Crawley, England. — It seems that British athletes will be going from the podium to the party, as Las Vegas has been revealed as the number one holiday destination for athletes following the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Official airline partner British Airways asked a number of Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes about their holiday plans post September. Far from having a relaxing break, the results showed that many of the athletes will be seeking sun and fun on Las Vegas holidays, following weeks and months of gruelling schedules.

Nearly a third of athletes (28 per cent) are planning a trip to America, with Las Vegas and Orlando holidays among the top choices. In second place is Spain, with 13 per cent of athletes planning a break to the mainland and its islands, with Ibiza topping the list.

One of the many athletes planning a trip to Las Vegas is triathlete Helen Jenkins, who said: “My husband and I Iove Vegas and cannot wait to return. The weather is always great, and there’s always something going on. I’m not surprised it’s popular with the athletes as we’ve all trained so hard for so long – it provides the perfect antidote to get away from it all.”

In joint third place are Australia, Greece and Thailand, proving to be popular destinations due to the sunshine, beaches, sports activities, great food and culture they offer.

Some of the more unusual destinations included were Lithuania, Cuba and Scotland. The findings also revealed that there’s no rest for some athletes, with four per cent planning an active ski or snowboarding holiday.

The top destinations chosen by Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes included America, Spain, Greece, Thailand, Australia, France, as well as holidays in the Maldives.

British Airways provides a wide range of holiday including short breaks in Barcelona, seven night holidays in Barbados and three night breaks in Las Vegas.

Richard Tams, British Airways Head of Sales and marketing for UK and Ireland, said: “We’ve seen a slight increase in late summer bookings this year, due to many holidaymakers staying at home to support our athletes during the London 2012 Games. The good news is that there are still lots of late bargains to be had.

“There are some great deals to Spain and Greece for those looking for a quick city break, to make it back in time for the Paralympic Games. For holidaymakers looking to go further a field, then Mexico is great this time of year, although the party atmosphere in Jamaica following their Olympic success may well be more appealing to those looking for a lively time.”

Throughout the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, British Airways is encouraging the nation to get behind the athletes and offer their support, using the hashtag #HomeAdvantage on Twitter.

British Airways is proud airline partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB.

Image Courtesy of   LouLouPhotos / Shutterstock.com

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Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukraine will be the only emerging market in the top ten best performing countries at the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympics in London, according to the study compiled by American bank Goldman Sachs. The authors of the research The Olympics and Economics 2012 expect Ukrainian athletes to win 9 gold medals (and 27 total) at the high profile sports event.

Explaining the methodic used to produce The Olympics and Economics 2012, the author states: “Ultimately, it appears that gold does go where growth and the overall growth environment are best.” The report quotes Tim Hollingsworth, the Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association: “When you create a world class environment you are far more likely to create world class athletes.”

The indicator used by Goldman Sachs experts to assess the probability of a country winning a certain amount of medals was the Growth Environment Score. The analysts used income, as well as political conditions, macroeconomic stability, macroeconomic conditions, human capital, technology and the microeconomic environment as reference points.

Ukraine took the tenth position in the Goldman Sachs rating with other countries in the top ten being the USA, China, the UK, Russia, Australia, France, Germany, South Korea, and Italy. In 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing Ukraine scored 11th position on the medal table. Ukrainian athletes won 7 gold medals, 5 silver, and 15 bronze then.

Interestingly, the authors of The Olympics and Economics 2012 singled out the sports, most affected by the economic variables. They are cycling, judo, rowing, and swimming. Though Ukrainian judoka Roman Gontiuk and cycler Lesya Kalitovska did win bronze in Beijing, Ukraine won gold in shooting, archery, fencing, athletics, canoeing, and boxing.

The Games of the XXX Olympiad will host more than 10,000 athletes representing 204 nations. Ukrainian 2012 Olympic team features 245 athletes. The 2008 Olympic champions Artur Ayvazyan (shooting), Natalya Dobrynska (athletics), Olga Harlan (fencing), Vasyl Lomachenko (boxing), Inna Osypenko-Radomska (canoeing), and Viktor Ruban (archery) will perform in London.

Ukraine doesn’t just aim to rank high in the competition, the country plans to place 2022 Winter Olympics hosting bid in 2014, according to Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Borys Kolesnikov.

The full text of the Goldman Sachs report can be found here.

Image Courtesy of   Aspen Photo / Shutterstock.com

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FIFA has lifted its ban on the Muslim headscarves (the hijab) for women soccer players on Thursday following a decision made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The initial concern with the use of the hijab is the safety regulations in which the garment was not recognized as part of the usual laws of the game. It was said that the hijab presents a real danger of choking if worn while playing. The unanimous overturn on the ban, however, was made after reports from FIFA’s medical officer citing the removal of safety and medical issues surrounding the headscarves.

The issue was first addressed via the AFC’s Women’s Committee, and was later taken up by Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, the vice president of FIFA.

The ban was heavily criticized and has been labeled as ‘inequality at the highest level of the world’s most popular game.’ Last year at the 2012 Olympics qualifying match, Iran’s women’s soccer team was prevented from playing their match against Jordan after the team members refused to remove their hijab prior to kickoff.

Despite being at the top of their group in the first qualifying rounds, their dreams to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics was abruptly shattered after given a 3-0 defeat as punishment.

Other sports, like taekwondo and rugby, allows its women participants to don the hijab, and after careful re-consideration, new hijab designs are now in production for women soccer players. Secured with velcro, experts have confirmed that the new design eliminates neck injuries, and thus the safety issues that initiated the ban.

Though in this case the ban was health and safety related, this latest development signifies another victory for what has been an ongoing battle for Muslim women around the world fighting to keep the headwear on. The wearing of the Islamic veil has sparked numerous debates on the so-called oppression of the women wearing it, though most admit to wearing it by choice. FIFA’s lifting of the ban has also opened up doors for other sportswomen in the Arab world and other Islamic countries who were previously unable to compete because of the ban.

With the recent news of the first Saudi female Olympian participating in the games, more women from other conservative Islamic countries are also now looking forward to participating in world class sporting competitions without having to sacrifice their identities as Muslims and foregoing their rights to practice their religious teaching.

Yusef Abdallah, the head of the United Arab Emirates’s Football Federation stated, “Women will from now on have the chance to practice this sport with religious respect.”

Despite the green light from FIFA, the French Football Federation (FFF) still refuses to authorize players to wear the veil while representing France or playing in any of its organized competitions on the grounds that sports “must continue to promote equality of the sexes.” France has been a strong advocate of the burqa ban, another Muslim headwear, arguing that it encroaches on individual freedoms.

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For the first time ever Saudi Arabia has announced that Saudi women will be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Saudi Arabia is one of three countries the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been pressuring to allow female competitors. The other two countries, Qatar and Brunei, have also announced that they will be sending athletes this year. Qatar will be sending three women: a shooter, a swimmer, and a runner; and Brunei will send a woman for the hurdling title.

The Saudi Embassy in London issued a statement announcing the decision which stated, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wishes to reaffirm its support the sublime meanings reflected by Olympic Games and the cherished values of excellence, friendship, and respect that they represent.”

The IOC has been working for several months with the Saudi government and issued a positive statement on March 19 that read, “the IOC is confident that Saudi Arabia is working to include women athletes and officials at the Olympic Games in London in accordance with the International Federations’ rules.”

Minky Worden, the director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch said, “It is only right that the Saudi government should play by the Olympic rules. But an 11th-hour change of course to avoid a ban does not alter the dismal and unequal conditions of women and girls in Saudi Arabia.” Worden did admit that the announcement “pins them down to finding a woman. The Saudis should be on a bit of a desperate search” right now.

The Saudis have already allowed one woman, Dalma Rushdi Malhas, to compete in the equestrian competition at the Singapore Youth Olympics. After hearing the announcement that women will now be allowed to compete in the Olympics Malhas said it was “a dream come true. This just opens so many doors for women.”

Unfortunately, due to an injury her horse has suffered, Malhas missed the June 17 qualification and will not be prepared for this Olympic competition. She is still hoping that she will be able to attend the next equestrian competition at the Olympics.

Earlier this year the Human Rights Watch advocacy group said that the reason why women were not allowed to compete in sports came form a “predominant conservative view that opening sports to women and girls will lead to immorality: ‘steps of the devil’ as one prominent religious scholar put it.”

In Saudi Arabia women cannot drive, vote or hold public office, although some of these restrictions may change in 2015. Women are also not allowed to marry, leave the country, open bank accounts, or go to school unless they have the permission of a male guardian such as a father, husband, or brother.

In 2009 and 2010 Saudi Arabia closed its private gyms for women. The only exception for this restriction is the Jeddah United basketball section which is a private sports company.

Previously, female athletes were banned from the Olympics because the crowd includes both men and women who would be watching these women.

King Abdullah came to the throne in 2005 and has tried to do some modern reforms. However, the king has faced large opposition from religious conservatives on every policy that would ease restrictions against women.

One area that King Abdullah has tried to ease restrictions on is driving, but he has heard opposition on this as well.

Manal al Sharif, a Saudi female activist, was arrested and jailed after posting a video on YouTube of her driving. Sharif is helping to organize- and is participating in- the second annual driving protest. Sharif said about the Olympic decision that it “isn’t one of those things we’re crying out for” because they are more interested in their “basic rights.”

Image Courtesy of  Foxtongue

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Uganda’s track event athletes have failed to qualify for the 2012 London Summer Olympics. The athletes arrived at Namboole Stadium, a national stadium in Uganda, and were informed that there had been a double-booking with a religious rally.

The Ugandan athletes blame their failure to qualify on the poor quality of the track they had to use, as opposed to using the national track for their time trials. The athletes used the track at Makerere University, which is uneven and has no time precision measurements. Many of the athletes are disappointed, since they will not have another chance to qualify.

The Ugandan Athletics Federation claimed that at least five of the athletes at the time trials qualification would have passed if they had used the other stadium. One of the sprinters statet means we have to wait for another four years.” Another athlete, Okiror Anthony, a 400 meter runner said, “I feel bad because I would have qualified as I was close to the time.”

Namboole Stadium was being used for a religious rally by Japanese Happy Science. According to the BBC there is an assumption within Uganda that the Happy Science group’s money got them the stadium over the potential Olympic athletes.

Brian Rycroft, a spokesman for the religious group, claimed that they booked the stadium through a third party and had no idea that there was even a conflict. The BBC also reported that several evangelical pastors in Kampala have called the religious group a cult. Rycroft took offense to the cult accusations and stated, “People are welcome to join us from whatever background, race, or religion. And they’re free to leave anytime too if they don’t want to stay in Happy Science.”

The Happy Science rally was the first major rally held in Africa, and thousands attended the event. Happy Science claims to be one of the largest and fastest-growing religions in Japan. It was founded in the 1980s by Ryuho Okawa and has grown substantially since then.

Happy Science, a polytheistic religion, has only recently begun its efforts in Africa and has offices in Kampala, Uganda; Durban, South Africa; Lagos State, Nigeria; and Ghana. According to their website, Happy Science “is a religion established by Master Ryuho Okawa – a living Buddha and Savior of the 21st Century. It is a religion which unites all people and, through its unique and powerful teachings, aims to bring happiness to every individual to create a utopia on earth.”

Some of the Ugandan athletes will get another chance to qualify in Benin at the African Athletics Championships.

Image Courtesy of  Uganda Athletics Federation

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First of all, I cannot tell you how excited my country is to be hosting the Olympic Games this year, it has been the talk of the nation for many years now and it is now just a few months away from reality. But people realize there will be millions of guests flooding in to the British capitol from around the world come the summer, and not all will be familiar with the ways public transport works in England.

It can be very simple, but it can also be very much a pain. Trains will be your easiest way to get around, or the underground, depending on where you are going. Travel early is always the first tip I give people since London is a busy city at the best of times, never mind when a global sporting event is taking place there. There are plenty of underground stations nearby the Olympic Park and once you get used to it, it will be very easy for you to find your way around.

If you are planning on taking the train to the Olympic Park, the three nearest train stations are Stratford station, Stratford International station and West Ham station, all accessible from the bigger stations in the city centre, such as King’s Cross and Euston. Stratford and West Ham also provide underground travel, and again, these two stations will be your best bet when making your way to the Olympic Park.

There will be hundreds of bus services and coach services taking people to and from the Olympic Park from all around London. Even if you are planning to live within walking distance, this can be useful at times since, despite what people think, England can be very warm in the summer. There are Taxi services almost everywhere in London, and if you are over here for a while, why not rent a car for the time of your stay and make your way there in your own comfort.

If you are planning on travelling further north, perhaps to take in some football (soccer) in Manchester, or Birmingham, trains run from the centre of London to both cities. London is a complex city, but there are too many travel services to get lost. Somehow you will always have a route to the Olympic Park and though it may be confusing for a few days, once you know what you are doing, London is not much different to any other major city for transport.

If you want more information on travelling to the Olympics once you arrive, take a look at the website London2012.com.

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