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Fireworks exploded high in the sky over the opening ceremonies of the First VexGames this week in thriving Morania City, as if to symbolize an explosion of interest in all sport Vex-wide. (See Vex Magazine story below). |
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Fireworks exploded high in the sky over the opening ceremonies of the First VexGames this week in thriving Morania City, as if to symbolize an explosion of interest in all sport Vex-wide. (See Vex Magazine story below). |
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VEXGAMES: A PLANET UNITED BY THE SHARED SPIRIT OF SPORT Even in the midst of the recent international tensions in southeastern Melania, even on the day when a war had been declared there which few seemed to believe would actually break out, most of the nations of the Vex could put aside their differences and gather in peace and harmony around at least one cause: that of international athleticism. With much fanfare and after exemplary preparations by the host country, the first Vexgames opened this week in the little-known country of Morania which, sporting a new flag for the occasion, was obviously happy to make itself now so well known to everyone on the face of the planet. As VEX Magazine goes to press, only one day of the games has been completed, but it is clear already that little San Patricio from northern Melania, with its unique and fascinating blend of ethnic flavorings and its equally facsinating pair of leaders, both of whom look vaguely familiar, will do far better in the VexGames than perhaps |
even they themselves ever thought possible for a small country at the fringes of Vex's great-power politics. On the first day of competition, San Patricio garnered a total of nine medals, five of them gold medals, all of them in the track and field events. Brolecia, also a Northern Melanian nation, came next in the total medal count with seven, but only one of them was a gold. Cabotensiasa was not far behind with four medals, including two gold, along with host nation Morania with four, none gold. But Morania had other reasons to rejoice. The general opinion is that their manner of hosting the games has done them great credit and established from the start a high standard which it will be a considerable challenge for their successors to meet. Furthermore, the games are making Morania rich, claim official Moranian sources. Once Prince Joseph officially declared the games open in his native language, speaking from a velvet-covered dais to an assembled crowd of more than 70,000 sportsfans from around the Vex that included 26 dignitaries from 10 lands, his kingdom began more than recouping its investment in the games. No sooner had the torch been lit by Moranian soccer hero and bon vivant | David Selior than the cash registers in Morania City started what must have been almost uninterrupted ringing. Morania estimated that the take during the opening ceremonies alone would yield a profit of over P12,000,000, about P3,000,000 more than anticipated. But even the Vexgames must take place in the real world, and not all the nations of the Vex were sharing in the general euphoria. Missing from the fourteen-member roster of participants was recently emergent and feisty Aros, which claimed to have registered its team in time to quality for participation, although this claim was disallowed by VexGame authorities. Also missing was Altland, whose newly erected Royal Altlandic Athletic Commission, a direct outgrowth of the experiences gained by King George II Victor during his recent period of exile abroad, was not yet in a position to organize a national team in any sport. To avert any misunderstanding of Altland's official attitude toward the VexGames, however, the founding commissioner, Rt. Hon. Fildhald Knokenbijn, issued a statement expressing strong support of the concept and promising that Altland would participate in the next games. |
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Westria Goes Wild over Soccer And so do The Lexicon Islands, Brolecia, Draconia, Ordland, San Patricio, Whitlam, and a host of other Vex nations. But other sports show signs of making inroads into the dominance once held by the old kicking, heading, and running game. |
| Whether or not the planet itself will soon be exploding (see Vex COVER STORY) , its interest in sports has been exploding on its own lately. The lively reaction to the new VexGames is only the tip of a very big iceberg. Vexillians have always shown great enthusiasm for soccer, but now that enthusiasm has broadened to include a whole array of sports being cultivated all around the Vex. The sport of baseball has been spread mainly through the efforts of Lamb's Cove, where it is the national pastime. Now that nation's baseball league has been joined by a number of others, including especially that of the Westrian Realm, whose fielders and sluggers are perhaps the sport's best- dressed practitioners, even if not yet its most adept. Eastern Zartania made its contribution to the Vexillian sports world by introducing auto racing, but once again it is Westria which has taken | it up with a characteristic flair for style in both the Formula V competitions and stock-car racing. Indeed, the people of Westria and the other nations of the Westrian Realm have spread their zeal for sports throughout the planet. Most recently, they have promoted international professional golf, and their efforts have led to the revelation that the sport is popular in a large number of other Vexillian countries, including San Patricio and Caboteniasa, both of which have offered their excellent courses as the sites of future international tournaments. Golf is really catching on. Nothing, however, has as yet entirely succeeded in threatening the position of soccer football as the Vex's premier sport. The Kingdom of the Lexicon Islands has in particular distinguished itself in its unflagging devotion to soccer, but its population is far from unique in its mania for the game. | Large and flourishing leagues are found in all the major nations, and even Altland has decided to begin its unprecedented national athletic program with that sport. Soccer coaches, many imported from abroad, are conducting soccer camps in each of Altland's twelve provinces, as well as in the four provinces of the Principality of Disonda, where the sport already has a firmer basis in national custom. The intended result is that there will be an Altlandic national soccer league of what might be called semi-professional teams starting up in the fall, and that later a national team will be created out of the best players in this league to become Altland's first entry in international competitions. Reactions thusfar to the few exhibition games played in this country have encouraged the RAAC to believe soccer may someday have the same fanatical following here as it does nearly everywhere else. |