ONE Championship stars Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan, Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy, Ev Ting, Daichi Abe, Saiful “The Vampire” Merican, “Jordan Boy” Mohammad bin Mahmoud, Jihin “Shadowcat” Radzuan, and Jomary Torres all came out to showcase their skills and face-off against each other in intense staredowns.

Athletes are scheduled to compete at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY, which takes place Friday, 12 July at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. In the main event, striking superstars Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan of Italy and Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy of Thailand will do battle in a ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Quarter-Final bout.

A multiple-time Kickboxing World Champion, Petrosyan is one of the greatest and most dominant kickboxers of all time, having already accomplished an incredible amount in his sensational career. This includes two K-1 World MAX World Championships, a Glory Slam Tournament Championship, and several other prestigious titles.

Petrosyan joined ONE Super Series in 2018 and has since put together a solid run through the ranks. Now competing in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix, Petrosyan looks to emerge the winner of the tournament and claim the million dollar prize.

Hailing from Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand’s northern Isan region, Petchmorakot has already defeated some of the biggest names in Muay Thai, claiming multiple Muay Thai Championships in the process. Petchmorakot has claimed Lumpinee Stadium World Championships in two divisions, as well as a WMC Muay Thai title, in a career spanning almost 200 professional bouts. Incredibly, he is still only at the beginning of his career, and now he hopes to attain international glory on the global stage of ONE Championship.

The 11th annual tournament has attracted 84 professional and amateur golfers.

The top 40 players of the three-day, 54-hole event will qualify for the final day and earn prizemoney, with the winner taking home Bt142,500.

Top names taking part this year include defending champion 17-year-old Apichaya Yubol, who is No 4 in the TLPGA money rankings, Kulthida Pramphan, No 2 on the TLPGA money list, and Thailand’s fourth-ranked Treechat Jinklub.

In today’s qualifying round (July 9), 10 players earned berths in the tournament. They include Puthita Kuanroodee, who won the qualifier with a 3-under par 69, and 15-year-old Thai-Swiss Nacharee Thanchitnititanya, who carded a 1-under par 71.

Tournament title sponsor, CJ Group, announced the American star, who is a six-time PGA Tour winner, will tee up for the tournament’s third edition at The Club at Nine Bridges on Jeju island from October 17 to 20.

Koepka said: “I am excited to participate in The CJ Cup once again. I was awed by the excellence of The Club at Nine Bridges golf course when I visited Jeju island last year. I will try my best to gain a second consecutive victory at the upcoming tournament.”

Last year, the 29-year-old, who arrived for the tournament as the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year, carded a stunning back-nine 7-under 29 in the final round to earn his fifth career PGA Tour victory with a score of 21-under 267

That win enabled him to claim the No 1 position on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.

Among his six PGA Tour titles are four major championship victories. In May, Koepka won the PGA Championship and he has finished runner-up at the Masters Tournament and the US Open as well this season. With two wins and four top-10s in the 2018-19 PGA Tour season, he currently lies in second place on the FedEx Cup points list.

But Koepka went beyond showcasing great golf last year during the week in Jeju island. He also showed off his fishing skills by catching a 51-centimetre yellow sea perch in Jeju before the tournament.

CJ Group said they were looking forward to welcoming Koepka back, adding that further announcements on the field will be made. The Group said they are also planning to greatly enhance the tournament experience so that golf fans to experience world-class golf in South Korea.

With 100 days to go tickets for The CJ Cup will go on sale from Tuesday on its official website, www.thecjcup.com. Early-bird ticket sales and promotions are also available at the CJ Mall, www.cjmall.com/THECJCUP. Last year, more than 40,000 fans visited The Club at Nine Bridges during the second edition of The CJ Cup.

Naruphol, who was recently appointed by the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) to replace Nuengrutai Srathongvian, plans to adopt a more aggressive approach in working with the national team who crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage in France last month. Nuengrutai and team’s manager Nualphan Lamsam resigned after the Thais were eliminated from the tournament.

“We will elevate the playing style by making it more entertaining and exciting,” said the new coach. “The old format is good but we will come up with a style that suits our players more.”

Thailand has won the regional football tournament, which runs from August 15-27, four times, in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2018. They have been drawn in group A with Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Timor Leste.

“Women’s football has improved in each of these countries. The recent World Cup showed that several teams in Europe have improved significantly. So have teams in Asia and Asean like Vietnam and the Philippines. We cannot underestimate them and we have to do our best in the tournament,” the Thai boss said.

Despite his plan to bring more younger players to the team, which is currently made up of several members in their late 20s and early 30s, Naruphol says the older players will be kept on if they prove physically tough.

“There are some U19 players that I want to recruit for the team. But it will be more competitive [to get into the national team]. Young players who can follow our directions, playing style and tactics will be selected. However, age doesn’t matter. If they can run and fit in, they deserve to play for the country,” he added.

The national team will be encamped at Kiarti Thanee Country Club before the announcement of the final 23 players. Thailand will kick off their title defence campaign against Singapore on August 17, before playing Timor Leste on August 19, the Philippines on August 21 and Malaysia on August 23. All games will take place in Chonburi.

DANNY KINGAD TAKES ON REECE MCLAREN IN ONE FLYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX SEMI-FINALS

The bout will take place at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES, set for 2 August at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. McLaren steps in for Kairat Akhmetov, who had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.

Kingad is from Sadanga in the Mountain Province, but he went to school in Baguio City. He began training in wushu at the famed Team Lakay in 2012, and went on to win gold medals in several local tournaments. Inspired by the success of his esteemed teammates such as former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang, he then turned his attention to the cage. Kingad made a successful start to his professional career in 2014, debuting with ONE Championship on the way to an impressive 8-0 record.

This earned him a shot at the ONE Flyweight World Championship against Adriano Moraes, but the Igorot warrior unfortunately failed in his first bid at World Title glory. Now, “The King” is back on the title hunt. After getting past Senzo Ikeda in the first round of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, Kingad will have to defeat McLaren next in order to clinch a finals berth.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, McLaren is a highly-decorated martial artist, claiming the Eternal MMA and XFL Bantamweight Championships before making his ONE Championship debut. He emerged on the global stage in spectacular fashion, scoring a stunning upset by submitting Mark Striegl for a hugely impressive win. He would continue that trend of success against highly-regarded prospect Muin Gafurov, and earn a shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Championship against dominant titleholder Bibiano Fernandes. McLaren gave the living legend an incredibly tough test, but narrowly missed out on gold via split decision.

After bowing out of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix to Akhmetov via decision, McLaren steps right back into the mix to replace the injured Kazakh against Kingad in the semi-final round.

Former ONE World Title challenger Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli of Italy squares off against ONE Championship newcomer Arjan Bhullar of India in a heavyweight contest.

Cerilli is a Cage Warriors Heavyweight Champion and a certified finisher known for his knockout power and submission skills. Prior to his ONE debut, Cerilli was on an impressive five-bout win streak, with four of those wins ending with emphatic knockouts. In his most recent outing, Cerilli put together a spectacular performance, finishing heavyweight behemoth Alain “The Panther” Ngalani in just one round with a series of knees.

Meanwhile, Bhullar is India’s top heavyweight mixed martial artist. He began his martial arts career on the mat, winning a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, before representing his country at the 2012 Olympics in London. With an impressive professional record of 9-1, Bullar now joins ONE Championship looking to make a run at the ONE World Title. He will have to get past Cerilli first, in what should be an interesting matchup.

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of the Philippines is set to go up against Japan’s Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in a ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix alternate bout.

Eustaquio is one of the top flyweights in ONE Championship who has faced the creme of the crop in the division. In his most recent outing, Eustaquio outpointed South Korean competitor Kyu Sung Kim to win by unanimous decision. Now the 30-year-old has the chance to climb his way back up the flyweight ladder. Standing in his way is Wakamatsu, who is eager for a victory against a top talent.

Holding a professional record of 10-4, Wakamatsu is an aggressive knockout artist with shocking power. With nine of his 10 victories coming by way of knockout, Wakamatsu is a force to be reckoned with at flyweight. Seeking his first victory in ONE Championship, “Little Piranha” takes on former World Champion Eustaquio in the latter’s hometown of Manila.

Belleair, Florida – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today that a new tournament, the Pelican Women’s Championship Presented by DEX Imaging, will be added to the 2020 season. The event will be held May 11-17, 2020 at Pelican Golf Club located in the waterfront town of Belleair, 45 minutes outside downtown Tampa. The tournament will feature a full field of 144 players, competing for a $1.75 million purse.

Since founding DEX Imaging in 2002, the Doyle family has created a legacy of giving back to the community through their philanthropic efforts and generosity to local nonprofits. They also have incorporated close ties to local professional sports teams into their business strategy including partnerships with the Tampa Bay Rays (MLB), the Buccaneers (NFL) and the Lightning (NHL).

“We are so excited to bring a new LPGA Tour event to the Tampa area with the help of a presenting sponsor that shares the LPGA’s values of giving back to the community and providing equal opportunities for women through the sport,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “Golf fans can look forward to seeing the best female players on the planet being tested by a world-class venue in Pelican Golf Club, which also happens to have a Director of Women’s Golf! We could not be happier with this partnership that brings together the LPGA, the Doyle family, DEX Imaging and Pelican Golf Club.”

Pelican Golf Club, formerly known as Belleview Biltmore Golf Club, underwent major renovations to upgrade its facilities after the purchase by Dan Doyle Sr. and Dan Doyle Jr. was completed in 2017. Originally designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1925, The Beau Welling Design group oversaw the renovation project, re-establishing the stylistic elements of a golden age golf course while also improving its playability.

“When we embarked on the complete renovation of Pelican Golf Club, we did so with the goal of bringing the best of professional golf to the Tampa area,” said Dan Doyle Jr., President and CEO of DEX Imaging, and co-owner of Pelican Golf Club. “We are excited and honored to welcome the finest golfers in the world to our championship course for next year’s inaugural event. Hosting the LPGA at Pelican is a perfect opportunity to support the LPGA and women’s professional golf and shine a spotlight on our community and all it has to offer.”

The Pelican Women’s Golf Championship is operated by Eiger Marketing Group, a global marketing and event management agency. Eiger owns and operates LPGA tournaments including the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open in Los Angeles and the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer in Atlantic City, as well as a number of other sporting and lifestyle events throughout the year.

“There is tremendous momentum in women’s golf and we are excited to work with the LPGA, the Doyle Family, Pelican Golf Club and DEX Imaging on this brand new event,” said Tim Erensen, managing partner at Eiger Marketing Group. “It is a mission of Pelican Golf Club to be inclusive, so when Director of Golf Justin Sheehan suggested an LPGA event, the Doyle family quickly jumped on board. This tournament will be an amazing platform for Pelican and the stars of the LPGA to showcase their talents and we look forward to delivering a memorable, first-class experience for all involved.”

Please visit http://www.PelicanLPGA.com for more information on sponsorships, Pro-Am, ticket sales and volunteer registration.

SHANSHAN FENG WINS 2019 THORNBERRY CREEK LPGA CLASSIC

. With a final-round 63, tied for the lowest 18 holes of her 12-year LPGA Tour career, Feng captured her 10th LPGA title and ended a winless streak that dated to the 2017 Blue Bay LPGA. Her four-day total of 29-under 259 is the second-lowest 72-hole score (in relation to par) in LPGA Tour history.

“I haven’t been having a good year so far. I missed all three cuts at the first three majors, so I was, you know, kind of little lost.,” said Feng. “But I knew that I’m just making changes to get better in the future. I was trying to gain a little distance. After I gained the distance and then I kind of lost the control about the direction and the distance. But starting last week I felt like my iron game kind of came back. This week I think I got everything together, which is like what I said end of last week. I said, I just hope that I can be in the winning circle as soon as possible. Actually this week I did it.”

The tournament came down to a two-player race between Feng and Ariya Jutanugarn. Early on, it looked like Jutanugarn’s day, holding as much as a three-stroke lead over the field after starting the day tied for first with Feng, Tiffany Joh and Sung Hyun Park. Playing one group behind Jutanugarn, Feng kept close on her heels, and when Jutanugarn bogeyed the par-5 15th, Feng was in prime position to pounce. Feng’s birdies at 13, 14 and 16 pulled her one stroke ahead, and after Jutanugarn stuck her approach at No. 18 within 4 feet for a tying birdie, Feng did just the same. She knocked in the winning putt and raised her putter sky-ward, the relief of victory plain on her smiling face.

“Before I putted, I looked up at the leaderboard and I’m like, Oh, no. I had to make that one. So actually the last putt was under a lot of pressure,” said Feng, who notoriously avoids scoreboards while on the course. “I was like, You know what? You’ve been doing really well this week. Just make another good putt. That’s what I did.”

Joh and Amy Yang tied for third at -25, with Joh earning the second-best finish of her LPGA career. Hyo Joo Kim rounded out the top five at -24, with Park and Monday Qualifier Yealimi Noh tied for sixth at -23.

JUTANUGARN RELIEVED BY GOOD WEEK

After sweeping all the major LPGA award in 2018 and starting 2019 as Rolex Rankings No. 1, this has been a quiet year for Ariya Jutanugarn. Her second-place finish at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic is her best result of the season and while she would have loved to get back to the winner’s circle, she was very happy to have a strong showing in Oneida.

“Overall like my whole week was really good,” said Jutanugarn, who held the lead early before being caught by a surging Shanshan Feng. “It’s like amazing because I didn’t expect to play that good at all, so I’m really happy about how I played.”

Jutanugarn’s 260 is the lowest 72-hole score of her career, bettering the 265s she shot at the 2016 CP Women’s Open and 2017 Bank of Hope Founders Cup.

JOH ENJOYS CAREER WEEK AT THORNBERRY CREEK

While Shanshan Feng took the overall win, this week was just as much of a victory for Tiffany Joh. The season has been a struggle for the nine-year Tour veteran, making just five cuts in her 11 events heading into the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. Working through a coaching change early in the year, Joh started showing signs of life in her T11 finish four weeks ago at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. This week’s 25-under 263, which shattered her career-best 72-hole score by eight strokes, was a welcome sign that good times are ahead for Joh.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the week I would’ve gotten like a top 10 I would have been happy about it,” said Joh, who finished tied for third. “There is no regrets. I’m really happy about how I did.”

Joh’s third-place finish is the second-best result of her career, behind only a solo second at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic.

YOUNG GUNS TAVATANAKIT AND NOH MAKE WAVES

Two newly minted teen professionals quickly became fan favorites at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. Patty Tavatanakit, making just her fourth start as a professional, had the golf world on 59 Watch on Sunday. The 19-year-old, who turned pro in late May after two seasons at UCLA, made three eagles on her opening nine to turn at 7-under 29. She added in four more birdies on the back nine to close with a tournament-record 11-under 61.

“This is my fourth event as a professional and seeing some good starts kind of gives me a bit more confidence about my game,” said Tavatanakit, who received a sponsor exemption into the tournament and finished T15. “Obviously I have a lot to work on, especially about my mental game and just kind of being more patient out there. Like my first three rounds I was getting too frustrated for not making putts a lot. Today I decided to let go of the results and see what happened and it came out pretty good.”

Yealimi Noh also gained legions of fans this week after reaching the tournament via the Monday Qualifier. The 17-year-old, just two weeks shy of her 18th birthday, held her own again the best in the world, playing alongside World No. 1 Sung Hyun Park in the final group on Saturday and four-time LPGA winner Amy Yang on Sunday. Her sixth-place finish was a welcome result and a great learning experience, coming in her third-ever LPGA event and first as a professional.

“Yesterday playing with the No. 1 player in the world was a bit nerve wracking, just seeing how composed she was and really like expressionless. Just little things like skill-wise I was really impressed,” said Noh, who passed up a scholarship to UCLA in favor of going pro. “And then I had a really great time with Amy today. Talked a lot. It was all fun.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 26 Shanshan Feng (64-67-65-63)

• Her 259 is the lowest 72-hole score of her LPGA Tour career; her previous best was 266 at the 2013 Reignwood LPGA Classic, the 2014 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic and the 2014 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
• Her final-round 63 is tied for the lowest round of her LPGA Tour career, tied with the third round of the 2008 LPGA State Farm LPGA Classic, the fourth round of the 2014 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia and the second round of the 2017 TOTO Japan Classic
• She hit 11 of 14 fairways and 18 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• Feng is in her 12th season on the LPGA Tour; she has nine career victories, most recently at the 2017 Blue Bay LPGA
• This is Feng’s 15th event of the 2019 season; her best finish is a tie for fourth at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions
• She is competing in her first Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
• On Nov. 13, 2017, Feng became the first player from the People’s Republic of China, male or female, to be ranked No. 1 in the world, a position she held for 23 weeks
• Won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil

Rolex Rankings No. 9 Ariya Jutanugarn (65-64-67-64)

• Her 260 is the lowest 72-hole score of her LPGA Tour career; her previous best was 265 at the 2016 CP Women’s Open and the 2017 Bank of Hope Founders Cup
• She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 26 putts
• Jutanugarn is in her fifth season on the LPGA Tour; she has 10 career victories, most recently at the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open
• This is Jutanugarn’s 16th event of the 2019 season; her best finish is a tie for third at the LOTTE Championship
• She is competing in her third Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, finishing T15 in 2018 and withdrawing after the first round in 2017
• In 2018, she swept all five major season-ending awards – Rolex Player of the Year, the Vare Trophy, the Money Title, the Race to the CME Globe and the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award
• Has been No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for a total of 23 weeks, most recently for the week of Feb. 25, 2019

CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE – SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE

The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group will donate $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Elizabeth Szokol made a hole-in-one on No. 2 from 129 yards at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. There are now 17 aces recorded this season and a total of $340,000 raised thus far.

LEADERS TOP 10 COMPETITION

The LEADERS Top 10 competition awards a $100,000 bonus to the LPGA player with the most top-10 finishes through the completion of the event held immediately prior to the CME Group Tour Championship. In the event of a tie in total top-10 finishes, the award will go to the player with the most official wins, followed by most second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc., until the tie is broken.

With a T5 finish at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, Hyo Joo Kim moves into a tie for first with Danielle Kang and Nelly Korda with eight top-10 finishes on the season.Eun-Hee Ji moves into a tie for fourth with Brooke Henderson with a T9 finish and seven top-10 finishes total. Ariya Jutanugarn (2) and Amy Yang (T3) move into a tie for sixth with six.

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS

18 holes: 61 (-11), Patty Tavatanakit (fourth round, 2019)

36 holes: 127 (-17), Sung Hyun Park, 2019

54 holes: 192 (-24), Sei Young Kim, 2018

72 holes: 257 (-31), Sei Young Kim, 2018

The Thai teenager, daughter of former SEA Games and Asian Games national player Pimpisamai Kansuthi, dashed the hopes of Briton Holly Fischer 7-5 4-6 6-1 in the girls’ singles opening round on court No 7.

Despite playing in her first ever Major, Mai, who was born in the United States, got the better of her nerves to brush aside cheers from the home fans and settle her score with the rival who beat her in another earlier junior event.

“It’s quite challenging because the crowd was on her side,” said Mai who won a junior Grade 2 tournament in Kolkata, India in January. “Basically I just had my coach, my mother and brother cheering me on.”

Ranked 67th in the world junior rankings, the youngster was forced out of her comfort zone and use slices and drop shots which worked well on the grass court of the All England Club.

“I was really nervous before and during the match. But I’m really glad I pulled through and won,” she added.

Pimpisamai, who quit tennis in her early 20s to further her studies in the US, beamed with pride as she watched her daughter adjust her game.

“She normally prefers to hit groundstrokes,” said Pimpisamai whose younger son Tanapat also plays tennis. “I told her to mix up her shots when playing on grass. It was unbelievable to see her hit those shots which proved really effective out there,” said the ex-tennis player who brought her children back to Thailand three years ago to pursue their tennis goals.

Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) has taken the first ever win in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, converting the first E-Pole into victory as the Cup kicked off in style in Germany. A Red Flag on the penultimate lap brought the race to an early end but it was a stunning spectacle throughout, with Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) taking second and Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completing the podium.

It was Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) who took the holeshot from second on the grid, with Smith up to his old MotoGP™ class tricks to get a stunning launch from P7 and move into second, round the outside of polesitter Tuuli. Garzo then headed wide and Smith took over in the lead, with Tuuli also a little off line and that letting Di Meglio through into third. Xavier Simeon (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) then picked the pocket of the Finn too, and the polesitter was down into fifth.

He soon set about hitting back, however, slicing through into fourth and then third as Di Meglio attacked Smith at the front, taking the lead. The trio were pulling away to make the fight for the podium a three-way affair, leaving Garzo battling Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) for fourth and Alex de Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) defending from Simeon.

With six to go, Smith struck back for the lead and it wasn’t long until Tuuli moved through too, tagged onto the back wheel of the Brit and recovery from a tougher first couple of laps almost complete. A lap later he made a move but Smith took him back at the final corner, and the two blasted down the start-finish straight in tandem.

Tuuli set it up and attacked again into Turn 1, the Finnish rider back in charge and slowly but surely able to get just enough breathing space to stay out the clutches of Smith. Meanwhile, just behind, Garzo had managed to tag onto the battle for second. But drama then hit slightly further back as Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) came together with Lorenzo Savadori and the Italian went down, and ultimately that would decide the race.

Savadori was up and ok, but the air fence took a hit from the bike and that meant the Red Flag came out, cutting the race short. With the standings based on the last lap over the line, that made Niki Tuuli the history-making first ever winner in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup.

Bradley Smith took second ahead of Di Meglio, with the Frenchman having only just attacked him for P2 but that now null and void. Garzo was forced to settle for fourth, with Ferrari completing the top five.

Alex De Angelis got the better of Xavier Simeon and took P6, with Eric Granado recovering from well outside the top ten after getting caught out in an early melee and the Brazilian taking P8. Sete Gibernau (Join Contract Pons 40) was ninth at the head of a big gaggle of riders squabbling over the final two places in the top ten, ahead of Nico Terol (Openbank Angel Nieto Team), Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse), Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team), Jesko Raffin (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Kenny Foray (Tech 3 E-Racing). Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) completed the points.

That’s it from the inaugural weekend for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, with Tuuli the first ever winner and therefore our first Championship leader. How will Austria shake it up? The Sachsenring is about corners, and the Red Bull Ring is much more stop-and-go. Tune in on the 11th August for Round 2!

Niki Tuuli: “I’m really happy, already after the first test we knew the bike was going to fit for me, but every time we’ve gone but we’ve been close to the top three and that’s the main thing, and especially here in the fast corners I’ve been really good and I think that’s where yesterday I made the laptime as well.

“On Friday and Saturday we had good speed and I know the places where I’m quite a lot faster at the moment. In the race because the weather is quite difficult we didn’t know where were the wet patches on track and we made the bike softer. Then straightaway when we started the race and I hit the brakes at Turn 1 I hit the bottom and knew it was too soft. After that I tried to keep the riding quite soft for the first two laps and after that I tried to push a bit and find out where it was working or not. I made a couple of mistakes when I was pushing too much, but in the end I made a small gap. We have many thing to improve and unfortunately today we had a really short race. But in the end we were first all weekend so it’s a good start to the year!”

Podium L-R: Smith, Tuuli and Di Meglio

Podium L-R: Marquez, Viñales and QuartararoMarquez sublime at the Sachsenring to take back the leadSpaniard takes his first ever Grand Prix win in a race that sees two key names in the title fight come together

Podium L-R: Binder, Marquez and Schrötter