LONDON — The British Olympic Association is asking national taekwondo officials to explain their decision to omit top-ranked fighter Aaron Cook from the Olympic team.Cook filed an appeal Monday with the BOA, describing the decision to leave him off the team as "incredible" and "ironic." He is ranked No.1 in the world in the 80-kg division and has won more major competitions than any other British athlete in his weight category.But he has also irked taekwondo officials by abandoning the national British training academy last year. Since going solo, the 21-year-old Cook has won a string of major tournaments, including the European championship title in his weight class earlier this month.A four-person BOA panel heard the case Tuesday and asked for a meeting as soon as possible with the British taekwondo body to "seek further information and clarification" on the selection process.The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, with a decision coming that day or soon after.Cook described the move as "encouraging." "Thank you to the BOA," he said on Twitter. "The dream is still alive."The British taekwondo body later released a statement acknowledging it had received a notification from the BOA."Competition for places has never been as strong as it is now within our sport and the challenges around selection reflect this," the statement said.The BOA panel also asked for more information on the head-kick scoring system in taekwondo and how that affected selection. Taekwondo awards the most points for spinning head kicks — a style Cook is particularly known for.The BOA also said it would seek information from the World Taekwondo Federation, the martial art's governing body.In a statement on Monday, Cook complained he had been unfairly left off the team, even after receiving support from Gary Hall, the British team's performance director.
Showing posts with label sparks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sparks. Show all posts
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Hot-shooting Kawabe sparks Hannaryz in win over Rizing
Taizo Kawabe came off the bench and scored a season-high 22 points on Saturday, leading the Kyoto Hannaryz to an 82-67 victory over the host Rizing Fukuoka.
Staying aggressive: Yokohama B-Corsairs guard Kenji Yamada dribbles the ball in Saturday's game against the host Sendai 89ers. Yokohama edged Sendai 62-61, extending its winning streak to eight games. DOMINIKA FITZGERALDKawabe buried 4 of 6 3-point shots and converted all five of his attempts from inside the arc in 28 electrifying minutes.The Hannaryz (34-17) are tied with the Osaka Evessa for the second-best record in the Western Conference entering the final day of the bj-league's seventh season.Jermaine Boyette added 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for Kyoto, Rick Rickert had eight points and nine boards and Lance Allred and Lee Cummard each scored seven points.Kevin Palmer paced the Rizing (32-19) with 34 points and 11 rebounds and Carlos Dixon had 18 points.Fukuoka missed 19 of 22 3-point shots.Evessa 89, Lakestars 84In Osaka, Mike Bell's 17-point, 20-rebound effort guided the Evessa to a gritty victory over Kansai rival Shiga.Satoshi Takeda and Shota Konno each had 15 points for Osaka (34-17) and Cohey Aoki and Wayne Marshall both scored 11. Bobby St. Preux contributed nine points and seven assists.Six Shiga players scored in double figures: Yu Okada (15 points), Dionisio Gomez (14), Julius Ashby (12), Ray Nixon and Shinya Ogawa (11 apiece) and Bryant Markson (10).The Lakestars slipped to 33-18.B-Corsairs 62, 89ers 61In Sendai, for the third straight game, Yokohama defeated the 89ers. This time, Justin Burrell's dunk — on an assist from Draelon Burns — with 5 seconds remaining was the different.Burrell led the B-Corsairs (30-21) with 13 points and 13 rebounds. He was 6-for-17 from the field, but his three dunks were significant as Yokohama stretched its winning streak to eight games. (Burrell is the subject matter for Sunday's Hoop Scoop column in The Japan Times.)B-Corsairs big man Chas McFarland had 10 points and eight rebounds and Masayuki Kabaya poured in nine points, Marcus Simmons had eight and Burns scored seven and dished out four assists.Yokohama escaped with the win despite shooting 13-for-24 at the free-throw line.For Sendai, which has scored 62 or less points in the past three games against Yokohama, Dan Fitzgerald, who later went the hospital to get stitches in his head after was the high scorer with 22 points and Johnny Dukes and Rashaad Singleton each had 14 points. Takuya Komoda scored nine points and Hikaru Kusaka had six assists. Singleton pulled down 13 rebounds."Mental mistakes cost us at the end," 89ers coach Bob Pierce said after his team fell to 25-26.Phoenix 90, Brave Warriors 87In Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, a 30-point fourth quarter ignited Hamamatsu Higashimikawa to a narrow win over the hosts.Jermaine Dixon led the Phoenix with 22 points and seven assists, while Gyno Pomare had 16 points and nine rebounds. Shoji Nakanishi scored 13 points and Wayne Arnold and Jeffrey Parmer both had 12 for the two-time defending champions.Hamamatsu (36-15) sits atop the Eastern Conference."Way to get that great team victory today," Dixon wrote on Facebook. "We fought to get that win."Derek Raivio scored 20 points for Shinshu (18-33), Edward Morris pumped in 19 and Lee Roberts (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Tyler Hughes (10 points, 13 boards) both recorded double-doubles. Takanori Goya, the Toyama Grouses' first-ever draft pick, finished with 12 points and four assists.Broncos 75, Albirex BB 74In Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, John "Helicopter" Humphrey sank five 3-pointers and scored 32 points in the Broncos' narrow victory over Niigata.Jayme Miller supplied 18 points and 12 rebounds for the victors and Yuki Kitamuki, a Bronco since 2006, contributed seven points and six assists.Saitama (16-35) will miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season.For the Albirex (27-24 under first-year coach Matt Garrison), Nile Murry scored 16 points, Chris Holm had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Bennet Davis scored 12.Golden Kings 85, Grouses 64In Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Dillion Sneed put 22 points on the board on 10-for-14 shooting and David Palmer chipped in with 13 points and 10 boards for title-contending Ryukyu.Naoto Kosuge scored 12 points and Tsubasa Yonamine had six assists for the Golden Kings (38-13).Devin Searcy paced the Grouses (25-26) with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while teammates Brian Harper, Masashi Joho and Ira Brown scored 14, 13 and 12 points, respectively.HeatDevils 83, Five Arrows 82In Takamatsu, Oita edged the lowly hosts, getting a big boost from Wendell White's 23-point, 16-rebound, five-assist night and T.J. Cummings' 31 points.The Five Arrows (2-49) lost their 24th straight game.Taj Finger added nine points and eight boards for the HeatDevils (22-29) and Naoto Takushi handed out seven assists.Takamatsu big man Paul Butorac had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Hiroyuki Kikuchi scored 20 points.Susanoo Magic 97, Shining Suns 75In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Michael Parker, a day away from winning his fourth straight scoring title, had 30 points and five assists as Shimane manhandled the Shining Suns.B.J. Puckett added 19 points and seven boards for the Magic (27-24) and Micah Williams scored 16 points with four assists. Jumpei Nakama scored nine points Koki Yabuuchi had seven points and five assists and Jeral Davis provided seven points, eight boards and four blocks in 17 busy minutes.Dexter Lyons had 28 points and 12 rebounds for Miyazaki (22-29), Tsubasa Yonezawa scored 13 and Taishiro Shimizu had 12.Big Bulls 82, Jets 77In Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Thomas Kennedy scored a game-high 27 points and Makoto Sawaguchi had 15 as the expansion Big Bulls won for the fourth time in their last five games.For Iwate (18-33) Shawn Malloy finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds and Gordon Klaiber had 10 points and 13 boards, Jamal Boykin scored seven points and Yoshiaki Yamamoto had six points and four assists.Jamel Staten led Chiba (18-33) with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, while Shota Isshiki was 5-for-6 on 3s and scored 18 points. Takaki Ishida added 15 points and Gaston Moliva raked in 11 rebounds. Guard Maurice Hargrow, the league's third-leading scorer (21.6 points per game), missed his first game of the season due to a torn calf muscle.
Staying aggressive: Yokohama B-Corsairs guard Kenji Yamada dribbles the ball in Saturday's game against the host Sendai 89ers. Yokohama edged Sendai 62-61, extending its winning streak to eight games. DOMINIKA FITZGERALDKawabe buried 4 of 6 3-point shots and converted all five of his attempts from inside the arc in 28 electrifying minutes.The Hannaryz (34-17) are tied with the Osaka Evessa for the second-best record in the Western Conference entering the final day of the bj-league's seventh season.Jermaine Boyette added 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for Kyoto, Rick Rickert had eight points and nine boards and Lance Allred and Lee Cummard each scored seven points.Kevin Palmer paced the Rizing (32-19) with 34 points and 11 rebounds and Carlos Dixon had 18 points.Fukuoka missed 19 of 22 3-point shots.Evessa 89, Lakestars 84In Osaka, Mike Bell's 17-point, 20-rebound effort guided the Evessa to a gritty victory over Kansai rival Shiga.Satoshi Takeda and Shota Konno each had 15 points for Osaka (34-17) and Cohey Aoki and Wayne Marshall both scored 11. Bobby St. Preux contributed nine points and seven assists.Six Shiga players scored in double figures: Yu Okada (15 points), Dionisio Gomez (14), Julius Ashby (12), Ray Nixon and Shinya Ogawa (11 apiece) and Bryant Markson (10).The Lakestars slipped to 33-18.B-Corsairs 62, 89ers 61In Sendai, for the third straight game, Yokohama defeated the 89ers. This time, Justin Burrell's dunk — on an assist from Draelon Burns — with 5 seconds remaining was the different.Burrell led the B-Corsairs (30-21) with 13 points and 13 rebounds. He was 6-for-17 from the field, but his three dunks were significant as Yokohama stretched its winning streak to eight games. (Burrell is the subject matter for Sunday's Hoop Scoop column in The Japan Times.)B-Corsairs big man Chas McFarland had 10 points and eight rebounds and Masayuki Kabaya poured in nine points, Marcus Simmons had eight and Burns scored seven and dished out four assists.Yokohama escaped with the win despite shooting 13-for-24 at the free-throw line.For Sendai, which has scored 62 or less points in the past three games against Yokohama, Dan Fitzgerald, who later went the hospital to get stitches in his head after was the high scorer with 22 points and Johnny Dukes and Rashaad Singleton each had 14 points. Takuya Komoda scored nine points and Hikaru Kusaka had six assists. Singleton pulled down 13 rebounds."Mental mistakes cost us at the end," 89ers coach Bob Pierce said after his team fell to 25-26.Phoenix 90, Brave Warriors 87In Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, a 30-point fourth quarter ignited Hamamatsu Higashimikawa to a narrow win over the hosts.Jermaine Dixon led the Phoenix with 22 points and seven assists, while Gyno Pomare had 16 points and nine rebounds. Shoji Nakanishi scored 13 points and Wayne Arnold and Jeffrey Parmer both had 12 for the two-time defending champions.Hamamatsu (36-15) sits atop the Eastern Conference."Way to get that great team victory today," Dixon wrote on Facebook. "We fought to get that win."Derek Raivio scored 20 points for Shinshu (18-33), Edward Morris pumped in 19 and Lee Roberts (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Tyler Hughes (10 points, 13 boards) both recorded double-doubles. Takanori Goya, the Toyama Grouses' first-ever draft pick, finished with 12 points and four assists.Broncos 75, Albirex BB 74In Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, John "Helicopter" Humphrey sank five 3-pointers and scored 32 points in the Broncos' narrow victory over Niigata.Jayme Miller supplied 18 points and 12 rebounds for the victors and Yuki Kitamuki, a Bronco since 2006, contributed seven points and six assists.Saitama (16-35) will miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season.For the Albirex (27-24 under first-year coach Matt Garrison), Nile Murry scored 16 points, Chris Holm had 13 points and 14 rebounds and Bennet Davis scored 12.Golden Kings 85, Grouses 64In Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Dillion Sneed put 22 points on the board on 10-for-14 shooting and David Palmer chipped in with 13 points and 10 boards for title-contending Ryukyu.Naoto Kosuge scored 12 points and Tsubasa Yonamine had six assists for the Golden Kings (38-13).Devin Searcy paced the Grouses (25-26) with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while teammates Brian Harper, Masashi Joho and Ira Brown scored 14, 13 and 12 points, respectively.HeatDevils 83, Five Arrows 82In Takamatsu, Oita edged the lowly hosts, getting a big boost from Wendell White's 23-point, 16-rebound, five-assist night and T.J. Cummings' 31 points.The Five Arrows (2-49) lost their 24th straight game.Taj Finger added nine points and eight boards for the HeatDevils (22-29) and Naoto Takushi handed out seven assists.Takamatsu big man Paul Butorac had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Hiroyuki Kikuchi scored 20 points.Susanoo Magic 97, Shining Suns 75In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Michael Parker, a day away from winning his fourth straight scoring title, had 30 points and five assists as Shimane manhandled the Shining Suns.B.J. Puckett added 19 points and seven boards for the Magic (27-24) and Micah Williams scored 16 points with four assists. Jumpei Nakama scored nine points Koki Yabuuchi had seven points and five assists and Jeral Davis provided seven points, eight boards and four blocks in 17 busy minutes.Dexter Lyons had 28 points and 12 rebounds for Miyazaki (22-29), Tsubasa Yonezawa scored 13 and Taishiro Shimizu had 12.Big Bulls 82, Jets 77In Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Thomas Kennedy scored a game-high 27 points and Makoto Sawaguchi had 15 as the expansion Big Bulls won for the fourth time in their last five games.For Iwate (18-33) Shawn Malloy finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds and Gordon Klaiber had 10 points and 13 boards, Jamal Boykin scored seven points and Yoshiaki Yamamoto had six points and four assists.Jamel Staten led Chiba (18-33) with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, while Shota Isshiki was 5-for-6 on 3s and scored 18 points. Takaki Ishida added 15 points and Gaston Moliva raked in 11 rebounds. Guard Maurice Hargrow, the league's third-leading scorer (21.6 points per game), missed his first game of the season due to a torn calf muscle.
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