I Dig Sports
Emmanuel Yann Kouadjo, a showcase to display his skills
Published in
Table Tennis
Tuesday, 16 April 2019 13:06
Furthermore, just as for the recent continental tournament, the 20 year old from the Ivory Coast is well prepared, he has recently spent eight months practising in Nantes.
“I am very excited to participate in the World Championships for the second time, having featured in the 2017 edition in Germany, I have been preparing in the last eight months at my training centre in Nantes with my coach Loïc Bobillier. Also the under 21 event in Ghana was another opportunity for me to prepare myself for the Budapest challenge.” Emmanuel Yann Kouadjo
Determined, Emmanuel Yann Kouadjo caught the eye in Accra but of course competing in Budapest, the stage is much bigger.
“In Budapest, my main goal is really to get noticed and power through this competition to get sponsorship contracts and if possible scholarships, while giving the best of myself in each match,” Emmanuel Yann Kouadjo
It is for Emmanuel Yann Kouadjo a major opportunity to test his skills and showcase his talents.
“The World Championships is unique for me as a player because it’s an opportunity to get noticed around the world, even if you do not win. So this competition will help me mature as a player, as the level of play is so high. It is a chance to rub shoulders with the best players in the world,” Emmanuel Yann Kouadjo
In Budapest, in the Ivory Coast’s men’s selection, Emmanuel Yann Kouadjo lines up alongside Kizito Oba and Kanate Ali.
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Currently the 30 year old is listed at no.23 on the men’s world rankings and is thus one of the seeded players, he has arrived in the Hungarian capital city where he is practising in preparation for the ensuing tournament.
“I am getting myself prepared for the Championships in Budapest but I must fight my way back from the injury I had at the Portugal Open. Of course I will give 100 per cent effort to be well prepared and see how it goes; by God’s grace I will stay in Budapest for my final preparation for the few days before the beginning of the tournament.” Quadri Aruna
Now one of the more experienced players on the international stage, Quadri Aruna is looking forward to the challenge but is somewhat cautious.
“Just like I said, I am still fighting with an injury and I hope to be back fully fit in a few days. I will be 100 per cent ready as a professional and I hope to have great days in Budapest. I always set the same objectives; like all other participants I pray to have a better draw than in my previous world events. I hope and pray to go far better than my previous outings in world events.” Quadri Aruna
Goals not necessarily defined but for Quadri Aruna, competing at such tournaments as the Liebherr 2019 World Championships carries a wide ranging significance.
“My targets are to be a great ambassador for my country and represent it in a great way. Also to be a great ambassador for my partners and sponsors and give my 100 per cent best in all my events. I will be very happy if I can do better than my previous outings but I must acknowledge that it is going to be very difficult as always for all participants. I hope to have to have a better draw.” Quadri Aruna
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Africa names Egypt and Nigeria for World Junior Championships
Published in
Table Tennis
Tuesday, 16 April 2019 13:24
In the final of the boys’ team event in Accra, the Nigerian trio formed by Emmanuel Augustine, Jamiu Ayanwale and Azeez Solanke recorded a 3-0 win in opposition to Egypt’s Marwan Abdelwahab, Abdelrahman Dendan and Ahmed El-Borhamy.
Conversely in the title deciding girls’ team contest it was exactly the reverse scenario when the two countries met; the Egyptian selection formed by Sarah Abousetta, Sara El-Hakem and Alaa Yehia overcame the combination of Sukurat Aiyelbegan, Iyanu Oluwa Falana and Vivian Oku.
In addition the team that will represent Africa at the 2019 World Cadet Challenge to be staged in Cetniewo, Poland from Wednesday 23rd to Thursday 31st October is announced.
Nigeria’s Taiwo Mati heads the boys’ line-up, being supported by Tunisia’s Habib Ameur, Egypt’s Mohamed Sameh and Algeria’s Abderrahmane Azzala; Egypt’s Hana Goda leads the girls’ team alongside Nigeria’s Sukurat Aiyelabegan, Tunisia’s Maram Zoghlami and Algeria’s Melissa Belache.
Recently in Accra, Taiwo Mati and Hana Goda won the respective cadet boys’ singles and cadet girls’ singles titles; prior to play commencing at the World Cadet Challenge, a continental training camp is planned in Poland.
Hana Goda, the newly crowned African cadet girls’ singles champion (Photo: Hana Adarkwa)
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CONCORD, N.C. — Early this year, we were fortunate to visit a pair of race tracks we’d never been to.
The two tracks are drastically different. One is a massive facility, so big you’d never be able to cover it on foot in a single day. The other is a small, more personal track that carries with it a certain charm larger venues lack.
In early February, we traveled down the East Coast to Daytona Beach, Fla., to visit Daytona Int’l Speedway. Despite having been a member of the motorsports press for roughly 10 years, our schedule had never allowed for a trip to Daytona until this year.
Our first view of the track came from the airplane as it landed in Daytona Beach. We knew the track was huge — it is a 2.5-mile superspeedway after all — but seeing it in person put it in a different perspective.
Once we finally got inside, the scope of the facility was immediately clear. There was not a single position from the infield where we could see the entire track. In fact, in most instances we could only see a small portion of the track.
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At one point, we decided to take a walk to nowhere in particular. We wanted to make our way around the interior of the track and see as much as we could. We ended up walking to Lake Lloyd, the lake inside Daytona Int’l Speedway, where we watched as Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars practiced for the Advance Auto Parts Clash.
Where else can you stand on a pier at a lake and watch as the world’s best stock car drivers prepare to compete at one of the world’s most legendary race tracks? We’d certainly recommend taking in at least a portion of practice or a race from the pier at Lake Lloyd, it’s a breathtaking experience.
A few weeks later, an opportunity presented itself to travel to Tennessee for the 15th annual Tuckasee Toilet Bowl Classic at Clarksville Speedway, a quarter-mile dirt track.
The event — featuring more than half a dozen divisions and headlined by the super late model class — has grown in stature through the years based mostly on the name of the event. Let’s be honest, a race called the Toilet Bowl is bound to attract some attention.
The track is vastly different from Daytona Int’l Speedway, but that’s not a surprise. It’s situated near a community in the town of Clarksville, Tenn., and also features an eighth-mile drag strip.
There’s no lake at Clarksville Speedway, but there is plenty of Tennessee red clay. From the outside, the facility may seem out of date and lackluster, but track owner William Scogin has put in a lot of effort to upgrade the grounds.
The most recent addition is a new concession and suite building that is adjacent to the track. On the lower floor, there is one of the nicest concession stands we’ve seen at a dirt track, as well as some of the cleanest restrooms at any local short track.
Upstairs in the same building are suites, where fans or sponsors can enjoy the racing in air conditioned rooms away from the dirt, grime and dusty conditions typically found a dirt track.
The grandstands are well built and there are plenty of places to watch the racing action from, even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a suite seat.
Most importantly, the racing was fantastic. The Friday night super late model feature was a torrid affair among eventual race winner Brian Shirley, Allen Weisser and Robby Moses that saw all three take turns leading the 30-lap feature.
Saturday’s 40-lap super late model finale wasn’t nearly as exciting, but it was still intriguing as David Seibers fended off Shirley to earn the $5,000 top prize and the trophy toilet that goes to the winner of the Toilet Bowl.
Daytona Int’l Speedway and Clarksville Speedway are very different, but each has its own unique charm. From Lake Lloyd inside Daytona Int’l Speedway to the red clay at Clarksville Speedway, both have characteristics that make them stand out..
Whether you’re a dirt-track die-hard or a lifelong NASCAR fan, we feel pretty confident you’ll find something to enjoy at one — or perhaps both — tracks.
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The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms with Todd McLellan on a multiyear contract to be the team's new coach, it was announced Tuesday.
He replaces Willie Desjardins, who served as the interim coach last season and was not retained.
McLellan will receive a five-year contract worth around $5 million annually, the Athletic reported.
McLellan was fired as coach of the Edmonton Oilers in November. He had been behind the bench in Edmonton since the 2015-16 season after spending seven seasons as the San Jose Sharks' coach.
He has a career record of 434-282-90 in 806 regular-season games and has reached the playoffs in seven of his 10 full seasons as an NHL head coach.
Desjardins, 62, was named the Kings' interim coach in November after John Stevens was fired following the team's 4-8-1 start. The Kings went 27-34-8 the rest of the season with Desjardins as coach and finished last in the Western Conference.
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Schauffele recalls watching Woods' iconic finish at '08 U.S. Open
Published in
Golf
Tuesday, 16 April 2019 09:00
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Xander Schauffele was only 14-years-old but can tell you exactly where he was in 2008 when Tiger Woods rolled in his birdie putt on the 72nd hole at the U.S. Open to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate.
“I remember watching Tiger make the putt in '08. I was standing by a tree that’s no longer there, it got taken down by the storm. I watched that putt live,” he recalled on Tuesday at the RBC Heritage. “I just remember being a kid. Everything seems bigger than real life with the stands and the crowds and people going nuts.”
Schauffele will also remember Sunday at the Masters where he finished a stroke behind Woods after a final-round 68. Although it’s only been 48 hours since he completed his round at Augusta National he said he’s had plenty of time to recall what happened.
“It was like a dream,” he said. “It's only my second Masters and I definitely jumped into that scene a little faster than I thought I would, to be completely honest.”
Schauffele was encouraged by his runner-up finish at the Masters but conceded he still has plenty to learn about Augusta National.
“On 16 I hit the wrong club. I laughed with my caddie because I had no idea what the putt was doing,” he said. “I just went off memory with Tiger's chip coming all the way around, obviously hit the putt way too hard. Made a good 6-footer [for par] on 16.”
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Lionel Messi scored twice and David De Gea was left with egg on his face as Barcelona cruised past Manchester United with a 3-0 win at Camp Nou.
It meant a 4-0 aggregate win for the La Liga side, who barely needed to break sweat to reach the Champions League semifinals.
United started the game in excellent fashion as Marcus Rashford clipped the top of the bar after little more than 30 seconds. The England international was played in by Paul Pogba and while his toe-poked effort beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen it was lifted just too high.
All United's hard work looked set to be undone in the 11th minute when referee Felix Brych awarded Barca a penalty following a foul by Fred on Ivan Rakitic -- only for the official to reverse his decision after advice from the video assistant referee.
But Barca did find the opening goal five minutes later when poor defending by first Ashley Young and then Fred gave Messi far too much space outside the area, and the Argentine superbly curled an effort past De Gea from the edge of the box.
Moments later, Barca doubled their advantage and it was down to yet more errors. Fred again was caught in possession and the ball fell to Messi, who could only produce a weak effort -- but it was enough to squirm under the body of an embarrassed De Gea.
That ended the game as a contest and allowed Barca to play in second gear.
Messi then saw a snap shot fly over the bar, before Rakitic was left unmarked on a free kick but this time De Gea held onto his header.
Luis Suarez almost got hisgot first Champions League goal of the season on the stroke of half-time, but somehow smashed his shot into the face of De Gea from close range after Rakitic had picked the striker out with a ball across the six-yard box.
Just after the hour, former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho got in on the act, beautifully beating De Gea from distance after being set up by Jordi Alba.
Shortly afterwards Messi almost completed his hat trick with an audacious overhead kick.
Jesse Lingard produced a rare attacking moment for the visitors as he fired well over with 11 minutes left on the clock, and in stoppage time Ter Stegen made a superb stop from substitute Alexis Sanchez, but there was to be no consolation for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.
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Messi 9/10, Coutinho 8/10 as Barca sweep past Man United
Published in
Soccer
Tuesday, 16 April 2019 15:22
BARCELONA, Spain -- Lionel Messi scored twice in four first-half minutes as Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-0 at Camp Nou to make the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday. Philippe Coutinho added a stunning third in the second half as Barca eased past the Premier League side 4-0 on aggregate to keep their treble dream alive.
United started well, hitting the bar inside a minute through Marcus Rashford, but they were soon put to the sword by Messi. The Argentine scored a brilliant opener form the edge of the box in the 16th minute and added his second four minutes later thanks to a huge mistake by David de Gea.
A fine De Gea save kept out Sergi Roberto in first-half stoppage time before former Liverpool playmaker Coutinho wrapped up the scoring after the break when he found the top corner from 25 yards.
Positives
For the first time since they won the competition in 2015, Barcelona are back in the final four. They've been knocked out in the quarterfinals in each of the last three seasons and there was a fear that they would tumble at this stage again. With Messi on their side, though, that was not likely to happen. The question now is a simple one: can Messi push them over the line in the Champions League and help Ernesto Valverde's side win a third treble in what will surely be remembered as "The Messi era?"
It was also an encouraging night for Coutinho. He will hope his goal will be a turning point for his Barca career. It certainly brought some frustration to the surface as he celebrated in front of the home fans -- who have been critical this season -- by cupping his hand to his ear.
Negatives
If Liverpool get over the line against Porto on Wednesday, they will take encouragement from United's quick start at Camp Nou. After 15 minutes, the scoreboard inside the ground revealed that the visitors had managed four attempts on target -- Barça had had none. Rashford hit the woodwork and then forced Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a save. United didn't take chances but they exploited Barca's weaknesses. Liverpool would hope for more efficiency from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino should they advance and face Barca in the semifinals.
Manager rating out of 10
7 -- Valverde deserves huge credit for how he managed this tie. Barca progressed without really having to step into second gear and without conceding a goal. If he leads the Catalans to a treble, maybe he will finally get some credit.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 6 -- The German didn't have much to do on his 50th Champions League appearance after United's early pressure. Made a couple of routine saves from speculative efforts from Rashford and Paul Pogba and a fine late parry to deny Alexis Sanchez' near-post header.
DF Sergi Roberto, 6 -- Replaced Nelson Semedo in the only change to the side that won at Old Trafford last week. Should have scored, but fired at De Gea from point-blank range in first-half stoppage time.
DF Gerard Pique, 7 -- Looked like he could struggle against Rashford's pace early on but looked in complete control once Barca took the lead.
DF Clement Lenglet, 7 -- Another assured performance against United, whom he knocked out last season with Sevilla. It's looking tough for Samuel Umtiti to win his place back in the side.
DF Jordi Alba, 7 -- Always a threat on the left after a below-par performance in the first leg. Messi regularly found his runs to create problems for stand-in right-back, Victor Lindelof.
MF Sergio Busquets, 6 -- Overrun in the first 10 minutes but never really under much pressure defensively once Messi had weaved his magic.
MF Ivan Rakitic, 8 -- Another brilliant performance from the underrated midfielder. Won a penalty early on, only to have it overturned by VAR, before hunting down Ashley Young to help set up the opening goal.
MF Arthur Melo, 7 -- Key in possession as Barca took the sting out of United's quick start by keeping the ball and slowing things down. More adventurous with his passes, too, than in recent weeks.
FW Lionel Messi, 9 -- What more can be said? Once again, the difference on the night. He now has four goals in six against United and 45 in all competitions this season. Was mesmeric on all night on the ball. Phil Jones, in particular, was twisted, turned and nutmegged into a daze.
FW Luis Suarez, 6 -- Worked hard and was Barca's reference point in attack. Wasn't able to execute everything he tried, although he did almost add a late fourth with a lofted effort.
FW Philippe Coutinho, 8 -- Even before his goal, there were signs he was playing with confidence. A little flick here and an in-and-out run there had Camp Nou chanting his name in the second half. His goal was fantastic, too.
Substitutes
DF Nelson Semedo, 6 -- Came on for Sergi Roberto for the final 20 minutes.
MF Arturo Vidal, NR -- Introduced for Arthur late on to add some fresh legs in the middle as Barca saw the game out.
FW Ousmane Dembele, NR -- There was a debate about whether he would start or not before the match. In the end he was only needed for the final minutes as he continues his comeback from a hamstring injury.
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De Gea gets 4/10 after howler ends Man United hopes
Published in
Soccer
Tuesday, 16 April 2019 15:12
BARCELONA, Spain -- Manchester United were dumped out of the Champions League by Barcelona after a David De Gea howler contributed to a 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou. Lionel Messi scored twice -- the second after De Gea let a tame shot trickle into the net -- before Philippe Coutinho bagged a third to send the Spanish giants in the semifinals 4-0 on aggregate.
It might have been different had Marcus Rashford converted a good chance after 24 seconds instead of hitting the bar, but after Messi scored twice in the space of four minutes midway through the first half, the tie was all but over. It stretches United's wait for a Champions League semifinal to eight years as their attention switches to vital games against Everton, Manchester City and Chelsea as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team look to book a place in the next season's competition.
Positives
United had their chances. Rashford hit the crossbar inside the first minute and moments later Scott McTominay was played in but let the opportunity slip away. The stunning round-of-16 win in Paris was made possible by an early goal, and United should have had one here. In the end, Barcelona survived and ended the tie with two goals in the opening 20 minutes.
Negatives
De Gea made a horrible error to continue a patchy run of form. His distribution contributed to goals in the league defeat at Wolves and against West Ham on Saturday, although he atoned for that mistake with a wonderful save with the score at 1-1. Solskjaer has dismissed suggestions that ongoing contract talks are affecting his concentration, but it is a worry that so many mistakes are creeping in.
Manager rating out of 10
6 -- Solskjaer picked Victor Lindelof at right-back and chose Fred in midfield despite Nemanja Matic's return to the squad. In the buildup he said he wanted a good start and he got one, but the early goal that would have sent panic through Camp Nou never came. The result means United are heading into crucial league fixtures against Everton, Manchester City and Chelsea on the back of five defeats in their past seven games.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK David De Gea, 4 -- The Spaniard made an awful mistake to let Messi's shot slide under his body and concede the goal that effectively ended the tie. Did well to keep out Sergi Roberto on the stoke of half-time.
DF Victor Lindelof, 5 -- Asked to fill in at right-back. Didn't get forward but had kept Coutinho relatively quiet until the Brazilian's brilliant goal.
DF Ashley Young, 5 -- Started at left-back in the absence of Luke Shaw. Gave the ball away in the buildup to Messi's first goal and United never recovered.
DF Phil Jones, 5 -- Good header to deny Luis Suarez an easy chanceeasy at the back post. Given a rough night by Messi, who decided to turn it on after a quiet game in the first leg.
DF Chris Smalling, 5 -- Made a couple of well-timed interceptions but should have got out more quickly to stop Coutinho curling in Barcelona's third from 25 yards.
MF Fred, 6 -- Preferred to Matic in midfield. Thought he had conceded a penalty after his challenge on Ivan Rakitic but the decision was overturned by VAR.
MF Scott McTominay, 6 -- Presented with a golden chance after just two minutes but mis-controlled Rashford's pass.
MF Paul Pogba, 6 -- One of the architects of United's quick start, but after an encouraging 10 minutes, Barcelona's midfield took over. Showed his frustration with an angry kick at Arthur.
FW Jesse Lingard, 6 -- Gave Barcelona an early headache with his position in the hole behind Rashford and Anthony Martial. Didn't see enough of the ball after half-time.
FW Anthony Martial, 5 -- Looked bright in the first 10 minutes but had drifted out of the game by the time he was replaced by Diogo Dalot after 65 minutes65.
FW Marcus Rashford, 5 -- Hit the crossbar after just 24 seconds. It was a big chance that could have changed the direction of the game.
Substitutes
FW Diogo Dalot, 6 -- Introduced in place of Martial when Solskjaer switched to a back five.
FW Romelu Lukaku, N/R -- Replaced Rashford on 73 minutes but couldn't change United's fortunes.
FW Alexis Sanchez, N/R -- Received a polite round of applause upon returning to his former club with 11 minutes remaining.
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Ajax followed up their elimination of Real Madrid by producing a spell-binding display of inventive, passing football to win 2-1 away to Juventus on Tuesday and end the Serie A side's dreams of winning the Champions League.
Ajax's 19-year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt headed the winner from the corner in the 67th minute of the quarterfinal second leg as the Dutch side came from behind to clinch a 3-2 aggregate win and reach the last four for the first time since 1996-97.
Cristiano Ronaldo, aiming for a fourth successive Champions League title after winning the last three with Real Madrid, put Juventus ahead in the 28th minute with a typically emphatic header, his sixth goal of the competition.
But Donny van de Beek levelled six minutes later before the visitors swept Juventus aside in the second half with wave after wave of attacks as they earned a semifinal against either Manchester City or Tottenham.
Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana gave his team an early scare when his clearance was charged down by Emre Can but the rebound flew wide.
Ajax settled well after that but, despite not playing well, Juventus went ahead when Ronaldo got away from the defenders to score the 126th Champions League goal of his career.
There was a long delay for the VAR review, the referee eventually going to the pitchside monitor with the ball back on the centre circle ready for the re-start, before the goal was confirmed.
Ajax kept their cool and took six minutes to level, helped by a somewhat lucky break.
Hakim Ziyech's long-range shot hit a defender and fell perfectly for Van de Beek who, unmarked and onside, slotted the ball calmly past Wojciech Szczesny, and then had to wait for another long VAR check before the goal was confirmed.
Ajax took complete control in the second half and their geometric passing repeatedly opened up the Juventus defence, which sorely missed injured veteran Giorgio Chiellini.
Szczesny made one-handed save from Ziyech after Juventus were opened up again and then turned Van de Beek's curling shot over for a corner.
Juventus were rocking but, ironically, Ajax's winner came from an old-fashioned header as De Ligt outjumped two defenders to score.
Ajax had chances for further goals and Ronaldo's frustration boiled over in stoppage time when he was booked for a lunging tackle from behind near the centre circle.
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