U.K. Prime Minister DAVID CAMERON predicted Monday that the dedication and persistence of Great Britain's Paralympians "was about to pay off" as the official flag of the 2012 Games was raised in Downing Street. Cameron said, "The Paralympic Games began in Britain and our continued commitment to them is clear as we approach the start of the biggest Paralympic Games yet -- with more countries, more athletes and more spectators than ever before" (PA, 8/20). ... LEWIS HAMILTON's driver's eye view from the cockpit of his F1 car at the pits at Spa-Francorchamps, SEBASTIAN VETTEL's favorite Alpine scene and BRUNO SENNA’s beach paradise are highlights of a series of F1 photographs to be auctioned off Sept. 14 to benefit the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The drivers and team principals of every F1 team were asked to take a photograph of their chosen subject. F1 boss BERNIE ECCLESTONE said, "The auction is a super idea. It will hopefully raise a lot of money for the hospital, and the teams will get coverage" (AUTOBLOG.com, 8/20).
HALF WAY ACROSS THE WORLD: NBA player KOBE BRYANT "took on the king of Chinese hip-hop JAY CHOU in the "Express your true self" basketball and music festival on Saturday. The event was a benefit program organized by Sprite. Bryant's "Uncontainable Yellow team" defeated Chou's "Refreshing Green team" 107-82 (CHINA DAILY, 8/20). ... Chinese Basketball Association team Xinjiang Flying Tigers "certainly recovered quickly after its failure to resign QUINCY DOUBY." The Flying Tigers have officially signed NBA player VON WAFER, under a deal "reportedly worth $2M" (NIUBBALL.com, 8/20). ... Olympic Medalist PETER BURLING "went back to where it all began with a visit to his old primary school" in his country of New Zealand. Burling "popped in to Welcome Bay School to chat to the kids, show them his Silver Medal and talk about his Olympic experience" (BAY OF PLENTY TIMES, 8/20). ... The New Zealand Rugby Union gave $1,000 to help fund a weekend conference in Wellington about the country's anti-apartheid movement and the '81 Springbok tour. NZRU Board Member GRAEME MOURIE, the All Black captain who refused to play in the '81 tour, Monday morning took former South African Sports Minister MAKHENKESI ARNOLD STOFILE to Rugby Union headquarters in Wellington for the first time (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 8/20). ... Indian badminton player SAINA NEHWAL received a new BMW for winning a Bronze Medal at the London Games "from none other than batting legend" SACHIN TENDULKAR. The cricketer said that the "world is yet to see the best of the star shuttler" (PTI, 8/19). ... Former India cricket captain RAVI SHASTRI rejected criticism for not attending the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards committee meeting. He said that he was never informed by the sports ministry about it (PTI, 8/20).
