Benjsports.com » Park Ji-sung

Star Snippets: Manny Pacquiao, Seok Hyun-jun, Ken Takahashi …..

Benjie — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:56:14 +0000

Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao has already agreed in principle to face Joshua Clottey of Ghana on March 13. This came after the negotiations between the camps of Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fail to agree on the drug testing protocol. Pacquiao and Clottey will most likely fight in Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas.

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Japan’s Akifumi Shimoda will face compatriot Hiromasa Ohashi on March 26 in the latter’s hometown of Nagoya. The fight will be for the OPBF Super bantam weight title currently held by Ohashi. This will be Ohashi’s second defense of the title.

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South Korean Seok Hyun-jun has signed with AFC Ajax in the Eredivisie becoming the first Asian football player to sign with the prestigious Dutch club. The 18-year old striker also became the eight footballer from South Korea to play in the Netherlands. Among those who played in the Eredivisie before Seok are Huh Jung-moo, Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Roh Jung-yoon, Song Chong-gug, Kim Nam-il and Lee Chun-soo.

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Midfielder Koo Ja-cheol of South Korea will undergo a trial with the Blackburn Rovers of the English Premier League. The 3^rd pick overall in the K-League 2007 draft is currently under contract Jeju United but has received green light from manager Huh Jung-moo to join the tryouts late this month.

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Ken Takahashi of Japan will rejoin his former team Hiroshima Carp in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) after a brief stint with the New York Mets in the Major league Baseball (MLB). The 40-year old native of Yokohama hopes to end his career with the Carp where he started his professional career in 1995.

Star Snippets: Park Ji-sung, Jiang Chen, Marvin Sonsona …..

Benjie — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:27:46 +0000

South Korea’s Park Ji-sung was named one among the CNN Football Heroes of the Decade. Park was cited for his role of leading the Asians in the prestigious football leagues across the globe. He was the first Asian to play in the Champions League. Therein after, Asians have been starting to invade the premier leagues.

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Jiang Chen of China has rejoined his teammates in Tianjin Teda after being loaned to Wellington Phoenix in the Australasian A-League in New Zealand. The 23-year old striker native of Dalian played only a couple of games for the Wellington-based club. Chen is expected to lead his mother club to a decent finish in the Chinese Super League this season.

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Japan’s national football coach Takeshi Okada remains optimistic about his country’s semi-final appearance in the upcoming World Cup. Okada told Reuters that his players have begun to believe in his reasonable target of achieving the final four. Earlier, he was subject to criticism even in his home country for his unrealistic goal in the World Cup.

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Filipino Marvin Sonsona is set of face the son and namesake of Puerto Rican legend Wilfredo Vasquez on February 27 in Puerto Rico. Sonsona first rose to fame back in September of last year when he defeated Jose Lopez via a Unanimous Decision to capture the WBO super flyweight title at a tender age of 19. He became the second youngest Filipino boxing champion after Morris East did the feat in 1992.

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Japanese Yasutaka Kuroki is scheduled to defend his OPBF minimum weight crown against compatriot Takumi Suda on February 1 in Tokyo. The 27-year old native of Ibaragi hopes to continue his two-fight winning streak after figuring in a draw against fellow Japanese Junichiro Kaneda in March 27, 2009. Kuroki’s record currently stands at 22-3-1 with 14 KOs.

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

Benjie — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:48:49 +0000

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.

Star Snippets: Maria Sharapova, Park Ji-sung, Hichori Horimoto …..

Benjie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:51:36 +0000

Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams will play an exhibition match in the Centennial Invitation in Hua Hin seaside resort in Thailand on January 2, 2010. Both Sharapova and Williams are warming up for the upcoming opening grand slam of the season, the Australian Open which will begin on January 18, 2010.

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South Korea’s national team captain Park Ji-sung believes he will be healthy by November 15 when South Korea plays in Denmark for a friendly match. He has missed eleven straight games in his club Manchester United because of a knee injury.

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England’s Tom Huddlestone of Tottenham Hotspur was surprised to be called into the England’s squad that will play friendly match against Brazil this Saturday, November 14 in Doha, Qatar. He said that he did not expect such call from the national team.

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Outfielder Hichori Horimoto of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters has decided to stay with the team and not exercise his right for free agency. He told the scribes that he is determined to stay with the team despite the pay cut.

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ET Land Elephants Import Chris Daniels and local Kim Sung-chul were traded to KT & G Kites in exchange for import Rashad Bell and locals Lee Sang-jun and Lee Hyung-ho. The trade was completed as both teams try to improve their standings in the Korean Basketball League (KBL).