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The International Olympics at Beijing is going to start at 8pm on 8 August, 2008, 08/08/08 and the sports celebration will continue for 16 days till 24 August.

The number eight is considered by the Chinese as a very special number and the Olympics opening ceremony will therefore start at 08:08:08, that is 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 in the evening (Beijing time) on the 8th day of August in the year’08. According to the reports, grand fireworks are planned by the organizers on the opening ceremony which the whole world can watch. This will be the opening and a very important moment for the celebration; hence all the possible problems are under consideration. But what if it starts raining that time??

China’s Scientists are worried about this possibility and they are engaged in the solution of this possible problem which can ruin the whole celebration. Till now, scientists are trying to make possible that in case, rain clouds come on the day, their path can be averted by rocket attack. They will be targeted by rockets and rain drops will be converted into ice that could be kicked away by rockets.

The whole world is focused on the games. With almost every country represented, there will be something to cater for everyone.

A bumper 29 sports will be on display. These are: Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Canoeing, Cycling, Diving, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee and the Chinese organizers BOCOG have agreed to lift all Internet restrictions for the Beijing Games, IOC vice-president Gunilla Lindberg told reporters on Friday.

This issue had caused major stir days before the start of Olympics with IOC officials insisting there would be no censorship and BOCOG saying sensitive sites would remain blocked.

Top stars will be taking part. Athletics will have Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay in the sprints. Isinbayeva in the Pole Vault, Kenisa Bekela the great Ethiopian long distant runner and all the top Kenyans. Federer and Nadal and the Williams sisters will participate in Tennis. Kobe Byrant and Lebron James in basketball and Ronaldinho will be in football.

Tags: Archery, Asafa Powell, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bejing, Boxing, Canoeing, Celebration, China, Cycling, Diving, Equestrian, Federer, Fencing, Fireworks, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, IOC, Isinbayeva, Judo, Kenisa Bekela, Kobe Byrant, Lebron James, Modern Pentathlon, Nadal, Olympics, Rain, Ronaldinho, Rowing, Sailing, Scientists, Shooting, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Williams sisters, Wrestling

Indian tennis star Somdev Dev Varman has written a new record in the Tennis history by winning his second consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) singles title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over J P Smith in the final on Monday.

He is the fourth player to do so in the last 50 years and became the first Indian and only the 13th player in the US collegiate tournament’s 124-year history to win consecutive titles.

He joins a band of players including Georgia’s Mikael Pernfors (1984 and 1985) and Matias Boeker (2001 and 2002) to win consecutive NCAA singles title since the 64-player tournament format was adopted in 1977.

Dev Varman defeated the 6 feet 9 inches John Isner in last year’s final for the NCAA championships. He becomes the first player since Dennis Ralston (1963 and 1964) to win consecutive titles without winning at least one of them on his home courts. He also joins Sargin Sargsian (1995) and Benjamin Kohlloeffel (2006) as the only players to win the ITA National indoor singles championship and NCAA singles championship in the same season.

The win was his 18th career NCAA singles tournament victory, extending his record for most in the current tournament format.

“There was a little bit of a different feel this year than last year,” Dev Varman was quoted as saying on the NCAA Web site.

“Last year there was a bigger crowd and it was No 1 vs. No 2 instead of No 1 vs. an unseeded player. But that didn’t change how I prepared for the match. I was focused and played well.” He said.

The final turned out to be an easy outing for the Indian as he broke the unseeded Smith in the eighth game of the first set before serving it out 6-3. He broke Smith twice in the second set to go up 3-0 before closing out the match 6-3, 6-2.

Dev Varman ends the season with a 44-1 singles record.

The youngster, winner of the first India Abroad Award for Youth Achievement this year, ends his college career with a 158-27 career singles record, setting the school record for career victories.

“To end my career like this is very special. I wasn’t just playing for myself; I was playing for Virginia for the last time. I was playing for my teammates and my coaches too. The loss in the team tournament was so hard to take, but this was the best way to try to cheer everyone up a little bit,” he said.

Tags: NCAA, NCAA Singles Title, Somdev Dev Verman, Tennis

India’s Tennis sensation Sania Mirza would undergo her right wrist’s surgery in Miami on Thursday. The operation will put her at rest for at least four long weeks.

There is some trouble in her right hand wrist. Inflammation is noted in her wrist which forced her to pull out of the Sony Erricson Open last month.

“A recent MRI showed contusion of her lunate bone with some inflammation and a suspected tear in the volar capsule. She is undergoing arthroscopy to repair the capsule and to clean out debris formed from chronic inflammation,” a Globosport press release said.

Renowned hand specialist Dr Badia will perform the surgery.

Sania had already arrived in the United States on Tuesday with her mother and physiotherapist Renuka Pinto.

Earlier she had undergone knee surgery in March 2007.

Australian cricket player Shane Warne has now retired to be the new face of 888.com. Visit here to see if his cricket skills match his poker skills!

Tags: Australia, Sania Mirza, Surgery, Tennis