Government okays three more golf courses in northern #Vietnam

Three golf course projects worth VND3 trillion ($129 million) in the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Hoa Binh have been approved.

Under an investment plan approved by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, a 36-hole golf course will be laid in Bac Giang’s Viet Yen District, covering an area of 14 hectares. It will be built by the Truong An Golf Investment JSC at an estimated cost of over VND1.2 trillion ($51.6 million).

Another 36-hole golf course and resort will be built in Bac Giang by Truong An Luc Nam Golf JSC on an area of 140 hectares. The project, with a total investment of VND739 billion ($31.8 million) will be located in Luc Nam District.

The third project involving a golf course will be constructed on an area of 188 hectares in Ky Son District, Hoa Binh Province by the An Viet Hoa Binh Golf JSC with a total capital of over $1.13 trillion ($48.6 million).

All three projects will have a 50-year operational license.

According to a government decision in 2009, Vietnam planned to have 89 golf courses by 2020. But so far according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, only 30 have been built and put into operation, and many of these are reportedly not doing well.

Source - VN Express

#Cambodian football on the right track: FIFA chief Infantino

FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks at the world governing body’s Executive Football Summit at Phnom Penh’s Sofitel Hotel today as FFC acting general-secretary May Tola looks on. In Sopheng.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino today told the world governing body’s Executive Football Summit in Phnom Penh that the Football Federation of Cambodia’s academy development programme is on track to achieve its goals in nurturing the Kingdom’s young talent.

After the meeting at the capital’s Sofitel Hotel, the FIFA president told reporters: “The Cambodian Football Federation is doing very well in its development of youth academies across the country in 25 provinces and cities.” 

The FIFA summit was held in the Kingdom for the first time and attended by the presidents of member associations from three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. 

.

 .

FFC vice president Kiev Sameth told The Post: “It was an honour to host the summit, and I want to say thank you to the FIFA president for his faith in Cambodia. This will further strengthen the friendship between us, the FIFA president and member associations from Africa and Europe.” 

According to Sameth, FIFA has increased its support budget from $250,000 to $1,250,000 per year to help develop the FFC’s youth programmes and academies. 

Infantino also backed a possible joint ASEAN 2034 World Cup bid, calling it “a good idea” and recommending that a youth World Cup be held in the region before then so that experience could be gained in hosting such a huge tournament.

Source - PhnomPenhPost

South Korea in run-up to welcome Winter Olympics

As the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games have just one week to go before the opening ceremony, athletes, volunteers and the whole of South Korea are in full swing to welcome the Games. Let's look at some of the preparations for the upcoming Winter Games.

 The Olympic flame is tested in its cauldron during a rehearsal for the upcoming 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

 The Olympic Plaza in Pyeongchang, where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will be held. 

 The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics mascot Soohorang, right, and Paralympics mascot Bandabi are pictured in Pyeongchang, South Korea

Lewis Hamilton erkent: 'Max kan een titelkandidaat zijn'

"Onze Max" by Martin J. Chan.

Wordt 2018 de definitieve doorbraak van Max Verstappen? Ik en honderdduizenden fans hopen dat van harte. Max legt de lat voor hemzelf sowieso altijd hoog, dus aan hem zal het zeker niet liggen. Veel is natuurlijk afhankelijk van het materiaal dat Max ter beschikking krijgt, doch ook een portie geluk. In die zin, dat hij verschoond blijft van vooral pech tijdens de start en de eerste bochten tijdens de komende 21 Formule-1 races. 
Of systeem-software die per ongeluk de verkeerde kant opwijst.

We moeten wel mild blijven tegenover Max en via de media en social media Max, buiten de nodige lofzang, ook wat rust gunnen op vooral prive-gebied en familie-aangelegenheden. 

Dat geneuzel in de schandaalpers over zijn familie en met name vader Jos Verstappen, moet nu maar eens voorgoed afgelopen zijn. Hij of zij die zonder zonden zijn, werpen de eerste steen. 

Max z'n ouders zijn prima mensen, welke mede Max hebben gebracht waar hij nu is.

Dan bedoel ik niet alleen de technische vaardigheden, maar ook de sportieve vechtlust en wilskracht van vader Jos, maar ook de zachtaardigheid en bescheidenheid van moeder Sophie. 
Met het prive-leven van de familie en van Max zelf, moet meer rekening gehouden worden en met name door de roddelpers. Kappen met moddergooien dus! 

Daar is de algehele balans van Max niet mee gediend en zou tot problemen kunnen leiden op sportief gebied. Iemand die lekker in z'n vel zit, presteert tenslotte altijd beter. In het geval van Max NOG BETER. 

Ook hier in Thailand volgen duizenden fans jou op de voet, Neerlands trots in donkere dagen. Zet 'm op jongen!! Veel geluk Max.. 

Martin J. Chan
.
Lewis Hamilton blikt alvast vooruit naar komend Formule 1 seizoen. De viervoudig en regerend wereldkampioen is ervan overtuigd dat Max Verstappen een concurrent voor de wereldtitel gaat zijn. ,,Mijn niveau zal nog verder omhoog moeten'', zei de Brit bij Sky Sports News.
.
 Als Hamilton al eens werd geklopt, gebeurde dit in de meeste gevallen door zijn grootste uitdager Sebastian Vettel. Maar Verstappen was Hamilton ook twee keer te slim af.  ,,De kwaliteiten van Max zijn fantastisch. We hebben dat gezien als alles op zijn plaats valt met een goede auto en een goed team."

Bron AD.NL en Martin J. Chan

Neymar world record PSG move imminent

.

BARCELONA - Neymar could be presented as a Paris Saint-Germain player as early as this weekend for a world record fee as Barcelona admitted defeat in convincing the Brazilian to stay at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The player has travelled to Porto by private jet from Barcelona surrounded by his entourage, including his father and agent Neymar Sr, after saying goodbye to his Barca teammates.

Among that party was Wagner Ribeiro, an advisor to the player, who claimed PSG would pay his 222 million euro ($260 million) buyout clause in the "coming hours".

That would more than double the current transfer record set by Paul Pogba's 89.3 million pounds ($111 million, 105.2 million euros) move to Manchester United last year.

FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

Media reports suggested that Neymar had gone to Porto, where PSG sporting director Antero Henrique had worked until recently, to undergo a pre-transfer medical.

Sources told AFP that he will arrive in Paris on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier, Barcelona ended weeks of speculation by publicly confirming for the first time the 25-year-old's wish to leave after four years at the Camp Nou.

"Neymar Jr, accompanied by his father and representative, communicated to FC Barcelona this morning his decision to leave the club," Barca said in a statement.

"The club have informed them that the buyout clause in his contract, that from July 1 is 222 million euros, must be paid in full."

Neymar has been tempted to Paris by an astronomical offer that would reportedly see his wages tripled to 30 million euros a year after tax.

However, on the field he also faces the challenge of stepping out of the shadow of five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi to try and prove himself as the world's best.

"It was a huge pleasure having shared all those years with you, my friend @neymarjr," Messi posted on Instagram alongside a montage displaying some of the pair's finest moments together.

"I wish you lots of luck in this new stage in your life. See you soon tkm," he added. "Tkm" stands for "te quiero mucho" (I love you loads).

"Thanks brother. I will miss you man," Neymar replied.

Presuming both clubs don't come to a late agreement, the buyout clause would have to be paid to Barcelona via Spain's La Liga to free the player from the contract he signed last year and runs until 2021.

However, La Liga president Javier Tebas has threatened not to accept PSG's money over what he perceives as a failure on the French side's part to comply with UEFA's financial fair play rules (FFP).

Clubs can be sanctioned by UEFA for making a loss of more than 30 million euros over a three-year period.

"We will not accept this money from a club like PSG," Tebas told Madrid sports daily AS on Wednesday. "Especially when this club is infringing rules and laws."

Champions League dream -
==========================

Winning the Champions League for a first time is the dream driving PSG's owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) to fund a deal that could herald the start of a new era at the elite level of European football.

Since QSI's takeover in 2011, PSG have failed to make it beyond the quarter-final stage - most notably blowing a 4-0 first leg lead to lose 6-1 to a Neymar-inspired Barcelona in the last 16 of last season's competition in March.

Prising Neymar from the grip of Barca would truly announce PSG's presence as a contender for the likes of Barca, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to fear.

Neymar has formed one of the deadliest strike partnerships in football history with Messi and Luis Suarez over the past three seasons.

Together they have won two La Liga titles, a Champions League and three Spanish Cups, whilst Neymar has scored 105 goals and provided 80 assists in just 186 games.

However, his four-year spell in Spain has also been overshadowed by the murky transfer deal which brought him to Barcelona from Santos in 2013.

He and his parents as well as Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu face charges of fraud and corruption in an ongoing case brought by DIS, a Brazilian investment company.

DIS owned 40 percent of the players' rights at the time of the deal and believe they were deliberately cheated out of their real share due to the complex structure of the transfer.

Source - TheNation

#Indonesia - Tanjung Lesung Festival to host Rhino X #Triathlon

.

If you love triathlons and also like to explore culture and historical sites at the same time, then the Rhino X Triathlon – or Rhino Cross Triathlon – is the right fit for you.

Set to be held from Sept. 23-24, the sports tourism event invites participants to explore the beauty of Tanjung Lesung in Banten while competing in the race.

“The race consists of swimming, cycling and running phases. Our target is to have local and foreign participants in the event,” said Kawasan Tanjung Lesung manager Poernomo Siswoprasetijo.

  FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

 The event, which is part of the Tanjung Lesung Festival, will also feature other activities including a challenge to break the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) record for the youngest diver carrying the national flag in the Sunda Strait.

The cross triathlon will be divided into three age groups: Open (20 to 39 years old), Master (40 years old and above) and Youth (13 to 19 years old).

Apart from the Rhino Cross Triathlon, the Tanjung Lesung Festival will also offer other sports activities, such as the MTB XC (mountain bike cross-country) Marathon and the Sunset Trail Run.

 Read also: Tanjung Lesung to add 10,000 rooms to welcome travelers

Source - TheJakartaPost

It's a girl! Venus lets #Serena baby secret slip

.

Serena Williams will be the mother of a baby girl, if sister Venus is to be believed after she appeared to let the secret slip on Wednesday.

Venus, playing at the French Open in Paris, told a TV interviewer: "She's going to call me her favourite aunt."

"We all like 'baby V, baby Lyn, baby Isha'. We all want the baby to be named after us," the 36-year-old told Eurosport, referring to the names of Serena's sisters.

Serena, who revealed she was pregnant in April, has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit.

She was at Roland Garros on Wednesday watching her older sister defeat Kurumi Nara in the second round on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier court.

"I think it's not easy for her to watch, because, you know, obviously she knows she can do well here," said Venus after the match.

Serena is a three-time champion at Roland Garros.

 FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

"I think that she's just excited about everything coming up in her life, on and off the court, excited about returning here hopefully next year," added Venus, who turns 37 next month.

Serena, who won her 23rd Grand Slam title in January when she defeated Venus in the Australian Open final, is due to give birth in September, the month she turns 36.

Earlier this week in Paris, Venus had talked about her anticipation of becoming an aunt.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it. I have no idea what the experience will be like, because previously I became an aunt when I was very young and lived far away, across the country, so it was a completely different experience than it will be this time," she said.

"So I hope that I can live up to this job. I've got to get some confidence that I can do this. It's all new for me. It's a great journey."

Venus, who was runner-up to her sister in Paris back in 2002, added: I think you just have to be ready, aware, and alert. Then have a lot of diaper duty. Yeah. So we'll see."

Serena learned she was pregnant just two days before the Australian Open.

She has told of being nervous about playing, uncertain whether it would be too dangerous for her or the baby.

Kelly Bush Novak, Williams's publicist, said last month that the US star "looks forward to returning in 2018".

Source - TheJakartaPost

Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 in Europa League final

.

Ajax 0 Manchester United 2: Jose Mourinho's team make Manchester proud as they win the Europa League 

 

 .

To Ajax’s manager it was a “boring final”. For Manchester United it released torrents of emotion that clearly helped them win the game, for their club, their city and those back home who were probably too distraught to focus fully on a mere Europa League final.

When it was over, when United’s job had been mechanically executed, the best of Jose Mourinho’s players on the night delivered words of unusual power. Ander Herrera told us the team had been “devastated” in training on Tuesday, and said: “I want to  dedicate this to the victims. We want peace in the world.” He urged people to “work together for a normal world”. 

This is not the average acceptance speech for a Europa League man of the match. But then this was no average night. It might have overwhelmed Mourinho’s men. Instead they showed Ajax to be boys in a world of men. With direct, physical, unambitious but highly effective play, they added a second trophy to their 2016-17 campaign and found a way back into the Champions League. Now, we can argue about how they did it, and what they need to change. On the night, though, United honoured a promise to their community, and allowed it just a brief taste of normality.

.

 

Rafael Nadal crushes Novak Djokovic to reach Madrid final

.

MADRID, May 13, 2017 - Rafael Nadal snapped a seven-match losing streak against Novak Djokovic in commanding fashion as he romped into the final of the Madrid Masters 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday.

The Spaniard looks in ominous form with just over two weeks to go till the start of the French Open as he stretched his perfect record on clay this season to 14-0 with a dominant display.

.

Nadal will look to seal his fifth title in Madrid in Sunday's final against Austrian Dominic Thiem in a repeat of the Barcelona Open final Nadal won 6-4, 6-1 two weeks ago.

.

"It is a great result. To win against Novak by that score you have to be playing very well, otherwise it's impossible," said Nadal.

.

 FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

. 

An open era record 50th meeting between Nadal and Djokovic served to highlight the Serb's dramatic dip in form since they last met in Rome almost exactly a year ago.

"It was an important match for me. I lost a lot of times in a row. To break that means there are always nerves," added Nadal.

"The circumstances nowadays are completely different compared to those seven matches that occurred before.

"I think that the last two years perhaps haven't been my best two years. For Novak, they were really good years."

Djokovic had won his last 15 sets stretching back to the 2014 French Open final against the 14-time Grand Slam champion.

However, that run was emphatically ended as Nadal, willed on by a fervent home support including Cristiano Ronaldo in the VIP boxes, made the perfect start by breaking the Djokovic serve to love.

 .

 VIDEO

.

"Rafa was obviously a better player today," said Djokovic.

"He deserved to win. He controlled the game from beginning to the end."

Indeed Djokovic could only muster four points in the opening four games as Nadal raced into a 4-0 lead.

He did salvage some pride by seeing off more pressure on his serve to at least hold twice and force Nadal to serve out to take the first set in 40 minutes.

"It wasn't a very high quality of tennis from my side. I made a lot of unforced errors," added Djokovic.

"His quality was very high. He managed to do whatever he wanted really, especially in the first set."

- New guidance -

================

Djokovic was playing his first tournament in Madrid since parting company with his long-term coach Marian Vajda.

And on this evidence he needs new guidance as quickly as possible if he is to defend his French Open title as two more forehand errors gifted Nadal another break at the start of the second set.

Djokovic showed his resistence of old to break back when Nadal netted after being stretched out on the backhand side to level at 2-2.

But his fight back was temporary as he handed the break straight back as he fired wide with a backhand after a brilliant Nadal passing shot had set up a fresh break point opportunity.

Again Djokovic's level improved as the set wore on to make Nadal serve it out.

And Nadal was forced to save a break point in the final game with a drop shot Djokovic couldn't get back over the net.

"I am humble enough to come here and say that I was nervous," said Nadal.

"Especially to go from 40-15, to break point for him, that was a very hard moment for me."

Djokovic, though, fired long with a volley on Nadal's third match point sparking wild scenes of celebration.

Victory also ensured Nadal closes the gap on Djokovic's lead in their head-to-head record to 26-24.

Thiem booked his place in a first ever Masters series final with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas in a match that finished just after midnight local time.

.

Source - TheNation

.