South Africa's bid commission for the 2010 Gay Games is confident the country has a better chance than competitors Germany and France to stage the Games in Johannesburg.

Paul Tilly, marketing and communications officer for the bid commission, told the Mail & Guardian Online South Africa is the ideal place for a number of reasons.

"First of all, the Gay Games have never been staged in Africa before. Here we can provide a first-class experience at a developing-country cost," he said.

Another important aspect of the bid is the impact of the Games on economic development, job creation and tourism.

"There will be an enormous impact," he said. "Based on the Chicago estimate [the city hosting the Games in 2006], we believe the Games in Johannesburg would have a direct economic impact of approximately R500-million, and even more throughout the country."

The bid commission proposes that the Games be held from October 2 to 9 2010, 12 weeks after the final of the Soccer World Cup.

"We can utilise the Soccer World Cup infrastructure. There is no other country with that advantage. We will have the transport, resources and knowledge ready. But above all, South Africa deserves the Gay Games," said Tilly.

The commission wants the Games to take place in Johannesburg's Newtown Cultural Precinct, which will be turned into a village with a transport hub, registration facilities, info booths, ticket sales and food stalls

The precinct will also host sports such as basketball, as well as cultural activities at MuseuMAfricA. Other events will be staged at Ellis Park and in Randburg and Kempton Park, among others.

This year's major gay event in South Africa will be the Johannesburg Lesbian and Gay Pride Heritage Week's Pride march from September 17 to 24. Tilly is also the coordinator for Pride, which is themed Pride: Sweet Sixteen: The Right to Be, the Freedom to Express.

Recent financial problems and allegations of mismanagement in the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project, which took over organising Pride, will not have any effect on the Gay Games bid, said Tilly.

"The Gay Games bid commission and the Gay Pride organisation are two separate entities. There is no effect on the bid, gay people or the Games whatsoever."

In November this year, the Federation of Gay Games will hold its annual general meeting in Chicago. Delegates of the federation, including different sports teams and international gay and lesbian organisations, will then vote on the host country for the 2010 Games.

The initial bid document can be found together with other related information on http://www.gaygamesjohannesburg.com

Security in Helsinki is being tightened to never-before seen levels ahead of the world athletics championships starting on Saturday, but police say they are more worried about hooligans and thugs than about terrorism.

Athletes from more than 200 countries will participate in the games set to take place amid record security levels.

"Such high security measures are exceptional when it comes to our history," said Jari Liukku, the deputy chief of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), pointing out that the police alone had spent €6,5-million on additional security for the event.

Despite the heightened fear of terrorist attacks around the world following the deadly bombings in London and Egypt last month, Liukku insists that police are not worried that the championships will be targeted by terrorists.

Based on national and international intelligence "there is no threat when it comes to terrorism in the next two months and during the games", he said.

Police also do not appear very worried about several demonstrations scheduled during the competitions, including one at noon on Sunday against international terrorism.

The main security concern, according to Liukku, is that hooligans will upset the event.

"According to [our] analysis we have reason to suspect that during that period of time there will be some problems caused by hooligans," he cautioned, but maintained that police were prepared for the challenge.

Finland's largest daily Helsingin Sanomat on Monday expressed scepticism at the optimistic stance of the police.

"Let's hope the police know what they are talking about," the paper stated in an editorial.

As many as 30 000 foreign visitors are expected to descend on the city for the spectacle, making it the largest international sporting event since the Olympic Games in Athens last year, according to organisers.

With a few days to go before the start of the championships, there are already between 2 000 and 4 000 visitors crowding the Helsinki airport each hour under the suspicious gaze of large numbers of security guards.

Extra police officers have been flown in from other parts of the country and a number of private security companies, customs and border guards and 600 soldiers from the Finnish military and air force have already been posted to guard the main venues.

Rescue organisations have been put on standby and most of the areas where the sporting events will take place, as well as the athletes' village in Otaniemi on the outskirts of Helsinki, have already been cordoned off.

"Each person is checked on arrival to this area," Liukku said.

Metal detectors like the ones found in airports were set up a week ago, and anyone entering the area, including the athletes and members of the press, are screened.

Throughout the championships no airplanes will be permitted to fly in the airspace over the Olympia stadium or the athletes' village.

Streets near the stadium will also be shut, while backpacks, large bags, picnic baskets, umbrellas or a can or bottle, not to mention knives or forks, have been banned in the sporting arena.

"We are well prepared for the games," Liukku insisted. - Sapa-AFP

Faced with the imposing task of playing one of the most important games in South African soccer history -- the World Cup qualifying game in Burkina Faso early in September -- Bafana Bafana on Wednesday were hit by the disconcerting news that the South African Football Association (Safa) is struggling to secure a critical warm-up fixture for the national team's "shadow" World Cup line-up on August 17.

If Bafana lose in Burkina Faso, the prospects of South Africa qualifying for next year's World Cup tournament in Germany will, in all probability, be reduced to nil.

And it is no secret that coach Stuart Baxter is hoping, as a priority, to piece together the various Bafana segments that have emerged from the recent Gold Cup tournament in the United States, the line-up of local players he will be fielding in next week's Cosafa Cup and the strong complement of overseas-based players into an effective unit.

But the game in which the Bafana coach had hoped to complete this intricate soccer jigsaw puzzle -- the friendly against either Colombia or Iceland on August 17 -- is now in jeopardy.

Indeed, while Safa has dithered and dabbled over arranging the vital game on a date ratified by Fifa for international matches, the bitter irony has surfaced that Colombia and Iceland could now meet if nothing concrete emerges with Bafana.

And emphasising the plight of Safa in arranging the "dress rehearsal" for the Burkina Faso showdown is the fact that 70 nations are already involved in international games of one sort or another on August 17.

"We are desperately trying to sort out something so that Bafana have a game on August 17," said Safa director of international affairs Barney Kujane on Wednesday, "but at this stage there is nothing definite."

Ironically, Safa has taken the precaution of calling up a shortlist of players for what is at this juncture a phantom game on August 17 -- in the hope that something will materialise.

But the suspicion exists that Safa may again have set about closing the stable door in this urgent matter after the horse has bolted. -- Sapa

The Blue Bulls and the Natal Sharks renew their long-standing rivalry when they meet in an Absa Currie Cup qualifying competition clash at Securicor Loftus in Pretoria on Friday night.

The result will have no bearing on the outcome of the qualifying stage, with both teams having already qualified for the Super 8 stage of the country's premier domestic competition. Nevertheless, there remains a lot to play for -- both teams want to keep their unbeaten record intact and earn the honour of finishing in top spot in their section.

The Blue Bulls enjoy home advantage as well as a rich vein of form at present, despite the absence of their Springboks.

The Sharks, who have shown improvement with each game, have shown they have the ability to create and score tries. Despite being away from home, they are likely to give the Bulls their stiffest test so far.

In other section-X action on Friday, the Boland Cavaliers will be looking to put the seal on their qualification for the Super 8 when they face the AMD Valke in Brakpan (7pm), and the Mighty Elephants host the Eagles in Port Elizabeth (5pm).

The Cavaliers need at least a point out of their final match to secure a fourth-placed finish and a well-deserved place in the next round. The Valke are without a win in five starts and will most likely not have the beating of a well-balanced Boland outfit.

The match between the Elephants and the Eagles will be of academic interest with both out of the reckoning. Although the Elephants could draw level with Boland on 11 log points should the men from Wellington slip up, the Port Elizabeth outfit's points difference ratio is too large.

There could still be some fireworks at the death in section Y, with the Leopards, Border Bulldogs and Griffons all having a chance of ending fourth in the standings.

The Leopards are best placed to qualify. They are four points ahead of the Bulldogs and need two points from their last match against Wildeklawer Griquas, taking place at Olen Park in Potchefstroom on Friday (7pm).

Although Griquas' qualification is already confirmed, they are not the type of team to take their foot off the gas and will make the home side work hard.

The Bulldogs need five points from their clash with the @lantic Pumas in East London to keep their chances alive. They would also have to hope that the Leopards are unsuccessful against Griquas.

With home advantage, the Bulldogs have a good chance of getting a bonus-point win against a Pumas side that have been below their best this season.

The final section-Y clash on Friday is between the Griffons and the Cheetahs in Welkom (7pm). For the Griffons to finish fourth, they would have to beat the Cheetahs and earn a bonus point and bank on the Leopards and Bulldogs losing.

This is a tough ask under any circumstances and the Griffons will likely look back on a campaign that has at least helped them to ensure they can be competitive in the first division.

The final Currie Cup qualifying match is between the Lions and the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday August 13. -- Sapa

Four years is a long time in rugby. Four years ago, when South Africa last played a Test against New Zealand in Cape Town, Harry Viljoen was the Springbok coach and Wayne Smith was in charge of the All Blacks. Both teams have changed coach twice since then and both have suffered plenty of false dawns along the way.

Four years ago a slip of a lad by the name of Joe van Niekerk made his international debut off the bench, thus winning a Test cap ahead of his Currie Cup debut. It was also the run-on debut of both Victor Matfield and Marius Joubert, although the latter lasted just 21 minutes and didnÂ’t play another Test for 12 months.

In 2001 it poured with rain and Viljoen finally lost his personal battle against kicking the ball in Test rugby. He had attempted to reinvent Percy Montgomery as a flyhalf and in that guise the latter managed to avoid putting boot to ball for 73 minutes against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Against New Zealand at Newlands Montgomery was restored to fullback with Butch James at flyhalf, but ViljoenÂ’s almost evangelical distaste for the sound of leather on leather persuaded him to enter the match without a recognised place kicker.

As things transpired, Monty landed a penalty in the second minute but missed three more attempts. James knocked one wide in the last minute, while Tony Brown succeeded with four out of four for the visitors, who won 12-3.

South AfricaÂ’s finest extent place kicker, Braam van Straaten, sat disconsolately in the stands, not even part of the match squad. A week later Viljoen saw the light and the recalled Van Straaten scored 15 of South AfricaÂ’s points in a 20-15 win against Australia in Pretoria.

As an interesting side note, the Wallabies under new coach Eddie Jones entered the 2001 Tri-Nations competition on the back of a series against the British and Irish Lions. Four years later the All Blacks do likewise and Montgomery is once again the first-choice kicker for the Boks. But many other things have changed.

For one thing, Montgomery last week became the first South African to get past 500 Test points. His kicking renaissance began as an exile on the sodden fields of Newport. With Test rugby apparently a thing of the past Monty overhauled his kicking method and found the one thing previously missing from every aspect of his game; consistency.

For those who remember MontgomeryÂ’s miserable match against the All Blacks at Loftus in 1999, last SaturdayÂ’s display against the Wallabies seemed almost impossible. He was rarely out of position, never panicked and kicked beautifully. As a result the Boks won a game that might easily have been lost.

Coach Jake WhiteÂ’s unbeaten home record thus remains intact, but the pressure is about to be turned up. The All Blacks are rested and confident, aware perhaps that history is on their side. This will be the eighth Test between the two sides at Newlands and, strange but true, the All Blacks lead the series 5-2.

It is easily their most successful venue in this country and, just as you wonder why the Boks should ever be allowed to play the Wallabies at sea level, it seems patent madness to play New Zealand in Cape Town. It goes without saying that the fixture secretary of the South African Rugby Union knows little and cares less for history.

White has tweaked his team once again, recalling Schalk Burger, Os du Randt and Ricky Januarie. All three selections strengthen the Boks and it can only be hoped that the return of Burger will be a permanent fixture.

It seems that every lunatic and his friend has an opinion on the 2004 world player of the year, but you can bet that All Black coach Graham Henry was the most disappointed man in the country when BurgerÂ’s name was read out by White on Wednesday.

It was coincidence, of course, but 30 seconds after Burger ran on to the field at Loftus last week Breyton Paulse scored a try. More germane was the fact that the Boks competed properly at the rucks from the moment that Burger entered the fray.

The opposite was true of the scrums when John Smit moved to tight head to accommodate the Test debut of Gary Botha with 15 minutes left. That much was forgivable, but why did Smit (and presumably White) need to let Botha throw the ball in at the lineouts?

This might seem like nitpicking, but such muddled thinking will not do against the All Blacks. At Newlands the many good things that White has instilled in his young team have to come to the fore. Matfield and Bakkies Botha must maintain their lineout dominance, the rush defence must hold its shape and the kicking from hand must be ruthlessly efficient.

Even so, it might not be enough, for this is a fine All Black team, based around the most competitive pack to come out of New Zealand since the retirement of Sean Fitzpatrick. HenryÂ’s contribution to the national side has been to add the vital touch of mongrel in the forwards to an always sublimely skilled back division.

It was the Kiwi tight five who softened up the Lions and the Boks will have to at least gain parity up front if they are to be competitive in Cape Town. ItÂ’s not beyond the realms of possibility and if it should happen the Boks will be favourites to win the competition for a second successive year. ThatÂ’s something worth playing for.

You may have read in the newspapers recently that FIFA have now decided on a new interpratation of the Offside Law. They have decided that "a player will only be flagged offside if he touches the ball when he is in an offside position. Not if he is interfering with play, but only if he touches the ball.

The English Football Association, together with several other Associations in Europe are not going to introduce it and will remain with the way it was enforced last season.

Views and comments would be appreciated.

One name from each country back in 1980 the 20th anniversary year...

Austria - Lionel Spencer
England - Damien Delaney
Germany - Rod Willemburg
Greece - Alec Aylward
Holland - Gregory Milne
Isreal - Geoff Cohen
Italy - Peter Parish
Portugal - Bernie Pita
Scotland - Sean Buchanan
Switzerland - Wilf de Bruin

First league champions 1980 - Holland
second League champs 1980 - England
Third league champs 1980 - Portugal

and the next post will 1981.....


come on Ade, Ali, mcamp, duck---

:am:

Beeld deurloop: Ons moet krokodille van ouderdom trotseer

Ek kuier 'n week of wat gelede by vriendin Annemarie in Johannesburg en ons sit, rûe teen die son, op die breë vensterbank van haar ruim woonkamer.

Dis een van die wintervreugdes in Johannesburg, dié sit in die loom son.

As jy uit die wind kan bly, is Juliemaand se Hoëveldse koue maklik te trotseer.

Ons het mekaar lanklaas gesien en die rede vir die ontmoeting nóú is droef: ek het Gauteng toe gekom om die begrafnisdiens van 'n geliefde gemeenskaplike vriend by te woon en ek bly by Annemarie oor.

Daar's baie om in te haal, en gemaklik in die son, gesels ons ou stukke en kopstukke, soos dit ou vriende betaam.

Eers kom die kinders aan die beurt, en ons deel ons onderlinge kommer en verlange.

Dan die droewe situasie onder hande, en die gemis aan ander vriende uit ons jeug.

En dan, onvermydelik, gesien ons ouderdom, ons gesondheid.

Dié probeer ons altyd so gou moontlik uit die weg te ruim, want dit kan nogal 'n uitgerekte treurmare word waarvoor daar, op die keper, geen oplossing bestaan nie.

Tóé het ek gedink dis nogal snaaks, maar nou weet ek van beter: Jare gelede kla my skoonmoeder, die geliefde Ouma Ella, oor die baie skete van die ouderdom - die rumatiek, die kort asemhaling, die knaende vermoeidheid.

En sy kies die immer-jeugdige Rykie van Reenen om by te kla:
Ek kan die ouderdom nie meer verduur nie, sê sy.

En verdien stellig Rykie se lakonieke vraag: En wat van die alternatief?
Nadat ons klaar ons pad deur al die skete gebaan het, vertel ek die klein verhaal van Ouma Ella se klae en Rykie se respons en ons lag saam, maar met 'n nuwe begrip.

En Annemarie vertel.
Vir haar 70ste verjaardag die vorige jaar, sê sy, neem haar kinders haar Tanzanië toe om die verhuising van die trekbokke te gaan kyk.

Dis iets om te sien, sê sy, die derduisende troppe wild (blouwildebeeste, sebras) wat suidwaarts trek, gedryf deur 'n onweerstaanbare instink wat hulle wegneem uit die droër wordende noorde na groener weivelde.

Maar maklik is dit natuurlik nie. Dis ver, en daar's kleintjies by wat beskerm moet word, en daar's roofdiere, en natuurlik die riviere. En dis juis dáár waar die gids die oop voertuig geparkeer het, langs 'n drif, 'n vlakker plek in die rivier waar die diere moet deur.

Die trop maal en maal langs die water, want nie net is hulle skrikkerig vir die lopende water nie, maar op die walle van die rivier lê daar dosyne krokodille (sy't 26 getel, sê Annemarie), reeds spekvet van al die wildsvleis.

Uiteindelik skraap die leier van die trop al sy moed bymekaar en hy steek die water in.

Die trop vloei agter hom aan en met dié gly die krokodille ook die water in, en net oomblikke later stroom die water rooi.

Maar die leier is oor, en die meeste van die trop, en mettertyd word die water weer stil.

Annemarie lag effens.

Dis maar wat ons leeftyd beteken, sê sy. Ons moet die krokodille van die ouderdom trotseer.

Sy bly 'n oomblik stil: En die gras aan die anderkant gaan beslis soeter wees!
Toe gaan maak sy vir ons rooibostee. Dis glo goed vir die gesondheid.

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Schalk Burger has served his sentence for his sin-binning in South Africa's Mandela Challenge match against Australia.

The fiery blond Western Province flank was on Wednesday restored to the starting line-up for Saturday's Tri-Nations match against the All Blacks at Newlands.

"Schalk made a huge impact off the bench last week. He will start on Saturday," said coach Jake White on Wednesday as he announced his team at a press conference in Cape Town.

"We've got three very difficult Test matches coming up - against the All Blacks on Saturday, Australia in Perth and then again New Zealand in Dunedin. He'll play a big part in all three of those tests."

'We've got three very difficult Test matches coming up'
Burger got a yellow card for a stiff arm on Wallaby flank Rocky Elsom when he came off the bench in South Africa's 33-20 win at Ellis Park.

He was expected to be restored to the starting line-up for last week's 22-16 win at Loftus, but White expressed concern about his lack of discipline and kept him on the bench.

"We talk to him a lot," said White. "Like I've said before, he's a youngster.

"It's part of coaching. I suppose that's why it's called 'coaching'. You coach players to improve. He's seen now that we get results whether he's on the bench or not."

The absence of a player in Burger's mould was nevertheless missed last week, and his battle with All Black star Richie McCaw this weekend could be pivotal to the result.

"Schalk wasn't picked as the IRB player of 2004 without good reason. He's an important asset to our team," said White