National Cadet Corps Cadets to serve in 2010 Commonwealth Games

At least 5,000 NCC cadets will be trained as volunteers to participate in various tasks in the two-week long Commonwealth Games in October this year.

“5,000 cadets will be acting as volunteers during the games and they will start training for the event from February,” NCC Director General Lt Gen R K Karwal told reporters at the annual Republic Day Camp here.

Describing the role of NCC cadets during the Games, he said they would run alongside the ‘Queen’s baton’ wherever it goes in the country and are likely used for tasks such as holding placards, medals tray and helping the participants and tourists to reach event venues during the mega event.

Speaking on other issues including the shortage of officers and men faced by the NCC for training cadets, Karwal said, “Defense Ministry has approved the recommendations of a Study Group, which had suggested recruiting ex-servicemen in NCC for doing away with shortage of officers and jawans faced by us.”

The Study Group was formed by the Defense Ministry to find ways of fulfilling the shortage of officers and men in NCC for training cadets and creating infrastructure for the planned increase of two lakh cadets in the force.

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From May onwards Buy tickets for Games online

The sale of tickets for Commonwealth Games 2010 will open in May and will be accessible on the internet. So you don’t need to suffer the tedium of standing in queues. Not just that, a comprehensive website will let you study availability, rates, events and venues at leisure before making a choice.

The website is expected to be up on an experimental basis by April and sources said it may be fully functional by the end of the month itself. The Commonwealth Games organizing committee (OC) has begun accepting requests of foreign associations looking to block tickets but is confident that with 1.7 million tickets to go around, there is more than enough for everyone.

Would you spend more on an athletics event or concentrate on football and rowing? The OC ticketing web link can help you map out your Games experience along with the logistics or venues and travel.

Tickets purchased over the Net will have to be exchanged for those issued by the OC through designated counters. The committee plans to open several outlets so that all that needs to be done will be to visit a counter and exchange the e-receipts for actualtickets. The data system would have registered the issued tickets and the system is expected to have in built checks to prevent fraud.

The pricing of tickets is expected to be ‘‘affordable’’ with the costliest at Rs 1,000 and the cheaper ones in the Rs 100-200 range. ‘‘We have to keep in mind the paying capacity of the public as also the need to encourage spectators. Hopefully, the world class events will bring in the crowds and also inculcate a taste for sports,’’ said sources.

The ticket message that the OC wants to convey is book early so that you don’t have to face last-minute rush. The committee wants to tap a maximum number of people and so tickets are being offered even before some of the venues will be in state of readiness. ‘‘We will start the ticket sales programme so that agents and outlets are finalized. The venues are operating on a different schedule and are expected to be ready on time for the Games,’’ said an official.

The OC is doing its best to ensure that tickets are not available through unauthorized sources, all the more so as sales are expected to be an important source of revenue. The good news is that not all events will be ticketed. Some, like cycling and marathon, will be free entries and are scheduled to be held at India Gate-Central Vista and the Greater Noida Expressway.

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Going From Couch To 5k Runner The Easy Way

Because you won’t need to spend much to start with, I suggest you just get out and give it your best shot. Here are a few helpful ideas to help make your transition from couch potato to 5k race expert as smooth and fast as is possible.

Set Yourself a Definite Goal.

Investigate your first race and sign up for it. Once you’ve made an actual physical commitment and invested some money in to something, you’re a lot more likely to commit entirely to it.

Get Your Preparations Right

If you want to be able to run the entire 3.1 miles without stopping, you’ll need to have progressed your training to doing at least a couple of 30 minute runs every week. It’s very possible to complete a 5k without stopping with as little as six weeks of concentrated training.

Enjoy It, It Should Be Fun

Getting up out of your couch to 5k running is a wonderful way of meeting people and getting in to great shape at the same time as feeling better about yourself and having more energy. A 5k race is a great place to start for newbie runners. They’re the shortest race distance with an average finishing time of 30 – 40 minutes.

Eating Beforehand is a Good Idea

You’ll need to eat before the race, but this isn’t the time to try something new which might cause digestion problems. In an ideal world, you want to base your pre race meal on carbohydrates, so something like toast and jam, a bagel and peanut butter or just a banana and sports drink are great choices.

Throughout the Race

Keep sipping water regularly. That doesn’t mean gulping down litres of the stuff, just regular sips to maintain normal hydration levels.

Avoid racing against other runners. Whilst it can be frustrating to watch apparently unfit runners pass you by, you shouldn’t try to keep up with them. They will almost definitely run at a pace which they’ve trained for, you have your own tempo. Your first 5k isn’t the time to let pride take over your judgement or common sense.

The secret to getting up off the couch to 5k running and keeping this up in the future is to building up a firm foundation of fitness in the first place. Don’t rush through your training program because without following a well thought out training schedule you risk injury and boredom.

Instead, build up slowly and try other types of aerobic exercise that build aerobic fitness without impacting the body the same way as running. Swimming, rowing and cycling are great for this purpose.

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Commonwealth Games 2010: Background

Delhi is in a hurry to prepare itself for the Commonwealth Games. All the government departments are trying their best to bedeck Delhi so that India’s name is enshrined in golden letters in the history of Commonwealth Games.

WHETHER IT is cricket, football, hockey, tennis or any other genre of sports, Indians are considered as one of the most avid sports enthusiasts throughout the world. Though cricket is the most popular sport in India, there are other events also where Indians have shown their skill and interest.

After having a considerable success in the Beijing Olympics 2008, India is rapidly preparing for the coming 2010 Commonwealth Games. This time, India is the host country of the Commonwealth Games. The same would take place in New Delhi and its surrounding areas from October 3 to October 14, 2010.

Delhi, one of the largest and modern metropolitan cities of the world, has a population of more than 15 million. Delhi would host one of the largest multi-sport events in the world, thereby bringing the attention of the entire world towards the world’s largest democracy. Commonwealth Games are going to be held for the first time in India. Prior to this, Delhi, the capital city of India, hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.

India is the third developing country to host this grand sporting event after Jamaica and Malaysia, in 1966 and in 1998, respectively. As an Asian nation, India is the second country to host this event. In January 2005, Randhir Singh, the vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation expressed concern that Delhi was behind schedule in setting up an organising committee. On January 18, 2008, the Commonwealth Games Federation finally expressed satisfaction over the progress in preparation for the games.

The road to win the bid for the Commonwealth Games was not full of roses. On November 13, 2003, the Commonwealth Games Federation assembled in Montego Bay, Jamaica to cast their vote for the location of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Delhi won the opportunity to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, defeating Hamilton, the Canadian city, by 46 votes to 22. The sports minister of India will head the apex committee for conducting the games. Suresh Kalmadi, the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will lead the organising committee.

On January 6, 2008, the logo of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was accepted. Inspired by Ashoka Chakra, its spiraling upwards symbolises India’s rise as a global power and its transition from tradition to modernity. The different colours in the logo symbolise the very rhythm of unity in diversity that has been integral to India since time immemorial.

Eighty five nations are participating in 17 different events of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The events are – Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby 7s, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling. The concerned authority has excluded triathlon from the Commonwealth Games this time as there is no suitable venue to organise the swimming stage. There were also proposals for removing basketball and several requests arrived for the inclusion of archery, tennis, billiard and snooker as four events for the men category. Though there were relentless efforts to include Cricket, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was not interested to conduct a Twenty 20 tournament. The BCCI once told that it would support one day matches, but the concerned authority of the Commonwealth Games was not interested in having a day-long match.

To organise each event impeccably, all the existing and new stadia are under modernisation. Both the opening and the closing ceremonies would be held in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Apart from that, the Dhyan Chand National Stadium and Indira Gandhi Arena would also organise some major events. The Delhi University Sports Complex, Tyagaraj Sports Complex, Siri Fort Sports Complex, Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, Talkatora Stadium, SPM Swimming Pool Complex, RK Khanna Tennis Complex and Yamuna Sports Complex are the other stadiums, which would host some major events.

Delhi is in a hurry to prepare itself for the coming grand sporting event. All the departments are trying their best to bedeck Delhi so that India’s name is enshrined in golden letters in the history of Commonwealth Games.

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Commonwealth Games 2010: Major Sports

One of the biggest multi-national and multi-sport event – Commonwealth Games – was started in 1930 under the name ‘British Empire Games’ and involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. When it comes to the wide choice of sports in this particular event, each candidate city looking to host a Commonwealth Games is supposed to include a minimum of 10 core sports on their programme.

History

During the first Commonwealth Games in Hamilton in 1930, there were only six sports in the entire programme: Athletics, Aquatics (Swimming & Diving), Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, and Wrestling. Later the Commonwealth Games Federation Sports Committee proposed a few outlines and factors to be included in the programme, which were included in the regulation 6 of the CGF Constitution.

Overview

As per the guidelines, the host country can include up to an additional 7 games from a list of optional sports, with a maximum of 4 team sports on their programme. They can choose these games from a huge list that includes: Billiards/Snooker, Canoeing, Golf, Handball, Life Saving, Softball, Yachting / Sailing and Volleyball.

Surprisingly, Cricket – the highest acclaimed sport in the world – was included once in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 Commonwealth Games, but is still an unrecognized sport in the list of CGF.

On the other hand, Commonwealth Youth Games are permitted to include a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 sports. Out of these, maximum 2 can be team sports. Athletics and Swimming are mandatory in the list.

Games Scheduled For Commonwealth 2010

2010 Commonwealth Games, going to be held in Delhi, will have a total of 17 games. These are:

* Aquatics (Diving & Swimming)
* Archery (first appeared in Brisbane 1982)
* Athletics (featured in every Commonwealth Game till now)
* Badminton (made its debut in Kingston 1966)
* Boxing (Featured from Hamilton 1930 to Melbourne 2006)
* Cycling (first included in London 1934)
* Gymnastics (first included in Edmonton 1978)
* Hockey (introduced in Kuala Lumpur 1998)
* Lawn Bowls (included on every programme except Kingston 1966)
* Net Ball (introduced in Kuala Lumpur 1998)
* Rugby 7’s (team sport introduced in Kuala Lumpur 1998)
* Shooting (made its first appearance in Kingston 1966)
* Squash (made its debut in Kuala Lumpur 1998)
* Table Tennis (first appeared in Manchester 2002)
* Tennis (will make its debut in Delhi 2010)
* Weightlifting (core sport for men and women since Auckland 1950)
* Wrestling (featured in Hamilton 1930)

Apart from the above mentioned sports, the list of CGF includes games like Rowing, Judo, Fencing, Basketball, Ten Pin Bowling, Triathlon, Waterpolo etc. But these are not included in 2010 list.

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Golf Holiday Ideas

Are you seeking ideas for wonderful and exciting golf holidays for you and your wife? Consider a golf holiday in Spain, it would be one great destination, especially if the wife is a non-golfer. With this, spending time in Madrid or Barcelona would offer outstanding golf but also create a romantic getaway.
Therefore, you and your spouse could find a charming villa to add a little intimacy to the trip. Tuscany, Italy is also a great destination, one that not only offers incredible golf but also the chance to head to the countryside where you could visit several wineries and vineyards.

Some golf enthusiasts could even choose a destination in Cambodia, Vietnam, or Thailand. Without a doubt, these Asian cities are truly stunning for any type of trip but especially for golf holidays. They are green and boast a beautifully lush and tropical environment creating one of the most exotic golf holidays ever. Even the locals are amazingly hospitable people that greatly appreciate the visiting tourists. Then, when the perfect climate is added to the mix, along with great shopping and incredible food, it is no wonder that many people make the choice to head to Asia.

Without doubt, organizing golf holidays and tours that involve taking your wife or maybe a number of people will require good research and organization. It also means looking at all the options for golf, even in staying in the United States. However, you should not discount destinations such as Canada, the Caribbean, South America or Southeast Asia as options.

To work with a travel professional in organizing your trip, you can visit a local travel agency or look at possibilities online. Travel experts know how to tailor a trip specifically to you, based on the amount of money you can afford, the type of setting you want, and other preferences.

These specialists are highly trained and experienced in putting entire golf holidays together. In addition to finding and booking time at the golf course of your choice, this person could also arrange all of the accommodations, car rental, flights, and so on. The best golf specialists also offer numerous recommendations regarding the best places to dine, shop, or relax.

The bottom line is that companies that plan and organize golf holidays and tours handle all the arrangements and reservations so all you need to do is show up and enjoy.

So, what are you waiting for? Go online today or call your local travel agent and check out the options for planning one of the greatest golf holidays both you and your wife will enjoy!

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Practice Your Putts:The Basics Skills & Putt-Perfecting Tips!

Your swing, your basic stance and putting are just some of the skills that you need to acquire if you want to learn about the sport of golf. Here, we will take a look at the basic information that you need to know regarding the basics of putting as well as tips on how to perfect this particular skill.

Putting 101: The Basics

First, here’s a quick look at the putting basics that you need to know about. Putting occurs when a golf player uses a uniquely designed club which differs from irons and woods. Putters are generally used for certain courses which are suitable for putting, wherein a player needs to close a very short distance to the cup.

What’s interesting about putting is that it is the most individualizes part of golfing as a sport. Depending on the individual style, players range from standard-length putters, short putters, belly putters and long putters. There are also several ways that the grip is held – you can do it cross-handed, split-handed, using a claw grip or using the conventional putting grip.

Although the putting style varies a lot, there are only a few crucial factors that a good putter needs to keep in mind:

1. Consistently hitting the golf ball in what is known as the ’sweet spot’.

2. Get the ball rolling on the intended line.

3. Controlling the speed at which the golf ball is hit.

4. Sharpening your skills in ‘green reading’.

A Quick Putting Lesson

Now that you already have an idea about the basics of putting, how can you go about setting one up? Here’s a quick lesson to help you out. First, make sure that the ball is positioned no further back than the middle of your stance. This way, you will strike the ball as the golf club is moving at ground level. The width of your stance actually depends on your personal preferences, but your eyes should be aligned over to your target. Or, it can be aligned slightly to the inside.

Second, in order for you to hit the sweet spot, you need to understand a couple of things. Number one, the sweet spot of your putter is not always located in the center of its face. Number two, you should not always rely on the line that the golf club manufacturer painted because this is not always the putter’s sweet spot. One way to find out exactly where the sweet spot is located is to tap the putter face in different areas until you find which spot is most stable.

Third, make sure that you will be able to start the ball rolling on the line that you intended. Fourth, make sure that you gain control over the speed that the ball is rolling if you want to be a successful putter. Finally, make sure to focus on how your putt will break – don’t do this on the last minute.

Putting is a skill that all golf enthusiasts will be good at eventually – just make sure to take the time to practice, focus and enhance your skills so that you can turn out to be a master putter.

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Beat The Winter Blues And Head To Cyprus

There can’t be many people who truly enjoy every day of the winter months at home. With cold mornings and dark evenings, it can seem as if summer is a whole lifetime away.

But there are plenty of other countries that offer better weather at this time of the year – and one of the best has to be Cyprus. With Turkey immediately to the north and Syria to the east, it nestles in the Mediterranean and offers the chance of a fantastic holiday at any time of the year.

So what can you expect from this beautiful island?

For starters there are lots of beaches you can stretch out on. While people back at home are wrapped up against the elements, you can enjoy the likes of Phinikoudes Beach. This is renowned for being one of best beaches on the island, and it is set up to appeal to the many tourists who flock to it each year.

But this isn’t the only beach you can enjoy during your stay in Cyprus. Together with Kapparis Beach and Pachyammos Beach – not to mention several more dotted around the island – you have plenty of sandy stretches to lie on during your holiday away from colder climes.

But if you thought Cyprus was made of beaches and very little else, you would be wrong. There is plenty more to do here if you are in the mood, and this is one of the reasons why so many people love visiting Cyprus. It offers you a wide range of things to see and do. It is ideal for beach lovers, but it is also perfect for those who look for more in a holiday.

Let’s not forget that Aphrodite was born here, and the remains of Greek settlements are not inconspicuous around the island. If this side of history fascinates you, be sure you see the Temple of Apollo, which is located near Limassol. This is just one of the many sights that Cyprus can treat you to if you decide to indulge in a little winter sun on the island.

It is this wonderful and heady mix of modern and ancient Cyprus that makes the island so attractive to visit. The weather is good all year round and there are lots of places you can stay in while you are on the island. For example, a luxury hotel in Cyprus could be the ideal way to banish those winter blues and get you into an altogether better and happier frame of mind.

You may want to book a two week break instead of just seven days though, because there is so much to enjoy here that a week’s stay just isn’t enough.

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Practice Your Putts:The Basics Skills & Putt-Perfecting Tips!

Your swing, your basic stance and putting are just some of the skills that you need to acquire if you want to learn about the sport of golf. Here, we will take a look at the basic information that you need to know regarding the basics of putting as well as tips on how to perfect this particular skill.

Putting 101: The Basics

First, here’s a quick look at the putting basics that you need to know about. Putting occurs when a golf player uses a uniquely designed club which differs from irons and woods. Putters are generally used for certain courses which are suitable for putting, wherein a player needs to close a very short distance to the cup.

What’s interesting about putting is that it is the most individualizes part of golfing as a sport. Depending on the individual style, players range from standard-length putters, short putters, belly putters and long putters. There are also several ways that the grip is held – you can do it cross-handed, split-handed, using a claw grip or using the conventional putting grip.

Although the putting style varies a lot, there are only a few crucial factors that a good putter needs to keep in mind:

1. Consistently hitting the golf ball in what is known as the ’sweet spot’.

2. Get the ball rolling on the intended line.

3. Controlling the speed at which the golf ball is hit.

4. Sharpening your skills in ‘green reading’.

A Quick Putting Lesson

Now that you already have an idea about the basics of putting, how can you go about setting one up? Here’s a quick lesson to help you out. First, make sure that the ball is positioned no further back than the middle of your stance. This way, you will strike the ball as the golf club is moving at ground level. The width of your stance actually depends on your personal preferences, but your eyes should be aligned over to your target. Or, it can be aligned slightly to the inside.

Second, in order for you to hit the sweet spot, you need to understand a couple of things. Number one, the sweet spot of your putter is not always located in the center of its face. Number two, you should not always rely on the line that the golf club manufacturer painted because this is not always the putter’s sweet spot. One way to find out exactly where the sweet spot is located is to tap the putter face in different areas until you find which spot is most stable.

Third, make sure that you will be able to start the ball rolling on the line that you intended. Fourth, make sure that you gain control over the speed that the ball is rolling if you want to be a successful putter. Finally, make sure to focus on how your putt will break – don’t do this on the last minute.

Putting is a skill that all golf enthusiasts will be good at eventually – just make sure to take the time to practice, focus and enhance your skills so that you can turn out to be a master putter.

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Commonwealth Games 2010

Welcome to Commonwealth Games 2010 blog. It’s just about time that you get informed about Commonwealth Games 2010 that is to be held in India. Information that will make you a part of the international event the whole world is waiting for. The event that involves the elite of the athletes and the best of the nations. The 2010 Games also presents an opportunity for India to showcase itself as a sporting and cultural nation and economic power. What should you know about commonwealth games 2010: * What really is commonwealth games? * What is official and what is not? * How does this game affect us anyway and why should there be so much concern about it? * Why all these changes, why spending so much money on infrastructure changes? * What has India been sporting in history, other than Cricket? * What is Queens’s Baton? New Delhi is beaming with pride to host the Commonwealth Games 2010. India’s distinct culture, where the traditional is successfully combined with the modern, will make the Delhi Games special. Right now what you see and really experience are the infra structural changes that are taking place, to be honest, on daily basis. But now we even have news from across the country informing us about the preparation of athelets. As in the words of Indian sports minister Suresh Kalmadi, “The colour, costumes, the traditions and heritage will be world class, the public will be welcoming and friendly and the flair of India is what will make the next Games really unique.” India will be only the third developing country to host the event after Jamaica in 1966 and Malaysia in 1998. This is only the second time the event will be held in Asia. The success of these games may also strengthen India’s bid for 2016 Summer Olympics. This will be the biggest multi-sport event conducted in the India. In past New Delhi has proudly experienced playing host to the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 (Asiad). Preparations are in full swing Sand New Delhi is comfortably meeting all the target dates. Every venue event is getting ready for the important year. The proposed dates for the Games are 3 – 14 October 2010 inclusive of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The Delhi Games Village is to be constructed as a low rise medium development on a 40 acre site in the heart of the capital with a possible capacity for 8,500 athletes and officials. Existing and new stadium will be used to house the following sports: The culture, infrastructure and sport all will be successfully combined to create yet another memorable experience for Commonwealth Games. The 2010 Games will be staged in the heart of Delhi itself with existing venues and facilities being given a major facelift that includes construction of new venues like New Delhi games village.

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