So who's going to win the World Championships?

This year, 2008, we have already seen the European Championships in football. No UK presence, and to be honest, I had other things on, so I watched less than one half of a football match this tournament. At least it was the second half of the final, and I could witness Germany losing.

And later this year, it is the Olympics in China. No real prospect of a haul of medals for Great Britain there either, and I don't reckon I will watch any of it..

These big events hold little interest to me these days. I rarely watch any Premiership football, and I didn't even get to watch Southend United play once last season, having been a real home match regular for years.

There are other priorities in my life now. Like writing on my blog. Yeah, right, first time since February here.

So, something deep and meaningful to share with my readership (haha)? Well, of course. I was amused by this story the other day of an important World Championship event... A guy who had lived in the UK for years was heading back to his home country to take part in the World Sauna Championships.

Sauna is the only Finnish word in the English language (if that does not sound Irish or Double Dutch), so you WOULD think we would pronounce it right. But we don't. It is pronounced "Sowna". Anyway, they hold a World Championships back in Helsinki, every year, for both men and women, and the object of the exercise is to see who can last the longest in temperatures starting from 110 degrees Celsius (230 degrees Fahrenheit) and climbing to 130 degrees Celsius (266 degrees Fahrenheit) in the final round. The rules are simple: stay seated and don't wipe your sweat off.

There were of course loads of Finns in the competition, but this is a true world championships, unlike the World Series in baseball in the States, between only teams from the US of A. Joining the pro-perspirant Finns are fellow Northern European sauna aficionados from Germany as well as representatives of countries where you don't usually need steam to sweat, including Morocco, Egypt and Australia.

Last year, the final two competitors in both the men and women's events were Finnish, so the winner of both events were Finnish. Cue lots of headlines about he or she who is left in there at the end will Finnish as the winner.... except that pun probably does not work in the Finnish language....

Anyway, I am not sure when this year's final is happening, I missed that bit of the interview. But I was amused to hear that the guy who was due to be taking part was in all seriousness asking people to sponsor him, by buying advertising space on his chest!!!!

And his piece de resistance? "So, Timo, how can people contact you about this sponsorship?" "Well, Dave, all they need to do is to e-mail me at SaunaChampion@hotmail.co.uk ". Hot male? Hmm. Here's last year's winner. Make your own mind up.


PS No idea if that link works by the way, but feel free to find out...