is Lang Ping’s popularity in her home country that the Americans, who know their coach simply as Jenny, will be able to rely on great support – and you can be sure they won’t be taking any medals for granted this time.

 

World Cup winner with runner up in same group
Italy and Brazil, World Cup winners and runners-up respectively, are confidently expected to join the Chinese and the Americans among the quarter-finalists. They are drawn together in Pool B which also includes Athens silver medallists Russia, African champions Algeria, Serbia and Kazakhstan. Making up Pool A with China and the US are Poland, Cuba, Japan and Venezuela.

 

Brazil with Giba
The men’s competition is a different ball game for the hosts, who are the lowest ranked of all the teams. China are in a pool with 2004 silver medallists Italy, World Cup bronze medallists Bulgaria, third-ranked USA as well as Japan and Venezuela. The other pool features hot favourites and defending champions Brazil, led by star wing attacker Gilberto Godoy Filho, better known as Giba. Poland, Serbia, Egypt, Germany and Brazil’s arch-rivals Russia make up the group.

 

Beach volleyball
In beach volleyball, Brazil, with men’s defending champions Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos, will be strong again with two pairs seeded in the top three in both the men's and the women's division. But they can expect a challenge from China’s men, in the shape of Penggen Wu and Linyin Xu, and the Olympic women’s champions Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor of the USA.

 

 Discover the Volleyball Channel

 

 

 Learn more on Volleyball

 Learn more on Beijing 2008