From afar

Watching the Silver Ferns beat the Australian Diamonds in the opening clash of the Constellation Cup is always a great way to kill some time.

The Olympics are barely over, the Paralympics have just started, and there are four more months of sporting moments to go before members of the Halberg Trust voting academy need to decide who gets their secret ballot.

In the immediate aftermath of her silver medal at the London Olympics, Valerie Adams was beyond consoling and wanted answers with regards to the administrative stuff-up that created unnecessary stress for her on "game" day.

Despite being very different in terms of body shape, gender, ethnicity and energy systems being used in their chosen sports, Nick Willis and Valerie Adams both had something in common: the burden of the hopes of the nation to carry.

The Olympic motto of "Citius, Altius, Fortius" or "faster, higher, stronger" is being applied aptly to the social media realm.

If any of our athletes are in need of extra inspiration leading up to the London Olympics, they could learn several lessons from two of New Zealand's high-profile sports people regarding mental toughness and resilience.

You can always rely on the British to adhere to tradition and protocol, especially in a year where they celebrate the old (the Queen's diamond jubilee) and the new (London Olympics 2012).

What would feminists think of the attention women's boxing is getting these days?

A picture is worth a thousand words, and even though government officials are trying to reassure football fans and the world that racism, anti-semitism and football hooliganism are "invented", "mythical" and "isolated" problems in Poland and Ukraine, it is difficult to argue with images.

Life in South Africa is a mix between a twenty/20 match and a test series.

The term governance is derived from the Latin verb meaning "to steer", and not many people these days volunteer to steer sport organisations in order to keep them afloat in an environment where professional expectations sometimes clash with amateur values.

The resignation of Willie Ripia from the Western Force due to alleged pick-pocketing from his team-mates brings his promising rugby career in Australia to an embarrassing and premature end.

Despite the gloomy weather between Christmas and the welcoming in of 2012, a new year does provide the opportunity for new beginnings.