Latest news with #Champs
Sport360
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sport360
Epic action guaranteed at DOBA 2025 Finals
A thrilling conclusion lies ahead for Dubai Open for Basketball Academies [DOBA] Finals, with anticipation building for a triumphant Term 2's decisive clashes on June 4, 7 and 8. Fans can expect an electric atmosphere and high-intensity action as teams from Under-10s to Under-19s across multiple divisions gear up for the ultimate showdown. More than 420 games featuring boys and girls sides will have been held in front of an expected total attendance of over 42,000 between January and June in a tournament held under the patronage of Dubai Sports Council and UAE Basketball Association, with Sport360X and Sports Mania organising. Underlining the rising popularity of youth basketball in the region, a significant growth in team participation across nearly all divisions has been further bolstered by major local clubs – Al Nasr, Sharjah, Al Hamriya and Shabab Al Ahli – playing a key role in elevating the level of competition. Semi-final matchups alone drew nearly 200 spectators per game, showcasing the community's growing enthusiasm for witnessing basketball's rising starlets. DOBA Finals tips off on Wednesday, June 4 at Etihad Private School Jumeirah with three key Division 1 matchups: JAM vs Champs (U10 Mixed, 5:00pm), Twenty Four White vs Falcons (U14 Boys, 6:30pm), and Twenty Four White vs Falcons Green (U16 Boys, 8:30pm). On Saturday, June 7 at Al Nasr, Division 2 opens the day with Patriots vs JAM (U10 Mixed, 11:30am), followed by Champs vs NBA Clippers (U12 Boys, 1:00pm), then a Division 1 matchup between NBA Sky and JAM Pink (U12 Girls, 2:30pm), before closing with JAM Green vs Mowen (U14 Boys, 4:00pm), another Division 2 showdown. Finals conclude on Sunday, June 8 at Al Nasr with an exciting five-game line-up: Mowen vs Champs (U12 Boys, Division 1, 11:00am), Champs vs NBA Liberty (U14 Girls, Division 1, 12:30pm), NBA Raptors vs JAM Phii (U16 Boys, Division 2, 2:00pm), JAM Pink vs NBA Spark (U16 Girls, Division 1, 4:00pm), and Falcons vs Wildcats (U19 Boys, Division 1, 6:00pm). For full match details, visit the official website. On the digital front, DOBA has seen a massive surge in online presence, achieving more than 2 million in reach across Instagram, Facebook and other platforms. This represented a 103% increase compared to Term 1. We also extend heartfelt thanks to our sponsors: Anta, Fade Fit, Burjeel Hospital and Al Ain Water. Their support has been instrumental in enriching the player and fan experience, both on and off the court. With the finals just days away, excitement is at a peak as teams prepare to battle for the championship titles. The energy is high, the stakes even higher – DOBA's courts are ready for a final clash before the summer break.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Whys And Wherefores Of The Stanley Cup Final
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images HERE'S ARE 5 REASONS WHY FLORIDA WILL WIN: 1. You never should bet against the Champs. 2. Coach Paul Maurice knows the Oilers inside-out, and will have a winning blueprint in place on Wednesday. 3. Panthers GM Bill Zito added two seasoned aces, defenseman Seth Jones and forward Brad Marchand; perfect fits. Advertisement 4. Sergei Bobrovsky is one of the best clutch goalies in captivity – or even out of captivity. 5. The Panthers deliver some of the toughest, meanest winning playoff hockey. HERE ARE 5 REASONS WHY EDMONTON WILL WIN: 1. Connor McDavid. 2. Leon Draisaitl. 3. Home ice advantage. 4. The super motivation of finally winning; after losing the Final last year. 5. Edmonton boasts the most underrated, sage young coach – Kris Knoblauch. (Don't tell anyone but he has the Cats all figured out.)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Blueshirts Fans Need To Know About The Stanley Cup Final
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images 1. There are many theories about picking the Cup winner. The easiest to remember is this: NEVER BET AGAINST THE CHAMPS! 2. Florida's assets are innumerable. A. Size; B. Savvy; C. Coach; D. Been-There-Done-That; E. Balance; F. New Adds – Jones, Marchand; G. Bobrovsky. Advertisement 3. Florida's biggest debits: The Panthers don't have McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins. Rangers Blunder That Could Win The Cup For Edmonton Rangers Blunder That Could Win The Cup For Edmonton 1. When Chris Drury canned Gerard Gallant, the Rangers had GG's successor all lined up in Hartford. His name was – and still is – Kris Knoblauch. 4. Oil Goalkeeper Stu Skinner has lifted his game to its highest level. At age 25, he's 11 years younger than Bob. That's in Edmonton's favor in the long run. 5. Like the Oilers of 1983 – losing to the Islanders – this Edmonton team has learned from last season's playoff loss. 6. The Maven's Rule is that no NHL team can win two Cups in succession anymore. I believe that the rule will be invoked in this series. Advertisement 7. Zach Hyman will be missed on the ice but not in the minds of his teammates. The "LET'S WIN THIS ONE FOR ZACH!" will be super motivation for the challengers. 8. The Oilers defense once was Sieve Town, Alberta. GM Stan Bowman has wisely beefed up the backline enough to match the Panthers. 9. Onetime New Jersey Devils playoff hero Adam Henrique is my choice as the Edmonton "sleeper star." 10. The "Big If" for the Oil is whether or not they wilt under the heavy-hitting Champs.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Coach backs Sivasangari to shine at British Open
NATIONAL squash ace S. Sivasangari is poised to reach new heights at the upcoming British Open, with her coach Ajaz Azmat backing the world No. 8 to deliver a standout performance in Birmingham. The 26-year-old Malaysian, who created history by making it to the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Chicago earlier this month — a feat last achieved by Datuk Nicol David in 2017 — is brimming with confidence heading into the prestigious Diamond-level tournament. ALSO READ: Sivasangari smashes history – ends Malaysia's 8-year World Champs drought Sivasangari, who already clinched the Cincinnati Open title this year, has been training under the guidance of former world champion and three-time British Open winner Gregory Gaultier in Prague since April. 'Sivasangari's game has matured under Gaultier. I'm confident we'll see an even better version of her at the British Open,' Ajaz, who oversees her training in Malaysia, told New Straits Times. She starts her campaign with a first-round bye and is expected to cruise past her second-round match against either Scotland's world No. 53 Lisa Aitken or India's world No. 56 Anahat Singh. Her first major hurdle is anticipated in the third round against Japan's world No. 9 Satomi Watanabe, who, like Sivasangari, reached the World Championships quarter-finals and recently made the final of the Palm Hills Open in Giza. 'Satomi did well to reach the Palm Hills final and will be full of confidence going into Birmingham,' said Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) coaching director Andrew Cross. If Sivasangari overcomes Satomi, she is likely to face Egypt's world No. 5 Amina Orfi in the quarter-finals — a rematch of their Malaysia Cup clash in November, which Orfi won. Last year, Sivasangari exited the British Open in the second round after falling to Egyptian star Nour El Sherbini. In the men's draw, national No. 1 Ng Eain Yow, ranked 12th in the world, also received a first-round bye. He will face France's Victor Crouin (No. 14) in a tough second-round encounter. 'Matches against Crouin are always tight,' said Cross. 'He had to dig deep to beat him 20-18 in the fifth game at last year's Singapore Open.' Victory could set Eain Yow up for a quarter-final showdown with world No. 5 Joel Makin of Wales. Meanwhile, Rachel Arnold (No. 19), Aifa Azman (No. 39), and Ainaa Amani (No. 48) will also represent Malaysia in the women's main draw. Rachel will play Egypt's Kenzy Ayman (No. 38), Aifa meets Zeina Mickawy (No. 29), while Ainaa faces England's world No. 25 Sarah-Jane Perry in their opening matches.
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Ground-up initiatives in Singapore tap partners to help more in need
(Clockwise from top) Mdm Sarimah Amat, Ms P Keerthana and Mdm Joyce Lye have each turned simple ideas into lasting initiatives by rallying partners and communities. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA AND COURTESY OF P KEERTHANA BRANDED CONTENT You can make a difference too: Community heroes show that joining forces helps more S'poreans in need From reaching more low-income families to helping seniors age with dignity, these changemakers prove you can grow a ground-up idea into something enduring with the right partners beside you It was a rainy, humid afternoon in March during the fasting month of Ramadan, but neither the downpour nor the lingering heat dampened Mdm Sarimah Amat's resolve. At Block 749 in Yishun, the 58-year-old homemaker moved swiftly – directing volunteers as they unloaded groceries from a truck and prepared them for distribution under the void deck, overseeing the process down to the last detail. A few essential items like bread and milk may not seem like much, but to the 120 beneficiary families, Mdm Sarimah knows they make all the difference. Mdm Sarimah, founder of Project Pencil, recently organised a Ramadan grocery distribution for 120 families in Yishun – one of the many community efforts made possible through her ground-up initiative. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA Once, she rang an elderly neighbour to inform her about an upcoming grocery distribution. 'She didn't hang the phone up properly, and I overheard her husband sounding relieved as they had only $10 left in the bank,' she says. 'You never know when help comes at the right time.' That help, Mdm Sarimah points out, is only possible because she does not work alone. Alongside a team of 30 regular volunteers, she leans on the strength of a wider community of support – from neighbours and residents to local merchants and public agencies. For instance, the March distribution event was made possible with support from the Yishun Central Merchant Association, which sponsored the groceries, and a Community Volunteer grant from the People's Association, which helped fund the event. It is just one example of how partnerships have enabled Mdm Sarimah and her grassroots initiative, Project Pencil, to grow their impact. Seven-year-old Arsyad Fakhri Mohamad Zaki is part of the Champs programme run by Project Pencil, which supports over 50 children with tuition classes, and sports and recreational activities. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA At Nee Soon Central Community Club (CC), she runs the Champs programme, which offers free weekly tuition sessions for more than 50 children with the help of volunteers from Malay/Muslim self-help group Yayasan Mendaki. These were initially run under the void deck. The CC also provides space for the programme's silat training – a meaningful way that keeps children active and grounded outside school. 'If I didn't have help from these agencies, I don't think I could reach so many children,' she says. 'My tuition classes would probably still be under the void deck, without proper desks or chairs for the children to use.' Mdm Sarimah has been delivering help for over a decade. It all began as a simple act of kindness when a friend approached her in 2014 to help collect pencils for 30 children living in a Thai orphanage. This one-time donation soon grew into Project Pencil Singapore, a ground-up initiative providing stationery and learning materials to children in orphanages overseas. It later evolved to incorporate Yishun Seventy One, a community initiative started by Yishun Street 71 residents to support their neighbours' needs and social well-being. Watch the video to find out how you can turn your concerns for the community into social good. As a lifelong Yishun resident, Mdm Sarimah understands the community's needs, including for good role models who use what they have to help others. 'I was just the makcik at the void deck. For me, it started with sharing and giving to my neighbours, and then I just became 'infected' with kindness,' she laughs. Youths building intergenerational relationships Unlike Mdm Sarimah, a homemaker, Ms P Keerthana balances full-time work as an educator with her community engagement. Since 2021, the 30-year-old's non-profit ground-up organisation GenLab Collective has been bridging generation gaps, particularly strengthening senior-youth connections. Together with a core team of seven youths in their 20s and 30s, she designs and runs intergenerational programmes – from guided storytelling sessions to dialogue-based workshops – that create space for conversations, understanding and shared experiences. 'What we see through our programmes is that seniors are very interested in connecting with the youth, but they claim that young people usually don't have time to talk to them,' she says. Ms Keerthana (centre) founded GenLab Collective to help mobilise youths to cultivate intergenerational bonds and foster mutual understanding with seniors. PHOTO: COURTESY OF P KEERTHANA To bridge that gap, GenLab works with organisations that help create opportunities for seniors and youths to come together despite their busy lives. Since 2023, it has worked with 15 to 20 organisations to expand its reach – its earliest being NTUC Health through a storytelling initiative, GenNarrates, one of its core programmes. Working with students from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Ms Keerthana and her team engaged female seniors and youths in guided sessions. Participants co-created written narratives based on the seniors' life stories – preserving personal histories while helping young people practise empathy and communication skills. Most recently, in March this year, the National Library Board (NLB) invited them to hold GenDate at the National Library Building. GenDate connects people across different age groups for shared activities designed to spark meaningful conversations based on the workshop's theme. At the NLB session, participants engaged in conversations about technology – how it connects, challenges and shapes their lives. To build on this effort, GenLab has since collaborated with NLB to run a quarterly GenDate series, with the library providing venue space and marketing support. Such partnerships will allow GenLab to scale up efforts and create more impactful conversations across age groups, Ms Keerthana says. One of GenLab's core programmes, GenDate brings people from different age groups together through guided activities designed to encourage dialogue and understanding. PHOTO: COURTESY OF P KEERTHANA These programmes grew from GenLab's very first initiative, GenChat Series, launched in March 2022. The online event comprised three segments, and brought together 45 seniors and youths. They heard from expert speakers how different generations can better connect, and share skills and experiences with one another across different topics. The idea to spark such conversations had come from home. Ms Keerthana was personally attuned to seniors' needs, having seen the challenges her grandmother faced while living with dementia before her passing in 2020. The pandemic further highlighted to her the importance of helping older adults living alone age with dignity. Inspired to take action, she participated in the National Youth Council's Youth Action Challenge in 2021, where she pitched a concept to build an online skills marketplace for seniors. However, with feedback from seniors in the community, she realised many would need significant help to navigate digital platforms. Watch the video to find out how you can turn your concerns for the community into social good. At the same time, there was growing interest among community organisations to pilot innovative activities involving both youths and seniors. Together, these factors led her to change course and focus on intergenerational connections. 'From a youth's perspective, we need to raise awareness among the younger generations of building strong relationships with our seniors,' says Ms Keerthana. Encouraged by the positive responses and increasing demand for its programmes, the GenLab team is seeking more suitable partners to scale up its activities. It is currently looking to collaborate with active ageing centres with the help of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Starting on a strong foundation While Ms Keerthana's GenLab Collective is still a nascent set-up, Kampung Senang is on the other end of the social organisation spectrum. The brainchild of former banker Joyce Lye, Kampung Senang was registered as a society in 1999, and earned the Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status in 2004. Organisations with an IPC status are allowed by law to collect tax-deductible donations. When Mdm Lye (third from left) founded Kampung Senang in 1999, organic farming was still niche; today, its three gardens grow produce used to cook meals for those in need. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA For the past 26 years, its programmes have benefited around 60,000 people, notes the 73-year-old. Much of its impact is made possible through long-standing partnerships with other organisations, which have helped Kampung Senang pool resources and reach a broader base of volunteers. For instance, it has been delivering courses for active seniors – under the National Silver Academy – since 2019. In 2017, it partnered with the Agency for Integrated Care to train seniors in basic wheelchair repair. This enabled Kampung Senang to expand its Mobility Aids Services and Training Centre – first set up in Tampines in 2006 – with a second facility at Jurong East in 2020. Volunteers and staff at Kampung Senang's Mobility Aids Services and Training Centres repair wheelchairs and other mobility aids for regular users and ageing seniors with limited mobility. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA Today, staff and volunteers from various age groups at both centres repair various mobility aids for individuals who rely on them daily. The team also refurbishes old ones to donate to those in need. Since its establishment, the charity has also received support from the town council to grow local vegetables and herbs. These are used to prepare free vegetarian meals for children and seniors under its care. It also delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to its beneficiaries – including the underprivileged, the elderly and those with serious medical conditions. The scale of its work today stands in contrast to its quiet beginnings. Mdm Lye left her banking job in 1999 to focus completely on community work. Together with 10 like-minded friends, she set up the first Kampung Senang centre – a modest senior activity space tucked under a block at Tampines Street 82. At that time, organic urban farming and holistic health and wellness were still niche concepts. Setting up its first organic farm in 2000 proved to be a challenge. 'We had to go door-to-door to consult residents, securing more than 80 per cent support, before we appealed to and convinced the town council,' Mdm Lye recalls the arduous process then. Watch the video to find out how you can turn your concerns for the community into social good. Today, Kampung Senang operates with a team of 49 staff, supported by a pool of around 300 active volunteers who help drive its various programmes. 'We now have three inclusive community gardens and four centres, with each centre running different activities, so we are very busy,' Mdm Lye proudly shares. Typical activities across the centres include creative sewing, meditation, and weekly fitness sessions, such as Nordic walking – a full-body exercise using specialised poles – and chair Zumba classes. The charity also conducts workshops on plant-based nutrition, as well as classes on wellness kitchen management. The latter teaches participants how to read nutritional labels on food items, and prepare healthy meals at home using nutritious ingredients, select oils, and minimal sugar or additives. It also runs at least four fundraising events each year, and these can range from charity concerts and gala dinners to yoga workshops. 'We are very grateful for the collaboration opportunities, and hope to continue working with partners to reach more seniors across the four communities we serve,' says Mdm Lye. As of January 2024, Kampung Senang transitioned to a company limited by guarantee, a move that allows it to operate with greater governance and efficiency while continuing its charitable work. Held weekly at Kampung Senang's Aljunied Centre, Gold Zumba sessions keep seniors active through low-impact, seated dance workouts. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA The formula for impactful community work is simple, according to the three changemakers: The impetus may come from one person, but it takes like-hearted teammates and partners to make it all work. Although officially retired from the charity, Mdm Lye remains involved. 'You ask me what my inspiration is? It's teamwork. One can't do it all,' she says. 'I can come up with the idea, but it takes a team of volunteers and partners to put everything together.' Mdm Sarimah agrees: 'If I were to do it alone, I can only do so much, but together, we can do more.' What is the Singapore Government Partnerships Office? Set up in 2024, the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) was established with one goal – to encourage more Singaporeans to step forward, partner the government and make a difference. Whether you are an individual with a fresh idea to drive positive change, part of a community group, or just want to start giving back somewhere, somehow, SGPO can support your aspirations. The office will connect you with the right partners, including government agencies and funding opportunities, so you can create greater impact. This way, Singaporeans can play a bigger role in building a better Singapore together – one partnership at a time. Take the first step to contribute to our nation in SG60 and beyond. In partnership with the Singapore Government Partnerships Office Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
