So the Olympics have finished I have to admit it
was a great success not just in medals but in organisation as well. Still think
it was not worth the money but it has put a bounce into the country and we have
seen a big increase in interest in the Martial Arts at our Club so there may be
some future legacy, The Opening ceremony was spectacular but as I have said
before the idea that we got our wealth from the Industrial revolution is somewhat
suspect, becoming the Biggest and Great Empire the World has ever seen would
have been the main contribution to our wealth and influence. As for the CND
tribute well if we had listened to them the Soviet Union would be still in existence,
it was the arms race that made them collapse. Did not see the closing ceremony
soon as I heard it was about 60 years of pop music and 60 years of pop culture
I thought NO but I saw in the paper the following day the Band of the
Coldstream Guards did their bit and Churchill appeared so maybe they did honour
part of our very long heritage.
Cameron has said the athletes will continue to be
helped in their funding which in some cases is good but is was quoted in the
paper some of the Medal winners can expect to earn up to £3 million next year so
I would be little bit peeved if they got tax payers money. Another point is I
trained for nearly 4 years to make the Moscow Olympics, sadly I only made
reserve yet if I carried on for another 4 years I am sure I would have gone in
1984 but having a wife and 3 children the sacrifice would have too great,
especially as the wife went out to work to support my 4 year bid. Not
complaining, as there was not a load of money floating about for what was
supposed to be amateur Olympics, well it was for the British. Yet today some
athletes are complaining about resources, if this is true who has been paying
for some of them to attend four or more Olympics?
Team UK medal haul will inspire youngster and get
them away from thinking they can become famous by going to rubbish like X
Factor. Our Athletes have shown by hard work you can achieve not by winning a
sub standard talent show.
Cameron has said he wants to encourage more sport
in school so we can have more Olympic Champions; what concerns me will all
government subsidised sport be just the Olympic Sports? There are 34 Olympic
Sports according to I.O.C. web site yet SportEngland has 148 recognised sports
and there are many other sports which are not recognised or yet to be invented.
So by all means get people doing Sport but throw the net wide and do not
restricted it just the Olympics.
Many have suggested certain Athletes get
Knighthoods and every medal winner an MBE but what about the others, who never
got medals or never made the team, surely they trained as hard? My impression
of the honours awards is that it is for people who give up their time and
energy selflessly. If you want to be an International Athlete the person you
should think about is yourself. What we need is a Queens Award for Sport for
those that Coach, Officiate, Participate and for our World Class athletes.
To finish can I congratulate all those who were
involved in the Greatest Olympics ever (LONDON 2012)
For more information on Sambo visit: http://www.britishsombo.co.uk/ Contact Martin Clarke at sombogb@blueyonder.co.uk
