Star Snippets: Rodel Mayol, Hideki Matsui, Park Ji-sung …..

December 18, 2009 | Posted by benjie

WBC light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol of the Philippines was recently honored in his hometown in San Fernando, Cebu. The 28-year old Mayol received his ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ given by the municipal mayor and attended by a huge crowd of locals. Mayol won his light flyweight title by a second round TKO over highly regarded Edgar Sosa of Mexico last month.

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Hideki Matsui of Japan found a new home in the Major League Baseball (MLB) as he finally signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Matsui, the 2009 World Series MVP while playing for the New York Yankees, was affirmative with the deal worth US$6 million. The acquisition of Matsui finally put an end to the ‘Guerrero era’ with reference to the aging hitter Vladimir Guerrero of the Dominican Republic.

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South Korea’s Park Ji-sung has been selected to join other football stars including retired French striker Zinedine Zidane and Pavel Nedved of the Czech Republic on the European team to play against African-born All-star players in the Idolo Cup. The ant-racism charity event will take place in Stadio Olimpico in Turin, Italy early next year. Park Ji-sung is the only Asian footballer invited to join the squad.

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Song Bo-bae became the fifth South Korean to win the Rookie of the Year award on the Japan LPGA Tour. The 23-year old native of Jeju has added her recent feat to her already impressive resume. She won Korea LPGA Tour Player of the Year award in 2004 and 2005.

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Football great Hong Myung-bo of South Korea has been named to manage the national team of his native country for the upcoming Asian Games in 2010. Hong has earned to lead the team in the games scheduled in November 12-27 in Guangzhou, China following his impressive stint leading the under-20 team in the World Cup quarterfinals in Egypt.