Wellock's World
Unfair on athletes to turn up the heat on China now
NO MATTER how often
they ride their bikes, or
profess their love for
Chelsea or Partick Thistle or
Accrington Stanley, those of a
political bent rarely have the
faintest concept of the
importance of sport.
As well as MPs that includes
the rent-a-mob protestors, who
believe that any sporting event
is fair game if it can somehow
be linked with what they
perceive to be an injustice.
People like the appalling Peter
Tatchell.
He is best known as a gay
rights activist, but once
headed a mob at the gates of
Lord's protesting about
Zimbabwe's visit and it was no
surprise to see him among
those seeking to extinguish
the Olympic flame.
The sight of him was almost
as vile as that of the Chinese
thugs protecting the flame,
although they at least had the
excuse that they were merely
acting under orders. Unless
they had questioned the need
for their presence, which
seems unlikely, they would
have had little idea what the
protest was about.
The flame's symbolism
would have been lost on most
of the protestors, as would
their own hypocrisy if they
were wearing any clothing
made in China. It was equally
sickening to hear the
politicians trotting out the
predictable and well-rehearsed
line about democratic rights,
as though the unsightly
conflict were to be welcomed.
It should never have
happened because China's
proposal to send the flame on a
"Journey of Harmony" should
have been rejected, just as
their bid to stage the games
should have been thrown out
in the first place. And this is
not being wise after the event,
because many of us said so
when the decision was taken
seven years ago.
Recent events in Tibet
shouldn't make any difference.
They are merely an untimely
reminder of what we already
knew. But at this late stage it
is both pathetic and grossly
unfair on athletes who are in
the late stages of dedicated
preparations to call for a
boycott.
HUMAN rights in China
are unlikely to be on the
agenda at Augusta, where
some officials would probably
like to bar the world's best
golfer on grounds of colour.
They have invited Liang Wen-
Chong to take part because it
will help to sell TV rights in
China, even though the player
ranked 111th in the world will
be down among the also-rans
with geriatric ex-winners like
Gary Player, Sandy Lyle and
Larry Mize.
Colin Montgomerie has
sounded off about Wen-Chong
and a couple of other
orientals being invited to the
Masters ahead of him, despite
their lower ranking. And as
he comes to terms with the
fact that he will never win a
major, it must also rankle
with Monty that Mize still
takes advantage of his
automatic entry 20 years after
the flukiest major win of all.
Mize, who holed a chip from
40 yards to beat poor old Greg
Norman in a play-off, thanked
god, who also took the credit
when Zach Johnson won last
year. The cream usually rises
to the top in the Masters, and
it will be a huge surprise if
the almighty propels another
unknown to the forefront.
A bookie would let you
name your own odds for
anyone else to win the grand
slam, but Tiger is 10-1. Worth
a punt, I'd say, and no doubt
the prospect will be aired at
length with the benefit of vast
knowledge and huge
professionalism by Gary
Lineker.
ALTHOUGH he was
labelled a whinger by one
ex-player, Rob Andrew was
popular with the national
media in the days when he
regularly lambasted
officialdom as the boss of
Newcastle Falcons. But they
appear to have turned on him
now that he's treading a more
circumspect path in the
corridors of Twickenham.
They were expecting him to
be at Tuesday's RFU briefing
about the imminent
appointment of an England
manager, but he was said to
have been detained by
discussions on the subject. To
whom he was talking was not
divulged. In fact, the name of
Martin Johnson was never
mentioned, although everyone
present knew he was the only
man in the frame.
Whether Andrew stands to
attention in Johnson's
presence, as everyone else
seems to, isn't recorded. But as
he steps delicately through the
mess he is supposed to resolve
he certainly seems to have
stopped dancing to the press's
tune.
THE cost of the aquatics
centre for the London
Olympics is reported to have
quadrupled since the bid
document quoted it as £75m.
An adviser on architecture
attempted to justify this by
speaking of the centre's
"elegant and sinuous design
in legacy mode" and said it
will be the jewel in the crown
of the Olympic Park for the
next decade. For £300m
shouldn't we be forgoing
elegant and sinuous for
something which will last for
a century?
THE cricket season is about
to begin with Twenty20
casting an increasing shadow.
Indian Cricket League "rebels"
who have been denied the
chance to take up county
contracts are threatening to
sue for restraint of trade. The
smell of new-mown grass is to
be overpowered by the whiff or
cordite.
9:15am Friday 11th April 2008
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