With the completion of all the Grand slam of the year, the players still try to jostle for points in the ATP and WTA rankings by their involvement in various singles tournament. This week rankings are out and at NEWFANZONE we give you the top ten players in the rankings.
ATP RANKINGS
In the ATP rankings there was no change as all top ten remained intact from the past week.
NAME. POINTS
1 N. Djokovic. 12150
2 R.Nadal. 8665
3 R. Federer. 8170
4 S. Wawrinka. 5690
5 D. Ferrer. 4495
6 M.Raonic. 4200
7 T.Berdych. 4175
8 K.Nishikori. 3865
9 M.Cilic. 3845
10.G.Dimitrov. 3710
* Andy Murray moves a step up to Number 11 while Kevin Anderson of South Africa remains in
Number 19 from the past week.
WTA RANKINGS
Like the ATP the WTA rankings still really had no major change as the biggest player that moved was Caroline Wozniacki from Ninth to Seventh position.
NAME. POINTS
1 S. Williams. 9430
2 S.Halep. 6160
3 P.Kvitova. 5926
4 M.Sharapova. 5575
5 Na Li. 5270
6 A.Radwanska. 5200
7 C.Wozniacki. 4500
8 A.Kerber. 4480
9 E.Bouchard. 4433
10 A.Ivanovic. 4180
TENNIS TITBITS
* The first Asian Man to ever appear in a Grand slam final Kei Nishikori spoke to CNN Hong Kong where he talked about how the Japanese fans always supported him and his love for Roger Federer.
* Rafael Nadal returns to action in Beijing in the Doubles event as he and his partner lost to John Isner and Tomas Berdych 5-7,6-4,4-10
* Stanislas Wawrinka ranked number four in the world has his eyes in the title as Tokyo as a win there would all but confirm his involvement in the season ending ATP world tour in London.
*Andy Murray was overcome with emotion as he won the Shenzhen Open against Tommy Robredo in the finals. Andy Murray has last won a title dating back to his Wimbledon triumph in 2013.
and finally…
* In the Asian games Indian tennis player Saketh Myneni bagged two medals in the mixed doubles and mixed singles event in Yeorumul tennis court in South Korea.
Super Falcons striker, Asisat Oshoala has dedicated her national honour to her parents and team mates in both the Falconnets and Super Falcons.
Speaking soon after she received her Member of the Order of the Niger MON award from President Goodluck Jonathan, Asisat said she is overjoyed at being appreciated by the Federal Government.
“It’s my second time having a handshake with the President and I am really happy about it because there are a lot of Nigerians out there wishing to just see him not to talk of hand shake with him.Having this second opportunity to shake hands with him I am really happy about it and I know it is the grace of God at work in my life.For me it’s a dream come true”
ASISAT OSHOALA, DEDICATES NATIONAL HONOUR TO TEAM MATES, PARENTS,
“I dedicate the award to God Almighty Allah who has kept and been with me ever since I started playing football up to this moment.I also dedicate the award to my parents and my family who are always praying for me.I also thank my team mates Expecially the U-20 girls who enabled me score those goals that gave me the award,not forgetting team mates in Super Falcons and my previous and present team FC Robo and Rivers Angels.I also thank my coaches who have trained me and made me into what I am right now.To my fans and every one I say thank you”
” I feel great and appreciated,that there are senior players who are greater than me but they are yet to get this award.Its a sign to me that God has done marvelously well for me and I won’t relax on this I will strive to achieve more”
The Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Lagos Chapter, the Electoral Committee has lifted the ban on political activities ahead of the association slated for 24th of October.
The Electoral Committee, Chairman, Mr. Tony Nezianya, enjoined aspirants to go ahead with their campaign activities.
“For every elections there is a roadmap and that starts with the flagging off of campaigns.
So we are using this opportunity to inform our members that the ban on political activities have been lifted from now to 48 hours before the election date which will be communicated in a few days time.
“the lifting of the ban, gives all the aspirants an equal opportunity and enough time to prepare themselves for the elections and also solicit for votes,” he pointed out.
Nezianya, who is Deputy Editor-In-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also urged all SWAN members to update their membership with the out-going executive and Lagos NUJ, as membership status is important to the electioneering process.
“Membership status takes precedence in the association elections. So, we would like to admonish every member to check out their membership status at the SWAN Secretariat in order to be eligible for the exercise,” he noted.
The SWANECO boss informed that candidates could pick up their nomination forms from SWAN Administrative Secretary, Mr Richard Dawodu, at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Forms for chairmanship position costs N20,000, while other positions on the executive are put at N15,000 only.
The elections roadmap is as follows: collection of forms; Monday, 29th of September to Friday, 10th of October, while Tuesday, 14 October is the deadline for submission of forms.
Verification/Screening will hold on Wednesday, October 15, pasting of candidates list, members list, claims, objections is slated for Friday, October 17, manifesto is fixed for Thursday, 23rd of October and the elections hold on Friday, 24th of October.
The FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses 2014, held in Slovakia for the first time, boasted one of the highest completion rates for a seven-year-old horse Endurance competition on a day of extraordinary sport. From a total of 44 combinations, 20 successfully finished the challenging ride, with the UAE’s Mansour Saeed Mohd Al Faresi securing gold with Tiswan Fageole, completing the course in a time of 05:47:29. French riders filled second, third and fourth places.
Breaking with tradition, this event saw a change from the unusual format, with a linear route for three legs and then two final loops on the 120-kilometre track, which included steep, stony going over the initial stages and fast straights in the closing stages.
Athletes from 15 nations – Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and the UAE – crossed the start line at 08.00 on Saturday morning.
The stallion Tahar du Barthas ridden by Vincent Gaudriot (FRA) stole the show winning the Best Condition Prize at the FEI World Endurance Champioships for Young Horses. (Photo: Gilly Wheeler/FEI)
The horses had been stabled in the small town of Pezinok, nestled in the foothills of the Little Carpathians mountain nature reserve. This stunning backdrop was to provide the tough and tricky going of the 27-kilometre first loop. Towards the end of this loop horses and riders had a descent of around 500 metres in the space of just a couple of kilometres, dropping them straight into the first vet gate. Nearly all the horses arrived together at this control and the vast majority of them had vetted in within 15 minutes.
The steep terrain of the initial loop was in stark contrast to the rest of the track, which featured endless flat going alongside the River Danube. The second loop was the shortest (21 kilometres) and saw horses and riders make their way down to the second Vet Gate located just on the outskirts of the industrial heartland of the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. Whilst this loop saw the field spread out a little, the competition was still tight with many combinations in contention. Two nations dominated however, with the UAE and France holding nine of the top 10 positions.
The third loop brought the linear section of the ride to a close at the Elements Resort venue in Samorin, located around 15 kilometres southeast of Bratislava. This purpose-built equestrian facility acted as the static base for Vet Gates 3 and 4 and the Finish. The venue stretches out across nearly 100 hectares and is in the finishing stages of becoming one of the largest sporting facilities in Europe. Upon arrival at Vet Gate 3, both crews and officials were able to relax a little, knowing the logistical challenges of handling such a route had slightly lessened.
At the end of the third loop, the horse and rider combinations had completed a total of 73 kilometres and, whilst the field had started to spread out, it remained both the UAE and France who dominated the top 10.
Mansour Saeed Al Faresi (UAE) and Tiswan Fageole held strong out in front, with a 16-second advantage heading out on to the penultimate loop, but with seven horses within three minutes of the leaders, it was far from over. Jean Philippe Frances (FRA) was in fourth place and his grey gelding Tinka La Majorie was looking strong.
The fourth loop of 25 kilometres was to prove influential in the final standings and saw the highest percentage of non-completions from the relatively small start list. The field had also spread out dramatically and now only three horses remained within touching distance. Al Faresi (UAE) had dropped to second position some two minutes behind compatriot Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum aboard Normandy, who was competing in his first European FEI event. A further 20 seconds behind was Jean Philippe Frances (FRA) with Tinka La Majorie, who had a considerable four-minute advantage over fourth placed Aurelie Cambe (FRA) with Tismael de Vayrols.
The finish asked quite a question of these young horses as, upon arrival at the venue, they had to make just over one complete circuit of the brand new race track before re-crossing the finish line for the final time. Despite the challenge, the horses looked in great shape and willingly made that extra effort for their riders, resulting in a great spectacle for the viewing public.
First on to the race track was Al Maktoum (UAE) and, with a comfortable lead over the next horse, he was able to just take a steady lap of the track and ease his horse home. Al Faresi (UAE) crossed the line second followed by Frances (FRA). But this was not to be the final line-up as Al Maktoum’s horse Normandy was vetted out lame at the final vetting, leaving the gold medal around the neck of his compatriot Al Faresi (UAE) who had led for so much of the day. Frances (FRA) secured silver ahead of teammate Aurelie Cambe (FRA) who took bronze.
It was a 1-2 for French breeding at the 2014 edition of this Young Horse Championship with both first and second placed horses being by the great stallion Naswan. The winning horse Tiswan Fageole completed his first CEI1* in November 2013 and has subsequently completed a further two events, most recently finishing second in the CEIJY1* at Uddel (NED) with Al Faresi.
The top six horses took part in the medal ceremony and were a credit to their riders, trainers and crew. All of the horses looked fresh and well and it was hard to believe the distance they had covered earlier in the day. But it was to be sixth placed Tahar du Barthas who stole the show. After putting in the fastest final loop of the day, this seven-year-old stallion took the highly sought after Best Condition prize. Gaining seven places on the last loop, the grey horse looked in incredible form as he was trotted out to enthusiastic applause from the appreciative crowd, bringing to a close the 2014 edition of the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses.
Final Results
Gold:
Mansour Saeed Mohd Al Faresi (UAE) with Tiswan Fageole (Naswan x Fatale de Biar), 05:47:29 /20.893kph
Silver:
Jean Philippe Frances (FRA) with Tinka La Majorie (Naswan x Tinga), 05:50:31/20.712kph
Bronze:
Aurelie Cambe (FRA) with Tismael De Vayrols (Ismael D’Aubanel x Island Salamanda), 05:54:40 /20.470kph
Best Conditioned Horse:
Tahar du Barthas (Djin Lotois x Kamchatka) ridden by Vincent Gaudriot (FRA), 06:03:34 / 19.969kph
Every week we bring you the Newfanzone “Barclayscard Premier League” as compiled by most of the lads here at the newfanzone, and the criteria used is mainly performance based.
This week the lads have gone with the classic 4-4-2 (again) you can tweet @Newfanzone your thoughts or better still tweet at us your own “BPL Team of the Week” remember to like our Facebook page and follow our twitter handle and we will Follow you back
Newfanzone BPL Team Of The Week. Game Week 6
Formation: 4-4-2
GK: Hugo Iloris (Tottenham)
The French shot-stopper made 3 world-class saves in the North-London Derby. Iloris’ display at the Emirates was tremendous and breathtaking.
Right Back: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
The Big serb was at his best once again..defending and attacking Aston Villa with ease.
Left Back: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton)
The On-loan defender has been a revelation in the new-look Southampton team..he is attacking style has a been a joy to watch this past few weeks and he capped it off with a goal against QPR on Saturday.
Centre Defender: Younes Kaboul (Tottenham)
The new Spurs captain was at his commanding best at the Emirates making three decisive blocks in the game.
Centre Defender: Phil Jagielka (Everton)
The Everton captain has had a shaky start to the season but in the Merseyside derby on Saturday,he was at his best making a lot of headed clearance and bringing stability to Everton’s back line. He scored a long range screamer in added time to give his team a well-deserved draw at Anfield.
Midfielder : Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)
Chamberlain’s link up play throughout the game was brilliant and got his team a well-
deserved equaliser after some tremendous
work.
Midfielder: Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
Sterling was at his creative best in Merseyside derby against Everton. He created six chances in the game.
Right Midfielder – Yannick Bolasie (CrystalPalace)
Bolasie was the tormentor in chief of the newly-promoted side Leicester City. His constant twisting and turning, mixed with
the occasional darting run was a joy to watch throughout the match
Left Midfielder: Willian (Chelsea)
The Brazilian winger had a stand-out performance in his team 3-0 victory against Aston Villa. He showcased his passing and creative skills through-out the game and capped it off with a goal
Striker: Graziano Pelle (Southampton)
The Italian striker can’t stop scoring for his new club and his stunning scissor-kick goal against QPR at the weekend will definitely be a contender for goal of the season
Striker: Saido Berahino (West Brom)
The Young English striker movement and darting runs was a problem for the Burnley defenders throughout the game..He staked his claim for an English national team call-up by scoring two well-taken goals against Burnley
The Newfanzone World Soccer Report is here and its got everything you need and then some at least thats what Our Man Paul Ayorinde says
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going.
News from Germany;
– The inventor of the vanishing spray used by referees across the world has threatened to sue the German Football Association (DFB) if they decide to use another version of it.
– Borussia Dortmund captain Mats Hummels has admitted his side have endured a “bad week”.
– Pep Guardiola is unsure what to expect when Bayern Munich face CSKA Moscow behind closed doors on Tuesday and inisists his side must respect the Russians. “I’ve never experienced it and we will have to be wary of the situation” He said
– CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutski has acknowledged Tuesday’s Champions League opponents Bayern Munich are simply “far more talented” than his side. “Of course our opponents are supremely talented and it is a difficult situation for us, It’s not nice to recognise that there are teams who are just far more talented and are at a different level.”
– According to reports in France, Roy Hodgson slams PSG President for David Luiz move. He was quoted as telling PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi and Laurent Blanc during the World Cup in Brazil this summer; “But how could your club take David Luiz? He makes at least one error in concentration a game! €50m is crazy.”
– Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been ruled out of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash with his former club Barcelona and coach Laurent Blanc believes his side must work hard to compensate for his absence. “Without Ibrahimovic, it will not be easy, as we know. Tomorrow we need a good team to compensate for his absence. The technical staff did everything to try to help recover him as soon as possible.” Blanc said
– According to reports, Lille central midfielder Rio Mavuba’s house in Wasquewal was broken into on Sunday night, with the thieves then finding car keys to the player’s Ferrari and Audi A8 before driving off with them both. The robbers did not come into contact with any of Mavuba’s family and the cars have since been found in perfect condition in a different part of the surrounding region in Roubaix
– Andrea Poli has outlined AC Milan’s determination to bounce back from consecutive draws through hard work in anticipation of Chievo. “We had a great first half against Cesena then in the second half we lacked the malice to kill the game off, On Saturday [against Chievo at home] we will try to go all out for an important win.” He said
– Claudio Marchisio has praised Max Allegri’s confidence shown in him and says Juventus are targeting a result at Atletico Madrid. “After three years working with Conte we have all adjusted well to the new staff, putting ourselves at the disposal of the new Coach. For me it is important to feel the Coach’s confidence in me, it makes me feel serene and ready to fight in any situation.”He said
– Milan CEO Barbara Berlusconi says “San Siro isn’t enough anymore” and her club wants to build a new stadium. “San Siro is a marvellous stadium, where the history and the apex of Milan and Inter was reached, but today it isn’t enough anymore, Stadiums have to provide different services and infrastructure to be open seven days a week, not just on match day.” She said
– Walter Mazzarri believes Inter will respond positively to Sunday’s defeat to Cagliari. “Today I spoke with the players, they know what I think and I believe they are all convinced of how to improve after yesterday,” He said
– Graziano Pelle hopes his early season form for Southampton will impress Italy coach Antonio Conte and earn him an international call-up. “I believe in myself,If I was not even inside a small thought of [Conte] it would be strange. I’m doing well and I know by myself when I deserve something, when not. I deserve to be considered in the national team at this moment, but I don’t pretend to be selected. There are other players that deserve like I do” He said
– Juventus hope to have Andrea Pirlo back for their top-of-the-table Serie A clash with Roma next weekend after he played in a friendly on Sunday.
Italian Serie A Matchday 5 results;
AS Roma 2-0 Hellas Verona
Atalanta 0-3 Juventus
Inter 1-4 Cagliari
Sassuolo 0-1 Napoli
Cesena 1-1 AC Milan
Torino 1-1 Fiorentina
Genoa 0-1 Sampdoria
Chievo 1-1 Empoli
News from Spain;
– Barcelona manager Luis Enrique admits that Paris Saint-Germain remain a huge threat despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absence through injury. “Ibrahimovic not playing doesn’t change anything, he would be an important loss for any team, but nothing changes in the way I’m approaching the game. They will still be a fearsome opponent and they have other resources in the squad.” He said
– Former Real Madrid director Jorge Valdano believes Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to shine for the club long into his thirties. “Normally, age starts playing a role in football as you get older. But Ronaldo is exceptional on all counts, including this,” He said
– New signing Douglas Pereira is out of the Barcelona squad for the visit to PSG. The Brazilian will not be in France because of a problem with his left foot, and Martín Montoya has been included in his place.
Spanish La Liga Matchday 6 results:
Villarreal 0-2 Real Madrid
Elche 0-1 Celta Vigo
Barcelona 6-0 Granada
Atletico Madrid 4-0 Sevilla
Athletic Bilbao 0-0 Eibar
Levante 0-2 Rayo Vallecano
Getafe 1-0 Malaga
Depotivo La Coruna 0-1 Almeria
Real Sociedad 1-1 Valencia
Cordoba 0-0 Espanyol
Sergio Aguero, photo credit. mcfc.co.uk
News from England;
– Louis van Gaal has backed Ryan Giggs to succeed him as the next Manchester United manager when his tenure eventually comes to an end. “[When] this Van Gaal is over, he [Giggs] is the man [to replace me],I have seen a lot of trainees and I have thought that Ryan Giggs is a trainee but he isn’t a trainee, he is an exception. I have seen a lot of trainees and I am very happy with him because he has showed already that he can communicate with the group in front of him.” He said
– Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is likely to be out “for about 6 weeks” with the hamstring injury he picked up against Tottenham on Saturday.
– Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has hailed his Spanish teammate David De Gea for reaching a century of Premier League appearances while also lauding debutant Paddy McNair following the club’s 2-1 victory over West Ham on Saturday. “It was a special day for David De Gea, who has reached 100 Premier League games. He is one of the most skilled goalkeepers I’ve ever seen so I know you will play many more than 100, my friend. It was also unforgettable for Paddy McNair. Making a debut with Manchester United at Old Trafford being just 19 is amazing, and I am sure he will always remember this day.” He said
– Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart admits he is frustrated at being omitted from the starting lineup for the last two games and says he sees no positives in Manuel Pellegrini’s squad rotation policy. “Of course I want to play every game: that is my nature, my professionalism. But I am not the manager, just a player and I live by the decisions of the manager,” He said
– Manchester United are looking at playing lucrative friendlies overseas to fill the midweek void left by the absence of European football this season and their early League Cup exit.
– Manuel Pellegrini has urged Sergio Aguero to prove he can challenge Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the title of the world’s best player. “Aguero is among the best players in the world. Now it is up to him to make it and fight for the Ballon d’Or as best player, because he has all the qualities you can ask of a football player.” Pellegrini said
English Premiership Matchday 6 results;
Liverpool 1-1 Everton
Crystal Palace 2-0 Leicester City
Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United
Hull City 2-4 Manchester City
Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa
Southampton 2-1 QPR
Sunderland 0-0 Swansea
Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham Hotspurs
West Bromwich Albion 4-0 Burnley
News from other part of the World;
– Former Arsenal defender Andre Santos has signed for Indian Super League outfit FC Goa.
– Real Madrid are set to face AC Milan in Dubai for a friendly match during the clubs’ winter breaks in December
The League Management Company (LMC) has clarified that Nembe City were returned to play their home games at the Krisdera Stadium, Omoku to allow their appeal against the banishment to Benin to be heard by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Organising and Disciplinary Committee.
Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar issued this clarification and noted that decisions of the League body on disciplinary matters are never final but subject to the ruling of the relevant organ of the NFF.
He also disclosed a second consideration which arose from concerns raised by the Edo State Football Association over the logistics challenges of hosting the match. He noted that given the timing of the Edo State response, it was not possible to move the match to any other venue with the away team already on their way for Match Day 29 fixtures.
“We have consistently stated that our decisions are preliminary rulings that are subject to that of the NFF Committee, specifically, the Organising and Disciplinary Committee, remarked Abubakar, adding, “this explains why we always state that our rulings are without prejudice to whatever decision the NFF may arrive at on disciplinary matters”.
The COO continued, “We were also informed by the Edo FA that they lacked the logistics to host another guest club in addition to Bayelsa United that are already playing their home games in Benin. At this point, it was not going to be workable to contact another state FA and still have weekend match played as proposed especially with the away team already on the road”.
The LMC affirmed that it remains committed to applying the rules firmly at all times within the ambit of its powers as stipulated in the NFF Statutes
Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has fixed October 9 for the official kick off of its national league.
According to the Secretary of NTTF, Chinedu Ezealah-Ogundare, the league became necessary following the success of the pilot league staged early this year, while 30 teams across the country are expected to take part in the tournament holding at the National Stadium in Lagos.
Four players are expected to make up a team and the Olympics system of play would be used in order to acquaint the players with the new format of play.
Also, the new International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) approved plastic balls will be during the competition in order to acquaint the players with the new balls.
According to the national coach, Nosiru Bello, the new ITTF approved balls would be deployed during the competition as this ball would be used in most ITTF major competitions including the forthcoming African Championships holding in November in Sudan.
Nigeria’s Ojo Onaolapo serves the ball to India’s Kamal Sharath Achanta (unseen) during their Bronze Medal Team table tennis match at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on July 28, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC
According to the referee of the competition, John Peters, the tournament would also help the federation to select players for the forthcoming African Championship while individual performance would be considered in the final selection of the players.
In the prospectus, the league would involve 20 male and 10 female teams made up of four players per team and they are expected to garner points to qualify for the top eight and top four, which is the grand finale holding on October 17 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The deadline of team’s registration has been fixed for October 3 while teams are expected to arrive Lagos for the competition on October 8 to finalise their registration for the championship scheduled to hold at the knock-up hall of the National Stadium.
“We want to ensure that our players are in top shape for major competitions and this is one of the ways we want to achieve this. Also, we are going to use it to select the remaining two slots in the male national team for the African Championship holding in Sudan. Already three players have been penciled down based on their performance in recent times and we also want to give the local players the opportunity to be part of the team and that is why we are going to use the competition to pick the remaining two players.
In the female category, we are hoping that we can pick the best to represent the country in Sudan. We want to be selecting players based on their recent form and with this tournament we will do this,” the NTTF scribe said.
Among the teams lined up for the league are Union Bank Sports Club, Springfresh, Union Maritime, Police Machine, G20, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, Sunshine of Akure, Calabar Rovers, Rivers Angel and a host of others.
An in-form German team reigned supreme at Waregem (BEL), the eighth and penultimate competition in the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014. They scored a fifth successive victory in the series and have now extended their lead to 10 points over Great Britain, who finished second at Belgium’s premier event.
Andreas Ostholt, riding Pennysylvania 28, Anna-Maria Rieke (Petite Dame), Andreas Dibowski (FRH Butts Avedon) and Josefa Sommer (Hamilton 24) finished first, third, sixth and seventh respectively.
Although the Germans led after the Dressage and Jumping phases, 12 faults from Dressage leader Dibowski narrowed the gap between the two leading nations so that it came down to a mere four time penalties at the start of Cross Country.
Sarah Bullimore (Lilly Corinne) and Nicky Roncoroni (Stonedge) both achieved the optimum Cross Country time and finished the competition in fourth and fifth places to give Britain an obvious chance of challenging for the lead, with fifth-placed Lucy Wiegersma going last for the team on Mr Chunky.
However, Wiegersma withdrew the horse before Cross Country due to a minor injury, so Britain had to count the score of their pathfinder, 12th-placed Tom McEwen on Diesel, who had 10 time faults, and settle for second place.
Ireland rose two places after Cross Country to finish third, with Wiegersma’s partner Padraig McCarthy getting a fine tune across country on her former ride, Simon Porloe, to finish in 10th place.
The home side, Belgium, made their first appearance in the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing this year and took fourth place. France, down to two riders after Margot Chabanne (Mitou de Mas) had a rider fall at fence 5 and Arnaud Boiteau (Sultan de la Motte) was eliminated for cumulative refusals, slipped to fifth place.
The Cross Country course, designed by Waregem’s Event Director Tom Ryckewaert (BEL), provided an exciting climax to the competition. The track was straightforward and on perfect going, but its undulations and changing cambers meant that horses needed to be in perfect balance, and the time was influential. There were 39 clear rounds from the 49 Cross Country starters, with 10 inside the time.
The action now moves to the always popular Dutch venue of Boekelo in a fortnight’s time for the CCIO3* final of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014, and the big question has to be whether any other country can prevent the seemingly unstoppable Germans running away with this series and scoring a record sixth consecutive win.
(left to right) The winning German team of Andreas Ostholt, Anna-Maria Rieke, Josefa Sommer and Andreas Dibowski claimed the honours at Waregem (BEL), penultimate leg of the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing 2014 (Photo: EventingPhoto.com/FEI).
Results from Waregem (BEL)
1 Germany 163.2 penalties
Andreas Ostholt/Pennsylvania 28, 50.3; Anna-Maria Rieke/Petite Dame, 53.6; Andreas Dibowski/FRH Butts Avedon, 59.3; (Josefa Sommer/Hamilton 24, 63.1)
2 Great Britain, 180.5
Sarah Bullimore/Lilly Corinne, 53.9; Nicky Roncoroni/Stonedge, 57.8; Tom McEwen/Diesel, 68.8; (Lucy Wiegersma/Mr Chunky, WD before Cross Country)
4 Belgium, 214.8
Kris Vervaeke/Victor van Steenkerke, 71.7; Julian Despontin/Waldano 36, 75.9; Karin Donckers/Lady Brown, 83.9; (Joris Vanspringel/Limestone, WD before Cross Country)
5 France, 1,132.00
Antoine le Pape/Oscar de Ravelet, 64.6; Geoffroy Soullez/Madiran du Liot HN, 67.4; (Arnaud Boiteau/Sultan de la Motte, EL Cross Country; Margot Chabanne/Mitou de Mas, EL Cross Country)
1 Fontainebleau (FRA) 19-23 March 2 Ballindenisk (IRE) 11-14 April 3 Houghton Hall (GBR) 22-25 May 4 Strzegom (POL) 26-29 June 5 Aachen (GER) 15-20 July 6 Malmö (SWE) 1-3 August 7 Montelibretti (ITA) 19-21 September 8 Waregem (BEL) 25-28 September 9 Boekelo (NED) 9-12 October
Exactly one month after the Closing Ceremony of the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, all attention has now turned to Buenos Aires 2018 with the first visit of the IOC Coordination Commission headed by four-time Olympian and IOC Member, Frank Fredericks. Outlining their vision, the local organising committee (BAYOGOC) particularly impressed the Commission members with its goal of bringing sport to the inner city for all inhabitants to enjoy and experience, in particular the 2.6 million young people residing in Buenos Aires.
Speaking after the meetings concluding today, IOC Coordination Commission Chair Frank Fredericks said; “Under the expert guidance of CEO Leandro Larrosa, the organisers have really understood the true spirit of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) – to put young people at its heart. Thanks to the close cooperation Buenos Aires 2018 has with the all levels of government and the Argentinian Olympic Committee (AOC), the organization has made impressive headway with strong foundation plans already underway. With its world-famous passion for sport and culture, we truly believe that Buenos Aires will deliver a phenomenal Youth Olympic Games.”
Significant progress has been made on the venue master plan with a proposed four-cluster concept grouping the sports in a compact framework – all of which the Coordination Commission visited over the course of the two-day meetings. To give a taste of the vibrant culture and spirit of the city, Buenos Aires 2018 has put forward a festival-style concept to feature in each cluster for all spectators to experience. Taking inspiration from the ‘Sports Lab’ inaugurated at Nanjing 2014, these festivals will not only showcase and offer sporting experiences to the visitors, but will also provide family entertainment and cultural activities.
Three major development projects will get underway in 2015 including tenders out for the athletics and aquatic venues and the construction of the Youth Olympic Village (YOV) which will begin early next year. The YOV will be situated in the south of the city, an area of Buenos Aires targeted by the local government in need of urban development. From the YOV, 65 percent of the athletes will be able to walk to their competition venues. In addition, with the recent launch of the city’s metro-bus link, excellent transport links are already in place which will provide fast connections around the city and between venue clusters.
In the true essence of the YOG, the local organising committee are involving young people in all levels of the organization; including an ‘Athlete Commission’ and a newly established ‘Youth Commission’ – a group of young consultants chosen by the AOC from local schools and universities – and the employees within BAYOGOC from junior to director level. All functional areas are now operational and a modest 20 members of staff have been recruited.
In line with their mission to bring sport to the city, many of the 330 local sports clubs within Buenos Aires will be called upon to help with the organization of the Games and to provide training facilities for the athletes. In addition, Buenos Aires 2018 have already made fast progress by not only discussing the project with the National Federations, but using the time in Nanjing this summer to meet with almost all of the International Federations to present their preliminary proposals for sport competitions.
Nationwide, an engagement programme is already being rolled out to target 1.5 million young people to both identify talent and encourage participation in sports launched by the high performance sports body of Argentina.
Leandro Larrosa, CEO of Buenos Aires 2018 commented on the preparations; “This is a life changing project, not only for young athletes, but for future generations in Argentina and we are happy in the knowledge that the IOC Coordination Commission will be by our side to guide us throughout this exciting process. There is a great social legacy we want to achieve with this Games, we want to get all our kids into sport and inspire kids around the world to do the same.” He continued, “This last few days working with the IOC has been a great learning curve and has energized the team to deliver our exciting project.”
The six-person IOC Coordination Commission headed by Fredericks is made up of several Olympians including Danka Bartekova, the youngest IOC Member and Young Ambassador from the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.
JUNIOR DAVIS CUP AND JUNIOR FED CUP BY BNP PARIBAS FINALS, SAN LUIS POTOSI, MEXICO
RESULTS – 28 SEPTEMBER 2014
USA boys and USA girls won the overall titles at the 2014 Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on Sunday. Sixteen boys and 16 girls teams took part in the finals of the ITF’s world junior team competition for players aged 16-and-under. A total of 170 teams from 94 countries have taken part in this year’s event.
(1) USA defeated Slovakia 3-0:
Tornado Alicia Black (USA) d. Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) 76(6) 60
Cici Bellis (USA) d. Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) 60 26 63
Cici Bellis/Sofia Kenin (USA) d. Viktoria Kuzmova/Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) 36 64 61
Girls 3rd- 4th Place Play-off
(2) Hungary defeated (4) Russia 2-1:
Dalma Galfi (HUN) d. Aleksandra Pospelova (RUS) 62 67(5) 63
Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) d. Fanni Stollar (HUN) 63 64
Dalma Galfi/Fanni Stollar (HUN) d. Anna Kalinskaya/Aleksandra Pospelova (RUS) 75 61
Girls 13th-14th Place Play-off
Peru defeated Ecuador 3-0:
Maria Paula Torres (PER) d. Mikaela Molina (ECU) 61 61
Camila Vargas (PER) d. Camila Romero (ECU) 63 75
Alexa Quintanilla/Camila Vargas (PER) d. Mikaela Molina/Camila Romero (ECU) w/o
Girls 15th-16th Place Play-off
Slovenia defeated Egypt 2-1:
Leila Elnimr (EGY) d. Sasa Klanecek (SLO) 64 ret.
Veronika Erjavec (SLO) d. Habiba Lasheen (EGY) 62 61
Veronika Erjavec/Lara Prosenjak (SLO) d. Leila Elnimr/Habiba Lasheen (EGY) 62 61
Boys Finals
(2) USA defeated (4) Korea, Rep. 3-0:
William Blumberg (USA) d. Chanyeong Oh (KOR) 62 62
Michael Mmoh (USA) d. Yun Seong Chung (KOR) 62 62
Michael Mmoh/Gianni Ross (USA) d. Seongtaek Im/Chanyeong Oh (KOR) 75 60
Boys 3rd- 4th Place Play-off
(1) France defeated (3) Japan 2-1:
Ugo Humbert (FRA) d. Shohei Chikami (JPN) 62 63
Corentin Moutet (FRA) d. Renta Tokuda (JPN) 67(3) 61 76(4)
Shohei Chikama/Renta Tokuda (JPN) d. Geoffrey Blancaneaux/Ugo Humbert (FRA) 76(3) 61
Boys 13th-14th Place Play-off
Bolivia defeated Mexico 2-1:
Eduardo Paz (BOL) d. Edson Ortiz (MEX) 76(1) 64
Alan Rubio (MEX) d. Juan Carlos Aguilar (BOL) 76(3) 61
Juan Carlos Aguilar/Eduardo Paz (BOL) d. Alan Rubio/Santiago Suarez (MEX) 63 75
Boys 15th-16th Place Play-off
South Africa defeated Egypt 3-0:
Richard Thongoana (RSA) d. Mohamed Aboulkassem (EGY) 64 36 63
Damon Kesaris (RSA) d. Sherif Makhlouf (EGY) 62 63
Damon Kesaris/Richard Thongoana (RSA) d. Mohamed Aboulkassem/Sherif Makhlouf (EGY) 62 ret.
The Portuguese Men’s Team made history on home soil at the TMS 2014 European Team Championships, by winning their first ever European Championships title yesterday, 28 September 2014.
In front of a capacity home crowd of 2,000, the host nation upset top seed Germany 3-1 in the Men’s Team Finals to claim the title, breaking Germany’s streak of six consecutive gold medals since 2007. This historic win is made possible, in no small part, due to Marcos FREITAS of Portugal who scored two points in the tension-packed Finals match.
FREITAS, the DHS 2014 ITTF Europe Cup winner, first overcame Steffen MENGEL (GER) in three straight games (11-8, 11-8, 11-8) in the opening match, bringing Portugal into the lead.
Germany bounced back quickly as World number nine Timo BOLL (GER) defeated Joao Monteiro (POR) in three straight games (11-7, 11-1, 11-8). The third match saw an upset by Tiago APOLONIA (POR) 3-1 (11-7, 11-2, 11-13, 11-9) against world number four Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER), who was recovering from his wisdom teeth extraction just days ago.
FREITAS then rounded off matters for Portugal during the fourth and final match on a high note, as he upset the former world number one BOLL 3-1 (12-10, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9). It was a moment of tears and joy for the Portuguese team and the home crowd as the national anthem was played.
Portugal wins Championship title from defending champion Germany. Photo credit: Manfred Schillings
Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who was amongst the TV spectators, tweeted his congratulatory message for the Portuguese Men’s Team: “Portugal, European champion of table tennis! Congratulations to the champions Marcos Freitas, Tiago Apolonia and Joao Monteiro!”
Despite the loss for the German Men’s Team, it was success for their female counterparts in defending their title.
The German Women’s Team put on a tough fight against Austria in the Finals to win their sixth title in the history of European Championships.
Despite winning 3-0, it was a tight and difficult win for the Germans as they won the first 2 sets by narrow margins.
SHAN Xiaona (GER) overcame Sofia POLCANOVA (AUT) 3-2 in five games (5-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7) in the opening set, while HAN Ying (GER) accounted for LIU Jia (AUT) 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 12-10) to establish a 2-0 lead for Germany.
In the third set, Petrissa SOLJA (GER) defeated LI Qiangbing (AUT) in three straight games (11-4, 11-3, 11-9) to secure the crown for Germany.
The next challenge for these top European teams will be to prove their skills on the world stage, at the 2015 ITTF World Team Cup, pitting against the top teams from the other continents.
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