English

www.japantimes.co.jp

Today News

10

Squash desperate to end 'very weird' Olympic exile in 2028

Squash has never been in the Olympics despite decades of trying, but players and officials hope that the 150-year-old sport will finally get its big chance in 2028.

08

Japan to call on spirit of 2019 and brotherhood for key RWC clash

With six days to go until their winner-takes-all Rugby World Cup pool game against Argentina, the Brave Blossoms are hoping the tight bond that has developed among the players will help them reach the quarterfinals.

07

Death or glory? World Cup anchors changing game of one-day cricket

The Cricket World Cup that gets under way on Thursday will provide a sharp focus for one-day international (ODI) cricket — and a chance to show how the 50-over game has evolved since India last staged the tournament in 2011.

06

North Korean weightlifters continue Asian Games domination

North Korea's weightlifters once again crushed the opposition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Monday, with another world record and two more golds, triggering admiration and astonishment from some of their competitors.

UEFA introduces new standards framework for women's national teams

UEFA released details of its first-ever minimum standards framework for women's national teams, after consultations with players, coaches and FIFPRO Europe, in an announcement on Monday.

05

Jamie Joseph's evolution sparked Brave Blossoms' transformation

Head coach Jamie Joseph's evolution in delegating and becoming a better communicator is a major reason why the Japanese are a win away from reaching the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals, forwards coach Shin Hasegawa said on Monday.

Kevin Durant among NBA stars ready to play for Team USA at Olympics

Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Stephen Curry were among the NBA superstars who said on Monday they were interested in playing for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

North and South Korea meet for gold in table tennis women's doubles

Sports and politics should be kept separate. But for North and South Korean athletes, to play an inter-Korean gold medal match is something special — even if they deny it.

04

FIA approval moves Michael Andretti a step closer to Formula One

Michael Andretti's bid to enter Formula One with a new 11th team moved a step closer to the starting grid on Monday after the sport's governing body gave its approval and passed the application on to the commercial rights holders.

Tomohisa Ozeki tosses five-plus shutout innings as Hawks blank Eagles

Tomohisa Ozeki threw five-plus shutout innings on four hits as the SoftBank Hawks beat their fellow playoff-berth chasers Rakuten Eagles 6-0 in the Pacific League on Monday.

Hideki Kuriyama and Sadaharu Oh hail Shohei Ohtani's home run feat

Japanese baseball luminaries Hideki Kuriyama and Sadaharu Oh on Monday lauded Shohei Ohtani after the Los Angeles Angels star became the first player from the country to lead a U.S. major league in home runs.

Monday, Oct 2

09

Nishimura ties third as fellow LPGA rookie Ryu wins in Arkansas

Japanese rookie Yuna Nishimura achieved her best LPGA result Sunday at the NW Arkansas Championship, finishing four strokes behind winner Ryu Hae Ran of South Korea in a tie for third.

04

Springboks beat feisty Tonga 49-18 to close in on quarters

Defending champions South Africa scored seven tries and moved a step closer to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals with a bruising 49-18 victory over impressive Tonga in their Pool B clash on Sunday.

North Korean soccer players clash with referee after loss to Japan

North Korea soccer coach Sin Yong Nam defended his players after several clashed with match officials on the pitch after their 2-1 defeat to Japan in the Asian Games quarter-finals in Hangzhou on Sunday.

Pumas sharpening their claws for Brave Blossoms World Cup clash

Argentina heads into its crunch Pool D game with Japan on Oct. 8 at the Rugby World Cup knowing that a draw could be enough to see it qualify for the quarterfinals.

03

Ohtani becomes first Japanese MLB home-run champion

Shohei Ohtani has become the first Japanese player to lead a U.S. major league in home runs, capturing the American League title with 44 on Sunday, the last day of the regular season.

Sunday, Oct 1

12

Rising golf star Saki Baba 11th in failed Asian Games medal bid

Last year's U.S. Women's Amateur golf champion Saki Baba dropped out of medal contention midway through the final round and settled for a tie for 11th at the Asian Games on Sunday.

Masataka Yoshida sets Red Sox record; Seiya Suzuki's Cubs miss playoffs

Masataka Yoshida set a Boston Red Sox rookie record with his 50th multi-hit game in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

10

Reduction in errors helping Japan's cause at Rugby World Cup

Japan skills coach Riki Flutey said Saturday that a much-reduced error rate had helped the Brave Blossoms to beat Samoa at the Rugby World Cup on Thursday and had put the team in a good place ahead of its winner-takes-all clash with…

09

Shohei Ohtani named Angels' team MVP for third straight year

Shohei Ohtani made his first public appearance Saturday since undergoing elbow surgery earlier in the month, attending a ceremony to accept the Los Angeles Angels' Most Valuable Player award for the third year in a row.

08

Ange Postecoglou hails Spurs' 'impact' in win over Liverpool

Ange Postecoglou hailed Tottenham's thrilling 2-1 win against nine-man Liverpool as an "important" step in his side's rapid development.

07

Europe leads Ryder Cup by five but U.S. finally shows fight

Europe has another home Ryder Cup victory tantalizingly within its grasp after ending Saturday five points ahead, but the United States earned a glimmer of hope by taking the fourballs 3-1 in a high-octane finale as the sun set on the 18th…

Japan's Olympic body working on athletes' mental care

The Japanese Olympic Committee is trying to improve mental support for athletes, an issue raised in recent years by some of the world's top athletes such as gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Naomi Osaka.

06

North Korean sets weightlifting world record after four-year absence

North Korea's Ri Song Gum set a staggering world record Saturday as she won gold in the first weightlifting event of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, four years after her last international competition.

Sumo association officials punished over harassment claims

The Japan Sumo Association decided at a board meeting Thursday to discipline two officials for failing to properly pay overtime and repeatedly harassing some employees.

05

Darcy Graham magic keeps Scotland's last-eight hopes intact

Darcy Graham scored four tries among his country's 12 as Scotland maintained its hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the Rugby World Cup by thrashing Romania 84-0 on Saturday.

04

Yosuke Watanuki misses out on men's tennis gold and Paris 2024 spot

Japan's Yosuke Watanuki missed a chance to qualify for next year's Paris Olympics tennis tournament with a straight-sets loss to Chinese giant killer Zhang Zhizhen in the men's singles final at the Asian Games on Saturday.

Yuki Yanagita and Akira Nakamura homers lift Hawks past Fighters

Yuki Yanagita and Akira Nakamura hit ninth-inning home runs to lift the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to a 3-2 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Saturday.

Mao Hosoya brace propels Reysol to win over Consadole

Mao Hosoya struck twice before halftime to spur Kashiwa Reysol to a 2-1 win over Consadole Sapporo in the J. League first division Saturday.

Saturday, Sep 30

13

Pegula books clash with Kudermetova in Tokyo final

www.japantimes.co.jp

Second seed Jessica Pegula produced a near-flawless display to power past the resurgent Maria Sakkari 6-2 6-3 on Saturday to reach the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo.