Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Games can prove pivotal in educating young athletes on dangers of doping

INNSBRUCK, Jan 15 - It is an extremely sensitive issue. One of the Youth Olympic Games’ goals is to educate young athletes about the perils of doping, yet to dismiss the possibility of illegal substances infiltrating the event would be foolish.

So what happens to an athlete who, with a potentially long future ahead in sport, tests positive at the Games?

The answer according to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Director General David HOWMAN (NZL) is difficult, especially after two wrestlers were caught and disqualified at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.


Although emphasising that such an athlete will “bring extreme shame on himself or herself, the family and the country,” and that “if somebody is stupid enough to bring to an event like this those kinds of substances, he or she deserves that sort of criticism,” HOWMAN, who is at the Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games for the launch of its Culture and Education Programme and WADA’s booth, elaborated further.

“What really worries me is an athlete told to do something which they are not sure about. If a coach says, ‘Take this because it is the best thing for you', and the young athlete is not able to argue with the coach, and then tests positive, what are we doing about the coach? What do we do about the agent who slips a couple of pills into an athlete’s drink because that agent wants to get more famous?”

“That is the area we have not nailed yet. We can ban athletes, but what do we do about the people around him? That is a big issue.”

WADA was formed in 1999 after a string of doping scandals at the Tour de France.

Despite the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and virtually all national and sporting federations, the agency has in recent years endured a trying relationship with some partners.

The IOC’s ‘Rule 45’, which bars from the next Olympic Games athletes banned for more than six months, was nullified in October after WADA took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Another organisation in court is the British Olympic Association. It disallows its shamed sportsmen from selection to Great Britain’s Olympic team for life, which is considered by WADA to be non-compliant of the anti-doping code.

“What everybody agreed right from the start was one set of rules that covers everybody. But then you get people who say, ‘Hang on, we want to be stronger than that’,” HOWMAN said.

“You can’t do that. You can’t have somebody in Britain treated differently from somebody in Singapore. It makes no sense.”

HOWMAN added that instead of heading to the CAS, stakeholders should table their suggestions for a review of the code and debate them with the international community.

However, human rights issues aside, the former sports lawyer wants to remind everyone that already in the current code, a second offence can trigger a lifetime ban. “But people forget that,” he said.

Communicating to the public is in fact a cause he feels strongly about.

A lack of accurate information, HOWMAN insists, breeds ignorance.

Cycling’s many reported cases of steroid use, for example, are in large part due to the sport’s extremely strict drug-testing system.

“If you don’t talk about it, people won’t know,” he said, referring to certain sports that test for doping in a less-than-efficient manner and then claim that they are “clean”.

As recently as 2010, the 254,000 samples submitted to WADA only revealed 36 cases of EPO abuse.

Regarding these plots to “beat the system,” HOWMAN said, “I was both disappointed and a little bit angry because what we’re trying to do is support the 'clean' athlete and show that everything is being done to make sure the 'unclean' athletes are not competing against you.”

He assured that steps have been taken and that WADA will continue to improve its methods.

The Montreal-based agency now has links with law enforcement groups worldwide in broadening its surveillance, at the same time hiring investigator Jack ROBERTSON, formerly of the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration.

HOWMAN is hopeful, starting at the Youth Olympic Games.

“These Games are an opportunity for young athletes to be fully educated so they won’t succumb to later temptations.”

IOC Young Reporter Tan Thiam Peng

Monday, January 30, 2012

Children from earthquake-hit region of Japan are an Olympic inspiration

INNSBRUCK, Jan 14 - Among the 1100 athletes at the Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games who have toiled for years at their craft, there is a very special group of youngsters who have probably endured more hardship than most.

Thirteen Japanese students from the earthquake-ravaged regions of Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi, at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), are here at the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games to soak in the atmosphere and support their compatriots.

Led by seven-time Olympian Seiko HASHIMOTO (JPN), the 13 to 15-year-olds, all of whom are winter sports enthusiasts, visited Olympiaworld Innsbruck on the first day of competition.

"It feels great to come here. It is a good experience and I will try to use this experience for life," Kai IGARASHI, a skier himself, said.

The group had much to cheer after speed skater Toshihiro KAKUI (JPN) took the Bronze medal in the Men's 500 m Speed Skating competition on Saturday.

"I am really excited to watch this kind of world-class competition," Moe MISHIMA said. "It encourages me to work harder to reach the same level."

Only 13, MISHIMA’s infectious smile conceals a devastating past 10 months. The budding speed skater lost two members of her family to the March 2011 tragedy.

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami waves left more than 15,800 people dead, and the country continues to manage the resultant nuclear accidents.

MISHIMA is still living in temporary housing today, but her optimism is an inspiration to everyone.

"Sport is my life, and it gives me the encouragement and spirit to go forward," she said.

The trip to Innsbruck 2012 is one of several initiatives proposed by the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia in the hope of bringing some comfort to the Japanese.

Previously, for instance, the United States women’s soccer team was flown in for an informal game with children from the affected areas.

Toru KOBAYASHI (JPN), a Japanese Olympic Committee official following the group, said, "They are still in the process of recovery, but we want them to understand many people support them, not just in terms of [monetary] donations, but simply to say hello or ask if they are okay."

"When people see they are from Japan, they often wish them well."


HASHIMOTO, who won a Bronze medal in Speed Skating at the Albertville 1992 Olympic Winter Games, sees sports and the Olympic movement as a force to spur the kids on to a better future.

"The goal of coming here is to see the world and find the courage to stand up to difficulties. Sports can do that," HASHIMOTO said.

"Many of them have a hard time forgetting the disaster. It is good for them to see people competing at the top level, and understand how they got there. Working hard and keeping at it are values they need in their own lives at the moment. They shouldn't stop doing their sports, but through sports see the positive side of life again."

IGARASHI is the perfect example. The Fukushima native revealed that the time he has to hone his skills has significantly reduced since last year's disaster, but as a result he puts even more effort into his training.

Iwate's Momoi SUZUKI added: "Sports allows me to interact with many people from all over the world. That’s a very beautiful thing."

IOC Young Reporter Tan Thiam Peng

Thursday, January 26, 2012

it's a wrap!

no prizes this time, but im nonetheless very glad i topped this edition of the IOC Young Reporters Program, at Innsbruck 2012, albeit unofficially.

i went there with fire in the belly for several reasons, and im glad i proved to myself i can be good. i proved i wasnt there to make up numbers or continents, i wasnt there as a token Singapore rep, and i wasnt 'second choice'.

i cant put my finger on why, but Innsbruck 2012 was much more thoroughly enjoyable than Singapore 2010. not cos of what i now know, but the process. im really really grateful for all the kind words from Lucia (Montanarella), Roddie (McVake), Nick (Didlick) and Anthony (Edgar). they mean so much. more than ive expressed.

and Tracey (Holmes) for that post-curling late-night sms that came out of the blue: "thiam peng ur a star well done today u will go far."

i think my performance can be attributed to a couple of stories, mainly WADA, the Japanese kids, curling (and my indefatigable grit to master it in one day) and the last-minute Olympian. will put them up here shortly.

only pity was most of what i had prepared editorially prior to the Games weren't used.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Singapore vs Others

more than just hearing outsiders' opinions as a host, here at the winter YOG i got to know more about what they think of singapore without the pressure of being patronising.

i was talking to nick (usa) and luke (aus) about the american presidential race and luke asked me if something political recently happened in singapore, cos he's been reading my politically charged fb posts. when told about the watershed elections, he asked if singapore's become less conservative, and that struck me.

he had stated an assumption and hence given me a new perception - right or left, the sitting government, especially the longer they do, will become the conservatives. the opposition will always evolve into the radical or the liberal.

on another occasion, talked to the two african girls diacounda (sen) and ellina (zim). since they're distinct from singapore and innsbruck, plus the fact they're from a place very different, i wanted to know how their experiences have been.
  1. the language factor. most singaporeans speak english, making the city a suitable host for an international event. austrians dont, although i pointed out europeans dont really give a damn about english anyway. but note, this comment came from diacounda, a native french speaker. she knows a little english because english is universal.
  2. the people factor. singapore is hardcore in haolian to the world, and the moment we won hosting rights to YOG i knew we'd nail it. them both complimented how there were volunteers everywhere in singapore, who were helpful. here, which i can verify with my own experience, volunteers are scarce and i hate to say this but oddly angmohs may be a nice bunch but those running these Games are not. i suspect there's a lot to do with innsbruck having hosted two senior Olympics so this is no big deal really.
  3. the food factor. cos they're african and im asian and i can empathise. angmoh food is really not for us. singapore's dining hall had several sections catering to different taste buds. here it's just angmoh food that pei lei and ji ye (chn) also disapprove of. rice is a halfhearted attempt with nothing to go with it, while the same breakfast of breads, cheese, eggs and bacon every day is hardly appetising.
on another occasion, the monkey brothers ben (isr) and arnel (uru) mentioned singapore's death sentence for drug possession. so we assessed the three countries.

arnel is shocked by singapore's system. uruguay, for being such a scary place, has no capital punishment. but then he argues uruguayans probably rather die than go to their prisons.

the death sentence exists in israel but, almost paling in comparison, is only meted out to nazi criminals. ben is of the view that allowing tobacco freely yet hanging people for possessing grams of powder is simply hypocrisy.

when IOC reporter alan and i were casually talking, i asked what he thought of singapore. and he was frank.

"really boring. the people are wonderful, but the place is very boring. there are so many malls. there's nothing other than shopping."

mind you, the fella's canadian, and that place cant claim to be any exciting.

he talked about a nice young volunteer whom he worked with, who told him about the social ladder in singapore.

"he has so much pressure to do well in school. his parents run a food stall, have barely any day off in a year, and their biggest dream is that he doesn't take over the stall. why?" he wondered, unable to comprehend anything other than that selling food is a legitimate, good and honest job.

and finally.

ben: why does singapore have a conscript army like us?
me: because we're in the same situation.
ben (turning serious): no you're not. indonesia? malaysia? tell me, do your neigbours want to kill you?
me: ...
ben: can you go to malaysia anytime you want?
me: yes.
ben: your government just wants you to panic.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

And I wish I was a camera sometimes,
So I could take your picture with my mind.
Put it in a frame for you to see,
How beautiful you really are to me.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

This is our time

the story of the day since arriving in Innsbruck has been my lack of resistance to the ice cold. one moment it's not enough clothes, next moment it's not the right clothes, and another was a 30-second nought-to-headache incident.

i wonder how im gonna backpack in this weather, not helped by my increasing load as we're given more and more things everyday.

but if there's one thing that's good so far in this climate, it's the size of the Young Reporters group. everyone seems to be connecting better with fewer faces to talk to.

it's Day 2 and the dinner was nice, with a couple of interesting trivia dropping out:
  1. YOG visitors aren't aware of the YOG political fallout locally that played a part in the eventual election results.
  2. Ben and Arnel aren't gay. but are willing to be if Iuliia joins them in the shower.
  3. Yogger might just be the next big thing in technology. with many nuances.
  4. Ben categorically states there are no ghosts in this world, hence Singaporean Chinese should stop offering food during the Seventh Month.
  5. Nick is smaller than Ben and Arnel.
  6. there is no snooker in Canada, just pool.
  7. Ukraine is a mysterious place.
  8. Kimiya is writing a thesis on women.
  9. Kimiya has an unglam video somewhere online.
  10. the seemingly immature boy is still immature 18 months on, this time even Anthony stepping in to give a cheeky retort.
  11. opinions of the other YRs are interesting, to say the least.

Saturday, January 07, 2012

Godthink

a study at the University of Chicago put subjects through three basic questions:
  1. What are your beliefs regarding this specific issue?
  2. What do you think other people believe regarding this issue?
  3. What do you think God believes regarding this issue?

The most interesting part of the study involved functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the neural activity of subjects as they reasoned through their answers to the three questions above. The scans showed that separate regions of the brain were activated when subjects answered question 1 (what I believe) in comparison to question 2 (what other people believe).

However – and this is the interesting part – question 3 (what God believes) activated the same part of the brain that was activated when answering question 1, suggesting that we draw on our own personal beliefs when thinking about what God might believe.

the above study seems to suggest that people tend to colour what they think God's morality is according to their own beliefs.

Thursday, January 05, 2012

"Aerodynamics are for people who can't build (good) engines."
Enzo Ferrari

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

疯神无双 疯秘笈

礼金

结婚嘉宴的时候为了祝贺
宾客们都会准备礼金
來祝福新人
礼金的多少则跟交情有关

包三百的
可能是你的兄弟兼死党
包一百八的
可能是你的好朋友

那包三十还帶全家來的呢
赶快报警抓他