Sport

HOUSTON: World No. 1 Ko Jin-young is gunning for her third major win this week in Houston, Texas, hoping to claim victory at the US Women's Open, the very tournament that inspired her to pick up a club 22 years ago. The oldest women's golf major, which is celebrating its 75th year, kicks off on Thursday (Dec 10) at the Champions Golf Club with Ko among the favourites after she clinched the ANA Inspiration title and the Evian Championship in 2019. But beyond the glory of a major title, this week's event carries added significance for the 25-year-old South Korean. "1998 when I was three years old I watched the TV on my father's knee about (Pak Se Ri's) win when she won this tournament, and then I saw that I want to play the golf," said Ko. "So I started. So yeah, I want to get the US Open trophy." Pak, who won the 1998 US Women's Open in a playoff when she was just 20, is a sporting hero in South Korea and inspired a generation of young golfers. This year's tournament was … [Read more...] about Golf: Top-ranked Ko says US Women’s Open drew her to the sport

PARIS: Breakdancing , surfing, skateboarding and sports climbing won a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics when the International Olympic Committee ratified their inclusion on Monday, IOC President Thomas Bach said. The Paris 2024 organising committee had last year proposed the four sports for inclusion and was waiting on a final review by the IOC's Executive Board. Surfing, climbing and skateboarding are already part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, having by proposed along with karate by the Japanese hosts. Paris Games organisers have said they want to deliver a programme that is in keeping with the times and will attract a new and younger audience. Under new IOC rules first introduced for the Tokyo Games, Olympic host cities can hand-pick sports and propose them for inclusion in those Games if they are popular in that country and add to the Games’ appeal. The IOC also trimmed the overall events for Paris by 10 to 329 compared to the Tokyo Games next year, while increasing mixed … [Read more...] about Olympics: Surfing and breakdancing among four sports to win Paris 2024 spot

KUALA LUMPUR: Last week, the 2020 World Sports Tourism Congress was due to take place in Lloret de Mar, Spain. Unsurprisingly, it was postponed. Conventions are prohibited everywhere, and precious little tourism is occurring anywhere. To make things worse, sports travel also relies on venue-specific participation, and attendance is banned even at the few professional sports matches currently taking place around the globe. It wasn’t supposed to be this way: 2020 was primed as a blockbuster year for sports-related travel. Tokyo was ready to host the Olympic Games while 12 cities in Europe prepared to stage the 2020 UEFA European Championship football tournament. Instead, COVID-19 shunted both this year’s major sporting events into 2021. A HIGH-GROWTH TRAVEL SECTOR Travelling to experience the thrill of live sporting action has witnessed huge growth in the past decade. According to the World Travel Organization (UNWTO), the global sports tourism industry is worth … [Read more...] about Commentary: COVID-19 has relegated sports tourism from a slam dunk year to a no-show

SINGAPORE: I learnt a new word at the recently concluded Southeast Asian (SEA) Games: “chonky”. “Chonky” in Doggolingo (another new word I learnt, and it means “dog internet jargon”), is an affectionate word to describe a slightly overweight animal. And it was used to describe Joseph Schooling cutting a less than flattering image of a swimmer at the New Clark City Aquatic Centre. READ: Commentary: It's not okay to say 'OK boomer' Having grown up in the 1980s, I am perhaps a generation removed from those who can now live entire virtual lives in the ether, and completely missed the reference. SHOULD WE EVEN BOTHER? Growing up in a pre-internet era where local sports really mattered, when runners, bowlers, footballers, hockey players, swimmers – not just Olympic champions – were backed, celebrated and recognised on the streets, I wonder if modern day Singapore should just give up entirely on sports. After all, football, which is the one sport that’s most highly … [Read more...] about Commentary: Why sports still has a place in Singapore

LONDON: The British government announced a 300 million pounds (US$397.11 million) 'winter survival package' on Thursday to help sport through the COVID-19 pandemic, with rugby set for the biggest share but nothing for top level soccer and cricket. The first payments will be made over the coming weeks, mainly as low-interest loans with flexible terms but also through grants. The money covers sport in England, with other parts of the United Kingdom having separate budgets. Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston told parliament it was clear some clubs would go to the wall unless action was taken to protect them. "We know the decision taken in late September not to reopen stadia from Oct. 1 has had major consequences for sports clubs large and small," he said. "Clearly for many organisations not being able to generate gate receipts deprives them of a major source of income." Support will be provided to both rugby codes, horse racing, the National League and women’s soccer, … [Read more...] about English sport handed £300 million ‘winter survival package’