New PSA Squash structure paying off in lead-up to sport's debut at Olympics
The new PSA Squash structure, introduced in August last year ahead of the season, was developed to create a more stable and sustainable calendar of top-tier tournaments leading up to its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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Free Malaysia Today
7 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Tributes pour in for legendary Japan striker hailed by Pele
Kunishige Kamamoto (centre) was the top scorer at the 1968 Olympics with seven goals. (Jiji Press/AFP pic) TOKYO : Japanese football has paid tribute to Kunishige Kamamoto after the country's most prolific striker died aged 81. Kamamoto, who scored 75 goals in 76 appearances for Japan, died yesterday of pneumonia. 'Mr Kamamoto was truly an unparalleled striker,' Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said in a statement. The Kyoto native is best remembered for his exploits at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, where he was the top scorer with seven goals and led Japan to the bronze medal. With stamina, agility and physical strength, Kamamoto was first called up to the national squad aged 19. In 1967 he joined Yanmar Diesel, now Cerezo Osaka, plundering 202 goals in 251 games until his retirement in 1984. During the final years of his playing career he also worked as Yanmar's manager. After football Kamamoto shifted to politics, becoming an upper house lawmaker in 1995. He also worked on Japan's bid to host the 2002 World Cup, which was co-hosted with South Korea. Current Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said Kamamoto 'gave us a ray of hope that Japanese football can compete on the international stage', according to Kyodo News. 'I'm hoping for a player who could eventually eclipse Mr Kamamoto to emerge,' he added. Kazuyoshi Miura, the former Japan international forward who is still playing aged 58, said Brazilian legend Pele had called Kamamoto 'a great striker'. Pele played in Kamamoto's retirement match, Kyodo said. 'When I heard King Pele call him a 'great striker', I was really proud as a Japanese, and I can still remember that now,' said Miura, who is second in Japan's list of all-time scorers.
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Italian athlete dies at World Games in China
Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis died during the World Games in China. - Photo: Instagram CHENGDU, (China): Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis died on Tuesday (Aug 12) after being found unresponsive during competition at the World Games in China's Chengdu, organisers said. The 29-year-old was discovered unconscious during an orienteering event on Aug 8 and died four days later, said a joint statement from World Games organisers and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF). The World Games is a multisport event held every four years for disciplines not included in the Olympics. "Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China's leading medical institutions, he passed away," the statement said. It did not provide details on the cause of death. The event took place in intense heat and humidity, with temperatures above 30 degrees. Orienteering sees athletes navigate an unmarked course with a map and compass, punching in at designated spots along the route in the quickest time. Debertolis, from Primiero in eastern Italy, was taking part in the final of the men's middle-distance, the first medal event of the Games. The six-kilometre (3.7 miles) course featured 180 metres of ascent and 20 control points that athletes must visit. Footage from the World Games' social media accounts showed athletes running through crop fields and villages on a largely rural course. The winner, Switzerland's Riccardo Rancan, completed the course in 45 minutes and 22 seconds. "I needed to acclimatise quickly with hot and humid conditions. I think I managed quite well," Chinese state media quoted Rancan as saying. Debertolis was listed as "Did Not Finish" in official results, along with 11 other athletes. - Black armbands - He was ranked 137th in the men's Orienteering World Rankings and had been competing since 2014, according to the IOF website. He participated in several World Championships and World Cups as part of the Italian team. Alongside his training, Debertolis was studying for a PhD at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where he lived. President of the Italian Orienteering Federation (FISO), Alfio Giomi, invited the national team to wear black armbands while competing in the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships, which begin on Tuesday in Poland. Debertolis' family had agreed that "athletes will be able to participate in the competitions in Mattia's name and memory", Giomi said in an online statement. World Games organisers and the IOF were "struck by this tragedy and extend their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the athlete and the whole orienteering community", the joint statement read. "Our thoughts are with those touched by this event." Organisers will "continue to support the family of Mattia Debertolis and the orienteering community in every possible way", it added. This is the 12th edition of the World Games and it runs until Aug 17, with approximately 4,000 athletes competing in 253 events. - AFP
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Italian athlete dies at World Games in China
ITALIAN orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis died on Tuesday at the World Games in Chengdu, China after collapsing during competition, organisers said. Debertolis, 29, was found unconscious during an orienteering event on August 8 and died four days later, said a joint statement from World Games organisers and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF). The World Games is a multisport event held every four years for disciplines not included in the Olympics. 'Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China's leading medical institutions, he passed away,' the statement said. It did not provide details on the cause of death. Orienteering sees athletes navigate an unmarked course with a map and compass, punching in at designated spots along the route in the quickest time. The event, held about 50 kilometres (30 miles) outside of central Chengdu, took place in intense heat and humidity, with temperatures above 30 degrees. Debertolis, from Primiero in eastern Italy, was taking part in the final of the men's middle-distance event when he collapsed. The six-kilometre course featured 180 metres of ascent and 20 control points that athletes must visit. Footage from the World Games' social media accounts showed athletes running through crop fields and villages on a largely rural course. The winner, Switzerland's Riccardo Rancan, completed the course in 45 minutes and 22 seconds. 'I needed to acclimatise quickly with hot and humid conditions. I think I managed quite well,' Chinese state media quoted Rancan as saying. Debertolis was listed as 'Did Not Finish' in official results, along with 11 other athletes. He was ranked 137th in the men's Orienteering World Rankings and had been competing since 2014, according to the IOF website. He participated in several World Championships and World Cups as part of the Italian team. Alongside his training, Debertolis was studying for a PhD at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where he lived. This is the 12th edition of the World Games and it runs until August 17, with approximately 4,000 athletes competing in 253 events. The men's middle-distance orienteering was the first medal event of the Chengdu Games. World Games organisers and the IOF were 'struck by this tragedy and extend their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the athlete and the whole orienteering community', the joint statement read. 'Our thoughts are with those touched by this event.' Organisers will 'continue to support the family of Mattia Debertolis and the orienteering community in every possible way', it added. - AFP
