Sumo wrestlers make beefy salute to first day of Japan’s new era

Sumo’s biggest stars joined some 70 fellow heavyweights of the sport in using their bodies to spell out the two kanji characters representing Japan’s new ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2LhZWwo

Sam Whitelock signs new deal with All Blacks

Veteran lock Sam Whitelock has signed a new four-year contract with New Zealand Rugby, with a clause which will allow him to play for a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GVEM39

Sergei Bobrovsky, Blue Jackets beat Bruins to take 2-1 series lead

Sergei Bobrovsky kept up his impressive postseason play, making 35 saves as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Tuesday night to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vvzEMt

Ichiro given “instructor” role with Mariners

Ichiro Suzuki has rejoined the Seattle Mariners as a special assistant to the chairman and will work as an instructor with both the major league ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XY4VnE

Van de Beek gives Ajax lead over Tottenham

Even with a first Champions League final in 23 years in sight, Ajax has some regrets.The way Ajax overpowered Tottenham at the start of their ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GSDuWy

Wimbledon targets using serve clock at 2020 tournament

Wimbledon is “highly likely” at the 2020 tournament to introduce a serve clock for players that debuted in Grand Slams at last year’s US Open.Tournament ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PG4YBp

Ex-Czech defender Tomas Repka receives two-year sentence for fraud

Former Czech defender Tomas Repka, who suited up for Fiorentina and West Ham, was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for fraud.An appeals court ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2J3rpiJ

Speculation swirls over Marcello Lippi replacing Fabio Cannavaro as China national team boss

The Chinese Football Association is staying silent over speculation that Marcello Lippi could make a surprise return to take over the national team job after ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IQPXfH

NFL extends partnership with Twitter

The NFL and Twitter have announced a multiyear extension, including six new live shows for the league’s 100th season.The deal will feature live programming built ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2J4pPgD

Veteran athletic trainer Yusuke Nakayama joins Lakestars as performance supervisor

The Shiga Lakestars have hired veteran athletic trainer Yusuke Nakayama as their performance supervisor, the team announced on Tuesday.The 36-year-old’s professional experience includes working for ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GVbwtq

Dragons close out Heisei Era with victory over Dragons

The Heisei Era is over for the Chunichi Dragons and the club finished it off in style.With Yudai Ono on the mound and in dominant ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GU27Ch

Kenta Maeda gets no-decision as Giants rally past Dodgers

Kenta Maeda threw five-plus scoreless innings in a no-decision as the Los Angeles Dodgers squandered a two-run lead, allowing the San Francisco Giants to edge ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GTc2bi

Takakeisho officially an ozeki

Takakeisho’s name was officially placed among the sumo elite on Tuesday when the rankings for next month’s Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, the first of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GPkjLR

76ers bounce back, even series with Raptors

Jimmy Butler’s big game helped Philadelphia snap a lengthy losing streak in Toronto and, more importantly, brought the 76ers level in their Eastern Conference semifinal ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XVzDxr

Gregg Popovich negotiating new deal to remain with Spurs

The Spurs suffered through an odd, erratic season filled with injuries, strife and drama before a second straight ouster from the playoffs in the first ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2LdB0Gy

Blues prevail over Stars on Pat Maroon’s late score, take 2-1 series lead

Pat Maroon paused briefly before thrusting both of his arms into the air, unsure if he had gotten the puck into the net to put ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VaJbbi

Petra Kvitova moves ahead of Simona Halep, snatches world No. 2 spot

Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic snatched world number two spot from Romanian rival Simona Halep in the latest WTA rankings released Monday.Thanks to her ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Vw56cf

Ryukyu pulls away in third quarter, eliminates Nagoya in series-deciding game

Jeff Ayres scored 17 points and Ryuichi Kishimoto had 16 as the Ryukyu Golden Kings topped the visiting Nagoya Diamond Dolphins 67-43 in Game 3 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2USn83L

Sloane Stephens, Jozy Altidore announce engagement

Talk about matchmaking: 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens and soccer player Jozy Altidore are engaged.Both tweeted the news Monday, posting a photo and brief ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2LeEatv

Brazil mourns Ayrton Senna 25 years after his tragic death at Imola

A master on the Formula One racing track, triple world champion Ayrton Senna was the pride of Brazil. Twenty-five years after his death at the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZLRKrl

Shooting kills college football player, injures Giants’ pick

Washburn University’s joy over one of its own going to the pros quickly shifted to grief this weekend after a shooting killed a current Washburn ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vtriVC

Tatsuhiro Tamura homers, Atsuki Taneichi solid as Marines down Eagles

Tatsuhiro Tamura opened the scoring with a three-run home run and right-hander Atsuki Taneichi earned his first career win as the Chiba Lotte Marines beat ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GHAJ9m

Czech international Josef Sural dead after auto accident in Turkey

Czech Republic international Josef Sural was killed and six other Alanyaspor players were injured Monday when their van was involved in an accident on the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2V1YvqD

Aaron Wolf wins maiden national judo championship

Aaron Wolf captured his first national judo championship on Monday, after beating Hirotaka Kato in the final of the open-weight tournament.Wolf, the 2017 men’s 100-kg ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DE8jfL

Brave Thunders full of regret after latest disappointment

The Kawasaki Brave Thunders are going to enter the next season with a big chip on their shoulder after they were swept out of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GUvZP3

Home run celebrations becoming commonplace in Japanese game

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks infielder Kenji Akashi briefly went viral across baseball late last week when he hit a three-run sayonara home run and celebrated with ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2J3wJ5U

Hurricanes rally to beat Islanders, take 2-0 series lead

Warren Foegele and Nino Niederreiter scored 48 seconds apart early in the third period to rally the Carolina Hurricanes to a 2-1 victory over the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZLtQw6

European giants buying into women’s soccer

Back in 2001-02, the semifinalists in the inaugural UEFA Women’s Cup were Frankfurt, HJK Helsinki, Toulouse and Swedish side Umea.Fast forward 17 years to this ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UMlBMA

Takahiro Sekine scores first overseas goal to salvage draw for Sint-Truiden

On-loan midfielder Takahiro Sekine scored his first goal outside of Japan when he provided a late equalizer for Sint-Truiden in the team’s 2-2 draw at ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DGDE1b

Dominic Thiem breezes by Daniil Medvedev to capture title in Barcelona

Dominic Thiem capped an impressive week to win the Barcelona Open on Sunday, securing his second title of the year.The fifth-ranked Austrian beat Daniil Medvedev ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2INMi2e

Warriors draw first blood against Rockets with Game 1 victory

Steve Kerr saw his share of spectacular postseason performances playing alongside one of the greatest ever.“There was this guy named Michael, I can’t remember his ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UZrJq1

Mima Ito, Hina Hayata come up short in final at world championships

Mima Ito and Hina Hayata finished as runners-up at the table tennis world championships on Sunday, losing the women’s doubles final to China’s Wang Manyu ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GE3Ie4

Win Bright storms to victory in Queen Elizabeth II Cup

Japan’s Win Bright clinched the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for jockey Masami Matsuoka in Hong Kong Sunday, the highlight of three Group One spring races ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DE5hI8

Japan sweeps singles titles at Badminton Asia Championships

Japan’s world No. 1 Kento Momota roared back from a game down to defeat Shi Yuqi of China and retain his Badminton Asia Championships title ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Wcj28i

Takumi Kuriyama lifts Lions to comeback win against Buffaloes

Takumi Kuriyama’s eighth-inning, bases-loaded RBI single lifted the Saitama Seibu Lions to a 4-2 come-from-behind win over the Orix Buffaloes on Sunday.Tomoya Mori drew a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DFNWP7

Jets dominate to clinch quarterfinal series over Grouses

As expected, the Chiba Jets Funabashi outplayed the Toyama Grouses on Sunday.The Jets dazzled and dominated in their B. League Championship quarterfinal series-clinching victory, winning ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2W6OhS6

Fierement goes the distance to claim spring Tenno-sho

Race-favorite Fierement claimed the spring Tenno-sho by a neck on Sunday as French jockey Christophe Lemaire picked up his third straight Grade 1 victory in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GQRobQ

Marcos Junior lifts persistent F. Marinos past Antlers

Brazilian striker Marcos Junior scored the 82nd-minute winner, giving Yokohama F. Marinos a well-earned 2-1 victory over Kashima Antlers in the J. League first division ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PwGBWK

Hina Hayata, Mima Ito prevail in all-Japan semifinal at worlds

Hina Hayata and Mima Ito became the first Japanese women’s doubles pair in 48 years to reach the table tennis world championship finals with a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2J1osiH

Kakeru Tanigawa, Asuka Teramoto win Japan all-around titles

Kakeru Tanigawa and Asuka Teramoto prevailed in their individual all-around finals on Sunday at the national gymnastics championships, which double as a qualifier for this ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IM1lcv

Sports bodies look to stop abuse by coaches

As Japan prepares to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, a number of the country’s sports bodies are taking steps to prevent coaches ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2J1wat2

Political football: Donald Trump congratulates 49ers first-round draft pick Nick Bosa

San Francisco 49ers first-round pick Nick Bosa has a prominent fan.President Donald Trump tweeted out congratulations to Bosa on Saturday for being the second overall ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XU7Ltx

Norwich promoted to Premier League after three-year absence

Norwich is returning to the English Premier League after a three-year absence, and Sheffield United is likely to be promoted, too.Norwich, from eastern England, clinched ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VCNXOc

‘Jinxed’ Naomi Osaka confident of French Open chances despite Stuttgart injury

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka joked that she had jinxed herself after pulling out of the WTA tournament in Stuttgart due to an abdominal injury ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2LaCgtT

Yu Darvish fans eight to help Cubs top Diamondbacks

Yu Darvish settled down after a shaky start.He got some help from David Bote. Darvish pitched six effective innings and Bote homered twice, leading the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2La7Ms9

Nuggets hold off Spurs in Game 7

Time was winding down and the San Antonio Spurs couldn’t hear their coach screaming for someone to foul over all the noise.That’s one for the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VyX6ah

Sergei Bobrovsky stands tall in net as Blue Jackets prevail in 2OT

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped Patrice Bergeron at point-blank range in overtime. He also made an acrobatic save to stop a 90-foot (27-meter) dump-in that took a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2L7O4gv

Lionel Messi leads Barcelona to Spanish League crown

Lionel Messi conjured the perfect finish to a dominant title march by Barcelona on Saturday, coming off the bench and scoring the goal that clinched ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VDO7ox

Mao Asada: magnetism, artistry on ice defined an era

This is the 13th in a series on influential figures in the Heisei Era, which began in 1989 and will end when Emperor Akihito abdicates ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UN83kl

Kei Nishikori falls in semifinals in Barcelona

Kei Nishikori failed in his bid to reach the Barcelona Open final for the first time in four years, falling a step short in a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ILseNL

Sensational start propels Nagoya past Ryukyu in series opener

The Nagoya Diamond Dolphins overwhelmed the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the first quarter of Saturday’s B. League Championship quarterfinal series opener.The Diamond Dolphins’ 21-4 scoring ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IL1rB9

Naomi Osaka withdraws from Stuttgart semifinal due to abdominal injury

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Stuttgart Grand Prix due to an abdominal injury.The 21-year-old was scheduled to play a semifinal ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2INibIa

World’s best to clash in Badminton Asia Championships final

The two best badminton players in the world will battle it out in Sunday’s final of the Badminton Asia Championships when title-holder Kento Momota faces ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GCmTVJ

Jamie Joseph still has many questions after Wolf Pack’s victory over Western Force

With just under 150 days to go until Japan kicks off the 2019 Rugby World Cup against Russia in Tokyo, Jamie Joseph’s side is slowly ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UZCLM1

Giants quash late rally, beat reeling BayStars

The Yokohama BayStars got the performances they needed at the plate and on the mound to beat the Yomiuri Giants.They just didn’t get them early ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GN6dfh

Oita Trinita move back into top three after scoreless draw with Cerezo Osaka

Oita Trinita moved back into the top three following a scoreless draw away to struggling Cerezo Osaka on Saturday.Miguel Angel Lotina’s Cerezo looked the more ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PwMMu0

Albert Pujols passes Lou Gehrig on career RBIs list

Albert Pujols added another milestone to his stellar career.Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first inning and moved past Lou Gehrig into fourth place ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vlJiRU

Warriors star Kevin Durant nets 50 in series-clinching victory over Clippers

Kevin Durant is setting the tone for the Golden State Warriors. Get him the ball and watch him work.Durant scored 38 of his playoff career-high ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GMDFCL

Sharks down Avs in Game 1

After enduring a grueling seven-game series in the first round, the San Jose Sharks predictably needed some time to find their legs again at the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DBhSM6

Huge rally puts Naomi Osaka in Stuttgart semifinals

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has hit back at her critics after fighting to a dramatic comeback win over Donna Vekic to reach her first ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VunL86

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets hit in MLB debut to help Blue Jays win

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. helped spark a walk-off celebration for the Toronto Blue Jays in his major league debut.Guerrero doubled leading off the ninth inning for ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2L770vG

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney agrees to record $92 million, 10-year deal

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney has agreed to the biggest contract in college football history, paying him $92 million over the next 10 years.Trustees approved ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DCzgAf

Liverpool moves back into top spot

Beating Manchester City to the title might not be the only thing occupying the minds of Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane heading into ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GMJBvs

Maharu Yoshimura, Kasumi Ishikawa fall in mixed doubles final at world championships

Maharu Yoshimura and Kasumi Ishikawa failed to defend their mixed doubles title, falling to China’s Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen 4-1 in Friday’s final at ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2J6OwJt

Dolphins acquire quarterback Josh Rosen from Cardinals

Josh Rosen will reboot by trying to help the Miami Dolphins rebuild.Rosen, supplanted by Kyler Murray as the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback of the future after ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ILhHCg

Tochigi pounds Kawasaki in playoff opener

The Tochigi Brex were locked in at both ends of the court on Friday night.The Brex offense fired on all cylinders in Game 1 of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Wevg0l

Kaori Icho earns bronze medal in international comeback

Kaori Icho wrapped up her first international tournament since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Friday with a women’s 57-kg weight class bronze medal ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GGk2uD

Kakeru Tanigawa leads in men’s all-around event; King Kohei fails to qualify for final

Two-time reigning Olympic men’s gymnatics champion Kohei Uchimura failed to qualify for the final of the six-apparatus event on Friday, the opening day of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UW5Zes

Highlanders pulverize Sunwolves in Super Rugby beatdown

The Sunwolves surrendered eight tries in a humiliating 52-0 Super Rugby defeat on Friday night to the New Zealand-based Highlanders.Playing in chilly rain at Prince ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UIrrPk

Japan sets team for World Relays

National record holder Yoshihide Kiryu and Asian Games silver medalist Ryota Yamagata will headline Japan’s 44-athlete national team for the upcoming IAAF World Relays, the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XHYEMH

Vegas owner Bill Foley says NHL executive apologized for Game 7 penalty

The owner of the Vegas Golden Knights said Thursday a senior NHL executive phoned him to apologize for a penalty called during Game 7 of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VzsqWF

Mo Farah accused of physical assault as public feud with Haile Gebrselassie escalates

Runner Mo Farah has been accused of taking part in two separate physical altercations at a hotel in Ethiopia, as an extraordinary public feud between ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2L2cCHG

Masahiro Tanaka shelled as Yankees’ win streak ends

Tommy La Stella and Kole Calhoun hit two-run home runs in the fifth inning, David Fletcher drove in a career-high five and the Los Angeles ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Vs0ljO

Charlie Coyle leads Bruins to series-opening OT victory over Blue Jackets

Charlie Coyle wasn’t thinking about his first goal, which tied things up at the end of regulation.Or his second, which won it in overtime. What ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KZNGk2

Spurs stave off elimination, force Game 7 with Nuggets

LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan helped San Antonio overcome a huge effort by Nikola Jokic and force a Game 7 against Denver.Aldridge scored 26 points ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Vuy9g9

Cardinals take QB Kyler Murray No. 1; 49ers select Nick Bosa with second pick

The Arizona Cardinals selected Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday night.The pick unites Murray ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2L123V9

Naomi Osaka upbeat after victory over Hsieh Su-wei

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka defeated Hsieh Su-wei 6-4, 6-3 in Stuttgart on Thursday to reach her first career clay court quarterfinal and admitted she ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Vuy5wV

Celtics legend John Havlicek dies at 79

John Havlicek’s legacy was built over 16 years with the Boston Celtics, eight of them as NBA champions, making him among the best to ever ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DyJ3Y1

Swallows feast on Giants pitching in rout

Tetsuto Yamada and Wladimir Balentien each hit a pair of home runs, while Norichika Aoki went 4-for-4, as the Tokyo Yakult Swallows hammered the Yomiuri ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2W1WdEk

Mo Farah says hotel room robbed during training camp

When Mo Farah entered his hotel room on his 36th birthday last month in Ethiopia, he quickly noticed he had been robbed.A locked case had ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Zw8PWg

Sunwolves hope home crowd can give them a big boost against Highlanders

The Sunwolves are hoping another full house at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground can spur them on to play for the full 80 minutes and ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Wc8ciN

Kei Nishikori cruises into Barcelona Open quarterfinals

Kei Nishikori swept into the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open with a 6-1 6-3 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Thursday.The seventh-ranked star, eliminated in the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2LbQevo

A whole new ballgame: Yokohama DeNA BayStars get an upgrade

Looking down at the sea of dark blue seats that frame one of Nippon Professional Baseball’s smallest playing fields, one thing becomes clear: For the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IJ2dP1

Yuzuru Hanyu tops best efforts by Japan skaters this season

With the long season now over, Ice Time has collated a top 10 list of the best performances by Japanese skaters during the 2018-19 campaign.The ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZvDe73

Shohei Ohtani faces live pitching, return imminent

Shohei Ohtani has faced live pitching to begin the probable final step in the Los Angeles Angels slugger’s return from Tommy John surgery.Ohtani made four ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2W6q9yU

Kevin Durant’s 45 not enough as Clippers top Warriors again

Lou Williams again came off the bench and knocked down big shot after big shot. Patrick Beverley crashed the boards at every chance. Danilo Gallinari ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2V0Sevm

Manchester City tops Manchester United, moves into first place

Manchester City is closing in on another Premier League title. Manchester United is increasingly unlikely to even make the top four.In a derby match that ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GveF1u

Ryota Murata gets rematch with WBA middleweight champ Rob Brant

Ryota Murata will get a shot at redemption when he faces WBA middleweight champion Rob Brant in a rematch on July 12 in Osaka, Teiken ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UVg8rP

Maharu Yoshimura, Kasumi Ishikawa secure spot on worlds mixed doubles podium

Maharu Yoshimura and Kasumi Ishikawa ensured they would win a third straight mixed doubles medal at the World Table Tennis Championships on Wednesday when they ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GveB1K

Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright earns 150th victory

Adam Wainwright was warm enough on a cool day, allowing one run in six innings for his 150th career victory, and the St. Louis Cardinals ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2W4Hmsz

Hurricanes stun Capitals Game 7 OT thriller

Justin Williams returned to the building that was the scene of his only Game 7 loss and left the ice relieved and redeemed after knocking ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vn8SFW

English proficiency to be required for Japan fencers

Japan Fencing Federation president Yuki Ota has been known as an innovator in the sport since taking over his leadership post in 2017.But he has ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UVIMcv

Niigata hopes to take momentum into playoffs

Niigata Albirex BB coach Kazuhiro Shoji has been in an enviable position throughout the season.Since the Albirex opener in October, Shoji hasn’t had a legitimate ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GuNUu2

Tiger Woods says he’ll play new PGA Tour event in Japan in October

Masters champion Tiger Woods is adding to his international travels at the end of this year, announcing Wednesday night that he will compete in Japan ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vmAgUJ

Taishi Ota’s five hits, five RBIs help Fighters rout Eagles

Taishi Ota had the best game of his career on Wednesday, going 5-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored to help lead the Hokkaido ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PqUHJo

Musashi Suzuki carries Consadole to win over Nagasaki in Levain Cup

Musashi Suzuki continued his Levain Cup scoring streak with a brace Wednesday, as Consadole Sapporo stayed on top of Group A with a 6-3 win ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2W4OZPG

Shane Long scores quickest EPL goal in Southampton draw at Watford

Shane Long scored the quickest-ever English Premier League goal as Southampton edged another point closer to safety with a 1-1 draw at Watford on Tuesday.The ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UBruMw

Kashima, Urawa fall in Asian Champions League action

Playmaker Takahiro Kunimoto scored the winner in the second half as South Korea’s Gyeongnam FC beat Kashima Antlers 1-0 in the Asian Champions League on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IEmbuw

Japan Sumo Association reprimands yokozuna Hakuho for leading cheer at Spring Basho

Yokozuna Hakuho received a minor reprimand from the Japan Sumo Association on Wednesday for leading an impromptu cheer after his victory at last month’s Spring ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ISC0wU

San Jose scores four goals in 4 minutes, then wins Game 7 in OT

In San Jose, the game will always be remembered as the Pavelski Payback for the four goals scored on one power play after the Sharks’ ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XAcwby

Tony Brown opts against major changes as Sunwolves prepare to face Highlanders

Sunwolves coach Tony Brown resisted making many changes following last week’s meltdown against the Hurricanes as he named his side Wednesday for their Round 11 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2W3DyId

U.S.-style draft opens world of possibilities for sumo

Sumo has no free agency.Once a man enters a stable there is no system in place to allow transfers to a different one. Of course ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IQfbKc

Yuta Watanabe not distracted by rising profile in Japan

Yuta Watanabe has certainly become a basketball celebrity in Japan, having become the second-ever player from the country to play in the NBA this season.But ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GC9pue

Vissel faces challenges after week of turmoil

Seven weeks ago, David Villa’s first J. League goal in front of an enthusiastic home crowd led even the most cynical of observers to wonder ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GFqjIo

Maeda struggles as Dodgers fall against Cubs

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda took his second loss of the season after a nightmare start Tuesday, giving up six runs in a 7-2 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VpqMGN

Renowned running coach Yoshio Koide dead at 80

Long-distance running coach Yoshio Koide, who helped Japan become a powerhouse in women’s marathon in the 1990s and 2000s, died Wednesday, sources close to him ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZsIzMs

Toronto’s exit extends Canada’s Stanley Cup drought to 26 years

Many current NHL players were either not yet born or too young to remember the last time a Canadian team hoisted the Stanley Cup. The ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PoNCZE

Portland’s Damian Lillard stuns Thunder with last-second 3-pointer

Damian Lillard hit a 37-footer at the buzzer and finished with career playoff-high 50 points to help the Portland Trail Blazers eliminate the Oklahoma City ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZuPvZA

Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid usher 76ers past Nets and into next round

Ben Simmons thumped his chest after a big dunk, Joel Embiid pointed toward an overmatched defender on a slam of his own, and the Philadelphia ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Pu7BX8

‘East Hokkaido Cranes’ to succeed Nippon Paper franchise

Asia League Ice Hockey said Tuesday it has approved an application for a successor team to Japan’s Nippon Paper Cranes, which closed the curtain on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GBG3fj

Naomi Osaka ‘dodged bullet’ in Stuttgart as rival Simona Halep pulls out

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka said Tuesday she had “dodged a bullet” after Simona Halep, her main pursuer in the WTA rankings, pulled out of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vkniqo

Giants’ Shun Yamaguchi silences Swallows in eight scoreless innings

Shun Yamaguchi tossed eight innings of one-hit ball on Tuesday night as the Yomiuri Giants pounded the Tokyo Yakult Swallows 9-0 in a battle for ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GA6sce

Frontale draw with visiting Ulsan in Asian Champions League group stage

Kawasaki Frontale blew an early lead and drew 2-2 with visiting South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday night at ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Zs9uYN

Andres Iniesta replaces Lukas Podolski as Vissel Kobe captain

Andres Iniesta on Tuesday was named Vissel Kobe’s new captain, a week after German teammate Lukas Podolski relinquished the armband.The club announced on Twitter that ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UyBxlu

Kei Nishikori reaches third round in Barcelona

Kei Nishikori advanced to the third round of the Barcelona Open on Tuesday following a 7-5, 6-2 win against Taylor Fritz of the United States.The ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VX20ea

Zeljko Pavlicevic recounts abrupt departure from Libya, trip to Tunisia in aftermath of Tripoli attack

Veteran bench boss Zeljko Pavlicevic steered Al-Ittihad to the brink of a potential deep run in the Libyan League playoffs earlier this spring.But the outbreak ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DtvXex

Former Brave Blossoms coach Eddie Jones laments demise of Sunwolves

Former Japan coach Eddie Jones said Tuesday that the Japan Rugby Football Union needs to find an alternative to the Sunwolves if it is to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2veWFmT

Despite great expectations, Rui Hachimura faces big challenge in quantum leap to NBA

Rui Hachimura’s decision to end his college career in hopes of making a splash in the world’s premier basketball league caused quite a stir in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GB3h5h

Kings coach Luke Walton sued for sexual assault

A female sports reporter has accused new Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton of sexual assault in a lawsuit.Kelli Tennant filed the suit in Los Angeles ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IRb54u

‘Lucky cat’ welcomes tourists in heart of Oita

An enormous wooden “lucky cat” has been set up at one of this year’s Rugby World Cup host cities to welcome tourists ahead of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GBMe35

Israel Folau issue ignites free-speech debate

Australian sport has been taking a hard line against racism, homophobia and gender inequality, but plans to fire Israel Folau over his religious views have ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Iyza0R

Suns dismiss Igor Kokoskov after one season as head coach

The Phoenix Suns have fired coach Igor Kokoskov after one season.The team announced Kokoskov’s firing in a statement Monday night. A longtime NBA assistant, Kokoskov ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vjuza5

Chelsea earns draw, moves into top four in Premier League

Chelsea moved into the Premier League’s top four on Monday with a frustrating 2-2 draw with Burnley.Goals two minutes apart from N’Golo Kante and Gonzalo ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GGt0bF

Rockies’ Nolan Arenado slugs tiebreaking homer for 1,000th career hit in triumph over Nationals

No. 1,000 was nothing new for Nolan Arenado.Arenado hit a tiebreaking homer for his 1,000th career hit and the Colorado Rockies rallied to beat the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IQ4Qho

John Klingberg’s OT goal sends Stars past Predators, into next round

With a chance to clinch a playoff series at home for the first time in 11 years, the Dallas Stars needed overtime again. They didn’t ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DtfZkO

Title conquest sets Ronaldo apart from peers

The breakthrough under Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Then the coronation at Real Madrid. And now another title at Juventus.If ever there was a need ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Ds4nOR

Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo drops 41 on Pistons as Bucks complete first-round sweep

Giannis Antetokounmpo drove to the basket and drew yet another foul, this one a hard hack on the arm by Blake Griffin.Griffin fouled out and ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Zw1Lcr

Sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu claims gold in 100 at Asian Athletics Championships

Yoshihide Kiryu won the men’s 100-meter gold at the Asian Athletics Championships on Monday, while compatriot Ryota Yamagata pulled out of the final due to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UsJCIA

SoftBank gets come-from-behind win over Orix

Seiichi Uchikawa scored the winning run with a seventh-inning homer as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks came back to beat the Orix Buffaloes 3-1 in the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vi8SY0

Ichiro: A virtuoso on the diamond

Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella had seen enough.　His new outfielder Ichiro Suzuki hadn’t been putting up great numbers during the spring of 2001, at least ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VlFCy3

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend says team must be at best to beat Japan at World Cup

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said Monday his side will need to be at their best if they are to beat hosts Japan and advance to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Gvabbj

Playing in Japan means sacrificing family time for many NPB players

David Huff, a left-handed reliever for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, is the pro athlete in the Huff household.But his wife Lisa, he says, is the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XAnwFR

B. League entering playoffs riding wave of popularity

With the popularity of Japanese basketball continuing to grow, it’s expected that arenas will be filled to capacity during the upcoming B. League Championship playoffs.“On ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Dr19LM

Already hobbled Yankees looking at long period without injured Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge won’t be back with the New York Yankees anytime soon, a further blow to an injury-decimated team with a mediocre record 3½ weeks ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VYMPRH

Cody Bellinger carries Dodgers past Brewers

Cody Bellinger saved a run with his glove and nailed down a series-clinching win for the Los Angeles Dodgers with his bat.After the game, he ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2viahxu

C.T. Pan passes No. 1 Dustin Johnson to claim first title on PGA Tour

C.T. Pan watched the Masters last week with his wife, and sometimes caddie, Yingchun Lin, thrilled by Tiger Woods’ stirring victory at Augusta National.His wife, ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PnDkJx

Sharks find way to force Game 7

After winning Game 5 at home to avoid elimination, Tomas Hertl vowed the San Jose Sharks would return to SAP Center for a seventh and ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GAQpME

Fabio Fognini wins Monte Carlo Masters

On the clay courts where he once practiced as a youth with big dreams, Fabio Fognini won the biggest title of his erratic career by ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GtL2NT

Celtics hold off Pacers to complete rare sweep

Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris took care of some housecleaning Sunday.They dusted off their 3-point shooting touch in time to help the Boston Celtics complete ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UPxGWe

Liverpool moves to top of Premier League standings

Before returning to the top of the Premier League, Liverpool got to savor a Manchester United humiliation.Now, unusually, Liverpool needs a swift recovery by its ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GzOW9r

Alvark finish season strongly with win over woeful Levanga

The Alvark Tokyo excelled over the final two months of the regular season, elevating their play to match their impressive victory total from their title-winning ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GwGhoa

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao attends RIZIN event in support of fellow Filipino Fritz Biagtan

Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, who signed a “promotional contract” with Japan’s RIZIN Fighting Federation earlier this month, made an in-ring appearance during Sunday’s event at ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VesieS

Rikuto Tamai becomes Japan’s youngest indoor diving champion

Although it will not earn him a berth at the world championships, 12-year-old Rikuto Tamai announced his name as one to watch on Sunday after ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VWV5S9

Miaski Doi wins singles match to clinch Japan’s Fed Cup victory over Netherlands

Misaki Doi shook off minor leg trouble in her singles win against the Netherlands to clinch Japan’s 4-0 victory in their Fed Cup World Group ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UOph5o

Hawks hammer Lions with 16 hits

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks’ lineup combined for 16 hits on Sunday to claim their three-game series on the road against the Saitama Seibu Lions.While the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2V9VfZv

Teen judoka Akira Sone captures second straight national women’s title

Akira Sone remained on course for her dream of progressing toward an Olympic gold medal on Sunday as she captured her second straight Japan women’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Gnvv2g

Yuto Nagatomo nabs first goal for Galatasaray since 2018 transfer

Japanese defender Yuto Nagatomo returned from injury to score his first goal for Galatasaray since his transfer last year in the Turkish top-flight team’s 3-1 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GroHkg

Osaka hopes to recover missing form on clay in Stuttgart

World No. 1 Naomi Osaka hopes to bounce back from her recent defeats and conquer a new surface as she launches her clay-court season in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PudkMF

Nuggets rise to meet coach Mike Malone’s challenge in win over Spurs

Denver coach Mike Malone wanted more passion, fire and emotion. The young Nuggets responded.Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 12 rebounds, Jamal Murray added 24 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Dtl78t

Blues beat Jets in Game 6 to reach next round

Jaden Schwartz knew there would be a silver lining during his struggles in the regular season.The St. Louis forward found it the last two games ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Gu2cLx

Mariners lefty Yusei Kikuchi earns first MLB win

Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi picked up his first MLB win as the Seattle Mariners edged the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim.Kikuchi (1-1), who ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UMQB41

Reinvigorated Hawks ace Senga flying high

If things keep going the way they are, Kodai Senga will make opposing batters hope the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks become flexible enough to let him ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GncGw6

Fabio Fognini stuns Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo semifinals

Fabio Fognini ended Rafael Nadal’s winning streak at the Monte Carlo Masters, stunning the defending champion 6-4, 6-2 Saturday to reach the final for the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UMEqV7

Hannaryz, Diamond Dolphins, Grouses keep alive playoff hopes

The race for the final two playoff spots will be determined on the final day of the regular season.Still in the hunt: The Nagoya Diamond ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vaWzg3

Sakura Sevens lose three times in Kitakyushu event

Japan’s women lost all three of their matches on Saturday, while defending champion New Zealand missed its chance at a consecutive-victories record in the Kitakyushu ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GAJwLv

Marines’ Mike Bolsinger, trio of relievers stifle Fighters

There were four players, all pitchers, on the hero interview podium for the Chiba Lotte Marines on Saturday afternoon.One for each win of their current ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UtyGur

Taylor Jungmann, Shingo Ishikawa carry Giants past Tigers

Taylor Jungmann threw eight innings and closer Ryan Cook completed the shutout as the Yomiuri Giants defeated the Hanshin Tigers 2-0 on Saturday.Jungmann (2-0) pitched ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZpM1HO

Ex-Olympic 1,500-meter champion Asbel Kiprop gets four-year doping ban

Former Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop has received a four-year ban for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit said on Saturday.The banned blood-boosting hormone EPO was found ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Uxe3xv

Japan off to strong start against Netherlands in Fed Cup

Japan is in control of its Fed Cup World Group II relegation showdown against the Netherlands following singles wins by Misaki Doi and Nao Hibino ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GxfWGu

Reds battle past struggling Vissel

Once again, the stage was set for Andres Iniesta to dazzle in front of a gigantic crowd at Saitama Stadium.But once again he was a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DzURcP

Former Japan Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori urges JRFU to make reforms

Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Friday called for reform within the Japan Rugby Football Union two days after he announced his shock resignation as ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vbullf

Shohei Ohtani takes another step in return from arm surgery

Shohei Ohtani’s drives into the seats at Angel Stadium came with an audience Friday, when the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way standout took another step toward ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2W4jXr6

Novak Djokovic falls to Daniil Medvedev in Monte Carlo quarterfinals

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was dumped out by Daniil Medvedev while Rafael Nadal survived a struggle to reach the semifinals of the Monte Carlo ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KRzbik

Red Wings name Steve Yzerman new general manger

Hockey Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman was been named general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, it was announced on Friday.Ken Holland becomes the team’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VaMI8B

Mets place Jacob deGrom on injured list due to arm pain

Mets ace Jacob deGrom is being put on the injured list and returning to New York for an MRI on his elbow after the NL ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KQEIpi

Yankees’ CC Sabathia earns 247th career win

Two starts into his final season, CC Sabathia has yet to allow an earned run.Even at 38 years old, he’s still playing stopper for the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VbOK8p

Pascal Siakam sparks Raptors in Game 3 triumph over Magic

The Toronto Raptors think Pascal Siakam should be selected the NBA’s Most Improved Player.He was their MVP on Friday night. And the East’s No. 2 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UJawRv

Avalanche finish off Flames

Colin Wilson and Mikko Rantanen each had two goals and an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 5-1 in Game 5 of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GpAaRn

FC Tokyo’s Diego Oliveira bags winning goal, extends scoring streak to four games

Diego Oliveira continued his scoring streak with a second-half winner, as FC Tokyo beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 in Friday night’s top-of-the-table clash in the J. ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DyQb71

Hawks’ Kodai Senga shuts down Lions for eight innings, nabs first win of season

Kodai Senga struck out 11 over eight innings as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks got past the Seibu Lions 2-0 on Friday.Senga (1-0) surrendered two hits ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VTFsLx

Brave Thunders surge past SeaHorses with game-ending run

Kawasaki Brave Thunders point guard Ryusei Shinoyama was at his best in the pivotal fourth quarter on Friday night.Shinoyama provided clutch scoring when his team ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2vdWXKJ

Sunwolves squander big lead in loss to Hurricanes

The Sunwolves wasted some golden opportunities and failed to win their first night game at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, falling 29-23 to the Hurricanes ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PhXRPq

Shun Kubo to challenge Chinese champion Xu Can for WBA featherweight title in May

Shun Kubo will challenge for a world title in a second weight class when he moves up to face WBA featherweight world champion Xu Can ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UQ9OlG

Arizona’s Yoshihisa Hirano earns first save of season

Christian Walker continued his remarkable late-innings production with a two-run homer in the seventh, Luke Weaver got Arizona off to a good start and the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2V8JPFo

Kevin Durant torches Clippers for 38 as Warriors romp

He’s Kevin Durant, and the Los Angeles Clippers got reminded of it.Durant scored 38 points, Stephen Curry added 21 playing with five fouls, and the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KZ4pUu

Teuvo Teravainen, Hurricanes beat Capitals to even series at 2-2

The Carolina Hurricanes lost another forward — and won another playoff game.” ‘Next guy up’ has been the memo lately,” rookie Warren Foegele said. Enough ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IskhwP

Jordan calls Tiger’s comeback “greatest I have ever seen”

Michael Jordan described Tiger Woods’ Masters comeback as the “greatest ever” and added he called the golfing icon to personally congratulate him.“To me it is ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Vb6TmG

‘Miracle on Ice’ scoreboard to be displayed in Colorado

A scoreboard that marked the U.S. men’s ice hockey team’s victory against the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics has found a new home ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Xn7wqM

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic into Monte Carlo quarterfinals

Defending champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic eased into the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals on Thursday, remaining on course to meet in the final ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IvAW2H

Arsenal, Chelsea move into Europa League semifinals

Chelsea scored three early goals before surviving a second-half scare to advance to the semifinals of the Europa League on Thursday night with a 4-3 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Xk4sMa

Cardinals QB Josh Cardinals QB Rosen annoyed by speculation about Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen spoke publicly for the first time Thursday about the limbo he finds himself in with the team that drafted him ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IstDIZ

Ex-Buffaloes ace Chihiro Kaneko leads Fighters to victory against old club

Chihiro Kaneko returned to his pro baseball roots on Thursday, throwing five scoreless innings to earn the win as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters defeated ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PgCvC9

Sunwolves aiming to bolster playoff chances by beating Hurricanes

The Sunwolves take on the Hurricanes on Friday in their first game in Tokyo since being told they will no longer be part of Super ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2v81FcX

FC Barcelona to meet Chelsea, Vissel Kobe in summer friendlies in Japan

FC Barcelona will face English Premier League veteran Chelsea and the J. League’s Vissel Kobe this July, adding to the list of star-studded club friendlies ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GoNftU

Exclusive: Benoit Richaud to choreograph for Moa Iwano

It sounds like a match made in heaven.A promising young skater paired with the hottest choreographer in the business. The results could be dynamic. Top ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KJAHmj

Startup Alliance of American Football files for bankruptcy

The Alliance of American Football, the upstart league that abruptly folded midway through its first season, filed for bankruptcy after failing to secure a partnership ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GmDBYT

Choo powers Rangers past Angels with tiebreaking triple

Choo Shin-soo sat on opening day and wasn’t happy about not being in rookie Texas manager Chris Woodward’s first lineup.The only All-Star for the Rangers ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UGGJZE

Tokyo 2020 announces ticket lottery details

Registration for residents of Japan to enter a ticket lottery for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will begin on May 9, the Japanese ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VRBSS3

Kyrie Irving scores 37 as Celtics beat Pacers to take 2-0 lead

A poor third quarter did the Indiana Pacers in during Game 1 of their first-round series with the Boston Celtics.In Game 2, Boston seized on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DkazbP

Mikko Rantanen nets OT winner as Avalanche take 3-1 series lead against Flames

Mikko Rantanen’s second goal of the game was the overtime winner as the Colorado Avalanche erased a two-goal deficit and beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VT0AkM

Nadeshiko’s Saki Kumagai a finalist for BBC honor

With over 100 international caps and six seasons of service for women’s soccer titan Olympique Lyonnais, defender Saki Kumagai is already recognized by those in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IruKbQ

NFL releases schedule for 100th season

The NFL’s 100th season will begin with its most classic rivalry and feature the Super Bowl champion Patriots hosting Pittsburgh in the first Sunday night ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XmaOKQ

Time puts Naomi Osaka on prestigious list

Tennis phenom and world No. 1 Naomi Osaka has been selected among the world’s 100 Most Influential People of 2019 in a list released Wednesday ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Pdy3E0

Tottenham stuns Manchester City to reach semifinals

More than two minutes into stoppage time, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling slid across the field and puffed his chest to the crowd, roaring in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GmFpkM

Yuta Watanabe makes positive impact as a rookie

Yuta Watanabe’s blue-collar work ethic and perpetual desire to improve were defining characteristics of his rookie season.Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies and the team’s NBA ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IDH3Bb

Former Japan Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to step down as JRFU honorary chairman

Just five months before Japan hosts Rugby World Cup 2019, former Japan Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said Wednesday he will step down as honorary chairman ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Phm8oE

Florida prosecutors say they’ll release alleged Robert Kraft-related sex videos

Florida prosecutors on Wednesday said they intend to release videos that allegedly show New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other men engaged in sexual ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UGlNlv

Rookie pitcher Daiki Iwashita leads way as Marines shut out Hawks again

The Chiba Lotte Marines remained the masters of the Pacific League’s powerhouse club, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, beating the defending Japan Series champs 1-0 on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XnJpbF

UCLA’s Katelyn Ohashi looks to make final statement on floor

Katelyn Ohashi wrote a poem called “Fame” that ends “Not everyone’s destiny is going to be the same. Set your own goals and make your ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Zj8SEX

Rahboni Warren Vosayaco named in Sunwolves’ midfield for Hurricanes clash

Head coach Tony Brown sprung a major surprise Wednesday when he named Rahboni Warren Vosayaco at inside center for the Sunwolves’ Round 10 Super Rugby ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Ur8ZKI

Kei Nishikori bounced from Monte Carlo Masters in second round

Kei Nishikori had no answer for some magical shot making by world No. 49 Pierre Hugues Herbert, who won their second-round match at the Monte ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Zfz4jE

Young F. Marinos players given opportunities to shine

Decades of history. A well-stocked (if slightly dusty) trophy cabinet. A distinguished list of former players considered amongst the best in Japanese soccer’s history. Backing ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Imtret

Guards shine as Trail Blazers take 2-0 lead over Thunder

CJ McCollum had 33 points, Damian Lillard added 29 and the Portland Trail Blazers took a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series against the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XpFpHH

Asia holds draw for first round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers

The first steps on the road to the next World Cup were taken on Wednesday when the Asian Football Confederation held a draw for the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Imtmrb

Peerless Zhigalova dominates women’s sumo

Hakuho’s undefeated run in Osaka last month gave the yokozuna a 15th perfect championship and 42nd title overall.The veteran continues to cement his status as ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XmYwC5

Kenta Maeda, Alex Verdugo help lift Dodgers over Reds

Kenta Maeda earned his third win of the season and 40th of his MLB career, tossing 6⅔ effective innings to help guide the Los Angeles ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Ip3BGu

NHL-best Lightning ousted in record speed by Columbus

The Tampa Bay Lightning ended up on the wrong side of NHL history, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs after one of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Xn2HOn

Yokozuna Hakuho takes step toward Japanese citizenship

Yokozuna Hakuho has applied for a renunciation of his Mongolian nationality in a move toward acquiring Japanese citizenship, a sumo source said Wednesday.The 34-year-old, whose ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IDf0Sm

Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins has torn left quadriceps

DeMarcus Cousins has a torn left quadriceps muscle that will sideline the Golden State center indefinitely, a devastating injury that the Warriors feared was serious ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UExoS6

Ajax stuns Juventus to reach Champions League semifinals

Cristiano Ronaldo shook his head as he walked off the field, while the Ajax players and staff celebrated with their fans long after the final ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GqSyu6

Angels’ Shohei Ohtani set to face live pitching instead of rehab

Shohei Ohtani will not go on a rehab assignment before making his season debut with the Los Angeles Angels.General manager Billy Eppler said Tuesday that ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IyvuLs

Marines starter Hideaki Wakui tosses two-hit shutout for first victory of season

Hideaki Wakui pitched a two-hit shutout and picked up his first win of the season Tuesday as the Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Pacific League-leading ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KHJQfm

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson agrees to four-year contract extension

Russell Wilson is sticking around with the Seattle Seahawks as the highest paid player in the NFL.Wilson posted a video on social media early Tuesday ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Pc8nrv

Ex-Liverpool defender Jose Enrique given all clear from cancer

Former Liverpool and Newcastle defender Jose Enrique has been given the all clear by doctors after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year.Enrique ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Gp3vg3

Trump says Tiger Woods to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Donald Trump says he will present Tiger Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.Woods won his fifth Masters title Sunday, overcoming personal and professional ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ICRVzd

Cubs hurler Yu Darvish nabs first victory of season

Yu Darvish thawed out and then nearly overheated in balmy South Florida, but he found enough in reserve to throw his hardest to the final ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UGtaJG

Productive partnership: Hamada helps Zhou find success

Sometimes in life we meet a person we automatically connect with.It could be a classmate, teammate, co-worker, teacher or mentor. The communication and respect are ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZfKPqk

‘Super Saturdays’ to highlight schedule for Tokyo Olympics

Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics unveiled the competition schedule on Tuesday, giving fans hoping to attend the games their first opportunity to plan their ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Ul8Yb9

Hurricanes rout Capitals in first home playoff game in 10 years

The Carolina Hurricanes waited 10 long years to finally bring the playoffs back to town. They almost seemed determined to cram a decade’s worth of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PeDUsT

Arsenal tops Watford on bizarre goalkeeping error

Arsenal benefited from a bizarre goal from a goalkeeping error and Watford striker Troy Deeney’s red card to claim a 1-0 win that lifted the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2v6HVWS

Flyers hand coaching reins to Alain Vigneault

The Philadelphia Flyers have hired Alain Vigneault as head coach, hoping the veteran can help lead them to their first Stanley Cup since 1975.Vigneault has ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PeDPFB

Kings hire Luke Walton as new coach

The Sacramento Kings hired Luke Walton as their coach Monday, just days after the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with him following three losing seasons.Neither ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2v7PblG

Wilson Cherono wins Boston Marathon in final sprint

Two-time Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa turned onto Boylston Street with a sliver of a lead, leaning in front of two other runners with the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PfP40C

Hachimura leaving Gonzaga for the NBA

After a dynamic junior season, Gonzaga University forward Rui Hachimura has decided to turn pro.The Toyama Prefecture native declared for the 2019 NBA Draft on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2v7r0DH

Warriors squander 31-point lead as Clippers tie series at 1-1

Lou Williams led the Los Angeles Clippers to the largest postseason comeback in NBA history.Landry Shamet hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.5 seconds left, Stephen ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UjYPeX

F1 boss promises ‘exciting’ Hanoi street race in 2020

Formula One boss Chase Carey said next year’s inaugural race in Hanoi will be “uniquely exciting” thanks to a street track he hopes will help ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XhJmOt

Tiger Woods’ Masters victory a huge win for longtime sponsor Nike

Tiger Woods’s improbable Masters victory will reward the few companies that stuck with him through his struggles, and the ones that joined him when he ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ImY1Eu

Revitalized Albirex revel in newfound success

Ace scorer Davante Gardner secured the ball that was shot by Kawasaki’s Ryusei Shinoyama, ran out of the paint area and threw it high — ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2v5Xb6I

Swallows’ hot-hitting lineup firing on all cylinders

Anyone who watched the Tokyo Yakult Swallows play this past week probably still has the Tokyo Ondo stuck in their head. When they close their ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KF6cxV

Steve Smith, David Warner named in Australia’s World Cup squad

Former captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were on Monday named in Australia’s squad for the Cricket World Cup after completing 12-month suspensions for ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Xc5QAg

Gianni Infantino holds Kuwait talks on staging 2022 World Cup games

FIFA President Gianni Infantino held talks in Kuwait on Sunday about the country staging 2022 World Cup matches as he pushes to enlarge the Qatar ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IjjCOb

Blazers open series with win over Thunder

Damian Lillard scored 30 points and third-seeded Portland opened its playoff series against No. 6 Oklahoma City with a victory.Enes Kanter added 20 points and ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IkBcS0

France win inaugural FIFA eNations Cup

France showed they were champions in virtual soccer as well as the real game on Sunday when they beat Argentina to win the inaugural FIFA ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XcqHDO

Tanaka struggles in first loss of ’19

Ravaged by injuries, the New York Yankees hardly resemble the 100-win team that set a major league record for homers last year.And even though it’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UDuWuY

Blue Jackets edge closer to sweep

Sergei Bobrovsky has the Columbus Blue Jackets on the brink of sweeping a playoff series that hardly anyone thought they could win.The Russian goalie shut ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GiiN4T

Wallabies player Israel Folau won’t apologize for remarks about gay people

Wallabies fullback Israel Folau says it will be “God’s will” if his rugby career is ended over his comments that gay people will go to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2DpuGFF

Tiger Woods roars back into fifth green jacket, cards 15th major title by winning Masters

Tiger Woods won the Masters on Sunday, capturing his fifth green jacket and 15th major title — his first in more than a decade — ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UyQ3yJ

Brex dominate Sunrockers as postseason approaches

By their own high standards, the Tochigi Brex got off to a bit of a slow start in Sunday’s series finale against the Sunrockers Shibuya.But ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XaIviE

Kento Momota rallies to win Singapore Open final

Kento Momota withstood a barrage of smashes from Anthony Sinisuka Ginting to rally for a thrilling 10-21, 21-19, 21-13 victory Sunday in the Singapore Open ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2PamnC6

Yuki Kawauchi, Desiree Linden eye repeats at Boston Marathon

Yuki Kawauchi will attempt to defend his Boston Marathon crown on Monday with Mother Nature poised to lend a hand in the 123rd edition of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2P8UkD6

Swallows beat Giants in slugfest

The Yomiuri Giants provided the fireworks in the opener and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows lit up the scoreboard in second game.In the finale of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2P8oSVA

Diego Oliveira nets brace as Tokyo outclasses Antlers

Diego Oliveira scored twice in the opening half, while Kensuke Nagai netted his 50th J. League first-division goal, as FC Tokyo showed its class with ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2v20uM9

Lewis Hamilton earns sixth win at Chinese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, beating teammate and pole sitter Valtteri Bottas with a quicker start from his No. 2 spot ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2P8iT34

Saturnalia wins Satsuki-sho

No. 1 favorite Saturnalia pulled away from a tight pack of contenders to win the Satsuki-sho, the last Japanese Classic of the Heisei Era, on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Pc5Ptl

Capitals beat Hurricanes to expand series lead

Brooks Orpik scored less than two minutes into overtime, Alex Ovechkin had two assists and the Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Saturday ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KE94ev

Nets, Magic, Spurs win road openers as playoffs begin

D’Angelo Russell flashed some postseason magic, playing like the All-Star leader Brooklyn needed with 26 points, and Caris LeVert scored 23 to lead the Nets ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UZTIF9

Olympic long jump champion Yvette Williams dead at 89

Yvette Williams, who was New Zealand’s first female Olympic gold medalist and holder of the world long jump record, has died aged 89.In a statement ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Go0Sep

Francesco Molinari builds two-shot lead over Tiger Woods, Tony Finau in Masters

Record scores on the white boards at Augusta National. Ground-shaking roars for Tiger Woods along the back nine.Francesco Molinari blocked out the buzz on a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IsT4cA

Yusuke Suzuki sets national record in men’s 50-km race walk

Yusuke Suzuki broke the Japanese 50-kilometer walk record at the national championships on Sunday, boosting hopes of a record medal haul by the host nation ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GlIR01

Deteriorating Pimlico to lose 6,670 seats for Preakness

The northern grandstand at Pimlico Race Course has significantly deteriorated and will be closed for the Preakness Stakes in May.The Stronach Group said Saturday that ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IvWQBV

Orioles’ Chris Davis ends 0-for-54 skid in win over Red Sox

Chris Davis ended his record slump at 0 for 54 and drew applause from rival fans at Fenway Park, getting three hits and driving in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GkWJb4

Yuki Togashi nails clutch jumper in closing seconds to propel Jets past rival Alvark

Yuki Togashi didn’t have his best shooting game on Saturday.It wasn’t even close to his best game. But he kept shooting, never losing faith in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Kzys4Y

Marinos, Grampus deliver entertaining duel from start to finish in 1-1 draw

Fans of conservative, defensive soccer would have done well to steer clear of Nissan Stadium on Saturday night.That left plenty of room for everyone else ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Xb2YDF

Bradie Tennell’s stellar free skate secures World Team Trophy title for U.S.

A strong performance by Bradie Tennell helped the United States win the World Team Trophy on Saturday at Marine Messe.The U.S. captured the biennial competition ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Iw7s3K

Carp lefty Hiroki Tokoda tosses first career complete-game victory

Hiroki Tokoda went the distance and tossed his first pro complete-game victory on Saturday as the Hiroshima Carp snapped a five-game losing streak with a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GgW9tM

Phillies’ Jake Arrieta notches 100th career victory against reeling Marlins

Jake Arrieta’s 100th career victory left him in a mood to look back — and ahead.“On to 200,” the 33-year-old right-hander said. That sounds good ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Gaal7F

Luke Walton gone after three seasons coaching the Lakers

Luke Walton is out as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after three losing seasons.Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka announced Walton’s departure Friday, three days ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IwAjVQ

Yuya Kubo scores first goal since joining Nuremberg

Striker Yuya Kubo on Friday scored his first goal since joining German first-division side Nuremberg in a 1-1 draw with Schalke.Kubo headed home a long-range ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GjLxeC

Blue Jackets stun Lightning again

The Columbus Blue Jackets are making a serious bid to knock the team with the best regular-season record out of the playoffs.Matt Duchene had a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Z9Rwu4

As countdown to 2020 Paralympics reaches 500 days, Tokyo making positive strides, IPC chief says

With 500 days to go until the 2020 Paralympic Games, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons says Tokyo organizers have made great strides but must ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VCfqMx

Pictograms for 2020 Paralympics unveiled

The organizing committee of the Tokyo Games on Saturday unveiled a set of pictograms to be used to represent the different Paralympic sports, as Japan ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G853JQ

Forrest Gregg, legendary lineman for mighty Packers teams, dies at 85

Forrest Gregg, the great Hall of Fame lineman for the mighty Green Bay Packers of the 1960s that Vince Lombardi called the “finest player I ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2P77vEt

Rui Hachimura wins Julius Erving Award

Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura was named the recipient of the Julius Erving Award as the best small forward in the nation at the College Basketball Awards ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ZcnAxx

Tiger moves into contention at Masters; five tied for lead

Tiger Woods made the largest logjam in Masters history look even bigger by making Augusta National sound as loud as ever.Even on a Friday, in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2X6VgdN

Giants hitters give ace Tomoyuki Sugano a big boost in series-opening win over Swallows

Tomoyuki Sugano said his pitching was just “so-so.”The Tokyo Yakult Swallows and their red-hot lineup might beg to differ. The Yomiuri Giants ace held the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ULYIx6

Chen, Zhou excel again as U.S. takes commanding lead at World Team Trophy

The powerful tandem of world champion Nathan Chen and world bronze medalist Vincent Zhou helped the United States open up a big lead on the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UxHi8d

Toyama holds off Yokohama in series opener

The Yokohama B-Corsairs faced a 58-43 deficit at halftime in Friday’s series opener against the Toyama Grouses.They dominated the third quarter, pulling in front by ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2P9ju4E

Padres blow lead, recover to defeat D-backs

Manuel Margot hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and the San Diego Padres bounced back after blowing a late five-run lead to beat ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Gjvz4c

Arsenal, Chelsea move closer to Europa League semifinals

Arsenal closed in on the Europa League semifinals with a 2-0 home win over Italy’s Napoli on Thursday, while Chelsea scored late to earn a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IyYDpM

TryHoop Okayama to join B. League’s third division for 2019-20 season

TryHoop Okayama, a new men’s pro basketball team, will join the B. League’s third division for the 2019-20 season, it was announced on Friday.After an ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ItSzil

Capitals survive late surge from Hurricanes to win Game 1

Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin came out firing, the Carolina Hurricanes surged and the Washington Capitals showed why they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions when ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IzHkoX

Japan Sumo Association lays groundwork for Trump visit

The Japan Sumo Association is preparing to host Donald Trump at an upcoming tournament after learning the U.S. President wants to watch a live sumo ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2GjiEzj

Blind marathon runner Yoko Aoki chases berth at the Tokyo 2020 Games

A decade ago, Yoko Aoki would never have been able to imagine the current life she has.Without any major sports experience, her day-to-day lifestyle used ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ItlX8p

Cavs, coach Larry Drew part ways after 19-win season

The Cavaliers will continue to rebuild with a new coach. Larry Drew’s run is over after one season.The team parted ways Thursday with Drew, who ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2X3piz5

Amateur Takumi Kanaya lives dream of leading Masters

Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya made a birdie-birdie start Thursday in his Masters debut, allowing the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner to live a dream and top ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uWV5G6

Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau share lead at the Masters

Bryson DeChambeau believes science was at work late in the afternoon at Augusta National, creating a force in the atmosphere where big roars from great ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2XauQYV

Smile Japan falls to U.S. in world championship quarterfinals

Kendall Coyne Schofield scored a tournament-leading fifth goal Thursday to help the United States beat Japan 4-0 and advance to the semifinals of the women’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uYbMB3

APNewsBreak: 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia

Baseball’s 2026 All-Star Game will be played in Philadelphia to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a person familiar with the planning ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G6GOf7

BayStars starter Shinichi Onuki earns first career victory

Shinichi Onuki picked up the first win of his career by pitching five solid innings on Thursday as the Yokohama BayStars claimed a 5-2 win ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D8maum

IAAF’s Sebastian Coe cleared of misleading British lawmakers

IAAF chief Sebastian Coe has been cleared of misleading British lawmakers about his knowledge of a Russian doping scandal.The IAAF’s ethics board said it closed ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Z6wxZ9

Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou give U.S. slight lead over Japan at World Team Trophy

The 1-2 punch of world champion Nathan Chen and world bronze medalist Vincent Zhou propelled the United States into the lead on the opening day ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VBCqex

Rugby Australia set to terminate Israel Folau’s contract after anti-gay post

Rugby Australia said it plans to terminate Israel Folau’s contract after the star fullback made anti-gay comments on social media for the second year in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KsvrmY

Wallabies icon George Gregan preaches value of preparation in quest for RWC title

George Gregan has experienced the full gamut of Rugby World Cup emotions, but the Australian legend knows what he is looking forward to most when ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G67jkK

Elite teams set pace as title chase heats up

There’s an old adage cited by managers and coaches that comes to mind as the B. League regular season winds down.“You want to be playing ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UwyXkY

Pistons clinch final playoff spot in East

The Detroit Pistons knew a victory Wednesday night would guarantee them a playoff spot. And, from the opening tip, they left no doubt that was ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UvLa9G

Mariners’ Yusei Kikuchi still winless after four MLB starts

Seattle Mariners rookie Yusei Kikuchi remained winless after four starts on Wednesday, a bad day for all three Japanese starting pitchers in the major leagues.Kikuchi ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2v7oIER

Jordan Spieth hopeful Masters memories can help him end slump

Tiger Woods is a winner again, making him even more appealing at the Masters.“I’ve worked my way back into one of the players that can ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2YZrCJr

JBA lifts ban on four ex-national team players caught paying for sex

The Japan Basketball Association said Thursday it has lifted the suspension of four former national team players who were caught buying sex during last year’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D7JwjH

Josh Bailey’s OT goal propels Islanders past Penguins in playoff opener

Josh Bailey didn’t have much time to think when he saw the puck on the side of the crease after Mathew Barzal’s try hit the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UNQJzy

Ajax, Juventus settle for tie; Barcelona tops Man United

After showing no fear against Real Madrid, a young Ajax squad didn’t back down against Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus either.Ajax replied quickly after Ronaldo scored ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Iq8Gxy

Consadole, FC Tokyo earn Levain Cup victories

Japan striker Musashi Suzuki bagged a hat trick as Consadole Sapporo thrashed visiting Shonan Bellmare 4-1 in the Levain Cup on Wednesday night.The recent Samurai ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IaBZow

BayStars lefty Haruhiro Hamaguchi tames Tigers to earn first career shutout

Haruhiro Hamaguchi made up for seven walks by picking off two runners and striking out nine en route to a one-hit shutout for the Yokohama ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2X2dWM2

U.S. ace Nathan Chen in high spirits on eve of World Team Trophy

Two-time world champion Nathan Chen appeared in good form during the afternoon practice on Wednesday ahead of the start of the World Team Trophy here ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Vz4vTL

Former Japan manager Vahid Halilhodzic drops defamation suit against JFA

Former Japan manager Vahid Halilhodzic withdrew the lawsuit he filed against the Japan Football Association over his dismissal just two months before last year’s World ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UrZPm1

Japan loses lead twice in draw against Germany in Women’s World Cup warmup

Japan gave up a one-goal lead twice and played out a 2-2 draw against world No. 2 Germany Tuesday in a warmup for June’s FIFA ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D6TcLv

Former UFC champ T.J. Dillashaw accepts two-year doping ban

Former UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw has accepted a two-year suspension for doping.The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which administers the UFC’s drug testing policy, announced the ban ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2U8InOD

Japan to play El Salvador in Copa America warmup

The Japanese men’s national team will play an international friendly against El Salvador on June 9, the Japan Football Association announced Wednesday.Japan, ranked No. 26 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VzmNo7

Sweeping changes needed for J. League Cup

With the J. League season in full swing, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the J. League YBC Levain Cup is also in progress.As Japan’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D4qiM4

As basho sellouts continue, regional tour offers peek behind curtain

Within 90 minutes of going on sale, tickets for the upcoming Summer Grand Sumo Tournament were all snapped up.The retirement of yokozuna Kisenosato seems to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Gdmdaa

Red Sox stumble again in home opener

The Boston Red Sox blanketed Fenway Park with pieces of the city’s championship past to welcome the newest members of their World Series title club.It ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uWR7gw

Dwyane Wade goes out a winner in Miami

Dwyane Wade’s wife was slapping his backside in celebration.His oldest son, the heir to the Wade basketball throne, was on the Miami bench for the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D8HOi0

Devils draw top pick in NHL draft lottery

The New Jersey Devils will have the No. 1 pick at this year’s NHL draft.The team was announced Tuesday night as the winner of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UOfjQI

Magic abruptly resigns as Lakers’ president

Magic Johnson abruptly quit as the Los Angeles Lakers’ president of basketball operations Tuesday night, citing his desire to return to the simpler life he ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KljU9b

Liverpool builds lead over Porto in Champions League

Different round, same comfortable win. Porto must be sick of the sight of Liverpool in the Champions League.Liverpool built a 2-0 lead over Porto heading ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Uqa1vC

Son Heung-min gives Tottenham lead over Man City after Kane injury

With Tottenham’s Champions League quarterfinal scoreless and oozing intensity, Harry Kane launched into a challenge to block Fabian Delph’s run, clattering into the Manchester City ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G6buxb

Antlers strike twice in extra time to beat Gyeongnam FC in Asian Champions League

Takeshi Kanamori and Serginho struck a goal each in extra time as the 10-man Kashima Antlers fought back for an improbable 3-2 win away to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Z1SCru

Giants newcomer Christian Villanueva slugs two homers to propel club past Dragons

Christian Villanueva hit his first two home runs in Japan, and Shun Yamaguchi worked seven innings to lead the Yomiuri Giants to a 3-1 victory ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D5msCp

Manny Pacquiao to make promotional appearance for Rizin at upcoming fight in Yokohama

One day after Rizin Fighting Federation announced that it has signed a contract with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, its CEO, Nobuyuki Sakakibara, made it clear ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G4ESE1

Swallows reliever Ryota Igarashi combats stiffness with stretching

The art of pitching past one’s prime is being flexible — even when one’s body isn’t, Tokyo Yakult Swallows right-hander Ryota Igarashi said Sunday.Igarashi, who ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uSuji9

Pele leaves French hospital to return to Brazil

Pele left a Paris hospital on Monday after being treated for a urinary infection. The 78-year-old Pele, who has been frequently hospitalized in the last ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G1VThV

Masahiro Tanaka gets no-decision as Yankees fail to preserve lead against Astros

Masahiro Tanaka tossed six solid innings but missed out on his second win of the season as the New York Yankees fell 4-3 to the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2U5F6iT

Eden Hazard dazzles against West Ham, raises doubts on Chelsea future

Eden Hazard’s slalom through the opposition before scoring the Chelsea opener on Monday didn’t exactly leave the West Ham fans speechless.“Eden Hazard,” they chanted at ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G9uwDT

Rugby star Christian Wade chases NFL dream

Former England and Wasps wing Christian Wade has signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills as he pursues his dream of forging a career in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D71D9o

Texas Tech, Virginia give NCAA final a global presence

The plains of West Texas are a long way from the bustling piazzas and porticos of northern Italy, where Davide Moretti was raised in a ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VzrUEO

Panthers hire Joel Quenneville as next coach

Dale Tallon and Joel Quenneville are together again, and the Florida Panthers are ready for them to recreate their magic.Quenneville — who is second on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OVQBbM

Takumi Kanaya receives Masters tips from seasoned pro Hideki Matsuyama

Takumi Kanaya, who punched his ticket to a first Masters appearance with a victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur in October, has been getting some advice ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VycReu

49 and counting: Orioles first baseman Chris Davis breaks record for longest hitless streak by non-pitcher in majors

Hitting the ball sharply and getting good distance on his outs now counts as progress for struggling Chris Davis, whose futility at the plate has ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2KvgGQi

Virginia outlasts Texas Tech in OT thriller for first NCAA title

Now that, Virginia, is the way to close out a season.And quiet those critics, too. Led by De’Andre Hunter and his NBA-ready game, the Cavaliers ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OVLEQc

Baylor holds off Notre Dame for women’s title

Baylor lost a star player, then the rest of its 17-point lead. But the Lady Bears, led by the ever-poised Chloe Jackson, kept their composure.Jackson ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uRpxkH

Daiya Seto wins 400 medley for third title of national championships

Daiya Seto claimed his third title of the national swimming championships Monday with victory in the men’s 400-meter individual medley.On the final day of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OVnNAh

Rikako Ikee enrolls at university while continuing battle against leukemia

Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee, who has put her athletic career on hold to undergo treatment for leukemia, has enrolled at Nihon University’s College of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G8rSOP

Manny Pacquiao follows Floyd Mayweather in signing with RIZIN

Filipino multiple world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has signed with RIZIN, the Japanese mixed martial arts organization that put together Floyd Mayweather’s exhibition fight in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2YVY1Am

Carli Lloyd scores twice as U.S. women rout Belgium

The World Cup must be getting close, because Carli Lloyd is looking dangerous.The 2015 World Cup star scored her first two goals of the year ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2IgXrau

Fighters’ experiments with openers not going well early

The ironic thing about the Seibu Lions blowing up the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters’ “opener” strategy — in such a magnificent explosion of hits and ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G7ICWw

Charges filed against flare-waving Urawa fans in national first

The Saitama Prefectural Police department on Monday filed charges against three Urawa Reds supporters for violating the Road Traffic Act before and after the December ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OU5mvX

Ko Jin-young captures first major title; Ayako Uehara finishes in 26th place

Ko Jin-young won the ANA Inspiration for her first major title, celebrated with the traditional winner’s leap into Poppie’s Pond and will jump to No. ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uR5SkT

Being Tom Wilson: Inside the life of hockey’s most hated man

Tom Wilson tries not to read everything about him on social media.You’d think being on the receiving end of endless tweets and messages that are, ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Uo5iuj

Mike Trout goes deep again to help Angels fly by Rangers

Texas Rangers relievers found themselves dealing with the wrong kind of buzz Sunday, first from bees in the bullpen and then from the crowd’s reaction ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2U30LZb

Giannis Antetokounmpo carries Bucks to 60th win of season

Giannis Antetokounmpo is in a perfect position to put the Bucks’ 60-win season in perspective.Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and Khris Middleton added 21 to send ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2I3Dm8n

Takuma Sato wins Indy Grand Prix of Alabama to earn fourth career IndyCar crown

Takuma Sato won the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, earning his fourth career victory in IndyCar.Sato, the 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner, became the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2WLWpaG

Golden Kings down Hannaryz to defend West Division title

Buoyed by a dominant fourth quarter, the Ryukyu Golden Kings earned a 67-52 victory over the Kyoto Hannaryz on Sunday and clinched the West Division ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G7G2jj

Rio Olympic judo champ Shohei Ono among national invitational winners

Shohei Ono, Olympic champion in the men’s 73-kg division, defeated 2017 world champion Soichi Hashimoto to win his third title at the national invitational weight ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VzbI6x

Rei Takahashi solid over 7 as Hawks’ 7 homers down Marines

Rei Takahashi pitched seven solid innings on Sunday, and his Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks teammates blasted seven home runs in an 11-1 Pacific League win over ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D33JXZ

Shinri Shioura rewrites Japan record in men’s 50-meter freestyle

Shinri Shioura set a Japanese record in the men’s 50-meter freestyle on Sunday, the sixth day of the national championships.Shioura touched the wall in 21.67 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2U1zqq7

Gran Alegria earns first G1 win in record time

Gran Alegria was the uncontested winner of the Oka Sho on Sunday, claiming her first Grade 1 victory in record time.The second-favorite, ridden by Christophe ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2YVumqZ

Daichi Kamada’s brace saves Sint-Truiden in Europa League playoffs

Japan’s Daichi Kamada netted a brace in Sint-Truiden’s 2-2 away draw with Westerlo on Saturday in the Belgian first-division Europa League playoffs.Kamada equalized just after ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2U3xIEK

Yuka Yasuda finishes third at first women’s event held at Augusta National

Japanese teenager Yuka Yasuda finished third on Saturday at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, the first-ever women’s competition held at the home of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FYH7s6

Lions newcomer Zach Neal gets Japan journey off to bright start

Zach Neal might have had an image of how his first start in Japan might go, but it’s unlikely there were Chiba Lotte Marines standing ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UmlZX7

Vlade Divac, Sidney Moncrief, Jack Sikma, Teresa Weatherspoon headline ’19 Hall class

The longest active streak of missing the NBA playoffs belongs to Sacramento, where general manager Vlade Divac has been trying to return the Kings to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FXne4Y

Lightning ties NHL record with 62nd win

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their NHL record-tying 62nd game, getting a shorthanded goal by Steven Stamkos during a three-goal second period in their 6-3 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UjAElC

Cubs get past Brewers to snap six-game skid

The Chicago Cubs have never seen this side of Jason Heyward.The way this season has been going, they were due for a pleasant surprise. Heyward ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2YXQktM

Ko Jin-young taking lead into final round; Ayako Uehara fires 68

Ko Jin-young turned a four-stroke deficit into a five-stroke lead in only 10 holes Saturday at the ANA Inspiration. She nearly gave it all back, ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2YRMxOl

Texas Tech’s defense clamps down on Michigan St. in Final Four victory

For those who thought Texas Tech only plays defense, it’s time to meet Matt Mooney.While the Red Raiders were locking down Michigan State on one ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2U1o8SP

Takuma Sato leads 1-2 qualifying finish for Rahal team

Takuma Sato, teammate Graham Rahal and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing outshined the powerhouse teams at Barber Motorsports Park.In qualifying, at least. Sato claimed the eighth ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2VtFjOq

Virginia reaches NCAA title game after edging Auburn in controversial ending

From one-and-done to NCAA Tournament miracle men, Virginia is going to the national championship game for the first time after pulling off another last-second stunner ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2D2xsAj

Diamond Dolphins improve playoff chances with third straight victory

As the regular season winds down, the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins are trying to secure one of the final playoff spots, possibly the eighth and final ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FTLHYJ

Tomoya Mori leads Lions’ hit parade with 4-for-5 performance against Fighters

Opener, closer, middleman, it’s all the same to the Seibu Lions’ lineup.When the Lions’ bats are roaring, it doesn’t matter who is on the mound ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Vt69pQ

Rebels thrash visiting Sunwolves

The Sunwolves fell 42-15 to the host Melbourne Rebels on Saturday at AAMI Park on the back of some woeful defense and poor execution at ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2YTuabX

Hisayoshi Harasawa captures second title at national invitational championships

Olympic silver medalist Hisayoshi Harasawa won the men’s over-100-kilogram title at the National Invitational Weight Class Championships on Saturday.Harasawa, runner-up at the 2016 Rio de ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2UiEFH4

Diego Maradona says he’s leaving Dorados over ‘referee bias’

Argentina great Diego Maradona said he will quit his job with Mexican second-division club Dorados at the end of the season over perceived refereeing bias ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FSKSPX

Kozo Tashima re-elected to FIFA Council

Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima was re-elected to the FIFA Council on Saturday by the Asian Football Confederation.Tashima was one of the seven candidates ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2CZApl8

FC Tokyo remains undefeated

There comes a day when every streak must come to an end.Saturday was not that day for undefeated FC Tokyo or winless Shimizu S-Pulse, as ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2ORDTLk

Ducks down Kings in finale

No previous edition of the Freeway Faceoff had ever meant less. The state of Southern California hockey has rarely been lower.The Anaheim Ducks still moved ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G3xMRm

Kim In-kyung takes three-stroke lead at midway point of ANA Inspiration

Seven years after missing a 1-foot putt on the final hole of regulation and losing a playoff, Kim In-kyung was back on top at the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Ih8roh

Russia beats Swiss on last-minute tall

Russia defeated Switzerland 2-1 at the women’s world hockey championship Friday, with Olga Sosina scoring on a power play with 36.8 seconds remaining.In the day’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uQbFaE

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, Cowboys agree to lucrative five-year deal

DeMarcus Lawrence has the long-term contract he felt he deserved after the star defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys played one season under the franchise ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2G3gZ0v

Delon Wright helps Grizzlies top Mavs

Dirk Nowitzki set a screen for a pick-and-roll a few seconds into what could be the second-to-last home game for the longtime star of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FUTENv

Dodgers hurler Kenta Maeda notches second victory of season

Kenta Maeda claimed his second win of the season Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers continued their strong start by beating the Colorado Rockies 10-6.The ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FVfznB

Duke’s Zion Williamson voted AP’s college player of year

Just about everything Zion Williamson did at Duke created a highlight or headline in a spectacle of a season.The soaring dunks. The open-court moves more ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2TZF8ZG

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah ends goal drought in triumph over Southampton

Mohamed Salah chose the perfect moment to end the longest goal drought of his Liverpool career.It helped to lift his team back to the top ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2K9LYfp

Kawasaki capitalizes on free-throw opportunities to beat Toyama

When a team scores three times as many points as its opponent at the free-throw line, it’s usually a good sign for the team getting ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2K9YRGC

Starter Taisuke Yamaoka guides Buffaloes past punchless Eagles for first victory of season

Taisuke Yamaoka worked eight innings and rookie Yuma Tongu broke up a scoreless game with a fourth-inning RBI single as the Orix Buffaloes held on ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FW5HtV

Leo Silva’s highlight-reel goal propels Antlers past Grampus

Brazilian midfielder Leo Silva made an early bid for goal of the season as the Kashima Antlers came back to beat table-topping Nagoya Grampus 2-1 ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Ugy7Zq

JOC on verge of naming judo federation chief Yasuhiro Yamashita next president: source

The Japanese Olympic Committee is set to name former Olympic judo gold medalist Yasuhiro Yamashita as successor to longtime president Tsunekazu Takeda, who is under ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2FLrKmM

Sunwolves seeking back-to-back victories in Australia

Fresh off their first win on Australian soil, the Sunwolves look to knock over the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday for their third win of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OQ7vbQ

Japan to face visiting Trinidad and Tobago in June friendly

The Japan national men’s team will host an international friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on June 5, the Japan Football Association said Friday.The friendly at ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2I6fIID

Bucks top 76ers, clinch top seed in East

Giannis Antetokounmpo helped Milwaukee lock up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with another MVP-worthy performance.Antetokounmpo outdueled fellow MVP candidate Joel Embiid, finishing ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OQ4vwd

Yuki Kawauchi now focused full time on marathoning

During the past decade, Yuki Kawauchi has been perhaps Japan’s most famous marathon runner. He’s been known as the “Citizen Runner” or the “Civil Service ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uVJ4AR

Pelicans start interviews for GM post

The New Orleans Pelicans began interviewing candidates to become the club’s new general manager on Thursday, a person familiar with the process said.The list of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OSRbY2

Tiger Woods to design first golf course in Hawaii

Tiger Woods will attempt a new way to master the links in Hawaii when his company begins designing an Oahu golf course.The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uMSKxd

Capitals capture division title

The Washington Capitals won their division again. Perhaps more importantly, they clinched it with playoff-style hockey.Nic Dowd put Washington ahead for good early in the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2OR148g

Smile Japan beats France in opener at worlds

Japan’s women’s ice hockey team, Smile Japan, blanked France 3-0 behind goalie Nana Fujimoto’s 25 saves in their opening game at the world championships in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Uoc6Iw

Zeljko Pavlicevic making an impact with new coaching role in Libya

Zeljko Pavlicevic has never been shy about accepting bold challenges.He embraced the pressure of high-profile coaching jobs in Yugoslavia, Greece and Spain before setting foot ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2uJVfAs

Yu Darvish struggles again as Braves sweep Cubs

Yu Darvish pitched four-plus innings and suffered his first loss of the season on Thursday in the Chicago Cubs’ 9-4 defeat to the Atlanta Braves.Darvish, ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2I0hhrq

Nadeshiko falls to France in friendly international

Japan lost to France 3-1 on Thursday in a warmup friendly ahead of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.Nadeshiko Japan, currently ranked No. 7 in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2WM6wMD

Texas Tech’s Chris Beard receives AP men’s college coach of the year accolade

Chris Beard of Texas Tech had a cheering, boisterous audience as he took stage Thursday to accept the trophy as The Associated Press men’s college ...

from Sports – The Japan Times http://bit.ly/2Iegbrp

Eagles chase Fighters starter Yuki Saito early, put game out of reach with eight-run sixth

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters handed former Koshien hero Yuki Saito the start Thursday afternoon in a bid to end their losing streak, but the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2FMObYY

Scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka brings veteran leadership to Canon Eagles

Veteran Japan scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka has joined the Canon Eagles for the upcoming Top League season, the club announced Thursday.The 34-year-old, who plays Super Rugby ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2WQp9zb

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ejected early in loss to Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets ran San Antonio right off the court. Long before, the officials ran Gregg Popovich.Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2Ii7tIL

Japan Fencing Association hands men’s epee coach Alexander Gorbachuk six-month ban for slapping athletes

The Japan Fencing Association has banned coach Alexander Gorbachuk from overseas competitions for six months for slapping athletes under his supervision at a recent World ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2HYdKKg

Tennis matches shortened at Olympics to reduce player workload

The men’s tennis singles final at the Olympics has been shortened to a best-of-three-sets match as part of format changes designed to reduce the workload ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2Idg9A6

Braves offer prayers for Bobby Cox after Hall of Famer’s stroke

Hall of Famer manager Bobby Cox was able to accept visitors in his Atlanta-area hospital room on Wednesday, one day after the longtime Braves skipper ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2HZau19

Tottenham wins first game at new stadium

To the accompaniment of a marching band, tenor Wynne Evans serenaded the players and 59,215 fans with “Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur.”Fireworks exploded over the stadium, ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2UfORAi

Mets’ Jacob deGrom fans career-high 14, whacks homer in victory over Marlins

With his first swing of the night, Jacob deGrom hit the ball farther than any of the Miami Marlins hit it against him.Often they failed ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2uNnWfG

Ryan Miller, rookies send Ducks past playoff-bound Flames

After Ryan Miller wrapped up his 378th career victory and skated off to an ovation from the Honda Center crowd, the veteran goalie seemed hopeful ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2WJP3o3

Shinshu can win title, but not promotion

The Shinshu Brave Warriors have excelled this season under the steady leadership of head coach Michael Katsuhisa.The Brave Warriors (43-11 through Sunday) are poised to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2UioJVp

Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura named to AP All-America Second Team

Gonzaga’s quest to return to the NCAA Tournament Final Four after finishing runner-up in 2017 didn’t happen, but two of the West Coast Conference powerhouse ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2TUBfoP

Tomoki Kameda set to meet Rey Vargas for WBC super bantamweight title

The World Boxing Council announced Tuesday that a deal has been reached for Japan’s Tomoki Kameda to challenge WBC super bantamweight champion Rey Vargas for ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2Uv7cbH

Zelous Wheeler lifts Eagles to win over Fighters with two-run homer in eighth

Zelous Wheeler belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles came from behind to beat the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2K2pfSH

US-based NWHL OKs plan to expand to Canada after CWHL folds

The National Women’s Hockey League is moving swiftly to expand to Toronto and Montreal following the demise of its Canadian-based rival.NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan told ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2IeXVhD

Surfers begin journey to 2020 Tokyo Games

Qualifying for the inaugural Olympic surfing competition began Wednesday with a World Surf League event which also featured equal prize money for male and female ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2HV0xSb

UNCW guard Kai Toews named finalist for top freshman award

University of North Carolina Wilmington point guard Kai Toews has been recognized on the national level after a stellar freshman season.The Tokyo native is one ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2I9kDaM

‘Destiny’ deepens Japan-Brazil judo relations

When Yuko Fujii took a job coaching judo in England after graduating from university, she didn’t anticipate that she would one day be coaching the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2Ud1aNr

Famed Japanese champion mare Vodka dies

Japanese thoroughbred mare Vodka, who became the first filly to win the Japanese Derby in 64 years, has died from laminitis, the Japan Racing Association ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2CSOOiT

J. League shows sense of humor

Sometimes a sports organization’s greatest strength is the capability to laugh at itself.Developing this skill has been one of the J. League’s biggest challenges in ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2VdPDdi

New ozeki Takakeisho can draw strength from stable

Takakeisho is sumo’s newest ozeki.The Hyogo native has lifted the Emperor’s Cup, received seven special prizes, defeated yokozuna three times and reached his chosen sport’s ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2CRGEaO

Thunder’s Russell Westbrook joins Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history after recording league’s second-ever 20-20-20

With the outcome all but decided and just over a minute remaining, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan wanted to get Russell Westbrook out of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2HWmEYF

Toho captures final high school championship of Heisei Era

Toho, the Aichi Prefecture school that won the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament held in the first year of the Heisei Era 30 years ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2VeJQo3

United stumbles at Wolves

Manchester United’s ambitions of securing a spot in the Champions League next season were damaged by a 2-1 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2OH8hYC

Yankees waste Masahiro Tanaka’s effort

Masahiro Tanaka pitched 6⅔ effective innings, but the right-hander was hurt by a lack of run support in the New York Yankees’ 3-1 defeat to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2HWeG1E

Alliance of American Football ends first season prematurely

The Alliance of American Football has ended its first season prematurely and told most employees that they will be terminated as of Wednesday.Employees were notified ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2FSVdMS

New Zealand names experienced Cricket World Cup squad

New Zealand opted for experience in a 15-man squad named Wednesday for this year’s cricket World Cup, with rookie Tom Blundell’s inclusion as back-up wicketkeeper ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2OJHgUn

Kengo Ida defends men’s 50-meter butterfly national title in record-setting time

Kengo Ida set a national record in the men’s 50-meter butterfly on Tuesday, the opening day of the Japan Swimming Championships.Ida clocked 23.27 seconds to ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2CRi6hZ

Eagles lefty Wataru Karashima stifles Fighters

Wataru Karashima pitched seven scoreless innings as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles defeated the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 3-1 on Tuesday for their third straight ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2I6tmdR

Yankees minor leaguer Gosuke Kato called up to Triple-A

Gosuke Kato has been promoted to Triple-A for the first time since signing a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in 2013.The 24-year-old ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2JXU4aZ

Performance staff plays big role for Japan hoopsters

Right after the final buzzer, the TV camera momentarily caught head coach Julio Lamas giving a strong hug to athletic trainer Takeo Ichiyanagi after they ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2HZ5Ct1

Rookie slugger Pete Alonso belts first career homer in Mets’ ninth-inning rally against Marlins

The New York Mets poured it on.Pete Alonso, their 104-kg rookie slugger, squeezed into a clubhouse cart as ordered by teammates for a postgame dousing ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2K8AOaK

Flames torch Kings for 50th win

Derek Ryan scored twice, Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists and the playoff-bound Calgary Flames defeated the Los Angeles Kings 7-2 on Monday ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2UhZuSn

NYC police investigating rape allegation against Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis

A New York City police official has confirmed that there is an investigation into a rape allegation against NBA star Kristaps Porzingis.NYPD Chief of Detectives ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2K1qy4b

Rafael Arutunian says he never felt Yuzuru Hanyu was unbeatable

In the days following the world championships it is always interesting to hear the various takeaways that those in the skating community have. One of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2uG0oJS

Odell Beckham Jr. optimistic about Browns, new teammates

Odell Beckham Jr. looked at quarterback Baker Mayfield seated to his left, Jarvis Landry to his right and Myles Garrett at the end of the ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2JXJT6e

John Calipari, Kentucky finalize long-term deal through 2023-24 season

University of Kentucky has agreed to a long-term contract with coach John Calipari that will allow him to finish his career with the Wildcats.Calipari’s current ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2HS9v2O

Patriots QB Tom Brady saves first tweet for April Fools’ Day: ‘I’m retiring’

New England Patriots fans who forgot that Monday is April Fools’ Day might have been panicking when quarterback Tom Brady tweeted that he had decided ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2WImzLv

Giannis Antetokounmpo returns, leads Bucks to win

Giannis Antetokounmpo forgot for a moment that Milwaukee had reduced its magic number to one for clinching the NBA’s best record.Once the Bucks have it ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2FRekXV

Aaron Ramsey helps Arsenal beat Newcastle, move into third place in Premier League

Aaron Ramsey’s parting gift to Arsenal might just be helping the club back into the Champions League.Ramsey scored in the 30th minute to set Arsenal ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2WHPfnP

British boxer suspended for biting opponent

A British boxer has had his license suspended after being disqualified for biting during a heavyweight fight.Kash Ali was accused by opponent David Price of ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2UnQsmC

Tour of Germany 2019 to pay tribute to fall of Berlin Wall

The course for this year’s Tour of Germany will pay tribute to the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, organizers said Monday.The ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2JW8qZH

Miami Open semifinalist Simona Halep closes gap with world No. 1 Naomi Osaka

Simona Halep cut the gap with world No.1 Naomi Osaka in the WTA rankings on Monday after the Romanian made the semi-finals at the Miami ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2uBaV97

ONE CEO enthused by Japan success

It was only one event. And there was no guarantee of continued success for a long time into the future.Even so, ONE Championship’s first-ever event ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2JTWlnv

Ferrari miscues allow Lewis Hamilton to capture Bahrain Grand Prix

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton profited from Ferrari’s latest failure and won a dramatic Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.The race looked likely to finish ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2I4g1Tc

Ryan Crotty to leave All Blacks for Japan after World Cup

All Blacks center Ryan Crotty announced Monday he will end his international career after this year’s World Cup and play club rugby in Japan.Crotty, who ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2OA7h8L

Roger Federer beats John Isner for Miami title

Orange streamers rained down while Roger Federer held another championship trophy aloft, his familiar grin as wide as ever.For the ageless Federer, winning never gets ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2FNRMqY

Red-hot Christian Yelich carries Brewers past Cardinals

Christian Yelich led the way for the Milwaukee Brewers, from his first swing to the very last one of the game.Making it a pretty typical ...

from Sports – The Japan Times https://ift.tt/2OCVB5d