Thai volleyball team finish last in Women’s Nations League
The Thai national volleyball team ended their dismal campaign in the preliminary round of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League, losing their last match to hosts Italy on Sunday.
The Thai team lost 1-3 after winning the hard-fought first set 35-33, 21-25, 25-27, 20-25.
The tournament began in Rimini, Italy on May 25 and ends on June 25.
The Thai women could win only two of the 15 matches they played. With just six points in the 16-team league, the Thai team finished last.
In the qualifier round, Thailand were among 12 teams that had qualified from core teams above the relegation zone. The other 11 teams are: Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey and the United States.
Four teams were selected as challenger teams: Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic and Poland.
At the end of the preliminary round, the US team topped the league with 42 points from 14 wins and a loss. It was followed by Brazil (40 points), Japan (33 points) and Turkey (30 points).
On June 24, Brazil will play Japan and the US will take on Turkey in the semi-finals. The winners will play the final on June 25.
TOKYO – The government, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee and other relevant bodies entered the final phase of talks to set the maximum number of spectators at each event at 10,000, government sources said Thursday.
The proposal is expected to be agreed upon at a five-party discussion slated for Monday that the Tokyo metropolitan government, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee are set to join.
Under the government policy, the maximum fan capacity at a large event is to be increased from 5,000 to 10,000 once the government lifts the state of emergency or the emergency-level priority measures in place.
The priority measures for Tokyo and six prefectures are set to continue through July 11. The government has decided that, if the measures are lifted as scheduled, the 10,000-maximum- spectator rule can be applied to the Tokyo Olympic Games, scheduled to kick off on July 23.
Admission of sponsors and other concerned parties is expected to be allowed without counting toward the limit.
The government, the organizing committee and other authorities involved have indicated that they are ready to compromise on the maximum number of spectators in accordance with regulations on domestic sports events such as professional baseball games.
“[At the five-party meeting], we are going to make a decision similar to what is now being done [regarding restrictions on events] domestically,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a Thursday evening press conference.
Some have suggested that the maximum number be reduced to 5,000 if no improvement is seen in the situation regarding the spread of the virus and the priority measures remain in place to curb infections, and that there should be no fans allowed if another state of emergency is declared.
The tickets allocated to children and students by local governments are also expected to not count toward the maximum number of spectators.
According to the organizing committee, the number of tickets that applicants wanted to purchase was at about 600,000 for the Olympics and about 680,000 for the Paralympics, as of January 2020.
Japan to end Tokyo virus emergency about a month before Olympics
The Japanese government will end a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and other areas on June 20 as planned, about a month before the country is due to host the Summer Olympics.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Thursday that Japan would act quickly to tackle any new infection surges as the country prepares for the July 23 start of the games. Apart from Tokyo and Osaka, Suga said the emergency will end the same day for seven other regions. The government will retain focused restrictions on seven regions including the capital through July 11, he said.
The Olympics, delayed by a year due to the coronavirus, appear to be on track, even though surveys show large numbers of the Japanese public want to call off or delay the global sports spectacle out of fears it could become a superspreader event.
But the states of emergency have taken their toll and hurt consumption. Economists expect a rebound in the current quarter to be modest at best. The measures currently in place cover about 50% of the output of the world’s third-largest economy.
Olympic organizers are set to make a decision later this month on whether to allow spectators. The government is backing a 10,000-person limit on public events, which could be applied to the Olympics, and Suga has said he would like to see fans in the stands for the games.
Virus management is crucial for Suga, who faces a party leadership election in September and must hold a general election by the end of October. While none of the opposition parties has enough backing to topple his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, any major stumbles with public health related to the Olympics could prompt the LDP to replace Suga as premier.
The latest state of emergency for Tokyo started in late April and was the third for the capital during the pandemic. Infection numbers have fallen in Tokyo from 1,027 on April 29 to a seven-day average of 386 new cases daily as of Thursday.
But cases have ticked up slightly in Tokyo for the past two days compared with a week earlier. A disease modeling report presented to government officials this month indicated the number of people ill with Covid-19 could increase in the coming weeks, peaking when the Olympics are under way.
Japan’s vaccination rollout, which has accelerated in recent weeks, still ranks among the slowest for a developed country. While Suga said the vaccination of elderly people will be complete by the end of July, most of the population won’t be fully inoculated before the Olympics opening ceremony.
Under the current emergency, bars and restaurants are banned from serving alcohol, and must close by 8 p.m., and individuals are urged to avoid unnecessary travel.
Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said earlier that under the focused measures, eateries would be allowed to serve alcohol until 7 p.m. if certain conditions are met, although local governments may impose their own restrictions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Published : June 18, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Isabel Reynolds, Go Onomitsu
Japans Dr. Fauci dampens Olympic mood with call to ban fans
While Shigeru Omi may invite comparisons to Anthony Fauci, Japans top Covid-19 adviser has shown little of his American counterparts flair for challenging politicians. That is, until he started suggesting banning spectators from the Tokyo Olympics.
Omi, the government’s top adviser on Covid-19, is a mild-mannered 72-year-old public health expert often seen by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s side. But his concern over the health risks seems to have prompted him to question the government’s plans to allow domestic fans at the Olympics.
The two were on the same page at a news conference Thursday after Suga announced the state of emergency for Tokyo and other regions would end on June 20, as planned. Suga deferred to Omi to provide details on virus variants, herd immunity and vaccination strategy, following a similar pattern of having his most prominent virus adviser provide scientific context when they’ve shared the stage.
But Omi appeared to open a gap with Suga, who has pressed ahead with holding the Olympics as planned, when he told a parliamentary committee on June 2 that “it’s not normal” to be staging the global sports spectacle in the middle of a pandemic. The organizers needed to make a stronger case for holding the event in order to gain people’s necessary cooperation, he said.
“Why on earth are we doing this in the current circumstances?” Omi said. “The purpose hasn’t quite been made clear.”
Such public questioning of the official position is unusual in Japan’s hierarchical political culture and has boosted his already considerable public profile. Like Fauci when Donald Trump was U.S. president, Omi’s views have given voice to a segment of the Japanese public dismayed with the government’s direction.While the tenor is far lower than the fever pitch of American politics, Omi’s remarks have also invited a swift backlash, just as Fauci is now a lightning rod figure in the prolonged debate over virus policy and health measures in the U.S.
Former Internal Affairs Minister Heizo Takenaka told a TV talk show that Omi had exceeded his authority with the remarks. Now Omi and other experts are set to release a proposal on the Olympics, which Health Minister Norihisa Tamura has already indicated he won’t be treating as official advice.
The proposal says holding the games without fans would be the least risky option, public broadcaster NHK reported. The news made for its most-shared story on its website Thursday morning. Omi’s expected to reveal details at a press conference Friday.
“Japan doesn’t have a system where members of the establishment air their own independent views,” said Tsuneo Watanabe, a senior research fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo. “It doesn’t go as far as North Korea or China, but everyone’s very cautious. The government doesn’t choose people who will express different opinions.”
Omi has said the greatest danger lay not within the athletes’ bubble, but among the fans who would travel to Tokyo, creating more opportunities for the virus to spread. Organizers announced in March that overseas spectators wouldn’t be allowed.
The government is backing a 10,000-person limit on public events, which could be applied to the Olympics. A decision on spectators was expected later this month, government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said Wednesday.
Domestic media have reported that some spectators are likely to be allowed at venues, although the decision may not be made public until after the state of emergency in Tokyo ends.
Organizers for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics plan to stop selling tickets to the events, Kyodo News reported Thursday, citing an unnamed official with knowledge of the move.
In a survey by public broadcaster NHK published this week, 29% of respondents said the Olympics should be held without spectators and 31% said it should be canceled. About 32% said it should be held with limited numbers of spectators.
Suga has repeatedly said the Olympics can be held safely, despite waves of virus infections and a vaccine rollout that lags other wealthy nations. He faces a party leadership vote in September and if there are major problems with the Olympics under his watch, he could join a long list of short-serving Japanese prime ministers.
A rift with the administration is an unfamiliar situation for Omi, previously more likely to be criticized for tailoring his opinions to suit the government. In an article on his alma mater’s website he says he never felt like taking part in the left-wing student demonstrations raging in Tokyo when he entered the elite Keio University in the 1960s.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dropping out of a law course in favor of a medical degree at the then newly formed Jichi Medical University, Omi went on to earn a doctorate on the Hepatitis B virus, and eventually landed the job of World Health Organization director for the Western Pacific. A fluent English-speaker, he was so plugged into the political system that he was in 2006 nominated by the Japanese government to be WHO director-general.
The pandemic may be prompting him to set aside his diplomatic skills.
“If they hold it, I want the Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee to reduce it in scale as far as possible, and strengthen the management system as much as they can,” Omi told lawmakers June 2.
Published : June 18, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Isabel Reynolds
Italy first team to progress at Euro 2020, Wales edge Turkey
Italy became the first side to assure their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 thanks to a 3-0 win against Switzerland in Rome on Wednesday. While Wales won 2-0 against Turkey.
Italy became the first side to assure their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 thanks to a 3-0 win against Switzerland in Rome on Wednesday.
The result means they will now contest top spot in Group A in their final group game against Wales, who beat Turkey earlier in the day.
Manuel Locatelli was Italy’s hero with two goals as Roberto Mancini’s side produced another assured and aggressive display of attacking football.
In Group A’s other match at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Aaron Ramsey and Connor Roberts each scored a goal for Wales as they won 2-0 against Turkey.
Both sides traded attacks in the first half, but Wales looked more dangerous in front of goal and marked the opener on 42 minutes when Ramsey chested down Gareth Bale’s chip into the box before tapping the ball past Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.
Turkey’s Burak Yilmaz should have restored parity early in the second half, but the captain wasted a golden chance from close range following a corner. At the hour mark, Wales were awarded a penalty but Bale put the spot-kick over the bar.
Bale had a large share in Wales’ second goal though, as the striker danced through Turkey’s penalty box before squaring to Connor Roberts, who sealed the deal in the dying seconds of injury time.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Russia wrapped up their first victory in Group B after beating Finland 1-0 thanks to a goal from Aleksey Miranchuk on home soil in Saint Petersburg.
Finland started their second game in a lively manner, as Joel Pohjanpalo looked to have broken the deadlock with only five minutes played but the striker’s opener was flagged offside.
Russia needed some time to gain a foothold into the contest but took a deserved lead through Miranchuk, who benefitted from Artyom Dzyuba’s good build-up work before curling the ball past Finland goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and into the top-left corner.
After the break, Russia continued on the front foot while Finland were lacking in attacking ideas.
Russia remained the more dangerous outfit and they should have added more goals to their lead, but Rifat Zhemaletdinov and Daler Kuzyaev failed to score from promising positions.
Tokyo Olympics plan to track foreign journalists with GPS draws opposition
Tokyo Olympic organizers face opposition from foreign journalists after saying they will be tracked by global positioning systems while in Japan as a way to control coronavirus risks.
Movements by overseas journalists during their first 14 days upon entering the country will be strictly managed, committee president Seiko Hashimoto said last week, according to broadcaster NHK. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had said in May that the government would consider deporting foreign reporters who break virus protocols.
The International Federation of Journalists condemns the Olympic organizers’ “complete disregard for privacy,” the media group said in a statement, urging them to repeal the regulation and discuss other ways to maintain safety.
“The implementation of such precaution denies journalists their right to privacy and limits the freedom of the press,” said the IFJ, which represents 600,000 journalists worldwide. It also noted that the restriction only applies to visiting journalists and not local media.
The statement came after organizers released the latest version of the so-called Playbook for athletes and officials. The set of guidelines subjects them to a range of penalties should they break virus protocols during the Tokyo Games. Journalists are still awaiting guidelines for the media.
Japanese people, most of whom are yet to be vaccinated, remain at risk of infection with the event a little over a month away.
Published : June 17, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Masumi Suga
France secure 1-0 win over Germany to start successful into Euro 2020
Germany suffered their first ever Euro opener defeat as FIFA world champions France benefitted on Mats Hummels own goal to ensure a perfect start into Group F at Football Arena Munich on Tuesday.
The hosts assumed control from the kick-off while France set back and lurked for counterattacks.
Germany wasn’t able to pose a lot of danger but still Hummels headed over the target following a set piece in the 3rd minute
France took over as the game clock ticked as Paul Pogba nodded over the crossbar from very close range to produce the first clear-cut chance of the match in the 16th minute.
The visitors turned up as Kylian Mbappe unleashed a low effort from the edge of the box to force Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into action moments later.
France’s pressure paid off with 20 minutes played when Lucas Hernandez collected Paul Pogba’s cross inside the box before drilling in a square pass, which Hummels cleared past Neuer into the wrong goal.
Germany responded well and showed will but still that they lacked in accuracy as neither Thomas Muller nor Toni Kroos was able to level the scores before the half time.
After the restart, France took the reins and should have made it two, but Adrien Rabiot rattled only the woodwork with only Neuer to beat in the 52nd minute.
Two minutes later Germany reaped their first promising chance of the game after Serge Gnabry missed the top left corner from inside the box.
With 66 minutes gone, France thought they had doubled their lead but Mbappe’s single effort into the far post bottom corner against three Germany defenders was ruled offside.
ADVERTISEMENT
France was a menace on fast breaks and caught Germany flat footed in the closing stages as Karim Benzema thought he had finished the job but for all that his goal was also ruled offside.
“We played a great game against a strong team. We weren’t far away from scoring the second goal that would have made us safe, but we didn’t suffer that much in the second half. It was a strong match with quality and talent,” France head coach Didier Deschamps said.
“It was an intense match by both teams. We tried everything and fought back. However, an own goal made the difference today. I cannot blame my team. We lacked a bit in penetration maybe,” Germany head coach Joachim Low said.
With the result, Portugal top Group F followed by France, who are equal on points, Germany and Hungary. On Saturday, Hungary see France whereas leaders Portugal face Germany.
Thailand loses to Malaysia 0-1 in World Cup Qualifier
Thailand’s men national football team lost to Malaysia in the second round of the Group G World Cup Qualifier on Tuesday at Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, the UAE.
Both teams had already been mathematically eliminated a few days earlier, meaning they would not advance to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Thailand loses to Malaysia 0-1 in World Cup Qualifier
The solitary goal during the game came in the 51st minute when Malaysia was awarded a penalty kick and Safawi Rasid scored.
Thailand loses to Malaysia 0-1 in World Cup Qualifier
Thailand now has nine points and is placed 4th in Group G standings while Malaysia bagged 12 points. Hosts UAE top the group with 18 points, while Vietnam is a close second with 17.
Thailand loses to Malaysia 0-1 in World Cup Qualifier
The national team is returning home immediately with their World Cup mission having come to a heavyhearted end. All footballers and staff will need to undergo quarantine on arrival to prevent Covid-19 from spreading as per orders by the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Copa America soccer tournament has seen 41 positive coronavirus tests
Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga told reporters Monday that 41 people associated with the Copa America soccer tournament have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Sunday, the first day of games at South Americas top international soccer competition.
All 41 positive tests came in Brasilia, where the host nation defeated Venezuela, 3-0, on Sunday to open the tournament. Venezuela was without eight players and three coaches who tested positive for coronavirus upon their arrival in Brazil. Bolivia also had three players and one coach test positive before its 3-1 loss to Paraguay on Monday, and two members of Colombia’s coaching staff tested positive before its 1-0 win over Ecuador on Sunday.
CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body for soccer, has insisted that all matches move forward despite the depleted teams, which have had to call up members of their reserve teams to fill out their rosters.
The Brazilian health ministry said 31 of the positive tests came from players or coaches and 10 came from hotel workers hired for the event.
Brazil, which has seen the second-most deaths from covid in the world and has had less than 12 percent of its population fully vaccinated, stepped in to host the 10-team tournament only weeks ago after co-hosts Colombia and Argentina withdrew, the former because of civil unrest and the latter because of pandemic issues.
President Jair Bolsonaro’s decision to bring the tournament to Brazil – a country that still is seeing about 2,000 pandemic deaths per day – has been met with protests from residents and players, and a number of sponsors have withdrawn their support. Bolonsaro’s opponents say he made the decision to boost his sagging popularity in the soccer-mad country ahead of next year’s presidential elections, but Brazil’s leader promised that the tournament could go on safely with player movement restricted, constant testing and games played in empty stadiums.
Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi, who is not believed to be vaccinated, said Sunday that he worried about catching coronavirus.
“It worries us because it is a risk for everyone catching covid-19,” he told reporters. “We try to be careful but it’s not easy. These things happen.”
“We’ll try to do all we can so no one gets it but sometimes it doesn’t depend solely on ourselves.”
In April, the South American soccer federation reached a deal with a Chinese pharmaceutical company for 50,000 doses of its coronavirus vaccine, to be used for national team players, staff members and tournament officials.
Olympic athletes could face disqualification, deportation if they break coronavirus rules
TOKYO – Olympic athletes and officials breaking strict covid-19 rules could face a range of punishments ranging from warnings to disqualification, organizers of the Tokyo Summer Games said Tuesday.
The International Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Tokyo 2020 organizing committee unveiled an updated “playbook” Tuesday, setting out detailed rules for coronavirus testing and behaviors designed to reduce the risk of an outbreak and deliver a “safe and secure” Olympics.
Athletes arriving from abroad will have to be tested twice within 96 hours before departure, and be tested again on arrival. They will have to wear masks outside competition, avoid handshakes, maintain physical distance and limit social interaction, and use only dedicated Olympics transport. They have to submit detailed activity plans in advance, and will be tested again, every day.
Anyone caught breaking the rules – for example, refusing to take a coronavirus test or just not wearing a mask – will have to appear before a disciplinary commission.
“I am certain that an incredible majority will be respecting the rules, for very good reason – everybody understands the importance for them as participants, but also for the Japanese people,” IOC Executive Director Christophe Dubi said.
He said organizers were setting out a range of possible penalties, to give an “overall impression” of what could happen if rules are broken.
“And it is also to reinforce the message, which is that the playbooks are there to be followed – no transgression,” he said. “We will not speculate about which case would lead to what sanction. This is the role of the [disciplinary] commission and hopefully at Games time, it has very, very little work.”
Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the organizing committee, threatened last week that “deportation proceedings” could be followed for anyone breaking the rules.
Dubi said close to 80% of athletes and delegation members coming from abroad will have been vaccinated, with between 70 and 80% of members of the media coming from abroad also inoculated. All members of the delegation from India, where the delta variant of the virus has caused chaos, will be vaccinated, as well as all 66 journalists.
The IOC is also supplying 80,000 vaccine doses for Japan to administer to athletes, match officials, domestic media and some volunteers – at least those who come into direct contact with athletes.
Public opposition to the Games has softened in recent weeks as the pace of Japan’s vaccination program has finally accelerated after a very slow start.
A poll by public broadcaster NHK issued Monday found that 31% of respondents wanted the Olympics to be canceled, 29% said they should go ahead with no spectators, 32% said they should take place with limited spectators and 3% said they should be held as normal. Postponement was not given as an option.
Japan’s vaccine minister Taro Kono said Tuesday that some 15 million shots have been delivered, equivalent to one dose for 12% of the population. Kono said Japan was now delivering around 800,000 doses a day and said he expected to soon reach one million a day.
He aims to vaccinate the elderly by the end of July, but most people under 65 will not be covered by the time the Olympics start July 23.
Some of Japan’s leading doctors have called for the Games to be canceled, while even the government’s own scientific advisers have spoken out about the need for a proper assessment of the risks involved.
The playbook also sets out a system of coronavirus tests designed to prevent athletes from being excluded from events because of misleading test results – so-called “false positives” – or inconclusive test results. Athletes will undergo simple quantitative saliva antigen tests, usually at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m., depending on when they are due to compete.
If needed, the same saliva sample can be tested again with a more reliable saliva PCR test, with results of that test delivered within 12 hours.
A further nasopharyngeal test then could be ordered, with results due within three hours. The idea, officials explained, is to give athletes a chance to be retested and still compete if their final test comes through negative.
Athletes have continued training and competing this spring with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the Games, aware of concerns in Japan and staying abreast of restrictions they will face.
In the United States, Americans are vying this week for Olympic spots at the swimming trials, while track and field athletes begin their qualifying Friday.
“We would like to have the opportunity to compete,” said Gregg Troy, a longtime U.S. Olympic swim coach, who’s working with American swimmers Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Lochte.
“We’ve put in a lot of work. Hopefully we do well enough here that we earn a spot on the team. And it would be a shame if the opportunity to see all that work pay off was deprived at the last minute, regardless of what the reason is. But it’s a pretty big world. There’s lots of things going on. There’s certain things more important than just swimming, and so we have to keep that perspective.”
USA Swimming says 90% of its national team is vaccinated. Its Olympic trials are taking place this week in Omaha with several layers of precautions in place, including mandatory testing every four days for athletes, officials and media members.
“If for some unfortunate circumstance someone had the multiple positive tests and lost their opportunity, that would be my worst fear,” said Tim Hinchey III, chief executive of USA Swimming, “because these athletes deserve a chance to go and that’s why we’re all here.”
Tara Kirk Sell, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist in swimming whose work as a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health focuses on pandemic preparedness and response, believes the Tokyo Games can be held safely.
ADVERTISEMENT
But she added that “we should expect things to go wrong” and a troubleshooting team needs to be prepared to respond to issues.
Published : June 16, 2021
By : The Washington Post · Simon Denyer, Rick Maese
Thailand loses to Malaysia 0-1 in World Cup Qualifier
Thailand loses to Malaysia 0-1 in World Cup Qualifier
Thailand loses to Malaysia 0-1 in World Cup Qualifier
SootinClaimon.Com 