Terao, Kamino secure Olympic berths
December 18, 2005Short-track speed skaters Satoru Terao and Yuka Kamino won the 500 and 1,500 meters in the national championships and all but secured their places in the Turin Olympics in both events. Terao edged Nagano Olympic 500-meter gold medalist Takafumi Ni...
Urawa begins talks with Ono
December 18, 2005Urawa Reds started talks with Shinji Ono in a bid to regain the services of the Japan midfielder, but both sides failed to reach an agreement Saturday. Shuzo Nakamura, a senior Urawa official, said after his meeting Saturday night with Ono that th...
Hosei beats Ritsumeikan to win Koshien Bowl
December 18, 2005Running back Yasuhiro Maruta scored a decisive touchdown in the final quarter as Hosei University beat three-time defending champion Ritsumeikan University 17-14 in the Koshien Bowl national collegiate championship Sunday. With the victory at Kosh...
Kiyohara to decide future on Tuesday
December 18, 2005Veteran slugger Kazuhiro Kiyohara, who has received an offer from the Orix Buffaloes after being released by the Yomiuri Giants, said Sunday he will announce his decision on his future on Tuesday. Kiyohara was released by Yomiuri in October after...
Sao Paulo downs Liverpool to win Club World Championship
December 18, 2005South American champion Sao Paulo edged European champion Liverpool 1-0 to win the Club World Championship on Sunday. The Brazilians survived a second-half onslaught and secured victory after midfielder Mineiro scored the decisive goal in the 27th mi...
Miyahira wins Piyashiri meet
December 18, 2005Veteran Hideharu Miyahira came from behind to win the Nayoro Piyashiri meet, the opening event of the domestic ski jumping season, on Saturday. Miyahira, third after his first jump of 89 meters, had the day's longest leap of 92 meters in the secon...
Gamba crushes Kashiwa 5-3
December 18, 2005Newly crowned J-League champion Gamba Osaka scored three goals in the final four minutes Saturday to eliminate Kashiwa Reysol with a 5-3 win in the fifth round of the Emperor's Cup and advance to the Dec 24 quarterfinals. Gamba play crosstown riva...
Hiratsuka leads Asia-Japan Okinawa Open
December 18, 2005Tetsuji Hiratsuka shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 64 in gusty conditions Saturday to take a one-shot lead over Kaname Yokoo after the third round of the Asia-Japan Okinawa Open. The 34-year-old Hiratsuka, who has won two tour events, made his sevent...
Asada wins at Grand Prix Final
December 18, 2005Teenager Mao Asada, who is ineligible to skate at the upcoming Olympics in Turin because she is too young, upstaged two-time world champion Irina Slutskaya of Russia to win the women's event at the figure skating Grand Prix Final on Saturday. Asad...
Rakuten signs Taiwanese pitcher Lin
December 18, 2005The Rakuten Eagles said Friday they have signed Taiwanese pitcher Lin Ying-chieh to a two-year contract. Lin was 12-10 with a 2.36 ERA for the Macoto Cobras in Taiwanese professional baseball this year and the 24-year-old left-hander has a 45-31 c...
Sydney beats Al Ahly in club world playoff
December 18, 2005Oceania champions Sydney FC stunned African champions Al Ahly 2-1 in the fifth-place playoff at the Club World Championship on Friday. Al Ahly dominated for long periods in chilly Tokyo but the Australians went in front through Dwight Yorke and Da...
14 added to list of Turin-bound skiers
December 18, 2005The Ski Association of Japan added 14 names Friday to the provisional list of skiers and snowboarders competing in the upcoming Turin Olympics, including snowboarding medal hopeful Domu Narita and veteran freestyle skier Yugo Tsukita. Narita, 20,...
Hasegawa named 2005 MVP
December 18, 2005WBC bantamweight boxer Hozumi Hasegawa, who won both of his world title fights this year, received the 2005 Japanese boxing MVP honors Friday. Hasegawa took the title from Thailand's Veeraphol Nakhonluang-Promotion with a unanimous decision in Apr...
Fukuda joins Spanish club Castellon
December 18, 2005Spanish second-division side Castellon said Thursday they have acquired Japanese forward Kenji Fukuda in a contract that runs through next June. The deal makes Fukuda, 28, the second Japanese player in Spain this season, joining striker Yoshito Ok...
Hamburg's Takahara hoping for transfer
December 18, 2005Hamburg SV striker Naohiro Takahara said Thursday that some teams have shown interest in him as the Japan striker wants to move from the German side for more playing time ahead of next year's World Cup finals. "Some teams have shown interest. I ca...