Sports

Srithong wins in Manila as Taiwan’s Hung, Lee miss out

Taipei Times
Date: , Nov 23, 2015
By: AFP, MANILA

Thailand’s Natipong Srithong hit a brilliant five-under 67 to claim the Manila Masters in thrilling style yesterday, becoming the second Thai newcomer to win in successive weeks on the Asian Tour.

The 22-year-old, who only turned professional in September, carded a 15-under 273 at the par-72 Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club after overcoming a four-shot deficit in the final round.

Srithong finished one shot ahead of South Africa’s Jbe Kruger — who closed with a 71 — while overnight leader Hung Chien-yao of Taiwan, who sank a hole-in-one, was two shots behind alongside compatriot Lee Chieh-po.   [FULL  STORY]

Runners from Italy, Australia top finishers in Soochow 24h race

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/22
By: Lee Yu-cheng and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) Italian runner, Ivan Cudin, won the men’s 24 hour event of

Ivan Cudin (left) and Jodie Oborne.

Ivan Cudin (left) and Jodie Oborne.

2015 Soochow University International Ultra Marathon Sunday after running 250.731 kilometers to finish the race, while Jodie Oborne from Australia captured the first place in the women’s category.

Oborne won the race with a distance of 227.429 kilometers, which she accomplished at the 400 meter track of Soochow University, situated in northern Taipei, for 24 hours.

Both Cudin and Oborne won the annual ultra marathon race for the first time. For Oborne, the result was all the more meaningful because it was her first time to attend the Soochow Ultra Marathon.     [FULL  STORY]

Gafurov unifies title, Taiwan’s Huang avenges KO

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 23, 2015
By: Adrian Hardie  /  Staff reporter

Marat Gafurov choked out Narantungalag Jadambaa in the fourth round of a fiercely fought contest in Beijing to become the undisputed ONE Championship featherweight champion in the main event in Beijing on Saturday night, while on the undercard, Taiwan’s Jeff “the Machine” Huang avenged a stunning knockout loss to the Philippines’ Trestle Tan in May with a first-round knockout of his own.

In the co-main event, Kazakhstan’s Kairat Akhmetov scored multiple takedowns on his way to seizing the ONE flyweight title from Brazil’s Adriano Moraes by split decision. The fight marked the undefeated Akmetov’s ONE debut after racking up 22 wins as a pro, mostly in local Kazakh promotions.

Tan scored a huge upset over Huang in a PRO FC bout in Taipei in the spring, when he caught the Taiwanese with a lead left hook shortly after the opening bell, followed with another left hook that dropped Huang to the canvas and immediately finished the fight with ground-and-pound only nine seconds into the first round.     [FULL  STORY]

Windsurfing competition sets sail in Penghu County

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/21
By: Lee Mei-yu

Taipei, Nov. 21 (CNA) Outlying Penghu County launched a two-day windsurfing 201511210014t0001competition on Saturday, pitting 66 windsurfers from across the world to compete in the winds and waves off Magong City.

The competition, which will last two days and includes 6 rounds, has attracted some 66 local and foreign windsurfers to navigate through Penghu’s beautiful bays.

Penghu Regatta Association director Chen Shuang-chuan (陳雙全) said that when tourism in Taiwan’s other cities and counties are experiencing the off-season during winter time, the strong winds make Penghu a perfect place for windsurfing.

Officials from the Sports Administration under the Ministry of Education also took part in the opening ceremony of the competition, promising to promote the sport in Penghu County.     [FULL  STORY]

Chan crashes out of OEC Taipei WTA Challenger in semis

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 22, 2015
By: Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter

Chan Chin-wei became the last Taiwanese to exit the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger

Taiwan’s Chan Chin-wei, left, and Japan’s Junri Namigata confer during their defeat at yesterday’s doubles semifinal of the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Taiwan’s Chan Chin-wei, left, and Japan’s Junri Namigata confer during their defeat at yesterday’s doubles semifinal of the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

in the semi-finals of the doubles yesterday, while today’s singles final at the Taipei Arena sees Misaki Doi take on Timea Babos.

Second seeds Chan and Junri Namigata were ousted in the first doubles semi-final when third seeds Marina Melnikova and Elise Mertens rallied from a set down to win 5-7, 6-4, 10-4 in 1 hour, 40 minutes.

The Russian-Belgian pairing saved six of 10 break points and converted four of 11, winning 76 of the 143 points contested, with the Taiwanese-Japanese duo crashing out.

In today’s final, Melnikova and Mertens face Japanese pairing Kanae Hisami and Kotomi Takahata, who stunned top-seeded Chinese duo Han Xinyun and Zhang Kai-lin 2-6, 7-5, 10-6.

In the semi-finals of the singles, top seed Doi defeated third seed Evgeniya Rodina of Russia 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in 1 hour, 14 minutes to advance to today’s showpiece.     [FULL  STORY]

Chan Chin-wei cruises into doubles semi-finals

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 21, 2015
By: Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter

Taiwan’s Chan Chin-wei cruised into the semi-finals of the doubles at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger yesterday, while Japanese top seed Misaki Doi advanced to the semi-finals of the singles at the Taipei Arena.

Second seeds Chan and Junri Namigata took just 41 minutes to crush Taiwanese duo Lee Pei-chi and Yang Chia-hsien 6-1, 6-0.

The Taiwanese duo did not face a single break point and converted six of 13, winning 51 of the 69 points contested to advance to a semi-final today against third seeds Marina Melnikova of Russia and Elise Mertens of Belgium.

In the quarter-finals of the singles, top seed Misaki Doi made it safely into today’s semi-finals after downing Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour, 9 minutes.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s Hung, Lee share lead with Jbe Kruger

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 21, 2015
By: AFP, MANILA

South Africa’s Jbe Kruger finally found some form as he hit a brilliant seven-

Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao plays a shot during the second round of the Manila Masters at the Manila Southwood Golf and Country Club in the Philippines yesterday. Photo: AFP

Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao plays a shot during the second round of the Manila Masters at the Manila Southwood Golf and Country Club in the Philippines yesterday. Photo: AFP

under-par 65 in windy conditions to share a three-way lead with Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao and Lee Chieh-po at the Manila Masters yesterday.

Lee carded an eagle and five birdies for six-under 66 at par-72 Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, while Hung’s blemish-free 67 included a 15-yard chip-in on the par-three third.

Fellow Taiwanese Lu Wen-teh and Lu Wei-chih carded a 72 and 71 respectively for one-under.

Kruger, down to 500th in the world rankings after only one top-10 finish all year, produced the second round’s lowest score to be tied with Hung and Lee.     [FULL  STORY]

Fung leads Manila Masters, Taiwan’s Hung shares second

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 20, 2015
By: AFP, MANILA

Nicholas Fung said that he was riding a wave of confidence from a runner-up

Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao putts during the first round of the Manila Masters at the Manila Southwood Golf & Country Club in the Philippines yesterday. Photo: AFP

Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao putts during the first round of the Manila Masters at the Manila Southwood Golf & Country Club in the Philippines yesterday. Photo: AFP

finish last week as he shot a six-under-par 66 to lead the Manila Masters by a stroke yesterday, while Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao shared second place.

The 25-year-old Malaysian drained seven birdies at par-72 Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club to hit the front after round one.

Fung finished behind Thailand’s Danthai Boonma at last week’s World Classic Championship in Singapore and he said he was still in the groove in Manila.

“My game is feeling good and I have been playing well. I left a couple of shots out there, but it’s okay. I am feeling very confident,” he said, in comments released by the Asian Tour.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s Hsu Ching-wen falls in doubles

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 20, 2015
By: Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter

Taiwanese-Indian duo Hsu Ching-wen and Ankita Raina fell to the top seeds in the quarter-finals of the doubles at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger yesterday, while Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum upset Chinese eighth seed Wang Yafan in the second round of the singles.

Hsu and Raina were beaten 6-2, 6-2 by top-seeded Chinese pairing Han Xinyun and Zhang Kai-lin in just 57 minutes at the Taipei Arena.

The Chinese duo saved all three break points they faced and converted four of five, winning 54 of the 90 points contested to advance to a semi-final against Japanese duo Kanae Hisami and Kotomi Takahata, who defeated fourth seeds Amandine Hesse of France and Hiroko Kuwata of Japan 6-1, 3-6, 10-8 in 60 minutes.     [FULL  STORY]

Signs are good as Taiwan complete first cricket tour

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 18, 2015
By: Duane Christie / Contributing reporter

The first Taiwan touring cricket team played at the 10th annual Philippines International Cricket Sixes tournament at the Clark City Parade Grounds in Angeles City over the weekend.

There was great excitement and anticipation to see how the players from Taiwan would compare with those from other nations across Asia, including players based in Singapore, Bahrain, China and the Philippines.

Taiwan opened their campaign with a big win over local side the Manila Roos on Saturday.

Captain Mujahid Muhammad won an important toss and chose to bat. Opening pair Mahroof Hussain (22) and Amjad Zafar (32) took full advantage of loose deliveries to lay the perfect foundation for a total of 81-1 in the five overs available. That was too much for the Roos, who made only 40. Zafar starred with the ball too, impressing with figures of 6-1.     [FULL  STORY]