Following high demand for tickets for next month’s Dafabet Masters, extra seats will be added to the arena at Alexandra Palace.
The tournament runs from January 10 to 17 in North London and the final on Sunday 17th had sold out, prompting the decision to add extra seating to the sides of the arena. This brings the capacity to a maximum possible of 1958 seats which is the biggest it has ever been for the Masters at this venue.
However sessions are still selling rapidly so fans are strongly urged to BOOK IMMEDIATELY to make sure of seeing the world’s leading players competing for the famous trophy.
And with three days to go until Christmas, if you’re stuck for gift ideas then you’ve found the perfect present for anyone who enjoys live sport.
A spokesman for World Snooker said: “We have had unprecedented demand this year which is why we have decided to increase the capacity of the arena. This shows how the tournament has grown since we moved to Ally Pally in 2012.
“It’s always a sizzling atmosphere at the Masters and with an even bigger arena it’s going to be an incredible experience to be there live. Make sure you and your friends have something to look forward to in January by booking now.”
Shaun Murphy will be defending the title he won for the first time last year and he takes part in the opening match against Mark Allen on Sunday January 10th at 1pm. The other green baize kings in contention include Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and Stuart Bingham.
The full draw is:
First round:
Shaun Murphy v Mark Allen – Sunday January 10 at 1pm
Barry Hawkins v Joe Perry – Monday January 11 at 7pm
Judd Trump v Stephen Maguire – Monday January 11 at 1pm
Neil Robertson v Marco Fu – Wednesday January 13 at 7pm
Mark Selby v Ricky Walden – Tuesday January 12 at 7pm
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Williams- Tuesday January 12 at 1pm
John Higgins v Liang Wenbo – Wednesday January 13 at 1pm
Stuart Bingham v Ding Junhui – Sunday January 10 at 7pm
Quarter-finals:
Thursday January 14 at 1pm: Selby / Walden v O’Sullivan / Williams
Thursday January 14 at 7pm: Murphy / Allen v Hawkins / Perry
Friday January 15 at 1pm: Trump / Maguire v Robertson / Fu
Friday January 15 at 7pm: Higgins / Liang v Bingham / Ding
Semi-finals:
Saturday January 16 at 1pm: Semi final 1 (top half of draw)
Saturday January 16 at 7pm: Semi final 2 (bottom half of draw)
There are two meanings of the word open when it comes to Sailing. You have ‘open’ which is both male and female in the same fleet racing against each other. Then you have the kind of open that we have in the 420 at the 2015 Youth Sailing World Championships. Wide open.
Usually in a regatta you can hedge your bets and say who will give you a good show and be up and around the medals. In Langkawi, Malaysia we have been previewing the other classes and we have done it ourselves. But the 420 is really going to be an opportunity for someone to throw their hand up and say ‘that medal is ours’.
From the 24 girls teams competing, there are very few returning competitors. Looking back through the Tavira, Portugal 2014 Youth Worlds 420 results, you have to head down to sixth to find a girls returnee. Carmina Malsch from Chile will be looking to better her finish last time out with new helm Renatta Parodi.
2014 winners Spain and silver medallists Israel don’t have a team attending this year in the 420 girls but the third placed Polish team do. In the guise of Julia Szmit and Hanna Dzik, they would need to carry on where their predecessors Ewa Romaniuk and Katarzyna Goralska left off.
The only full pair to return to the girls 420 fleet are Australian’s Nia Jerwood and Lisa Smith. Australia left Cyprus 2013 with a gold medal in the bag, but Jerwood and Smith couldn’t quite hit those heights and finished ninth in their 2014 Youth Worlds outing. Surely they will be determined to improve on that result and using their experience must fancy their chances against a field of Youth World newcomers.
In home waters, Malaysian pair Khairun Hanna Afendy and Siti Nur Norulakhairi will be looking to use their local knowledge as they try to break in to the top 10 following an 11th place finish in Tavira 2014.
Historically, France have won the most 420 medals at the Youth Worlds, but it will be up to girls Jessie Kampman and Anael Ponthieu to continue that tradition as there is no French boys team entered.
And to the boys section, there is a little bit more to go on than the girls. Current Youth Worlds gold medallist Singapore’s Jia Yi Loh will be looking to keep up his winning ways, but will have to do it with new crew Matthew Lau in the 32 boat fleet.
Winning their first ever 420 medal in the last edition, Malaysia will be hoping to go one better, and have pinned their hopes on new pair Muhamad Mohd Yusof and Naquib Shahrin. Again the duo will be hoping home waters tip the balance in their favour and they can keep one of the nine gold medals in Langkawi in their home nation at the end of the competition.
Another one to watch will be Japan’s Kataro Matsuo. He finished third as crew last time out, but has now made the switch to helm. His new crew Takumi Miura will be looking to his partner for encouragement and experience of the event, and both will be hoping a change medal of colour is on the horizon.
Sailors will start to arrive at the Langkawi venue on 27 December where they will receive the supplied equipment from Ovington, UpMarine, Nautivela, Sirena Voile, Neil Pryde and Laser Performance/Maclaren.
From there, the ceremony on 28 December will signal the start of the Youth Worlds before racing commences on 29 December. Racing will run through to Sunday 3 January with Friday 1 January a lay day for the sailors.
Even in its quest to land its first Premier League title in Nigeria or at least pick a continental ticket in the forthcoming season, Chairman of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia, Chief Emeka Inyama says the club will not be signing too many new players but would rather rely mostly on old hands to realise its ambition.
Chief Inyama who disclosed this while speaking to newsmen in Umuahia, said the team will retain most of the players who featured for it last season while 90 per cent of the Technical Crew have also been retained in order to make room for continuity.
“Apart from (Ladan) Bosso who left at the end of last season, all the other coaches have been retained. Chijioke (Osuagwu) is the assistant manager while the others (Willy Udube, Fancy Ewulu, Igwe Madubuike and Kelvin Ejeh) are designated as coaches.
We’ve been able to synchronise all the positions and the order of flow. So I hope that retaining 70 per cent of our players, and retaining all other coaches apart from Bosso, would help the new manager, Kennedy Boboye to key in easily into the team and I am assuring him we will give him all the support he would require.
KENNEDY BOBOYE
We’ve also allowed him to come with his trainer, all in the interest of Abia Warriors”, Chief Inyama said.
He poured encomiums on the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who he said has demonstrated immense love and support to sports despite being faced with competing alternatives and dwindling economy and assured him that the Warriors will not let him down.
The Management of Turbocrest sports and La Cabana lounge, have declared that all is now set for the 2015 edition of the Sandie beach Rugby carnival as the rugby fraternity in Lagos state are fast catching the frenzy.
According to Ayo Olatunbosun Johnson, CEO of Turbocrest sports, this year’s edition promises be a blast as a lot of effort is being made to ensure rugby lovers and the general public witness Beach rugby at a grand scale at the exquisite La Cabana Longue owned by Chief Babaloke who has displayed an amazing level of philanthropy towards the cause.
Ayo who also double as Manager of Racing RFC Lagos, and Head Coach of the All Rugby Schools Elite Development Program, said the 2 days event slated for the 26th and 27th of December promises to be better than last year as elite club sides, and neighboring countries as far as Ghana and Benin republic have shown interest in this year’s edition.
Apart from the rubgy matches for kids and professionals, the event will witness side attractions, with the 2011/2012 Glo rock and rule, / Silverbird rhythm invasion winner Sixtus Ohans( aka SIX), performing at the event with La Cabana Longue, providing refreshments at the most affordable prices.
He also hinted that games such as treasure hunt, tug of war, arm wrestling, eating/drinking contest, and rugby drills, will entertain the crowds with prizes provided by PZ Cussons, My Family Mobile, and GlaxoSmithKline.
Balloons, face painting, horseback riding, cotton candy, barbecue, and more will be available for all to celebrate the festive season as one big happy family.
Ayo finally thanked the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation for their huge support towards the initiative, and lauded the wonderful effort the federation is making towards expanding rugby in Nigeria.
The ITF announced today that Serena Williams of the United States and Novak Djokovic of Serbia are the 2015 ITF World Champions. Williams is named Women’s World Champion for the sixth time, while this is the fifth occasion that Djokovic has received the honour.
Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Sania Mirza of India become Women’s Doubles World Champions, while Jean-Julien Rojer of Netherlands and Romania’s Horia Tecau are Men’s Doubles World Champions. Hingis is an ITF World Champion 15 years after last being named World Champion in singles in 2000, while Tecau was previously World Champion in boys doubles in 2002.
Dalma Galfi of Hungary and USA’s Taylor Fritz are named ITF Junior World Champions, while the ITF Wheelchair World Champions are Jiske Griffioen of Netherlands and Japan’s Shingo Kunieda, who becomes men’s champion for the seventh time.
The ITF World Champions will receive their awards at the 2016 ITF World Champions Dinner on Tuesday 31 May, in Paris, during Roland Garros.
Serena Williams came within two matches of achieving the Grand Slam in 2015, winning the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and held all four Slams at the same time for the second time in her career. She won five titles overall, and finished No. 1 in the year-end rankings for the fifth time on the back of a 53-3 win-loss record.
Williams said: “It means a lot to me to be named the ITF World Champion for the sixth time. I am proud to have achieved my second Serena Slam, in what has been an amazing year for me. Thank you for this recognition and for the undying support of the tennis community.”
Novak Djokovic won a career-best 11 titles in 2015, ending at No. 1 in the year-end rankings for the fourth time. He won three major titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, and was runner-up at Roland Garros. He was in commanding form on all surfaces, boasting a career-best 82-6 win-loss record during the year.
Djokovic said: “It is an honour to be named ITF World Champion for the fifth time. My season was the best of my career with many highlights. It inspires me even more to keep on going, and I hope to continue to play at this level in 2016.”
Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau enjoyed a breakthrough season which saw the Dutch-Romanian pairing capture their first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. They also won Rotterdam and the ATP World Tour Finals, capturing the season-ending title without losing a set to clinch the year-end No. 1 doubles team ranking. Both players have received support from the Grand Slam Development Fund.
Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic won same award in 2014
Tecau said: “It is very rewarding and fulfilling to end the year as an ITF World Champion for the second time in my career. We have been improving all areas of our game, and are happy to be moving in the right direction. This is what we dream about, and it’s very motivating to carry on and try and push our limits again.”
Rojer said: “I’m extremely happy and glad with how the whole year went. It is very satisfying to have achieved these results with my partner Horia after putting in so much hard work.”
Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza only joined forces in March but proved a force to be reckoned with in 2015, winning two Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, and seven further tournaments. They won their last 22 matches from the start of the US Open through wins in Asia at Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing and the WTA Finals, ending the year with a 55-7 record.
Hingis said: “It is a great honour to be named ITF Women’s Doubles World Champions. Sania and I have enjoyed every minute of the season and we hope to continue in 2016 in the same fashion. We are set to join a long list of champions and it is a privilege to be recognised alongside them.”
Mirza said: “I am very honoured to receive this award from the ITF after what has been a great year for me and Martina. It is incredible that we have achieved so much in such a short time playing together. I am grateful to everyone that has helped me throughout my career and I hope that my success can inspire other girls in India.”
David Haggerty, ITF
ITF President David Haggerty said: “Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, who repeat as ITF World Champions, turned in exceptional performances in 2015, each winning three Grand Slam titles and dominating the rankings. In doubles, there are two new teams to receive this honour, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, and Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. Both Rojer and Tecau are beneficiaries of the Grand Slam Development Fund, while both Tecau and Hingis are previous ITF World Champions.”
The ITF’s selection of its senior World Champions is based on an objective system that considers all results during the year, but gives special weight to the Grand Slam tournaments, and two ITF international team competitions, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas.
Dalma Galfi is the first-ever Hungarian player to receive the ITF World Champion honour in any category. In a competitive girls’ season on the ITF Junior Circuit, the 17-year-old won the US Open and secured the year-end No. 1 ranking in the very last tournament of the year.
Galfi said: “I’m very happy and proud to be World Champion in 2015. I’m the first Hungarian to achieve this and it means a lot to me. I hope that the up-and-coming Hungarian players can follow in my footsteps, as there are a lot talented young players in our country.”
Taylor Fritz is the first American boy to be named ITF Junior World Champion since Donald Young in 2005. The 18-year-old reached two Grand Slam junior singles finals in 2015, winning the US Open, and after taking over the No. 1 ranking in June he held on to the top spot for the rest of the season.
Fritz said: “It feels amazing to be the ITF Junior World Champion. It’s been a goal of mine for many years and it feels great to actually achieve it. I loved ITF junior tennis and I hope I can build on the great foundation it has laid for me.”
As ITF World Champion for the seventh time, Shingo Kunieda is now the most decorated man in the wheelchair men’s category. The Japanese had another outstanding season, collecting seven titles on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, including all three Grand Slam singles titles, and achieving a 30-2 singles win-loss record.
Kunieda said: “I am really happy to be World Champion for the seventh time and set a new record. I am grateful for the support of my team who have helped me a lot this year, and my goal is now to win my third consecutive gold medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.”
Jiske Griffioen of Netherlands had a breakthrough 2015, winning her first Grand Slam wheelchair singles title at the Australian Open, and following up with a second major title at Roland Garros. Having been ranked continuously in the Top 5 since September 2010, the 30-year-old finally reached the top spot in June and stayed there for the rest of the year.
Griffioen said: “It was an amazing year for me. In January I won my first Grand Slam singles title, and then in June won my second Grand Slam title and took over the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in my career. This was a great reward for a lot of hard work.”
ITF President David Haggerty said: “I would like to thank all the 2015 ITF World Champions for their contribution to another memorable year for our sport.”
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has named Brazilian lightweight sensation Robson Donato Conceição its final Boxer of the Month for 2015. The AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medalist, who also competed in Cycle I of AIBA Pro Boxing (APB), capped an excellent year by winning gold at the Rio Olympic Test Event at the start of December, putting himself in pole position for a Rio 2016 medal having booked his quota place with third place in Doha.
Early career
Born in 1988 in Salvador, Bahia, Robson Conceição began boxing at the age of 12. Five years later he showed his potential with flyweight gold at the 2005 Brazilian National Boxing Championships aged just 17 years-old.
In 2007 he joined the Brazilian national squad, competing at the Beijing Olympics a year later and the 2009 AIBA World Championships in Milan, before registering his first major title at the 2011 World Military Games, securing a place at London 2012 in the process. Having won four preparation tournaments ahead of London, his hopes of success were only dashed by Team GB’s Josh Taylor and a partisan home crowd who proved too much to overcome.
Following an impressive 2013, when he took silver at the Almaty AIBA World Championships in Kazakhstan and the AMBC American Confederation title in Chile, Conceição joined World Series of Boxing for Season IV, finishing the campaign unbeaten. Another impressive AMBC Championships in 2014, this time in Vargas, Venezuela, saw him defeat Cuba’s three-time World Champion Lazaro Alvarez to take gold, confirming his ascension to the world stage.
Third place in Doha at the 2015 AIBA World Championships was enough to secure the Brazilian a deserved Olympic berth at Rio 2016. After beating rivals including Russia’s WSB boxer Adlan Abdurashidov and Great Britain’s EUBC European Confederation Champion Joseph Cordina, the lightweight star only lost out to Azerbaijan’s former World Champion Albert Selimov in the semi-final.
The first Brazilian to qualify for Rio 2016, Conceição underlined his Olympic potential at the start of December with a comprehensive win at the Rio Test Event in the city’s Riocentro venue. A tight semi-final triumph over Great Britain’s promising Luke McCormack and a final victory over Uzbekistan’s APB Champion Hurshid Tojibaev gave a precious taste of victory that Robson Conceição will be desperately hoping to repeat infant of his adoring home fans in August.
International Boxing Association (AIBA) has named Brazilian lightweight sensation Robson Donato Conceição its final Boxer of the Month for 2015
Date of Birth: 25/10/1988
Place of Birth: Salvador, Bahia
Height: 175cm
Residence: Salvador
Stance: Orthodox
Achievements:
2015 – Rio Test Event, Gold medal
2015 – Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships, Doha (QAT), Bronze medal
2015 – AMBC American Confederation Boxing Championships, Vargas (VEN), Gold medal
2014 – South American Games, Santiago de Chile (CHI), Gold medal
2013 – Almaty 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships, Almaty (KAZ), Silver medal
2011 – Pan-American Games, Guadalajara (MEX), Silver medal
2011 – World Military Games, Rio de Janeiro (BRA), Gold medal
2009 – AMBC American Confederation Boxing Championships, Mexico City (MEX), Gold medal
2008 – 2nd Pan-American Olympic Qualification Tournament, Guatemala City (GUA), Gold medal
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