Let the Games Begin

The greatest show on earth begins in less than six days. The grand opening ceremony of the London Olympiad would be telecast live across the globe at 9 pm (BST). I would be fortunate to view it at 11 pm local time since I’m in the middle-east. Most of the other European nations would have a time advantage too, come Friday evening. However, back home in India and the other parts of Asia, the date would be 28^th August; Saturday since it would be well past midnight by the time the show begins. This year’s games would feature more than 10,000 athletes from over 200 nations.

Despite the furore and the negativity surrounding the start of the summer games over safety, security and the capability of the organizing committee to handle and manage thousands of athletes, fans & officials that has been pouring in over the last few days, the games would leave a lasting legacy of sporting excellence and several fond memories.

The famous Olympic torch has already made its way to London a couple of days ago. Defending champion and men’s singles gold medalist from Beijing 2008, Rafael Nadal would not be carrying the Spanish flag this summer since he has pulled out owing to a knee injury. Feliciano Lopez replaces him. One can only sympathize and feel sorry for the great Rafa who would unfortunately miss this rare honor that’s bestowed upon select athletes.

The legendary Roger Federer would be returning to his favorite turf at AELTC to have a shot at the men’s singles gold medal to add to his overflowing showcase of silverware. The indomitable Williams sisters would like to have something around their necks as well. In football, Argentina would be looking for a hat-trick of gold medals.

In athletics, lightning is likely to strike again in the form of Usain Bolt who would face a stiff challenge from Jamaican and country mate Yohan Blake in the 100m. Can Jamaica topple the USA in the sprint events in the men’s and women’s categories? We’ll have to wait and watch. In swimming, the man they call the Baltimore Bullet would have a tough challenge ahead of him in the form of Ryan Lochte. It would be an amazing feat if Micheal Phelps goes on to win 7 gold medals at London 2012. Who can forget his magnificent 8 gold medal haul at Beijing in 2008. In pole vault, the ever green Russian Yelena Isinbayeva would look to win gold again and break another of her own world records.  

As usual, it would be a battle between China & the USA for the top two spots in the medals table. Last time around, it was the Asian giant that topped the medals table winning the highest number of Gold medals four years ago. The Chinese would be dominant in Table Tennis, Gymnastics, and Badminton with these three sporting disciplines fetching them the maximum number of medals. The other countries in the top 10 would be Germany, Australia, Great Britain, Russia & France.

As far as India’s chances are concerned, it is likely to win at least six medals. The main contenders in my opinion are: Saina Nehwal (Badminton), Vijendar Kumar (Boxing), Sushil Kumar & Yogeshwar Dutt (Wrestling), Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang & Ranjan Singh Sodhi (Shooting), Mary Kom (Boxing) & Deepika Kumari (Archery). It would be wonderful if we could win some medals in weightlifting, track & field and tennis as well. This Olympics would see the Indian contingent win the most number of medals ever.

Anagrams 3

Unscramble the word/words below to get the answer based on the hints provided:

1.       YRGBU – A contact sport

2.       GOAL RUBTOK– Legendary Olympic Gymnast

3.       ANDALLHB – 7 Players in each team

4.       NADW ZERARF – Great Australian Swimmer

5.       ROSIB REEKBC – A tennis legend

6.       ODONLN – Olympic Venue

7.       TREEP AGED – Danish Badminton Star

8.       IRONAM NOESJ – Started her career as a Basketball player

9.    SAUNI TOLB – Lightning strikes

10. NEBROL  MAESJ – Basketball USA

11. RALHOTTEC POROEC – Tennis star of yesteryear

12. ERGG GALUOSIN – One of the greatest Olympic divers

13. VAJRIE MOTORAYES – High Jumper

14. ALIG VEERSD – American Sprinter

15. LYF GWIETH – Boxing category

16. REABS – Think Fencing

17. RERYAHC – Modern Bow & Arrow

Trivia 2

1. Norman Pritchard became the first Indian to win two silver medals at the 1900 Paris Olympiad
2. The 1500 m is the last event in the Decathlon
3. Rohini Bharadwaj represented the USA in gymnastics at the Olympics
4. Gao Lin from China is the female shuttler to have won the most number of medals in Badminton at the Olympics
5. Japan was supposed to have hosted the summer Olympiad in the year 1940, but the event was cancelled due to World War II
6. Sam the Eagle was the mascot of the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles
7. The Blue ring on the Olympic flag represents the continent of Europe
8. The “Fosbury Flop” was named after its inventor - the legendary Dick Fosbury. It’s a high jump technique
9. The Equestrian events in the 2008 Beijing games were not held in China, but in Hong Kong
10. In the 1908 Olympics, the Russian team did not turn up in time for the shooting event and the gold medal was awarded to the American team. The Russians turned up 2 weeks late due to the difference in time zones between the Julian and the Gregorian calendars
11. Ice Hockey – a winter sport, made its debut at the summer Olympics in Antwerp in 1928
12. The three mascots of the 2000 Sydney games were Syd, Mille & Oly – short forms for “Sydney”, “Millennium”  & “Olympics”
13. Yoshimori Sakai was given the honor of being the torch bearer during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics since he was born on 6^th August 1945 in Hiroshima, the day of the bombing
14. The country to have won the most number of medals at the Athens Olympics in 1896 was Greece
15. Table Tennis as we know it today was earlier referred to as “Ping Pong”

Anagrams - 2

Unscramble the word/words below to get the answer based on the hints provided:

1.       WIDNE EOSMS – One of the greatest hurdlers ever

2.       NAAY NONOTAV – Wimbledon Champion in the 90s

3.       EAESGSRD – Think of Horses

4.       OPEL ULAVT – Take off from the ground

5.       ORKB TNYARB – Basketball

6.       GINCEA KIRYET – Indian Hockey Star

7.       TCAMOSS – An integral part of the modern Olympics

8.       CNFGIEN – Sword fighting?

9.       ECDEU – “Equal” in tennis

10.   NOLLEI IMSES – The greatest footballer ever? May be

11.   MJI REOHPT – A legendary athlete

12.   CGROE ARNOM – Wrestling style

13.   MEMLOP SOERH – Think of Gymnastics

14.   PMJU LABL – An Olympic sport

15.   NIGIVD – Water?

16.   CAMR TRESOS – From Federer’s land

17.   ATHANORM – Considerable distance

Anagrams 1

Unscramble the word/words below to get the answer based on the hints provided:

1.       ATMT  NIOBID – American Olympic Swimmer who won medals in three consecutive Olympics

2.       GINWSMIM – An Olympic sport

3.       LATOERNM – An Olympic venue

4.       ARLC WSILE – A legendary athlete

5.       ILME EPKOAZT – A great long distance runner

6.       IRENBL – An Olympic host

7.       ETTLISACH – Outdoor events

8.       UEDBOL PTAR – Shooting

9.       ONGIWR – Something to do with water

10.   NUORD IRBON  - A format for teams in  a group

11.   JNURA PAPLAHA – Indian Hockey Player

12.   AONHY KELAB – Usain Bolt’s nemesis?

13.   IAHLK UARMK – Indian Boxer

14.   EUSSHR IALADMK  - Commonwealth Games

15.   SOBIR CEREKB – Wimbledon

16.   OYTKO – Olympic Host

17.   DJOU – Originated in Japan

Trivia

1. Wilma Rudolph, the legendary American athlete won 3 gold medals in athletics in the 1960 Rome Olympics. She was diagnosed with Polio as a child
2. The triple jump was earlier known as the hop, step and jump
3. The black ring on the Olympic flag represents the continent of Africa
4. India beat USA 24-1 in an Olympic hockey match
5. Los Angeles was the only Non-European nation to have hosted the summer Olympics in 1932 between two world wars
6. The hockey team of New Zealand is referred to as “Black Sticks”
7. Melbourne became the first host city outside the continents of North America & Europe to have hosted the Olympic games in 1956
8.  The Indian National Anthem was sung for the first time at the 1948 London Olympics
9. Stockholm became the first Scandinavian venue for the Olympics in 1912
10. The 1908 London games lasted 187 days
11. The famous Husband & Wife duo to have won gold in the same Olympics in Badminton were Alan Budi Kusuma & Susi Susanti
12. In the 1972 Munich Games, Russia beat USA in a controversial Basketball final
13. Future World War II General George Patton won the Pentathlon in the 1912 games
14. The concept of the Olympic Village as we know it today was first brought about in the Los Angeles games in 1932 where 500 houses were specially constructed for the male participants
15. Flying Mare & Cradle are terms used in wrestling
16. France became the first nation to host both the summer as well as the winter games
17. In Archery, the dead centre of the target is known as the Pinhole

Hope you liked it. I compiled this from the Olympics Quiz show on ESPN-Star Sports hosted by the popular Alan Wilkins.

Olympic Anagrams to follow in my next blog…