Saturday, March 26, 2011 | 0 comments | By: Unknown

Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Fallout

My heart goes out to the people of Japan. In 1970 I was a member of a hula troupe and we performed at The Narugo Hotel in Nagoya for three months. After landing in Tokyo, our troupe boarded the 'bullet train' to Sendai (the northern capital of Japan). Then we rode by car for a couple of hours until we reached our hotel. The people at the hotel and the President of the hotel, President Kumagai and his wife Mama San greeted us with broad and welcoming smiles. They bowed deeply and we bowed in return. We were taken to a room in the hotel where we were treated with a special dinner of sukiyaki made and served the authentic Japanese way. We were instructed every step of the way about how to proceed with adding each ingredient into the bowl of hot soup. What struck me the most was the genteel, polite and respectful way in which the people treated us. I felt so much aloha in Japan. I loved the people and never forgot their hospitality. When it was time to return home even though I was homesick, I was sad to leave the country.
When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, I was taken back in time when I was there many years ago. My memories of northern Japan (Sendai, Narita and Nagoya) came back to me crystal clear. It was as if I had just been there. I remembered the beauty of the countryside with it's deep green color. The numerous fishing boats with their fishing nets dotted the ocean ports. The humility of the people was astounding. They spoke with low voices not calling attention to themselves. At one point during my experience in Japan, I contemplated staying there. I have been riveted to the television even though others may have had their fill of the news coverage. I had lived through a disaster, Hurricane Iniki on the island of Kauai that hit on September 11, 1992. This was a level 4 hurricane that leveled the entire island. I lost my home. For five days I was in shock. I thought I was going to die along with many other people. I'll never forget that sinking and helpless feeling. This is another reason why my heart goes out to the people of Japan. When you've lived through a disaster you carry a deep sense of compassion for others during times of need. Please pray for the Japanese people and their country. Whatever happened there could just as easily happen anywhere else. Have compassion, integrity and love. Visualize engulfing the country with positive energies and with white light. You may also visualize different colors of light such as violet for protection (the light of forgiveness), green for healing, blue for calmness and pink for love. We're all in this life together. Whatever happened in Japan could just as well happen to us.
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2010 Asian Games in China

With the pan-Asian sporting games heading to China in 2010 it is the hope of the people of Guangzhou that these games can do to their city what the Olympic did for Beijing and to a lesser extent what the World Expo has done for Shanghai. After winning the right to host the games in 2004 (as the sole bidder) the city has been working furiously to give itself a major makeover in time to impress its major neighbours.
Guangzhouhas always been considered one of China's largest and most important cities and has been chosen by the central government to be the symbol of China for this regionally important event. The games themselves include 42 different events including many that would never make the Olympics (think chess, dragon boat racing and kabaddi!) that give it a distinctive Asian flavour.
But what does it mean for Guangzhou? It means that the central government have been throwing trucks of money at the city, (especially because private partnerships have been hard to come by during the GFC), it's a poorly kept secret that the games have blown way over initially budgets and despite the head of the Guangzhou Organising Committee assuring that the games would be kept below 2 billion Yuan ($293 million US dollars) it was last estimated that the games have already cost up to 4 billion. This exorbitant amount of money has paid for the construction of half-a-dozen new sports stadiums, countless citywide beautification projects, the relaying of major roads and two new extensive subway lines, as well as a ferocious education campaign instructing the citizens of Guangzhou about acting in a more 'civilized way' when the games start.
Make no mistake though; the investment is just about worth it. Despite the 2008 Olympic Games being almost entirely written off by the government the infrastructure and projects create in the lead up to that event have left a lasting impact on Beijing well after the carnival had packed up and moved on. Many of the most important marks left on Beijing are the things that have gone unseen; the planting of thousands of acres of trees in the deserts of Northern China have made sandstorms in the capital less frequent, the restrictions on driving cars on certain days of the week has reduced emissions in the capital has reduced emissions by 20% and even the block-by-block campaign to make Beijingers less Chinese and more compatible with foreign cultures (that includes at least trying to line up) has left a seemingly indelible albeit limited trace, not to mention the major capital works like new subway lines that residents now enjoy.
It's clear that the Chinese get it more so than many other countries that have hosted these large-scale events; yes it's showing off, building the biggest stadium, holding the most dazzling opening ceremony, seemingly recruiting every student in the country to get behind the movement, but it's also more than that, it is fitting that a country with over 4,000 years of history has the capacity of long-term, and that ultimately the entity that will benefit most from these Asian games is not the athletes or the officials but the city itself, and the millions of people who depend on it for their livelihood.
Guangzhou, an important Chinese city with more than 2800 years' history, is waiting for your attention during the Asian Games from Nov.11 to No.27, 2010. And China is worth your exploring. You'll surely find what you would be interested in for your China tour, i.e. historical, natural, ethnic...

Asian games redux

The IFBB has accepted an invitation from the 2006 Asian Games Organizing Committee to participate in the 15th Asian Games to be held in Doha, Qatar, December 1-15.
"This is the second invitation bodybuilding received to be a medal sport in the International Olympic Committee-approved Asian Games," said IFBB President Ben Weider, "IFBB athletes are already in the gym hard at work fine-tuning their physiques in preparation for the highly competitive competitions."
In 1951, New Delhi, India, hosted the inaugural Asian Games as 11 countries participated in six different sports disciplines. Since then, the Asian Games have grown phenomenally; this year, athletes from 44 countries will participate in 39 competitive sports.
"Our participation in these games is due to the concerted efforts of many dedicated IFBB officials, especially Paul Chua, IFBB vice president for Asia," said Weider. "For over 35 years, Paul has been the most influential person regarding bodybuilding and fitness in Asia, and I'm pleased to see he is helping our sport achieve the recognition it deserves."
"As the IFBB vice president for Asia and secretary general of the Asian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, I am extremely pleased and excited about our sport's inclusion in the IOC-sanctioned 2006 Doha Asian Games," Chua commented. "Our involvement in these prestigious games is indicative of the universal success and popularity that bodybuilding enjoys. Only the Olympic Games have more sporting events than the 2006 Asian Games, which will feature over three dozen sporting events."
The participation of two world-class bodybuilders from Qatar will add drama and excitement to the bodybuilding portion of the 2006 Asian Games. These two athletes won their weight classes at the 59th IFBB Men's World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships, held in November 2005 in Shanghai, China. Kamal Abdull Salam came out victorious in the middleweight (85 kilograms) division, and fellow countryman Ali Tabrizi won the light-heavyweight (90 kilograms) division.
"The IFBB is proud to be a part of the Asian Games and I hope many of our fans attend and participate in this truly remarkable sporting event," Weider said.

Asian Games welcome bodybuilding

 More than 12,500 athletes representing 39 sports participated in the highly competitive 2006 Asian Games, held in Doha, Qatar, December 1-15, 2006. One of the most influential sporting events in the world, these games, also known as the Asiad, are held every four years, with more than 45 countries vying for top honors. The history of the Asian Games can be traced back to the Far Eastern Championship Games and the West Asian Games during the pre-World War II era. In 1949, Guru Dutt Sondhi, the Indian representative on the International Olympic Committee, proposed the concept to other Asian sports leaders, and on March 4, 1951, the inaugural games began in New Delhi, India.

It was not until 2002 that bodybuilding was included as a medal sport in the Asian Games, which were held in Busan, South Korea. The sport's acceptance was due in large part to the intense lobbying and tireless efforts of various members of the Asian Bodybuilding Federation, most notably Datuk Paul Chua, ABBF Secretary General and IFBB vice president for Asia.

Bodybuilding was welcomed for the second time as a medal sport in the 2006 Asian Games. The bodybuilding events were held at the Al-Dana Club Banquet Hall on December 8-9, 2006, in front of a boisterous crowd of more than 1,000 fans.

"Thanks to Paul's passionate dedication and leadership, the bodybuilding portion of the Asian Games went off without a hitch," stated Ben Weider, IFBB Founder and Honorary Life President. "The IFBB is extremely privileged to take part in these games, which are recognized by all the National Olympic Committees in Asia and by the International Olympic Committee."

"I sincerely thank the Asian Games officials for their full cooperation in helping make this event such a huge success for the bodybuilding community," Chua said. "They extended a helpful hand when necessary to me and the entire ABBF delegation to ensure our sport was well represented and presented a positive image. Bodybuilders in Asia look forward to this prestigious event, as it is an honor for the athletes to represent their countries. I remember when bodybuilding was first considered to be a medal sport during the leadup to the 2002 Busan Asian Games. We had to lobby extremely hard to prove that our sport was practiced in over 20 Asian countries. This year we had 26 nations participating ... a record entry for our sport."

Thanks to its success and popularity in the 2006 Asian Games, bodybuilding will be included in the 2008 Asian Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia, and hopefully in the 2010 Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou, China.

MARSHALING THE CARIBBEAN FORCES
Pro bodybuilder and personal trainer Lawrence Marshall is putting on his promoter hat as he brings the Eastern Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships to his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago.

The championships, held last year on the island of Anguilla (near St. Maarten), will take place July 27-29. A regional competition, athletes from about 15 nations will be invited to compete. Marshall, 43, who also promotes the Sports World Classic and has been involved in promotion since 2002, is hoping to bring the future renditions of the event to Trinidad and Tobago, as well.

Marshall, nicknamed The Beast, earned his pro card in 2000, and he has competed seven times since, including at the Ironman Pro in 2001 and 2002, and most recently at the 2005 Charlotte Pro Championships, where he placed out of the top 15. He was 13th in his 2003 appearance at the Masters Olympia in Charlotte, North Carolina.

UPCOMING 2007 IFBB CARIBBEAN EVENTS
Invitational Championships

15th Pan American Games

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; July 13-29

Regional Championships

Central American Championships

Belize City, Belize; June 22-24

12th Eastern Caribbean Championships

Trinidad and Tobago; July 27-29

Continental Championships

35th Central American & Caribbean Championships

Hamilton, Bermuda; October 11-14

2006 ASIAN GAMES BODYBUILDING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Doha, Qatar; December 8-9, 2006

COMPETITOR                         COUNTRY

Flyweight

1 Qian Ji Cheng                    China
2 Pham Van Mach                    Vietnant
3 Ibrahim bin Sihat                Singapore

Bantamweight

1 Mchamed Salem Abdulla Zahmi      United Arab Emirates
2 Sazali Abd Samad                 Malaysia
3 Chong Ka Lap                     China

Lightweight

1 Chua Ling Fung                   Singapore
2 Sayed Faisal Husain              Bahrain
3 Syafrizaldy                      Indonesia

Welterweight

1 Chan Yun To                      Hong Kong, China
2 Yoshihiro Yano                   Japan
3 Mohamed Ismall Muhammad          Singapore

Light Middleweight

1 Sitthi Charoenrith               Thailand
2 Mohamed Sabah Naser Hasan        Bahrain
3 Lee Do Hee                       South Korea

Middleweight

1 Kamal Abdulsalam Abdulrahman     Qatar
2 Fadhel Husain                    Bahrain
3 Kang Kyung Won                   South Korea

Light Heavyweight

1 Ali Tabrizi Noori                Qatar
2 Kim Myong Hun                    South Korea
3 Hassan Al Saka                   Syria

Heavyweight

1 Tareq Jafer Mohamed Al Farasani  Bahrain
2 Jassim Mohammed Abdulla          Qatar
3 Ahmad Al Saafeen                 Jordan