My top ten in World Cup 2010

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams. This will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation, after South Africa beat Morocco and Egypt in an all-African bidding process. This decision left the Oceania Football Confederation as the only confederation yet to host the FIFA World Cup. The draw for the finals took place on 4 December 2009 in Cape Town. The World Cup 2010 is promised to be the most attractive worldwide sports event for millions of fans. Every world cup creats a hero, and their row starts from Pele to Maradona and Ronaldo to Messie.

In this world cup, who will be that HERO ?

Lionel Messi ?? or ….

My top ten possibilities…..

Most beautiful women in sports

Hey, This is my tribute to the most beautiful women in sports ever in my view. In this post purposefully i tried to avoid the commonly referred names of Maria Sherapova, Anna Kurnikkova… like. I was in a fun search of new definitions to the beauty stars in sports and here is the result !!!!

Leryn Franco

Leryn Margarita Franco Montes, born 1 March 1982, is a Paraguayan athlete who specializes in the javelin throw. Her personal best throw is 55.38 metres, achieved in May 2007 in Fortaleza. Leryn Franco hasn’t done much as an athlete who specialises in the javelin throw, but she has still gained popularity thanks to her good looks, which made her one of the most searched athletes of the 2008 Summer Olympics Games. Leryn is not medalist from Beijing, but she’s still one of the most beautiful olympic girls. KING Magazine named her “The Hottest Olympian”.

Franco is a model as well, and was runner-up Miss Universo Paraguay 2006; she has also participated at the Miss Bikini Universe pageant. “Modeling is a way for me to continue with my sport, the hours are flexible, and you can earn good money through photographic modeling and the catwalk,” Leryn says. She’s currently making waves for being Yahoo’s second most-searched athlete, right behind Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps. That’s probably more because of her supplemental occupation and a bathing suit and underwear model than because of her athletic ability.

Amy Elizabeth Taylor

Amy Elizabeth Taylor born in 11 June 1979 in Canberra, Australia is a former soccer player and current sports presenter with WIN Television in Australia. She became famous in her homeland in 2000 when she graced the cover of the Matildas’ nude calendar, and she has since appeared in various magazines and print ads as a model.

Amy was a member of the Australian women’s national team, known as “The Matildas”, playing as a defender in over 20 international caps. She was first selected to the Australian women’s national team in 1997, at the age of 17—just six years after she began playing the sport. Known as a tenacious defender and aggressive tackler, Taylor’s style of play contributed to a number of injuries which ultimately ended her football career.

Michelle Wie

LPGA Tour player Michelle Wie has attracted more attention for her looks and non-golf related achievements until now. At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for USGA amateur championship. Wie would also become the youngest winner of the US Women’s Amateur public links and the youngest to qualify for a LPGA tour event. Wie turned professional with an enormous amount of hype and endorsements, but she has failed to win a LPGA event, which has led to her career being viewed as a disappointment.

Michelle Wie is on the top of another list that isn’t related to a golf tournament.Michelle Wie is number 4 on the top 20 richest celebrities under 25.Michelle Wie, who struggled this year in golf tournaments still brought in $19 million. Most of that sponsor money from people banking on her expected golf talent.The next tournament that she could be involved in the Sony Open, might not even happen for her even though Sony is one of her sponsors. Tadd Fujikawa has already been invited and Michelle Wie will probably be next on the list.

Ana Ivanovic

Former world number 1 and French Open champion Ana Iavnovic’s form on the tennis court may have dipped of late, but she still has enough admirers as can be gauged by the fact that German newspaper Bild’s readers considered her body to be the best in the sporting world. ‘The Times’ has called Ivanovic “the most beautiful face in tennis” and her anaivanovic.com is the most visited sports star website in the world. Maria Sharapova and Anna Kournikova have some competiton coming their way. Here is another Ana who is fast climbing the popularity charts. How do we know? Purely in the interests of research, a fellow tapped into Ana Ivanovic’s website. It advised him that he was the 26,147th person to do so since November 7, 2005.

Ivanovic’s looks, and sometimes even her personality, are discussed as much as her tennis. She was labeled as “more quiet” a few days ago by the other Serbian women’s star, Jelena Jankovic.

Jennie Finch

American softball player Jennie was born on September 3, 1980, in La Mirada, California. She is regarded as the most famous player of all time in her sport. She has one of the most attractive faces in sports as well. She’s an excellent hitter, smart baserunner and, of course, an overpowering pitcher. Her instincts are remarkable, too. Despite all of her individual press clippings, Jennie has always been a loyal, team player. Winning is her only concern on the field and in the dugout, and her teammates respect her immensely.

Formula One = Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is a former Formula One driver, seven-time world champion, and current test driver for Ferrari. According to the official Formula One website, he is “statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen”. He is the first German to win the Formula One World championship, and is credited with popularising Formula One in Germany. In a 2006 FIA survey, Michael Schumacher was voted the most popular driver among Formula One fans.

After winning two championships with Benetton, Michael Schumacher moved to Scuderia Ferrari in 1996 and won five consecutive drivers’ titles with them from 2000-2004. Schumacher holds many records in Formula One, including most drivers’ championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions, points scored and most races won in a single season. Schumacher is the only Formula One driver to have an entire season of podium finishes. His driving sometimes created controversy: he was twice involved in collisions that determined the outcome of the world championship, most notably his disqualification from the 1997 championship for causing a collision with Jacques Villeneuve. After the 2006 Formula One season Schumacher retired from race driving.

Off the track, Schumacher is an ambassador for UNESCO and a spokesman for driver safety. He has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his life. He is the elder brother of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, currently racing in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.  He is currently acting as advisor and special test driver for the 2008 Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team.

Very Personal Life

He has always been very protective of his private life and is known to dislike the celebrity spotlight, preferring a simple life. In August 1995, Michael married Corinna Betsch. They have two children, Gina-Maria and Mick . The family currently lives in Switzerland. Their home is a 7000 ft² mansion with its own underground garage and petrol station, situated on a private beach on Lake Geneva. The family has two dogs – one stray that Corinna fell in love with in Brazil, and a German Shepherd “Ed” whose entrance to the family made headlines after Schumacher personally drove a taxi through the Bavarian town of Coburg so that the family could catch a return flight to Switzerland,for which both Schumacher and the taxi driver would be reprimanded.

In 2005 Eurobusiness magazine identified Schumacher as the world’s first billionaire athlete. His 2004 salary was reported to be around US$80 million. Forbes magazine ranked him 17th in their “The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities” list. A significant share of his income came from advertising. For example, Deutsche Vermögensberatung paid him $8 million over three years from 1999 for wearing a 10 by 8 centimetre advertisement on his post-race cap.!!! The deal was extended until 2010. He donated $10 million for aid after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. His donation surpassed that of any other sports person, most sports leagues, many worldwide corporations and even some countries.

One of his main hobbies is horse riding, and he plays football for his local team FC Echichens. He has appeared in several football charity games and organised games between Formula One drivers. In 2008 it was reported that he might play football for San Marino champions S.S. Murata in the European championship.

Schumacher is a special ambassador to UNESCO and has donated 1.5 million Euros to the organization. Additionally, he paid for the construction of a school for poor children and for area improvements in Dakar, Senegal. He supports a hospital for child victims of war in Sarajevo, which specialises in caring for amputees. In Lima, Peru he funded the “Palace for the Poor”, a centre for helping homeless street children obtain an education, clothing, food, medical attention, and shelter. He stated his interest in these various efforts was piqued both by his love for children and the fact that these causes had received little attention. While an exact figure for the amount of money he has donated throughout his life is unknown, it is known that in his last four years as a driver, he donated at least $50 million.

Since his participation in a FIA European road safety campaign, as part of his punishment after the collision at the 1997 European Grand Prix, Schumacher has continued to support other campaigns, such as Make Roads Safe, which is led by the FIA Foundation and calls on G8 countries and the UN to recognise global road deaths as a major global health issue.

Formula  One

Schumacher was noted throughout his career for his ability to produce fast laps at crucial moments in a race, to push his car to the very limit for sustained periods. Motor sport author Christopher Hilton observed in 2003 that “A measure of a driver’s capabilities is his performance in wet races, because the most delicate car control and sensitivity are needed,” and noted that like other great drivers, Schumacher’s record in wet conditions shows very few mistakes: up to the end of the 2003 season, Schumacher won 17 of the 30 races in wet conditions he contested.

Some of Schumacher’s best performances occurred in such conditions, earning him the title “Regenkönig” (rain king) or “Regenmeister” (rain master). He is known as “the Red Baron”, due to his red Ferrari and in reference to the German Manfred von Richthofen, the famous flying ace of World War I. Schumacher’s nicknames include “Schumi”,”Schuey” and “Schu”.

Schumacher is often credited with popularising Formula One in Germany, where it was formerly considered a fringe sport. In 2006, three of the top ten drivers were German, more than any other nationality and more than have ever been present in Formula One history. Younger German drivers, such as Sebastian Vettel, feel Schumacher was key in their becoming Formula One drivers. In the latter part of his Formula One career, and as one of the senior drivers, Schumacher was the president of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

Beijing is ready…….

The 2008 Summer Olympics will be celebrated from August 8, 2008, to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony beginning at 08:08:08 pm CST at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, People’s Republic of China.

This will be the third time the Olympics are held under the jurisdiction of 2 different National Olympic Committees(NOCs) ,Hong Kong and China.  The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing, People’s Republic of China after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled “Dancing Beijing,” features a stylized calligraphic character, meaning capital, referencing the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing one color of the Olympic rings. The Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Athletes will compete in 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the Athens games of 2004.

The Chinese government has promoted the games to highlight China’s emergence on the world stage, amidst concerns about environmental issues and human rights violations, particularly in Tibet. There have also been growing concerns of major nations boycotting the Olympics in protest of China’s actions in Tibet. Earlier in 2007, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch had said that he believes that the Beijing games will be “the best in Olympic history.”

The Beijing government has issued new mandates that require police officers in the city to act more appropriately. The government has circulated pamphlets urging officers to desist from using foul language, being arrogant, and hanging up on people who call to report crimes.  New guidelines are announced  for Beijing police to clean up Beijing’s image ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Police officers are under new orders to lose their arrogance, clean up their foul language, and are told not to hang up when citizens call to report crimes.  According to police surveys the common complaint against officers in big cities like Beijing is a bad attitude.  Authorities often respond to calls for help by saying ‘ “it’s nothing to do with me. Go and bug someone else”. Or “no evidence?” Then don’t bother us”.

But now the municipal police authority has circulated a code of conduct pamphlet that shows how to project a “sympathetic and police image”, and beginning in August, officers will be penalized for any infractions. Violators will be subject to penalties including reprimands, fines or disciplinary action.

The code also bans officers from sounding sirens unnecessarily, hanging up on people who report crimes, or responding with indifference to people needing help. Officials said penalties would be based on reports from undercover inspectors and whistle-blowers”.

A drive has also been launched to improve the poor English translations common on Chinese signage and labeling in readiness for the Olympics.  Previous attempts to wipe out Chinglish – the mistranslated phrases often seen on Chinese street signs and product labels – have met with little success.  Emergency exits at Beijing airport read “No entry on peacetime” and the Ethnic Minorities Park is named “Racist Park”. Chinglish has become a running joke among many foreigners in China, and several websites have been set up listing humorous examples of mistranslation. A road sign on Beijing’s Avenue of Eternal Peace warns of a dangerous pavement with the words: “To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery are Very Crafty”.  Menus frequently list items such as “Corrugated iron beef”, “Government abuse chicken” and “Chop the strange fish”.The mistranslations arise because many Chinese words express concepts obliquely and can be interpreted in multiple ways, making translation a minefield for non-English speakers.  The municipal government in Beijing first tried to stamp out the problem just a month after being awarded the 2008 Olympics back in 2001.

By May 2007, construction of all thirty-one Beijing-based Olympic Games venues had begun.  The Chinese government is also investing in the renovation and construction of six venues outside Beijing as well as fifty-nine training centers. Its largest architectural pieces will be the Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Centre, Olympic Green Convention Centre, Olympic Green, and Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center. Almost 85 percent of the construction budget for the six main venues is being funded by US$2.1 billion  in corporate bids and tenders. Investments are expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some venues will be owned and governed by the State General Administration of Sports, which will use them after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports teams and events.

It was announced on July 8, 2005 that the equestrian events are to be held in Hong Kong because of the “uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone.” The five venues outside Beijing will be located in Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Qinhuangdao.

Maria Sharapova – Tennis Princess

I think one who loves Tennis will love Maria Sharapova and one who loves Maria will love Tennis too.  Anyway I am her fan. In my childhood my strong feeling was that no sports person, especially women ,  shall be charming or beautiful. I thought they will be strong and will look rough and tough due to vigorous practice and all.  But Maria just rolled out all my calculations. Yes! she deserves the name Tennis Princess !!

Mini Bibligraphy

Maria was born in 19th April 1987 at Nyagan , now in Russia. Her birth name was Maria Yuryevna Sharapova. Maria started hitting tennis balls at the age of four. At the age of six, Maria Sharapova participated in a exhibition in Moscow that featured Martina Navratilova. So, at the age of nine, she began training at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy located in Bradenton, Florida, USA.

Therefore, during those two years, she was separated from her mother for two year due to visa restrictions and finances. Maria occasionally travels with her father and works with tennis coach managers Michael Baroch and Robert Lansdorp. During her leisure time off court, Maria’s interest includes modeling in fashion, singing, jazz dancing and movies (Pearl Harbor (2001)). Maria enjoys reading books of her interest in the “Sherlock Holmes” and “Pippi Longstocking” collection series. Basically, Maria’s favorite dessert is ‘anything’. Maria favors Russian music and food.

Maria Yuryevna Sharápova is the  former World No. 1 Tennis plater.  As of April 21, 2008, she is the third-ranked female player in the world and the top ranked Russian female player. At the end of 2006, she was the world’s highest-paid female athlete.

Sharapova has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004, she beat Serena Williams to take the Wimbledon title at the age of 17. Two years later, she defeated Justine Henin in the final of the 2006 U.S. Open. At the 2008 Australian Open, she beat Ana Ivanovi? in the final. Sharapova has been ranked in the top 10 since winning Wimbledon, the longest of any current female tennis player.

Notable matches

2004 Wimbledon final: defeated heavily-favored two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 to become the third youngest woman to win the title at the All England Club and the lowest seed (at the time) to do so.

2004 WTA Tour Championships final: defeated Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Sharapova came back from a 4-0 deficit in the third set and won her first WTA Championships trophy.

2005 Australian Open semifinal: defeated by eventual champion Serena Williams 2-6, 7-5, 8-6. Sharapova led 6-2, 5-4 before Williams rallied to win the second set. In the third set, Sharapova again carved out a lead and even held three match points, but Williams battled back once again to win the match.

2005 U.S. Open semifinal: defeated by eventual champion Kim Clijsters 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3. Sharapova was down 5-2 in the second set and one game away from defeat but fought back to claim the set. Sharapova wound up saving five match points; however, Clijsters won the match on her sixth match point.

2006 Miami semifinal: defeated Tatiana Golovin 6-3, 6-7(5), 4-3 retired. Sharapova had match points at 6-3, 5-1 but could not convert. The third set was close until Golovin was forced to retire after dramatically twisting her ankle. Some criticized Sharapova for turning her back on Golovin, but a television replay showed Sharapova turning her back before the fall. Sharapova later explained that she thought Golovin had simply cramped. When the Frenchwoman retired and was leaving the court, Sharapova gave her a round of applause along with the crowd to show her appreciation.

2006 San Diego final: defeated Clijsters 7-5, 7-5. This was Sharapova’s first victory over the Belgian and her first title in San Diego. After this match, Sharapova lost just two more matches during 2006 and claimed three additional titles, including the U.S. Open.

2006 U.S. Open semifinal: defeated Amélie Mauresmo, the World No. 1, 6-0, 4-6, 6-0. This was the first U.S. Open semifinal with two 6-0 sets.

2006 U.S. Open final: defeated Justine Henin 6-4, 6-4 to win her second Grand Slam title. Sharapova beat Henin for only the second time in her career. This was only the eighth time in history that a player beat the world’s top two ranked players in a Grand Slam event.

2007 French Open fourth round: defeated Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-4, 9-7. Sharapova came into the tournament with an injury and overcame two match points against her during this match.

2007 WTA Tour Championships final: defeated by Henin 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. World No. 1 Henin was the pre-match favorite, but Sharapova took the first set on her eighth set point and at one stage in the second set, was a mere five points from victory. The match lasted 3 hours, 24 minutes, making it the 12th longest women’s match in the open era. It was widely agreed as the best women’s match of 2007,[citation needed] with some citing it as an all-time classic.

2008 Australian Open quarterfinal: defeated Henin 6-4, 6-0. Henin was the World No. 1, but Sharapova won her third victory in nine meetings with Henin. The win snapped Henin’s 32-match winning streak and marked the first time Henin had suffered a “bagel” set since 2002. It also marked the first time since 2005 that Henin had lost in a Grand Slam tournament before the semifinals.

2008 Australian Open Final: defeated Ana Ivanovic to claim her third Grand Slam singles title. This was the first time she was favored in a Grand Slam final, but she still was able to win. This gave her a 3-1 Win/Loss record in Slam Finals and now only Roland Garros stands in her way of completing a career Grand Slam.

Latest News on Maria

Sharapova heading to Beijing Olympics

Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova will represent Russia in the women’s singles at the Beijing Olympics, the country’s federation chief Shamil Tarpishchev said Monday.

“We can send four single players and two doubles to Beijing,” Tarpishchev told the press. “Sharapova and Kuznetsova will definitely play in the women’s tournament, while the other girls will fight it out for the two remaining places.”

Three times Grand Slam tournament winner Sharapova is set to become one of the biggest names competing in Beijing and is certain to attract huge media attention.

Maria Shapova’s 21st Birthday

The fashion and entertainment elite came out to celebrate Maria Sharapova’s 21st birthday last night at a party hosted by luxury watch brand TAG Heuer.
The invitation-only event for the three-time Grand Slam winner drew several celebrities including Michelle Trachtenberg and Dave Annable. Vogue’s Anna Wintour also made an appearance at the party, along with designers Vera Wang, Doo.Ri and Brian Wolk and Claude Morais of Ruffian.

TAG Heuer President and CEO Ulrich Wohn welcomed Sharapova’s friends and family and toasted the 21 year-old before presenting her with an elegant white and pink eight-tier cake

Sharapova advances in women’s rankings

Russia’s Maria Sharapova climbed to the third spot in the WTA women’s tennis rankings released Monday.

Maria gained 110 points in Charleston and has a total of 3986 points and is closing the gap on #2 as she is only 171 points behind Ana Ivanovic. This is Maria’s highest ranking of the year.