Tips to play Croquet game

Croquet is a great game. The guidelines taken from official rules of the United States Croquet Association.

1. Divide players into two teams: a "cool" team that plays the blue and black balls, and a "hot" team that plays the red and yellow balls of a croquet set.

2. Decide which team goes first. They will play the blue and black balls. Take turns in the order of the corresponding colors on the stake - blue first, yellow last.

3. Place your ball 3 feet south of the first wicket, and try hit it through. If you succeed, you earn a bonus stroke. Otherwise, your turn is over.

4. Take two bonus strokes if your ball comes to rest in contact with another player's ball during your turn. This is a "roquet."

5. Use this first bonus stroke to hit your ball so that both your ball and your opponent's ball move. Use your second stroke to hit your own ball toward the proper wicket.

6. Pass your ball through the wickets in the proper order: southwest 1, northwest 2, northeast 3, southeast 4, south-central 5, and north-central 6, followed by 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, and 5.

7. Remove your corresponding colored clip from the wicket when your ball passes through, and place it on the next one.

8. Become a rover once your ball has passed through all six wickets twice (in the proper order.) Take your rover ball out of play when it hits the final stake.

9. Roquet any other ball in play, but no more than once each a turn - unless your rover ball passes through a wicket (any wicket). Your rover, however, cannot roquet the same ball twice in succession, even if it passes through a wicket.

10. Win the game if your team is the first one to hit the final stake with both balls.

Read More

MINI Countryman Photos

Kilometer magazine has leaked three photos of the MINI Countryman. Officially not to be shown to the public until March in Geneva, the Countryman was scheduled for an internet debut in a few weeks. As it stands now it’ll be interesting to see how MINI handle this leak and if they release the rest of the information of photos. One thing for certain, Kilometer magazine likely will not be invited to the next MINI vehicle launch.





Initial thoughts? Let’s hear them…

Updated: Look for our full analysis of the Countryman along with dozens of new photos both inside and out. Along with that MINI will be releasing full information on the Countryman for the EU, UK and US markets as well. Finally we’ll be following is all up with video of the car in motion. It all starts tomorrow morning.

Read More

BMW will withdraw from Formula 1

BMW will end their involvement in Formula One racing at the end of the current season, it was announced on Wednesday. The move is part of what the German car maker described as a ‘landmark’ decision to restructure its motorsport activities.The news came at a press conference held at the company’s German headquarters in Munich, attended by BMW Sauber team principal Mario Theissen, along with Dr. Norbert Reithofer, the chairman of the BMW board, and Dr. Klaus Draeger, the director for development.

BMW became Formula One entrants in 2006 after taking over the Swiss Sauber team. The company said the decision to withdraw stems from a desire to dedicate more resources to developing new, sustainable road car technologies.“Of course, this was a difficult decision for us,” explained Reithofer. “But it’s a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment. Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us."

Paying tribute to Theissen’s leadership of BMW Sauber, who finished third in last year’s championship, Reithofer added: “Mario has been in charge of our motorsports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this.”Theissen commented: "Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years. But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective. We will now focus sharply on the remaining races and demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula One racing.”

BMW’s original Formula One involvement began in the 1980s as an engine supplier. With Brabham from 1982 to ’85, the company clinched eight Formula One victories and one world title, courtesy of Nelson Piquet in 1983. Following a final win with Benetton in 1986, BMW were absent from F1 competition until 2000 when they began supplying engines to Williams, taking 10 victories over the following five years.In 2006 the company took over the Sauber team and enjoyed a positive first season as a fully-fledged works entry, finishing fifth in the constructors’ championship, with two podium finishes. The team went from strength to strength in 2007, occupying the ‘best of the rest’ slot behind Ferrari and McLaren. Scoring in all 17 races, BMW Sauber eventually finished second in the standings, behind Ferrari.

Read More

South Africa expects more international visitors for FIFA 2010

South Africa still expects between 430 000 and 460 000 international visitors to come to the country for the FIFA World Cup™ next year.This despite an economic recession which has seen a decline in tourism numbers of 6 per cent worldwide this year, according to South African Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Marthinus van Schalkwyk."It is our view, and also the view of the tour operators we have spoken to, that the economic recession will not have an impact on visitors to the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said Van Schalkwyk at a briefing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa's head office, SAFA House, earlier today.

"We predict that South Africa will also experience a slowdown but as a country we expect to do better than the global average and outperform our competitors."Five years ago South Africa predicted that visitors to the country would grow to 10 million by 2010. Despite a change in economic climate since that target was made, the country still expects to reach it next year thanks to a focused international marketing campaign and increased air traffic into the country."In the last couple of years we have seen a substantial increase in tourist numbers coming to South Africa. A total of 9.5 million tourists visited South Africa last year and there is no question that by next year we will reach the 10 million mark," said Van Schalkwyk.

The country is also confident that it has the accommodation facilities for the nearly half a million expected visitors to the country, as well as domestic tourists, during the tournament. "FIFA requires 55,000 graded rooms a night for the FIFA family during the tournament. South Africa has over 100,000 graded rooms in the country and hundreds of thousands of ungraded rooms," explained Van Schalkwyk.However, many of these rooms are outside of the nine host cities where the tournament will take place. Therefore satellite accommodation areas will be created and fans transported in and out of these areas on match days, with added land and air transport facilities made available. This is not unusual - many fans at the FIFA World Cup in Germany came in from neighbouring European countries on match days.

"As we have always said, this is an African World Cup and accommodation in neighbouring countries, such as Swaziland and Botswana, will also be used. We are also putting up luxury tented camps in game reserves around the country," said Van Schalkwyk.Also in attendance at the briefing, Sports and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile, reflected on a successful FIFA Confederations Cup saying that South Africa should capitalise on the good spirit it had created."South Africa must embrace this wave of positive sentiment and use it to our advantage. There were many doubters before the FIFA Confederations Cup but even those who have since admitted they were skeptical have given us very positive feedback," said Stofile.

Read More

Cape Town hotels ready for Brazil and Mexico football fans

.

As South Africa enters its final year of preparation before the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, hotel bookings in Cape Town are fast gaining momentum with tourists from South and Central America currently leading the way - despite early predictions of a slump due to the effect of the global economic crisis.The latest example of this increasing positive sentiment is the recording of pre-bookings of almost 80% by predominately Brazilian and Mexican tourists at yet-to-be-opened R400 million five star luxury hotel and spa, Pepper Club - located in the heart of Cape Town.

"The current economic crisis has taken its toll on pockets around the globe and travel and tourism is often an expense which takes a backseat during touch times, but strong enquiries have been streaming in at Cape hotels for World Cup accommodation," says David Solomon, Chairman of Solomon Brothers Property Holdings and developer of Pepper Club."The fact that both Brazil and Mexico's teams have yet to officially qualify for the tournament, but that their fans are already planning to be based in Cape Town is testament to both their passionate support and the appeal of the city."

According to adjusted statistics by the Department of Home Affairs, South Africa can still expect between 450 000 and 500 000 visitors for the duration of the event. "Cape Town International Airport alone is expected to handle about 2 400 travellers per hour, an unprecedented influx of tourists."The R400 million 20-storey Pepper Club is set to open its doors a few months before the tournament in February 2010, addressing the growing need for a luxury hotel in the heart of the city. Catering for the business and leisure traveller, the hotel will feature a fine-dining restaurant, an intimate private cinema, a swimming pool with panoramic views, a fully-equipped gymnasium, a luxurious spa, 24-hour concierge service and security. In addition, a serene palm tree-lined courtyard will connect directly to the Cape Town's vibrant Long Street with its boutique shops and cosmopolitan night life.

Solomon says that the coming year is Cape Town's chance to demonstrate its service excellence in the hospitality industry, by surpassing international standards and creating a scenario for repeat visits beyond 2010. "An event of this global scale is the perfect showcase for what our country can offer international visitors from both a tourism and investment perspective. We only have one chance to get it right," concludes Solomon.

Read More

Srilankan fast bowler Vaas to retire from Test Cricket

Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas will retire from Test cricket after the third Test against Pakistan, starting on Monday.The 35-year-old left-arm seamer says he wishes to continue playing in Twenty20 and one-day internationals and would explain his decision after the Test.

The news comes after a public row with chief selector Ashantha de Mel.De Mel had said Vaas would retire from Tests, which the bowler denied, but having been included in the Test squad, he revealed it was be his last game.Vaas, who had spells playing county cricket for Middlesex and Worcestershire, made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1995 and went on to play in 110 Tests.

He took 354 wickets which makes him Sri Lanka's second highest wicket taker after Muttiah Muralitharan, with 770.In his later years he also matured into a fine allrounder, scoring over than 3,000 Test runs.He was also one of the players injured in the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Pakistan earlier this year.

Read More

Twenty20 tournament in the USA

There was a certain irony that on the day plans for a major Twenty20 tournament in the USA were announced, the USA Cricket Association's chief executive, Don Lockerbie, was at Lord's watching an Ashes Test, a format many seem to think is growing less relevant by the year. Lockerbie was in town to meet with leading administrators to advance his plan to make the USA a major cricketing destination. While he wants to build the USA into a leading cricketing power, he also believes Twenty20 cricket is a format made for the American audience.

"I'd like to see a successful, world-class, best-players-in-the-game tournament, an invitational franchise league or something like that, in the near future," he said. "That would be the dream. It's too early to say what kind of format that would be, but we're putting out a tender for proposal."Will that, as has been rumoured, be another IPL? "The IPL as I look at it now is a remarkable, fantastic model to follow. Look at what it's been able to do. Our hat is off to Lalit [Modi] and the people behind this fantastic sports property.

"So, of course, you want to look at it as a model to emulate, or as a model to partner with, or at least to come up with something that has its own fresh appeal."The USA is a country that wants to see the superstars, and that's what we have to focus on. We have to invite them to come and play in the USA, and eventually we hope to develop our own superstars."The USA already has one major venue, in Florida, and Lockerbie said more are planned, either in new areas, such as Indianapolis, or by expanding existing facilities in California and New York.

"The proof will be, is the USA ready to undertake these type of events? When the US was announced back in the late 1980s as the host for the 1994 [football] World Cup, the world laughed and said 'what are they going to do with our game'. And yet we still hold the record for the most tickets sold at a football World Cup."Before the world laughs at the US taking on cricket, it's important to say we're going to do it well, we're going to do it smart, we're going to do it best and with the world's experts and put together a programme that will be successful."

And he added that his plans were very much in tune with the ICC and would fit in with the existing international calendar. "We're going to make sure what we do has ICC backing. That's the promise we made when we did a presentation to the ICC in Dubai [in April]."We made a commitment we will be a significant contributor to the world of cricket and a good partner. I don't see us as a competitor, I see as being a partner in something that will make sense to the game as it continues to evolve."Unlike many previous comets who have blazed into US cricket with bold ideas only to disappear without trace, Lockerbie has the professionalism and drive to make you think he really can pull off these plans. A highly-regarded sports organiser and event administrator, he was venue director at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean and is well connected in not only the game but also the corporate world, something vital for the backing he seeks.

Read More