New Stamps on Sports

The year 2008 is going to be very active in sports. Euro-2008 is the latest passion for the soccer lovers and after that olympics will be the biggest attraction for all. Today I have special Post on sports for you. My sincere thanks to Mr. Pradip Jain of Patna who has sent me the detailed report on EURO-2008 by Peter Jennings which helped me to prepare this news for you. Please go through this special news and enjoy the rest of the stamps on Sports.

EURO-2008

The matches of Euro-2008 have become the heart throb for football lovers all over the world and its special stamp issued by Austria on may 5, 2008 has created a sensation among stamp lovers. I have already written about this stamp in in one of my earlier posts. To remind you it is the world's first stamp which has been made by the latest and most sophisticated, motion stamp technology at the imposing House of Sport Vienna. The state of the art technology for this amazing self adhesive E 5.45 was developed by Outer Aspect, the World leader in motionstamp production. The film incorporated into the actual stamp shows the wonder goal scored by Andreas Herzog, the Austrian No. 10, on September 6, 1997 that helped Austria to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup Finals played in France. the Andreas Herzog stamp is the largest single motion stamp that has ever been produced. the stamp uses 3 seconds of video Footage which is the highest number of images ever incorporated within a motion stamp. The number of stamps printed was 3,50,000. A special motion stamp postcard was also produced at a price of E 4.99.

Special FDC autographed by Andreas Herzog, pictured with Euro-2008 mascots and scarf.

2008 European Football Championship (4.3.2008)

Date of Issue - 18 June 2008

The XXIXth Summer Olympic Games will be held in China on August 8-24, 2008. Most competitions will be held directly at Beijing. Yachting competitions will be held in Qingdao, equestrian competitions in Hong Kong, football matches in Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. Ready for the winners are 302 sets of medals in 28 sports. New disciplines include, e.g. BMX bike discipline or the so-called swimming marathon. The postage stamp features the athletic discipline Discus Throw Women.

Date of Issue- 18 June 2008

Handicapped sportsmen in the Czech Republic are registered in sport clubs including more than 17,500 members. The best of them will participate in the XIIIth Summer Paralympic Games which will be held in Beijing on September 6-17, 2008. Paralympic games are the top competition for top sportsmen with different handicaps. The key philosophy behind the paralympic movement is that these world sportsmen have abilities and experience equal to their healthy counterparts and that like them, the handicapped ones have to undergo strict qualifications and selection to get into national teams. The First Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, only several weeks after the XVIIth Olympic Games in Rome. They were attended by 400 athletes from 23 countries. The initial actors of the paralympiad were only wheelchair sportsmen. As the paralympic movement developed they were joined by sportsmen with other handicaps. The last paralympiad was held in Athens in 2004 where the Czech representatives won altogether 31 medals (16-8-7). The postage stamp features archery. The competitors, including blind archers, are divided into categories according to the degree and type of handicap.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Games in Beijing (8 May2008)

Olympic Games in Beijing -Mountainbike (8 May 2008)

"Go Switzerland" (8 May 2008)

Active Football (4 March 2008)