Li Ning Singapore Open 2011

Li Ning Singapore Open 2011

This year's Li-Ning Singapore Open has attracted some of the world's best shuttlers mainly because ranking points for Olympic qualification are at stake.

Big names competing include Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan from China and India's top women shuttler Saina Nehwal. But Malaysia's world number one male player, Lee Chong Wei is giving the Singapore event a miss.

It was a good 2010 for India's Saina Nehwal, who won three Super Series titles, including the Li-Ning Singapore Open women's singles event.

She is back to defend her title and the world number four said she is expecting a stiff challenge from Chinese players.

She said: "I am really working on my strokes, little bit more on my movement, so that I move faster against them. Because (at any point should) you move slower or you take it easy, you will lose the match. So I need to be very quick on the courts, so I am working on that speed and a lot of my strokes."

Defending men's singles champion, Sony Dwi Kuncoro from Indonesia and China's Lin Dan did not show up for the media conference on Monday. No reason was given for the Indonesian's no show, while Lin Dan cited a stomach upset for giving the media session a miss.

Last year's losing finalist in the men's singles, Boonsak Ponsana, agrees with Nehwal about the tougher competition this year. The Thai, who won the Singapore singles title in 2007, also thinks the prize money can be better to promote the sport.

Veteran Danish shuttler Peter Gade agreed and added that the Badminton World Federation can learn from the success of the Chinese.

He said: "The BWF's job is to transfer what they see and what they do with the Chinese in China to other countries. You have a huge interest for badminton. When we play in almost every country, if you have the right players, all the best players, a lot of spectators. So it should be possible."

Host Singapore's best chance lies with the women's doubles pair of Shinta Mulia Sari and Yao Lei, who are the defending champions.

With a stellar line-up of players competing this year, organisers are expecting more fans to show up. Already all 4,000 season tickets and 90 per cent of the premier seats have been sold out, even before the competition starts on Tuesday.

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Dallas Mavericks

Well we’d better all get our aspirin ready because it’s going to be another year of constant LeBron James and Miami Heat hate.
The Mavericks just flat out wanted it more and they deserve every piece of recognition they deserve. Dirk Nowitzki was terrible for three quarters, but as we have seen so many times throughout the playoffs and the Finals he came good in the fourth as did his team.
Jason Kidd for me was the Finals MVP. I know Dirk was incredible and un-guardable and unconscious and undeniable and every other adjective you can associate with that same theme, but Jason Kidd was the collected leader Dallas never had and he continually made the right play to ensure he got his long awaited and deserved championship. I am very happy for both those guys, as they can finally leave that ‘they were very good but never won a championship’ conversation.
Jason Terry infuriated me over 6 games perhaps more than anyone else has in a series before. OK that’s a lie Paul Pierce trumps him in one game, but he definitely got under both my skin and the Miami Heat’s. His idiotic decision to get a championship trophy tattooed on his arm before the season may now become a craze for bidding NBA champions. Despite me hoping someone would shoot him down when he pretended to be a plane, or a ‘Jet’, him and Barea were two of the biggest reasons that can be attributed to Dallas’ comeback from a 2-1 deficit.
Coming into the series I truly doubted Marion could guard either James or Wade. I couldn’t figure out how Dallas, known for having probably the poorest defense of the elite teams, were going to stop Miami’s offensive onslaught. Despite Dallas’ firepower, I presumed Miami’s athletic defense would be the extinguisher, especially given their performances against the Celtics and Bulls.
How I was wrong. Dallas played unbelievable defense, defense we didn’t even see from the Celtics nor the Bulls, supposedly two of the top 5 defenses in the league, if not top 3. Dallas showed the zone is still relevant in the NBA.
Miami, much like the media that slammed LeBron for failing late, had completely forgotten about the Celtics and Bulls series’ and what had been so successful for them. They became so passive and stationary on offense it was embarrassing. When Wade had the ball James stood in the corner and vice versa. Bosh again went hiding and only popped up every now and then to give up easy buckets on defense.
So we come to LeBron James. Following the Boston and Chicago series he had even Scottie Pippen believing he could be better than Michael. How quickly that turned around. Before game 1 of the Finals everyone had forgotten every criticism they had on LeBron’s game as he, at times single handedly, tore apart the East’s best defensive teams, even more so in late game situations.
Rumours sprouted around the place of Rashard Lewis apparently sleeping with LeBron’s long time girlfriend and wife of his two children whilst she was living with LeBron in South Beach. As far as I am aware Savannah and James’ children live in their palatial mansion in Akron, Ohio and does not live in Miami because they did not want to re-locate the kids. That is why James still spends his off season in Akron. People believe this had a lot to do with LeBron’s dip in form, but until that is proved correct, which we all know won’t happen, it’s just an excuse to cover up his failures.

LeBron failed. Simple as that. Everyone fails, everyone has bad games or bad weeks. Unfortunately for him he lost form in the NBA Finals and his teammates were not good enough to cover for him. No one remembers Kobe Bryant shooting 6/24 in game 7 of last year’s Finals because his teammates were good enough to get the Lakers through, and the universe of hate that surrounds Miami too will be forgotten once they start winning.
Dallas wanted it more and they were clearly the better team. Miami must go away and get better, but I’ll discuss that tomorrow when I take a look at Miami’s season as a whole and how to move forward.
As a Cavaliers fan it wasn’t hard to watch Miami lose. As a LeBron James fan I have become accustomed to disappointment.
Regardless of the conflicting emotions nothing stirs me up like the abuse on LeBron James, and be sure he will be feeling the same way.
For the Heat fans out there, they will be back. For the LeBron James fans out there, this is only the beginning.

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Ryan Bertrand

Ryan Bertrand

England Under-21 defender Ryan Bertrand believes that his career in the first-team squad at Chelsea has been hindered by Ashley Cole’s talent despite it being a great experience to learn from the Three Lions' Player of the Year.

The 21-year-old has been on loan at lower league teams since his debut for the Blues in 2006 and first team opportunities stifled by the presence of one of the mainstays of the Stamford Bridge team.

Bertrand admits that he has learnt a great deal from Cole, whom he considers to be the best left-back in the world.

"It's a massive positive having him at Chelsea - and a massive hindrance too I suppose!" said Bertrand, who joined the Blues aged 15.

"He's definitely right up there - his attitude, the way he goes about training.

“He's won the most FA Cups, and a lot of other silverware, and to still have that attitude at his age is fantastic."

"He's a fantastic role model, despite all the stuff that gets written about him. He's a brilliant man and a brilliant player to have around to help you with your game.

"If I ever have anything to ask him about a certain situation on the pitch, he's more than happy to come back and talk."

Bertrand has tough competition in his position with Patrick van Aanholt contending for the left back berth at Stamford Bridge.

He also has to rise above Leighton Baines and Kieran Gibbs, who pulled out of the U21 championships due to an injury, if he is to ever land Cole’s place in the England national team.

Bertrand is likely to go out on loan next season to get more regular first-team action and he admits that he sometimes thinks that things would have been better for him if he had been a right-back but he has not made any decision on his future yet.

"Every player has different paths and mine so far has been out on loan,” he added.

"You've seen the benefit for Scott [Sinclair]. He's gone up this year with Swansea and it's been fantastic for him.

"I'm just concentrating on the near future."

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Borek Dockal

Borek Dockal

Ceko started the fight in the European Cup group stage U-21 to achieve brilliant results. In a match in Group B in Viborg Stadium on Monday (13 / 6) pm dawn, Czech successfully conquer the Ukraine 2-1.

Czech victory goals Borek Dockal hired captain.Meanwhile, Ukraine can only minimize its defeat before the game ended.

Ukraine dominated the game more real. Passes them impressive make Ukraine be able to master the game.Only, they never threatened to attack the Czech defense.Andriy Yarmolenko, for example, failed to take advantage of opportunities after receiving a cross from Bohdan Butko.

Czech itself began to rise after getting pressure in the early minutes. Driven by striker Tomas Pekhart, Czech threaten Ukraine's defense.

Thomas obtained a good chance HoYava. But the kick was wide. Next, turn Pekhart who got a chance to break into the escort Ukraine goalkeeper goalkeeper Anton Kanibolitskiy. Only, his header well wide.

Czech new finally able to score a goal in the second round. This time, Dockal successfully exploit opportunities through his left foot volley which beat Kanibolitskiy in the 49th minute.

Disadvantaged 1-0, Ukraine experienced a situation worsen. Taras Stepanenko captain who was forced to perform brilliantly pulled out through injury.

Losing Stepanenko create difficulties offset Ukraine Czech. Even their goal conceded by Dockal back in the 55th minute.Through a series of remarkable bait, Dockal finish kick left foot shot into the goalkeeper of Ukraine.

Czech Ondrej barely extended his lead through Celustka. However, his header was hitting the goalpost.

Ukraine finally managed to minimize his losses through Beliy Maksim scored in the 87th minute. After that goal, Ukraine's defense shut Czech. They tried to equalize. Unfortunately, their efforts never bear fruit. The position remained 2-1 to the Czech.

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El Salvador vs Cuba

Heading into the final round of group stage games I thought it would be a good idea to survey where theteams stand. While group A seems to be a foregone conclusion, groups B and C are much less settled. Teams can still jump from third to first and change the landscape of the knockout rounds. So let’s take a look at where things stand heading into tonight’s action.
Group A
Mexico is the class of the group. With back to back 5-0 results the Mexicans are steamrolling towards the knockout stage despite a little distraction. While they’ve sputtered at times El Tri has looked every bit like the tournament favorite many thought they’d be.
They’ll get their toughest test by far tonight against Costa Rica. The Ticos are a bit of a helter skelter team right now with a dominating performance against Cuba that was followed up by an iffy performance that a stoppage time goal saved. They’ll have to kick it up a notch to contend with a dangerous Mexican team tonight if they want to qualify first in their group.
Standings: Mexico (6 pts, +10 GD), Costa Rica (4 pts, +5 GD), El Salvador (1 pt, -5), Cuba (0 pts, -10 GD)
On the line: First place between Mexico and Costa Rica and can El Salvador get the win over Cuba and put themselves in a spot to get a 3^rd place spot in the quarters?
Group B
In another group where the favorites will play each other last Jamaica and their Monday opponent Hondurashead into the final game of the group stage both looking to finish first. Jamaica has exploited their speed advantage in the first two games and look very dangerous going forward. They’ll be tested on defense for the first time by a dangerous but sometimes sputtering Honduras squad that put together a seven goal display against Grenada last time out. Grenada is out of the tournament but Guatemala is holding out hope for a third place spot with one point heading into the final match with the overmatched Spice Boys.
Standings: Jamaica (6 pts, +6 GD), Honduras (4 pts, +6 GD), Guatemala (1 pt, -2 GD), Grenada (0 pts, -10 GD)
On the line: First place between Jamaica and Honduras and a third place spot for Guatemala.
Group C

With Panama’s upset over the USA last night they are in the pole position for the group. Like the other group leaders the Panamaians have a tough test ahead of them with Canada who still has an outside chance of placing first. The USA is currently in second and has overmatched Guadeloupe ahead. Being down on goal differential the U.S. will have to pour it on and hope Canada beats Panama if they want to win the group. With that said, the final night of the group stage should have some fireworks as group C is the closest group of them all.
Standings: Panama (6 pts, +2 GD), USA (3 pts, +1 GD), Canada (3 pts, -1 GD), Guadeloupe (0 pts, -2 GD)
On the line: Everything. Any of the top three teams can win the group and with a shocking win Guadeloupe could put themselves through as the second place team. Tuesday night will be a fun night to watch – or terrible if you’re a USa or Canada fan.
If the groups ended today the quarterfinals would shake out like this:
- Costa Rica (A2) v. Honduras (B2)
- Mexico (A1) v. Canada (C3)
- Jamaica (B1) v. USA (C2)
- Panama (C1) v. Guatemala (B2)
Action kicks off tonight with El Salvador v. Cuba and Mexico v. Costa Rica (the must watch game of the tournament so far).

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Spain U21 vs England U21

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck slotted home an 88th-minute equaliser to rescue a point for England Under 21s in their opening European Championships match in Denmark.

Stuart Pearce's side had looked like slipping to a disappointing defeat after Ander Herrera pounced at the far post to prod home in the 14th minute.
England would have felt aggrieved as there was more than a suspicion of handball as the Spain Under 21 midfielder scored, but later that turned to relief after Welbeck's fine turn inside the box and low finish.

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Nascar Schedule

The 14th race of the Sprint Cup season is within an hour of taking the green flag - if the weather cooperates - at the Pocono Raceway in the picturesque Pocono Mountains of Pnnsylvania.
Kurt Busch has the pole for today's race, with Paul Menard sharing the front row. Visit Jayski.com to see the entire lineupfor today's race.
Here are some stories of potential interest on today's 5-Hour Energy 500.
Does Denny Hamlin break through? Ever since his humiliating loss in the November 2010 event at Phoenix International Raceway, Denny Hamlin has seemed a step or two behind his chief competitors. He lost the championship at Homestead and has struggled throughout this season. He seems to be slowly on the rebound, with four top-fives in his last five starts. Pocono has oflten been just what the Doctor ordered for Hamlin, as he got his first wins of the 2006 and 2009 seasons at the Tricky Triangle.
Can Jeff Gordon grab his second win of the season? Gordon has one win this year and is 13th in points, currently making him the only driver eligible for one of the newly-created wild card spots for the Chase. Gordon starts third and has four previous wins at Pocono. He last won the rain-shortened event in 2007 courtesy of some crafty strategy by then-crew chief Steve Letarte, which brings us to...
Is this Dale Earnhardt Jr's day? Earnhardt didn't have enough fuel to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, then he had enough to win at Knasas a week ago but Brad Keselowski also had enough and had more track position. Pocono, as a 2.5-mile track, lends itself to strategy, as current crew chief Steve LeTarte well knows. LeTarte, knowing Gordon didn't have the car to win that 2007 race, pitted him early so that, if the rain came when it was supposed to, the 24 car would be out front. It did, with Ryan Newman up to Gordon's door number. That was the end of the race, and Gordon and LeTarte had the victory. LeTarte isn't afraid to gamble, especially when it comes to ending the three-year winless streak of NASCAR's most popular driver.

Can Kurt Busch parlay the pole into a win? Busch, Carl Edwards, and Tony Stewart had the three best cars Sunday in Kansas, but all three had to pit. Busch's car stumbled leaving pit road, leaving him ninth at the finish. He's on the pole again this week after qualifying fastest with his backup car on Saturday. Busch is twice a winner at Pocono, leading a combined 306 of 400 laps in the July 2005 and August 2007 events he won.
Do we have another first-time winner? Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith each got their first-career wins earlier this season. Pocono was site of a first-time winner twice before, when Jeremy Mayfield won in 1998 and Denny Hamlin got his first ponts-paying win in 2006. Paul Menard starts second, while David Ragan rolls off 11th. Both have been termed as "wins waiting to happen," and today very well could be their day.
Do we get all 500 miles in today? The forecast for today's race has a 40% chance of rain. As a long, flat triangle, the track doesn't dry very quickly, As such, if rain does fall for an extended period, it could cut a significant chunk out of the final race distance. Rain hopefully will not play havoc with today's race, for as ungodly long as 500 miles at the Pocono Raceway seems to be, sitting through a rain-delayed race is even longer.

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LeMans

Audi overcame two crashes and held off a charging Peugeot to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, giving the German carmaker its 10th title at the renowned endurance race.
Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer drove the Audi No. 2 to victory, moving Audi moved into sole possession of second place for most victories at Le Mans behind Porsche with 16 titles. Ferrari is third with nine.
Audi No. 2 completed 355 laps in 24 hours, leading the Peugeot No. 9 driven by Simon Pagenaud, Pedro Lamyand Sebastien Bourdais by 13.854 seconds.
Stephane Sarrazin, Franck Montagny and Nicolas Minassian finished third in Peugeot No. 8, two laps back.
Peugeot No. 7 driven by Marc Gene, Anthony Davidsonand Alexander Wurz came in fourth, four laps off the pace.
The No. 7 and No. 9 Peugeots passed the Audi No. 2 overnight, but crashes of the Lola-Toyota No. 13 and Ferrari No. 59 brought out the safety car in the 15th and 16th hours and helped the Audi make up ground.
In the 19th hour, Lotterer clocked the fastest lap in 3 minutes, 25.289 seconds on the 8.5-mile circuit to build a significant lead.
Audi No. 2 managed to adapt to changing conditions when rain started in the 21st hour, forcing drivers to switch tires.
Peugeot No. 9 was slower than Audi No. 2, but the French manufacturer had a strategy based around the lower fuel consumption of its cars.
Although Peugeot No. 9 made only 28 pit stops compared to 31 for the Audi No. 2, the speed differential was significant enough to give victory to the German manufacturer.
Lotterer and Pagenaud made their last pit stops at the same time, but Audi No. 2 came out of the pits ahead of Peugeot No. 9 to keep the lead.
Audi No. 2 was under heavy pressure from three Peugeots throughout Sunday as Audi's chances of defending its title came to rest on just one car after two crashed out Saturday.

Defending champion Mike Rockenfeller was in second place in the eighth hour when he tried to pass the slower Ferrari No. 71 driven by Robert Kauffman.
Rockenfeller's Audi No. 1 was bumped by the Ferrari and slid off the track in darkness to smash into a guardrail, forcing the deployment of the safety car for the second time in the race.
The German driver was able to get out of the cockpit on his own before the wrecked car caught fire. He picked up cuts and grazes in the incident but was otherwise unhurt.
Audi also lost a car in a spectacular crash when Allan McNish's Audi No. 3 collided with a Ferrari barely 50 minutes after the start.
McNish, in second place, was attempting to overtake the slower Ferrari No. 58 driven by Anthony Beltoise — who was trailing by two laps — when the cars came together resulting in the Audi smashing into a tire wall and breaking into pieces.
The crash brought out the safety car to allow crews to clear the debris.
McNish was unhurt and walked away from the crash. The Scot was taken to a medical center and then to a hospital for more tests.

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24 Hours Of Le Mans

Audi overcame two crashes and held off a charging Peugeot to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, giving the German carmaker its 10th title at the renowned endurance race.
Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer drove the Audi No. 2 to victory, moving Audi moved into sole possession of second place for most victories at Le Mans behind Porsche with 16 titles. Ferrari is third with nine.
Audi No. 2 completed 355 laps in 24 hours, leading the Peugeot No. 9 driven by Simon Pagenaud, Pedro Lamy and Sebastien Bourdais by 13.854 seconds.
Stephane Sarrazin, Franck Montagny and Nicolas Minassian finished third in Peugeot No. 8, two laps back.
Peugeot No. 7 driven by Marc Gene, Anthony Davidson and Alexander Wurz came in fourth, four laps off the pace.
The No. 7 and No. 9 Peugeots passed the Audi No. 2 overnight, but crashes of the Lola-Toyota No. 13 and Ferrari No. 59 brought out the safety car in the 15th and 16th hours and helped the Audi make up ground.
In the 19th hour, Lotterer clocked the fastest lap in 3 minutes, 25.289 seconds on the 8.5-mile circuit to build a significant lead.
Audi No. 2 managed to adapt to changing conditions when rain started in the 21st hour, forcing drivers to switch tires.
Peugeot No. 9 was slower than Audi No. 2, but the French manufacturer had a strategy based around the lower fuel consumption of its cars.
Although Peugeot No. 9 made only 28 pit stops compared to 31 for the Audi No. 2, the speed differential was significant enough to give victory to the German manufacturer.
Lotterer and Pagenaud made their last pit stops at the same time, but Audi No. 2 came out of the pits ahead of Peugeot No. 9 to keep the lead.
Audi No. 2 was under heavy pressure from three Peugeots throughout Sunday as Audi’s chances of defending its title came to rest on just one car after two crashed out Saturday.
Defending champion Mike Rockenfeller was in second place in the eighth hour when he tried to pass the slower Ferrari No. 71 driven by Robert Kauffman.
Rockenfeller’s Audi No. 1 was bumped by the Ferrari and slid off the track in darkness to smash into a guardrail, forcing the deployment of the safety car for the second time in the race.
The German driver was able to get out of the cockpit on his own before the wrecked car caught fire. He picked up cuts and grazes in the incident but was otherwise unhurt.

Audi also lost a car in a spectacular crash when Allan McNish’s Audi No. 3 collided with a Ferrari barely 50 minutes after the start.
McNish, in second place, was attempting to overtake the slower Ferrari No. 58 driven by Anthony Beltoise — who was trailing by two laps — when the cars came together resulting in the Audi smashing into a tire wall and breaking into pieces.
The crash brought out the safety car to allow crews to clear the debris.
McNish was unhurt and walked away from the crash. The Scot was taken to a medical center and then to a hospital for more tests.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Terengganu

Never in the 90-year history of Malaysian football has there been an east coast final between Kelantan and Terengganu.
Hence, the 22nd edition of the FA Cup holds a special significance because this is the first major showdown bet­ween two east coast teams. And it is not just the Cup to play for but pride and honour.
Yes, they are neighbours but there is no love lost between the two bitter rivals when they try to outdo each other for the Cup at the Na­­tional Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight (8.45pm).
Kelantan are gunning for their first-ever FA Cup victory since the inaugural competition kicked off in 1990 while Terengganu, winners in 2000, are looking just as hungry for success.
The stage is set for a classic battle with the two teams who are pretty even in strength and determination to win it. And there is a strong possibility the outcome could be decided in a penalty shootout.
The record shows that four out of the last five finals have gone to penalty kicks.
And Kelantan were one of the heartbroken sides.
They lost 1-4 to Selangor in the penalty shootout in 2009. Kelantan were barely 10 minutes away from victory before Selangor drew level at 1-1.
Kelantan goalkeeper Khairul Fah­mi Che Mat does not want a repeat agony of the 2009 final.
He hopes the Red Warriors will pull through in 90 minutes.
“I was on the bench as the third goalkeeper in 2009. It was a painful experience to go down on penalty kicks.
“I don’t want to see it happen again although Kelantan and Terengganu are of equal strength,” said Khairul yesterday.
Kelantan coach Datuk M. Karathu feels the final would be evenly contested.
“Both teams have strong finishers and it will be entertaining for the fans but I don’t foresee a shootout to decide the winners,” said Karathu, who will be hoping to land a second winners’ medal after guiding Perak to the inaugural title in 1990.

Terengganu coach Irfan Bakti said their 0-3 defeat to Kelantan on Monday in the Super League clash, should not be used as a yardstick.
“We did not have five of our national players in that match because they just came back from an international assignment.
“They need­ed the rest and I chose not to gamble on fielding them. You will see the full team in action tomorrow (today),” said Irfan.
Abdul Hadi Yahaya, Terengganu’s leading hitman with 15 goals, believes they will be able to overcome Kelantan with their full team this time.
“Mohd Ashaari (Shamsuddin) was out on suspension on Monday and is now back for the final.
“That is good news because both Abdul Manaf (Ma­­mat) and I complement well while Ashaari supports from the midfield,” said Abdul Hadi.
The expectations are also high from both sets of vociferous supporters.
The Terengganu state government has dangled a lu­­cra­­tive holiday package to London and Europe if they win the FA Cup and the Super League title this season.

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Euro Under 21

Two years ago in Sweden, a 20-year-old Mesut Ozil led England a merry dance, turning in a virtuoso display in the European Under-21 Championship final as Germany romped to a 4-0 victory. Less than 12 months later, he was starring for the senior team at the World Cup in South Africa, his creative influence guiding Joachim Low's side to the semi-finals and catching the eye of Real Madrid.
For the next two weeks, Denmark will play host to the 18th European Under-21 Championship, as a collection of the continent's most talented youngsters congregate in what has become one of the most public shop windows in football.
Ozil is not alone in making the step-up from Under-21 starlet to world beater, and there will be a number of promising players aiming to emulate the likes of Luis Figo, Francesco Totti and Iker Casillas when the tournament kicks off on Saturday.

Denmark: Christian Eriksen, 19 (Ajax)The Ajax playmaker's meteoric rise from unknown youngster to one of Europe's most sought-after players is exemplified by the fact he will be making his debut for the Under-21s at this summer's tournament. Recently selected by a panel led by Johan Cruyff as the Dutch Football Talent of the Year, Eriksen has established himself in Morten Olsen's senior team but will drop down to the Under-21s in a bid to inspire the host nation to a first triumph in the competition.
Eriksen was the youngest player to appear at last summer's World Cup in South Africa and has set European football alight over the past 12 months with some thrilling performances for club and country. He became the creative hub of the first Ajax side to win the Eredivisie title in seven years in 2010-11, scoring six goals along the way.
He has attracted envious glances from some of Europe's biggest sides, with AC Milan, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid all linked to summer moves and a chance to cement his already stellar reputation awaits Eriksen in his homeland, though Ajax would be forgiven for praying he does not turn in the sort of displays they have become accustomed to.

Switzerland: Xherdan Shaqiri, 19 (FC Basel)Commentators will probably elude to his name sounding like Colombian pop sensation Shakira and the FC Basel winger can certainly be expected to dazzle the crowds on the pitch in the way Gerard Pique's girlfriend does off it. Shaqiri is a fearless dribbler, whose balance, acceleration and nimble footwork make him a real threat down the flanks for Switzerland.
He may only have two Under-21 caps, but that is because Shaqiri has become a mainstay in Ottmar Hitzfeld's senior side - playing 11 times since making his debut last year. He scored his first international goal in a Euro 2012 qualifier against England last year and also impressed against the Three Lions at Wembley a week ago.
Shaqiri is a nightmare for defenders to play against and his physical strength belies his 5ft 7in frame; the Kosovan-born starlet also has major tournament experience having played a part in last summer's World Cup and is widely tipped to make a big impact in Denmark, with scouts from Italy and Germany likely to be watching him closely.
Iceland: Gylfi Sigurdsson, 21 (Hoffenheim)The undisputed star of the Iceland squad, Sigurdsson demonstrated his importance to the team with two incredible individual strikes - one a curler, the other a swerver - against Scotland in his side's play-off victory to qualify for the finals. Opposition defenders will have been warned about his penchant for the spectacular; expect him to be given little room to shoot from anywhere within 35 yards of goal.
Sigurdsson now plies his trade in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim, though his root to the German top flight took him from a youth career at Reading through loan spells at unglamorous Shrewsbury and Crewe. He has shown why Hoffenheim were willing to part with £6 million last summer as, despite only starting 12 games, he has contributed ten goals and two assists and was named Fans' Player of the Year.
He is a midfielder but can be a real threat when playing as a second striker and if he combines with AZ Alkmaar forward Johann Gudmundsson as well as he did in qualifying - Gudmundsson scored six goals in nine games - then Iceland could well be a surprise package.

Belarus: Mickhail Sivakov, 23 (Cagliari)

The absence of injured Vladimir Yuchenko - who pulled the strings and scored two goals in Belarus' shock play-off victory over five-time winners Italy - is a major blow to a side already considered major outsiders, but the presence of captain Sivakov should ease the blow.
An all-action midfielder, Sivakov is the most experienced member of the Belarus squad, with ten caps (plus one for the senior side) to his name and also has plenty of motivation having also played in the 2009 European Under-21 Championship, when Heorhiy Kandratsyew's charges finished bottom of their group with just one point.
Sivakov has a great touch and is most dangerous when bursting from central midfield with the ball at his feet. Impressive performances for BATE Borisov in the 2008-09 Champions League - when Real Madrid and Juventus were among the opposition - earned him a move to Cagliari and though he has played just three times for the Serie A side, he has impressed on loan spells at Piacenza and Wisla Krakow.

England: Jordan Henderson, 20 (Liverpool)With Andy Carroll not included in Stuart Pearce's squad for the finals, new Liverpool signing Henderson can claim to be the most expensive player on show in Denmark. After sealing his switch to Anfield for an initial fee of £16 million, the midfielder will be keen to justify his price tag for the Three Lions.
England will look to Henderson to pull the strings in midfield, whether it be threading an incisive pass or advancing with the ball at his feet, the 20-year-old will take on the role of playmaker, with Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge hoping to be the chief beneficiary of his eye for an assist.
Henderson enjoyed a sensational season for Sunderland, which saw him named the club's Young Player of the Year and also earn a first senior cap, and he was responsible for creating 82 goalscoring opportunities for his team-mates in 2010-11 - 39 more than any of his team-mates and the fourth best total in the Premier League.
As well as possessing excellent delivery from set-pieces and in open play, six goals in six games for the Under-21s shows that Henderson also has an eye for a goal himself; he scored a superb long-range effort against Romania in the play-offs to help England to a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Ukraine: Andriy Yarmolenko, 21 (Dynamo Kiev)A first name is not the only similarity between Ukraine strikers Yarmolenko and Shevchenko, with the former tipped to emulate the latter for club and country. Dynamo Kiev's young No. 9 appears to possess many of the attributes that made his team-mate one of Europe's most fearsome strikers.
Yarmolenko's ruthless streak in front of goal saw him score 11 times for Dynamo in last season's Ukrainian Premier League - one strike more than his more experienced strike partner. He has thus far struggled to transform that form to the Under-21 stage, failing to score in any of his ten appearances, though he has netted an impressive three goals in eight games for Ukraine's senior side.
The 21-year-old's cool head in one-on-one situations and impressive finishing prowess will be valuable to a Ukraine side that can call on four players - including Yarmolenko - who have been allowed to drop down from the senior squad. Dynamic Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Taras Stepanenko is another of those players and his Champions League experience makes him and Yarmolenko, who tasted Europa League action in 2010-11, Ukraine's most dangerous weapons.

Spain: Thiago Alcantara, 20 (Barcelona)Picking out the jewel in Spain's positively glistening crown is an unenviable task. Manchester United target David De Gea and established stars Bojan Krkic, Diego Capel and Juan Mata are all sure to play an important role in La Roja's challenge, but Barcelona starlet Thiago Alacantra may be the one to watch in Denmark.
The son of former Brazil midfielder Mazinho, Thiago's football DNA was nurtured at Barca's renowned La Masia academy, via Flamengo in his father's motherland. The Italian-born midfielder's exceptional control and vision have seen him tipped as a potential successor to Xavi and he made his debut for the Blaugranas aged 18.
He flourished for Barcelona B early last season and became a more regular member of the first-team squad towards the end of the 2010-11 campaign; Thiago played 13 games and his presence on the substitutes' bench for the recent Champions League final meant that 11 of the Catalans' 18-man squad were La Masia graduates.
Thiago has been courted by both Brazil and Italy at international level but having been influential in Spain's triumph at the 2008 European Under-17 Championship - where he scored in the final - and run to the final of the 2009 European Under-19 Championship, the talented midfielder has insisted he will represent his adopted nation.

Czech Republic: Tomas Pekhart, 22 (FC Nurnberg)Quite simply a goalscoring sensation for the Under-21s, former Tottenham striker Pekhart will be many people's favourite for the Golden Boot. He may have struggled to convince Harry Redknapp of his abilities - Spurs released him in 2008 - but the Nurnberg frontman boasts an imperious international record of 16 goals in 22 games for the Czech Republic Under-21s.
Pekhart, who has also represented his country at Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, Under-20 and senior level, scored in both the semi-final and final as the Czech Republic lost out to Russia on penalties in the 2006 European Under-17 Championship. He goes into this summer's finals as the top scorer in qualifying with nine goals and scored one in each leg of the Czech's play-off victory over Greece.
A natural finisher, Pekhart has proven adept at scoring with his left foot, right foot and head and has shown he is capable of being a poacher and a creator his own goals; he possesses superb anticipation, but is also confident when it comes to taking on defenders.
Aside from Pekhart, his 19-year-old strike partner Vaclav Kadlec appears an excellent prospect. He is both Sparta Prague and the Czech Republic senior side's youngest ever goalscorer - netting for the former at the age of 16 - and has inevitably drawn comparisons with Czech legends Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky as well as being named 'Czech Talent of the Year' in 2010.

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Andre Russell

Despite an impressive main pavilion and an open ground, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium stands pretty much in no man's land compared to the old Antigua Recreation Ground right in the middle of capital St. John's, a few kilometres away.On Saturday, it reflected the state of West Indies cricket for most part as the team plunged towards another embarrassment before a late revival saw them finish on 225 for eight. The series sponsors had put out a contest for journalists, asking them to predict the score after 30 overs. West Indies were seven down at that stage before skipper Suresh Raina took the foot off the pedal.

He introduced the part-timers including himself and both number nine Andre Russell and ’keeper Carlton Baugh (36) cashed in. The pair added 78 before Munaf returned and dismissed Baugh straightaway.
The paceman also finished with three wickets but conceded 60 runs. However, Russell grew in confidence as he bludgeoned his first ODI fifty. He was eventually unbeaten on 92, after taking 22 runs of the 49th over bowled by Raina when Yusuf Pathan still had five overs left. The tall Jamaican hit eight fours and five sixes in his 64-ball knock, giving himself and his partner in the end, paceman Kemar Roach, some total to put pressure on the Indian batsmen.
Amit Mishra continued to pile on his mystery as he knocked off three batsmen in successive overs. The leggie, who grabbed four wickets in the second ODI, confounded the batsmen with his flight and turn.

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Andy Roddick

Andy Murray gave four-time champion Andy Roddick a grass-court masterclass as he swept past the American in 59 minutes to reach the final of the Aegon Championships.
The British number one produced one of his best ever displays, serving brilliantly and passing at will on his way to a 6-3 6-1 victory at Queen's Club.
Murray is now on the verge of reclaiming the title he won in 2009, with Sunday's final against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga brought forward to 1200 BST because of the threat of rain.
That was a consideration on Saturday too, but such was Murray's brilliance he was off the court in under an hour with the sun still shining.
"It was just one of those days," said Murray. "I hardly missed a ball. I was just lucky. Everything that touched my racquet came off. I felt great out there.
"[But] I'm sure if we play in a couple of weeks at Wimbledon it'll be a lot more competitive. Andy came into the net quite a lot, so I hit many passing shots today. It's nice to get off the court quickly. I've played a lot of tennis recently."
Two aces in the opening game set the tone, and he immediately went to work on Roddick's usually fearsome serve, reading it superbly and dictating the rallies with his backhand slice.

There was only one winner in the baseline exchanges, Roddick slicing into the net to give up the break in game two before standing and watching as the Scot fired 12 aces past him in racing through the first set, the last on set point.
If Roddick was banking on a lull in the second set, he was out of luck.
Murray actually raised his level, a forehand cross-court pass and a backhand down the line putting the pressure on Roddick in game one before the American double-faulted and dumped a volley into the net.
The floodgates were now open, with a killer drop shot and a blistering forehand pass giving Murray the double-break at 4-1, two more forehands and a lunging volley making it 5-1.
Roddick was little more than a spectator as the end came racing into sight, apparently asking Murray jokingly to "keep it social" when another forehand flew past him in game seven.
The former world number one briefly prolonged the contest by saving two match points, but could only guide a drop shot tamely into the net on the third to end the Murray demolition job.
Asked afterwards if it was the best Murray had played against him in their 10 meetings, Roddick said: "Oh, yeah, he played great. I felt like I hit the ball well. My serve - I haven't seen it, but I had to be close to 70% [Roddick's actual first-serve percentage was 83%].
"I remember missing one second‑serve return. I felt like I missed a bunch of chips and stuff by an inch or two."
Roddick added: "He's one of the best in the world at taking and controlling paces. He's very good at slow, slow, slow, and then he's able to strike. And he had really good ball control today. I felt like he was working it wherever he wanted to."

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Twins

The AL West-leading Texas Rangers haven't been fazed by a grueling road heavy stretch. That hasn't been the case when visiting the Minnesota Twins, but they have a chance to begin changing that now.
The Rangers look to win consecutive games in Minnesota for the first time in over three years when they continue this four-game series Saturday.
Texas (36-29) is 8-4 during a 20-game stretch that includes 17 on the road.
While the Rangers have split 32 road games on the season, they've won eight of the last 10 behind a .307 average, a vast improvement from their .267 overall season mark.
Texas put on an efficient offensive display Friday, collecting 13 hits - 11 singles - while scoring seven runs in the second inning to beat the Twins 9-3. That came a night after the club's losing streak at Minnesota (24-39) reached eight with a 5-4 loss on a walkoff single by Alexi Casilla.
The Rangers have won five of the past 22 road meetings with the Twins, and last won consecutive meetings in Minnesota from May 21-22, 2008.
Michael Young had three hits and three RBIs Friday, and is one game shy of tying Rafael Palmeiro for the franchise record for games played, but manager Ron Washington is planning to give him the day off.
The second baseman has a .360 average his last six games at Target Field.
"I want to play every day, but at the same time Wash was great," Young said. "I told him I'm fine, I told him I'm ready to go. He just said he wants to take care of me."
Texas turns to Colby Lewis (5-6, 4.37 ERA), who has had his own difficulty with the Twins, especially on the road. He's 0-3 with a 7.03 ERA in eight games - four starts - against them, with all three decisions coming at Minnesota where he's compiled an 8.31 ERA.
The right-hander enters this meeting trying to rebound from his worst - and shortest - outing of the season. He lasted just 3 1-3 innings Monday, surrendering season highs of nine runs and 10 hits in a 13-7 loss to Detroit.
Lewis has a 0.76 ERA while winning two of his last three road games.

While Young is getting a day off for the Rangers, Justin Morneau is expected back in the Twins' lineup after asking for a day off due to pain in his left wrist and a pinched nerve in his neck that affects his shoulder.
The first baseman is hitting .225 on the season, going 2 for 27 his last seven games. He's also 3 for 30 with one RBI in the past nine meetings against Texas.
The Twins, 7-16 at home, give the ball to Scott Baker (3-4, 3.86) as he tries to win consecutive starts for the first time since August.
The right-hander got his first victory in six trips to the mound Monday, but was shaky while allowing four runs and a season-high nine hits - two homers - in seven innings of a 6-4 win at Cleveland.
Baker is 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA in three home starts, but 3-0 with a 3.76 ERA in his last four overall against the Rangers.

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Formula Drift Singapore 2011

The organisers of the Achilles Asian Drift Series 2011 announced today the introduction of the first ever Team Championship format.
The announcement was made at the VIP Formula Drift Singapore 2011 Presented by Achilles Radial, with the goal to further professionalise the sport across the globe.
Singapore will be the first formula drift championship in the world to crown the inaugural Team Championship title, which is a new points system that rewards teams for their performance. This is a brand new aspect to the Formula Drift series worldwide (USA, Middle East and ASEAN), and the Republic's Formula Drift event will be the first leg in the series to kick it off on 11-12 June 2011 at the F1 Pit Building.
Spectators and motorsports enthusiasts are in for a thrilling weekend, with 44 world-class drivers from the ASEAN region and international drivers from Japan, Australia and America competing in the fourth edition in Singapore.
This year's event will also introduce a new judging format that places greater importance in style over speed - a move that promises more screeching tyres, smoke and thrilling drift moves on the track that will make this year's event more exciting than ever.

Explaining the reason behind the concept, Mr. Ryan Sage, Co-Founder of Formula Drift said, "Singapore's a fantastic motorsport nation with passionate fans, and we're pleased that this leg will be the first ever to adopt the new Team Champion format. The move aims to professionalise the sport led by the teams, while creating more opportunities for sponsorship and branding. At the drivers' level, this also fosters and accelerates team and driver development as well.
"This year's new judging system promises more exciting drift action, focusing on style than speed and bringing the sport closer to its roots. In drifting, going fast sideways is always more fun to watch."
Added ESPN STAR Sports' Harvey Davis, Vice President Event Management, "This is an exciting year for Formula Drift in Singapore. We are attracting more and more of the best drivers around the world to compete in our race and we are also very proud of the fact that the representation and talent from the South East Asian nations continues to grow every year. More importantly, the fantastic support from the growing number of spectators every year show how the sport resonates with motorsport fans in Singapore."
Organised by ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group, this inaugural drift championship will comprise an exciting four-leg series including Formula Drift Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The Singapore event is the first of a four-leg series for Achilles Asian Drift Series which will be followed by events in Indonesia in October, Thailand in November and the year-end Grand Finale this December in Malaysia.

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Sleague

There will be a play-off for the Solomon Islands' 2012 O-League place after Solomon Warriors defeated Koloale on penalties following a hard-fought 1-1 extra-time draw in the final of the Telekom S-League Championship Series.

The result means the two sides will now meet each other again to determine who will represent the country in the next O-League - a clash that would not have been necessary if Koloale had followed up their S-League title win with another victory in Sunday's championship final at Lawson Tama Stadium.

But the Warriors were in no mood to let that happen and signalled their intentions straight away by taking the lead with one of the first kicks of the game.

The referee had barely removed the whistle from his mouth when U-20 international Dennis Ifunaoa stole possession and lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Shadrack Ramoni to put Warriors in front after just 30 seconds.

Another chance fell to Ifunaoa five minutes later but he could not take advantage and the iniative was instead handed over to Koloale, who began to press forward themselves and enjoyed the better of the rest of the half.

They could not find a way past Warriors goalkeeper Paul Huia though and the teams went into the sheds with the score still at 1-0.

It remained that way for the first half of the second spell but the Warriors finally saw the lead they had clung onto for over an hour disappear in the 66th minute when Ian Paia tucked away a Joses Nawo cross to bring the Koloale fans to their feet.

There was no further scoring for the remainder of the half and extra-time also failed to produce any more goals as the teams edged towards a penalty shootout.

Goalkeeoper Huia, fresh from helping his country win the OFC Futsal Championship in Fiji last month, became a hero during the shootout by saving the spot kicks of Jeffery Bule and Nawo to earn his side a memorable win and keep alive their O-League hopes.

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Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow is ripped. He looks almost cartoonishly ripped. His look, while impressive, reminds me of how Stewie looked on Family Guy in the episode he took ‘roids so he wouldn’t get beat up by his fellow babies. It’s like Tebow has tacked on 30 pounds of muscle so he can tell John Fox, “I’m the starting quarterback!” in Denver. I digress, though.
Tebow played in the FedEx St. Jude Classic pro-am on Wednesday and looked to be killing the ball again, as he did with Jack Nicklaus earlier in the year. That led USA Today to report a claim that Tebow’s swing speed was 141 mph. (At least initially it did, that line has since been removed from the post.)
That got Golf Digest’s Mike Stachura wondering if Tebow actually could swing that fast. He interviewed a number of club fitters around the country who had experience with launch monitors and their readings for the average amateur. To put a 141 mph swing into perspective:

A swing speed of 141 mph would be more than 28 miles per hour faster than the current PGA Tour swing speed average (112.64), as measured by the TrackMan launch monitor at PGA Tour events. It would be 16 mph faster than the leader in swing speed average, J.B. Holmes (125.12). It would be 14 mph faster than the fastest speed recorded by Bubba Watsonthis year (127.02). It also would be the equivalent of the average swing speed recorded by the eight finalists in the 2009 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships (141), but two miles per hour slower than the speed of the finalists recorded at the 2010 RE/MAX WLDC (143).
So, at least statistically, Tebow’s reported speed would be in a territory reserved for the sorts of swings that drive the ball 400 yards.
Nike later told the magazine that Tebow swings around 120 mph. It’s still impressive, but Tebow should stick with quarterbacking – or converting to linebacker.

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Rashard Lewis

Rashard Lewis Did Not Sleep With Lebron James' Baby Mama

Rashard Lewis is denying rumors that he's been involved with Savannah Brinson, the longtime girlfriend ofLebron James.
As previously reported rumors swirled Thursday that the Washington Wizards forward slept with Brinson during a trip to South Beach.
“I have a very reliable source who clubs and drinks with all of the athletes that come through Orlando. He was all over the Tiger Woods issue and knew what all happened with Tiger prior to it being released publicly.
My buddy has a place in Orlando, Lake Nona to be exact, and he lives among some athletes that live there in Orlando. Needless to say he golfs, drinks, and parties with some of the best people in central Florida. So when word got to him while at the bar last night, he called me. Word got out while drinking with friends, that Rashard Lewis slept with Lebrons girl while visiting South Beach.”
Now Lewis is stepping up tot defend himself and called Qui West of The Box Houston to put the rumors to rest.
He tells West that's he's never even met Brinson and called her camp to make sure she was okay.

“Those rumors are 100% false, it's not true. If anything they need to let the man play he's trying to win a championship….I never met her before, I reached out to her….on their side of the camp they know it's not true.”
The NBA player also made sure to mention that he does not have a Twitter page and has not been making comments about the issue. He adds that the NBA is like a sorority and he would never disrespect James.
“Completely false, we're a sorority. We're like brothers and you don't do that to a brother. I would never cross that line.”

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Lebron James Girlfriend

First Delonte West was rumored to be sleeping with LeBron James’ mom, which many felt was the reason for the lackluster performance from the former Cavs star during last year’s playoffs.  Now, following LeBron’s embarrassing 8 point performance during the Miami Heat’s Game 4 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, former player and current ESPN basketball analyst Steven A. Smithbelieves that LeBron James is going through more personal off-the-court issues, this time with his girlfriend, Savannah Brinson.

During an appearance on Mike and Mike this morning, Smith said that he has heard rumors regarding problems in James’ personal life through the grapevine.  It has since been stated that the rumors may have something to do with Savannah sleeping with fellow NBAer Rashard Lewis while LeBron was visiting South Beach.
From Hello Beautiful, via one of their sources:
I have a very reliable source who clubs and drinks with all of the athletes that come through Orlando. He was all over the Tiger Woods issue and knew what all happened with Tiger prior to it being released publicly. My buddy has a place in Orlando, Lake Nona to be exact, and he lives among some athletes that live there in Orlando. Needless to say he golfs, drinks, and parties with some of the best people in central Florida. So when word got to him while at the bar last night, he called me. Word got out while drinking with friends, that Rashard Lewis slept with Lebrons girl while visiting South Beach.
Whether or not these rumors are in fact true remains to be seen, but with all eyes expected to be on LeBron James during Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight, perhaps someone should keep a set of eyes on his girlfriend.

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Gina Carano

If you were expecting to see Gina Carano make her triumphant return to the octagon next weekend, well then, our deepest apologies. Word leaked out yesterday that the sexy MMA star was not cleared because she failed a pre-fight medical examination. Or at least, that’s what Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker was telling everyone. Later, SI.com reported that Carano did indeed pass all physical examinations.
Somebody is clearly lying here.
Susan Stanford, the public information officer for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, confirmed to SI.com that Carano’s contestant application, which included a physician’s examination, an ophthalmologic exam and requisite blood test results, had been processed and approved.
“Gina Carano had met all of the state of Texas’ requirements and the agency received notice today that she was off the card,” said Stanford.
It appears there is some shenanigans behind the scenes with Strikeforce and the Carano camp. Regardless though, there has to be a reason that Carano is simply postponing the fight. As an astute observer pointed out to me, she did look a bit, how shall we say, thick in the thighs in some photos for a movie she was shooting called Haywire in March (pics below). Could it be that Carano is simply out of shape or unable to make weight? If you recall, she’s had some trouble in the past getting her weight under control before a fight. Who could forget the infamous nude weigh-in before a 2008 bout.

All that said, the sport, and particularly Strikeforce need Carano back. Hopefully, whatever the reason she has for missing next week’s bout is rectified sometime in the very near future.

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