00000-The Definitive London 2012 Olympics Thread-00000

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Shehwar
India did win 3 medals last time including a gold! You never know ..

The jump from 3 to 5 won't happen in my lifetime bro.

[AsifTheManRahman]

The drama has begun.

Greece's triple-jump champion was expelled from the Olympics after posting a tasteless tweet about Africans and the West Nile virus. Hellenic Olympic Committee officials announced Voula Papachristou wouldn't travel to London after she tweeted a joke about African immigrants.
On Monday, the track athlete posted a tweet reading, "with so many Africans in Greece, at least the West Nile mosquitos will be eating food from their own home." The comments created an uproar on Greek social media. Papachristou didn't address the criticism on Twitter for two days.
Greece later announced it would place Papchristou "outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement."

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/oly...2319--oly.html

[F6_Turbo]

You thought that was drama? Please....

BBC Breaking News ‏@BBCBreaking
North #Korea's women's football team walks off pitch before #Olympic tie when South Korean flag displayed by mistake

lol

You'd think they'd be really careful not to mess that up...it resulted in an hour long delay!

[Roni_uk]

The North Korean fiasco is just hilarious but quite unacceptable really - the guy/team created the player slides with S Korean flags on must be an illiterate! Its like someone calling me Pakistani - I would boycott the Olympics for life.

[Maysun]

Good that the North Koreans won.

[Crisis]

Already trainey jayga pai na.... @

[Sohel]

The Olympic soccer tournament's underway. Spain losing to fellow Asians Japan has been the big sport related news so far. The highlight video indicates that Japan TOTALLY outclassed Spain and should've won 6-0!

Here's the update:

Brazil hang on but Spain lose
July 26, 2012

***

(Brazil v. Egypt)


Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Brazil got their Olympic campaign off to a winning start as they resisted a second-half comeback to beat Egypt 3-2.

Brazil had looked like the team to beat for 45 minutes, with new Chelsea signing Oscar playing a starring role as they went three goals ahead inside 30 minutes.

Manchester United's Rafael drilled home the opener from, Oscar's assist, and the midfielder was again heavily involved when Brazil doubled their lead ten minutes later as he rounded the advancing Egyptian goalkeeper Ahmed Elshenawi before squaring for Leandro Damiao to fire home from close range.

Neymar made it three a few minutes later as he headed home after combining brilliantly with Hulk - the pair making light of a badly cut-up playing surface.

Egypt pulled one back early in the second period through Mohamed Aboutrika, and then reduced the deficit to a single goal through Mohamed Salah, but were unable to find an equaliser.

***

(Spain v. Japan)


Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

One of the favourites for the gold medal, Spain, put in a terrible performance as they had Inigo Martinez sent off and lost 1-0 to Japan.

Spain should have lost by a lot more as their passing game deserted them and they went behind as Yuki Otsu arrived unmarked to meet a corner and give Japan an unlikely lead.

Then less than ten minutes later Martinez was given his marching orders for hauling down his man when through on goal and Spain were unable to get back into the game.

***

(Great Britain v. Senegal)

Craig Bellamy's first-half goal for Great Britain was not enough as they started their London 2012 campaign with a 1-1 draw against Senegal at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Having been played off the park by Brazil in a recent friendly, Britain made a confident start against a combative Senegal side, and they were ahead on 20 minutes thanks to a goal made and scored in Wales. Ryan Giggs delivered the teasing cross from the right, and when the ball bounced down inside the area Bellamy mastered a difficult piece of technique to volley into the far corner.

That lead almost lasted a matter of minutes as young 'keeper Jack Butland made a horrible mess of a simple clearance, playing Sadio Mane clean through on goal. Butland spread himself to make life difficult but, having lifted the ball over the keeper, Mane will have been disappointed to see it drift wide.

Team GB came under greater pressure in the second period, with Butland twice forced to make instinct saves to guard his clean sheet, while Danny Rose was also needed to head off the line. At the other end, Bellamy was denied a blatant penalty when he was crunched inside the area 20 minutes from time, and he was withdrawn soon after.

Soon afterwards, Britain conceded, the defence getting the offside trap all wrong as Moussa Konate ran clear to delicately lift the ball over Butland. Marvin Sordell had a glorious chance to win it for Team GB at the death, but his left-footed strike rebounded off the bar.

***

(Uruguay v. UAE)

Uruguay came from behind to beat United Arab Emirates 2-1.

UAE took a shock lead through skipper Ismaeil Matar midway through the first-half and for a time they threatened to extend their advantage, but Uruguay battled back.

They were level on 42 minutes when Luis Suarez - who had been booed throughout by the Old Trafford crowd - had been fouled 20 yards out and Bologna star Gaston Ramirez curled home.

Uruguay looked a new team after the half-time team talk, and 11 minutes after the break they were ahead. Suarez was involved again, cutting inside after collecting a pass from substitute Nicolas Lodeiro, who kept going and buried a clinical shot into the far corner.

***

(Morocco v. Honduras)

Earlier, the men's Olympic tournament started off with a great game as Honduras and Morocco played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Hampden Park.

Morocco took the lead through Abdelaziz Barrada but a double from Jerry Bengtson put Honduras in command, with the second coming from the penalty spot.

The Central Americans were only ahead for two minutes though as Zakaria Labyad netted an equaliser before Zakara Bergdich was sent off for kicking out as his opponent.

***

(Mexico v. South Korea)

Mexico and South Korea played out a poor 0-0 draw with Raul Jimenez coming the closest when he almost handed the Mexicans a late win when through on goal.

The striker clipped the outside of the post after being put through by Tottenham's Giovani dos Santos with the whistle fast-approaching.

Korea enjoyed the better of the game though with Nam Taehee firing high and wide with 19 minutes gone and Park Jongwoo crashing a long-distance half-volley over seven minutes before the break. Koo Ja-Cheol also headed Kim Changsoo's cross past the post when he might have done better ten minutes from time.

***

(Switzerland v. Gabon)

Pierre Aubameyang denied ten-man Switzerland an opening Group B victory as Gabon claimed a hard-fought 1-1 draw.

St Etienne striker Aubameyang cancelled out Admir Mehmedi's twice-taken penalty with a neat finish as the half-time whistle approached.

***

(Belarus v. New Zealand)

Belarus marked their first appearance at a major tournament since gaining independence 21 years ago with a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in an Olympic Games Group C clash at the City of Coventry Stadium.

SOURCE

[Roni_uk]

First Olympics where most Bangladeshis are involved - from torch bearers to CHIEF dancer of the opening ceremony who is also choreographed the main dance piece on the show - Akram Khan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18767780

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Roni_uk
First Olympics where most Bangladeshis are involved - from torch bearers to CHIEF dancer of the opening ceremony who is also choreographed the main dance piece on the show - Akram Khan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18767780

Can't wait! I love the Opening Ceremonies.

[Dilscoop]

Stupid NBC!!

[Ajfar]

Originally Posted by Roni_uk
First Olympics where most Bangladeshis are involved - from torch bearers to CHIEF dancer of the opening ceremony who is also choreographed the main dance piece on the show - Akram Khan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18767780

Add one more to that list. Just found out about this from Zeeshan bhai's fb wall

Bangladeshi designs London Olympic coin

http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=2...H2ZYA.facebook

[goru]

That opening ceremony was so damn boring... until Bean!



And WTH... Saudis making the women athletes walk behind the men. I guess we should just be thankful that they let women in at all...

[Crisis]

Originally Posted by goru
That opening ceremony was so damn boring... until Bean!

Tell me about it ! Worst opening ceremony I have ever seen. And, the music scene across the decades bit .. wth was that supposed to portray ? British white girls like Black men and marry them and have mixed kids ?
Arctic monkeys... FAIL!

I did realize that the world is a huge place and full of good-looking people.

[goru]

BEAN!

[Roni_uk]

Watched the fireworks from outside of the stadium... Looked amazing. The ceremony...nah...not all that. I think Danny Boyle was making a movie rather than an opening ceremony.

[Crisis]

Don't forget the 007 bit with the Queen.

[MohammedC]

The torture starts tomorrow for average Londoner like me.

Allah please save us from Olympic Lane fines.

[Ajfar]

^ olympic lane e gari niya dhora porle koto taka fine Mo bhai?

[Dilscoop]

I'm watching the OC right now. Boring? IDK what you guys are talking about. They kept it very cultural, about their history and their past. I guess now you know how people felt about our cricket wc ceremony and those 2 hr long lectures.

Anyways. From an artistic prospective it's awesomely done, you can see the creativity in every little detail. The graphics are awesome! Now it got really kool, with the kids, the decades, the musics.

DAVID BECKHAM!

I can't believe people already watched these this morning. IDK why NBC didn't show this live.

[Sohel]

I'm not into musicals, showtunes and British pop (not rock) so wasn't thrilled about the OC. I appreciate the effort it took to put such a big, live number together, and found it interesting conceptually, but thought it sucked big time in comparison to every Summer Olympic OS I've had the privilege to witnesses from the 1976 Montreal Games. I'd rate the OC at Beijing as the best among them.

Yimou >>> Boyle, period.

I always look forward to the athletes' parade, as do a billion people worldwide tuned into the OC, and absolutely hated the way they were hurried because of the expansive musical numbers. I also just hated the way ESPN and Star Sports kept cutting away to stupid Indian commercials throughout the parade. Frack them and their "short breaks"!

Anyway, let the Games begin.

Chaulo Bangladesh! GO USA!

[MohammedC]

Originally Posted by Ajfar
^ olympic lane e gari niya dhora porle koto taka fine Mo bhai?

£75 if you pay with in 14 days of you miss the cut you pay £150

[Dilscoop]

Originally Posted by Sohel NR
I'm not into musicals, showtunes and British pop (not rock) so wasn't thrilled about the OC. I appreciate the effort it took to put such a big, live number together, and found it interesting conceptually, but thought it sucked big time. I'd rate the OC at Beijing as the best among them.

Ditto. I appreciate the work. It was pretty massive. But it was bit too busy and too much going on.

Oopp! They just showed Bangladesh for like 3 sec. NBC cut to commercial after Arg, and then came back and showed some early Bs and there was Bangladesh. I see what you mean about the rushing. But thats the TV people's fault.


I saw a HOT HOT Albanian girl!

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Dilscoop
Ditto. I appreciate the work. It was pretty massive. But it was bit too busy and too much going on.

The fact that we were subjected to looking at dirty and sweaty British industrial worker types for THAT long was a total buzzkill. Even the Moscow Olympics OC had the good sense not to do that type of Socialist Realism when people tuning-in want to be wowed and perhaps infotained a little, not lectured to.

Quite a few of the athletes from many countries were EXTREMELY hot in many different ways. Not surprisingly, NONE were from the huge British contingent. All that wonderful diversity still can't seem to get rid of the classic English horseyness, sad

[Dilscoop]

I need to find out her name!

[Navo]

I wrote on FB that: it is really hard to compare the Beijing opening ceremony with the London one given how different they were in nature. I also feel that each city (and the countries as a whole) had something different to prove in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Along with its emergence as an economic powerhouse, the former had to demonstrate its capability to impeccably stage a global event while the latter has been seeking to affirm and celebrate its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural identity as well its ability to host such an elaborate spectacle during a time of financial crises. I think both have achieved their respective objectives and I am happy to see the goodwill it has engendered.

However, due to the forum's quasi-anonymity, I can be a bit more candid here. I felt that the way they showcased characteristic British life, eccentricity and humour would be endearing to the native British viewer but not overly gripping to the global viewer. While Daniel Craig and Rowan Atkinson's cameos were amusing and Muhammad Ali and Sir Paul McCartney's appearance were emotional; the all-to-brief 'village green' sequence, the Dizzee Rascal-inspired dancing/social messaging and the hospital-bed dancing was not particularly impressive. It was far from the jaw dropping ceremony that we saw in Beijing. While I'm happy that my English friends, who are so often cynical about their country, positively responded to the ceremony, I feel that any feelings of self-gratification would be unwarranted.