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General
Awareness Updates – June-July 2014 Sports BADMINTON Thomas Cup, Winner: Runner-up: Uber Cup, Winner: Runner-up: FOOTBALL 20th Senior
National Women’s Football Championships Manipur outplayed defending
champions Orissa 3-1 to clinch the 20th Senior National Women’s Football
Championships title, their 17th crown overall, in Golaghat, Assam. Bala
Devi of Manipur was adjudged player of the tournament. MOTORRACING Chinese Grand Prix Winner: Lewis Hamilton (Britain/Mercedes) Second: Nico Rosberg (Germany/Mercedes) Third: Fernando Alonso
(Spain/Ferrari) Winner: Nico Rosberg (Germany/Mercedes) Second: Lewis Hamilton (Britain/Mercedes) Third: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia/Red Bull Racing) Spanish Grand Prix Winner: Lewis Hamilton (Britain/Mercedes) Second: Nico Rosberg (Germany/Mercedes) Third: Daniel Ricciardo
(Australia/Red Bull Racing) TENNIS Mutua Men’s Winner: Rafael Nadal ( Runner-up: Kei Nishikori ( Women’s Winner: Maria Sharapova ( Runner-up: Simona Halep ( Internazionali BNL d’Italia Men’s Winner: Rafael Nadal ( Runner-up: Novak Djokovic ( Women’s Winner: Serena Williams ( Runner-up: Sara Errani ( UN and IOC sign
historic agreement to use sport to promote peace The United Nations
(UN) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have signed a historic
agreement to use the power of sports to promote peace and economic development,
a move that strengthens collaboration between two of the world’s major
organizations. IOC President Thomas Bach said that
celebrating the strengthened relationship that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
was right when he said “Olympic principles are United Nations
principles”. He pointed to the UN and Olympic charters, which both call
for international cooperation to promote peace, a better life for people around
the world and preserving human dignity. “Yes sport can change the world but it
cannot change the world alone,” Mr Bach said. “When placing sport at the
service of humankind, we need and we want the partnership with other players in
society.” Secretary-General Mr Ban said the
Memorandum of Understanding signed with the IOC was “a logical and historic step
after years of ever closer collaboration in using sport to promote development
and peace”. The agreement calls for joint sporting initiatives between the IOC,
national Olympic committees, international sports federations, organizing
committees and international athletes and the 193 UN member states, UN
agencies, envoys and goodwill ambassadors. The two organizations will be
promoting education for youth through sport without discrimination of any kind,
access to sport for all communities especially the most disadvantaged and
marginalized, healthy lifestyles and peace-building and community dialogue. Mr Ban stressed the importance of
sport in reducing stigma and increasing the social and economic integration of
marginalized people and in bridging cultural, religious, ethnic and social
divides. He quoted former basketball star Magic Johnson’s statement in the
dispute over racist comments purportedly made by embattled Los Angeles Clippers
owner Donald Sterling, “We all play with different races of people when you’re
in sports. That’s what makes sports so
beautiful.” He said sports values such as teamwork, fairness and respect for
opponents and the rules of the game “are understood all around the world and
are useful well beyond the playing field, in our personal and professional
lives”. |
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