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Japan Times
SOCCER
Jun 6, 2023

Saudi wealth fund to take control of Cristiano Ronaldo's club

Sports is one of the pillars of the government's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan that seeks to build new industries and create jobs.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Apr 30, 2023

Russian athletes say IOC participation plan excessive, discriminatory

Table tennis, pentathlon, fencing, judo and taekwondo are among the Olympic sports that have readmitted athletes from Russia and Belarus as neutrals.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 1, 2023

IOC rejects Russian demand that its athletes compete without restrictions

The debate had intensified since the IOC said last week it was examining a 'pathway' for Russians to compete in Paris.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Dec 20, 2022

After World Cup, Qatar seeks Olympic gold

Qatar is ploughing ahead with its ambitions despite criticism of its rights record, with major sporting events including world championships packing the Gulf state's sporting calendar.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 18, 2022

Cuban women, finally, in boxing ring

Women's boxing is now practiced in 187 of the 202 member countries of the International Boxing Association.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 16, 2022

Samurai Blues: The J. League, the World Cup and Japan’s place in global soccer

Sports writer Dan Orlowitz joins the show to catch us up on where Japan stands in the global soccer landscape and the controversies swirling around the host nation of Qatar.
SPORTS
Oct 23, 2022

Antonio Inoki: A career remembered in an open-hand slap

The late former wrestler was known for taking on the likes of Muhammad Ali with his own brand of combat, but his personality ensured he always had something to offer his fans.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 2, 2022

A man larger than life: Remembering Antonio Inoki

Antonio Inoki, a pro wrestler, businessman and politician, was a transformative and inspirational figure for his nation. He will be missed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 1, 2022

Japan wrestling legend and former lawmaker Antonio Inoki dies at 79

The famed professional wrestler was known for taking on world boxing champion Muhammad Ali in 1976 and making numerous trips to North Korea as a lawmaker.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Aug 17, 2022

Australia relocates more Afghan athletes fleeing Taliban rule

The Australian Olympic Committee said five Afghan families with 'ties to the Olympic movement' had arrived in Australia in recent months following a 12-month project to bring them to safety.
Japan Times
Indonesia report 2022
Aug 16, 2022

Taisho Pharmaceutical: Health is wealth

Headquartered in Millennium Centennial Center in central Jakarta, Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia is playing an important role within Indonesia’s health care sector.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA
Aug 1, 2022

NBA legend and 11-time champion Bill Russell dies at 88

Russell won 11 NBA titles as a player with the Boston Celtics. He also was the first Black head coach in North American professional sports history.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jul 23, 2022

Sri Lankan athletes overcome obstacles to stay on course for Commonwealth Games

'We want to stand like other nations, in front of our flag, as a proud nation, keeping our backs straight, our heads strong and we want to do our best.'
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jul 12, 2022

Simone Biles inspires other stars to go public on mental health

Retired French soccer icon Thierry Henry and Irish rugby great Keith Earls are among a growing number of athletes willing to discuss their struggles.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 4, 2022

IOC President Thomas Bach says Ukrainian 'flag will fly high' at upcoming Olympics

Speaking during a visit to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Bach pledged to increase the amount of IOC funding for athletes from the war-torn nation.
Japan Times
SOCCER
May 31, 2022

France blames Liverpool, ticket fraud for Champions League trouble

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera has commissioned a report into the trouble at the match, which was delayed by 35 minutes due to chaos outside Paris' Stade de France.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 5, 2022

Formula One hopes to maintain recent surge of popularity in U.S. with inaugural Miami Grand Prix

'The sport brings a bit of European glam to the auto race scene in America at a time when audiences may be tiring of the same-old, same-old NASCAR and Indy Car events.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
May 1, 2022

Australia supremo John Coates steps down after 32 years

In his 32 years in charge at the AOC, the 71-year-old helped Australia land two Olympics and successfully steered the troubled 2020 Tokyo Games to the finish line last summer.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Apr 12, 2022

Australia's Victoria to spread 2026 Commonwealth Games far and wide

Melbourne, the state capital, hosted the 2006 Games and will stage the 2026 opening ceremony at Melbourne Cricket Ground, but the sports will be spread far and wide.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Mar 7, 2022

Unwanted snowboarders making most of opportunity at Paralympics

Until the moment Cecile Hernandez of France was handed an official racing bib and a time slot Saturday, she still feared that race officials would forbid her to compete.
Vinesh Phogat of India (in red) wrestles Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba in the women's 50-kg semifinals on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics. Phogat was later disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024

Disqualification costs India a medal, but its Olympic future still looks bright

Vinesh Phogat had a chance to win a first Olympic gold for Indian women. But even after he disqualification, the country's female athletes have a promising future.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 23, 2023

Nihon University scandal puts focus on 'collective responsibility'

Critics of the approach of punishing an entire team for wrongdoing by some say it can unfairly affect athletes that weren't involved.
China's Olympic gold-medal winning 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay team celebrates on the podium at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 29, 2021.  Zhang Yufei (third from left) is among 23 top Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in the lead up to the Games.
OLYMPICS
Apr 20, 2024

Top Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned drug, then won Olympic gold

The episode sharply divided the anti-doping world, where China’s record has long been a flashpoint.
Rae Burrell (left) of the Vinyl battles for possession with Lexie Hull and Angel Reese of the Rose in an Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game in Miami on Friday.
BASKETBALL
Jan 21, 2025

Unrivaled could teach the NBA how to win back its fans

The new league plays a fast-paced, free-flowing version of basketball that empowers players to show off their skills.
Shohei Ohtani with then-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara during a news conference in Los Angeles in December
BASEBALL
Apr 12, 2024

Prosecutors say Ohtani’s interpreter stole $16 million from star

The account provided by authorities largely confirms what Ohtani told the public in late March.
Flag-bearers Tahani Alqahtani and Husein Alireza of Saudi Arabia lead their contingent during the athletes parade at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.
OLYMPICS
May 21, 2024

Ambitious Saudis look to homegrown talent for future Olympic success

Saudi Arabia will need more than the 33 athletes it sent to the Tokyo Olympics if it wants to host the Summer Games.
Team France celebrates after winning gold in the judo mixed team event at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in July 2021.
OLYMPICS
Jul 25, 2024

Is it too early to celebrate gender equality at the Olympics?

In both Japan and abroad, women are far from achieving equality in the ranks of coaching and at the administrative level.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear