Yamashita becomes Japan's first woman pro referee

TOKYO: Yoshimi Yamashita became Japan’s initial woman professional football referee on Mon (Aug 1) and said she was happy to “make a splash” as the lady prepares to create history at the World Mug. Yamashita, 36, was called in May alongside France’s Stephanie Frappart plus Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga as officialsContinue Reading

Proud Sri Lanka athletes defy crisis to fulfil Games dreams

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan badminton champion Niluka Karunaratne heads to Britain next week to cover his Commonwealth Games career exactly where it began : a swansong almost derailed by his bankrupt country’s bruising recession . Competition organisers and Sri Lanka’s cricket board are funding the island country’s largest Games contingent, withContinue Reading

Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu retires from competition

TOKYO:   Japan’s two-time Olympic figure roller skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu announced his retirement from competition at the age of 27 on Wednesday (Jul 19), after struggling with injuries with this year’s Beijing Video games. “I’ll not be compared with other skaters as a competitor, inch the “Ice Prince” toldContinue Reading

Japan rugby players remember Abe after emotional France Test

TOKYO: Japan’s rugby gamers said they were “sad” and “shocked” with the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe but had remained “focused” intended for Saturday’s (Jul 9) second Test towards France. Japan lost 20-15 to the Six Countries champions on an emotional day at Tokyo’s Nationwide Stadium, one dayContinue Reading