rajiv

The hatred of Jessica Fox here is quite palpable

Japan seems to have eligiblity rules for it's rugby team similar to those that seem pretty standard in baseball and softball Although to be fair I expect that they are all fluent in the national language I know rugby is a pretty big sport in Japan and I guess they want to be competitive but just generally lack the big bodies required in home grown players ( although this doesn't seem to be a problem in sumo )

I expect that plenty of people here who don't come from countries with ocean coastline beaches and an accompanying surfing culture ( that includes all but about 4 European countries ) don't approve of surfing being on the programme But I'm sure they have no problem with snow sports especially mountain snow sports being Olympic events and don't give a thought to those from countries which don't have the climate and terrain for these sports Just an observation

The best leg by far in that relay was the final Australian leg by Chalmers

I'm only second guessing the Japanese public . Maybe I'm wrong -think there will be a lot of comment about this in the next few days I very much doubt that those sackings of key people would be Japanese initiated -they were leaned on by Westerners especially the Americans . I'm sure the Osaka choice will be applauded by the New York Times , NBC and all that crowd ( the ones who love "Imagine " ) What the people here think is neither here nor there Yes I do have a problem with Eurocentrism and European condescension towards others . ( I didn't know the abbreviation of Japan was JPN )

I bet there are very mixed feeling in Japan about Osaka . Sure they like having a Major winner with JAP after her name but many Japanese would not consider her really Japanese ( -I don't know how many ) But wokeness and NBC especially are very powerful and Diversity rules

Well that's your view Yes cricket has English origins Just like about half the sports at the Olympics Imagine saying that about football/soccer or water polo Although the inventor of basketball was a Scottish born Canadian both basketball and volleyball have American origins

Cricket is played at a high level in every continent . Now rather like the Israeli baseballers and the Italian softballers many countries can field a so called national team which really isn't ( ie composed of the South Asian diaspora )but there are 12 + senior or Test countries where the national team is full of genuine nationals ( unlike here ) (I say 12+ because the West Indies is a composite side of various independent Caribbean nations )

That's because they are mainly American born and bred

I note Australia has won a medal in this ridiculous minor sport every time it has been in the Olympics ( look it up ) The Gold medal game was always going to be between USA and Japan I note that Italy has a similar selection policy to that of the Israeli Baseball team ie look for foreigners who somehow can qualify Lets hope that these not very international sports are not seen again

Well it's true that Brisbane was a fait accompli but it is a very good choice . By far the best Olympics in my lifetime was Sydney so I 'd say they are very good at these things The major Australian cities already have great sporting infrastructure Brisbane is sub tropical so their "winter " is like a Northern European summer

I think India will get quite a shock how few medals they will win in Tokyo . I'm certainly not wishing this but performance in secondary events in non mainstream sports is a very poor indicator of Olympic performance . Some relatively unknown competitor from one of the Big Gun nations often appears and wins -all they care about are the Olympics not the world cup circuit

There are always a number of athletes who represent Ireland at the Olympics and then Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games . I saw somewhere that it is not unknown -but not much publicised -for some to actually be living on the Republic's side of the border . Only temporarily of course . An interesting issue is now Ireland is competing in Olympic team sports -hockey and rugby 7s . Which -unlike association football - have always been All Ireland teams There have always been Northerners who wouldn't want to join in the singing of the Republic's national anthem . Guess they just have to glare and look grim faced

Women's water polo has been in the last 5 Olympics Australia has 3 medals - a Gold and two bronzes plus a 4th and a 6th from these 5 games What is it with you eastern europeans and your anti non european stance . It's a constant meme here

I just saw this and am assuming you are talking about me . If not read no more I've played a bit of golf ( result of many years in Australia - wouldn't have happened in India ) and figure that unlike just about everyone else I've read here I actually know something about the sport . I very much doubt for instance many here would know one club from another . Indeed I had the golf bug for a few years . Most here have a golf knowledge limited to just looking at the flag next to a player's name -just as they do for many sports The no 300 player is pretty ordinary by pro standards and plays on a minor Tour because he wouldn't qualify for the US Tour and then the European Tour . ( Unless maybe he's just starting out as a pro ) ( actually there are probably many dozens of amateurs who are better ) Just check out say the Asian Tour which is regularly dominated by no name players from real golfing countries Much better to have 4 golfers from GB . South Africa , Australia etc than anyone from China , Malaysia , Finland etc if you want a serious competition . But maybe this is all theoretical as I expect few top 60 players to turn up for this mickey mouse tournament . (And these guys ranked above 200 will be lucky to break 80 )

All I can say is I do find it amazing that any non American would be cheering on an American . Or maybe a Russian or Chinese too Because : These countries win more than enough medals as it is and They are countries which have a more than an average chance of having dopers get medals

And well over a chain

Welcome to the real world . Now I realise that this is a site largely for Olympic fanatics but there are a huge no of sports fans who have a decidedly non Pollyanna view of the Olympics ( which may have not always been the case but that's another story ) I'd say your average tennis or golf fan would much rather see a compatriot win a Major than the Olympics . Now that isn't necessarily an argument against their Olympic inclusion - the Olympics couldn't survive economically if it concentrated on sports that had zero attention apart from the Olympics ( for the simple reason that no one cares about these sports and only the magic dust of being in the Olympics gives them a slight moment in the limelight ) I don't think many tennis players or golfers ( among many others I might say ) have dreamed of being in an Olympic village ever since they can remember I do have a problem with people who go on about national pride and sport ( not that I'm not immune to it myself but I do realise that it can be both dumb and dangerous ) Eurovision is probably the most stupid example of this national pride stupidity -dreadful songs which will be forgotten tomorrow tied up with jingoism -ie my country's shithouse song is better than your country's shithouse song

I have real problems with the Olympic golf qualification business if a golfer ranked # 286 qualifies ( ie the Chinese guy ranked #60 on the Olympic list ) Now I realise that THEY want a certain number of countries represented but you are getting people who can't get into even a B or C grade tournament . It might be nice to have say 35 countries represented rather than 21 but this just makes the Olympic tournament even more of a giggle event in the eyes of golf fans How about this ( good ideas have to start somewhere ) : the no of countries represented must be at least the greater no of (1) all the countries which have a golfer in the top ranked 100 OR (2) 10% of all Olympic countries ( currently that's 21 countries ) Host country must have at least one competitor Maximum of 4 per country This system would allow more than 2 golfers from the serious golf countries ( apart from the US of course who will probably always qualify four ) I think of these rather limited golfers who just qualify as being the Summer equivalent of Prince Albert of Monaco whom I remember sitting comfortably in the bobsleigh while his teammates and subjects pushed the darned thing to get it moving

One can only hope

Very nice of Australia to help out China considering that the Chi Coms hate Australia with a vengeance

Admit it -the so called Israeli baseball team is an all American team of people who happen to be Jewish Maybe in theory the Vatican could field a similar team of American Catholics Actions like this are making a mockery of the Olympics

Really -is there any surfing in Italy ? you need access to the open ocean for real surfing. And a suitable climate . Only a few European countries genuinely have this -Portugal , Spain , France , GB have a local surfing scene and I think that's about it for Europe .( Although maybe there are now artificial surfing venues being established ) Maybe there are big waves off Norway but I suspect the climate doesn't invite surfing It's a sport that is dependant on having the right geography and climate -just like skiing As for badminton -rather like table tennis - Just naturalize a few ( more ) Asians . Works for many countries

Surely in the case of GB and France it would be easier to make a list of athletes who DON'T have origins from other countries

No doubt Israel would go bananas to win a medal in baseball I understand that just about all Israelis live and breathe baseball