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/ 21 December 2007
Sport and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile spoke to Lucky Sindane about the new Sports Amendment Act, which allows government to intervene in all sporting matters. He said that once the playing grounds have been levelled, our children will start from the same starter blocks with an equal preparation and opportunity to win.
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/ 19 December 2007
The hardest part is yet to come for Beijing Olympic organisers, heading into 2008 with all plans in place but potential pitfalls aplenty in the run-up to the event in August. Traffic congestion, closely linked to air quality, food security, media freedom and human rights as well as boycott calls are issues likely to flare up again over the coming months.
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/ 3 November 2007
International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Jacques Rogge said on Friday that poor air quality in Beijing could disrupt events in next year’s games. ”We will not hesitate to delay or postpone events if the air quality could harm athletes,” Rogge said during a speech in Chicago.
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/ 2 November 2007
China warned on Thursday that unauthorised protests will not be tolerated during the Olympics next year, raising the prospect of detentions for civil rights campaigners and religious activists during the two-week event. The warning came as the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Olympic truce resolution for the 2008 Beijing Games.
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/ 31 October 2007
Beijing Olympics organisers apologised on Wednesday after suspending ticket sales following a booking system meltdown, their first major blunder in preparations for next year’s Games. About 1,8-million event tickets were supposed to go on sale on Tuesday on a first-come-first-served basis for people living in China.
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/ 12 October 2007
It’s almost sunset at Soweto’s Orlando Power Park Dam and the wind is blowing gently. Three boys, aged 13, emerge from a clump of trees in the park carrying two canoes on their heads. Yanga Mphalala, Sifiso Cebekhulu and Siseko Ntondini are members of the Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club, based at the dam.
Reversing years of denials, United States track superstar Marion Jones pleaded guilty on Friday to lying to federal investigators and admitted using steroids, which could cost her the five medals she won in the 2000 Olympics. In a sober court hearing and a tear-filled appearance before reporters, Jones (31) admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.
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/ 14 September 2007
A group of Afrikaner activists under the banner of AfriForum is off to Europe to draw the International Olympic Committee’s attention to the threat of interference in sport posed by the National Sport and Recreation Amendment Bill. The legislation was passed by the National Council of Provinces on Thursday.
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/ 4 September 2007
Days before the opening match of the Rugby World Cup, a global coalition representing news agencies and newspapers is still at odds with the International Rugby Board (IRB) concerning coverage of the event. Despite progress on several fronts over the last two weeks, two points of contention concerning photographs remain.