Despite the hype surrounding his bad right ankle and missing out on this month’s World Baseball Classic, Shohei Otani rates his offseason a success and remains adamant about his dual pursuits of hitting and pitching. “Because of the perception of my not being fully fit, some might say my offseason overall was not good, but […]
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United World Wrestling, the international governing body for amateur wrestling, is mulling revising Olympic weight categories ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games, a source with knowledge of the move said Tuesday. According the source, changes will be made in the women’s categories in which Kaori Icho (58 kg) Risako Kawai (63 kg) and Sara Dosho […]
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After staying in his lane as a swimmer and not speaking out about doping in international competition, Michael Phelps is ready to take on the issue in retirement. Phelps testified Tuesday before a congressional hearing on improving anti-doping measures, delivering the message that he doesn’t believe the Olympics and other competitions are clean and that […]
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Even during his seven weeks away from competition, Rory McIlroy managed to stay relevant. He started last week by accepting an invitation to play golf with President Donald Trump. It was his first 18 holes since he played through a rib injury at the South African Open. McIlroy ended the week by playing a match […]
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The New York Jets are moving on from one of the best players in their franchise’s history. The team informed star cornerback Darrelle Revis on Tuesday that they are releasing him, ending his second tenure with the Jets — a two-year run that was marked by a stunning slip in play because of injuries and […]
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Masahiro Tanaka’s first pitch of spring training was a wild one, sailing all the way to the backstop. Then, the New York Yankees ace quickly settled in. Tanaka struck out two over two hitless innings during his initial exhibition start Tuesday in the Yankees’ split-squad 9-5 win over the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander’s opening pitch […]
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Lin Chih-ping went 4-for-5 to lead a 17-hit attack as a Taiwanese all-star team beat Japan 8-5 in an exhibition game on Tuesday. Samurai Japan took a 2-1 lead into the third inning, but Wang Po-jung hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles right-hander Takahiro Norimoto to turn the tide in favor […]
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Urawa Reds swept aside FC Seoul in emphatic fashion in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday night, exacting revenge for their defeat in the round of 16 last year with a thumping 5-2 win to make it maximum points from two games in Group F. Reds picked up where they left off after a 4-0 […]
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Three-time defending women’s national champion Satoko Miyahara, who missed this month’s Four Continents and Asian Winter Games with a hip injury, will resume full training sometime in March, Japan Skating Federation director Yoshiko Kobayashi said Tuesday. Kobayashi said Miyahara intends to compete at the March 29-April 2 world championships in Helsinki. The worlds will determine […]
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Defending champion Stan Wawrinka was upset by Damir Dzumhur 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday. This was No. 3-ranked Wawrinka’s first match since his Australian Open semifinal loss to Swiss countryman Roger Federer. He left Melbourne with a right knee injury and began regular practices only a […]
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U.S. track queen Allyson Felix said Monday she has set her sights on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after winning a record sixth gold medal at last year’s Rio Games. The 31-year-old 200-meter and 400m star revealed she plans to compete in at least one more Olympics after being honored as female athlete of the year […]
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Legendary CSKA Moscow and Soviet international center Vladimir Petrov, a member of the all-conquering Red Machine team, has died at 69, Russia’s ice hockey federation reported on Tuesday. “Russia’s ice hockey federation presents its condolences to Petrov’s family and friends, his colleagues and everyone who knew him,” said a statement on the federation’s official website. […]
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Mexican challenger Carlos Carlson declared that he would take Shinsuke Yamanaka’s WBC bantamweight title belt when they square off at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Thursday evening. The Japanese champion did not overreact in response to the challenger’s bold statement, calmly saying that the emerald green-colored belt would return to the shelf at his home. “This is […]
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Vissel Kobe’s Brazilian striker Leandro will be out of action for around six months after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee, the J. League first-division side said Tuesday. The 32-year-old Leandro, the joint top scorer in the top flight last season with 19 goals, also suffered meniscus damage when he was […]
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After rattling off several reasons for signing with the Cavaliers, Deron Williams got around to the one that matters most. He wants a ring. “Competing for a championship is something that I haven’t had a chance to do,” he said. Williams, an Olympian and three-time All-Star who has never made it to the NBA Finals, […]
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With their championship window in danger of closing, the Washington Capitals made a strong move Monday to try to win the Stanley Cup this spring by acquiring defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk in a trade with the St. Louis Blues. Shattenkirk is a pending unrestricted free agent, but was considered the top rental player available ahead of […]
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Magic Johnson learned a painful lesson as an NBA coach for 16 games, his Lakers went 5-11 at the end of the 1993-94 season. It was once most eloquently stated by Johnny Kerr, a star center from the 1950s and 1960s who coached the expansion Chicago Bulls: That’s five guys running around with my paycheck. […]
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The Minnesota Wild have once again snuffed out a potential losing streak before it started. This win might have been their best response yet. Mikael Granlund zoomed between two defenders to find open ice and wrap the winning shot around Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick with a right-left move just 12 seconds into overtime, giving […]
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Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer knew that stopping the Boston Celtics hinged on making things hard for Isaiah Thomas. They did, and it helped end their longest losing streak in two months. Dennis Schroder had 21 points and the Hawks snapped a three-game skid with a chippy 114-98 win over the Celtics on Monday night. […]
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Legendary gymnast Olga Korbut has sold her collection of medals won at the 1972 Munich Olympics among a sale of memorabilia at an auction in the United States, auctioneers said Monday. Korbut, 61, captured the imagination of the sporting world with her spellbinding displays in Munich before competing at the Montreal Games four years later. […]
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What a difference a week makes. Two Sundays ago, Shoma Uno was earning a bronze medal at the Four Continents Championships in Gangneung, South Korea, behind American Nathan Chen and Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu in impressive fashion. How impressive? So much so that a Eurosport announcer said after Uno’s free skate, “I think Shoma is […]
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Chris Bosh has a new job, yet does not sound like he’s abandoning his old one. More than a year removed from his last NBA game, Bosh said during his debut appearance as an analyst for Turner Sports’ “Players Only” programming that he’s working out — indicating that he has not ruled out trying to […]
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Ski jumper Sara Takanashi returned to Japan with mixed feelings on Tuesday after winning two bronze medals at last week’s Nordic Ski World Championships in Lahti, Finland. Having recently won a record-equaling 53rd World Cup title and a fourth overall individual crown, Takanashi, 20, headed to Lahti as a gold medal candidate in the women’s […]
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Norichika Aoki, the sole major leaguer on the Japan national team roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, said Monday he is mentally ready for action but may need time to reset his sleep cycle. The 35-year-old, who was released by the Houston Astros for the March 6-22 tournament, spoke to reporters at the airport […]
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Leicester began life without manager Claudio Ranieri by easing its English Premier League relegation fears after a stirring 3-1 home victory over Liverpool on Monday. In its first game since Ranieri was sacked last Thursday by the club’s Thai owners, Jamie Vardy scored twice for last season’s struggling champion. Danny Drinkwater also netted with a […]
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FC Tokyo is on the verge of signing former Nigeria international striker and last season’s J. League first-division joint-top scorer Peter Utaka, a source close to the move said Monday. The 33-year-old Utaka, who bagged 19 goals for Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2016 to share the Golden Boot with Vissel Kobe’s Brazilian forward Leandro, is set […]
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The J. League said Monday it will continue to communicate with DAZN to ensure there will be no repeat of the disruption of its live streaming service on the opening weekend of the season. British-based Perform Group launched its DAZN service in Japan after buying the digital online broadcasting rights for the J. League in […]
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Hideki Matsuyama moved up a place to fourth in the world golf rankings released Sunday, matching the highest-ever position by a Japanese male player. Matsuyama did not play in the latest event on the tour but he replaces Sweden’s Henrik Stenson in fourth place. He ties compatriot Tsuneyuki Nakajima as the highest-ranked Japanese player. Nakajima […]
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Quadruple Olympic champion Mo Farah maintained Sunday that he has always competed cleanly and never broken anti-doping rules, countering any association with “allegations of drug misuse.” The British middle-distance runner’s statement followed fresh accusations published in the London-based Sunday Times newspaper about his American coach’s use of medicines, based on information obtained by the hacking […]
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Shintaro Fujinami is no old dog, but the 22-year-old Hanshin Tigers pitcher may have some new tricks. A “new” Fujinami has been among the recurring themes in reports about the Tigers this spring. Hoping to brush aside a down year in 2016, Fujinami reportedly took a few aspects of his game back to the drawing […]
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Sara Takanashi helped Japan make it onto the podium as a member of the mixed team that won bronze at the Ski Jumping World Championships on Sunday. The team of Takanashi, Taku Takeuchi, Yuki Ito and Daiki Ito won Japan’s second straight bronze in the event for mixed-gender teams comprised of two men and two […]
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Kokoro Kageura defeated Rio Olympic silver medalist Hisayoshi Harasawa in an all-Japan final to win the men’s over-100 kg title at the Dusseldorf Grand Prix in Germany on Sunday. On the final day of action at Mitsubishi Electric Halle, Asian Championships winner Kageura claimed a yusei decision win over Harasawa, who was appearing in his […]
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have come out of their bye week playing their best hockey in nearly two months. Cam Atkinson and Alexander Wennberg each scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday. While many teams have struggled after their mandatory time off, Columbus rolled […]
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While it is not certain Japan will even bid for the 2026 Olympics, Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto said his city is ready to host its second winter games, provided it can avoid the problems that have plagued Tokyo in the lead-up to the 2020 Summer Olympics. Last week, Sapporo staged the Asian Winter Games for […]
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Russell Westbrook blew past Steven Adams’ pick and saw 211-cm, 122-kg DeMarcus Cousins slide over to block his path to the rim. Westbrook didn’t care. Oklahoma City’s 190-cm point guard leaped up and uncorked a devastating right-handed jam over the new member of the New Orleans Pelicans. It drew Cousins’ sixth foul with 2:38 to […]
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Kisenosato will start life as sumo’s 72nd yokozuna on the west side as the Japan Sumo Association on Monday released the rankings for the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. Kisenosato, after winning the New Year Basho with a 14-1 mark last month, became the first Japanese-born wrestler to be promoted to yokozuna since Wakanohana in 1998. […]
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic powered in a late header to win the League Cup for Manchester United on Sunday, sealing a 3-2 victory over Southampton after a two-goal lead was thrown away by Jose Mourinho’s side. It was Ibrahimovic’s second goal in the final after putting United ahead from a free kick, taking the 35-year-old Swede’s tally […]
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Nao Kodaira won the overall title on Sunday at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships, writing her name in the record books as the first Japanese woman to achieve the feat. The 30-year-old Kodaira, won three of four races — two 500- and two 1,000-meter races — held over two days at the Olympic Oval […]
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Desire fueled the Kyoto Hannaryz’s bounce-back win over the Sunrockers Shibuya on Sunday. For Kyoto, this fierce determination produced more points, more rebounds and more big plays at both ends of the court in the Hannaryz’s feisty 79-75 decision over the Sunrockers at Aoyama Gakuin University Memorial Hall The result was hardly surprising, according to […]
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Former Japan international Yasuyuki Konno rescued a point for Gamba Osaka in their J. League season opener on Sunday, scoring a last-gasp equalizer in a 1-1 draw at home to modest Ventforet Kofu. Kofu took the lead on 55 minutes when Masaru Matsuhashi rifled Yusuke Tanaka’s pass into the top corner from the edge of […]
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Tatsuya Fukuhara defeated top-ranked Mexican Moises Calleros to become the WBO minimumweight interim champion on Sunday. Second-ranked Fukuhara deployed left-handed body blows to good effect and outfought his opponent to score a 2-1 decision at Matsushima All Round Center. “It was a tough fight to be honest and I won thanks to (the support I […]
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The pomp. The circumstance. The spectacle. Sidney Crosby’s used to all of it. So the message the Pittsburgh Penguins captain and the rest of the veterans sent to their teammates making their first appearances in an NHL Stadium Series game was pretty simple. Yeah, this is pretty cool. Just don’t forget to do your job. […]
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American Rickie Fowler set himself up for his first victory in more than a year, grabbing a four-shot lead after the third round at the Honda Classic in Florida on Saturday. Fowler birdied two of the final three holes to jump clear of the field with a bogey-free 5-under-par 65 on an unusually calm day […]
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Shoma Uno overcame several early mistakes Sunday to win the gold medal in men’s figure skating on the final day of the Asian Winter Games. Uno, who was second after the short program, fell on his opening quad loop of his free skate and stepped out of a triple lutz, but scored 281.27 points. Two […]
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Evergreen former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura reached a new milestone on his 50th birthday on Sunday, rewriting his record as the oldest player to play in the J. League second division. Affectionately known as ‘King Kazu’ in Japan, Miura set the new mark after making his first start in two years in Yokohama FC’s season-opener […]
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Scotland ended a decade of Welsh hurt and an Ireland side inspired by Johnny Sexton beat France as they each kept their Six Nations title hopes alive on Saturday. The Scots’ 29-13 success at Murrayfield saw them come from 13-9 down at halftime and end a run of nine successive defeats by Wales, with Vern […]
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Chizuru Arai captured the women’s 70-kg title at the Dusseldorf Grand Prix in Germany on Saturday. The 23-year-old Arai defeated Frenchwoman Marie Eve Gahie by ippon in the final and was the only Japanese winner among the four men’s and women’s weight classes contested on the second of the meet. Arai broke the deadlock with […]
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Chelsea surged 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League as Pedro inspired a 3-1 win over Swansea, while Leicester’s gloom deepened as the troubled champions plunged into the relegation zone on Saturday. Antonio Conte’s leaders won for the 17th time in their last 20 league games to push them a step closer […]
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Nao Kodaira won the women’s 500 and 1,000 meters while rewriting the national record in both distances to take the overall lead on the opening day of the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships on Saturday. In the 500, Kodaira clocked 36.75 seconds at the Olympic Oval to trim 0.38 second off her own national mark […]
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Former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang breezed to victory at the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, but the Kenyan was well outside the world-record time he was targeting after adjustments to the course. Kipsang, the London Olympic bronze medalist, posted a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds, the fastest time on a Japanese course but […]
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Former Stanford University and NBA forward Josh Childress delivered a big boost for the San-en NeoPhoenix on Saturday against the visiting Nagoya Diamond Dolphins. Childress’ productive game — 34 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in nearly 28 minutes — helped steer the NeoPhoenix to a 93-88 victory in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture. Olu Ashaolu also […]
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Rio 2016 Olympic team gymnastics event gold medalist Kenzo Shirai won the vault and high bar to complete a treble at a World Cup meet on Saturday. Shirai won the vault with 14.916 points and scored 13.933 in the high bar, adding the wins to the floor title he claimed the previous day. He placed […]
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Japan made the most of a fast start to defeat China 6-1 and win its first Asian Winter Games women’s ice hockey gold medal on Saturday, ending a run of five straight runner-up finishes at the games. The team, known as Smile Japan, had won four straight games leading leading into the gold- medal match, […]
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Rika Hongo struggled in the free program Saturday and missed out on a medal in the women’s figure skating competition at the Asian Winter Games, placing fourth. South Korea’s Choi Da-bin held on to win the gold with a total score of 187.54 points at Makomanai Ice Arena, while China’s Li Jizun took silver with […]
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In this digital era, basketball is a data-driven sport and those analytics impact the performances of teams and players today. Synergy Sports Technology has drastically transformed the game’s scouting and player development this century. The newly established B. League is one of the many hoop leagues and teams that depend on the company’s product. Synergy […]
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Japan’s Emi Hasegawa won the women’s slalom Saturday for her second gold medal at the Asian Winter Games, with Asa Ando claiming silver. Hasegawa, who won the giant slalom on Thursday, was tied for the lead with Ando after her first run at Sapporo Teine but pulled away in the second run for victory in […]
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It was good seeing former Yomiuri Giants third baseman and manager Shigeo Nagashima visiting the team’s spring training camp in Miyazaki earlier this month. He just turned 81 this past week and is visibly handicapped by a stroke suffered in 2004 that limits movement on the right side of his body and has affected his […]
The post Legend Nagashima rekindles memories of an unforgettable life in baseball appeared first on The Japan Times.
A lawyer says the son of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was detained by immigration officials at a Florida airport earlier this month. Chris Mancini told the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, the late fighter’s hometown, that 44-year-old Muhammad Ali Jr. and his mother Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the second wife of Muhammad Ali, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International […]
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Japan international Keisuke Honda is reportedly set for a move to Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders, but Italian club AC Milan said Friday the 30-year-old attacker will be going nowhere until his contract expires in June. Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reported Friday that Honda, who has been frozen out at Milan this […]
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Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee fired back at Shaquille O’Neal via Twitter after the former star-turned TNT analyst posted on his verified account a disparaging photo of McGee with the words, “America meet Javale “BUM” McGee.” O’Neal also responded angrily to McGee , saying he would “smack” McGee’s “bum a—” after McGee reacted to […]
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Ryan Palmer shot a 5-under 65 on Friday and shared the lead with PGA Tour rookie Wesley Bryan going into the weekend at the Honda Classic. Palmer made seven birdies on another day of ideal scoring and reached 9-under 131. Bryan, who had his best PGA Tour performance last week at Riviera during the Genesis […]
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Right-hander Nao Higashihama combined with five pitchers for a four-hit shutout as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks blanked the Japan national team 2-0 in a practice game on Saturday. Hiroshima Carp infielder Ryosuke Kikuchi, a member of the 28-man Samurai Japan squad preparing for the March 6-22 World Baseball Classic, went 3-for-4, but the visitors’ bats […]
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New talent helped the Toronto Raptors, though a familiar face pushed them over the finish line. Fresh off starting in last weekend’s All-Star Game, and with Kyle Lowry out with a right wrist injury, DeMar DeRozan scored a career-high 43 points to lead Toronto back from a 17-point deficit to a 107-97 victory over the […]
The post Toronto’s DeRozan delivers 43-point performance against Celtics appeared first on The Japan Times.
Without their usual offensive dominance at home and missing several key regulars, the Washington Capitals kept the puck almost all night and kept their home winning streak alive. Justin Williams and Tom Wilson scored and Braden Holtby made 30 saves as the Capitals beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Friday night to tie a franchise […]
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Yuto Misao scored a freak own goal to gift FC Tokyo a shock 1-0 win away against the defending champion Kashima Antlers on the opening day of the J. League season on Saturday. Misao, a preseason signing from Shonan Bellmare, bundled over the line with eight minutes left on a day when Yokohama F. Marinos […]
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The Sunwolves were handed a rude welcome to their second Super Rugby season with an 83-17 thrashing by the defending champion Hurricanes on Saturday. The Sunwolves went into the game at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground looking for a positive start to their second season in the Southern Hemisphere’s top club rugby competition after posting […]
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Sixteen-year-old Uta Abe became the youngest judoka in history to earn a Grand Prix title when she won the women’s 52-kg division Friday. According to the International Judo Federation, Abe, who is a first-year student at Shukugawa Gakuin High School in Kobe, is also the youngest ever winner on the IJF World Judo Tour, which […]
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Ben Simmons won’t make his NBA debut this season. His surgically repaired right foot hasn’t healed sufficiently for the No. 1 overall pick to play in the final 26 games, the team said Friday. Simmons fractured the fifth metatarsal bone during the final training camp scrimmage in October and hasn’t played a game. A CT […]
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Carina Vogt regained her world women’s ski jump title Friday in dramatic style as her main rival fell short with the final jump. The German had gone two years without a win and was third heading into the final round. Vogt moved up to second when Sara Takanashi couldn’t match her 96.5-meter leap, and then […]
The post Takanashi, Ito medal at worlds appeared first on The Japan Times.
Akito Watabe came up well short in his bid for a first individual medal at the Nordic World Ski Championships, placing fifth in a Nordic combined event on Friday. Watabe was sixth after the normal hill ski jumping portion of the competition, leaving the 28-year-old with a 31-second deficit to make up to the leader, […]
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Kenzo Shirai, a member of Japan’s gold medal-winning men’s gymnastics team at last summer’s Rio Olympics, won the floor title in the apparatus finals at a World Cup meet on Friday. Shirai scored 14.700 points to finish ahead of China’s Mu Jile. Mu had 14.466 points to place runner-up and Turkey’s Ferhat Arican was third […]
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China’s Jin Boyang leads the Asian Winter Games men’s figure skating competition after the short program on Friday, with Shoma Uno a close second. Jin scored 92.86 points with Uno later taking to the Makomanai Ice Arena to record a 92.43-point skate despite making a number of mistakes on his jumps. China’s Yan Han is […]
The post Jin holds lead after men’s short program; Uno sits in second appeared first on The Japan Times.
Naoki Nakamura led Japan to a 1-2 finish in the men’s large hill individual event at the Asian Winter Games on Friday. Nakamura posted jumps of 141.5 and 123 meters at Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium to earn 255.3 points ahead of compatriot Yuken Iwasa and Kazakhstan’s Marat Zhaparov. “I love Okurayama hill and I thought […]
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China claimed an 11-4 victory over Japan to win the Asian Winter Games men’s curling gold medal on Friday. Neither team could seize the momentum in the first three ends with China the first to take the ascendency with the last stone in the fourth, taking the end 3-0. The next stanza proved a turning […]
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Longtime NBA coach Bob Hill welcomed Yao Ming’s unanimous appointment this week as the Chinese Basketball Association’s new president. In fact, Hill, who has worked as a technical consultant for the Taiwan men’s national team in recent years, hailed the move. “Yao is an iconic figure here in China and rightfully so,” Hill told The […]
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Former world record holder Wilson Kipsang of Kenya on Friday expressed confidence ahead of this weekend’s Tokyo Marathon, saying he believes he can set a new world mark. With the finish line being moved to in front of Tokyo Station, the course in the capital city is flatter this year, raising the possibility of faster […]
The post Kipsang targets world record at revamped Tokyo Marathon appeared first on The Japan Times.
What a bummer of a beginning to the Boogie-and-Brow era in the Big Easy. The Pelicans’ tandem of newly acquired All-Star DeMarcus Cousins and All-Star Game MVP Anthony Davis was no match for the surging Houston Rockets on Thursday night. Reserve Lou Williams hit seven 3-pointers and scored 27 points in his Rockets debut, and […]
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The head of the Major League Baseball Players Association says it will be difficult for big leaguers to participate at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Baseball returns to Olympics after a 12-year absence for the Tokyo Games, which are scheduled for July 24-Aug. 9 — in the middle of baseball’s season. “There are challenges with the […]
The post Due to scheduling ‘challenges,’ MLBPA chief Clark calls 2020 Olympics difficult for major leaguers appeared first on The Japan Times.
The following is second of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine highest-ranking teams competing in the first division are listed. KASHIMA ANTLERS Last season: champions (third in overall table) Kashima could not have wished for a better end to last season, winning a record eighth J. League […]
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It was a big night for rookie Anthony Beauvillier and the New York Islanders. Beauvillier scored in the first period, Thomas Greiss stopped 24 shots for his third shutout of the season, and the Islanders beat the slumping Montreal Canadiens 3-0 Thursday night. The 19-year-old Beauvillier, who grew up in nearby Sorel-Tracy, had a large […]
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Some clubs change managers regularly and most still don’t get it right. Aston Villa has had seven in the past six years and has tumbled from Premier League safety to a Championship relegation battle. On the other hand, in Roman Abramovich’s 14-year watch at Chelsea there have been 12 different managers, though thanks to the […]
The post Model club Southampton hoping to claim silverware appeared first on The Japan Times.
The Sunwolves go into Saturday’s Super Rugby opener knowing they are missing some key players and that they are taking on the defending champions. But for coach Filo Tiatia and captain Ed Quirk, that only makes the occasion all the more exciting. “There’s no pressure on us,” Quirk said Friday after leading his side’s captain’s […]
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Yuki Kobayashi picked up her third Asian Winter Games gold medal when she helped Japan win the women’s 4×5-km relay in cross-country skiing on Friday. The team of Kobayashi, Hikari Miyazaki, Kozue Takizawa and Chisa Obayashi clocked a total time of 1 hour, 8 minutes, 16.6 seconds at Shirahatayama Open Stadium, while China placed second […]
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Masterminding one of the greatest upsets in sporting history wasn’t enough for Claudio Ranieri to keep his job at Leicester. Ranieri was fired by Leicester on Thursday, nine months after the 65-year-old Italian manager guided the club to the English Premier League title at preseason odds of 5,000-1. Leicester’s Thai owners took the drastic measure […]
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Japan cruised past Kazakhstan 17-0 in the women’s curling bronze-medal match on Thursday at the Asian Winter Games. A day after suffering a 6-5 defeat to China in the semifinals, Japan ended the tournament by trouncing Kazakhstan, scoring four points in an end twice before the sides shook hands following the eighth end. “This is […]
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Japan hammered Thailand 37-0 to make it four wins out of four in the women’s ice hockey competition at the Asian Winter Games on Thursday. Smile Japan, which recently qualified for next year’s Pyeongchang Olympics, faces China for the gold medal in its final match on Saturday. The Chinese have a 3-1 record after tasting […]
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Lewis Hamilton and his new Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas unveiled the W08 car they will pilot in the 2017 Formula One season at Silverstone on Thursday. The new car has a black, silver and teal chassis and has been produced to meet new regulations intended to make F1 cars faster and more demanding to drive. […]
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Rika Hongo stumbled on the ice and placed second on Thursday in the women’s figure skating short program at the Asian Winter Games. Hongo, the lone Japanese in the women’s event, scored 60.98 points to finish behind South Korea’s Choi Da-bin, who had 61.30. China’s Zhao Ziquan was third with 58.90. Skating to “O Fortuna” […]
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Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao on Thursday said he was “in negotiations” to face British fighter Amir Khan, after weeks of conflicting reports over his next bout. “My team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next fight. Further announcements coming soon,” Pacquiao, 38, said on his official Twitter feed. Spokesmen for […]
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Growing up in rural southern Ontario, Matt Dalton never figured that his career path in professional hockey would take him to South Korea. Dalton, along with a handful of other North American players, has acquired South Korean citizenship and is a key member of the men’s national ice hockey team as it prepares to take […]
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The last time Edmonton lost a road game at Florida, Connor McDavid was 5 years old. He’s 20 now. And he wasn’t about to let the streak end just yet. McDavid helped set up Kris Russell’s winner with 7:58 left, and the Oilers beat Florida 4-3 on Wednesday to snap the Panthers’ five-game winning streak. […]
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Yuki Kobayashi earned her second cross-country skiing gold medal at the Asian Winter Games on Thursday, winning the women’s 5-km classical before Akira Lenting triumphed in the men’s 10-km classical. Kobayashi added to the 10-km free title she won on Tuesday, clocking a time of 14 minutes, 56.1 seconds at Shirahatayama Open Stadium. The 29-year-old […]
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The following is the first of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine lowest-ranking teams competing in the first division are listed. YOKOHAMA F. MARINOS Last season: 10th Marinos fans had high expectations when the City Football Group that owns England’s Manchester City bought a stake in the […]
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There won’t be any wild pitches on intentional walks this season. The players’ association has agreed to Major League Baseball’s proposal to have intentional walks without pitches this year. “It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. I know they’re trying to cut out some of the fat. I’m OK with that,” Cleveland manager […]
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The Marlins held Ichiro Suzuki out of workouts following an outfield collision during what officials termed a “communications drill.” Ichiro was kneed in the quadriceps on Tuesday by fellow outfielder Brandon Barnes, sending the 43-year-old Ichiro tumbling to the ground. Marlins manager Don Mattingly says he believes Ichiro will “be OK.” Barnes was not injured. […]
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Kosuke Kanamaru doesn’t receive as much media attention as elite Japanese stars in other pro sports leagues in his native country. That doesn’t mean, however, that the SeaHorses Mikawa superstar doesn’t deserve fanfare and recognition by the sporting press. Baseball and soccer standouts overshadow the stellar performances of the veteran sharpshooter and many of his […]
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Shinsuke Yamanaka has an intriguing nickname, “God’s Left,” given to him because of the devastating blows he delivers with his left hand, which everyone, including upcoming opponent Carlos Carlson, surely recognizes as his signature weapon. But the unbeaten WBC bantamweight champion’s left might be even better and fiercer than in his previous bouts. He intends […]
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Yao Ming has moved into management in a bid to hasten China’s basketball development. The Chinese Basketball Association voted unanimously to appoint the former Houston Rockets star as its president on Thursday, in a step toward reform for an organization which has in past been led by government bureaucrats. The CBA’s social media account quoted […]
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DeMarcus Cousins says his prayers have been answered, although not necessarily in the way he expected. The New Orleans Pelicans’ newest All-Star maintained Wednesday that he liked Sacramento and initially wasn’t happy about being traded Sunday night, but added he’d become frustrated waiting through six-plus losing seasons for the Kings to add more elite players. […]
The post New Pelicans star Cousins ready to ‘wreak havoc’ with Davis appeared first on The Japan Times.
Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo and all of his players, except Houston Astros outfielder Norichika Aoki, opened training camp in Miyazaki on Thursday in preparation for next month’s World Baseball Classic. Aoki, the only major leaguer on the Japan roster for the March 6-22 tournament, will join his 27 Samurai Japan teammates after he is released […]
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Sevilla was unable to capitalize on its dominant performance in a 2-1 Champions League win over Leicester on Wednesday as Jamie Vardy scored a crucial goal — his first of the year — to keep the English champions alive in the round of 16. Vardy capped a spirited second half for Leicester in the first […]
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The Sunwolves head into their second season of Super Rugby with just 80 minutes of actual playing time behind them and three weeks together on the training paddock. “It’s not ideal, but it is what it is,” new head coach Filo Tiatia has said on a number of occasions. And that very much sums up […]
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A doctor who specialized in treating female gymnasts at Michigan State University and through the elite USA Gymnastics organization was charged Wednesday with sexual assault. Online records show Dr. Larry Nassar is facing nine charges in Ingham County, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2015 against a victim under age 13. Nassar is also charged […]
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Japan got off to a flying start in the men’s ice hockey competition at the Asian Winter Games on Wednesday, when it brushed aside China 14-0 in its opening match. Seiji Takahashi bagged a hat trick while Shuhei Kuji netted twice as Japan peppered the Chinese goal with 59 shots to China’s nine in a […]
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In a display of poise and focus, the Tochigi Brex rallied past the Alvark Tokyo on Wednesday night in the B. League. In the final 24 seconds, Takatoshi Furukawa and Ryan Rossiter made clutch shots to lead the Brex to a dramatic 77-76 win at Fuchu City Gymnasium. Rossiter’s 3-pointer with 13 seconds left accounted […]
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Kaori Sakamoto has pulled out of the women’s figure skating competition at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo after being struck with the flu, the Japan Skating Federation said on Wednesday. Sakamoto had been scheduled to compete in place of Satoko Miyahara, who was forced out with a hip injury. Sakamoto’s withdrawal leaves Rika Hongo […]
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Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa of Bahrain will attempt to win her third consecutive Nagoya Women’s Marathon next month after she was named among the seven runners invited from overseas on Wednesday. Kirwa, the Asian Games champion who came home in a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 40 seconds to win last year’s meet, is joined […]
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Major League Baseball intends to push forward with the process that could lead to possible rule changes involving the strike zone, installation of pitch clocks and limits on trips to the pitcher’s mound. While baseball commissioner Rob Manfred expressed hope the ongoing process would lead to an agreement, he said clubs would reserve the right […]
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Gamba Osaka kicked off its Asian Champions League campaign in style as the 2008 winner beat Adelaide United 3-0 away in Group H on Wednesday night Gamba took the lead through Shun Nagasawa’s header at Hindmarsh Stadium and Yasuyuki Konno crashed in the second before a late own goal from Adelaide defender Dylan McGowan sealed […]
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Wieters has played his entire career in the AL with the Baltimore Orioles after being taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft. The defending NL East champion Nationals had opened spring training — the first official full-squad workout was Sunday — with Derek Norris, who batted .186 for the San […]
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The value of Tom Brady’s missing Super Bowl jersey is listed as $500,000 on a Houston Police Department report. The New England Patriots quarterback is listed as the complainant in the report dated Feb. 6, the day after the Patriots came back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime. The […]
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Japanese seventh-ranked challenger Shohei Omori will get a crack at Filipino champion Marlon Tapales for the WBO bantamweight title at Osaka’s Edion Arena on April 23, his WOZ gym announced on Wednesday. Omori, 24, will be taking his first shot at a world title and also hoping for revenge against Tapales, having lost their previous […]
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Yukiya Sato and Yuken Iwasa won the gold and silver medals, respectively, to give Japan a 1-2 finish in the individual competition in men’s normal hill ski jumping at the Asian Winter Games on Wednesday. A day after the event was delayed due to strong winds, the 21-year-old Sato recorded jumps of 98.5 and 94.5 […]
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Many individuals in Japanese football circles have long known there are key issues that need to be addressed, but didn’t have a place where they could have open dialogue about the problems. They have one now. Last Saturday, the first-ever “football conference” was held, bringing together around 100 people, including top coaches, league officials and […]
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Kashima Antlers’ phenomenal end to last season has whetted, not sated, their appetite for more success, insists manager Masatada Ishii. Antlers rose from the ashes of an inconsistent J. League campaign that saw them finish third in the overall table — 15 points behind first-place Urawa Reds — to knock out Kawasaki Frontale in the […]
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The relatively slow start to the season for Jonathan Toews has been buried by his recent surge. The captain is in prime form at the right time for the Blackhawks, reminding the Minnesota Wild that their postseason path will likely lead to Chicago. Toews had three goals and two assists, and the Blackhawks beat the […]
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Manchester City overcame an onslaught from Monaco’s prolific attack to score three late goals in 11 minutes for a 5-3 win in a wild Champions League game on Tuesday. The highest-scoring first leg in a Champions League knockout match was breathless from start to finish, leaving both coaches to congratulate their teams on producing a […]
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Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki suffered a bruised right knee after a minor outfield collision with a teammate during spring training on Tuesday. Ichiro, who last August became the 30th player in history to reach 3,000 career hits in the majors, collided with non-roster invitee Brandon Barnes during an outfield communication drill, which caused swelling […]
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Seattle Mariners outfielder Leonys Martin told a Miami jury Tuesday he crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without any valid papers because he feared being kidnapped or worse after he was smuggled from Cuba by a group linked to a sports agent and a baseball trainer. Martin’s testimony came in the federal trial of Bartolo Hernandez and […]
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A drained South Korea fell 1-0 to Kazakhstan to suffer its second straight tough loss in the Asian Winter Games women’s ice hockey tournament Tuesday. In the evening’s final affair, Japan beat Hong Kong 46-0, an Asian Games record for most goals scored in a single game. China set the previous mark in 2003 with […]
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It was a resounding night for J. League clubs in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday, as both Urawa Reds and Kashima Antlers launched their continental campaign with wins over Western Sydney Wanderers and Ulsan Hyundai, respectively. Urawa got things going with a 4-0 away win over Western Sydney in Group F before J. League […]
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Taiwan advanced to the semifinals of the men’s curling tournament at the Asian Winter Games with a 13-2 victory over Kazakhstan on Tuesday evening. China improved to 5-0 with a 14-5 win over already eliminated Qatar, while Japan lost 8-4 to South Korea. Wednesday’s semifinals will see Taiwan’s curlers (2-3) take to the ice at […]
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Former Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Charismatic, whose bid for the Triple Crown ended with a dramatic leg injury as he neared the finish line in the Belmont Stakes, has died at a thoroughbred retirement farm in Kentucky. The striking chestnut horse that won the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 1999 […]
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A Spanish court on Monday dismissed appeals from Neymar and Barcelona over alleged fraud and corruption in the Brazilian star’s transfer from Santos in 2013. The decision brings the possibility of the player and club facing trial a step closer. Neymar’s arrival from Brazil’s Santos has been a huge success for the Spanish champion on […]
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Brazil’s soccer confederation has fired the coach who led Neymar and company to the country’s first Olympic soccer gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Confederation spokesman Gregorio Fernandes confirmed on Monday that youth division coach Rogerio Micale was removed after Brazil failed to qualify for the next Under-20 World Cup. In nine games in the […]
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Miho Takagi claimed her third speedskating medal at the Asian Winter Games on Tuesday with a victory in the women’s 1,500 meters, while Nao Kodaira earned her second gold after beating two-time defending Olympic champ Lee Sang-hwa of South Korea in the 500-meter competition. In the men’s event, Takuro Oda won the 1,000. A day […]
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It was another successful week for Japan on the international circuit. A week in which Yuzuru Hanyu does not win may not seem successful to some, but that is not the way Ice Time sees it. Japan took home half of the singles medals at the Four Continents Championships in South Korea, with Mai Mihara […]
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New FC Tokyo striker Yoshito Okubo admits that he feels “anxious” unless he is scoring goals, but the capital city club will be hoping to see him unwind over the coming J. League season as it goes in search of its first title. Okubo joined Tokyo over the winter after four career-defining years at Kawasaki […]
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Relief for Arsenal, pride for Sutton United. On the plastic patch at tiny Gander Green Lane Stadium, the gulf in class between teams separated by 105 places in the English soccer pyramid but pitted against each other in the F.A. Cup was not always apparent. Arsenal wasn’t simply allowed to stroll into the quarterfinals by […]
The post Sutton United provides tough test for Arsenal appeared first on The Japan Times.
A pedestrian pitching parade. That pretty much describes this winter’s crop of free-agent MLB starting hurlers. There were no power arms of the Max Scherzer variety on the market this offseason, just a bunch of so-so, back-end-of-rotation guys. (Who can still play baseball way better than you and MAS, it should also be noted.) But […]
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The Florida Panthers began their five-game road trip near the back of a crowded field in the Eastern Conference playoff race. After sweeping the trip they’re near the top of the Atlantic Division. Vincent Trocheck scored with just under 5 seconds remaining to lift the Panthers to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues […]
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Japan suffered its first defeat in both men’s and women’s curling at the Asian Winter Games on Monday. The men’s team came out on the losing end in a battle of unbeatens against China, going down 9-6 for its first loss in three matches so far. The women, who made it to the semifinals a […]
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Japan outlasted South Korea 3-0 to remain unbeaten in the women’s ice hockey at the Asian Winter Games on Monday. Hanae Kubo opened the scoring for Pyeongchang-bound Smile Japan on a slip up by South Korean goalie Shin So-jung in the second minute. Naho Terashima’s short-handed goal early in the final period gave the hosts […]
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A 13-year-old Japanese table tennis prodigy has set his sights on the Tokyo Olympics after he narrowly failed to become the youngest champion in World Tour history in New Delhi. Fourteenth seed Tomokazu Harimoto lost to top seed Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany 11-6, 11-8, 11-4, 14-12 in the India Open final on Sunday but only […]
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Admittedly not where they want to be in the standings, the Detroit Red Wings still have plenty of fight left. That much was evident this weekend with back-to-back wins against two of the NHL’s best teams. Tomas Tatar and Thomas Vanek scored early third-period goals to lead the Red Wings to a 5-2 victory against […]
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Ski jumping supernova Sara Takanashi is hoping to create another special memory in Lahti, Finland, as she aims for her first gold medal at the Nordic Ski World Championships starting on Wednesday. Takanashi, who last week scored the 53rd World Cup win of her career to tie Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer’s all-time record, secured her third […]
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Nao Kodaira won the women’s 1,000 meters in the speedskating at the Asian Winter Games on Monday, with Miho Takagi claiming silver. Kodaira, who has won all six World Cup events this season in the 500, showed her class in the longer distance as she won in an Asian-record time of 1 minute, 15.19 seconds. […]
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Dustin Johnson’s raw talent and a trophy case that keeps growing allowed him to believe he was the best player in golf. Now he can say it. Even if he doesn’t understand the math involved with being No. 1. Johnson extended a remarkable run, which began with his first major at the U.S. Open last […]
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DeMarcus Cousins is on his way out of Sacramento — and right into an All-Star frontcourt pairing with Anthony Davis. The New Orleans Pelicans agreed to acquire Cousins from the Kings on Sunday, the same night the center was playing in the All-Star Game in their arena. The Kings dealt one of the most talented […]
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Vissel Kobe’s reported summer move for former Germany striker Lukas Podolski has made global headlines, but manager Nelsinho believes the players already at the club can lay the foundations for a J. League title challenge this season. Turkish media last week reported that World Cup-winner Podolski — Germany’s all-time third-highest goalscorer and third-most-capped player — […]
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Pelicans’ Davis sets ASG mark with 52 pointsMove over, Wilt. After 55 years, one of your records is no more. Anthony Davis took care of that. At the defense-free dunkfest that now serves as the NBA’s All-Star Game, Davis scored a record 52 points and led the Western Conference past the Eastern Conference in a […]
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Dexter Fowler breezes through the center of St. Louis’ clubhouse leaving a trail of handshakes and hellos in his wake before landing at his locker and chatting with a handful of players about the merits of a new album. Fowler is the new guy with the Cardinals, but he’s already a clubhouse favorite despite spending […]
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Manchester United turned to Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to come to the holders’ rescue and eliminate second-tier Blackburn in the F.A. Cup on Sunday. The duo came off the bench with around 30 minutes remaining at Ewood Park and combined to complete United’s comeback. Ibrahimovic ran onto Pogba’s long, high pass to clinch the […]
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Top-seeded Kei Nishikori was beaten 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 by Alexandr Dolgopolov on Sunday in the final of the clay-court Argentina Open. Dolgopolov won his third ATP singles title and his first in five years. It was also the Ukrainian’s first victory over his Japanese opponent after losing their previous five head-to-head matches. Nishikori, who is […]
The post Dolgopolov upsets top-seeded Nishikori in Argentina Open final appeared first on The Japan Times.
For more than a decade in Japan, versatile forward Michael Parker has played an exciting, high-energy brand of all-around basketball. His arrival a few weeks into the 2007-08 season gave the Rizing Fukuoka a big spark at both ends of the floor, helping lead the expansion club to an improbable run to the bj-league Final […]
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Mirco Demuro won the February Stakes for the second straight year on Sunday, steering second choice Gold Dream to victory in the year’s first Grade 1 race on the Japanese calendar. Gold Dream finished a neck in front of fifth favorite Best Warrior, cutting a time of 1 minute, 35.1 seconds in the 1,600-meter race […]
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Urawa Reds manager Mihailo Petrovic has vowed to use the pain of last season’s J. League championship collapse to fuel his players’ fire in 2017, but still believes his team was last year’s “moral winner.” Reds finished top of the overall table with a record-equaling 74 points but were forced by competition rules to play […]
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Both Japanese curling teams at the Asian Winter Games have their sights firmly set on the Pyeongchang Olympics in a year’s time, but this tournament could be bigger for the women after their recent loss in the nationals. There is a chance of five-time men’s defending national champion SC Karuizawa Club not qualifying for Pyeongchang, […]
The post Japan’s female curlers using tourney as springboard appeared first on The Japan Times.
Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu topped the free skate on Sunday but had to make do with a second-place finish for the third time as American national champion Nathan Chen held on to win the Four Continents, a test event for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Hanyu was in third place after the short program, but […]
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Eri Yanetani won the first gold medal of the 2017 Asian Winter Games in the women’s giant slalom in snowboarding on Sunday, when Shinnosuke Kamino also medaled for Japan, a bronze in the men’s event. Yanetani was first in both of her runs despite slipping in her second attempt to clock a 1 minute, 43.47 […]
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Glenn Robinson III is the NBA’s new dunk king, with an assist to Indiana teammate Paul George, the Pacers’ mascot and a Pacers cheerleader. Robinson leaped over all three, snagging the ball from George along the way before finishing with an emphatic, two-hand, reverse jam, giving him a perfect score — and the title — […]
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Dan Vickerman, who played 63 rugby tests for Australia, has died at his home in Sydney. He was 37. The Australian Rugby Union issued a statement Sunday saying players and officials were shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden death of the former Wallabies lock. ARU chief executive Bill Pulver says “Dan was an uncompromising […]
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Eiki Takahashi and Kumiko Okada on Sunday won the men’s and women’s 20-km race walk, respectively, at the national championships, a qualifier for this summer’s athletics world championships. The 24-year-old Takahashi, who finished 42nd at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last summer, won his third straight title at the course on Kobe’s Rokko Island near […]
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Right-hander Jered Weaver has agreed to a $3 million, one-year deal with the San Diego Padres after 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Weaver and the Padres confirmed the long-anticipated deal Saturday, pending a physical. The 34-year-old Weaver had spent his entire career with the Angels, going 150-93 with a 3.55 ERA and three […]
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World No. 5 Kei Nishikori overcame an early scare to beat hometown favorite and world No. 77 Carlos Berlocq 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the final of the Argentina Open. Nishikori will face Alexander Dolgopolov of Ukraine in Sunday’s final with the 27-year-old Japanese looking to win his first title of the […]
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Hideki Matsuyama failed to make the cut for the first time this season as he, along with Ryo Ishikawa, made an early exit from the Genesis Open on Saturday. A day after making six bogeys in an incomplete second round that was suspended due to high winds and rain, Matsuyama bogeyed all three of his […]
The post Matsuyama, Ishikawa miss cut at Riviera appeared first on The Japan Times.
The players and coaches of non-league team Lincoln wandered the field, some singing and celebrating between themselves, some on their phones to family and friends, others just in shock at the size of their achievement. Behind one of the goals, the club’s jubilant supporters belted out as one: “We’re going to Wembley.” Lincoln had just […]
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Mai Mihara came from fourth place in the women’s short program to win the Four Continents Championships on Saturday. The 17-year-old Mihara, making her debut in the competition, topped the free skate and claimed victory with a total of 200.85 points at Gangneung Ice Arena, almost 10 points more than her personal best. Short program […]
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The Osaka Evessa trailed by nine points entering the fourth quarter against the B. League powerhouse Kawasaki Brave Thunders on Saturday. It wasn’t time to push the panic button. Instead, for the Evessa to pull out a win, they needed to elevate their performance at both ends of the floor. Coach Dai Oketani’s club did […]
The post Evessa rally past Brave Thunders in fourth quarter, snap four-game losing streak appeared first on The Japan Times.
Sixteen-year-old Rikako Ikee rewrote her national record en route to victory in the women’s 50-meter freestyle at the Konami Open on Saturday. Ikee clocked 24.48 seconds at Tatsumi International Swimming Center in Tokyo, shaving 0.19 second off her previous mark. Ikee also won the women’s 100 butterfly in a meet record time of 57.55 seconds. […]
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Mikaela Shiffrin won a third consecutive slalom title at the ski world championships on Saturday to retain her unbeaten record at major events. The 21-year-old American was imperious in extending her first-run lead to finish a huge 1.64 seconds faster than runner-up Wendy Holdener of Switzerland. Frida Hansdotter of Sweden was third, trailing by 1.75. […]
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The Sunwolves may have beaten the Top League All-Stars 24-12 on Saturday but it was hardly a performance that would have caused any real concern for the 17 other Super Rugby sides. Filo Tiatia’s team looked like it was still in hibernation for long periods of the game as it missed tackles and struggled badly […]
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Charles Oakley, the former NBA star arrested and ejected from Madison Square Garden last week, was named Friday as a player-coach in a new 3-on-3 basketball league debuting in June. Retired New York Knicks legend Oakley will join former NBA stars Chauncey Billups and Stephen Jackson on the Killer 3s of the Big3, which opens […]
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