Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/266770
23 Sport maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2014 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER Rather cloudy with some isolated showers at times VISIBILITY: Good except in some showers WIND: Easterly force 2 to 3 SEA: Slight SWELL: Negligible, becoming low Southeast Sea Temp: 16 °C A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. ISOLATED SHOWERS 16 º C / 10 º C UV INDEX: 4 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits Bxe7+ Ke8 Bxd8+ Kf7 Nbd6+ Kf8 Be7# games THE closing ceremony of the Win- ter Olympics highlighted the fragile state in which the games were held, sandwiched between a political crust and a sporty one. Vladimir Putin was no doubt the star of the show which was the perfect blend of sports and politics, and as expected the political showings grabbed Gold. By hosting the games Putin was able to flex his muscles once more and he wanted to make sure his event was not as big a disappointment as his trusted Ice Hockey team, who eventually lost out to neighbouring Finland. In the overall medal standings however the Russian Federation did not disappoint as the home nation raced to the fin- ish line and topped the charts in the closing days. His Sochi was meant to be the one which attracted mass tourism to the southern slopes of Russia, a move which Putin hoped would tackle ex- tremism in the poorer regions. By building a site ready for mass tourism Putin wanted to ensure the region gets enough financial support and as a result 160,000 jobs were created in a winter wonderland whose main pur- pose was mass tourism. Why tourists would decide to ditch the cheaper Alps for Russia is beyond anyone and at this point in time the slopes remain empty, and throughout the Sochi games neighbouring regions did not hit expected levels of mass tourism. Putin approached extremism from a different angle, an admirable one putting further emphasis on develop- ing poorer regions to ensure people do not get lured into crime traps and extremist culture that has previously plagued the nation, however the only element missing now is the crucial one: people on the deserted perfectly combed and impeccable slopes. Prior to the games the President wanted to bridge the ties between Russia and the Western World, how- ever contrary to the Summer Olym- pics, the Winter ones do not draw half as much press coverage and big po- litical players. Putin was for the most part left outside in the cold despite a promising political start to the games. He set prisoners free whose political crimes were not considered bad in the West and that included setting free members of music band Pussy Riot, who once more stole headlines after another altercation with the law. This time it was Putin's cossacks who were snapped beating the female mem- bers in front of sponsorship boards advertising the games. Putin had re assumed Russia's most famous guard- ians due to security fears raised in Sochi and their aggressive approach is no doubt frowned upon in the West- ern World. The situation in neighbouring Ukraine did not serve to help Putin what so ever as mass riots broke out following Russia's financial bailout of their former territory and this shows that throwing money at a situation is never the key. Mixing public relations and sports can be used well and many host na- tions experience times of peace and joy during major international events. We had similar issues when South Af- rica was handed the 2010 World Cup, however today most of the stadiums lie empty and unemployment rates are rising once again. The World Cup in Brazil 2014 as well as the Rio Olympic games in 2016 will no doubt draw de- velopers to the BRIC nation, one of the World's fastest growing economies, however what happens following the games is sometimes more important than the actual sporting competition itself. Sports can inject investment and jobs into countries that need it but despite its promises, political hands often meddle with perfect recipes to create a sour tasting dessert. The Olympics have put Russia un- der the microscope and Putin was so desperate for the games to succeed that under the limelight he became most vulnerable and perhaps allowed the West to eaves drop on life in the biggest nation. Russia's new fortress Sochi will struggle to cope after the attention is gone due to the fact that its Iron Curtain security serves to put more fear in the minds of travellers heading to a region where extreme security is needed due to extreme problems. It may have been a tranquil months of sports for Russia, however its border territory has undergone one of Europe's greatest civil wars of recent history, and though the coun- tries are no longer protected under one curtain, the ties between the two revealed the soft underbelly of Putin's campaigns. OPINION Mark Strijbosch A blend of politics and Sochi Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won whose country is hosting the next winter games. Across 1. Religious discourses (7) 4. Easily seen (7) 8. Audio system output device (11) 12. Close (4) 13. Nap (4) 14. Cooked in oven (5) 15. Slice of bacon (6) 17. Fatty part of milk (5) 22. Shower (4) 23. Disgrace (5) 24. Acting part (4) 25. Hotel for motorists (5) 28. Artificial leg (3-3) 30. Enthusiastic (5) 32. Prepare for publication (4) 34. Large town (4) 35. Nearly tropical (11) 38. Unite again (7) 39. Nightclothes (7) Down 1. Noise (5) 2. Heath (4) 3. Incline head (3) 5. Brassiere (3) 6. Chilled (4) 7. Small stream (9) 8. Molten rock (4) 9. Stout pole (4) 10. All time (4) 11. Capital of Italy (4) 14. Animal (5) 16. Scorch (5) 18. Rustic (5) 19. Trumpet player (9) 20. Adult male (3) 21. Crowbar (5) 26. Pronoun (4) 27. Bristles (4) 28. Quick look (4) 29. Wicked (4) 31. Funeral fires (5) 33. Rotate (4) 34. Scene of first miracle (4) 36. Exclamation of contempt (3) 37. Climbing vine (3)