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MMA Stars Tyler McGuire, Agilan Thani, and Other Athletes Virtual Media Day Interviews for ‘ONE: BIG BANG II’ (nationthailand.com)

MMA Stars Tyler McGuire, Agilan Thani, and Other Athletes Virtual Media Day Interviews for ‘ONE: BIG BANG II’

Dec 10. 2020

 ONE Championship™ (ONE) athletes competing at ONE: BIG BANG II, a previously recorded event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for global broadcast this Friday, 11 December, spoke to the media ahead of their respective bouts.

Former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion and #3-ranked flyweight contender Jonathan “The General” Haggerty, Japan’s Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito, former ONE World Title challenger Tyler McGuire, #1-ranked lightweight kickboxing contender Nieky “The Natural” Holzken, and other athletes competing at ONE: BIG BANG II all took time to talk about their upcoming bouts.

The United Kingdom’s Jonathan Haggerty will be facing off with Japanese spitfire Taiki Naito in the evening’s main event offering. Haggerty addressed media ahead of the bout to touch on a variety of topics, including the United Kingdom’s most recent COVID-19 lockdown and how it affected his preparations, comments on Naito’s game and how important this bout is for him to win, his two wars with Rodtang Jitmuangnon, and earning another ONE World Title opportunity. All that and more in Haggerty’s complete pre-event interview down below.

The man standing at the opposite end of the ONE Circle is Naito, who is currently unbeaten in ONE Championship. Naito talked to the media about his secrets to success, thoughts on Haggerty as an opponent, potentially earning a shot at the ONE World Title, and how COVID-19 affected his training. Listen to Naito’s complete pre-event interview at the link.

After Tyler McGuire suffered the first defeat of his professional career at the hands of former ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian Kadestam in 2018, the previously unbeaten American went on a much-needed break to clear his mind and reevaluate his career. Now McGuire is ready to return to the ONE Circle in spectacular fashion against Agilan Thani. McGuire fielded questions surrounding what he did during his time away from competition, the intricate details about his fight against Kadestam, his opinion of Agilan as an opponent, and much more.

Malaysian sensation Agilan Thani is also an athlete looking to bounce back and revitalize his career. After a hard-earned victory over Dante Schiro in late 2019, Agilan is ready to claim another prized scalp in Tyler McGuire. Agilan fielded questions regarding his training with Martin Nguyen and Aung La N Sang at Sanford MMA, his various side jobs to keep financially afloat during COVID-19, thoughts on his upcoming opponent McGuire, his experience facing ONE World Champions, and more.

Kickboxing superstar Nieky Holzken is looking to get back to his winning ways after two heart wrenching setbacks against his countryman, and now reigning ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian Eersel. Speaking to the media, Holzken shared his thoughts on his two bouts against Eersel, the biggest lessons he learned from those experiences, his opinion of Elliot Compton, and what keeps him motivated at this stage in his career. Holzken’s complete pre-event interview is listed down below.

#5-ranked lightweight kickboxing contender Elliot Compton will be looking to add the biggest name to his fight resume when he takes on icon Nieky Holzken. Ahead of the much-anticipated contest, Compton talked about earning a ONE World Title opportunity, his opponent’s specific strengths and weaknesses, what he predicts will happen in the fight, and potentially training in MMA.

ONE Warrior Series product Ali Motamed is finally making his ONE Championship main roster debut. The Iranian warrior spoke with the media about what fans can expect in his first official appearance in the ONE Circle, the lessons he learned under the legendary Rich Franklin, his thoughts on Iranian martial artists around the world, and his specific advantages over his next opponent. Catch Motamed’s complete pre-event interview down below.

Complete Card for ONE: BIG BANG II

Taiki Naito vs. Jonathan Haggerty (ONE Super Series Muay Thai – flyweight)

Nieky Holzken vs. Elliot Compton (ONE Super Series kickboxing – lightweight)

Tetsuya Yamada vs. Kim Jae Woong (mixed martial arts – featherweight)

Errol Zimmerman vs. Rade Opacic (ONE Super Series kickboxing – heavyweight)

Agilan Thani vs. Tyler McGuire (mixed martial arts – welterweight)

Ali Motamed vs. Chen Rui (mixed martial arts – bantamweight)

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Four new venues to join Asian Tour Destinations (nationthailand.com)

Four new venues to join Asian Tour Destinations

Dec 10. 2020

 Four of Asia’s most-exceptional golfing venues – Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club in Malaysia, Laguna Golf Lăng Cô in Vietnam, Sapporo Country Club and The North Country Golf Club, both in Japan – have become part of Asian Tour Destinations.

All four are award-winning venues, with a history of hosting world-class tournaments, and join a select group of members at Asian Tour Destinations – which is an exclusive network of elite golf clubs with direct ties to the Asian Tour.

Earlier this year Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand; Classic Golf & Country Club in New Delhi, India; and Kota Permai Golf & Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, became part of the emerging network.

They joined Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore – which was the first golf club to sign up in 2015.

Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour, said: “Asian Tour Destinations is flourishing and now boasts eight of the finest golf clubs in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asian Tour is delighted to welcome the latest additions to this exclusive membership body.

“The main objective of Asian Tour Destinations is to provide an affiliate membership programme between the associated venues and the Asian Tour – which will drive sustainable growth and development for the betterment of golf in our region as a whole.”

Horizon Hills is one of the great golfing facilities in Southern Malaysia and has hosted three editions of the Iskandar Johor Open where Ireland’s Padraig Harrington won in 2010, Dutchman Joost Luiten in 2011 and Spaniard Sergio Garcia triumphed the following year.

“Within a short space of time, since our opening in 2008, Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club has become a household name in the regional golf industry,” said Tang Meng Loon, Director, Club, Townships & Property Management, Horizon Hills.

“It was therefore a logical step for us to become part of Asian Tour Destinations – which is a platform that will allow us to further build our brand in the region and beyond.”

Laguna Lăng Cô Resort boasts the distinction of having Sir Nick Faldo’s first Signature Design open for play and it is the home of the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final – which is hosted by Sir Nick himself every year. The Asian Tour has been a long-time supporter of the Faldo Series, which has helped to grow the game of golf globally. Laguna Lăng Cô is an integrated golf and beach resort and is part of the Banyan Tree Group. It is the first golf course in Vietnam to be Earth Check Gold Certified.

Said Adam Calver, Director of Golf, Laguna Golf Lăng Cô: “Vietnam continues to be at the forefront of golf expansion and development in the region and we are very proud that Laguna Golf Lăng Cô is a contributor in this evolution. We appreciate the work the Asian Tour continues to do to grow the game here and Asian Tour Destinations is a perfect fit for us and supports our resorts future plans and ambitions.”

Sapporo Country Club and The North Country Golf Club, both located in Hokkaido, are the first golf clubs from Japan to join the Asian Tour Destinations fold.

“This is an exciting development for Sapporo Country Club: to align ourselves with the Asian Tour Destinations programme. And to have the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with some of the other premier golfing venues in Asia will prove invaluable,” said Yamazaki Shigeki, President, Sapporo Country Club.

The North Country Golf Club has been the home of The Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) since 2005.

And their championship course was designed by Japan legend Isao Aoki – the winner of 51 titles on the JGTO and the first player from Japan to win on the PGA Tour, at the Hawaiian Open in 1983.

Said Yasuhiro Ota from The North Country Golf Club: “The North Country Golf Club is proud of its long association with The Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup – which demonstrates the club’s desire to connect with the game of golf at the highest level. Our involvement with Asian Tour Destinations provides us with a similar pathway for us to improve and reach the highest standards, operationally and commercially.”

Being a part of the Asian Tour Destinations network means that each venue is certified Tour calibre and operates a comprehensive range of facilities and services to their members and guests under tournament-ready conditions all-year round.

Among the core benefits, Asian Tour members will be able to play and practice at each venue, allowing for the members at each club to enjoy direct engagement with the region’s best golfers.

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Defending champion Lee6 back for more Women’s Open glory (nationthailand.com)

Defending champion Lee6 back for more Women’s Open glory

Dec 09. 2020 JEONGEUN LEE6  The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open was a breakthrough moment for Jeongeun Lee6. After introducing herself to the golfing world with a tie for fifth at the 2017 championship, the Korean star captured her first LPGA Tour victory last year with a two-stroke victory at the Country Club of Charleston.

“I’m a bit of a nervous, but I’m just trying not to think about it too much,” said Lee6, who is attempting to become the first back-to-back winner U.S. Women’s Open winner since Karrie Webb in 2000 and 2001. “I just want to feel kind of loose when I play on the course, so I don’t feel super tense and then feel nervous all the time.”

This is Lee6’s fourth LPGA Tour appearance of 2020, having returned to Korea following the Tour’s two weeks in Australia in February. While the LPGA Tour resumed play in July, Lee6 opted to stay home and keep her game sharp on the KLPGA Tour. In 13 competitions, she had five top-10 finishes, including back-to-back runner-up showings at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters and the IS Dongseo Busan Open. She returned to LPGA Tour competition with a tie for 16th at last week’s Volunteers of America Classic.

“It feels weird being in Korea for that long, but I really did enjoy staying at home with my family,” said Lee6. “Then got to play on the KLPGA Tour, and my goal was to win one of the tournaments on the KLPGA Tour, but I’m glad that I got to play all the tournaments in Korea. Coming back to the States, it just makes me more excited and I’m happy about it.”

DANIELLE KANG WELL-PREPARED FOR OPEN CHALLENGE

It’s hard to believe, but when Danielle Kang made her U.S. Women’s Open debut in 2007 at age 14, she had only been playing golf for a year and a half. Fast forward to 2020 and she’s become one of the best golfers on the planet, with two LPGA Tour victories in 2020 and a major title at the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to her name.

Kang comes to Champions Golf Club on fresh legs, last teeing it up at the LPGA Drive On Championship – Reynolds Lake Oconee in late October. After a scouting visit to Champions in early November, the two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion feels as prepared as she can be to take on the Cypress Creek and Jackrabbit courses.

“I came here during the Houston Open, during the men’s event, and played three rounds just to get familiar with the golf course. But I actually didn’t play on Monday here, and today I played nine holes,” said Kang, whose best U.S. Women’s Open finish is solo fourth in 2018. “I think being able to calibrate between the golf courses back and forth will be really key, because they’re both rolling differently, the greens. They break differently, speed is different, and grass is a little different.”

Kang is known for tinkering with her game, working hard to dial in her numbers and clubs with coach Butch Harmon. Using the phrase “titter tatter” to describe her play at Lake Oconee, Kang used the last month of downtime to really focus on what she needs to do to contend for a second major title.

“When I played this golf course, I knew I needed my distance, I needed the height, my speed, I need that, and that’s very important to me,” said Kang. “I didn’t quite have that in Georgia when I played at Lake Reynolds, and I hit my driver like 225, about 225, and I was hitting things lower. That’s something that I wanted to change when I came out here, or at least have in my bag because Cypress Creek is a big golf course. There’s a lot of cover numbers, like 230. There’s going to be a lot of 4-irons in and 5-woods, and if I could kind of capitalize on that 10, 15 yards, I think it’ll benefit me just a little bit. I wanted to tune that in during the few off weeks.”

SEI YOUNG KIM’S ROLL COULD WELL CONTINUE AT THIS U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN

From holing an 8-iron out of the fairway to beat Inbee Park in a playoff in Hawaii, to setting an all-time LPGA Tour scoring record; from making a 22-footer on the final green at the CME Tour Championship to capture the largest payday in women’s golf history, to picking apart a difficult Aronimink Golf Club to win her first major title, Sei Young Kim has always shown a flair for the dramatic. It would surprise no one if she was hoisting the U.S. Women’s Open trophy at the end of the week.

“I didn’t prepare to get myself into those dramatic situations but I’m glad I was able to overcome (the pressure) and perform,” Kim said in typical understated fashion.

As humble as she is, she loves the spotlight. She is our game’s Tom Brady and Michael Jordan, the latter of whom she does know; the former, not so much. But sports history aside, Kim is one of those rare athletes whose game gets better as the pressure mounts. She is the person you want holding the ball for the final shot, the one you want taking snaps on the final drive.

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MP1 signs multi-year agreement to host a domestic eSport series in Indonesia, pitched as a platform into the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series (nationthailand.com)

MP1 signs multi-year agreement to host a domestic eSport series in Indonesia, pitched as a platform into the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series

Dec 09. 2020

 An exciting new eSport project is coming soon: the MotoGP™ eSport Indonesian Series. Dorna Sports has signed a multi-year agreement with MP1 to give the Indonesian company exclusive rights to the new competition, which is set to begin in 2021.

The series is designed as the perfect platform into the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series, giving the most successful gamer an opportunity to compete in the MotoGP™ eSport Global Series next year.

MP1, an Indonesian company operating in the events and sports management industry, recently announced a partnership with Gresini Racing across MotoGP™, Moto2™, Moto3™ and MotoE™ from 2021, and the next step is now virtual as the company partners with Dorna Sports in the ever-growing eSport landscape. Indonesia is one of MotoGP™’s biggest markets with one of its most passionate fanbases, creating the perfect environment for the world’s first domestic MotoGP™ eSport series.

The MotoGP™ eSport Championship began in 2017 and has proven an incredibly successful and critically-acclaimed project, becoming a vital part of Dorna Sports’ portfolio alongside on-track competitions. Since inception in 2017, the competition has grown to encompass an incredible 23 online challenges, two Pro Drafts and seven on-site live events, and by 2020 has more than 60 million video views.

One of the most exciting additions for 2020 has been Dorna’s all-new eSport talent promotion initiative called WINDTRE Rising Stars Series, which is aimed at finding and fostering fresh eSport talent around the world. The collaboration between Dorna and MP1 in the new MotoGP™ eSport Indonesian Series aims to create the perfect stepping-stone into the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series, providing the opportunity for the most successful gamer to compete in the MotoGP™ eSport Global Series and take their competition to the next level.

Marissa Komala, Managing Director Commercial & Creative, MP1: “The face of sport and way many people participate has been changing for some time now, and the situation this year has really accelerated the development of eSports.

“As part of our strategy to develop motorsport in Indonesia and, in particular, to target young talent, we have entered into a long-term partnership with Dorna to exclusively host the MotoGP eSport Indonesian Series. 

“The series will see MP1 hosting a full calendar of events across the whole of Indonesia showcasing the talents of the best Indonesian gamers and ultimately using the domestic series as a platform to move into global competition.

“We are very conscious of the magnitude of the fans’ enthusiasm for MotoGP here in Indonesia. This has been a driving factor in our announcement of our partnership between Indonesian Racing and Gresini Racing starting in MotoGP next year.

“We will provide an exciting and fulfilling experience for both MotoGP and eSports fans here in Indonesia through our new partnership with Dorna. We have no doubt that this is something all MotoGP fans have been waiting for and we are very exciting to be part of it. 

“It’s an absolute honour for everyone at MP1 to be holding the MotoGP eSport Indonesian Series in Indonesia, in partnership with Dorna.”

Pau Serracanta, Managing Director, Dorna Sports: “For four years now, Dorna has made a strong commitment to eSports and since then the MotoGP eSport programme has never stopped growing. First with the Global Series, then with the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series, and so the next natural step is to organise a MotoGP eSport national series in a country where MotoGP will race in the near future and where the MotoGP fan community is one of the biggest in the world.

“This agreement and MP1’s investment in our sport guarantees the success of the first ever MotoGP eSport national competition, the MotoGP eSport Indonesian Series.”