38
filipino globe
palakasan
April 2008
Troubled torch relay
begins Asian swing
The Olympic torch arrived in
Pakistan on the first leg of its relay
OLYMPICUPDATE
in Asia amid security worries that
countdown continues
led to a change of venue in the
country’s capital, Islamabad.
The torch, touring the world
ahead of the Olympic Games in
Beijing in August, arrived in a
chartered plane from Muscat at
an airbase in the nearby city of
Rawalpindi.
Officials said there were part in a marathon on April 30 to the
no specific threats to disrupt the National Stadium, also known as the
Olympic flame’s procession and “Bird’s Nest”.
they did not expect any anti-China
protests, which have plagued the
Flight times cut
global torch relay elsewhere.
Demonstrators have targeted the
Flight delays at Beijing Capital
relay over China’s treatment of
International Airport are expected to
Tibetans during a recent crackdown
ease this summer, thanks to a new
after riots and protests in the Tibetan
corridor that allows aircraft to bypass
capital Lhasa and surrounding
the city’s crowded skies when flying
regions.
between Europe and the southern
China’s policies on Sudan have
cities of China, an official with the
also angered demonstrators.
air traffic management bureau said
Some world leaders have decided
yesterday.
South African Trevor Immelman inherits the green jacket from Zach Johnson, last year’s Masters champion.
to boycott the opening ceremonies,
but US President George Bush is
likely to attend.
100-day countdown
It’s a celebration fit
On April 30, Beijing will hold a
series of celebrations to mark the
100-day countdown to the Games.
This was announced by Zhao
Dongming, director of organizing for a Masters king
committee. With the new route, flights from
As part of the celebrations, 30 Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong
songs selected for the Games will be Kong to Europe will no longer be
announced, he said. required to pass through Beijing.
Trevor Immelman gets a taste of glory and wonders when it will all sink in
A song entitled “Welcome to The International Air Transport
Beijing,” written specially for the Association said the corridor will
to win the Masters since Gary Player,
countdown activity by Hong Kong shorten flights by an average of 60
Tiger his idol and inspiration, 30 years
lyricist Lam Jik, will be performed nautical miles.
S
o you’ve tamed Augusta
National, humbled
Woods and inherited the green earlier.
by 100 artists from Hong Kong, The experience of previous
jacket. Until this time, Immelman’s most
Chinese Taipei and the Chinese Olympic host cities has shown there
If you were Trevor Immelman, important achievement had been
mainland. will be significantly more air traffic
you’d bask in the glory, get high- winning the Nedbank Challenge
Ten thousand runners will take in China’s skies during the Games.
fives from the Boston Celtics, sit four months ago in South Africa, an
across from David Letterman and event he regards one notch below the
read his “Top 10”, and get your majors.
photo taken atop the Empire State No sooner had he settled down
Building. from the euphoria than he found
In fact, that’s exactly what the himself in a hospital listening to
South African did a day after doctors explain that the pain he felt
winning the Masters at Augusta in his rib cage turned out to be a
National, where he survived a tumor in his diaphragm.
desperate Woods rally and came Within a week, he was having his
away with his biggest career win. back cut open to remove the lump,
And with that, he entered the
Unless you’re
and only later did he learn it was
hallowed ranks of Woods, Jim Furyk, benign.
David Duval and Vijay Singh as the
Tiger Woods,
“After the surgery, I pretty much
only players to have won the Masters had to start at Level 1 again and
by at least three strokes. you don’t know build my game up again.
History weighs heavy in that
triumph.
how often that
“Unless you’re Tiger Woods, you
don’t know how often an opportunity
Not since Seve Ballesteros in 1980
opportunity
presents itself,” he said.
had a player put his name atop the “I don’t think it’s ever easy to win
leaderboard after the first round and
presents itself
a major in any era. As you say, I’m
stay there over four days at Augusta playing in Tiger Woods’ era.
National.
TREVOR IMMELMAN
“This guy is frightening in what
“There’s a disaster around every
On the odds of winning
he gets done and how he gets it
Protests marred the torch relay in Europe and the US over Beijing’s handling
corner,” Immelman said. done and the ease in which he gets it
of Tibet. Some world leaders will boycott the opening ceremonies.
He became the first South African done.”
Former Sonics owner eyes lawsuit to reverse 2006 sale amid fraud claims
Even if the contract has been in hopes of rescinding the deal, the sue Bennett’s own- “The theory of the suit is that sale seem to show there was never
signed, sealed and delivered, it’s not Seattle Times reports. ership group in the when the team was sold, the any intention to keep the team in
a done deal. Shultz claims he was misled by next two weeks. Basketball Club of Seattle, our Seattle.
That, at least, is the contention of new owner Clay Bennett about his “The damages team here, relied on promises made Aubrey McClendon, part of
the former Seattle Sonics owner, plans for the team. Bennett had that are being by Clay Bennett that they desired Bennett’s ownership group, also
who wants the 2006 sale of the pledged his best effort to keep the sought is to to keep the team in Seattle and caused a stir when he told the
franchise undone, claiming fraud by team in Seattle. rescind, unwind the intended to make a good-faith effort Oklahoma Business Journal, “We
the buyer. Richard Yarmuth, whose Seattle- transaction. It’s not money damage. to accomplish that.” didn’t buy the team to keep it in
Starbucks mogul Howard Schultz based law firm is representing It’s to have the team returned,” But recently released e-mails Seattle; we hoped to come here
(right) is planning to file a lawsuit Schultz, told the paper he plans to Yarmuth said. from as early as two weeks after the [Oklahoma City].”
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