Latest news with #Kano


Japan Forward
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Fencer Koki Kano Claims Gold at 2025 World Championships
Reporting on Koki Kano, Japan's first world champion in an individual fencing event, and additional news updates on volleyball, basketball and tennis. Koki Kano holds his gold medal after winning the men's epee competition at the 2025 World Fencing Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 27. (©KYODO) Koki Kano continues to raise the standard of excellence for Japanese fencers. The two-time Olympian triumphed in dramatic fashion in the men's epee final at the 2025 World Fencing Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, beating Hungary's Gergely Siklosi 10-9 in overtime on Sunday, July 27. In the high-stakes pressure of overtime, Kano relied on his skilled fencing fundamentals and tactical brilliance to conquer Siklosi. What was the decisive maneuver? Kano secured the title with a straightforward thrust to Siklosi's chest, giving him his 10th point of the back-and-forth match. To reach the gold-medal match against Siklosi, Kano outpointed compatriot Masaru Yamada 15-8 in the semifinals at the Olympic Palace. He also topped Team Japan representative Akira Komata in the quarterfinals. Japan's Koki Kano (right) competes against Hungary's Gergely Siklosi in the men's individual epee final in Tbilisi. (KYODO) Kano, 27, was ecstatic after his victorious achievement against Siklosi, calling Sunday "a wonderful day for me." "I couldn't get a medal this season until now," Kano said, according to the International Fencing Federation website. "While the Olympics is only once every four years, the World [Fencing] Championships are a very important competition. All matches were difficult for me, and the final was only one touch." He continued: "Siklosi was so strong, it was all mental. Now my goal [in 2028] is to get the individual and team gold medals in Los Angeles." Koki Kano became an Olympic gold medalist for the first time at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, helping lead Japan to the title in the men's team epee competition. Three years later, the Aichi Prefecture native became an Olympic champion in an individual event, defeating France's Yannick Borel 15-9 in the final at the Paris Games. Doing so, he won Japan's first-ever Olympic gold in an individual fencing event. In 2022, Kano also became Japan's first fencer in 45 years to win an individual epee title at the Asian Fencing Championships in Seoul. The Waseda University alum collected his second individual title at the Asian Championships a year later in Wuxi, China. Koki Kano Gives Japan Its First Individual Olympic Gold in Fencing Japan's Mayu Ishikawa receives the ball during the third-place match against Poland at the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League on July 27 in Lodz, Poland. (COURTESY OF VOLLEYBALL WORLD/via KYODO) Poland outplayed Japan in the third-place match at the 2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League on Sunday, July 27, winning 25-15, 24-26, 25-16, 25-23. The match, held in Lodz, Poland, was essentially decided at the net, with the hosts registering 15 blocks to Japan's two. Middle blocker Haruyo Shimamura paced Japan with 15 points, including 13 attack points. Mayu Ishikawa finished with 12 points. Japan was the 2024 Volleyball Nations League runner-up. For Poland, Magdalena Stysiak had a match-best 18 points, including a pair of blocks. Also Sunday, 2024 Paris Olympic champion Italy rallied past Brazil in a four-set final, earning a 22-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22 victory. As a result, Italy captured its second straight Women's Volleyball Nations League crown. The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, a 32-nation tournament from August 22 to September 7 in Thailand, is the next major international competition. Volleyball: Japan Women Aiming for the Nations League Title Japan's 2025 FIBA Asia Cup team poses for photos on July 27 in Tokyo. (KYODO) The Japan men's national team is making preparations for the upcoming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup (August 5-17) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Akatsuki Japan head coach Tom Hovasse has finalized the squad's 12-man roster for the continental tournament. Nine-time All-Star point guard Yuki Togashi of the Chiba Jets is, at age 31, the oldest player on the roster, which was announced on Sunday, July 27. Yuki Togashi (KYODO) Alvark Tokyo's Kai Toews and Okinawa native John Lawrence Harper Jr (Sunrockers Shibuya) are the other point guards. Hovasse selected Yudai Nishida (SeaHorses Mikawa) and Keisei Tominaga (Levanga Hokkaido), who recently participated in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, as the shooting guards. The small forwards are Akira Jacobs (University of Hawaii), Ren Kanechika (Jets), Yudai Baba (free agent) and Hirotaka Yoshii (San-en NeoPhoenix). Jacobs, 21, is the youngest player on Japan's FIBA Asia Cup team. Longtime player Josh Hawkinson (Sunrockers), who made an impact for Akatsuki Japan at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, adds versatility at the power forward and center positions. Centers Toyoshige Kano (Sunrockers) and Koya Kawamata (Nagasaki Velca) also made the team. Japan is in Group B for the group phase of the 16-nation FIBA Asia Cup. Its first-round matches are against Syria (August 6), Iran (August 8) and Guam (August 10). Naomi Osaka participates in an Australian Open practice session as former coach Patrick Mouratoglou looks on in a January 2025 file photo. (Edgar Su/REUTERS) Naomi Osaka and French coach Patrick Mouratoglou have parted ways, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion announced on social media on Monday, July 28. On the same day, Osaka began working with Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski in what is being described as a trial period. World No 49 Osaka won her first match with new mentorship, beating Canadian Ariana Arseneault 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Canadian Open on Monday in Montreal. Wiktorowski is an ex-coach of former world No 2 Agnieszka Radwanska and Iga Swiatek, a former world No 1. Osaka's partnership with Mouratoglou began after her second-round defeat at the US Open in August 2024. He replaced Winn Fissette. "Merci Patrick," Osaka wrote in an Instagram post. "It was such a great experience learning from you. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I've ever met and I'm sure I'll see you around." Osaka, 27, was eliminated in the second round of the Mubadala Citi DC Open on July 24, dropping a 6-4, 6-2 match to Emma Raducanu. It was Mouratoglou's final match as Osaka's coach. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) @ed_odeven .


The Mainichi
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Fencing: Olympic gold medalist Kano wins Japan 1st world epee title
TBILISI (Kyodo) -- Olympic gold medal-winning fencer Koki Kano became Japan's first epee world champion with a 10-9 overtime win against Hungary's Gergely Siklosi in Sunday's final in Tbilisi. A year after claiming Japan's first individual Olympic gold in the sport in Paris, Kano etched his name in history again after edging his fellow 27-year-old in the Georgian capital in a rematch of the Summer Games' team final decider won by the Hungarian. "I'm happy to have got another 'first-ever' (title for the country)," Kano said. The Japanese fencer went on the offensive in the sudden-death overtime, reversing tactics from their previous encounter, and scored the decisive point with a thrust to his opponent's chest. "I was intent on launching the attack first," he said. Kano beat compatriots Akira Komata and Masaru Yamada in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, en route to his championship. "I felt my body was moving significantly well from the first round and managed to continue through to the final," said Kano, who has not felt any dip in his motivation since his Olympics triumph. "I always feel my efforts have paid off whenever I compete and win tournaments in the sport I love. I want to win even more medals." Nikita Koshman of Ukraine won the bronze along with Yamada. In the women's sabre, two-time reigning champion Misaki Emura of Japan went out in the third round.


Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Fencing: Olympic gold medalist Kano wins Japan 1st world epee title
TBILISI - Olympic gold medal-winning fencer Koki Kano became Japan's first epee world champion with a 10-9 overtime win against Hungary's Gergely Siklosi in Sunday's final in Tbilisi. A year after claiming Japan's first individual Olympic gold in the sport in Paris, Kano etched his name in history again after edging his fellow 27-year-old in the Georgian capital in a rematch of the Summer Games' team final decider won by the Hungarian. "I'm happy to have got another 'first-ever' (title for the country)," Kano said. The Japanese fencer went on the offensive in the sudden-death overtime, reversing tactics from their previous encounter, and scored the decisive point with a thrust to his opponent's chest. "I was intent on launching the attack first," he said. Kano beat compatriots Akira Komata and Masaru Yamada in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, en route to his championship. "I felt my body was moving significantly well from the first round and managed to continue through to the final," said Kano, who has not felt any dip in his motivation since his Olympics triumph. "I always feel my efforts have paid off whenever I compete and win tournaments in the sport I love. I want to win even more medals." Nikita Koshman of Ukraine won the bronze along with Yamada. In the women's sabre, two-time reigning champion Misaki Emura of Japan went out in the third round.


BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Eight ogbonge health benefits of watermelon
Watermelon na one fruit wey many pipo like well-well, especially for places wey dey hot. Pipo like am becos e get plenty water and e sweet for mouth. Watermelon na centuries old fruit wey dey juicy and sweet, and many pipo see am as perfect treat to quench thirst during serious heat. Wit bright red flesh and little seeds wey full di body, watermelon get plenty nutrients and antioxidants wey include vitamins A and C. For interview wit BBC News Pidgin, one dietitian, Sa'adutu Sulaiman for Kano state, northern Nigeria tok say "apart from say watermelon sweet, e get plenty beta health benefits." She add say all dis beta tins wey watermelon dey do na sake of di water wey full am and some special tins wey dey inside like lycopene (wey dey make am red) and citrulline. Watermelon na natural source of citrulline. Citrulline na amino acid wey fit support beta erections. Dietitian Sulaiman say watermelon na natural Viagra wey dey help men wey get low sexual performance, e dey increase blood flow to di penis, wey dey allow men to easily get erection wit arousal. "Research don show say citrulline wey dey watermelon fit help men wey get small wahala wit performance as e dey help blood flow well to di penis" she add. Health benefits of watermelon Dis na some of di health benefits wey dey inside watermelon according to Dietitian Sulaiman. Nutritional profile (per 100g of raw watermelon) Watermelon seeds dey good for eating? Health experts say watermelon seeds get less sugar and more fiber pass dia flesh. Di seed also contain citrulline. Watermelon seeds — dried or raw — dey rich in magnesium and folate, wey dey help your body work well and avoid disease. Seeds also get di types of fatty acids wey dey lower bad cholesterol for your blood and help you avoid heart attack and stroke. Research show say melons, in general, dey good for you, but we need more studies to understand how watermelon specifically affects your body.


Arab News
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Nigeria says jailed 44 for terrorism financing
KANO, Nigeria: Nigeria on Saturday slapped 44 Boko Haram jihadists with jail terms of up to 30 years for funding terrorist activities, a spokesman for a counterterrorism agency said. The convicted were among 54 suspects arraigned in four specially-constituted civilian courts set up at a military base in the town of Kainji in central Niger state, Abu Michael, a spokesman for Nigeria's counterterrorism center said in a statement. On Wednesday, Nigeria resumed trials of the suspects seven years after it suspended prosecution of over 1,000 people suspected of ties with the jihadist group that has been waging an insurgency since 2009 to establish a caliphate. 'The verdicts delivered from the trials resulted in prison sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years, all to be served with hard labor,' Michael said. 'With the latest convictions, Nigeria has now secured a total of 785 cases involving terrorism financing and other terrorism-related offenses,' said the statement. The trial of the remaining 10 cases was adjourned to a later date, he said. Nigeria is listed as a 'grey list country' by international monitors alongside South Sudan, South Africa, Monaco and Croatia due to deficiencies in preventing money laundering and terrorism financing. The Nigerian military's 16-year campaign to crush the jihadists in the northeast has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes, according to the United Nations. The violence has also spilt over into neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger. In October 2017, Nigeria began mass trials of the Islamist insurgents, more than eight years after the start of the violence. That phase of the trials, which lasted five months, saw the convictions of 200 jihadist fighters with sentencing ranging from 'death penalty and life imprisonment to prison terms of 20 to 70 years,' Michael said. The offenses for the convictions included attacks on women and children, the destruction of religious sites, the killing of civilians, and the abduction of women and children. Human rights groups accused the military of arbitrarily arresting thousands of civilians, with many being held for years without access to lawyers or being brought to court.