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Two of GB's volleyball teams face life without public funding
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British volleyball teams lose all public funding
Public funding for Britain's women's indoor volleyball and men's beach volleyball teams has been withdrawn.
The cut, announced earlier but which took effect on 1 October, threatens the teams' 2012 Olympic participation.
"This will have a massive impact on our preparations - without finance we can't enter or put on events," GB Volleyball coach Audrey Cooper told BBC Sport.
All six Olympic and Paralympic volleyball teams have automatic host-country qualification for London 2012.
Volleyball was one of eight sports, which had their funding slashed at the beginning of 2009 because of UK Sport's £50m budget shortfall.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/volleyball/9048998.stm
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Ryder Cup 2010: Rain halts Friday fourballs
The opening morning of the Ryder Cup has been suspended because of appalling conditions at Celtic Manor.
Persistent heavy rain left many parts of the course waterlogged and with no sign of the conditions improving, play was called off at 0943 BST.
Organisers are expected to make a further announcement at 1300 BST.
The event began at 0745 BST with standing water on the course and it was called off with Europe leading in three of the four fourballs matches.
The leading match of Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer against the United States duo of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson were on the sixth fairway when play was halted.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/9051373.stm
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JORDAN grabs hubby Alex Reid's arm in support - after he was battered in a vicious cage fight.
Wince ... Jordan hides her face
Dave Benett
Reid, 35, was nursing a black eye and cuts and bruises after losing against world middleweight champion Tom "Kong" Watson.
Jordan, 32, real name Katie Price, screamed and winced at the Birmingham clash. Reid had begged her to stay away. But Jordan joined him despite being booed.
An onlooker said: "Katie did her best to cheer Alex on."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/3154198/Reid-hit-and-weep-after-fight.html
Commonwealth Games facing ANOTHER crisis as ceiling caves in at main stadium
as top athletes pull out
- Ceiling collapses near the weightlifting stage
- Phillips Idowu, Christine Ohuruogu and Lisa Dobriskey pull out of Games
- Scotland team confirms it has delayed its departure to Delhi
- Countries worried by 'unsafe and unfit for human habitation'
- Australian film crew enter stadium with bomb kit undetected
- Security fears raised after shootings of tourists
A ceiling caved in at the main stadium in Delhi today, heaping further embarrassment on India's preparations for the Commonwealth Games.
The latest crisis came after three of England’s biggest athletics stars pulled out of the competition last night as the chaotic £1.5billion event edged closer to being cancelled.
Olympic 400m gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu, world champion triple jumper Phillips Idowu and Commonwealth 1,500m champion Lisa Dobriskey have said they will not go to Delhi.
Their decision came just hours before a section of false ceiling collapsed near the weightlifting stage at the Jawarharlal Stadium and followed a disastrous day which saw a footbridge collapse during construction and teams describe accommodation in the athletes’ village as unfit for human habitation.
Crisis: Indian security personnel work at the site of a collapsed pedestrian bridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi today
The Jump4Heroes team have just undertaken a skydive with Britain’s most injured soldier to survive the war on Afghanistan, Ben Parkinson, in a 15,000ft skydive today at Airfield Camp in Netheravon, Wiltshire.

The event not only marks the 11th Anniversary of the New York terror attacks, the date is also the 4th year since Ben was horrifically injured in a mine blast while on patrol in Afghanistan. Despite being told he would never walk, talk or even feed himself again, Ben has defied all medical experts and has overcome severe physical difficulties. Ben has become a patron of The Veterans Charity, raising thousands of pounds for other veterans and their effected families.
www.jump4heroes.com
http://size.co.uk
Briton wins Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series
Balazs Gardi/Red Bull
Gary Hunt celebrates his win
Gary Hunt from Southampton was crowned the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion at the final leg of the tournament in Hawaii overthe weekend.Despite finishing second to reigning champion Orlando Duque from Colombia in the final showdown, Hunt was the overall winner with four wins out of possible six.“It’s great, I’m speechless,” Hunt said. “I only had to do one dive to get the title but now it’s really starting to sink in.”The competition has taken competitors to difficult diving platforms around the world, including Kragero in Norway, La Rochelle in France and Yucatán in Mexico.Organisers claim that more than 20,000 miles have been travelled throughout the competition, with 200 three-second flights and 17, 263.45 points awarded.The grand final of the 2010 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series was hosted at the sport’s birthplace in the Kawainui Falls.The top six athletes overall automatically qualify for the 2011 series.
www.independent.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-11233452
 Music prompts a range of emotions for the listener
Patients could be prescribed music tailored to their needs as a result of new research.
Scientists at Glasgow Caledonian University are using a mixture of psychology and audio engineering to see how music can prompt certain responses.
They will analyse a composition's lyrics, tone or even the thoughts associated with it.
Those behind the study say it could be used to help those suffering physical pain or conditions like depression.
By considering elements of a song's rhythm patterns, melodic range, lyrics or pitch, the team believe music could one day be used to help regulate a patient's mood.
Audio engineer Dr Don Knox, who is leading the study, said the impact of music on an individual could be significant.
He said: "Music expresses emotion as a result of many factors. These include the tone, structure and other technical characteristics of a piece.
"Lyrics can have a big impact too.
"But so can purely subjective factors: where or when you first heard it, whether you associate it with happy or sad events and so on."
So far the team has carried out detailed audio analysis of certain music, identified as expressing a range of emotions by a panel of volunteers.
'Emotional content'
Their ultimate aim is to develop a mathematical model that explains music's ability to communicate different emotions.
This could, they say, eventually make it possible to develop computer programs that identify music capable of influencing mood.
"By making it possible to search for music and organise collections according to emotional content, such programs could fundamentally change the way we interact with music", said Dr Knox.
"Some online music stores already tag music according to whether a piece is "happy" or "sad".
"Our project is refining this approach and giving it a firm scientific foundation, unlocking all kinds of possibilities and opportunities as a result."
BODYBUILDER Paul Mart, far right, beat all ex-pec-tations when he entered the Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, at the ripped old age of 92.
Keeping a-breast of the competition, American Mart will go head-to-head with other pensioners from around the world in the 70-plus category.
Over 10,000 athletes will compete in the Gay Games this week. Open to all ages, sexes and sexual orientations, fake tan is not compulsory.
Forget the zimmer frame, this fella has a trimmer frame than most men half his age.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3079963/Meet-the-Old-Age-Powerlifters.html#ixzz0ve577Q7p
One third of young people suffer from high blood pressure thanks to drinking and lack of exercise
By Tom Kelly
More than a third of young people suffer from high blood pressure, according to a survey released today
A worrying 35 per-cent of those aged 16-34 have hypertension, despite the widespread belief that it is an 'old age' problem.
Almost one in twenty of those showed severe or very severe raised blood pressure, the tests on more than 8,000 people found.
Under pressure: A third of young people have high blood pressure, according to research
Experts blamed binge drinking, bad diet and lack of exercise for the high levels of hypertension, which increases the risk of strokes, heart attacks and kidney problems.
Shafeeque Mohammed, a health expert at Lloydspharmacy who carried out the survey, described the rise high blood pressure in young people as of 'particular' concern.
He said: 'Although we must bear in mind that a one-off blood pressure test is not conclusive, cumulatively the average readings were higher than anticipated.
'High blood pressure is something that most people don’t think they need to worry about until later in life, but it can affect you at any age.
'There are also a number of factors that can contribute to higher blood pressure including smoking, lack of physical activity, obesity, an unhealthy diet and excess alcohol.
'It’s important for young adults to recognise the risk and take action by managing their lifestyles carefully.'
The study involved an analysis of 8,586 blood pressure tests, which were conducted between January and June this year.
It found 35 per cent of 16-34-year-olds had a high blood pressure reading, which is one that exceeds 140/90 millimetres of mercury.
Four per cent of that age range had a reading of 180/110, regarded as a very high level.
The survey also found that one in ten adults over the age of 55 showed signs of severe or very severe hypertension, putting themselves at serious risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Men were found to be higher than women, with three in four classed as having high normal blood pressure or some level of hypertension.
The UK average was 140/86, significantly above the recommended reading of 120/80, pushing the country into the hypertensive category.
Only one in four of those tested has ideal or normal blood pressure. More than half of those tested had high blood pressure, ranging from mild to severe.
Almost one in 10 of all those tested showed signs of severe or very severe hypertension
Professor Eoin O’Brien, from University College Dublin, warned that an increase in blood pressure can lead to significant health problems.
He said: 'Lack of blood pressure control increases the chances of cardiovascular problems such as strokes, heart attacks or kidney problems.
'Recent evidence shows that although prescribing of blood pressure-lowering drugs has increased, BP control has not improved.
'People of all ages need to take their blood pressure seriously and re-evaluate their lifestyle to reduce the risk of hypertension.'
Last month it emerged that Britain's booze culture has led to a huge increase in patients needing treatment for high blood pressure.
The number of adults diagnosed with raised blood pressure - or hypertension - as a result of drinking too much alcohol has jumped by 74 per cent in five years.
The figures showed that in 2008/2009, hospitals in England treated just over 330,000 patients with alcohol-related blood pressure problems - a massive rise on the 191,000 cases in 2004/2005.
According to the Department of Health, men who frequently consume more than eight units of alcohol a day are four times more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Women who drink more than six units a day double their risk.
Hypertension affects 16million Britons - about one in five - and is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
The higher it climbs, the greater the force exerted by blood on the walls of the arteries when the heart beats.

Want to know where the ultimate 7 day spa break is? Give yourself the best treat you'll have all year. Set in one of Spains most luxury hotels, Barcelo Asia Gardens has a new 7 days Oriental Experience starting from September 2010 which is sure to give you the ultimate relaxing break of a lifetime.
Drawing from time-honoured Eastern therapies, the Oriental Experience will involve a consultation with our specialist in traditional Chinese medicine and one treatment per day, including Shiatsu, Reiki and Acupuncture , Thai traditional Massage, Nuad Thai, Reflexology, Ayurvedic Massage and, complimenting the treatments, Eastern disciplines such as Yoga and Qi Gong. Guests can relax in the hotel’s splendid facilities, swim in a choice of seven pools and experience the fine, healthy cuisine on offer.
The perfect way to discover the new you, to kick-start a health regime, reach your personal fitness goals or to energise and revitalise in Barcelo Asia Garden’s luxurious, temperate surroundings.
Prices from €1485 per person/week including Bed and Breakfast in double deluxe room, 6 treatments or massages (1 hour), four sessions of Yoga and Qi Gong and a biogenetic check. www.asiagardens.es
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Andy Murray will play in his first tournament since Wimbledon next week when he competes in the LA Tennis Open.
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BBC Sport Top Stories

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World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo claims pole position - his fifth in a row - for Sunday's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, California.
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Former world snooker champion Alex Higgins dies at the age of 61 after a long battle against throat cancer.
/news.bbc.co.uk

Nike Sportswear release the following pack of clean and simple Tokis within their 2010 spring/summer collection.
www.trainercentral.co.uk
Officials in Leicester are investigating how a health drink which left two women ill became contaminated with a horse tranquilliser.
Analysis of the aloe vera-based health drink revealed it contained the powerful drug ketamine.
Two women in Leicester who needed hospital treatment after drinking the juice are now recovering.
Ketamine is used by veterinarians as a tranquilliser but can also be used on humans as an anaesthetic.
One of the women, a 60-year-old Leicester grandmother, is still in hospital but a family friend she was recovering well after being in a coma.
A 45-year-old woman who was ill after drinking the juice was discharged from hospital on Sunday afternoon.
A police spokesman said hospital tests have indicated the patients may have suffered from ketamine poisoning.
Purple juice
Forensic tests are still being conducted and the final analysis will not be known for some time.
Leicestershire Health Protection Agency said there was only one outlet in Leicester which had bottles of the product and that stock had been seized.
No new cases connected with the drink have been reported
“Start Quote
They [the bottles of aloe vera] may be completely fake products”
End Quote Dr Philip Monk Health Protection Agency
Eighteen bottles were handed over to the police for forensic examination.
Aloe vera juice is purple and any liquid which does not fit this description should be treated with caution, the police said.
Health Protection Agency spokesman Philip Monk said: "It is important that people check their shops to make sure they do not have this product and if they have contact the local police.
"We have bottles with that label [Gayatri] on which we know contain ketamine and the police will be working out how the ketamine got into them and indeed whether they came from the manufacturer - they may be completely fake products."
Shopkeeper Anil Patel said a package containing the health drink had been delivered to him by mistake, but he had not sold any of the product.
Gayatri, the Indian company that produces the aloe vera drink, said it was shocked by what had happened.
The firm said it had never actually exported any of the drink to the UK and had not had any contact from the authorities in Leicester about the product.
www.bbc.co.uk/news
Victoria Beckham has set herself a strict fitness and beauty regime in a bid to stay young and fresh.
The 35-year-old former Spice Girl is so frightened of getting and looking older, she is doing everything she can to stop time and stay young and beautiful.
A source close to the star said, “Victoria really felt that 35 was a turning point. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2007, she has been surrounded by Hollywood stars and she wants to keep up with them.”
At present, the mother of three’s sexy footballer husband is living in Italy while he plays for AC Milan, so to keep her self busy, Victoria has rejoined her exclusive old gym, which also boosts a luxurious spa.
The source added, “Victoria was working out at home with David. But now he is in Milan, she hates working out alone. So she rejoined the gym.
“She seems to be asking for more treatments -she has more treatments than any other member.”
Victoria who is known for her extreme dieting and petite figure, has forced her body upon a strict diet to keep her slim figure.
The source revealed to the Britain’s Star magazine, “Her diet consists mostly of fish and vegetables. She works hard at it every single day. She knows she is getting older, so is very particular about what she eats.
“She also drinks lots of water-at least two litres a day. It is great for her skin and it helps keep her body from holding onto sodium, which makes it looks bloated.”
The star has also taken up running, and pounds the treadmill an impressive five times a week.
Pals of the celebrity couple, Gordon and Tana Ramsey who have just completed the London marathon, want Victoria to join them in the race next year.
Tana who finished the race in 4 hours 34 minutes, said, “Victoria and David rang last week to wish us good luck for the marathon. She is running every single day, Monday to Friday and loving it. She looks incredible too. www.celebricious.com
BBC Sport Top Stories
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World record holder Usain Bolt beats his fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell to win the 100m at the Diamond League event in Paris in a time of 9.84 seconds. http://news.bbc.co.uk
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BBC Sport Top Stories
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Great Britain's men beat Poland to claim fifth spot while the women's team finish sixth after defeat by the Dutch at the World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Birmingham.
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Alexandre Vinokourov wins stage 13 of the Tour de France after a late breakaway on the approach to Revel.
http://news.bbc.co.uk
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Zane Scotland, who made his Open debut 11 years ago aged 16, is among the latest 12 qualifiers for St Andrews.
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BBC Sport Top Stories
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Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong announces that this year's race will be his last.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk
BBC Sport Top Stories
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British wheelchair racer Shelly Woods believes her new 1500m world record will boost her confidence ahead of January's World Championships
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