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S. Korean table tennis legend Ryu tests positive upon arrival for Tokyo 2020

South Korean table tennis legend Ryu Seung-min tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Tokyo and is now in isolation facility.

Former Olympic champion Ryu Seung-min, now president of the South Korean table tennis association, has tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival at Narita International Airport for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Ryu, who beat China’s Wang Hao to claim the Olympic singles title in Athens 2004, confirmed the news on social media late on Saturday night but deleted his post the following morning.

“It is with great disappointment that I have to inform you that I will not be able to attend the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 at present,” the 38-year-old had written on his Facebook account.

“Despite having been fully vaccinated with two doses, and I got the 2 times negative result in COVID-19 test and having taken my departure tests when leaving [South] Korea, however I tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival at Narita airport this afternoon,” it read.

He was immediately brought to the official isolation facility and is waiting for official clearance.

Ryu said on Facebook, “I am completely asymptomatic which probably has to do with the fact that I am vaccinated.”

A four-time Olympian and a member of the Athletes Commission and the IOC’s Olympic Education Commission, Ryu was supposed to attend the IOC session on July 20-21.

“I apologize to the organizing committee, our hosts here in Japan, and the IOC for the inconvenience I have caused. I want to thank everyone for their diligent work,” Ryu said.

“My case is just another proof that the system put in place to protect all of us is effective,” he added.

South Korea’s table tennis team, which is not traveling alongside with Ryu, is set to depart from Seoul on Monday for the competition which opens at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on July 24.

Published : July 18, 2021

By : xinhua

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Five days to go for 2020 Olympics

With the 2020 Olympic Games only five days away, the majority of Thai and foreign athletes have arrived in Japan.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for July 23.

However, Covid-19 is still casting a huge shadow over the Games, forcing athletes to undergo self-isolation at the Olympic village in Tokyo.

Olympic village

Spread over some 4,400 acres of land, the Olympic village is located six kilometres from the Olympic Stadium.

The village consists of 21 buildings 14-18 storeys high, having 3,600 rooms and 18,000 beds made of paper. It has many facilities, such as shopping malls, coffee shops, flower shops, banks, souvenir shops, post offices ATMs and laundry stations.

Some 11,000 athletes are expected to participate in the Olympics and 4,400 athletes will participate in the Paralympics.

Covid-19 tests will be conducted at the Olympic village every day.

Once the Olympics and Paralympics are over, the Olympic village will be converted into residences for citizens.

Five days to go for 2020 Olympics

Souvenirs

Host county Japan has handed out souvenirs, such as bags, mascot dolls, smartphones, sim cards and earphones to athletes. Smartphone and its accessories alone are worth THB46,500.

Five days to go for 2020 Olympics

Japan also will hand out 150,000 condoms decorated with pictures of famous Japanese arts that originated in the Edo period to athletes and officials before they return to their home country.

Five days to go for 2020 Olympics

Published : July 18, 2021

By : The Nation

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Bach: Tokyo Games is “safe and secure” despite positive tests

IOC chief tries to dismiss the rising concern over anti-COVID measures for Tokyo 2020 despite recently reported positive cases.

 International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has tried to dismiss the rising concern over anti-COVID measures for the Tokyo Olympic Games on Satuday, after 15 positive cases had been reported among the overseas arrivals related to the Games in July alone.

Bach told a press conference that around 15,000 athletes, officials and other Olympic-and-Paralympic-related people had arrived and been tested for the coronavirus from July 1 to Friday, only 15 tested positive during the screening test.

“This is a very low rate — around 0.1 percent,” he said.

The IOC chief noted that the cases were immediately isolated and “in this way, they would not pose any risk to other participants and Japanese public.”

Reassuring the Games will be “safe and secure”, Bach said: “I think this shows that the (anti-COVID) measures are not only in place, but that they are working and that they are enforced.”

At an earlier press conference on Saturday, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto confirmed that the first positive COVID-19 case had been identified in the Athlete Village of Tokyo 2020.

The infected person, who received a negative result at the airport but tested positive during the screening test in the village Friday, is now isolated in a hotel, Muto told a press conference.

In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, the Games organizers announced on July 8 that no spectators would be allowed to enter venues situated in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures after the Japanese capital was put under another state of emergency due to worsening COVID-19 situation.

A similar decision was made by the Fukushima prefectural government two days later for the Azuma Baseball Stadium.

To mitigate the influence of an empty stadium, Bach revealed that the IOC would initiate a digital engagement campaign that intends to encourage the audience for what he referred to as “the most followed games.”

“We want to support the athletes, we don’t want the athletes to feel alone in this game. We want to show them that many people are with them, they are supporting them,” he said.

A live cheer map will be established in the stadium for fans worldwide to support athletes of their countries and regions.

Olympic followers can also produce a six-second video selfie, which will be shown in the stadium and provided to broadcasters.

As for the athletes, an immersive sound system will enable them to be surrounded by the sound created from previous Games related to their specific events, and some of them will be lucky enough to have an “Athletes’ Moment,” during which they can communicate with family and friends, according to Bach.

Published : July 18, 2021

By : xinhua

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Tokyo 2020 organizers confirm 1st positive COVID-19 case in athletes village

The first case of COVID-19 has been detected in the Olympic village in Tokyo.

The first positive COVID-19 case has been identified in the athletes’ village of Tokyo 2020, organizers confirmed here on Saturday.

The infected person, who received a negative result at the airport but tested positive during the screening test in the village on Friday, is now isolated in a hotel, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told a press conference.

The organizers refused to disclose the nationality of the person, citing privacy concerns, adding that they did not know if the person had been vaccinated or not.

Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto repeatedly emphasized that the organizing committee is “doing everything we can” to avoid an outbreak in the village, and “will have a plan in place” if it does happen. She expressed understanding that athletes that have yet to arrive in Tokyo are worried about the situation, calling on everyone to follow the rules which require athletes to be tested on a daily basis.

A total of 15 positives cases were confirmed among Olympic- and Paralympic-related people on Friday, bringing the number up to 45 since July 1.

Published : July 17, 2021

By : xinhua

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Messi close to agreeing new Barcelona deal: reports

FC Barcelona is on the verge of an agreement with Lionel Messi for the Argentinian to remain at the club for a further five years, according to stories published in the Spanish media.

Messi is currently a free agent after his contract with the club expired on June 30, with talks over a new deal dragging on.

The main problem with the negotiations was finding a solution that would keep Messi at the club, while ensuring his wages would not breach requirements imposed on Barcelona by La Liga.

That conundrum looks now to have been solved with Messi agreeing to a new five-year contract with wage cut of around 50 percent on his previous deal. The player has reportedly accepted a net income reported to be in the region of 20 million euros (23.7 million US dollars) a year, plus a bonus for agreeing to put pen to paper.

Leo Messi could stay at FC Barcelona for another five years.

The length of the contract is surprising given that Messi is 34 years old, but there is also the chance the deal will include a clause allowing him to leave Barca after two or three years.

Messi (C) lifts the Copa America trophy aloft after Argentina won the 2021 tournament, beating Brazil in the final in Rio de Janeiro on July 10, 2021

Barcelona president Joan Laporta will view the agreement as an important personal success after replacing Josep Maria Bartomeu at the helm of the club in March with a promise to keep Messi at the club, after the Argentinian had publicly said he wanted to leave last summer.

Messi is currently on holiday after leading Argentina to victory in the recent Copa America tournament, but media speculation suggests the new contract will be made public before the end of the week.

Published : July 16, 2021

By : Xinhua

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A Steam portable device promises your entire PC gaming library in a handheld

Valve, the company that manages PC gamings most dominant storefront, Steam, announced its entry into the portable gaming market with the Steam Deck. The handheld gaming device will sell for between $399 and $649.

Reservations, which also come at a price, begin Friday for a planned December 2021 release in the U.S., Canada, Europe and United Kingdom. The form factor looks much like the old Sega Game Gear portable from the 1990s, with two touch pads on either side of the screen to mimic using a mouse.

The device comes with a 7-inch screen, the same size as Nintendo’s recently announced Switch OLED Model. Valve claims Steam Deck has been optimized as a mobile device and promises an ambitious two to eight hours of battery life for continuous gameplay.

The LCD screen’s resolution will be 800p, a bit sharper than the Switch’s 720p in handheld mode. But it’ll sport a refresh rate of 60hz, which would ensure high-performance games will run at most at 60 frames per second. It will also include haptic feedback and gyroscopic motion.

Much like the Switch, Valve said it’s planning for a dock soon. In the meantime, the Steam Deck will have a USB-C port to plug in as a TV device. Valve also claims the Deck is basically a portable PC, so you can install Windows, check your email and do anything you might do with a desktop or laptop.

“We think Steam Deck gives people another way to play the games they love on a high-performance device at a great price,” Valve founder Gabe Newell said in a prepared statement. “As a gamer, this is a product I’ve always wanted. And as a game developer, it’s the mobile device I’ve always wanted for our partners.”

Nintendo fans have been licking their wounds after rumors of a “Switch Pro” ran rampant, even if such a device has never been confirmed to exist. The Steam Deck’s base model is only $50 more than the upcoming OLED Switch console. And even if Steam games won’t appear in 4K resolution on the device, PC games can be scaled upward to appear sharper on lower resolution screens anyway.

And that’s beyond the obvious attraction of being able to play demanding, high-powered games like “No Man’s Sky” or “Final Fantasy XIV” on a portable device.

On paper, everything about the device sounds like a Steam dream come true. PC players have lamented needing to carry around hot laptops with loud fans to get anything close to portable play. Alienware released a concept of a portable machine last year as well, which underscores a sizable void in the portable market that Nintendo and Apple, with its iPhones and iPads, haven’t addressed.

However, Valve already has a history of releasing hardware and failing to support it. In 2013, Valve announced its Steam Machine effort to roll out its operating system with premade PCs built like consoles. It was considered a failure very early on, and reports from that time say that Valve wasn’t very responsive to the manufacturers and that games ran poorly on the SteamOS compared to Microsoft’s Windows.

The jury remains out if Nintendo should start worrying. At first blush, it doesn’t seem wise to have Nintendo’s base $300 Switch model, and its upcoming $350 OLED Model, stack up against a $400 machine that promises to play any PC game in existence. But Nintendo’s also the only company that sells plastic boxes that have Mario and Pokémon in them.

Now that portable and mobile gaming has become mainstream and arguably larger than the PC space, there’s going to be a lot more eyes on how Valve is able to support its newest hardware.

Published : July 16, 2021

By : The Washington Post · Gene Park

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“Moving Forward” unveiled as common concept of Tokyo Olympic, Paralympic ceremonies

Tokyo 2020 organizers unveil “Moving Forward” as the common concept of all four opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Moving Forward” has been unveiled as the common concept of all four opening and closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, organizers announced here on Wednesday.

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee announced in a statement that the final preparations are being made for the four ceremonies under the leadership of executive producer Takayuki Hioki, who took the position in March this year.

The statement said that the concept of the Olympic Games opening ceremony is “United by Emotion,” which is also the slogan of the Olympics, and the concept of the Olympic Games closing ceremony is “Worlds We Share.”

The concepts behind the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games will be announced at a later date.

The Tokyo Olympic Games will open on July 23 and close on Aug. 8.

Published : July 15, 2021

By : xinhua

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Thai athletes arrive at Tokyo airport to tackle first Olympic hurdle

Tokyo airport is the first hurdle being tackled by Thai athletes as they arrive for the Covid-affected Olympic Games.

On Monday, Thailand’s windsurf and sailing athletes led the way, successfully navigating through hours of checks after landing in Japan for the July 23-August 8 Games.

“The many steps to enter the country take about two hours to complete,” Thailand’s chef de mission Thana Chaiprasit explained.

“Hence, we would like to warn the next batch of Thai athletes to prepare everything – especially documents – so they can participate in the event without any problems.”

He said a medic has been appointed and tasked with checking Thai athletes’ health and reporting any Covid-19 related issues to the host country.

Thai athletes arrive at Tokyo airport to tackle first Olympic hurdle

He added that the rest of the Thailand Olympic team, including golf, table tennis, boxing, badminton and taekwondo athletes, will travel to Japan gradually before the Games start.

“A total of 42 Thai athletes will compete in the event,” he added.

Thai athletes arrive at Tokyo airport to tackle first Olympic hurdle

All athletes will stay in the Olympic village under strict Covid controls, with no spectators allowed at this Games.

Thai athletes arrive at Tokyo airport to tackle first Olympic hurdle

Published : July 13, 2021

By : The Nation

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Italy still celebrating Euro 2020 victory

This is the teams first major title since it won its fourth World Cup 15 years ago and the win gave the team its first European Championship title since 1968.

Italy was still abuzz with excitement the day after the national football team’s dramatic win over England in the final of UEFA Euro 2020.

The Azzurri’s 3-2 penalty shootout victory after a 1-1 draw was the main topic of conversation at coffee bars and bus stops among both serious football fans and casual observers. Italy’s main cities erupted into celebration after the game, with crowds cheering, car horns blaring, and fireworks shooting into the air almost until sunrise on Monday.

The victory was front-page news on almost every news site in the country. By the time of the final shootout, 78.7 percent of televisions in the country were tuned in.

“It was a great night to be an Italian,” exclaimed Alice Balotelli, a 40-year-old shop worker who told Xinhua she got to sleep around 4am following the victory. “You never feel as much national pride as when the national team wins a big championship.”

From a historical perspective, the Italian team is among the most accomplished in the world. But this is the team’s first major title since it won its fourth World Cup 15 years ago and the win gave the team its first European Championship title since 1968. Three years ago, Italy failed to even qualify for World Cup for only the second time in its history.

Fans of Italy celebrate after Italy won the UEFA EURO 2020 final football match, in Rome, Italy, on July 12, 2021.

All that changed this year. Along the road to victory, Italy defeated three of the six teams ranked ahead of it in FIFA’s world rankings, last updated in May: top-ranked Belgium, No. 6 Spain, and No. 4 England. The Italian side has now won 24 consecutive international matches, one short of the all-time record held by Spain between 2007 and 2009.

“The contrast from not qualifying to participate in the World Cup in 2018 to winning this now is something that makes the victory even sweeter,” Matteo Spaziante, a journalist with the publication Calcio e Finanza (Football and Finance) told Xinhua.

Spaziante said the fact that Italy is emerging from months of lockdown and health restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic also added to the euphoria of the victory.

“Before Sunday’s game, I was thinking about how much of a boost Italy would get from a victory,” Alessandro Ruggiero, a city worker who was discussing the victory with friends at a coffee bar on Monday, told Xinhua. “But that made me worry because I thought that as much as a win would excite people, a loss could leave us devastated. Luckily the team pulled it out. What a relief!”

The team returned to Rome from London on Monday afternoon. Soon afterwards, the newly-crowned champions are to have an audience with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who was on hand to watch the match in person.

According to Spaziante, the big win could be a turning point for the Italian team in terms of confidence as well as finance. Spaziante said Federcalcio, football’s governing body in Italy, is likely to see an influx of cash from sponsorships, ticket sales, and the sale of branded merchandise (he noted that on the Federcalcio website, almost all the team merchandise for sale was sold out on Monday). That means they’ll have more money for player development.

“In the short run, I think we can assume Italy will be one of the favorites for the World Cup in 2022,” Spaziante said. “Over the long term, I think this could set Italy up for success for many more years.” 

Fans of Italy celebrate after Italy won the UEFA EURO 2020 final football match, in Rome, Italy, on July 12, 2021.

Published : July 13, 2021

By : xinhua

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Italy lift European Championship after penalty shootout against England.

Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero with two saves in the penalty shootout as Italy won the title 3-2 on penalties after the final against England ended 1-1 after extra time.

Marcos Rashford sent his penalty against the post and then the Italian goalkeeper saved kicks from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Sako after Jordan Pickford had done well to save from Jorginho and Andrea Belotti
Once again the penalties were cruel on England, but Italy will argue that after suffering in the first half, they did enough in the remainder of the game to deserve the win.
While Italy were unchanged from the squad that beat Spain in the semifinal, England coach Gareth Southgate returned to the three central defenders who had served so well against Germany.
Southgate’s tactics paid immediate dividends when Luke Shaw volleyed England into a second minute lead. Harry Kane dropped deep and created space for Kieran Trippier and the wing-back had time to pick out Shaw’s run at the far post. Italy lift European Championship after penalty shootout against England.

Once ahead, England look comfortable with Kieran Trippier seeing a low cross cleared, but overall, the English were content to close down the spaces in midfield and defense, with Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, Mason Mount and at times even Harry Kane, closing down and denying the Italians angles to pass the ball.
Perhaps that meant the English at times lacked men to launch effective counter-attacks, but Italy were unable to build anything and their only chance of the half came from an individual run and shot just wide, by Federico Chiesa.
Italy came out strongly at the start of the second half, looking to dominate where they had struggled before the break. Insigne fired a free kick just high and wide after a needless foul from Raheem Sterling and although Harry Maguire headed a free kick over, it was game on for Italy.
Federico Chiesa’s run ended with Pickford blocking from a narrow angle and Pickford did even better to block Chiesa’s shot in the 62nd minute.
Italy were playing in and around the England penalty area and although Maguire flicked Chiesa’s cross out for a corner, Leonardo Bonucci was able to scramble home from close range after Pickford had blocked Marco Verratti’s original header.
Bukayo Saka and Jordan Henderson came on as England reverted to four at the back, while Chiesa had to limp off with an ankle injury as the game went into extra time.
With four minutes remaining of normal time a pitch invader stopped the action and stewards struggled to catch him adding to a sense of chaos at the stadium after ticketless fans earlier forced their way in.
England were struggling to string passes together and it wasn’t long after Kalvin Phillips fired wide that Jack Grealish replaced Mount and Grealish almost set up Saka with his first action, while at the other end Pickford did well to deny Federico Bernadeschi.
Pickford blocked Brernadeschi’s free kick, while John Stones was inches away from a free kick as Donnarumma came flying out as nerves got frayed, legs tired and England looked to retake the initiative.
Gareth Southgate made two late changes, bringing on Rashford and Sancho for the penalties, but the move backfired as neither scored their spot kick.

Published : July 12, 2021

By : Xinhua