Her unquestioned and undying self-confidence has not always been so readily available and accessible in Ishige’s arsenal during her youth.

While her fierce demeanor in competition was seen on numerous occasions one the ONE Championship stage, it was during her formative years where the future Thai mixed martial arts superstar endured the fight of her life.

During her childhood, Rika was frequently picked on because of her appearance as she is of Thai and Japanese descent that always sported a genuine smile with friendly eyes and was petite in stature.

“When I was a junior in high school, I was bullied by the seniors because I am only half Thai,” she recalled. “At first, they made fun of me verbally, like calling me terrible names, and after that I was physically bullied. I got pushed from behind and had my hair pulled.”

With her teachers seemingly turning a blind eye to the bullying, Rika decided to enroll in a martial arts class in a bid to equip herself with the skills needed to defend herself if the situation required it.

Rika began her martial arts training at the age of nine with Aikido, Karate and Taekwondo.

“I started martial arts at a young age,” she shared. “It was to challenge myself. I did Karate, Taekwondo and Aikido together. I did not learn martial arts to hurt people. It is just for self-defense.”

As she continued to progress in her martial arts journey, Rika gained self-confidence and learned how to avoid conflict altogether by growing a thicker skin.

“I became stronger—not only physically, but mentally,” she said. “I felt calmer and better at controlling my emotions.”

Although she initially started learning martial arts for self-defense purposes, it led her to a continuous path of self-improvement.

“You cannot change others, only yourself. You should get physical strength by working out or practicing martial arts to protect yourself from physical or sexual bullying. Also, you will build mental strength for dealing with verbal bullying, including cyberbullying,” she stated.

By the time that she reached her twenties, Rika dabbled into different combat disciplines such as Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Fascinated by martial arts’ competitive nature, she eventually transitioned from being a student learning the tricks of the trade to becoming a professional competitor.

Rika turned professional in 2017, acing three of her first five assignments under the ONE Championship umbrella.

The 29-year-old native of Bangkok, Thailand will make her comeback in her hometown at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES on 6 October after nearly seven months away from action.

Rika takes on Myanmar’s Bozhena Antoniyar, a two-time national boxing champion who is now regarded as a mixed martial arts atomweight prospect.

After falling short in his most recent outing against Filipina debutante Angelie Sabanal this past March, Rika does not need to look too far for motivation to win his upcoming bout as she was able to overcome her painful past.

“It’s all hard work and dedication. My life and career are eventually the same,” she conveyed. “To succeed, you need to work harder each and everyday. Most importantly, appreciate everyone and everything around you.”

By strapping on four-ounce gloves, Rika sees it as an honor and privilege to represent Thailand in ONE Championship.

“Martial arts in Thailand has really taken off, and I am proud to be a part of its growth. I have progressed a lot so far in my young career. The possibilities are endless for me, and I will continue to work hard to make my family and my fans proud,” she declared.

Rika does not expect any problems continuing her venture into the constantly-growing world of martial arts as she believes that she is fully fortified with the task at hand.

“Martial arts is my passion. I’m really happy when I share and learn new things about martial arts with others. I’m surrounded by people who support me in training. It makes me stronger. I am ready for this upcoming bout,” she guaranteed.

“I know I have a lot to work on with my skills, but I am hitting the gym hard every day, and I feel I have improved greatly as a martial artist. I can’t wait to show everyone what I have been doing,” Rika continued.

Rika asserted that her sixth professional stint should serve as a platform for people to realize that martial arts has the ability to unleash an individual’s greatest potential.

“Martial arts is not about fighting. Its real aim is to empower both men and women. I would like to continue this campaign for everyone who doesn’t understand the beauty of this sport,” she concluded.

Still in the process of recovering from hip surgery in January, Murray had this week produced some of his best tennis of the year at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Centre but in the end was simply undone by Verdasco’s stealth.

“When he had his opportunities, he played well,” said Murray. “First set I had quite a few chances. Didn’t take them. He was very aggressive from the back of the court and didn’t make too many mistakes so he deserved the second set.”

Murray was broken twice -– in the ninth game of the first set and the third game of the second.

Both times the winner came after Verdasco had kept the pressure on at break point, and had then pounced to put away his opponent’s weaker second serve.

The 34-year-old fifth seed, who knocked Murray out of the US Open last month, also used his own serve to good effect, firing down 11 aces for the match.

Verdasco was able to repel the majority of the attacks mustered by Murray, ending the match having staved off five of the six break points he faced.

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam title winner, is bringing his season to a close with two tournaments in China and will now head to Beijing.

The 31-year-old has seen his world ranking drop to 311 due to the persistent hip problems that necessitated surgery.

But he said he would spend the northern winter working himself back to the fitness levels that saw him capture nine titles in his stellar 2016 campaign, including his second Wimbledon and his second Olympic gold.

“It was another three matches which is positive,” said Murray. “But obviously, I want to play better than that. I have higher ambitions than losing in the quarterfinals. I want to try to be better in these events.

“I need to spend more time on the practice court and the gym so that I’m more robust and physically in better shape. Right now, I feel like as the week goes on, I’m slowing down a little bit.”

Alex De Minaur of Australia

– Teenage challenger –

Now standing in between Verdasco and a place in Sunday’s final will be qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka.

The 22-year-old Japanese player continued his fine run of form this week by overpowering Britain’s Cameron Norrie 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.

Saturday’s other semi-final will see Australian teenager and seventh seed Alex de Minaur face unseeded Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

There has been a buzz around the rise of the 19-year-old De Minaur as he has moved to 40th in the world across the season, while still chasing a breakthrough tournament victory.

Friday’s 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) win over fourth seed Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia showcased why the young Aussie is fast gaining a reputation as a player who loves a good scrap out on the court.

He should get exactly that against the 27-year-old Herbert, a three-time Grand Slam doubles title winner.

Herbert dug deep himself in a 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 quarter-final win over Spain’s Albert Ramos Vinolas as the Frenchman chases a first singles title.

Trailing by two points after the opening-morning fourballs at Le Golf National, home captain Thomas Bjorn brought wildcard picks Poulter, Garcia and Henrik Stenson into the action and the decision paid off in style.

Europe roared back at the Americans to the delight of raucous crowds at the first Ryder Cup to be played in France.

“It’s hard to say it’s not right at the top as a session, but then you’ve got to look at the other way and say this morning’s session wasn’t at the top,” said Dane Bjorn.

“It is right at the top. When you clean-sweep, that is something that is pretty special to all those players that are out on that golf course.”

US skipper Jim Furyk left out Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed after their defeat by Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood got Europe on the board, and his players totally lost the head of steam they had built up earlier in the day.

“I think we had the momentum going into the afternoon, but we just didn’t carry it in,” said Furyk.

“Don’t take anything away from the Europeans. They played a great session of golf from top to bottom.”

It was the first foursomes clean sweep for the hosts in Ryder Cup history, gaining revenge for the 4-0 foursomes defeat they suffered on the first day of the Americans’ win at Hazeltine two years ago.

The States arrived at Le Golf National with a star-studded outfit featuring nine major champions as they look for a first win on European soil since 1993, but they were left shell-shocked after falling apart on the picturesque Albatros course.

Stenson and Justin Rose reprised their successful partnership of Ryder Cups gone by to see off Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson 3 and 2, while Garcia teamed up with Swedish rookie Alex Noren to crush Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau 5 and 4.

The experienced duo of Poulter and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy battled back from 2-down to beat Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson 4 and 2.

Molinari and Fleetwood grabbed their second win of the day with a 5 and 4 thumping of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, as all the American pairings finished their rounds over par.

All four matches saw dominant triumphs for Europe, and finished within an hour of each other.

US golfer Tiger Woods

– Rose, Stenson get back together –

FedEx Cup winner Rose — who had slumped to defeat by Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau earlier in the day alongside Jon Rahm — put in a solid performance with Stenson which saw them storm 5-up after 11 holes and leave Johnson and Fowler with too much to do.

Rose and Stenson have now won five of seven Ryder Cup matches as a partnership.

“Henrik and I have had great vibes in this event,” said Englishman Rose.

McIlroy had struggled badly in the fourballs, failing to make a birdie or win a hole as he and Danish debutant Thorbjorn Olesen lost to Johnson and Fowler.

But, despite taking a two-hole advantage after three, Simpson and Watson reeled off five bogeys in just six holes to throw the match away.

The talismanic Poulter all but ended the encounter as a contest with a dead-eyed birdie putt on the 13th, after an incredible recovery shot from McIlroy out of thick rough.

“It’s been a long time since I played a Ryder Cup,” said Poulter, who was a vice-captain in the loss at Hazeltine in 2016. “Four years is a long wait but the second I got going this morning, I felt good.”

– Garcia repays Bjorn’s faith –

The 38-year-old Garcia had been a controversial pick by Bjorn after a poor season, but he and Noren raced into a 7-up lead over the misfiring Mickelson and DeChambeau on the front nine.

Former Masters champion Garcia has won 23.5 points since making his Ryder Cup debut as a teenager in 1999, and needs just two more to pass all-time record-holder Nick Faldo’s mark of 25, but he was quick to praise Noren’s performance in his first Ryder Cup match.

“I think Alex was a rock,” said the Spaniard. “I helped him a little bit here and there and it was great to get a point.”

Spieth and Thomas were magnificent in their thrilling 1-up fourballs win over Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton, but off-colour against the excellent Molinari and Fleetwood.

British Open champion Molinari, as he did in the win over Woods and Reed, made the winning putt.

Politics, national unity and respect for human rights in Turkey emerged as key themes in the campaign to host Europe’s premier international football event.

In the end the result was not close: Germany, which had been the favourite, won the vote among UEFA’s executive committee members by a margin of 12-4, with one abstention.

UEFA considered that the German bid already had everything in place to host a successful event — from stadiums to infrastructure and hotels.

“We will do our utmost to live up to our expectations,” German Football Association (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel said after the winner was announced at UEFA’s lakeside Swiss headquarters.

– ‘Football can unify’ –

Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006, but has never staged the Euro as a unified country: West Germany hosted the competition in 1988, a year before the Berlin Wall came down.

Thursday’s win also offers a boost to German football after a disastrous 2018 World Cup, when the country failed to qualify for the last 16 — after winning the tournament in 2014.

European football’s governing body has also said it wants to make as much money as possible from the 2024 tournament and Germany was considered the better financial bet.

The German bid, which sees matches spread over 10 stadiums, has the capacity to sell 2.78 million tickets — nearly 300,000 more than Turkey.

But Germany did not just pitch itself as a steady hand that can host a lucrative tournament without a hitch — it has also voiced hope that a tournament on its soil could build societal unity.

After the World Cup debacle, German football was engulfed in an ugly ordeal by Arsenal star Mesut Ozil’s retirement from international football.

Ozil, born in Germany to Turkish parents, accused the DFB of racism after he was targeted with xenophobic comments for being photographed with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the World Cup.

By coincidence, the Turkish leader arrived in Germany on Thursday for a three-day state visit, including talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas said the 2024 tournament “will be an opportunity to show what we stand for in Germany: openness to the world and tolerance, freedom and respect.

“Together, we have to make the European Championship a tournament for all Europeans,” he added.

Germany coach Joachim Loew called the win “exceptional.”

“You could feel the tension,” he said. “We will do everything now to deliver an awesome European championship.”

– Erdogan’s shadow –

The polarising Turkish president had desperately wanted to deliver a first major sporting event to his football-mad nation.

Istanbul notably lost the race to host the 2020 Olympics to the Japanese capital Tokyo and Turkey also narrowly missed the chance of hosting Euro 2016 which went to France.

Erdogan’s government has spent heavily on football infrastructure including gleaming new stadiums and pitched itself as “a land bridging continents.”

Ultimately, it proved to be not enough and Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian reputation likely did not help his cause.

Rights groups have decried the unprecedented crackdown and thousands of arrests that followed a failed 2016 coup.

This was the first Euro bidding process that included specific human rights requirements.

In an ominous sign for Turkey ahead of the vote, UEFA’s evaluation report noted that “the lack of action plan in the area of human rights is a matter of concern.”

The Euro 2024 result may well be a bitter personal defeat for Erdogan, who has sought to build a reputation as a man who can deliver.

Turkish Sports Minister Muharrem Kasapoglu called the outcome “sad” and implied that the loser in the bidding was not Turkey but the tournament itself, which would miss out on the experience of taking place in Turkey.

“In this sense we have lost nothing as a country. Euro 2024 has lost out from the point of view of our experience of hospitality,” he said.

The 13-strong team will travel to the Argentine capital with their parents to attend the Youth Olympic Games from 4 to 9 October and are invited to watch the Opening Ceremony − which will be the first of its kind to take place outside a stadium − and the various sports competitions.

The IOC President, who will meet the team during their visit said: “We are very happy they accepted our invitation to come to the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. I am sure they will be warmly welcomed by all the athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees, and being in the Youth Olympic Village will be an enrichment both for them and the other athletes. We also plan to organise a football game for them so that they can not only enjoy the life in the Village, but also demonstrate their sporting skills.”

The “Wild Boars” team captured world attention in June when they were trapped for almost two weeks inside a flooded cave in the Chang Rai province of Thailand. IOC President Thomas Bach commented: “The ‘Wild Boars’ showed great strength and resilience – truly Olympic values. This is why I asked them to come to the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires to share their experiences with other young athletes.”

The Youth Olympic Games takes place in Buenos Aires from 6 to 18 October 2018. For more information, go to www.buenosaires2018.com

 Despite having had a long lay-off, Nong-O did not miss a beat as he engaged in a spirited Muay Thai contest with the Frenchman in Manila.

The two traded their best shots in three solid rounds of action but it was Nong-O who showcased superior technique, plastering Pinca with thudding left kicks to the midsection and scoring with his patented sweeps.

In the end, all three judges ruled the bout in favour of Nong-O, earning the five-division Lumphini Stadium champion a unanimous victory.

“I felt very happy. I was excited for my ONE Championship debut. I felt great in the ring, and I really enjoyed myself,” he says.

“It was my first bout in a long time, so I was not 100 percent sharp yet. I will be better in my next bout.”

Although he has nothing to prove the legendary Muay Thai competitor plans to be around for a while yet.

Nong-O  says he has a couple of new goals he wants to accomplish.

The notable absentee from his trophy cabinet is a gold-plated ONE Championship strap.

“I want to win a ONE World Title. The goal that brought me back to compete is to become a ONE World Champion. I want to win the title and defend it many times,” he said.

Nong-O returns to action on  October 6, when he takes on another Frenchman, Mehdi Zatout, on the undercard of ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, at the Impact Arena in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok.

If Nong-O can can beat a man who has more than 100 competitive matches under kickboxing and Muay Thai rules, a world title shot in ONE Super Series may not be too far away.

“A victory  will be another step up in my career. It will push me onto bigger and better things. I am very excited to step back in the ring,” he said.

Both sides made nine changes with one eye on the top of the table Premier League clash between the same two sides on Saturday.

But Maurizio Sarri’s gamble on throwing on Hazard 10 minutes into the second half paid off as Emerson Palmieri levelled from his free-kick 11 minutes from time before the Belgian’s wonderful solo effort won the tie.

“Not only is he one of the best in the Premier League — if not the best — but he is one of the best in Europe and the world,” said Zola, himself a Chelsea legend as a player.

“In my opinion we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s remarkable.”

Daniel Sturridge looked set to haunt his former employers by opening the scoring for Liverpool shortly after he had missed an open goal early in the second-half.

But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who took charge three years ago next month, will now have to wait until at least May to deliver his first trophy since arriving at Anfield as another chance of silverware slipped by with his side’s first defeat of the season.

“This is good preparation for Saturday but we have to defend better,” said Klopp.

“We could have played calmer football but it’s normal when you make changes.”

– Missed chance for Morata –

It was another frustrating night for Alvaro Morata, though, as the Chelsea striker failed to make the impact Sturridge did at the other end.

Morata’s best chance came inside 20 minutes when the Spaniard latched onto Cesc Fabregas’s pass over the top.

Simon Mignolet did well to divert Morata’s initial chipped effort before he dragged the rebound across goal and beyond the far post.

Liverpool took longer to adjust to the wholesale changes with £47 million ($58 million) signing Fabinho making his full debut in midfield, while Dejan Lovren made his first appearance of the season in central defence after playing a full part as Croatia reached the World Cup final.

However, they dominated the early stages of the second period and should have been in front when Sturridge rounded Willy Caballero, but somehow skewed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Sarri introduced Hazard with 35 minutes remaining, but moments later his side were behind as Sturridge made amends in spectacular fashion with an overhead kick after Caballero parried Naby Keita’s drive.

Hazard took his time to make an impact, but also had a hand in the equaliser as his free-kick was headed goalwards by Ross Barkley and, after Mignolet made a smart save, Emerson poked home the rebound.

Sturridge came close to putting Liverpool back in front as he hit the bar.

But instead it was Hazard who showed his class to strike the winner as he danced past five Liverpool challenges before crashing a rising shot into the far corner for his sixth goal of the season.

“I spoke with N’Golo (Kante) on the bench and he told me he didn’t want to take a penalty, so the only solution was to score,” joked Hazard.

“This result will give us more confidence because we drew with West Ham four days ago. The game on Saturday is more important. We have got to try and beat Liverpool on Saturday.”

Barca’s 2-1 loss to relegation fighters Leganes was the greater shock but Madrid’s beating was more emphatic, blown away by Sevilla during a torrid 39 minutes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

For both, it was their first defeat of the season and for both, defensive fragility was the key factor and a major concern with the second round of Champions League games to come next week.

By the end, Atletico Madrid, who had cruised to victory over Huesca on Tuesday and play Real on Saturday, were the biggest winners. After a stuttering start, Diego Simeone’s side will jump above Real with a win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Sevilla can be a formidable opponent on their own patch but few expected Leganes to inflict what was only Barcelona’s second league defeat in 17 months.

Gerard Pique committed the decisive error, his fluffed clearance allowing Oscar Rodriguez to score Leganes’ second goal in two incredible minutes at Estadio Municipal de Butarque.

Nabil El Zhar had nodded in an equaliser just 68 seconds before and by the end Philippe Coutinho’s sumptuous early volley was reduced to little more than a footnote.

After drawing at home to Girona on Sunday, albeit with 10 men, Ernesto Valverde’s selection also came under scrutiny, after he opted to rotate for the second time in three days.

Against Girona, it was Coutinho, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti on the bench and just as they all had to be called upon in the second half at the Camp Nou, so were Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba this time.

“Of course the coach is responsible, a losing coach always feels responsible,” Valverde said.

“But obviously it is easy now to talk about the rotations — in the end, matches are analysed on results — but you can’t win the league with only eleven players.”

Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday and then Tottenham at Wembley in the Champions League four days later but one point from two of La Liga’s lesser opponents is a concern.

So is the form of Pique, who was also at fault against Girona and will almost certainly start against Spurs, with Umtiti suspended.

“You have to judge the whole team, not individuals,” Sergio Busquets said.

“There are no excuses. We have to concede fewer goals and be more solid. Today the league isn’t lost but we might miss these three points at the end of the season.”

Real Madrid, who were just kicking off as Leganes closed out, could have pulled three points clear at the top but instead were three down at half-time for the first time in a league game since 2003, also against Sevilla.

Twice Jesus Navas sped away on the counter-attack, and twice he found Andre Silva, the first time with a deliberate cut-back, the second when his shot was palmed out for a rebound.

Wissam Ben Yedder added a third six minutes before the interval, volleying in from close range after the Madrid defence had pushed out.

That was all it took. Luka Modric had a goal ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee, his ankle straying just offside, before Gareth Bale missed a one-on-one. Sevilla were cheering every pass by the finish.

The Bahraini royal first took the reins in 2013 when the Asian body was still reeling from a corruption scandal which saw his predecessor, Mohamed bin Hammam, banned from football for life.

At the AFC Congress next April, Sheikh Salman could face a challenge from Saudi Arabia’s Adel Ezzat, head of a new regional bloc, the South West Asian Football Federation.

“I am proud of what we have achieved in that time and I am not ready to leave this organisation into a state of chaos,” Sheikh Salman said in a statement.

“We have all seen what the AFC was before, and we have seen what it looks like now and I hope that we can continue that progress.”

Sheikh Salman was elected by a landslide in 2013 and completed the last two years of bin Hammam’s term, before being re-elected unopposed to a full, four-year term in 2015.

His potential challenger, Ezzat, resigned as head of the Saudi football federation last month, saying he wanted to focus on the AFC elections.

While Saudi Arabia has long been a marginal player in the game, the oil-rich kingdom — currently involved in a diplomatic row with 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar — is seen as being in the midst of a push for influence in football governance.

Asian football has a chequered history after Qatar’s bin Hammam was accused of bribery during his 2011 campaign to unseat the now disgraced Sepp Blatter as president of world body FIFA.

After having a life ban annulled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, he was handed a second lifetime ban by FIFA in 2012 for conflict of interest violations.

Rest stations are to be erected on the three main routes to the Chang International Circuit where all commuters will be able to relax, eat, drink and have check-ups done on their vehicles.

The three stations are at Lam Takhong Dam on the Bangkok-Buriram road; the old gas station next to Khu-muang Market on the Udon Thani-Khon Kaen-Buriram road; and at the Robinson Department Store in Surin Province on the Ubon Ratchathani-Surin-Buriram route.

A shuttle service will also be provided at Honda Shuttle Station within the Circuit compound and special parking spots for Honda Thailand vehicle users, as well as a Welcome Zone for the general public.

Food and drinks will be provided at the Honda Pavilion to welcome VIP guests, members of the media, Honda Wings Centre representatives, and racers from the Honda Academy and Thailand Talent programs.

Moreover, 3,500 seats will be reserved for Honda Club cheerleaders, distributors and Honda users to cheer on their Thai and foreign favourites throughout the three-day road event.

While Thailand has no representatives in the main event, Honda’s Nakarin Athiratphuwapat and two wildcard holders – Somkiat Chantra of Honda and Apiwat Wongthananon Yamaha – will carry Thai flags into the Moto3 race.

For the Asian Talent Cup – an “undercard” race ahead of the MotoGP organised for up-and-coming racers – the Kingdom will be represented by Thatchakorn Buasri, Kobchai Liu and Nitipong Saengsawang.

Also, fans will be able to catch a close glimpse of some of Honda’s race motorbikes at the Honda Exhibition Hall near the circuit’s activity zone.

The display will include a Honda NSR500, Honda RC211V – the origin of MotoGP racing motorcycle that comes with 4-stroke engine and grabbed the highest number of wins for Honda – and a RC213V MM93, the vehicle used by Marc Marquez.

Owners of Honda vehicles will also be able to rub shoulders with some of the stars themselves including Marquez himself, four-time MotoGP champion, and his teammate Dani Pedrosa at A.P. Honda Private Zone on the evening of October 6.

The weekend will also feature a performance by Honda team ambassadors and a concert by Palmy “Eve” Pancharoen.

A live stream of all the activities in the Honda motorcycle zone and Meet & Greet sessions will be available at https://www.facebook.com/hondamotorcyclethailand.