The Olympics is over

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