The Balkan Chronicle

Holders Spain and surprise package Macedonia advanced to the European basketball championship semi-finals in contrasting fashion today after beating their respective opponents.

Spain, who won their first title at Eurobasket 2009 in Poland, blew away Slovenia 86-64 while Macedonia, playing in only their third tournament as an independent nation, stunned hosts Lithuania 67-65.

The two will meet in Friday's opening semi-final while the winners of the Russia v Serbia and France v Greece quarter-finals, scheduled for Thursday, will clash in the other semi.

Bosnian soccer star Edin Dzeko scored four times, while fasting, as he and debutant Samir Nasri helped Manchester City put Tottenham to the sword with a ruthless display of attacking football at White Hart Lane.

Nasri supplied the crosses for Dzeko to score his first two goals and he also played his part in the run up to Sergio Aguero's strike, which made it 4-0 with half an hour to go.

In news media it is often discussed how football (soccer) players observe the fast of month of Ramadan even during championship games. Many may hold the opinion that players who fast aren't able to give their 100 percent each game, but in contrary, facts seem to prove just the opposite.

It is well know here in Kosova, that Kushtrim Breznica who plays for FC Hysi observes Ramadan each year. He doesn't brake fast on matchday's either. He was fasting on this years first match against FC KEK, and according to Breznica fasting not only didn't slow him down, fasting helped him score a goal!.

There are now leagues that unite players whose families were once involved in a terrible conflict, and there is one person who symbolizes such unity. If there was a basketball equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize in the former Yugoslavia, ripped apart by ethnic tensions, then Vlade Divac would be the unanimous winner

TTXGP was honoured in the Queen's list with an MBE for Motorsports to the founder, Azhar Hussain.

Azhar Hussain is the founder and CEO of eGrandPrix, the organisation behind TTXGP, the world's first sanctioned zero carbon, clean emission motorcycle race. TTXGP is now in its third year and running in three continents.

Launched on the Isle of Man TT in 2009, TTXGP, the eGrandPrix is now an international race series with races in seven countries and over 30 teams worldwide taking to the track in 2011. TTXGP is the leading global electric race series and at the forefront of motorsport technology, continuing Britain's long standing heritage for motorsport excellence.