Archive for June, 2009
June 26th, 2009 | 
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Waiting for the World Cup to start has always been a punishing yet rewarding experience for soccer aficionados. The former is felt days after the last World Cup ends, the latter, days before the next one starts. Soccer fans will declare that the long four-year wait is all worth it once this truly world event begins with that starting kick off. All that pent up excitement has to come out sometime and what better way for it to go than through the explosion of cheers, applause and jubilant gestures of support once the games are underway.
Finally, the excruciating wait is over as the eight groups of thirty-two teams from various countries compete for the World Cup Trophy and their respective nation’s pride. Last Friday marked the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Several countries virtually went into a standstill as history unfolded in the Allianz Arena at Munich.
This truly is an occasion of global proportions as football devotees root for their country’s team with fervent display of loyalty and zeal. In the 64 grueling and exciting matches ahead, soccer fans are sure to get a treat as the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Beckham strut their wares on the road to football glory. The powerhouse that is Brazil is clearly the team to beat this year. In the seventeen previous tournaments since the first World Cup in 1930, Brazil has been a dominant force having won five of the seventeen events including the one back in 2002. The defending champions shouldn’t take it easy though because hot on their heels are other soccer superpowers and they are not trailing far behind in talent and passion.
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I imagine my story is very similar to many other people who have found themselves involved in the world of boxing and martial arts. I started as a lot of young men do, doing a normal 9-5 office job, eating rubbish and drinking far too much lager! This of course did very little for my body or my anything else for that matter so decided it was time to join a gym. 
A couple of friends of mine were really into bodybuilding, so much so that one had what could only be described as a shrine to Arnie in his bedroom. I was quite impressed by the progress they had made so thought I’d join them a couple of times a week. Under their supervision I started to reverse the effects of my unbelievable unhealthy lifestyle. Ten years later I was still doing the same training, maintaining a decent physique, spending a small fortune on supplements but found myself increasingly disillusioned at why exactly I was still putting so much time and effort into weight lifting. I had no interest in steroids and as such was never likely to compete.
We arrived at the gym with a huge bag of boxing equipment, out of which he pulled two pairs of 12oz gloves and 2 headgears. At this point I was really questioning what I’d gotten myself into but pride being what it is I wasn’t about to back out.