BADMINTON
Taiwan’s Chou advances
Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen yesterday advanced to the second round at the Singapore Open after defeating Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 21-17, 21-6. Chou is to play Canada’s Brian Yang today for a place in the quarter-finals. There was success for Taiwanese in doubles play as well. In the men’s doubles, Lee Fang-chih and Lee Fang-jen eliminated Danish pair Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard 21-18, 21-16, while in an all-Taiwan encounter Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin eliminated Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan 21-12, 12-21, 21-12. In the mixed doubles Yang and Hu Ling-fang beat Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 13-21, 21-15, 21-17.
BASEBALL
Taipei Dome to host games
Taiwan are to play all five of their Group B games in the Premier12 tournament in November at the Taipei Dome, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) said. After the Group B opener featuring Japan and Australia in Nagoya on Nov. 13, Taiwan are to host South Korea the next day, the schedule of the WBSC’s flagship tournament showed yesterday. The opener at the Vantelin Dome in Nagoya is the only Group B game not to take place in Taiwan. Taiwan are also to play the Dominican Republic on Nov. 14, Japan on Nov. 16, Australia on Nov. 17 and Cuba on Nov. 18. The game on Nov. 15 between Japan and South Korea, who were champions at the previous two editions of the Premier12, is the only non-Taiwan game being played at the Taipei Dome. The other eight games are to be held at Tianmu Stadium in Taipei. World No. 2 Mexico are to host Group A, which includes the Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, the US and Venezuela, from Nov. 9 to 14. The top two teams in the two six-team groups advance to the Super Round in Japan.
SOCCER
Jorn Andersen quits HK
Norwegian Jorn Andersen, who took Hong Kong to their first Asian Cup finals in 56 years, yesterday quit as coach to take up an offer elsewhere. The 61-year-old, whose CV includes a stint as boss of North Korea, confirmed rumors of his departure at an emotional news conference in the territory. “I have recently received an invitation from a club outside [Hong Kong] that presents an opportunity I simply cannot refuse,” said Andersen, who had about a year left on his contract. “It is with great regret that I now bid farewell to the Hong Kong football scene.” Local media reported that Andersen might be headed to a club in mainland China.
GOLF
Tai to play US Masters
Young amateur golfer Hiroshi Tai is to be the first Singaporean to play in the US Masters after he won the national college championship in the US. The 22-year-old, who studies at Georgia Tech, won the NCAA Individual Men’s Championship in California on Monday by one stroke to earn a place at Augusta in April next year and a major debut at next month’s US Open at Pinehurst. “It means a lot,” the amateur world No. 70 Tai told the Golf Channel after surviving a late triple-bogey on his way to a one-under 71 in the final round. “All the guys in the team have really helped me a lot.”
Taiwan won a back-and-forth match at the Unions Cup in Singapore yesterday, but the hosts claimed the trophy due to a better points differential over the tournament. Singapore’s players celebrated with the cup, despite losing a match in which they seized the lead three times, but ultimately fell to a 19-16 defeat. Their points advantage was due to their strong opening game against the other team in the competition, Thailand, who they beat 30-8 on Saturday last week. Taiwan narrowly lost to Thailand on Tuesday and went into yesterday’s match facing a steep challenge. They responded well, opening the game with sustained pressure
An “outstanding” 17-year-old Chinese badminton player died of cardiac arrest after collapsing on court during a tournament in Indonesia, officials said yesterday. Zhang Zhijie was playing a match late Sunday against Japan’s Kazuma Kawano at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The score was 11-11 in the first game when Zhang fell to the floor between points. The teenager received treatment at the venue and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, but passed away later that night after repeated efforts to resuscitate him failed. “Medical conclusions ... indicated that the victim experienced sudden cardiac arrest,” Broto Happy, spokesman for
A buzz of excitement crackled through the hushed arena as the rider gripped the reins of her stuffed steed. Welcome to the strangely exacting world of hobby-horsing, the Finnish sport guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Immaculately coiffed equestrians leap athletically over fences just like in horse jumping, going as fast as they can against the clock straddling their stick steeds. Things are more stately in the dressage, with riders trotting their stick horses with intricately decorated stuffed heads before the discerning eyes of the judges. About 260 riders from 22 countries — most women and girls aged 10 to 20 —
Taiwan’s men’s national basketball team is set to upgrade its depth in the paint after signing Brandon Gilbeck of the P.League+’s Formosa Dreamers to a naturalized player’s contract. The 27-year-old big man from the US landed in Taoyuan early on Monday, where he was welcomed by Chinese Taipei Basketball Association deputy secretary-general Chang Cheng-chung. The two signed the deal, which still has to be approved by the Sports Administration and the Ministry of the Interior. Chang said he is confident that “the proceedings would go smoothly.” If approved, Gilbeck would become the third naturalized basketball player in Taiwan, following the New Taipei Kings’ Quincy