Sport

SUN SHINES ON STUDENT SPORTS

After the unrelenting downpours of last year’s so-called “summer”, no-one could be blamed for having a rather pessimistic approach towards this year’s summer months. The summer of 2008, however, is predicted to be a scorcher and for the students of Liverpool, there are more opportunities than ever to capitalize on the heat. The Mersey, unbeknown to many, has developed a thriving water-sports industry in recent years, with dozens of businesses situated on the docks and the Wirral offering everything from wind-surfing to fresh-water diving. Merseysport, the city’s premier water-sports enterprise located at the Queen’s Docks, has been fully professional for fifteen years and provides canoeing, windsurfing and sailing opportunities, which draws in hundreds of students and locals alike every month.

If observing sports appeals to you more than the participation, look no further than the summer of 2008 for your fix of world-class action. Although many people’s fantasies of cheering on Fabio’s boys at Euro 2008 whilst in the splendor of a summer beer garden (supporting the obligatory St George’s cross, of course) have vanished due to the disappointing work of Capello’s predecessor, all is not lost. With the distinct possibility of an all-English UEFA Champions League final in Moscow on May 21st, and the usual unending flurry of transfer rumours that the off-season promises, this summer will be far from football-free.

Wimbledon promises to be as enthralling as ever, with many believing that Rafael Nadal finally has what it takes to dispossess the once unstoppable Roger Federer of his Wimbledon crown. Tennis fever will also be gripping our very own city of Liverpool this summer as former Wimbledon champion Martina Hingis has agreed to play in the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament in Calderstones Park in June. Hingis, who announced her retirement after failing a drugs test, will draw huge crowds of people desperate to see a world-class tennis player on their own doorstep whilst ensuring that the usually low-profile event is given the national attention it deserves.

England’s cricketers are set to endure their usual hectic timetable, inevitably weather permitting. New Zealand travel to Lord’s on May 23rd to begin their bid to avenge England’s recent 2-1 test series victory in New Zealand last month. The test series is accompanied by Twenty20 competitions and One-Day Internationals, which take place across the country in a month-long period stretching to the end of June. Less than a fortnight after the Kiwis depart, South Africa will arrive hoping to set the record straight against England. The Springboks have not won a test series in England for over forty years, and the likes of Panesar and Pietersen will be doing their utmost to extend South Africa’s misery.

Although many believe that the sports offered by the summer months pale in comparison with those traditionally played in winter, the combination of Wimbledon, the Cricket season, and, of course, the 2008 Summer Olympics, indicates that the summer of 2008 promises to provide enough sporting incident to satisfy even the most diehard rugby and football fans among us.

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