Former MMA champion Ben Askren receives double lung transplant
WISCONSIN - Former mixed martial arts (MMA) champion and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren is recovering from a double lung transplant.
Askren's wife, Amy, shared the update in a Facebook post on June 30.
'We are so thankful to share that Ben has received a double lung transplant,' she wrote.
'We are forever thankful to the donor and his family. This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn't feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just five weeks ago. So much can change so quickly.
'Please keep Ben in your prayers that his body welcomes the new lungs as if they were his own. I am constantly in awe of all the people carrying us through right now. I can't wait to tell Ben all about it. I'm hopeful that in the coming weeks, Ben will be able to give the next update.'
Askren, 40, has been battling pneumonia in a Wisconsin hospital for several weeks. The American went on ventilator support on June 17 and was added to the transplant waiting list on June 24, according to his wife.
Askren won three Big 12 championships and two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I championships in wrestling at Missouri, adding gold medals at the 2005 Pan American Championships and 2009 World Championships. He reached the quarter-finals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
He transitioned to the Octagon after his wrestling career and compiled a 19-2 record with one no-contest in 22 MMA fights.
Askren became the Bellator welterweight champion in 2010 and three years later signed a two-year, six-fight contract with Singapore-headquartered MMA outfit One Championship. He clinched the One Welterweight championship title in 2014 after beating Nobutatsu Suzuki via TKO.
In 2019, he made his much-anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut. He lost two of three fights in the UFC, including a five-second knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal in Las Vegas at UFC 239.
Citing hip issues, he retired from MMA in November 2019, a month after his third UFC fight, a loss to Demian Maia at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Askren made an unsuccessful boxing debut on April 17, 2021, losing to Jake Paul by TKO in the first round. REUTERS
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Asia News Network
7 minutes ago
- Asia News Network
Despite scant resources, Nepal's para-fighters keep kicking
July 28, 2025 KATHMANDU – Every morning, except on Saturdays, Kabiraj Negi Lama walks into a modest taekwondo hall of the Nepal Taekwondo Association building in Satdobato, Lalitpur. The sun has barely risen, but the space is already abuzz with the echoes of powerful, menacing kicks hitting paddle targets and the sharp 'aah!' of athletes pushing their limits. They are para-taekwondo players—five of them—all chasing the same dream: medals for the country. And Lama is their coach—unpaid, unrecognised, but still holding on. Less than a year ago, Lama helped Palesha Goverdhan win Nepal's first-ever medal at the world's biggest multi-sport stage—a bronze in the K44 -57kg category at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. It was a moment of historic pride. Flags waved. Speeches were made. Promises poured in. Among them was a simple one: Lama would be given a formal coaching role. But nearly a year later, Lama, under whom Nepal has secured 11 official international medals, including three gold, two silver, and six bronze, is yet to be appointed. By day, Lama works at the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). By early morning, he volunteers his time, training the next generation of para-fighters—Bharat Singh Mahata, Amir Bhlon, Dipesh Mahat, Kamana Prasai, and Renu Tamang—who are now preparing for the 10th Asia Para Taekwondo Championships, a G4 category event, in Kuching, Malaysia. Goverdhan (-57kg), Mahata (-58kg), Bhlon (-63kg), Prasai (-47kg), and Tamang (-47kg) will be leaving for the tournament on July 29, with their bouts taking place on August 1. 'Mahat, who does not have both of his hands, will not join us as his category did not have enough players,' Lama said. 'Goverdhan will join us in Kuala Lumpur directly from China, where she is pursuing her bachelor's in architecture engineering. We will then head to Kuching together.' The Kathmandu District Taekwondo Association and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) bid farewell to the squad at an event on Saturday. 'It's a big tournament,' Lama said. 'A good result here could open doors for our athletes for LA 2028.' A medal, but no job Lama's own Olympic dream had ended years ago—he was a promising taekwondo athlete, but was often outmatched due to his shorter height. 'My height wasn't on my side,' he said. 'So, I thought maybe I could make it as a referee, just to be part of the Olympics.' That path, too, closed. But during referee training, Lama learned something that reshaped his purpose: the Olympics and Paralympics were of equal stature, organised under the same structures and values. Pulling up the official social media pages of Paris 2024, LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032, he shows their profile pictures. 'The emblems of the Olympics and Paralympics are side-by-side. These matching logos say it all,' Lama said. 'My dream was to reach the Olympics. I couldn't do it as an athlete, but I became part of a medal-winning team. And now, others are chasing the same dream. I can't walk away from them.' Dreams on Rs100 a day The five athletes Lama trains are determined but financially strained. They get just Rs100 a day from the association for training, which barely covers transport cost. A separate Rs500 daily stipend under the government's 'Mission 26' programme, an initiative aimed at securing a gold and double-digit medals at the 2026 Asian Games, was also recently cut at the end of the fiscal year 2024-25, citing budget constraints. Lama was among its recipients. In martial arts, where a practitioner needs good nutrition and diet to stay fit while focusing on preventing injuries, a couple of hundred rupees is dirt in the desert. Still, the athletes keep showing up. Take Bharat Singh Mahata. He hails from a village near Lipulekh, one of Nepal's most remote border regions. Born without his left hand below the elbow, Mahata initially played volleyball but had to stop due to the lack of inclusive opportunities. He came to Kathmandu in 2015 in search of some para-sports to join. 'I looked up one-hand cricket on YouTube and even tried wheelchair cricket in Kathmandu,' he recalled. 'But nothing worked out.' Disheartened, he returned to his village, a journey that still takes over two days, with hours of walking from the final bus stop. In 2023, he came back to the Capital after hearing about para-taekwondo and met Lama. Just two years in, he is already considered one of Nepal's most promising fighters. 'I just wanted a space where I'd be recognised for my talent,' he said. 'People like us aren't given proper jobs. We're not seen through the same lens. With wins in major tournaments, I want to change the way we are seen.' Now 27, Mahata is married, has a young son, and supports three sisters. He keeps cows to sell milk and helps run the household. 'Rs100 may sound like nothing, but it's what kept me going,' he said. 'Whether taking a bus or buying a bottle of water, I think a hundred times before spending money. I know I'm getting almost nothing from the state, but at least that amount has kept me going.' Mahata also returns in the evenings from Kirtipur to train with able-bodied taekwondoins, pushing himself to perform at an even higher level. Gold, not survival Inside the training hall, two A4-sized papers hang on the wall: one bears the LA28 logo, the other, the 2026 Asian Games emblem. Mahata taped them up himself. 'Paris was tough,' he said of the Paralympics, where he failed to progress towards a medal. 'But the Asian Games in Japan and the Paralympics in LA—they won't be the same. This time, I'm not training for bronze or silver. I aim for gold.' The ambition has caught on. Amir Bhlon, who took up the sport on October 24, 2021, a date he clearly remembers, begins his morning routine by circling the Satdobato sports complex seven times—his warm-up ritual. 'I'll keep getting better and better,' he said. 'I want to win medals on the biggest platforms.' Each of the athletes shares a similar story: limited financial support, poor job security, and mounting personal responsibilities. 'There are no good jobs for people with disabilities in this country,' said Bhlon. 'I used to work for an online platform—calling clients, reminding them of payment deadlines. But I left to focus on training. How I'm surviving now, even I don't know.' Yet, every morning, they return to that hall, their kicks sharper, their voices louder, and their eyes still locked on a brighter future. Will the medal matter? Lama believes the Paris bronze changed something. Since Goverdhan's win, there's been a visible surge in interest as more persons with disabilities are exploring para-sports, asking about opportunities, and showing up. 'Thanks to the hall and basic training equipment provided by the association,' Lama continued, 'we can at least keep kicking and keep moving towards the dreams that seem impossible.' But whether that interest is matched with institutional backing remains uncertain. 'If we don't act now, we'll lose them,' Lama said. 'This can't be a one-time story. There has to be a system in place.'

Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Summer McIntosh, Lukas Martens live up to hype to win World Aquatics C'ships 400m freestyle finals
Canada's Summer McIntosh in the women's 400m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 27, 2025. SINGAPORE – Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh completed Part One of her quest to win five individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH), when she comfortably touched the wall first in the women's 400m freestyle final in 3min 56.26sec on July 27. Despite being the world record holder (3:54.18), the 18-year-old had never won gold in the event at the Olympics or WCH. But there was no stopping her after she broke free from a deadlock with Australia's Lani Pallister in the first lap at the WCH Arena, as she won the race by almost two seconds over China's Li Bingjie, before rushing off to prepare for the 200m individual medley semi-finals, in which she ended as the fastest qualifier for the July 28 final. On coping with the double race for the first time, McIntosh said: 'While preparing mentally for this world championships, I think tonight is my biggest night of the whole meet... to finally stand in the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet. 'The 200 IM semi-final, it was so much fun in the ready room, just chilling. Honestly, this makes me want to do more doubles and it was definitely an interesting kind of stimulus.' In what can be viewed as a warning to her competitors in the 200m butterfly, 800m freestyle and the 200m and 400m medleys, she said: 'I think I'm at my best. I'm in the best shape of my life. So now I just have to act on that and put it into all my races.' This meet had been billed as a generational duel between McIntosh and Katie Ledecky, but there were surprises on the podium as Li produced a blistering final lap to overtake and beat the American legend by 0.28sec to take silver in an Asian-record 3:58.21. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Still only 23, Li was a prodigy across all the freestyle distances when she burst onto the scene with three medals at the 2017 WCH at just age 15. Since then, she has struggled with injury and self-doubt, missing the 400m and 800m finals at the Paris Olympics. Rebounding well in 2025 to become the first Asian woman to go under four minutes in the 400m in May before she beat Ledecky for the first time in her career, she said: 'She may not be at her peak form now, but this result is still very significant and meaningful to me. 'I've looked up to her since I was a young athlete and learnt so much from watching her swim. I feel emotional because this is something that I've thought about for so many years. I want to keep improving to be able to continue competing against Katie.' Ledecky, whose bronze is the first among her 27 WCH medals, will look to exert her dominance in the longer distances. The 28-year-old said: 'The first day is sometimes a hit or miss for me at these worlds. I'm really excited for the distance races, I mean that's kind of my thing. The 400 is too, I guess, but I'm really excited for the 1,500 tomorrow.' The first final of the WCH whipped the sold-out crowd into a frenzy, as Germany's Lukas Martens traded leads with Australian Sam Short in the men's 400m freestyle before winning by 0.02sec in 3:42.35. South Korea's defending champion Kim Woo-min claimed bronze in 3:42.60. Lukas Martens celebrating his 400m free victory alongside silver medallist Australia's Samuel Short and bronze medallist South Korea's Kim Woo-min. PHOTO: REUTERS Martens, 23, said: 'There was a lot of pressure. As a world record holder (3:39.96) and Olympic champion, it was not easy to fight these guys. But I tried my best, I gave everything, and I'm really happy and proud to be a world champion.' Short, 21, dedicated the medal to his late aunt who died weeks ago, saying: 'It's been quite hard for my family recently. However bad I was hurting there, it was nowhere near as bad as her battling cancer the last 10 years.' Australia were still able to celebrate double gold in the 4x100m freestyle relays, with their men's team of Flynn Southam, Kai Taylor, Maximillian Giuliani and Kyle Chalmers winning in a championship record time of 3:08.97, while their women's team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch triumphed in 3:30.60. Earlier in the day, the host nation's swimmers and supporters also had something to cheer about, even if no Singaporean progressed from the morning heats. Local distance queen Gan Ching Hwee set a national record in the women's 400m freestyle, as she won heat 2 in 4:09.81 to lower Lynette Lim's national mark of 4:11.24 set at the 2009 SEA Games. The 22-year-old finished 13th overall out of 29 swimmers across four heats, about three seconds slower than German Maya Werner (4:06.75), who was the last qualifier for the eight-swimmer final. New Zealand's defending champion Erika Fairweather was disqualified after a false start. Gan, the national record holder in the women's 800m (8:32.37) and 1,500m (16:10.13) was 'pleasantly surprised' she managed to slice 2.5sec off her 400m personal best of 4:12.31, especially as she felt she had not made big strides in the event in the past few years. But having her family and friends in the stands helped in her latest breakthrough. She told The Straits Times: 'I haven't swum in front of a home crowd in a big competition before, so this was very new and exciting for me. 'This national record has definitely been in my sights for a really long time and the 400m is the most challenging for myself because I need to strike a balance between speed and endurance and I haven't really been able to do that for the past couple of years, never really had a major breakthrough, so this national record was a pleasant surprise.' 'For some of the upcoming races, I do have a good lane in a fast heat (Gan is in the same 800m freestyle heat as McIntosh and the same 1,500m freestyle heat as Italy's defending champion Simona Quadarella), so I'm going to do my best to race and hopefully keep up with the girls next to me,' she added. Other national swimmers who featured on the first day of the swimming competitions were Teong Tzen Wei (22nd in men's 50m butterfly in 23.38), Quah Jing Wen (24th in women's 100m butterfly in 59.18), Letitia Sim (27th in women's 200m individual medley in 2:15.45), Glen Lim (32nd in men's 400m freestyle in 3:54.97) and Chan Junhao (41st in 1:02.00 in men's 100m breaststroke). Ardi Azman, Mikkel Lee, Jonathan Tan and Lim also teamed up in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay heats to finish 18th overall in 3:18.38.

Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Women's Copa America highlights inequality in South American women's football
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Conmebol's President Alejandro Dominguez speaks during the inauguration of the FIFA Museum, in Asuncion, Paraguay May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Cesar Olmedo Intended to spotlight women's football in South America, the 2025 Women's Copa America in Ecuador has instead exposed deep inequalities with the men's game, outraging some players and drawing unflattering comparisons with the Women's Euros in Switzerland. With Olympic and Pan American qualification at stake, the continent's finest players expected professional conditions when the tournament kicked off earlier this month. What they found sparked widespread outrage and calls for systemic change. The controversy erupted when images circulated on social media showing Brazil and Bolivia players warming up side-by-side in a cramped indoor space before their Group B clash, rather than on the pitch as is standard in men's competitions. Brazil great Marta, who came out of international retirement for the competition, led the calls for change. "We are expected to perform well and work hard, but we also have to demand a high level of organisation," the six-time FIFA Player of the Year told Globo Esporte. Brazil midfielder Ary Borges delivered even sharper criticism, directly challenging CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez: "Even amateur matches are better organised than this. Ask Alejandro if he could warm up in a space measuring five or 10 metres and smelling of paint," she said. "I think we saw an example of what can be done with the Men's Copa America and its huge infrastructure. Why does the women's tournament have to deal with this kind of thing?" Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 TECH GAP DEEPENS FRUSTRATION While CONMEBOL eventually allowed 15-minute pitch warm-ups following the backlash, the absence of VAR technology in knockout stages intensified player grievances. Chilean forward Yanara Aedo called the lack of VAR "disrespectful" after a controversial 2-1 loss to Argentina. "VAR changes everything... Everyone could see the two penalties that weren't awarded," she told reporters. "This is the Women's Copa America, and it should be the same as the men's tournament. The Women's Euros are being played at the same time, so it's disappointing for us to see this competition taking place with no VAR," she added. The timing proved particularly galling, with Europe's tournament in Switzerland breaking attendance records while utilising cutting-edge technology. Brazil's Kerolin captured the growing discontent on social media: "I'm watching the Euros today... and man. The difference in structure, audience and investment is surreal. It's discouraging." The disparities have also drawn criticism beyond South America. Lynn Williams, the National Women's Soccer League's all-time leading scorer, challenged governing bodies on Sam Mewis's podcast The Women's Game. "Think about a tournament that's happening at the same time, the Euro Cup. And you, as a player, are witnessing this, having a very different experience between media coverage, access to the game, and investment in the sport in these countries. Why aren't we investing in them?" Former United States midfielder Mewis, a Women's World Cup winner in 2019, added: "I want to see governing bodies and people in positions of power advocating more for the players." Next year's Finalissima in Los Angeles against the European champions could further highlight the inequalities. REUTERS