Former world No 29 Kiradech Aphibarnrat opened his own golf academy at the Phothalai Leisure Park in Bangkok with Boon Rawd Brewery CEO Santi Bhirombhakdi presiding over the opening ceremony.
Boonr Rawd Brewery chairman Santi Bhirombhakdi, 2nd from left, during the opening ceremony
The training centre, named “Kiradech Performance Centre” is the golf star’s second academy after the Kiradech Golf Training Centre at the Kiat Thada Driving Range also in the capital.
The new training centre is equipped with state of art technologies namely indoor golf simulator, trackman and Sam puttlab, designed to help learners sharpen their golf skills.
“Through our simulator, learners will learn the correct techniques to improve their swing. We have the technology that will guide you to proper techniques,” said Kiradech via a video clip as he is committed to a tournament in the US.
Kiradech, 31, is one of the most successful Thai golfers. He has four European Tour and three Asian Tour titles to his credit.
BG Pathum United Football Club won the Thai League on Saturday. The Rabbits received the championship trophy after defeating Ratchaburi Mitr Phol FC 2-0.
BG Pathum United, based in Pathum Thani province, have risen spectacularly to lift the title after facing relegation in 2018.
The extent of their domination is seen in the fact that they have emerged champions with six matches still to play before the end of the season, breaking Buriram United’s record of winning the title with four matches left before the end of the season.
Pornpawee carries Thai hopes of winning women’s crown in All England as Ratchanok falls
Mar 21. 2021Pornpawee Chochuwong
By THE NATION
Thai women’s No 2 Pornpawee Chochuwong upset badminton world champion PV Sindhu of India to become only the second Thai singles player to reach the All England Open final on Saturday.
Ranked 11th in the world, Pornpawee dominated play with fast attacks and a solid defence to draw a stream of unforced errors from the fifth-seeded Indian, winning in straight games 21-17, 21-9.
For Thai fans, her win made up for the loss of two-time finalist Ratchanok Intanon in the other semi-final. Ratchanok lost to 2016 champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 16-21, 21-16, 21-19.
Pornpawee, 23, meets Okuhara on Sunday in the final of the Super 1000 tournament.
“Today, I was really confident and I played well in the match. My plan was to control myself first and fight every single shot because she [Sindhu] is also strong and fast. After I won the first game, in the second, she maybe put more pressure on herself and maybe made more mistakes than me,” said Pornpawee, who grew up in Rayong province.
She is the second Thai woman after Ratchanok to enter the final of the All England Open. Thailand is yet to have a winner in the tournament. Only three Thais have made it to the singles finals (Charoen Wattanasin in 1960 and 1962, Channarong Ratanaseangsuang in 1963 in men’s singles and Ratchanok in 2013 and 2017 in women’s singles). However, all three finished runners-up on those occasions.
“I’m really happy to be in the final. Nozomi has a better record against me but I have nothing to lose,” said the Thai hope, looking for her second Tour win after the Spain Masters last year. She trails former world champion Okuhara 1-4 in head-to-head.
Ratchanok yet again failed to reach the final in a Super 1000 event. She had an advantage at 18-14 in the final game but Okuhara’s swift court coverage and consistency made the difference between the two.
“At 18-14 up in the third set, I tried to believe that point by point I could win the game. But at that point, she [Okuhara] believed in herself more. We have played each other many times and they are all never easy,” said Ratchanok, who hoped Thailand would finally have a victor at the All England.
“Pornpawee has learnt a lot from experience from many tournaments. I believe if she can play her game tomorrow she could become champion,” Ratchanok said.
About her final showdown with Pornpawee, Okuhara commented: “I will try my best m. Pornpawee knows my style of play. She has speed, power and technique. I will keep up my speedwork and look at her shots and defence.”
Vierge heads six riders split by just 0.089 on Day 2
Mar 21. 2021
The Petronas Sprinta Racing rider heads a gaggle of familiar and fast faces at the top on Saturday
Cometh the hour, cometh the six riders within just 0.089: that’s how the saying shall henceforth go. The intermediate class in Qatar has been close in the current era, but never more so on than Day 2 of the Official Moto2™ and Moto3™ Test at Losail International Circuit. The leader of the Moto2™ pack was Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), and the rivals within 0.089 Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team), Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up), Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46)… whetting appetites for the race weekend ahead quite considerably.
It was windier on Day 2 and once again the morning session was a quiet one – lonely, even, for Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) as the Italian was the sole rider to set a time. By Session 2 though, the ante was upping and the pack heading out, with the final session of the day then seeing all but one improve to set the combined timesheets. At the top was Vierge’s late charge with that five-rider gaggle on his tail, with Canet forced to settle for second for the second day in a row but looking threateningly fast, Navarro making waves up the timesheets, Gardner present once more, Dixon improving as he comes back from serious injury, and Bezzecchi leaping into the higher echelons after a more muted Day 1…
The gaps didn’t exactly get huge from there on out. Two and a half tenths off the super six, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) slots into P7 as he settles in at his new team and on his new chassis, looking ever more impressive as track time goes on. Likewise the man in eighth: Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The Spanish rookie impressed on Day 1, so a grander word is needed for Day 2 as he ended Saturday just 0.019 off Bendsneyder. Fernandez’ 1:59.204 is only just over a second off the 2020 pole lap…
Two veterans came next, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) in ninth by just 0.007 and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), setter of the aforementioned pole, completing the top ten by 0.034. Both have shown good pace on both days so far too, and will likely be pushing for a statement time attack on Sunday.
Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) continued his impressive adaptation and was the second fastest rookie on Saturday, taking 11th and within 0.115 of Roberts. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) slots into 12th ahead of another impressive rookie in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), the Japanese rider only another tenth in arrears.
The aforementioned Manzi ends the day in 14th as he adjusts to life at Flexbox HP 40 and on a Kalex, with Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) rounding out the top 15 after Day 2. Rookie American Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) leapfrogged a few of his rivals from Day 1 to take 19th and get the better of reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) by just 0.021, with the timesheets necessitating the use of hundredths or thousandths to measure the gap through almost the entire field.
Sunday now awaits as a final day of preparations, before Moto2™ get ready to race next weekend. Social media channels have all the updates, as well as – of course – motogp.com!
Canet remained a serious threat
Navarro leapt up to the top
Raul Fernandez was the top rookie in Moto2™ once again
Moto3™: McPhee shifts the goalposts on Saturday The Scotsman ends a windier Day 2 with three tenths of breathing space at the top, ahead of Foggia and Migno
Day 2 of the Official Moto2™ and Moto3™ Qatar Test saw veteran lightweight class runner John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) rise to the top of the timesheets, the British rider leaving it late but able to pull out a gap of three tenths to impress once again, having also been second quickest on Friday. That honour went the way of Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) on Day 2, the Italian 0.306 down, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) taking third and a further tenth off the top.
Saturday at Losail International Circuit saw windier conditions greet the grid, and once again there was a little less action in the first session as only 18 riders headed out. McPhee wasn’t one of them, but the Brit was back up to speed backing up his Friday pace in the afternoon, with no one able to provide an answer for his 2:05.286 and the gap from first to second proving the biggest of the day. He did suffer a small crash late on, but rider ok. Foggia was another fast on both days, Migno likewise – but Saturday saw a different rookie take over as the fastest debutant.
2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had an impressive Friday as the second quickest rookie, but the Spaniard moved even further up the timesheets on Day 2 to take fourth and get into the 2:05s. Also quick in the morning and second only to teammate Jaume Masia, there are some impressive performances coming in from the 2021 rookies already. Izan Guevara (GasGas Gaviota Aspar Team) was also quickest in the second session of the day.
Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) was fifth quickest and just 0.070 off Acosta, with a close group forming behind the Czech rider. Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) was sixth by 0.093 despite a crash – rider ok, as was fellow tumbler Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power). Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) was seventh by 0.014, and he in turn got the better of Masia by just 0.017. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) kept Husqvarna in the top ten in P9 and was a further 0.078 off, with Saturday’s second fastest rookie, Izan Guevara, completing that top ten by another tiny margin… this time 0.005.
Guevara’s teammate Sergio Garcia slots into 11th, again by a tiny 0.068, with Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) a further tenth back in P12 as the Japanese rider made a huge leap up the timesheets after ending Friday outside the top 20. Friday’s fastest man, Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), was next up by only 0.003 as the South African got the better of Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3). Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) completed the fastest fifteen, getting up to speed as he begins his first full season in Moto3™ as, curiously, both a rookie and a podium finisher thanks to his incredible wildcard at Valencia in 2019 on his first Grand Prix appearance.
That’s it from Saturday for Moto3™, with one more day to go for everyone to gear up for the first race weekend of the season. Have we seen a full hand yet? Or is far more yet to come? Stay up to date with Sunday across social media and on motogp.com!
Thailand’s top badminton players Ratchanok Intanon and Pornpawee Chorchuwong successfully reserved semi-final spots in the women’s singles of the All England Open, a World Tour Super 1000 event, in Birmingham on Friday.
Two-time finalist and fourth-seeded Ratchanok survived a stiff challenge from Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt before prevailing 18-21, 21-17, 21-10, while Thai No. 2 Pornpawee eliminated Beiwen Zhang of the US in straight games, 21-16, 21-19.
This marks the first time that Thailand has two representatives in the women’s singles semi-finals at All England.
World No. 6 Ratchanok, who finished runner-up twice in 2013 and 2018, succumbed to her own nerves in the opener. But once she found momentum, the Thai dictated play with her superior all-court game to take the following games.
“I still trusted myself that I could come back even though I lost the first game,” said former world No. 1 Ratchanok. “I was trying to get used to her [Blichfeldt] rhythm because she’s a fast player. She has improved a lot from our last meeting. She kept up her motivation, but I kept control over myself and tried not to rush things,” said Ratchanok. The Thai ace is attempting to reach her first World Tour Super 1000 final when she takes on second-seeded Nozomi Okuhara of Japan on Saturday.
Second-seeded Okuhara prevailed 18-21, 21-8, 21-16 against another Thai challenger, Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
“It will still be tough, though we don’t have Carolina Marin, Tai Tzu Ying or the Chinese team here. We still have the Japanese players. Who controls the game better can win,” Ratchanok said.
Pornpawee, who won her first and only World Tour title in the Spain Masters (Super 300) last year, is in her first semi-final of a Super 1000 event.
“This is my first semi-final at the All England Open and I’m very happy. I think next round I will try to perform better. All the players [in the next round] are tough for me because they are all top 5 in the world and I have to fight. This has given me confidence but I have many things to learn,” said the world No. 11, who faces fifth seed PV Sindhu of India in the other semi-final. She trails the Indian 1-4 in head-to-head.
World champion Sindhu fought back after losing the opening game to beat former world No. 1 and third seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 16-21, 21-16, 21-19.
In the men’s singles quarter-finals, Sitthikom Thammasin was outclassed by world No 2 Viktor Axelsen 21-4 21-16.
Defending champion Axelsen meets fellow-Dane and third seed Anders Antonsen in the semi-final.
Malaysian sixth seed Lee Zii Jia stunned Japan’s world No. 1 Kento Momota 21-16, 21-19 in the men’s singles quarters.
The Australian beats the Spaniard out the blocks as the pace starts hot in Doha, with Roberts slotting into third
Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) starts 2021 where he’ll want to go on: at the top. The Australian put in a 1:59.074 to go fastest on Friday at the Official Moto2™ and Moto3™ Qatar test, pipping Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) to the post as he took over late on. Canet ends the day second and 0.269 down, with Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) starting his new season in P3, 0.211 off Canet.
They say it’s hot in the city but it was also hot just outside it on Friday, with the conditions in Doha a marked improvement on those that greeted the final day of MotoGP™ testing a week ago. By the end of the day that was more than apparent, with the laptimes dropping from 2:02s to Gardner’s 1:59 dead. Roberts’ pole lap last year was a 1:58.136, so it’s far from a slouchy beginning to proceedings.
Gardner moves to the Red Bull KTM Ajo team this season, one of the biggest names in the class, and the landmark year has certainly started well. So too has it for Canet, as the 2020 standout rookie came screeching out the blocks. Roberts was another who moved up later in the day, and another who’ll be wanting to take a key step forward this season; glad of the good start.
In fourth, Elf Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes was up at the sharp end and only a tiny 0.020 off Roberts despite a crash for the Brit in the afternoon, rider ok – as was Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) as the Malaysian also took a tumble. Fifth went the way of Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) by an even smaller 0.009, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) taking sixth and only another 0.051 in arrears. In short, it was extremely close in the mid top ten…
Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) took P7 a couple of tenths back, with Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) hot on his heels to the tune of 0.045. Just two thousandths back came Jake Dixon in ninth, the Petronas Sprinta Racing rider coming back from injury and off to a good start.
Tenth was an impressive rookie showing from Raul Fernandez. The winner of the final Moto3™ race of 2020 blasted out the blocks in Moto2™ to put in a 1:59.990 on his new, bigger Red Bull KTM Ajo machine, within less than a tenth of Dixon ahead of him and beating Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) to it by just 0.008. ‘Diggia’ changes chassis this year and was nevertheless off to a solid start.
Veteran Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was P12 on Friday, ahead of Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing). Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was 14th but set the same best lap as Corsi, with that contest decided by their second best efforts.
Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), another who changes teams and, in his case, chassis, started the year in 15th and edged out Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) by half a tenth.
With so many rookies in Moto2™ this season – most making the leap from the Moto3™ class – Raul Fernandez shone, but many did themselves proud. Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was P17 only 0.010 off Bezzecchi – a race-winning benchmark – and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) only another 0.069 back. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) headed up another gaggle of rookies in P23, ahead of Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). Reigning Moto2™ European Champion Yari Montella (MB Conveyors Speed Up) was two tenths off the American.
That’s a wrap on Day 1, there’s more to come on Saturday so make sure to stay tuned on motogp.com!
Aron Canet was a big presence on Friday
Roberts starts 2021 in the top three
Raul Fernandez was the top rookie in Moto2™
Moto3™: Binder strikes late to top Day 1 at Losail The South African heads teammate McPhee as Petronas Sprinta Racing take the desert by storm
Day 1 of the Official Moto2™ and Moto3™ Qatar Test at Losail International Circuit saw Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) go fastest in the lightweight category, putting in a best of 2:05.750 on the combined timesheets. It was incredibly close though, with the South African hitting back late on against teammate John McPhee as the Scot was forced to settle for second but only 0.026 back. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) completes a top three on the Day 1 timesheets split by an infinitesimal 0.040, and a lot of the gaps don’t get bigger from there.
It was a warm but fairly calm day to begin proceedings in the desert, although many didn’t head out to turn laps in anger until the second session of the day. The first Moto3™ session also saw a Red Flag at the end due to an oil spill from Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia), but the clean-up was a quick one. Each class had three stints each on Friday, and the laptimes – somewhat predictably – only got quicker. From 2:09s in session 1 to Binder’s best of 2:05.750, it was a good day’s work for most as they got back down to the business of testing and, for a good few on the grid, settling into their new teams.
Binder certainly seems to have managed that early enough. The South African’s switch to Honda machinery is off to an impressive start, and at the end of the day he and teammate McPhee ruled the roost, as well as doing a few laps together. Salač continues the Honda domination in third, another late to hit the higher echelons of the timesheets, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) slotting into fourth just 0.002 off Salač. Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) completed an all-Honda top five, the Argentinean 0.112 off Binder’s best lap.
Jaume Masia is another veteran switching machinery in 2021 and he slotted into sixth overall as he settles in at Red Bull KTM Ajo, and the Spaniard was still only 0.114 off the top as the timesheets tightened considerably late on. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) was next up after a day bothering the top of the timesheets fairly consistently, with compatriot Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) putting Husqvarna into P8 overall.
Ninth place goes the way of GasGas Gaviota Aspar’s Izan Guevara as he and GasGas make their 2021 debut in the top ten. The rookie impressed immensely on Day 1 and early signs show his stratospheric rise is likely far from over as he takes on Moto3™ fresh from winning the European Talent Cup in 2019 and then the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship in 2020. Guevera was just 0.376 from the top and bookended a second group on the timesheets, with tenth placed Niccolo Antonelli next up but ending his first day with Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 0.245 in further arrears.
2020 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) ends day one of his sophomore year in P11 but only half a tenth off Antonelli, with another rookie on his tail: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The 2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner put his KTM in P12 to impress, having been the fastest rookie on track for a while on Day 1, until Guevara’s late strike for glory.
Sergio Garcia (GasGas Gaviota Aspar), Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) complete the fastest fifteen after our first official glimpse of 2021 – how will the timesheets shuffle on Day 2? Find out as Moto3™ head back out for three more sessions, with plenty of coverage across social media channels and motogp.com!
Eersel retains lightweight kickboxing title by unanimous decision
Mar 20. 2021Regian “The Immortal” Eersel
ONE Championship returned Friday with ONE: FISTS OF FURY III at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The exciting card featured four mixed martial arts fights and a pair of ONE Super Series all-striking bouts, including a battle for the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Championship.
In the main event, reigning ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian “The Immortal” Eersel retained his World Title with a unanimous decision victory over #2-ranked contender Mustapha “Dynamite” Haida.
After a closely contested first round, action escalated in the second as Eersel put the pressure on Haida, using his height and reach advantage to stifle his opponent. Haida tried to keep up with Eersel’s furious pace and wanted to stay competitive throughout the third, but the defending World Champion proved to be the busier, more accurate striker.
In the championship rounds, Haida employed a sustained body attack, digging into Eersel’s midsection with frequency. But “The Immortal” put his superior athleticism on full display, ripping “Dynamite” with blistering combinations and a plethora of flying knees to maintain forward pressure until the final bell. In the end, both men were still standing despite a grueling five-round battle.
In the Muay Thai co-main event, ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion and #2-ranked atomweight Muay Thai contender Janet “JT” Todd put forth a commanding performance to outstrike and defeat #4-ranked atomweight Muay Thai contender Alma Juniku. Both fighters were aggressive throughout an even first round, with neither backing down from the center of the Circle. In the second frame, Todd showcased her impressive boxing skills and dropped Juniku for the count with a straight right hand. The women then went blow-for-blow in the third round, but it was Todd who secured the unanimous decision victory.
Hiroba Minowa took home the biggest victory of his young career, earning a close split decision over former ONE Strawweight World Champion and current #5-ranked strawweight contender Alex “Little Rock” Silva. Silva controlled the action early, as the fight quickly transitioned into a grappling match. “Little Rock” threatened with a host of submissions at every position, forcing Minowa to defend. In the third round, the Japanese phenom turned the tide with his striking, scoring in the damage category to narrowly edge out Silva on the scorecards.
ONE Warrior Series product Jenelyn Olsim produced a spectacular main roster debut, defeating #5-ranked women’s strawweight contender Maira Mazar by third-round submission in their mixed martial arts clash. Olsim showcased her patented Team Lakay wushu skills early on, keeping Mazar at range with her crisp striking combinations. The Brazilian tried to shorten the distance and grapple, but Olsim defended well against those advances. In the third and final round, Olsim secured a power guillotine against the Circle Wall, pulling guard to force the tap.
“The Indian Notorious” Roshan Mainam scored his third straight submission victory in the Circle, forcing Aziz “The Krauser” Calim to tap in the first round of their flyweight contest. Calim tried to use his striking to keep Mainam from closing the distance, but once in close quarters, the Indian star quickly took the action to the ground. With the hooks in, Mainam swiftly transitioned to the back and locked in a deep rear-naked choke that ended matters abruptly.
“Wolf Warrior” Hu Yong overcame a fast start from opponent Yodkaikaew “Y2K” Fairtex to win by unanimous decision in the opening bout of ONE: FISTS OF FURY III. The first round saw both men on the offensive, as they traded powerful strikes at the center of the Circle. After making a critical adjustment in the second frame, Hu used his world-class wrestling skills to dominate Yodkaikaew the rest of the way. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Hu.
Japan officially decides to bar overseas fans from Tokyo Games
Mar 19. 2021
By Syndication Washington Post, Japan News
TOKYO – Japan’s central government officially decided Wednesday that spectators from abroad will not be allowed to enter the country to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The government is expected to hold a five-way meeting around Saturday with the Tokyo Games organizing committee, the metropolitan government, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to make a final decision.
Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa leaves the Prime Minister’s Office after speaking with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday. MUST CREDIT: Japan News-Yomiuri photo
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa discussed the issue regarding the Games at the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday. They confirmed that Marukawa would convey their decision about the difficulties of accepting fans from overseas at the five-way meeting.
The meeting is being organized to be held online before the start of the torch relay on March 25, according to several government sources.
The reason for the decision not to accept overseas spectators is because the coronavirus is not yet under control in many countries, and the spread of new variants is becoming more serious.
“It is virtually impossible to control the activities of all the people entering the county and take thorough prevention measures,” a senior government official said.
IOC President Thomas Bach said at a press conference on March 12 that the IOC respects and accepts Japan’s decision.
It is expected that the five parties will agree to hold the Games without fans from abroad.
The organizing committee will begin the procedure of refunding the about 900,000 overseas ticket holders, according to a source close to the Games.
The government and the organizing committee will decide on the maximum number of domestic spectators allowed inside the venues by the end of April.
Professional Fighters League (PFL) announced the signing of Cynthia Vanessa Vescan, one of the most talented female freestyle wrestlers in the world. The 29-year old is a two-time Olympian, having represented her home country of France in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Vescan competed in the women’s heavyweight category in freestyle wrestling, finishing 12th at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and 16th at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016. In 2018, Vescan captured bronze in the European championships.
Vescan began wrestling at the young age of seven, taking after her father and older brother, who were both wrestlers as well. In 2015, Vescan was introduced to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), but ultimately could not begin training due to her commitments with the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The Strasbourg native says that she has always enjoyed combat sports, and considers MMA to be the most complete of all combat sports. She will make her highly-anticipated MMA debut with the PFL in the near future.
Vescan aims to make her MMA debut with the same tenacity she had in freestyle wrestling. With the PFL, not only can she test herself against some of the best fighters in the world, but she also has the opportunity to capture one of the most lucrative prizes in combat sports, as well as the PFL world championship.
“I am excited to announce that the PFL has signed Cynthia Vescan, a two-time Olympic freestyle wrestler,” said Ray Sefo, President of PFL Fighter Operations. “Adding a fighter of Olympic caliber in Cynthia Vescan further elevates PFL’s global reach and international expansion.”
“My goal at the PFL is to be the best, compete for the one million dollar prize, and to continue making positive changes in my life,” Vescan says. “I still have things to do in sport! I am excited to make my debut in MMA with the Professional Fighters League.”
The 2021 season of the Professional Fighters League kicks off with PFL 1 on Friday, April 23rd. Headlining this year’s season-opening event will be multiple-time world champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis making his promotional debut against fellow PFL newcomer Clay Collard. The PFL’s regular season continues on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17, and June 25.
The 2021 season will also mark the debuts of the likes of Rory MacDonald and Fabricio Werdum, as well as the returns of reigning world champions such as Kayla Harrison, Lance Palmer, and Natan Schulte.
Lenovo and Dorna Sports extend MotoGP™ eSport Championship partnership
Mar 18. 2021
New multi-year agreement sets the course for Lenovo Legion gaming devices to continue powering MotoGP™ eSport Championship events
Dorna Sports and Lenovo™ have renewed a multi-year agreement to extend the collaboration between the two brands, ensuring Lenovo will continue in its role as a key partner of the MotoGP™ eSport Championship. The technology leader will remain the exclusive provider of gaming PCs, monitors and accessories for the Championship’s four live events – giving the best gamers in the series the opportunity to compete on high-performance and stylish Lenovo Legion gaming devices.
The collaboration began in 2018 and ushered in a new era for the MotoGP™ eSport Championship that has seen it go from strength to strength. With more live and virtual events than ever, the Championship has a growing global audience and has garnered more than 80 million video views and 10.5 million fan engagements since the partnership began.
This year’s MotoGP™ eSport Global Series will consist of eight races held across four rounds from May to November. Onsite events are currently set to begin with the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley on the 28th of May 2021, followed by the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich on the 13th of August 2021 and the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini on the 17th of September 2021. As ever, Valencia and the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana will host the season finale; this year on the 12th of November 2021 as the grid takes on the final battle of the season on their powerful Lenovo Legion PCs.
Races and dates are subject to change based on global and local health and safety guidance.
About Lenovo Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US $50 billion Fortune Global 500 company, with 63,000 employees and operating in 180 markets around the world. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, we are developing world-changing technologies that create a more inclusive, trustworthy and sustainable digital society. By designing, engineering and building the world’s most complete portfolio of smart devices and infrastructure, we are also leading an Intelligent Transformation – to create better experiences and opportunities for millions of customers around the world. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Weibo and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.
Pornpawee Chochuwong
Ratchanok Intanon
Regian “The Immortal” Eersel
Cynthia Vanessa Vescan
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