Sports Desk: 18th August

Hi there. Here's my weekly sports desk reports. I hope there's something here for everyone.

Golf

President Chavez of Venezuela is known for his denunciations. He's often found denunciating like a mother. This time the subject of his ire? Golf. As George Bernard Shaw said it's "Typical capitalist lunacy".

Football

Splintered Sunrise discusses sporting boycotts as Israel's football team play in the North of Ireland.

Dara O'Briain is a very funny guy and he's just started writing a sports column for the Guardian. His first go is worth reading, although a little heavy on the 'me' side - I suspect that's because not much has happened yet. Best of luck with it Dara.

Olympics

Whilst Mayor Johnson is all girlish glee when he thinks of the Olympics not all his Tory colleagues are as enamoured. The infamous Andrew Boff, for one, who compares the Olympic village site to a "child's potato print". Steady on Boff old chap, steady on.

Guardianista

Joan Smith in Guardian argues that sport should be gender neutral. I'm right on but this all seemed a bit much.

Urban Fitness

I'm a great fan of free running, or parkour. Well the best free runners in the world have come to compete against one another in Trafalgar Square. The BBC reports and you can see the coverage here. More please!

Community

Greens win free sports for teenagers. Providing more positive options for young people.

As part of her negotiations on the Council’s annual Budget, Katie Dawson got approval for her plan for a £300,000 programme of free sports for under-18 year olds. This is now in hand, with Council officers working up a range of activities - new community competitions for football, basketball and cricket, and less familiar sports such as parkour, street athletics, ice-blading, canoeing, angling and sailing.

Partnerships will bring rugby into the borough with Saracens, extend the Arsenal Kickz scheme, and develop dance programmes. Says Katie: “This is an exciting plan, because I wanted to take the activities to the likely users. There’ll be youth sports nights in schools, extended summer play-schemes, and events on estates, in parks, even in night clubs. ”

Parts of the programme, eg trampolining and dance for teenage girls, will be targeted at hard-to-reach groups. The programme will also offer ten new apprenticeships, to help young people into full-time jobs as sports coaches, life guards and gym instructors.

Cricket

There's a great piece in Red Pepper called neither a business nor a cause by Mike Marqusee which explores the consequences of moving towards 20:20 cricket. Mike's always good value and it's well worth a read.

That's your lot for this week. If you spot anything over the next week for the next sports desk report- let me know.