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Tariq Panja
For Tariq Panja's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
English and Italian footballers observe a minute of silence for the victims of a deadly shooting in Brussels and of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine, at Wembley Stadium in London on Oct. 17.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 24, 2023
Qatar-owned network altered broadcasts to avoid war references
Instead of tributes and moments of silence at recent games, beIN broadcasts aired extended studio discussions that hewed solely toward soccer.
Japan Times
SOCCER / Women's World Cup
Jun 30, 2023
FIFA may allow players to wear rainbow armbands at Women’s World Cup
FIFA is planning to send a letter outlining its armband rules for the 32 teams that will participate in the tournament.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jun 22, 2023
Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabia and a deal that paid off for both sides
Messi's deal offers an inside glimpse of the oil-rich kingdom’s use of its wealth to enlist marquee athletes in its effort to burnish its global image.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Mar 30, 2023
China’s soccer experiment was a flop. Now it may be over.
The expensive recruits have gone. Top teams have disappeared with alarming regularity. The national team shows little sign of improvement.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Feb 1, 2023
Barcelona goes to court to keep a star player on its roster
With the Spanish league unequivocal in its refusal to bend regulations to allow Barcelona to register any more players, the club’s board took its plea to the local court.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 30, 2022
Legendary Pele was Brazil’s ambassador to the world
Former Brazil star Pele was a man who moved in the company of celebrities and presidents and a player who could pause a civil war and then shake hands with a queen.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 19, 2022
Qatar got the World Cup it wanted
Qatar was perhaps among the most ill-suited hosts for a tournament of the scale of the World Cup, but it had a plentiful supply of money to propel its dream forward.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 11, 2022
Morocco stuns Portugal in a historic victory for Arabs and Africa
While Morocco celebrates its victory and ponders the next step of its magical journey, the result almost certainly means the end of an era for Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 20, 2022
On eve of World Cup, FIFA chief says: ‘Don’t criticize Qatar; criticize me'
In an extraordinary hourlong soliloquy delivered one day before the opening game, Gianni Infantino railed against critics of the tournament's first Arab host.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 22, 2022
Rainbow armbands are new flash point for FIFA and Qatar World Cup
Qatari officials have long said that all fans are welcome at the tournament, but security officials there also have warned supporters not to travel with the rainbow flag.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 12, 2022
Failed test casts shadow over figure skating, the Olympics’ showcase event
'It's either an intentional delay to allow her to compete or gross incompetence and has resulted in mayhem,' the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 23, 2022
China’s Games: How Xi Jinping is staging the Olympics on his terms
No longer needing to prove its standing, China now wants to project the vision of a prosperous, confident nation under Xi, the country's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Nov 27, 2021
In IOC’s ‘quiet diplomacy,’ critics see whitewash of China’s actions
For the its many critics, the guarded language the IOC used when referring to the Peng case was just the latest proof that it will not take any action that might upset China's government.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Oct 16, 2021
EA Sports making plans for FIFA without FIFA
At least two years of talks about renewing the contract that allows Electronic Arts, through its EA Sports division, to use the organization's name have hit the wall.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2021
Tokyo’s Olympic bubble? Wait till you see Beijing’s.
With the Winter Olympics in Beijing just six months away, the Chinese authorities are planning elaborate precautions against COVID-19.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2021
Paris 2024 presses on with Plan A, but studies Tokyo’s Plan B
The next Summer Olympics are less than three years away. Paris says it's prepared, but so was Tokyo.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 3, 2021
In weightlifting, a historic moment for transgender women
New Zealander Laurel Hubbard has become the first to participate in the Olympics, but her appearance has received a mixed response.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 3, 2021
A track built for speed is already producing records at the Tokyo Games
The springy surface at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo has been compared to a trampoline. “You can feel the bounce,” one runner said.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 1, 2021
Olympics’ first openly transgender woman stokes debate on fairness
Laurel Hubbard, a 43-year-old weight lifter from New Zealand, will compete on Monday, as some question her right to be at the Games.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 29, 2021
Medals on, masks off
The pandemic has changed the way Olympians receive their medals. But in the rush of elation, coronavirus rules and social distancing policies are routinely forgotten.

Longform

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