Philippine Post Office, UPU announced letter writing contest winners

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The Philippine Postal Corporation (Post Office) recently announced the winners of the 51st Universal Postal Union (UPU) International Letter Writing Competition for Young People, to promote better understanding around the world through the post office.

The first prize winner will represent the country in the worldwide competition to be held in Berne, Switzerland.

This year’s winners are Ms. Loraine C. Evangelista, a student of San Ildefonso National High School, Bulacan– first prize; Ms. Lucia Camila Perez Sta. Ana, of Paref-Woodrose School Inc., Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City – second prize; and Ms. Sofia Luxel C. Alburo of General Santos City National High School. General Santos City – third prize.

The contest is a yearly event organized by the Philippine Post Office under the auspices of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which is composed of 192 countries around the world of which the Philippines is an active member. The chosen theme for this year is: “Write a letter to an influential person about why and how to take action on climate change.”.

This year’s judges are National Press Club of the Philippines President Ms. Lydia Bendaña Bueno, MC, PMJF; Mr. Genaro R. Gojo Cruz, Professor of Literature, De La Salle University; Asst. Prof. Joreen T. Rocamora, Ph.D., Director, Office of Public Affairs, University of Santo Tomas and Mr. Romeo B. Parayno, Head Special Events Unit, Department of Education.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU), through the International Bureau, has invited youth ages nine to 15 to join its letter writing competition, to strengthen literacy with one theme, making young people aware of the important role postal services play in our societies.

The contest is designed to develop the young people’s skills in composition and the ability to express their thoughts clearly, to foster their enjoyment of letter-writing and to help strengthen the bonds of international friendship, one of the basic missions of the UPU,” the post office said in a statement.

The first prize winner will be awarded P25,000, the second prize P15,000 and the third prize P10,000 plus corresponding medals, plaques and albums of Philippine stamps.

The awarding ceremony will be held on Oct. 9, coinciding with the worldwide celebration of World Post Day.

The Super Bowl and Other Big Sporting Events

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The Super Bowl event puts the USA on a figurative pause annually. Fans troop in from all corners of the United States to watch their top two NFL teams battle it out for the Super Bowl title. The Super Bowl is famous for its massive showcasing of sports and the incredible entertainment it provides. Many sports fans root for the Super Bowl because it affords them the unique opportunity to bet on Super Bowl lines. The Super Bowl is arguably the highest-grossing sports event in the United States.

Most estimates of the Super Bowl’s viewership suggest that it garners hundreds of millions of viewers. The actual figures are more than that because the Super Bowl attracts viewers from other parts of the world who equally explore BetUS options while watching the big game.

In every American home, eyes are glued to the TV for the brilliant sports on show, particularly for the half-time show, which has always delivered a brilliant collaboration between sports and arts. People love to watch the Super Bowl, and those in the corridors of America’s power never miss out on it because when they reference the Super Bowl, they tend to endear more people to themselves.

Undoubtedly, the Super Bowl is a big sports event and remains a major attraction for the NFL. The Super Bowl is also beginning to attract massive global audiences with viewership in countries like The Philippines.




Is the Super Bowl the biggest sports event?

You may be wondering what necessitated this question. Many NFL pundits usually regard the Super Bowl as the greatest sports event. All over America’s media, the submission is that the Super Bowl ranks first, and others come after it. This may be true to an extent because the Super Bowl happens annually.

However, several other sports events are known to Filipinos with wider viewership than the Super Bowl. In terms of revenue generated, these sports events equally generate more revenue than the Super Bowl. This does not imply that the Super Bowl is a small sports event, but saying it is the biggest sports event is not true either.

What are some of the biggest sports events?

The Super Bowl has massive appeal in America. Since Americans reside in every nation on earth, its appeal is spreading like wildfire.




Here are some other sports events that have already established global appeals:



The Olympic Games

The Olympic games are another quadrennial event that brings different sports competitions together. The Olympic games are the melting pot for all sports. Every country in the world is duly represented. Likewise, virtually every sport is always on show. Whatever your sports preferences are, the Olympic games definitely have something that will interest you.

Viewership estimates of the Olympic games run into billions because the global appeal of the Olympic games is unprecedented. The Olympic games also accommodate winter games alongside the regular summer Olympic games. There is also a Paralympic version for disabled sportsmen and women. All of these events contribute to the massive viewership of the Olympic games.

Regarding sports, the Olympic games deliver the biggest opportunity to every sports person irrespective of their differences. From water sports to track and field events, the Olympic games create a global showcase for the less popular sports, making it an outstanding sports event for sports fans around the globe.

The FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is a quadrennial soccer event that brings national soccer teams from 32 countries to compete for four weeks. A total of 64 matches are played in every FIFA World Cup tournament. The FIFA World Cup final, which is the climax of the tournament, attracts viewers from all over the world.

According to FIFA, the last World Cup in Russia in 2018 raked in an estimated 3.572 billion viewers with the final match between France and Croatia estimated to have 1.12 billion viewers. Every FIFA World Cup game rakes in an estimated viewership of over 100 million. It remains one of the biggest sports events that consistently rake in such massive viewership for one month.

The next FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar by November, and the viewership is projected to surpass the tally achieved in Russia four years ago.




ICC Cricket World Cup

Cricket is another massive sport with a huge following. It is prevalent in England, India, Pakistan, and many parts of Europe. The ICC Cricket World Cup is another quadrennial sports event that brings together national cricket sides to compete for the biggest title in world cricket.

Cricket games are some of the most-watched games that deliver quality sports entertainment to fans for over 6 hours over several days. Cricket is India’s national sport. Given India’s massive population, cricket matches enjoy a vast viewership and following in India.

Indians are also spread across the globe, and their immense passion for the game of cricket makes Cricket World Cup matches one of the biggest sports events in the world.




UEFA Champions League Final

The UEFA Champions League is the biggest prize in European club football, or soccer as it is called in the United States and Australia. Every year from September to May, Europe’s top teams vie to win the big-eared trophy using a home and away format.

The Final, which is the climax of the competition, is usually played on neutral ground between the two best teams in the competition. The UEFA Champions League enjoys massive viewership from everywhere around the world, including America. Many people describe the UEFA Champions League final as soccer’s version of the Super Bowl.

Conclusion

Many pundits who believe that the Super Bowl is the biggest sports event may be right. There are no fixed metrics for determining which sports event is the biggest sports event in the world. The Super Bowl rakes in impressive numbers every year, and these numbers rightly qualify it as one of the biggest sports events in the entire world.

Interesting Facts about Top Nascar Race Tracks

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National Association Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is one of the world’s leading motorsports racing organizers. NASCAR was founded in 1948. Since then, the organization has been a major promoter and organizer of stock-car racing in many parts of North America.

NASCAR sanctions hundreds of races annually, which are held across different race tracks in the US, Canada, Mexico, and some parts of Europe. NASCAR’s commitment to safety practices is unrivaled. In all of its racetracks, including the Ally 400 racetrack that was sanctioned in 2021 for its first cup race, NASCAR ensures that the racetracks are in perfect and safe conditions. The safety requirements for NASCAR drivers are also high with fire retardant suits and HANS devices. NASCAR cars are also equipped with numerous safety details, making NASCAR races one of the best spots to see a no-holds-barred show of driving skills.

Over 1000 NASCAR races across the United States are held in NASCAR’s 39 racetracks. Each NASCAR racetrack has varying lengths and interesting dimensions. The top race tracks have stand-out features and some historical contexts behind them.




What are some of the Top NASCAR Race Tracks?

Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville Speedway is one of NASCAR’s oldest race tracks. Martinsville Speedway was founded in 1947. Two years later, in 1949, it began hosting NASCAR Cup Series races, and has continued to do so now. Martinsville Speedway is NASCAR’s shortest race track, with a length of 0.526 miles. Among NASCAR race tracks, watching tire-screeching races on Martinsville is an interesting adrenaline-laced experience because of the track’s tight corners. As a fan, you cannot get closer to a motorsport experience than you would at Martinsville Speedway. Despite being one of the oldest NASCAR race tracks, Martinsville stands out for its up-to-date facilities contributing to the overall fan experience. Martinsville Speedway hosts several NASCAR races annually.

Daytona Motor Speedway

The 2.5 Miles Daytona Motor Speedway was launched in 1959 at NASCAR’s headquarters in Daytona. This race track hosts the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s Cup Series seasoning opener and one of the most prominent motorsport races known in the US. It also hosts NASCAR Xfinity Series and other sports car events. It has a total capacity of 167 785. Daytona Motor Speedway shares a lot of history with NASCAR. It is remarkable for its many contributions to NASCAR’s success story.




Nashville Superspeedway

The Nashville Superspeedway is also known as the Ally 400 race track. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, this race track is one of the newest race tracks used to host NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. Like most NASCAR race tracks, Nashville Superspeedway has a concrete oval D-shaped course, the longest and largest one in NASCAR motor racing. However, it can only hold a capacity of 38,000. The 1.33-mile racetrack requires 300 laps to complete its 399-mile course. It hosted the Ally 400 in June of 2021 after ten long years of not being active in NASCAR races. The next Ally 400 is set to hold on 26th June 2022 to signal the continuity of the first NASCAR Cup Series race to take place on the Nashville Superspeedway since 1984.

Talladega Superspeedway

This racetrack is NASCAR’s biggest oval racetrack. It can hold a spectator capacity of 80 000. With a track length of 2.66 miles, the Talladega Superspeedway was previously called the Alabama International Motor Speedway. Talladega holds some unique NASCAR histories, including the fastest lap record in NASCAR. Many NASCAR drivers have to use restrictor plates when driving on Talladega to prevent their cars from overspeeding.




Richmond Raceway

Richmond Raceway is another short NASCAR racetrack with a D-shaped asphalt course with a length of 0.75 miles. It is also known as Strawberry Hill, and in some circles, it is regarded as America’s premier short track. Richmond Raceway holds about 51,000 motorsports fans, and its course is a great test of a driver’s speed and precision controls. Fans at Richmond are always excited to watch the drivers make the four quick turns during NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is also known as The Brickyard. It hosts the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It is the NASCAR racetrack with the largest spectator capacity of 257, 325 which can be expanded to 400,000. It also stands out for being the second-largest racetrack in the world. The course is a rectangular, oval track that spans 2.5 miles. Besides NASCAR racing events, Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts several motorsports events on its expansive course.




Darlington Raceway

This racetrack mimics a perfect oval shape which is why it is famous for its egg shape. With a racetrack of 1.366 miles on an asphalt surface, Darlington Raceway has been hosting NASCAR motor races for over 70 years. Darlington Raceway can hold approximately 47,000 spectators and is often advertised as “A NASCAR Tradition. Darlington Raceway hosts NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and USAC Silver Crown Series. It is also known as “The Lady in Black.” It is called “The Track Too Tough to Tame” by many drivers who have been privileged to drive on its course.




Texas Motor Speedway

Texas is one of the prime locations for motorsports in the US. The Texas Motor Speedway spans a length of 1.44 miles and can hold over 200 thousand spectators. It has a unique shape described as quad-oval and an asphalt surface.




Conclusion

NASCAR has some unique racetracks in motorsports. While their grip over North America is guaranteed, it will be interesting to see how NASCAR can promote motorsports in places like The Philippines. The Philippines has some breathtaking natural terrains that can cite some of the best racetracks in the world. NASCAR is committed to establishing a global presence. Will they come to The Philippines? Only time will tell.