Latest news with #Mas
The Star
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Eogene says first senior title a spark to fire him up for more
PETALING JAYA: It was relief for shuttler Eogene Ewe (pic) after ending his wait for a senior men's singles title in the Slovenian Open. Eogene fought hard to beat South Korea's Yoo Tae Bin 21-19, 12-21, 21-17 in an hour in Maribor on Sunday to clinch the International Series title. Although it was only a lower tier event, the breakthrough was still memorable for the 20-year-old, who is currently ranked No. 113 in the world. 'This win is memorable for me as it's my first title in a senior tournament. I wish more titles will follow this breakthrough,' said Eogene. 'I didn't think too much and just played my best here. I would like to say that this is a good start for me but I still need to focus and prepare for my next tournaments.' Eogene's previous best results were reaching the semi-finals in the International Challenge tournaments in Vietnam and at home last year. The youngster is looking to continue his good form when he competes next in the Austrian Open starting on Thursday. Meanwhile, reigning Malaysia Games (Sukma) champion Wong Ling Ching also won her first senior international crown in the women's singles by defeating Indonesia's Deswanti Nurtertiati 21-16, 21-15. The victory will come as a boost for Ling Ching after she initially decided to quit the sport and pursue her studies last November before reversing her decision and returning to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). The Sarawakian, who is currently ranked No. 100, will be eager to build on her encouraging showing and move up the ranks. FINAL RESULTS Men's singles: Eogene Ewe (Mas) bt Yoo Tae Bin (Kor) 21-19, 12-21, 21-17. Men's doubles: Huang Tsung-i-Ling Ting-yu (Tpe) bt Jonathan Gosal-Adrian Pratama (Ind) 27-25, 19-21, 21-17. Women's singles: Wong Ling Ching (Mas) bt Deswanti Nurtertiati (Ina) 21-16, 21-15. Women's doubles: Lin Chih-chun-Lin Wan-ching (Tpe) Malena Norrman-Xi Wei (Swe-Aus) 21-7, 21-14. Mixed doubles: Wu Guan-xun-Lee Chia-hsin (Tpe) bt Patra Harapan-Az Zahra Ditya (Ina) 21-19, 21-13.
The Star
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Coach says Chen-Chan's semi-final exit not a setback
PETALING JAYA: A semi-final exit in the Taiwan Open is not the end of the world but rather the beginning of a stronger comeback for mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Chan Wen Tse. Despite going down 11-21, 15-21 to Indonesia's fourth seeds Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu yesterday, the duo's run is seen as encouraging, considering they have only been playing together for just about a month. The defeat also dashed Tang Jie's hopes of repeating his success from 2023, when he won the title with his original partner Toh Ee Wei. That victory was especially significant as it ended a 19-year title drought for Malaysia in the mixed doubles at the tournament. The last pair to win it before them was Koo Kien Keat-Chin Ee Hui in 2004. However, mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto believes the duo met expectations by reaching the semi-finals, although he admitted there are still several areas that need fine-tuning. 'They're not consistent yet, but still okay. Early on, I could see they were lacking in confidence,' said Nova. With the pair set to skip the Thailand Open, which starts this Tuesday, Nova hopes the extra week will give them enough time to sharpen their game ahead of the Malaysia Masters from May 20 to 25. Ironically, the draw for the Malaysia Masters is also scheduled to take place on Tuesday. At last year's edition, Chen Tang Jie and Ee Wei reached the semi-finals before their run was halted by fellow Malaysians Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie. For now, Tang Jie and Ee Wei have been temporarily split, with Ee Wei currently partnering Loo Bing Kun. However, the main pair is set to reunite at the Singapore Open starting May 27, while Wen Tse and Bing Kun may be assigned new partners by Nova. RESULTS Men's singles: Loh Kean Yew (Sin) bt Wang Tzu-wei (Tpe) 21-18, 21-9; Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) bt Ayush Shetty (Ind) 21-18, 21-17. Men's doubles: Kang Min-hyuk-Ki Dong-ju (Kor) bt Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita (Jpn) 21-19, 21-13; Chu Hsiang-chieh-Wang Chi-lin (Tpe) bt Takumi Nomura-Yuichi Shimogami 21-11, 21-12. Women's singles: Pitchamon Opatnipuh (Tha) bt Sim Yu-jin (Kor) 11-21, 21-15, 21-13; Tomoka Miyazaki (Jpn) bt Unnati Hooda (Ind) 21-19, 21-11. Women's doubles: Hsieh Pei-shan-Hung En-tzu (Tpe) bt Rui Hirokami-Sayaka Hobara (Jpn) 21-13, 21-15; Mizuki Otake-Miyu Takahashi (Jpn) bt Meilysa Puspitasari-Rachel Rose (Ina) 21-14, 21-19. Mixed doubles: Dejan Ferdinansyah-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti (Ina) bt Yuichi Shimogami-Sayaka Hobara (Jpn) 21-19, 21-17; Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu (Ina) bt Chen Tang Jie-Chan Wen-tse (Mas) 21-11, 21-15.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. Gov. Healey, NE Guvs to Canadian counterparts: Come on over, eh?
The governors of six northeastern states, led by Massachusetts, have formally invited the premiers of six Canadian provinces to a meeting in Boston in the coming weeks to discuss ways to strengthen cross-border ties amid the Trump administration's ongoing trade war. 'Canada is Massachusetts' number one trading partner. For generations, we have enjoyed a strong partnership and a healthy exchange of energy, lumber, dairy, cars and car parts, seafood and more,' Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who is leading the effort, said in a statement. 'Our businesses and our residents all benefit from this relationship.' After initially striking a more conciliatory tone with the Republican White House, and offering to work with President Donald Trump where it made sense, the Arlington Democrat has recently made the national media rounds to criticize the administration on multiple fronts, notably on the 'chaos' spurred by its economic policies and its attacks on Harvard University. The invitation came just ahead of a meeting between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose Liberal Party swept to victory in recent federal elections, buoyed by a wave of Canadian nationalism brought on by Trump's talk of making America's northern neighbor 'the 51st state.' Trump's trade war is undermining the cross-border partnership between Canada and New England states, Healey continued, arguing that it's 'making it harder for businesses to keep their doors open, and increasing the cost of everything that the New England and Canadian people rely on.' The invitation was co-signed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who's made national headlines for successfully sparring with Trump over transgender rights; Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott. The invitation was sent to the premiers of Canada's eastern and Maritime provinices: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec, according to Healey's office. In the joint statement, Mills said she looked forward to 'meeting with my Eastern Province counterparts to tell them that Maine deeply values our Canadian partnerships, and that we will work to ensure our historic friendship and deeply intertwined economies endure for generations to come.' Canada is Maine's largest trading partner, with some $6 billion in cross-border commerce last year, Mills noted. The other northeastern governors, including Connecticut's Lamont, offered similar sentiments. 'Thousands of businesses in the northeast have strong connections with business partners in Canada and depend on these partnerships to grow their companies and support their employees,' Lamont, who called the Nutmeg State's relationship with Canada 'critical.' The details of the convening between northeastern governors and their Canadian counterparts are expected to be released soon, according to Healey's office. More political news Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Messi extending his stay allows ambitious Miami, MLS to reach higher
An abrupt ending for Inter Miami, MLS and their greatest venture does not appear to be in the cards. Lionel Messi is set to extend his contract with Miami, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. By resigning Messi, the club will have its Argentine World Cup winner in uniform when it opens its new stadium next year. And while that's a primary goal of Inter Miami, Messi's renewal could have a larger impact on MLS and on American sports culture, as well. For all of the attention and eyeballs it receives, Messi's Inter Miami has also become the team that many love to hate. Advertisement 'A lot of people are jealous of Inter Miami,' club managing owner Jorge Mas said earlier this week. Before Miami's expansion season in 2020, there wasn't an MLS club that conjured such visceral sentiments. Yet Messi extending his stay in MLS may also have his and Miami's detractors rolling their eyes to the news. Remember, some fans and MLS executives believe that Messi has an oversized presence in the league. 'I think the awareness about our league has grown a lot since Messi's arrival, everywhere in the world,' an MLS sporting director told The Athletic for the 2025 anonymous executive survey. 'People would have probably started to joke, if they haven't already, and called the league Messi League Soccer. So you also have to be careful that it doesn't become negative at some point.' If you ask Mas about Messi's impact in MLS and in North American soccer, though, he'll profess that there is no shortage of positives for having one of the sport's all-time greats on American shores. Selfishly, Mas wants Messi to help unveil Miami Freedom Park next year while wearing the captain's armband. During an interview with renowned Spanish-language commentator Andres Cantor for FDP Radio earlier this week, Mas detailed various aspects of the Inter Miami project, Messi's impending contract extension and how Messi has influenced the sport in the U.S. Mas said that courting Messi to MLS was a four-year negotiation and that finalizing a deal to keep Messi in Miami through 2026 appears to have been less strenuous. 'The stars are aligning for something great, for a beautiful future for the club and for Lionel. It's solely his decision,' Mas said. 'I expect that within 60-90 days we'll have to determine all of this. My hope has always been — and everything we're doing — is to see Messi play at our new stadium in 2026. Hopefully, that happens. 'We'll be ready to open the new stadium for the start of the (MLS) season next March,' Mas added. 'I anticipate that we'll see our captain Lionel Messi (play) in our new stadium.' The news will be well-received by MLS commissioner Don Garber and owners of MLS franchises. Messi has elevated the profile of the league. He's driving heightened awareness of MLS and creating new commercial opportunities for Inter Miami. In Argentina, a country with a rich history of exporting players to MLS but one that doesn't necessarily respect the product on the field, Messi has bridged that gap, ever so slightly. Inter Miami has become the country's adopted MLS club. Advertisement More time in MLS will certainly lead to more marketing deals for Messi and, likely, his wife Antonella, who is a global fashion influencer. There is so much commercial gain for Messi to still tap into while he's an active athlete in the U.S., especially with the U.S., Mexico and Canada co-hosting the World Cup next summer. 'When the story about soccer in this country is written … Pelé came to the U.S. Beckham had an extraordinary impact on the league in 2007. Now Lionel is with Inter Miami,' Mas told Cantor. 'He'll change (soccer) radically, and it will be everlasting. The Club World Cup is coming. Then the World Cup. For the first time in U.S. history, the world's biggest commercial market, the most popular athlete is an Argentine soccer player. That's the impact he's had and but there's also the impact that the U.S. has had on Lionel Messi. His brand and the legend that is Messi. Seven months after he arrived he had his own Super Bowl ad.' Plus, according to Mas, every team in MLS benefits when the Messi roadshow travels across the country. 'The league was previously trying to survive with 10 teams,' Mas continued. 'That's not the case anymore. We have the best player of all time. We're helping to generate better attendance. Inter Miami can play in any 80,000-seat stadium (in the U.S.). The league's finances have improved. We have to use what we've created. The eyes of the world are on us.' That's a subjective claim, although not too implausible. Every football fan in the world should know where Messi currently plays professionally. But whether that has led to more eyes on the league is uncertain. Apple's 10-year, $2.5 billion partnership with MLS has led to production improvements and additional content for fans to consume. On the other hand, the subscription-based MLS Season Pass limits opportunities to grow the league's viewership. Apple does not release viewership data, so there's no telling whether Messi has had an outsized influence or if MLS remains locked in its own status quo. The Apple deal, and Messi's subsequent arrival in America, was expected to initiate change to MLS and its restricted sporting structure. That hasn't materialized. In fact, Garber confirmed that switching to a calendar more aligned with the European game (fall to spring) will not occur until the 2027 season at the earliest. Advertisement 'Change the (league) format, change the salary cap, allow us to bring more attractive players,' one MLS sporting director told The Athletic in March. 'But also they have to end the deal with Apple. It's bad for the fans.' Mas is among the most outspoken and ambitious MLS owners. He may not admit this publicly, but if it were up to him, he'd likely blow up the current MLS model in order to better compete at a global level. He told Cantor that MLS is not an American sports league like the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball. Football's hierarchy, he said, is concentrated in Europe, and to some degree, in South America. MLS, in its 30th season, continues to be viewed as a developing league with a short history. 'We have to change that,' Mas said. 'We have to compete globally and open ourselves up to the world. That's what I'm working on. That's my next big challenge.' So what is Mas' idea, with Messi in tow, to significantly raise the profile of MLS? 'We have to think big, especially with MLS,' he said. 'I don't want MLS to be the seventh-, eighth- or ninth-most successful league in the world. I don't think that in the U.S. media landscape, that MLS viewership should come after Liga MX and the Premier League. I aspire for MLS to be one of the top leagues in the world, or the top league in the world. What do we have to do to achieve that? Attract the best players in the world. I hope that in three, four, five years, that 15 to 20 of the top 50 players in the world play here.' Miami is certainly trying to do its part on that front. The Athletic reported this week that Manchester City's departing playmaker Kevin De Bruyne could join Messi in Fort Lauderdale this summer. Inter Miami owns the Belgian's discovery rights, which puts the club in the driver's seat to negotiate a deal with a player who, in theory, could lead Inter Miami's post-Messi story when the time comes. 'The goal will continue to be to bring the best players in the world (to Inter Miami),' said Mas. 'I'll always have the vision that Miami will have the best players. So I'll always want Inter Miami to have three top players. We will continue to aspire to win. That's what I've promised our fans.' If an agreement materializes, De Bruyne would be a massive addition to Inter Miami's attack, one that relies extensively on Messi's magic. On Wednesday night, in helping Miami to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, Messi scored his 42nd goal since signing with the club in 2023. In that two-year span, no other player in MLS has been as influential in the attack as Messi. To no surprise, Messi is Inter Miami's leader in open-play shot-ending sequences per 90 minutes in that time. So, of course, Mas and the rest of the Inter Miami family are ecstatic that the most decorated player ever will stay the course. Advertisement His ties to the club and to MLS won't end when the new contract does, either. Mas reiterated what has been widely reported, that after Messi's playing days are over, he'll become an Inter Miami co-owner. 'He'll become one of our partners, to me, to my brother (Jose) and to David (Beckham) at the club,' Mas said. 'That's what we were able to provide to him. Something that will last beyond his playing days. He'll be a stakeholder at the club. An owner. That's what attracted him to this project. That could last five, 10, 20, 30 years. I've told him that this is part of his legacy. Something that he can leave to his children.' That chapter, however, is for another time. His playing days will continue on for a little while longer – in Miami, and in MLS.
