Category: Sports

South Korea pummeled Singapore 7-0 to reach the final round of Asia’s World Cup qualifiers. 

The Korean national team, led by coach Kim Do-hoon, made a clean sweep at National Stadium in Singapore on Thursday in the Group C match in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Lee Kang-in scored an opener in the ninth minute before Joo Min-kyu netted his first international goal eleven minutes later. 

Lee and Captain Son Heung-min both scored twice, while Hwang Hee-chan and Bae Jun-ho contributed a goal each.

With the sweeping victory, South Korea has secured a spot in the third round of the Asian qualifiers set to begin in September, regardless of the outcome of the match against China. 

The Taegeuk Warriors will face the Chinese team in South Korea next Tuesday.

Angkor Tiger Football Club signed a sponsorship deal with TVS Motor Company, a leading global automaker in the two and three-wheeler vehicle sector, for the forthcoming Cambodian Premier League (CPL) season 2024-2025, which begins in August. The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday at Angkor University in Siem Reap.

Their cooperation aims to elevate Cambodian football to a higher level of play.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Angkor Tiger Football Club, a beacon of sporting excellence in Cambodia’s Siem Reap region. As one of the world’s premier automakers, we are happy to lend our hand towards fostering talent and building communities. Together with Angkor Tiger FC, we look forward to driving success and achieving new milestones in the Cambodian Premier League,” J Thangarajan, President Director of TVS Motor Company said.

TVS Motor Company is a well-known global manufacturer of two and three-wheelers, and actively supports progress through sustainable mobility through its four cutting-edge manufacturing facilities in India and Indonesia. The firm takes pride and pleasure in producing internationally accepted, high-quality products through innovative and sustainable practices, building on its 100-year tradition of trust, value and customer passion.

Sudhir Menon, Director of Angkor Tiger FC said the team was joyful about the new cooperation and feels it will benefit Cambodian football as a whole.

“The partnership between TVS Motor and Angkor Tiger FC is a testament to the potential of talent and opportunities available in the Cambodian market. We are grateful to have TVS Motor on board as we work together with our fans and supporter communities to make a positive impact in Cambodian football and its social ecosystem,” he said.

Akihiro Kato, Angkor Tiger FC owner and chairperson, said that the sponsorship announcement with TVS Motor is a positive development for Cambodian football. He added that the strategic relationship positions both entities for exceptional growth while building a solid basis for future success.

“We are certain that this collaboration will be mutually beneficial and contribute to the future progress of the sport in Cambodia,” Kato said.

Angkor Tiger FC presently competes in the Cambodian Premier League, the kingdom’s top professional association. The team plays matches at Hanuman Stadium, and has begun building a new football stadium with a capacity of 5,000 spectators on a 50,000-square-metre plot of land in Siem Reap. The club plans to move into their new stadium by January 2025.

During the 2022-2023 season, Angkor Tiger FC boasted the highest home-ground spectator attendance of any team in the CPL, due to the team’s entertaining style and competitive mindset, always giving their best for home fans at the stadium or live online.

Over the last four years, the club has promoted over eight junior players from its Academy to the senior professional team, stressing its commitment to fostering new local talent.

With technical partnerships with Japanese League 2 clubs, several novice Cambodian football prospects have travelled to Japan for regular training and competitive matchtime experiences.

Spain's Alcaraz dropped just four games in a 6-1 6-2 6-1 dispatching of American lucky loser JJ Wolf in the first round.

The 21-year-old has been struggling with a right forearm injury and wore a compression sleeve during his first-round match, but said afterwards he believed his injury was getting "better and better".

The Wimbledon champion faces a second-round meeting with qualifier De Jong, who shocked Britain's Jack Draper in five sets.

The 23-year-old has never reached the third round of a major.

Sinner, who has a burgeoning rivalry with Alcaraz, is looking to better his quarter-final showing in 2020.

He will replace defending champion Novak Djokovic at the top of the world rankings should the Serb fail to reach the semi-finals.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek returns to French Open action on Wednesday but faces a potentially tricky tie against former number one Naomi Osaka in the second round.

The pair, who have both won four Grand Slams, are scheduled to play the third match on Court Phillipe Chatrier.

Current world number one Swiatek is aiming to become the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to win three French Open titles in a row.

Osaka, who is now 134th in the world rankings as she continues her return from maternity leave, has never gone beyond the third round in Paris.

Elsewhere, third seed Carlos Alcaraz faces Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong in the second match on Chatrier, while Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner headlines the night session.

Italy's Sinner, seeded second at this year's tournament, faces home favourite Richard Gasquet from 19:15 BST.

The first rounds of the men's, women's and mixed doubles are set to start on day four after rain disrupted Tuesday's schedule.

British pairing Katie Boulter and Heather Watson are playing in the fourth match on court 12, while fellow Britons Luke Johnson and Henry Patten are also in action in Wednesday's men's draw.

Swiatek and Osaka set for showdown

Poland's Swiatek began her French Open title defence with a trademark 61-minute dismantling of qualifier Leolia Jeanjean on day two.

The 22-year-old is in formidable form after securing back-to-back titles in Madrid and Rome in the build-up to Roland Garros.

She already has an impressive French Open record, having won 29 of her 31 matches there.

Japan's Osaka came through 6-1 4-6 7-5 against Italy's Lucia Bronzetti for her first win in Paris in three years.

Each of Osaka's major triumphs have come on hard courts - at the US Open in 2018 and 2020, and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.

She did, however, reach the last 16 on the Italian Open clay earlier in May.

• Too early to call me 'Queen of Clay' - Swiatek after emphatic win
  • Published1 day ago

Japan men's national volleyball team attacker Ai Takahashi (22) has decided to join Suntory, the club announced on the 20th. Suntory is a strong team that is the 2023-24 season V-League champion and placed third in the World Club Championships. A press conference will be held on the 28th.

Takahashi went on to Nippon Sport Science University from Higashiyama High School in Kyoto. He participated in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and contributed to the team's first appearance in the quarterfinals in 29 years. While enrolled at university, he played in the Italian first division, and during the 2023-24 season at Monza, he was the driving force behind their runner-up finish as the core of both offense and defense. He graduated from Nippon Sport Science University this spring.

His older brother Rui also belongs to Suntory.

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ក្លឹប​បាន​ប្រកាស​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២០ ថា កីឡាករ​វាយ​កូន​បាល់​ជម្រើស​ជាតិ​ជប៉ុន Ai Takahashi (២២) បាន​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត​ចូល​រួម​ជាមួយ​ក្លឹប Suntory។ Suntory គឺជាក្រុមខ្លាំងដែលជាជើងឯក V-League រដូវកាល 2023-24 និងជាប់ចំណាត់ថ្នាក់លេខ 3 ក្នុងការប្រកួត World Club Championships ។ សន្និសីទ​សារព័ត៌មាន​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២៨។

Takahashi បានបន្តទៅសាកលវិទ្យាល័យវិទ្យាសាស្ត្រកីឡា Nippon ពីវិទ្យាល័យ Higashiyama ក្នុងទីក្រុង Kyoto ។ គាត់បានចូលរួមក្នុងព្រឹត្តិការណ៍អូឡាំពិកទីក្រុងតូក្យូឆ្នាំ 2021 ហើយបានរួមចំណែកដល់ការបង្ហាញខ្លួនជាលើកដំបូងរបស់ក្រុមក្នុងវគ្គ 1/4 ផ្តាច់ព្រ័ត្រក្នុងរយៈពេល 29 ឆ្នាំ។ នៅពេលចុះឈ្មោះចូលរៀននៅសកលវិទ្យាល័យ គាត់បានលេងនៅក្នុងផ្នែកទីមួយរបស់អ៊ីតាលី ហើយក្នុងកំឡុងរដូវកាល 2023-24 នៅ Monza គាត់គឺជាកម្លាំងជំរុញនៅពីក្រោយការបញ្ចប់ជើងឯករងរបស់ពួកគេដែលជាស្នូលនៃទាំងបទល្មើស និងការការពារ។ គាត់បានបញ្ចប់ការសិក្សាពីសាកលវិទ្យាល័យវិទ្យាសាស្ត្រកីឡា Nippon នៅនិទាឃរដូវនេះ។

បងប្រុសរបស់គាត់ឈ្មោះ Rui ក៏ជាកម្មសិទ្ធិរបស់ Suntory ផងដែរ។

Tennis Cambodia is once again inviting all Cambodians to come out and show their support, saying that now is the time for tennis to flourish in the Kingdom.

The 2024 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV Playoff Event runs July 8 to 13.

To mark this historic milestone event, the Cambodia Tennis Federation, Tennis Cambodia, is inviting everyone to watch the playoffs at the Morodok Techo National Stadium. No tickets are required – all events at the tournament venue are free and open to the public.

Tep Rithivit is currently attending an Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) board meeting in his capacity as ATF Vice-President and Tennis Cambodia’s Secretary-General in Kazakhstan from Monday through tomorrow this week.

He told Khmer Times that during the first day of the ATF meeting, all fourteen board members of the ATF congratulated Cambodia on its selection as host of the Davis Cup playoffs this year.

He said that the federation applauded Cambodia for its success hosting tennis competitions at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia last May, and added they believe Cambodia has what it takes to host a big international tournament like the Davis Cup.

“That’s something all Cambodians should be proud of, as Cambodia is a small country capable of great accomplishments,” Rithivit said.

He said Tennis Cambodia will strive to make the nation proud, dedicating all its energy to hosting the greatest possible edition of the Davis Cup playoffs. He added that the success of the tournament will make all Cambodians proud, not just himself, the players and the federation.

“What we need now is the backing of our people. We would like to ask that everyone come and cheer on our players throughout the Davis Cup playoffs at the stadium. Please express your support, we are counting on you. Now is the time for tennis to shine in Cambodia and raise Cambodia’s profile on the international scene,” he said.

He noted that, in addition to spectacular Davis Cup tennis competitions, the federation is organising many other entertaining activities, like lucky draws for the spectators.

“So, let’s show some love to tennis and support Cambodian athletes so they can do even better on the court. That’s all we ask for. Together for our country,” Rithivit said.

The 2024 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV playoffs feature eight countries: Cambodia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The group event is divided into two pools with four teams each. The top team in each pool plays off against the nation finishing second in the other pool. The nations finishing in third place in each pool play a relegation match against the nation finishing fourth in the other pool.

Cambodia is ready to host the second Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship from July 11 to 13, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) said on Wednesday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet is scheduled to open the tournament at the capital’s Olympic Stadium, the NOCC said, adding that the games will bring together more than 100 elite Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters from more than 20 countries and regions across Asia.

Co-organized by the NOCC and the Olympic Council of Asia, the event will be the largest-ever gathering of MMA fighters in Cambodia, NOCC’s secretary general Vath Chamroeun said.

“We hope this regional tournament will help further promote Cambodia’s traditional martial arts, such as Kun Bokator and Kun Khmer, to the international stage,” he said.

Chamroeun added that the tournament also serves as a qualification round for the sixth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which Thailand will host in November.

MMA is a full-contact hybrid combat sport, incorporating elements of striking, grappling, and ground fighting from many different fighting styles worldwide.

Cambodian athletes bagged two bronze medals in the first edition of the games held in Thailand in August 2023.Xinhua