Volleyball

The women's volleyball team of Cuba faces Argentina in early quarterfinals of the XIII Pan American Volleyball Cup, which ends on the 19th in Mexico City.

This Tuesday will bump into Cubans and Argentines, 3rd and 2nd in Groups A and B, respectively, in a program that will be completed with Canada --2nd in Group A-- versus Puerto Rico --3rd in Group B--.

The winners of those matches will clash in semifinals on Wednesday against the Dominican Republic and the United States, leaders of Groups A and B, in that order, according to the website of the event, qualifying for the Grand Prix 2015. The Cup grants 6 berths for NORCECA teams and 2 for South American nations.

Brazil 2014

FIFA announced today that 800 players, 91.5% of those included in the final list of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, were submitted to a blood and urine test before starting the championship without an adverse outcome.

According to the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations, the remaining players can be analyzed at any time, including those from previous tournaments like Euro 2012, Champions Leagues 2013 and 2014, World Cup 2011, 2012 and 2013 and Confederations Cup 2013, to detect any potential deviations that may indicate abuse of substances to improve their performance.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has applauded the initiative of bringing FIFA to implement this biological passport "as an effective means to protect the rights and integrity of honest sportsmen."

"It's the first time in the history of a great competition that participants have been systematically analyzed prior to set individual biological profiles, including blood and urine parameters... and we deeply encourage other sports to follow this example," said David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
 

Playing Football at 70 Improves your Health

Some research studies say that men who are now about 70 years old and who have played football (soccer) during their lives, are able to keep a balanced body position and muscle strength and fastness only compared to 30-year-old men with no physical training.

Now, a scientific team has studied the effects on men at 60 and more years of age with no physical preparation or experience in that sports who decide to start playing football on a regular basis.

Peter Krustrup and Eva Wulff Helge, from the Copenhagen University, in Denmark, made the study on volunteers between 63 and 75 years of age, who never practiced sports or took any significant physical training.

The volunteers began to take football training and play it during one hour twice a week during 4 months.

After the 4-month period, the study revealed that the men had considerably improved their muscular functions, their bone mineralization and their top amount of oxygen in their active muscular tissues.

These results disclosed strong evidence that football soccer is an intense physical training activity, and very effective for men of advanced age.

It is never late to start playing football, said Krustrup. The sport boosts physical capabilities and cardiac health and of course minimizes the risk of falls and fractures out of the football field.

Playing soccer is also a social, enjoyable and effective periodical training open to all. Instead of looking for another entertainment activity, you should pick soccer because you can make part of our way of life.