Nick Butler Senior Reporter

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Since joining insidethegames.biz in 2013, Butler has travelled to a variety of major global sporting events, including the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games as well as the most recent editions of the Asian, European and Pan American Games in Incheon, Baku and Toronto. He has also attended the last four International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sessions and has particularly enjoyed tackling the politics and diplomacy of the Olympic Movement.

Twenty four overage Indian athletes sent home from Asian Youth Games

By Nick Butler in Nanjing

August 20 - A total of 24 Indian athletes have been sent home from the Asian Youth Games here before the start of their competitions after they were found to be too old for their under 17 events.

Rugby sevens defies the conditions to light up a rainy Nanjing

By Nick Butler at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park Rugby Field

August 19 - Hong Kong's rugby sevens team provided one of the defining moments of the Asian Youth Games so far by defying several torrential downpours to beat bitter rivals Japan in a thrilling semi-final before maintaining their form to defeat Thailand in the final.

OCA to establish an internal broadcasting service ahead of Incheon 2014

By Nick Butler in Nanjing

August 19 - The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) will produce internal coverage of the Asian Games as well as their other events in an expansion of their existing partnership with the international media rights company MP & Silva.

Squash teaches core Youth Games values

By Nick Butler at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre

August 18 - It has frequently been said that the aim of the Asian Youth Games is to introduce young athletes to the requirements of elite sport and this point could not have been underlined better than during a women's squash semi-final where mental rather than physical weaknesses were brutally exposed.

Exclusive: "We have to put sport at the service of human kind" claims Ser Miang Ng

By Nick Butler at The Hilton in Nanjing

August 18 - Ser Miang Ng, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), put forward his vision here today to mobilise young people into greater unity and coperation using sport.

Host nation's pocket powerhouse lifts her way to the first gold at Asian Youth Games

By Nick Butler at the Nanjing International Expo Centre

August 17 - China's diminutive weightlifter Huihua Jiang dominated the women's under 48 kilogram division to win the first gold medal of the Asian Youth Games here on the first day of widespread competition after last night's Opening Ceremony.

"Sport is in the life of everybody and no one can live without it" says OCA President

By Nick Butler in Nanjing

August 17 - Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), today hailed the pivotal role that sport plays in the life of all people and set out his vision to make its importance even more central in the future.

Asian Youth Games Opening Ceremony combines best of Beijing and London in great advert for Nanjing

By Nick Butler at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Nanjing

August 16 - The second Asian Youth Games started here tonight with an Opening Ceremony littered with colour, vibrancy and enthusiasm in a celebration of the adolescent journey as well as an athletes' parade illustrating the future of sport in this vast continent.

Nanjing 2014 unveils special clock on one-year to go milestone

By Nick Butler in Nanjing

August 15 - A day of festivities culminating in the unveiling of a special countdown clock in the city centre formed the centrepiece of celebrations marking the one-year-to-go anniversary to the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games here today.

Ban for wrestler accused of racism delayed until after World Championships

By Nick Butler

August 14 - The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) has postponed the ban issued against Rıza Kayaalp, the Turkish wrestler accused of making racist comments on Twitter, until after next month's World Championships pending a review into the decision.

Rio 2016 leading the way in embracing energy-efficient technology thanks to help of GE

By Nick Butler

August 13 - The headquarters of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee has become the first commercial building in Brazil to adopt new energy efficient lighting technology in a move designed to reinforce their pledge towards environment sustainability.

Tokyo 2020 ambassador Ota leads selections for FIE Athletes Commission

By Nick Butler

August 13 - Double Olympic silver medallist and Tokyo 2020 bid ambassador Yuki Ota has been named among six candidates elected to the International Fencing Federation's (FIE) Athletes Commission for the next four years.

Registration tops 50,000 for London-Surrey 100 just 24 hours after ballot opens

By Nick Butler

August 13 - More than 50,000 people have registered to take part in the 2014 Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 mass-cycling just 24 hours after the on-line ballot opened.

Salter announced in High Performance role for Swimming Australia

By Nick Butler

August 13 - Jamie Salter has been appointed as the new High Performance Pathway Manager of Swimming Australia in the latest bid to improve the countries fortunes after an underwhelming performance at last summer's London Olympic Games.

Legal costs remain the "most difficult issue for the future existence of IFDS" claims President

By Nick Butler

August 12 - The President of the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) John Twomey has described the organisation's ongoing legal battle with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the British Paralympic Association (BPA) as "the most difficult issue for the future existence of the IFDS" ahead of an attempt to remedy the situation next month.

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Fact of the day

When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act". He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

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