London Olympics

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Category: Misc. Sports

Published on Sunday, 15 July 2012 17:18

Written by Ramandeep Dhillon

Olympics are a special event in the calendar and London is a special city on the map of the world. Very soon we will come to know what we get when we mix both of them. I am pretty sure the vibrancy of City of London and the swift uplifting spirit of Olympics will complement each other very well. The Olympic village, commissioned after London won the bid to host the Olympics, is already complete and set to impress the visitors (a good lesson for the organizers of CWG in India).

Stratford is the place in London where the Olympic stadium is built. As promised the Olympics has rejuvenated the surrounding area. Train station has been upgraded and a new massive shopping mall has been opened in the vicinity of the stadium. This has given much needed economic boost to the local area and businesses.

London has a thing to prove after spectacular hosting by Beijing in 2008. Interestingly when London won the bid, the UK economy was doing very well and then recession came. Suddenly the economic climate became gloomy as big financial institutions and banks foundered all around. For a moment there were fears that it may affect the preparation of the Olympics but those were just fears as the budget for Olympics was made recession proof. Nevertheless this just proves how sensitive the world of sport is to the economic and political events. In peace sport and athlete prospers and in troubles it becomes the luxury that can be easily ignored. Luckily the City of London is regarded as a state in a state with its own pulse and forward looking attitude which would have never compromised on the standards for the sake of recession.

Significance of Olympics

Olympics mean different things to different people. For athletes it is the ultimate dream to win the gold medal and make their country proud and for spectators it's the joy of watching the best of the best competing and stretching the boundaries of what could be physically endured and achieved by human body. The bulging legs of sprinters, endurance of marathon runners, flexibility of gymnasts, focus of shooters and gravity defying skills of jumpers reminds the spectators that how amazing this human body is.

I personally had the experience of witnessing my friend preparing for shooting competition in Athens Olympics 2004 and his dedication and devotion towards his preparation was illustrious and more importantly unlike other lads of his age he was treading on a self-constructive path.

The aim of participating in Olympics brings discipline in youth and helps them to focus on positive rather than stray away aimlessly into drugs and other wrongdoings. It gives so many young people a mission to concentrate on and not to mention the hopes of coaches, friends, families and nations riding on them.

In today's world where lifestyles are becoming increasingly stationary and waistlines ever more huge and where most of the stuff is done with the touch of a finger sitting in front of the screens It has become important to support outdoor activities. And Olympics with its long illustrious and prestigious history has done so for ages and contributed in promoting good health and well-being.

The intensity and emotions of those involved in the events gives a hint of dramatic effect to Olympics. One can go through a plethora of emotions by just watching it. The tensions, stresses, anticipation, exertion, joy and ecstasy of athletes is felt by all who watches them.

Tickets!

The cheapest one will cost you around 20 pounds and the prices steadily increases to thousands with significance of the event and position of your seat. You can visit the official London Olympics website to register your interest in buying them. I would advise to do that as soon as possible if you are interested in coming to London for Olympics because right now the demand for them is becoming more than the supply. Also beware of the fake websites and tickets as many of them have propped up on the internet since the tickets have gone on sale.

What you can expect of London?

Apart from loads of 'Sorries' and 'Thank you's' from Londoners you can expect a warm welcome, a lavish opening and closing ceremony. London is a multi-cultural capital of the world and here you will feel home away from home. Whatever nationality you are you will find your community and food in London to relate to. It's a buzzing place with character and history where towering, symmetrical historic buildings brings delight and awe to tourists faces. There are plenty of attractions to keep you on the toe and busy while you are here. London's night life is legendary and worth trying if that's the cup of your tea.

Some interesting facts about London and Olympics:

• IOC awards hosting Olympics to cities not countries.
• There are more foreign languages spoken in London than any other city in the world.
• 350,000 – The number of visitors expected during the games every day.
• 9.6 million Tickets are for sale for Olympics and Para – Olympics.
• In 2012 there will also be golden jubilee celebration of the reign of the Queen.
• Tickets for the final 100m are expected to be most expensive where Usan Bolt will compete.