https://www.scmp.com/rss/509913/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The IOC is punishing North Korea’s Tokyo Games no-show by suspending its National Olympic Committee until the end of 2022, Olympic chief Thomas Bach announced on Wednesday. The suspension covers the coming Beijing Winter Olympics. “The NOC of the People’s Republic of Korea was the only NOC not participating in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The IOC executive board decided to suspend the NOC until the end of 2022, as a result of this unilateral decision,” Bach told a press conference. North Korea... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3148063/ioc-suspends-north-korea-olympic-committee-tokyo-games-no-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3148063/ioc-suspends-north-korea-olympic-committee-tokyo-games-no-show?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:46:56 +0000 Medical experts and critics of Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympic Games have condemned the financial and material waste linked to the event, although many said they were not surprised. The organising committee for the Games last week issued an apology for “mismanaging” medical equipment that was stockpiled in preparation for the event before being thrown away unused. Hundreds of boxes of medical-grade gloves, gowns and N-95 masks, which are in short supply in many hospitals during the coronavirus... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3147691/japan-counts-cost-olympic-waste-after-medical-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3147691/japan-counts-cost-olympic-waste-after-medical-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Sep 2021 04:45:19 +0000 There was no way Hong Kong swimming star Siobhan Haughey was going to let her 4x100-metre medley relay team down despite already winning two Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games silver medals and injuring her hip in a preceding heat. After sealing her two medals and qualifying for the 50m freestyle semi-final, coach Rick Bishop recalled Haughey said, “I don’t think I can walk up the stairs” before the pair decided to pull out of the category. “She’s so tough and stoic. She’s not going to let you know she is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3146897/tokyo-olympics-siobhan-haughey-reflects-physical-and-mental?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3146897/tokyo-olympics-siobhan-haughey-reflects-physical-and-mental?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Aug 2021 13:00:13 +0000 The Japanese government and organisers of the Tokyo Paralympics have cleared 140,000 students from the host city and three surrounding prefectures to attend events, leading to a wave of safety concerns in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The number of new infections has shown little signs of slowing in Tokyo or nationwide. The increased strain on health care systems this week led to the death of a baby born prematurely to a woman who was isolating at home not far from Tokyo due to a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3145777/tokyo-schoolchildren-will-attend-paralympics-despite-surging-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3145777/tokyo-schoolchildren-will-attend-paralympics-despite-surging-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Aug 2021 08:15:14 +0000 The family of Quan Hongchan, the Chinese gold-medal-winning Olympic diver, are suddenly finding themselves refusing gifts and cash from across the country after the general public learned about the teenager’s humble background. Quan might be the biggest star for China coming out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games because the 14-year-old thoroughly dominated the competition to take home her gold medal. How China’s diving darling strove for Tokyo gold to help ill mother Not only did Quan find immense... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3144382/tokyo-olympics-family-chinese-diving-star-turn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3144382/tokyo-olympics-family-chinese-diving-star-turn?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Aug 2021 02:46:27 +0000 US toymaker Mattel appears to have left out a Barbie doll of East Asian ethnicity in a recently released collection commemorating the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, despite Japan hosting this year’s Games. The creator of the iconic Barbie dolls first unveiled the set in February 2020 and relaunched it in late July. Mattel pitched the line as a way of “empowering girls to participate in sports” and “find the athlete within”. The collection features five dolls representing new sports added to the Olympic... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3144348/tokyo-olympics-mattel-criticised-barbie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3144348/tokyo-olympics-mattel-criticised-barbie?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Aug 2021 09:01:01 +0000 With the Olympics drawing to a close, many athletes will begin to turn their attention to a crucial yet daunting question: what’s next? The Olympic Games are a unique event, with the potential for extreme highs and lows that accompany success, loss, injury, or regret. The experience of the games on athlete mental health goes far beyond the competition itself, though, with the weeks and months following the event crucial to athlete well-being. It is critical to understand what can contribute to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3144339/after-tokyo-olympics-athletes-may-face-mental-health-battles-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3144339/after-tokyo-olympics-athletes-may-face-mental-health-battles-they?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Aug 2021 05:15:09 +0000 With two Olympic silver medals tucked away in a suitcase in the corner of her room, Siobhan Haughey is enjoying a much-needed break in quarantine at a hotel in Wan Chai. She has been “chilling”, replying to the hundreds of messages she has received over the past two weeks, watching the Olympics and enjoying some treats – including croissants – sent by friends and family. “I’ve been catching up on my sleep,” said Haughey with a chuckle. “It’s great to have some alone time, and I’m trying to stay... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3144292/tokyo-olympics-siobhan-haughey-hopes-double-silver-helps-hongkongers-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3144292/tokyo-olympics-siobhan-haughey-hopes-double-silver-helps-hongkongers-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Aug 2021 03:00:18 +0000 As the Philippines reels from a deadly surge in coronavirus cases, four athletes have stunned and lifted the spirits of their nation by winning four Olympic medals – including the country’s first gold. Since 1924, Filipino athletes have only managed two silvers and eight bronzes. But this year weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won gold, while boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam won silver medals and Eumir Marcial got a bronze. No one outside the boxing and weightlifting communities expected any... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3144297/tokyo-olympics-how-philippines-won-multiple-medals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3144297/tokyo-olympics-how-philippines-won-multiple-medals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Aug 2021 14:45:37 +0000 Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz said she was honoured to be recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) after the regional body praised her gold medal in the women’s 55kg competition of the Tokyo 2020 Games. Mr Husain Al Musallam, the OCA’s director general, congratulated the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo organisers, saying the decision to go ahead with the Games in 2021 despite the Covid-19 pandemic was the correct one. Al Musallam also praised OCA member countries, especially... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3144279/tokyo-olympics-hidilyn-diaz-honoured-praise-asian-body-says-games-go-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3144279/tokyo-olympics-hidilyn-diaz-honoured-praise-asian-body-says-games-go-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Aug 2021 08:15:59 +0000 Hong Kong golfer Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching has an important phone call to make to her parents after completing her Olympic Games campaign on Saturday – to tell them she had Covid-19 earlier in the year. “I haven’t FaceTimed them yet because there’s a lot going on in the Olympic Village. Actually, my sister already knew I had Covid-19. I hadn’t told my mum and dad because they would be really scared if they found out. I hope to call them and tell them not to worry,” said the 27-year-old Chan after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144229/tokyo-olympics-tiffany-chan-tsz-ching-reveals-she-contracted-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144229/tokyo-olympics-tiffany-chan-tsz-ching-reveals-she-contracted-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 10:13:23 +0000 Hong Kong golden boy Edgar Cheung Ka-long has finally developed a champion’s mindset, said the man he beat in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games men’s individual foil final. Daniele Garozzo, a three-time world champion and Rio 2016 gold medallist, was stunned by the 24-year-old at the Makuhari Messe on day three as Cheung became Hong Kong’s second-ever Olympic gold medallist and first of any colour in fencing. “Cheung was superb. He performed his best fencing in the most important moment of his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144214/tokyo-olympics-champion-cheung-ka-long-apologised-online-trolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144214/tokyo-olympics-champion-cheung-ka-long-apologised-online-trolls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 06:18:33 +0000 Carlo Paalam was beaten on a split decision as he fell narrowly short in his bid to become Philippines’ first boxing gold medal winner at Kokugikan Arena on Saturday. Galal Yafai of Great Britain took the Tokyo 2020 flyweight gold after a fight where he outclassed 23-year-old Paalam for the first two rounds. Paalam fought back gamely in the final round, but by then he needed an unlikely knockout to steal the gold. Paalam got off to the worst possible start after being sent to the canvas with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3144210/tokyo-olympics-silver-carlo-paalam-means-disappointment-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3144210/tokyo-olympics-silver-carlo-paalam-means-disappointment-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 05:18:11 +0000 Sarah Lee Wai-sze’s remarkable rise to cycling’s elite tier goes beyond the awards and silverware. From struggling with anaemia as a child, to nearly giving up the sport after a nasty collision as a teen, to the sudden loss of her coach and personal starter, to learning her friend and rival was confined to a wheelchair after a training crash – Lee has been through it all, and would be the first to tell you she is still going. The 34-year-old has repeatedly swatted aside talk of age leading up to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144168/tokyo-olympics-who-sarah-lee-wai-sze-anaemic-housing-estate-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144168/tokyo-olympics-who-sarah-lee-wai-sze-anaemic-housing-estate-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 02:00:16 +0000 A towering Merlion looks out over a stylised Singapore skyline below a field of hybrid orchids. Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers peek through a vibrant swoop of multicoloured flowers and fluttering butterflies. India’s famed Taj Mahal appears in a splash of water squirted from the trunk of a painted elephant. All these scenes, and many more besides, can be found on the more than 200 custom-designed kimonos created by the Imagine Oneworld Kimono Project for every team competing at the Tokyo 2020... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3144086/olympic-kimonos-showcase-singapore-malaysia-indonesias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3144086/olympic-kimonos-showcase-singapore-malaysia-indonesias?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Aug 2021 07:45:12 +0000 Chinese state media has criticised an Australian news outlet over its coverage of 14-year-old Tokyo Olympics gold medallist diver Quan Hongchan. The English-language Global Times newspaper took aim at conservative website News.com.au, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, for “weird, offensive words” that “defamed” Quan. China’s youngest athlete at the Games won gold in the individual 10-metre platform final on Thursday, blowing away the competition with three perfect 10s for a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3144078/tokyo-olympics-australian-websites-weird-offensive-coverage-teen-diver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3144078/tokyo-olympics-australian-websites-weird-offensive-coverage-teen-diver?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Aug 2021 07:07:57 +0000 In a small hotel near the Olympic Village hired out exclusively for their use, a team of South Korean chefs has been cloistered away preparing meals throughout the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for the country’s entire delegation of 232 athletes and 122 officials. The Koreans’ refusal to eat in the same dining hall as the thousands of other foreigners at the Games comes amid ongoing worries in South Korea about the quality of Japanese fish and produce, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster that was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3144000/tokyo-olympics-japans-south-korea-china-tensions-resurface?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3144000/tokyo-olympics-japans-south-korea-china-tensions-resurface?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 23:00:13 +0000 It was another tough day for Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe City on Thursday as the city’s number one player struggled to a three-over-par 74 to move to nine-over for the tournament. The round that saw her remain tied for 58th in the 60-strong field included five bogeys and two birdies and all but ended any faint hopes she might have had of a medal push at Tokyo 2020. It was a three-shot improvement on her opening round, but the deficit to USA’s Nelly... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143972/tokyo-olympics-tiffany-chan-struggles-improve-day-two-nelly-korda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143972/tokyo-olympics-tiffany-chan-struggles-improve-day-two-nelly-korda?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 11:07:32 +0000 CCTV came under fire in China this week after a reporter asked the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold-medal-winning shot-putter Gong Lijiao when she will “return to being a woman” amid a series of questions about her femininity. The reporter, Lu You, also said on camera she thought Gong was a “manly girl” and compared her to a tomboy. She proceeded to ask Gong, “What plans do you have next as a girl?” She also asked whether Gong planned to find a boyfriend. When Lu asked Gong what would happen “if you arm... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3143918/tokyo-olympics-cctv-under-fire-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3143918/tokyo-olympics-cctv-under-fire-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 09:00:10 +0000 Eumir Marcial was forced to settle for a Tokyo 2020 bronze medal after he was beaten in an enthralling middleweight semi-final bout against top seed Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine in a nail-biting split decision at the Kokugikan Arena on Thursday. Marcial, 25, had edged the first two rounds, landing the bigger punches in a fight that buzzed with a series of huge exchanges. But Khyzhniak dug deeper than the Filipino in the final round and narrowly took the victory, the judges split 3-2. It was a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3143911/tokyo-olympics-eumir-marcial-misses-out-gold-medal-final-he-loses-semi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3143911/tokyo-olympics-eumir-marcial-misses-out-gold-medal-final-he-loses-semi?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 06:38:12 +0000 South Korea’s national badminton body is filing a complaint with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) over Chinese player Chen Qingchen, who was heard repeatedly yelling profanities during matches against South Korean players at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The 24-year-old Chen, ranked No 2 in the world by the BWF, could be heard shouting expletives in Mandarin that carry a similar meaning to saying f*** in English during a group stage women’s doubles match at the Games on July 27. She first used... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143904/tokyo-olympics-chinese-shuttlers-foul-mouth-prompts-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143904/tokyo-olympics-chinese-shuttlers-foul-mouth-prompts-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 06:00:52 +0000 Filipino flyweight Carlo Paalam completed a unanimous decision win to move within one fight of a gold medal as he dominated Ryomei Tanaka of Japan from start to finish in their semi-final bout at Kokugikan Arena on Thursday. Paalam’s win guarantees at least a silver medal for Philippines, to add to the gold weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz claimed earlier in the Games, and the boxing silver Paalam’s teammate Nesthy Petecio scored on Tuesday. The 23-year-old Paalam was all class in a consummate win... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3143903/tokyo-olympics-carlo-paalam-gold-medal-fight-he-eases-past-japans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3143903/tokyo-olympics-carlo-paalam-gold-medal-fight-he-eases-past-japans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 05:55:15 +0000 The kata is one of two disciplines of karate (the other kumite, or sparring) and will be introduced to the Olympics for the first (and likely only) time in Tokyo. Hong Kong is fielding Grace Lau Mo-sheung – the world women’s individual kata No 6 – in the hope she wins another medal for what is already the city’s most successful Games in history. Here’s what you need to know about this relatively unknown event, and how this ancient craft will translate into the top multi-sport competition on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143865/tokyo-olympics-ancient-craft-kata-one-half-debuting-karate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143865/tokyo-olympics-ancient-craft-kata-one-half-debuting-karate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 01:30:16 +0000 When Australian diver Sam Fricker arrived in Tokyo for the Olympic Games, he had more than 600,000 followers and 20.4 million likes on TikTok. Little more than a week later and his already sizeable following had almost doubled thanks to the photogenic 19-year-old’s posting of videos in which he trains, talks to fans and chomps on chocolates in the athletes’ village cafeteria. And Fricker’s big moment – he competes in the men’s 10m platform on Friday – is still to come. Likewise proving a hit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143841/tiktok-tokyo-olympics-how-athletes-tom-daley-and-liu-shiwen-became?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143841/tiktok-tokyo-olympics-how-athletes-tom-daley-and-liu-shiwen-became?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:00:28 +0000 Hong Kong will attempt to put “the icing on the cake” at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday with an unprecedented number of medal hopes in one day. Heading the challenge will be track cycling star Sarah Lee Wai-sze, who will start in the keirin quarter-finals, while karate exponent Grace Lau Mo-sheung is also trying to grab one of the four medals on offer in the women’s kata which features 10 participants. The women’s table tennis team will need to defy the odds against Germany in the bronze medal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143817/tokyo-olympics-sarah-lee-grace-lau-and-table-tennis-trio-tasked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143817/tokyo-olympics-sarah-lee-grace-lau-and-table-tennis-trio-tasked?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 11:19:40 +0000 If this is the future then the Olympics are in good hands. That’s the lesson from the women’s skateboarding park final in Tokyo, where the event’s first-ever medals were handed out at its Games debut. There was drama as 13-year-old Sky Brown shredded her way into the medals with a resounding third and final run, preventing the hosts enjoying all three spots on this first Olympic podium. Brown – who decided to compete for Britain over Japan, the country of her birth – posted a score of 56.47 to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143751/tokyo-olympics-skater-sky-brown-gets-bronze-kokona-hiraki-becomes-youngest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143751/tokyo-olympics-skater-sky-brown-gets-bronze-kokona-hiraki-becomes-youngest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 05:27:51 +0000 The latest Hong Kong medal contender to take home a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medal, karate exponent Grace Lau Mo-sheung finally got her once-in-a-lifetime moment after circling among the world elite for as long as she can remember. Lau won bronze after a super performance in the Nippon Budokan in what could be the first and last time karate features at a Games. It was one of four non-permanent sports added to Tokyo, with Paris 2024 already confirming it will not make an appearance. The entire... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143615/tokyo-olympics-grace-lau-mo-sheung-trailblazing-karateka-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143615/tokyo-olympics-grace-lau-mo-sheung-trailblazing-karateka-set?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 04:00:24 +0000 A 58-year-old table tennis player representing Luxembourg at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been dubbed the “Shanghai auntie” by the Chinese internet. Ni Xialian was born and raised in Shanghai and is the oldest athlete to compete in table tennis in Olympic history. She has competed at five Games. When Ni played Shin Yu-bin, a 17-year-old South Korean athlete, on July 25, people described the match as a “fight between a grandma and a grandchild”. Ni lost the match 3-4. As Ni’s profile grew,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3143653/tokyo-olympics-58-year-old-table-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3143653/tokyo-olympics-58-year-old-table-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 01:00:19 +0000 American diving legend Greg Louganis remembers the first time he met Jordan Windle, the 22-year-old who is the first diver of Cambodian descent to compete in an Olympic Games. It was at a sushi restaurantin Ford Lauderdale, Florida, recalled Louganis, now 61. Doodling on a notepad, a young Windle asked: “Mr Louganis, what do you do when the other divers talk smack about you?” Recounting the episode to This Week in Asia, Louganis, an LGBTI activist and holder of five Olympic medals, replied: “I... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143712/how-us-olympic-diver-jordan-windle-went-cambodian-orphanage-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143712/how-us-olympic-diver-jordan-windle-went-cambodian-orphanage-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 00:00:26 +0000 Australian athletes damaged their Tokyo Olympics athletes’ village rooms before departing, the Australian Olympic Committee said on Tuesday, while other teammates showed “unacceptable behaviour” on their flight home. Australian media reported that a raucous gathering left damaged beds and a hole in the wall. Cleaners had to clear a pool of vomit in one room. Team Australia chief Ian Chesterman played down the incident, saying that the offenders had apologised and would not be punished. “Some... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3143703/tokyo-olympics-australian-athletes-left-vomit-room-caused-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3143703/tokyo-olympics-australian-athletes-left-vomit-room-caused-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 13:45:39 +0000 Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching plans to use the winning insights that helped American Xander Schauffele to the men’s gold medal as she begins her own medal quest in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women’s golf competition starting on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Chan got her hands on the yardage book used by Austin Kaiser, Schauffele’s caddie, and hopes to put some of Schauffele’s nuanced notes, especially on the greens, to use at the Kasumigaseki Country Club. To boost her medal bid, Chan also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143673/tokyo-olympics-hong-kong-golfer-tiffany-chan-hopes-xander?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143673/tokyo-olympics-hong-kong-golfer-tiffany-chan-hopes-xander?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 10:50:36 +0000 Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio fell just short in her bid to add Tokyo Olympic gold to her 2019 World Championship win, losing by unanimous points decision to Sena Irie of Japan in the featherweight final at the Kokugikan Arena on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Tokyo-based fighter leapt for joy before bursting into tears as the judges awarded her a unanimous points win, the first elite title of her short career. Who are Asia’s top gold medal hopes at the Olympic Games? It was heartbreak for 29-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3143605/tokyo-olympics-nesthy-petecio-falls-short-her-bid-gold-irie-sena-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3143605/tokyo-olympics-nesthy-petecio-falls-short-her-bid-gold-irie-sena-win?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 04:35:04 +0000 After breaking its almost century-long wait for gold via Hidilyn Diaz in weightlifting, the Philippines will be adding more Olympic hardware to its trophy cabinet in Tokyo this week. On Tuesday, Nesthy Petecio will collect either a gold or silver. She faces Japan’s Sena Irie in the women’s featherweight division (54-57kg) final at the famed Kokugikan Arena. Hopes are also high for Eumir Marcial, who demolished Armenian Arman Darchinyan in his quarter-final middleweight bout on Sunday, knocking... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143376/nesthy-petecio-biography-family-olympic-dreams-and-humble-upbringing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143376/nesthy-petecio-biography-family-olympic-dreams-and-humble-upbringing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2021 00:00:10 +0000 Keen sailor Ikuko Nagano had hoped to escort tourists to Fujisawa for the regattas; expat teacher Jordan Michels had wanted an Olympic volunteering pin like those her father and grandfather got for Atlanta 1996; translator Emma Parker had been willing to fund her own way to Tokyo in return for a taste of the action. But all three, like thousands of others, had to rethink their Olympic volunteering dreams when problems began stacking up for the Tokyo Games. Of the 110,000 volunteers who had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3143556/tokyo-olympics-10000-volunteers-hit-hurdles-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3143556/tokyo-olympics-10000-volunteers-hit-hurdles-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 23:00:25 +0000 Indonesia’s first gold medallists at the Tokyo Olympics, badminton champions Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu, can expect to be handsomely rewarded for uplifting a nation battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Greysia and Apriyani won their women’s doubles match on Tuesday in straight sets, defeating the second-seeded Chinese pair of Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan. The nation’s joy was compounded when just a few hours later another Indonesian shuttler, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, won bronze in the men’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143548/tokyo-olympics-indonesias-badminton-gold-medallists-greysia-polii?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143548/tokyo-olympics-indonesias-badminton-gold-medallists-greysia-polii?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 13:44:22 +0000 Indonesia claimed a thrilling Tokyo 2020 badminton triumph over the heavily-fancied Chinese in the final of the women’s doubles on Monday to clinch its first medal of these Games. The pairing of the veteran Greysia Polii – appearing at her third Olympics – and Apriyani Rahayu finally made the step up on the biggest stage of all, after a series of near-misses on podiums at three World Championships and the 2018 Asian Games on home soil in recent years. The Chinese duo of Chen Qingchen and Jia... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143471/tokyo-olympics-indonesia-blast-china-away-badminton-doubles-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143471/tokyo-olympics-indonesia-blast-china-away-badminton-doubles-final?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 06:10:01 +0000 Follow our live coverage of day 10 of the Tokyo Olympics here National pride has long been woven into the Olympic Games. While Chinese officials see Tokyo 2020 as the latest arena to showcase its strength, urging the delegation to take the lead on the medal count, domestic media and audiences appear to be ready to move on from the gold rush. A week before the Games, Gou Zhongwen, director of China’s sports administration and head of the Chinese delegation, left no doubt about the country’s goals... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143449/tokyo-olympics-chinas-obsession-gold-reaping-rewards-netizens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143449/tokyo-olympics-chinas-obsession-gold-reaping-rewards-netizens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 05:00:21 +0000 Follow our live coverage of day 10 of the Tokyo Olympics here Singapore boosted its chances of landing a first medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games on Monday when its women’s table tennis team overcame France to book a place in the last eight of the competition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Boosted, but only slightly; the victory catapulted them straight into a clash with top-ranked China in the next round. The city state is looking for someone to step in where its top medal prospect, Joseph... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143434/tokyo-olympics-singapore-seeking-new-medal-hope-face-china-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143434/tokyo-olympics-singapore-seeking-new-medal-hope-face-china-table?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 03:25:07 +0000 Follow our live coverage of day 10 of the Tokyo Olympics here Hidilyn Diaz sat down for a meal with her kampong family in rural Malaysia. Before eating, she said a little prayer of thanks. The children looked at each other with surprise, and said “Bismillah” (in the name of God) – the Muslim equivalent. Their father – Ahmad Janius Abdullah – was moved. He said Diaz, a devout Catholic, has been more than a guest in their house over the past year. She has also been an inspiration and a role model... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143378/tokyo-olympics-inside-malaysian-kampong-house-where-philippines-hidilyn-diaz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143378/tokyo-olympics-inside-malaysian-kampong-house-where-philippines-hidilyn-diaz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:00:22 +0000 The Tokyo Olympics may have none of the cosmopolitan excitement usually brought to a games by people from all over the world cheering in different languages and waving colourful flags, but superfan Kyoko Ishikawa has made plans to build the buzz regardless. With the coronavirus pandemic raging for over a year and no end yet in sight, overseas as well as domestic spectators are barred in principle from the Tokyo Olympics, which formally opened July 23. Still, Ishikawa, who has travelled to every... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3143424/olympic-superfan-gets-creative-cheering-coronavirus-hit-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3143424/olympic-superfan-gets-creative-cheering-coronavirus-hit-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 23:32:29 +0000 China’s Chen Yufei won the Tokyo 2020 women’s singles badminton final on Sunday night, ending Tai Tzu-ying’s hopes of securing Taiwan’s second gold medal in as many days. Chen won 2-1 in a thriller at the Musashino Forest Sports Park Plaza, which lasted 81 minutes. The world No 2, but No 1 seed, won the first game 21-18 before the world No 1, but No 2 seed, Tai fought back with a 21-19 win in the second. Chen stood firm in another hard-fought battle for the decider, triumphing 21-18 to take... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143410/tokyo-olympics-chinas-chen-yufei-beats-tai-tzu-ying-ends-taiwans-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143410/tokyo-olympics-chinas-chen-yufei-beats-tai-tzu-ying-ends-taiwans-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 14:34:16 +0000 Sunisa Lee will have her carry-on stuffed with medals when she heads back to the United States. The 18-year-old Olympic gymnastics champion from Minnesota added a bronze in the uneven bars finals on Sunday. Lee earned a silver in the team competition on Tuesday before grabbing gold in the all-around on Thursday. Lee has endured a bit of the usual whirlwind that comes with the territory when you win an Olympic title. The three days since her star-making triumph has featured the usual trappings of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143402/tokyo-olympics-hmong-american-sunisa-lee-adds-bronze-medal-uneven-bars-usa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143402/tokyo-olympics-hmong-american-sunisa-lee-adds-bronze-medal-uneven-bars-usa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 12:13:31 +0000 Follow our live coverage of day nine of the Tokyo Olympics here Philippines can rejoice in the guarantee of yet another Tokyo 2020 Olympic medal after superstar middleweight Eumir Marcial viciously disposed of his last-eight opponent to guarantee at least a bronze medal at the Kokugikan Arena on Sunday. In truth, there will be disappointment if the 25-year-old doesn’t deliver more gold – he is now hot favourite to do – after two destructive first round stoppages in his opening bouts. Sunday’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143379/tokyo-olympics-eumir-marcial-says-dreams-have-come-true-after-vicious-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3143379/tokyo-olympics-eumir-marcial-says-dreams-have-come-true-after-vicious-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 06:53:44 +0000 Taiwan’s 29-year wait for an Olympic badminton medal ended in style on Saturday night with gold in the men’s doubles. To make victory even sweeter for Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin it came over the Chinese pairing of Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen, ending China’s quest for three men’s doubles golds in row. Taiwan’s shuttlers will add at least a silver to that historic gold in Tokyo as Tai Tzu-Ying cruised past Rio 2016 silver medallist PV Sindhu of India in the women’s singles semi-final. While... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143366/tokyo-olympics-taiwan-beats-china-lands-mens-doubles-gold-end-long-wait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143366/tokyo-olympics-taiwan-beats-china-lands-mens-doubles-gold-end-long-wait?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 03:41:47 +0000 Follow our live coverage of day nine of the Tokyo Olympics here Malaysia bagged its first medal of Tokyo 2020 on Saturday night as it secured a bronze medal win in the men’s doubles badminton. The victory was all the sweeter as it came at the expense of its fierce rivals in regional sport, Indonesia. Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik defeated Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan to claim third spot on the podium at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza in a thrilling back-and-forth encounter. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143363/tokyo-olympics-malaysia-delights-first-medal-2020-games-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143363/tokyo-olympics-malaysia-delights-first-medal-2020-games-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 02:01:28 +0000 Indian badminton star PV Sindhu will not match her women’s singles silver medal of five years ago after losing her semi-final to Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-Ying. The No 2 seed won 2-0 at the Musashino Forest Sports Park Plaza, winning out 21-18, 21-12 against the sixth seed in 40 minutes. Sindhu paid for a number of unforced errors as Tai pulled away in the second game. “It was a good match. I fought until the end,” Sindhu said. “In the second game I gave away a huge lead but still I was fighting back... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143336/tokyo-olympics-pv-sindhu-loses-tai-tzu-ying-plays-he-bingjiao?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143336/tokyo-olympics-pv-sindhu-loses-tai-tzu-ying-plays-he-bingjiao?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 11:50:15 +0000 China capped an impressive debut Olympic campaign with a 22-10 win over the Russian Olympic Committee to finish seventh overall at the Tokyo Stadium on Saturday. World Sevens Series and World Cup Sevens champions New Zealand, who lost the 2016 final in Rio to Australia, won the gold medal with a 26-12 win over France. China completed a stunning comeback against the Russians, who qualified after winning their place at the last-minute repechage in June, after trailling 10-0 within the first five... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3143331/tokyo-olympics-china-produce-best-ever-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3143331/tokyo-olympics-china-produce-best-ever-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 10:54:18 +0000 Olympic champions China are out of the women’s volleyball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after fellow group teams Turkey beat Argentina 3-0. The result means that world No 2 China can no longer qualify as one of the four best teams in the six-team group, even if they beat Italy and Argentina. Italy, who China meet on Saturday night in Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, have won all three of their group matches, while Argentina have now lost all four. China, who won in Rio five years ago despite losing their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143330/tokyo-olympics-reigning-champions-china-crash-out-womens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3143330/tokyo-olympics-reigning-champions-china-crash-out-womens?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 10:48:00 +0000 Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama moved ominously into gold medal contention after three rounds in the men’s golf event at the Tokyo 2020 Games on Saturday. An almost flawless round of 67, marred only by an opening bogey on day three, saw him move to within one shot of the USA’s Xander Schauffele, who shot a three-under-par 68 to maintain the gold medal spot he has now occupied for two days. Matsuyama, who was tipped to be the face of the Games after his surprise Masters triumph back in April, recovered... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3143320/tokyo-olympics-japans-hideki-matsuyama-moves-second-xander-schauffele?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3143320/tokyo-olympics-japans-hideki-matsuyama-moves-second-xander-schauffele?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 09:06:22 +0000 Hong Kong’s Hayley Chan Hei-man finished eighth in the overall women’s RS: X fleet after an impressive seventh-place finish in the medal race final in the Enoshima Yacht Harbour on Saturday. The 30-year-old secured her best-ever Olympic performance after narrowly qualifying for the final two days earlier. The double points showdown allowed Chan, who finished 12th in her Games debut in London 2012 despite having being hospitalised weeks beforehand, to maintain her placing after the 12 regular... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143315/tokyo-olympics-windsurfer-hayley-chan-hei-man-finishes-eighth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143315/tokyo-olympics-windsurfer-hayley-chan-hei-man-finishes-eighth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jul 2021 08:02:17 +0000