Dein erstes Forum » Olympic judo title when she forced?Audrey Tcheu

Zimbabweans waking up on a crisp Monday in July 2001, the day after Hamilton Masakadza had become the first black batsman to score a hundred for the country, might have expected their joy to be reflected in the mornings papers. Instead they were affronted by a headline that bristled with pent-up anger: Masakadza proves racists wrong.The headline was a precursor of things to come in Zimbabwe cricket. But it also represented an outpouring of frustration from a segment of the black community who felt that, for all of Zimbabwe Cricket Unions efforts to transform from its white base to a majority sport, players of colour were still being kept at arms length.Fifteen years on, this feeling has been rising on the other side of the Limpopo River, in South Africa. Last November, a group of black cricketers sent a letter to Cricket South Africa (CSA) saying that they were sick and tired of being included in national squads without being picked to play. Their frustrations have been echoed by Zimbabwes interim coach Makhaya Ntini - who claims he was shut out of the coaching realm in South Africa because of race - and in newspaper columns that have questioned the appointment of Mark Boucher as Titans coach despite his absence of coaching experience.For all of these issues, there are counterclaims. Those in favour of picking sides purely on merit might suggest that black players have not been quite good enough, even if they deserved their place in squads. Others might point to Ntinis lack of coaching qualifications, or the fact that he only expressed an interest in coaching in the Eastern Cape, a largely dysfunctional province. Some might say that personality is important - not every former international cricketer will make a good coach - and that this is the difference between Boucher walking into a franchise appointment ahead of Ntini or any of the other coaches in the domestic system.But what is clear is a growing divide, an increasing polarisation in views where both sides only become more entrenched in their position with each passing incident. It is surely no coincidence that South Africa are experiencing this at a very similar time in their history to Zimbabwe - 20 years after attaining black majority rule. It would appear that this is the point where patience begins to run out, and where promises start to ring hollow.The administration in Zimbabwe at least had better excuses to fall back on. The country spent its first decade building the game up on a completely amateur base and only became a Test nation in 1992. Thereafter there were visible attempts to spread the game, with the ZCU spending its own limited resources to install facilities in lower income black schools.By contrast, South Africa has had the benefit of two decades of ICC Full Membership and far greater financial resources. Admittedly, CSA is operating in a much larger country, making it more reliant on the government to do the groundwork, but concerted and sustained attempts at establishing cricket in the townships or in black rural areas have largely been lacking. Even when private entities have got the ball rolling, they have received scant support from the federations. Now, with too few black cricketers developing into top-level players and time running out, CSA has been compelled to implement a top-down approach and install targets at national level.While any racial selection policy is inherently unfair and regrettable, at least South Africas players now have clarity. The absence of such a policy in Zimbabwe created even greater distrust among the white players, and ultimately led to the rebel walkout in 2004. I said that youve got to actually tell people if theres a quota system in place, Heath Streak, who led the walkout, has said. Because the young white guys are going to worry about whether theyre doing the right thing by staying. At least if you do have a quota system and you say that we have to have three or four players of colour, then they know that theyre fighting for seven positions or whatever it is.On the face of it, the ZCU had done many things right in its bid to avert a full-blown crisis. In March 2001 they set up the Integration Task Force as part of an aggressive campaign to eliminate racial discrimination within cricket at all levels. This was a response to several incidents, two of which affected Trevor Madondo, who had preceded Masakadza as Zimbabwes first black specialist batsman.In December 1999, during a one-day series against Sri Lanka, Madondo had arrived half- an-hour late for practice. His punishment was to be omitted from the squad for the remaining three matches, a hefty sanction that drew accusations of racism. The two judges tasked by the ZCU with investigating the matter ruled that on the evidence ... heard it is not possible to conclude with conviction that Trevor Madondo was treated as he was, because of his race. Yet they had a word of caution, advising that in the multiracial and multicultural diverse society that we live in, there is need for sensitivity in ones approach when dealing with issues which cross the cultural or racial divide. In short, they did not feel that Madondo benefited from an even-handed approach.A year later, in a rain-hit Test match in Wellington, Streak declared Zimbabwes first innings with Madondo unbeaten on 74 - his highest Test score. The game was going nowhere - Zimbabwe declared on the final morning, still 147 runs in arrears. The decision not to give Madondo a crack at a hundred is still spoken of in some quarters as a slight on black cricket.There were other signs of trouble. In a Test in Bulawayo a few months earlier, Guy Whittall withdrew from the side in protest after David Mutendera, a young fast bowler, became a late replacement for Craig Wishart, a batsman, due to perceived political interference. And in 2001, after a white batsman had made a century, Streak walked around a corner in the dressing room to find one of the selectors on the phone, lamenting the fact that they would now have to keep picking the white centurion.The Task Force charged with addressing the growing divide had a wide range of cricket people from across the racial spectrum, and was facilitated by Dr Zackrison, an American consultant. The presence of an outsider with no prior knowledge of the situation or even the game of cricket raised the ire of the experienced white players, who also had little time for the process as a whole. One player refused to fill in a survey on racial attitudes in the game, but claims to have been lambasted for his opinions nonetheless when the community met to discuss the Task Forces findings. These included aggressive targets for everything from the number of black players in the national team to the racial make-up of the crowd, although they were genuinely targets whereas CSAs recommendations are quotas under another name. Alistair Campbell, who believes the hard work done in the 1990s was about to bear fruit without political interference, says he walked out along with several other senior white players when the findings were presented. More blacks need to play the game with the least possible reduction in personal and team performance, was the statement he remembers. We sort of questioned that, he says. Youre saying that by bringing people into an organisation youre going downhill, but you just want damage limitation. Thats what that statement says. Ive had this out with some people, and said, Guys, I think you were advised poorly.Because of the historic imbalance, there were barely any senior black players to present their side of the argument and the emerging generation was still too young to deal with such complex issues. Tatenda Taibu, who had become part of the Zimbabwe squad when still a teenager, barely recalls anything about the Task Force process. But he does remember a club match in Harare where an on-field racial slur by one of his team-mates led to an off-field brawl in the changing rooms after the game. He says he just walked out, along with his good friend and team-mate Stuart Matsikenyeri. We had decided we werent going to be distracted by things that wouldnt allow us to achieve what we wanted to achieve, he says. Hamilton [Masakadza] saw that and started to do the same. So it was not something we put any mind to.Unfortunately, their silence left the door open for others to speak for them. These were chaotic times in Zimbabwe as it spiralled into political and economic meltdown, and the racial tension in cricket allowed people with political connections and questionable intentions to infiltrate themselves into the game.The Task Forces biggest challenge was coming up with a process and a pathway that all of these disparate parties could buy into. My view on it is that it was necessary, that it should have happened earlier - not in a political sense but to try and change with the times and to embrace where the country was going, says Andy Pycroft, who spent many hours working on the Task Force. But there was a certain element in the white community that didnt want it to happen, and there was a certain element in the black community that was prepared to ride over everything regardless, a sort of we dont care attitude. And it was trying to marry the two and seek a common middle ground. It was very difficult.This is the challenge facing South African cricket over the coming years. How do you promote one community without completely alienating another? If the South Africans are to maintain their competitive edge then they must retain enough white players, coaches and administrators with talent and experience that the games value will not be eroded overnight. A glance across the border does not offer a blueprint on how this can be done, but there are some lessons that can be heeded. Above all, it is a reminder of the cost of failing to attain even a tenuous unity in such a delicate process. Nike Shoes From China Outlet .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. 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At least not now.Harrison, 26, became the first American -- female or male -- to win two gold medals in judo Thursday and said she plans to retire from competing in the sport. But at the moment, she does not plan to follow Rousey, a bronze medalist in judo at the 2008 Olympics.Its just so different from judo, Harrison said. Its such a different atmosphere from the Olympic stage. ... After a match in judo, you shake a persons hand or you give them a hug. You bow to them to show respect. MMA isnt like that. I dont know if Im cut out for a world where you get fights based on how pretty you are and how much you talk, not necessarily what youve done in the ring.Right now, Im going to be focused on being [a] two-time Olympic champion, enjoy the moment and live in the moment. Never say never, but right now, the answer is no to MMA.Harrison says her goal is to help judo grow to another level in the United States, though she acknowledged that being in MMA could give her a bigger platform to spread the word.Im going to have to talk to [my coaches] and my manager and see what offers are out there and what it is that Im going to do, she said. Who doesnt want to be rich and famous at some point in their life? I yearn for that, but I also see the platform and see how many eyes watch MMA and how much reach I could have with something like that. Given that, it is tempting, but I just won an Olympic gold medal on the biggest stage in the world, so are there going to be more eyes there or where I am now?Harrison said she has received multiple offers from various organizations asking her to fight in MMA competitions, but she has so far turned them all down. Her coach, Jimmy Pedro, said he doubted she wouldd turn pro, adding she was too nice of a person to do mixed martial arts.dddddddddddd.After Harrison won the Olympic title in London, she vowed to retire from the competitive grind of the Japanese martial art. She wanted to focus on other things, like becoming a firefighter.That goal, however, kind of dissolved, she said. She is now planning to spend more time working on her foundation, Fearless, which aims to help victims of sexual abuse. Harrison herself endured years of sexual abuse by a previous judo coach.On Thursday, Harrison became the first American to defend an Olympic judo title when she forced?Audrey Tcheumeo?of France to tap out in the final.With just six seconds left in an otherwise scoreless final, Harrison trapped Tcheumeo in a move that threatened to break her arm, forcing her to submit and handing the American an automatic ippon victory.This is my legacy, Harrison said. I retire as a two-time Olympic champ, one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.Earlier, Harrison won two preliminary fights within minutes after pinning her opponents to the mat for 20 seconds.Tcheumeo advanced to the final by beating Myra Aguiar of Brazil. Harrison and Aguiar had been expected to meet in the final.Judo is a sport where the margin of error is slim to none, Pedro said. For Kayla to [defend her title] really is epic.Aguiar and Anamari Velensek won bronze medals.In the mens 100-kilogram division,?Lukas Krpalek?of the Czech Republic won the countrys first judo gold after defeating?Elmar Gasimov?of Azerbaijan.The mens bronze medals were won by Cyrille Maret of France and Ryunosoke Haga of Japan.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '