El Akkari nets 32 treys, 113 points in Lebanese game
AHN Sports Staff Tripoli, Lebanon (AHN Sports) – Point guard Mohammad El Akkari scored 113 points in a Lebanese basketball league, making him the first pro player to pull off such feat in an official game sanctioned by the FIBA Asia National Federation. El Akkari, who entered the match averaging only 7.6 points per game, went on a scoring outburst as he knocked down 40-of-69 shots, including a staggering 32-for-59 from the three-point territory. According to FIBA Asia, Lou Salvador (116 for Philippines against China in the 1923 Far Eastern Games) and Jeron Teng (104 points in a high school basketball match in the Philippines) were the only Asians to barge into the century mark before Akkari exploded big time. El Akkari’s 113 points almost single-handedly powered his ballclub Moutahed to a 173-141 victory over the Bejjeh in the he Lebanese Division A League quarterfinals. “Thank God for this performance. I think it’s all a result of my practice,” Akkari said Wednesday, according to fibaasia.net. “I also want to thank my coach for letting me play that long and all my teammates for helping.” Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Q school reform: PGA Tour makes major changes for 2013
Tom Edrington – AHN Sports Reporter Ponte Vedre Beach, FL, United States (AHN Sports) – PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem announced some major changes to the tour Tuesday and among them was the elimination of the traditional Fall Qualifying School. Starting in the fall of 2013, the tour will change the way it begins and ends its season. The Tour Championship will still mark the end of the 2013 season but that year’s Fall Series, the final three tournaments in the calendar year, will mark the beginning of the 2014 season and 2014 FedEx Cup points will be awarded from those events. The Fall Series will also replace the qualifying school. The fields will be a blend of PGA Tour players and Nationwide Players and 50 cards for the 2014 season will be earned over those three events. The qualifying school will now provide membership to the Nationwide Tour. The PGA Tour also added two overseas events to it’s “official event” list, with those being the HSBC Champions, a WGC event in China and the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic. FedEx Cup points will also be awarded for those two events. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
FIFA boss Blatter in Kathmandu
Anil Giri – AHN Sports Correspondent Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) – The chairman of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) arrived in Kathmandu Thursday to inaugurate the Asian Football Challenge Cup. Joseph Sepp Blatter was joined by several national sports officials to see Turkmenistan and Maldives in the opening game at Dashrath Stadium. Other teams in the competition are from Nepal, North Korea, Palestine, India, Tajikistan and the Philippines. This is the first time a high-level international sports official has visited Nepal. Nepal’s Minister for Youth and Sports Kamala Rokka, National Sports Council Secretary Yubaraj Lama, All Nepal Football Association Chairman Ganesh Thapa, among others, welcomed Blatter at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Blatter also paid a courtesy call to President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattari. Blatter will leave for India after completing his two-day Nepal visit. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
"Apologiz-Lin": ESPN states regret over headline on Knicks star
AHN Sports Staff NY, NY, United States (AHN Sports) – ESPN is apologizing for an inappropriate headline about New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin that ran for a short time on its mobile devices. In a separate incident, the company said it suspended an anchor for an inappropriate remark about the guard. “At ESPN we are aware of three offensive and inappropriate comments made on ESPN outlets during our coverage of Jeremy Lin. Saturday we apologized for two references. We have since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York. The incidents were separate and different. We have engaged in a thorough review of all three and have taken the following action: • The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed. • The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days. • The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee. We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.” Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
John Daly goes for three straight cuts-made at Avantha Masters
Tom Edrington – AHN Sports Reporter New Delhi, India (AHN Sports) – With many of the big name stars making their way to America for next week’s Accenture Match Play, the European Tour heads to India where the sport is growing and home-grown professionals are beginning to make names for themselves. S.S.P. Chowrasia is the defending champion this week and the pioneer of Indian golf — Jeev Milkha Singh — is in the field. American John Daly is trying to rediscover his game on the European Tour and has made two straight cuts and will try to make it three this week at the DLF Golf Club. “It’s fantastic for Indian golf to have a European Tour event on a good golf course like DLF for three years in a row,” Singh said. “Golf is the fastest growing sport in our country.” Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Floyd Mayweather doesn’t like hype of Knicks’ Lin
AHN Sports Staff New York, NY, United States (AHN Sports) – American boxer Floyd Mayweather said he’s not buying all the hype that surrounds Jeremy Lin, insisting the Knicks guard sensation is only getting attention because he’s Asian. Mayweather, who previously fired racial slurs at rival Manny Pacquiao, posted on Twitter about his racially-charged opinion on sports world’s hottest item: Linsanity. Although he admitted the Knicks guard is a fine basketball player, Mayweather believed Lin’ ethnicity as an Asian American is the main reasons behind all the buzz he received. “Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise,” Mayweather posted on his Twitter account. Mayweather, who’s taking on Puerto Rican champ Miguel Cotto for the WBA Super Welterweight title on May 5, added he’s voicing out on behalf of other NBA player. “I’m speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up.” Lin took the sports world by storm after leading the Knicks to six consecutive victories, averaging about 28 points and 8 assists a game. Undrafted and already waived twice this season, Lin’s unexpected rise caught massive attention as he slowly turns as a global phenomenon. On Tuesday, Lin recorded 27 points and 11 dimes and nailed a go-ahead trey with 0.5 second left as the Knicks edged the Raptors 90-87 at Air Canada Center. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Mouthy Money: Mayweather Jr. says Lin hype fueled by race
AHN Sports Staff Toronto, Canada (AHN Sports) – Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is never shy about popping off at the mouth and now it seems he has become an expert in NBA media coverage. Mayweather took to social media Monday to assert that New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin is getting national attention because of his race, not his standout play. “Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian,” Mayweather posted on his Twitter account Monday. “Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.” Lin is the first American-born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to play in the NBA. And Mayweather is wrong. Players don’t do what Lin is doing every night, no matter what color they are. The 23-year-old has led the Knicks to five straight wins and is the first player in league history to have at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his four career starts. Mayweather is no stranger to stirring up trouble along racial lines as he has repeatedly used racial and homophobic slurs in the past to taunt boxer Manny Pacquiao. Despite Mayweather’s ill-advised comments, the “Linsanity: sweeping the league shows no signs of abating. More than 25 Chinese journalists are covering Tuesday’s game in Toronto. Speaking to the media earlier Tuesday, Lin did not take the bait regarding Mayweather’s comments. “I don’t really know. I guess … I’m not going to guess, because I don’t have an answer to that question,” Lin said when asked about Mayweather and if his ethnicity is driving the coverage. “I’m not really too concerned with what anyone says.” Especially a mouthy boxer who seems to know little about NBA history, even if it is happening right in front of his eyes. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved
Thai authorities boost flood-control measures
Bangkok, Thailand (IRIN) – The Thai government is pressing ahead with efforts to mitigate the risk of flooding during the upcoming rainy season, but greater coordination is still needed, flood experts say. The US$9.6 billion measure was announced on 20 January as a first step, ahead of the annual May-October rainy season, at a flood forum organized by the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Asian Development Bank. “If the same amount of water comes to Bangkok this year [as in 2011], the situation will be improved,” Chusit Apiramanekal, a water resource management specialist in the Climate Risk Management Department of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) in Bangkok, told IRIN. While no specific timeline is yet in place, the government will soon produce a master plan for flood risk reduction activities, including canal drenching, cleaning drainage systems and excavation to prevent the recurrence of last year’s damage, when “most of the waterways and drainages were not functioning properly”, said Ti Le Huu, former chief of water security for the Environment and Development Division at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The severity of the 2011 floods, brought on by unusually high rainfall after several storms and typhoons, has underscored the need for stronger prevention efforts. More than 675 people died and millions were affected in what has since been described as the worst flooding to strike the Thai kingdom in 50 years. The government’s 2012 Action Plan includes a budget of $3.9 billion for the construction of flood ways and flood diversion channels, which will allow 1,500 million cubic meters to flow out per second, according to ADPC. Immediate work this year would include the improvement of dykes, sluice gates and canals. In addition, almost $2 billion will go towards converting 324,000 hectares of Chao Phraya farmland north of Bangkok into land that can retain up to 10 billion cubic meters of water to prevent the flooding of areas downstream. Preparedness key The damage last year was exacerbated by the “lack of preparedness of people living in the affected areas, partly due to a lack of an effective communication system to share information, especially of flood forecasts”, said Le Huu. But Le Huu downplayed the risk of similar flooding in 2012. Similarly, ADPC says there is little chance that there will be a repeat of 2011′s “extraordinary” precipitation, which was 40 percent above national averages at 70,000 million cubic meters of water, according to Chusit. “When the dams tried to release the water, the provinces downstream were already flooded. When operators tried to control it, a tropical storm hit Thailand, forcing them to release it fully,” he said. The total volume of floodwater has been confirmed…
India to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets in $11B deal
FILE- In this March 29, 2011 file photo provided by the French Army, a Rafale jet fighter takes off from the flight deck of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean sea, as part of the Operation Odyssey Dawn. India has decided to buy 126 French-made Rafale combat aircraft for the Indian air force, clinching a massive US$11 billion defense deal, a top government official said Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Marine Nationale, Cyril Davesne, File) NO SALES FILE- In this March 29, 2011 file photo provided by the French Army, a Rafale jet fighter takes off from the flight deck of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean sea, as part of the Operation Odyssey Dawn. India has decided to buy 126 French-made Rafale combat aircraft for the Indian air force, clinching a massive US$11 billion defense deal, a top government official said Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Marine Nationale, Cyril Davesne, File) NO SALES FILE – In this Sept. 1, 2007 file photo, a French Rafale fighter airplane from Dassault Aviaton performs during the air show of Bex, Switzerland. India has decided to buy 126 French-made Rafale combat aircraft for the Indian air force, clinching a massive US$11 billion defense deal, a top government official said Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Keystone, Dominic Favre, File) FILE – In this June 21, 2001 file photo, a French Air Force Rafale manufactured by France’s Dassault Aviation speeds above Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, during the 44th Paris Air Show, in France. India has decided to buy 126 French-made Rafale combat aircraft for the Indian air force, clinching a massive US$11 billion defense deal, a top government official said Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File) Buy AP Photo Reprints NEW DELHI (AP) â” India is buying 126 French-made combat aircraft in a massive $11 billion deal that will increase the might of the world’s fourth largest air force with the first exported Rafale jets, officials said Tuesday. India has become the world’s biggest arms importer as an economic boom has allowed it to push modernization of its military, and major arms manufacturers are wooing the country as it replaces its obsolete Soviet-era weapons and buys new equipment. Dassault Aviation said it was honored to extend cooperation with India, which has a fleet of its older Mirage jets, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed India’s decision. Dassault snapped up the euro8.4 billion deal with the lower bid in a two-way competition against the…
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