SOUTH KOREA BREAKS JAPAN HEARTS TO WIN ASIA GAMES BASKETBALL GOLD

 

Basketball - Men's - Gold Medal Match - Japan v South Korea - Aichi International Arena, Nagoya, Japan - September 20, 2026 Gold medallists, South Korea celebrate on the podium with their national flag during the victory ceremony REUTERS/Edgar Su

South Korea broke Japanese hearts on Sunday when they took Asian Games men's basketball gold with a 67-57 triumph in the final in Nagoya.

Lee Hyun-jun top-scored for the Koreans with 27 points, including five three-pointers, in a scrappy victory helped by some wayward Japan shooting.

"I'm unbelievably happy," Lee said. "More than anything I'm extremely grateful to my teammates."

There was a raucous atmosphere at a packed IG Arena where every Japan score threatened to raise the roof and every South Korean free-throw attempt was barracked, despite a good contingent of away fans.

"We could hear the voices of the fans who came here from Korea very clearly, and I think their support gave us strength," Lee added.

The teams were locked 28-28 after an attritional first half but the more experienced Koreans started fast in the third period and stretched out to a 55-47 lead which proved too much for Japan to claw back.

There were emotional scenes at the final buzzer as the Korean players celebrated with their Latvian coach Nikolajs Mazurs.

"Our foreign coach, he went through a great deal. He came here alone, without his own full coaching staff, to work in a foreign country," said Lee, who could not hold back the tears at the end.

"I always seem to cry when I win a championship. The feeling of winning is so wonderful."

It was South Korea's first basketball gold since Incheon in 2014 and their fourth in Asian Games history.

Ren Kanechika was Japan's leading scorer with 13 points.

"I'm disappointed because we were aiming to win gold," said Kanechika. "We slumped in the second half."

"Korea came out strong and we lost to that, and we really respect their fight."

Iran 'put hearts on court'

Iran withstood a late fightback to beat China 79-70 and win bronze.

China led 31-29 at half-time, but Iran took charge in the third quarter to lead 55-46 and held on to spark ecstatic celebrations.

"To be honest with you I'm just speechless," said 202cm (6ft 8in) power forward Arsalan Kazemi, who in 2013 was the first Iranian to be drafted in the NBA by the Washington Wizards, but never made a regular season appearance.

"The pressure that we had on us is just out of this world," he added.

"Not a lot of athletes can say that, with the way that it has been since almost six months ago, what we have been through, what our families have been through," he said of the war at home.

"I just congratulate the people of Iran because they deserve much better.

"And I think my teammates and I put our hearts out on the court today just to get this win and make them happy."

— Agence France-Presse

JAPAN'S PLOT TO WIN THE WORLD CUP IS FULLY IN MOTION AND HERE'S WHY IT RELIES ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Europe’s influx of Japanese talent is just the first step in a transfer revolution

Zion Suzuki of Aston Villa and Japan (Image credit: Getty Images)

The summer transfer window ended with 30 Japanese players now employed in Europe’s top five leagues and many more in European leagues besides.

Takefusa Kubo of Real Sociedad and Bayern Munich’s Hiroki Ito were among those already in place, while 19-year-old Ryunosuke Sato joined Valencia from FC Tokyo after establishing himself as one of Japan’s top prospects on loan with Fagiano Okayama.

Between the FC Tokyo and the Championship, 18 Japanese players are now operating in England’s upper tiers. They include the familiar faces of Kaoru Mitoma and Ao Tanaka, new English arrivals Daizen Maeda and Zion Suzuki, and promoted Coventry City wide midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.

Japan’s player development vision is paying off

Ao Tanaka of Leeds United and Japan (Image credit: Getty Images)

Tomoki Iwata is one of two Japanese midfielders at Birmingham City and is top-notch at Championship level. Ryoya Morishita and Kuryu Matsuki are regular contributors at Blackburn Rovers and Southampton respectively.

In years gone by, that would have been the end of the Japanese players roster and there might not have been anyone as good as those players anywhere on it. In 2026/27, it’s just a handful of examples.

Player export is a growth industry for Japanese football and there’s more to come, not just to Europe but to England, too. The football authorities in the Land of the Rising Sun have planned for it to be so.

Not content with seeing proof that Japan’s long-standing focus on player development is working – it’s no accident that Samurai Blue and their European arrivals have been spearheaded by highly technical players – the nation’s governing bodies have moved into the next phase.

The J.League and the Japanese Football Association are united in the creation of a belt-and-braces pursuit of a suite of objectives, some of them explicitly outlined in the J.League 100 Year Vision.

If the desired end point is winning the World Cup, the next few steps are designed to better position Japanese football as a structural entity within Asia and the world.

Japan’s aims include making it easier to transfer players into and out of the J.League, to become Asia’s most desired destination league by increasing its appeal to players and improving the standard of the top division as a consequence.

Such goals are not easily met. Together, the league and the federation have gone all in. They’ve committed the very fabric of Japanese football to the cause of connecting the high school and university game to player production at the highest level.

There was also a pressing wish to revisit the availability of teams to play in prestige friendlies against top European opposition, even to route training camps and tours in Europe, without the need for an awkward mid-season break.

Japan’s production line has multiple SKUs

To that end, Japan is currently a month and change into a new football season calendar. From 2026/27, the J.League has reverted to a season that aligns with most of the rest of the world.

The J.League devised the 100 Year Vision League to bridge the gap between seasons proper and put up both an AFC Champions League place and a ton of prize money to entice the clubs to take it seriously in spite of the lack of relegation.

With that admittedly very enjoyable curio in the rear-view mirror, the J.League and JFA are now eagerly watching as the teams get stuck into the new campaign, but keeping one eye on playing opportunities for young Japanese players even if they’re blocked by what everyone hopes will be an improving league.

The governing bodies are aligned here, too, with the national team intended to be the ultimate beneficiary.

Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton & Hove Albion and Japan (Image credit: Getty Images)

New J.League under-18 and under-20 representative teams made up notably of under-used players have been created to play matches against university teams in Japan and to experience the game as a touring team in Europe. Last November, a group of those players were in England and Wales to do exactly that.

This season marks not only a new set of dates for the J.League, but the inauguration of a new Under-21 J.League division. Crucially, all of these tactics point in the same strategic direction. It’s equally important that neither of these safety nets amount to real senior football, but nothing really can.

What matters more than anything else is that the official bodies with every ounce of influence on the matter are doing everything they can, trying everything they believe in, to yank the conveyer belt to a higher setting.

Whether that can achieve the lofty aim of winning a World Cup is anyone’s guess. There are countries who’ve invested more, for longer and from a sturdier base, than Japan.

But the quality of players is a controllable factor outcome and Japan is lighting a fire under that. By reducing transfer market friction and delivering talent into the global pool at scale, 18 Japanese players in the Premier League and Championship is a count that’s only heading in one direction.

-  Chris Nee

FRACTURED CERAMICS TO RECYCLED TECH: HOW 2026 ASIAN GAMES MEDALS WERE MADE

The 2026 Asian Games medals symbolise athletes' dedication and feature materials from recycled electronics, promoting sustainability

This is what every athlete who has travelled to Aichi-Nagoya for the 2026 Asian Games will be fighting for. This is what the athletes have trained for over four years. This is what they will be awarded when they stand on the podium: medals.

The medals that will be awarded at the Asian Games. (Asian Games)

But do you know how these medals were made? Or how much they weigh? Or how much gold is there in the gold medal? Let’s find out.

In a quiet design studio, ceramic discs were repeatedly shattered, their fractured pieces carefully examined as they settled into naturally captivating forms.

Japanese designer Daisuke Shiba was searching for something deeper than mere metallic brilliance for the 20th Asian Games. He envisioned the invisible journey of an athlete — the gruelling training sessions, the quiet sacrifices and the trials endured far from the stadium lights.

Just as those broken ceramic pieces reassembled into a compelling new shape, the scattered fragments of an athlete’s perseverance converge into a single crystallisation of achievement.

This vision of the medals breathes life into the Games’ slogan — Imagine One Asia. The design reflects a continent that once shared a common origin before expanding into a rich tapestry of distinct languages and cultures. Through sport, these diverse streams flow back together.

“I sincerely hope that these medals, as symbols of the dedication and perseverance that athletes have accumulated through years of effort, will further enhance their sense of joy and pride,” Shiba, designer of the medals, told the Asian Games website.

Now let’s get to know the medals themselves.

The medal itself, measuring 80mm across and 5mm thick, embodies this reunion. The physical pieces carry a profound connection to the community.

The top prize, the gold medal, weighs 265gm and is cast in pure silver plated with at least 1gm of gold. The silver medal weighs a gram less and is pure silver. The bronze weighs 222gm and is made of warm red brass, comprising 95% copper and 5% zinc.

A portion of every metal was recovered from small electronic devices donated by local residents across Aichi’s municipalities, transforming everyday technology into symbols of athletic glory through a commitment to a circular economy.

This was done as part of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Recycled Medal Project which aimed to promote awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Regarding the design, a competition was opened to design students with professional experience in the field. The winning design was selected by a review committee from among the submitted entries.

When placed around a winner’s neck, the medal rests upon a ribbon styled with the silhouette of the kakitsubata, or Japanese iris, the official flower of the Aichi Prefecture. Sweeping, fluid arcs inspired by the plant’s leaves mirror the power and athletic grace displayed on the field, bridging local botanical heritage with international victory.

To preserve these memories for a lifetime, each medal rests inside an octagonal box crafted from fragrant, Aichi-grown hinoki (Japanese cypress). Grounded in the region’s historical tea ceremony traditions, where precious artefacts are treasured in fine wooden containers, the case pays homage to local craftsmanship.

Its eight-sided geometry evokes the Japanese character for 8, a motif historically embedded in the emblem of the Owari Tokugawa clan and featured in the official symbol of Nagoya city. As the strokes of the character widen toward the bottom, the vessel symbolises outward expansion toward the future — a lasting safeguard for a monument of human effort.

- Sandip Sikdar

VALIANT EFFORT! | JANNIK SINNER VS. SHINTARO MOCHIZUKI

NAOMI OSAKA TURNS WIMBLEDON INTO A CATWALK WITH STUNNING JAPANESE-STYLE OUTFIT

Naomi Osaka continued her tradition at Wimbledon on day three

Naomi Osaka stunned in a white train (Image: BBC)

Naomi Osaka continued her Wimbledon tradition of turning the All England Club into a catwalk on Wednesday morning. The Japanese star strolled onto Court 2 to face Anastasia Gasanova wearing a jacket with flowers on the back, a kimono-style belt wrapped around it and a long tulle train at the back.

The four-time Grand Slam champion donned the attire as she made her way to the net to meet the umpire and her opponent for the coin toss. But Osaka then removed the train and the kimono belt before the warm-up commenced. The jacket was left on her courtside chair when the match got underway.

Naomi Osaka did the coin toss with her train and kimono belt attached (Image: Getty)

Naomi Osaka arrived on court in a stunning long train (Image: Getty)

Osaka wore a white flowing kimono for her first-round win over Elsa Jacquemot on Monday that caught the attention of all at SW 19. The No. 14 seed won 6-1, 7-5 and then explained her fashion choice.

"For me, my Japanese heritage means a lot. They say all white at Wimbledon and I thought it would be really cool to come out in a kimono," Osaka said.

"I just get inspired by a lot of different things, and for me, one of my favorite movies is ‘Kill Bill.’ So I really love Lucy Liu’s character, O-Ren Ishii, and she comes out in this really iconic white kimono. I always tell people I like to be like a video game character sometimes, I don’t want to be myself when I’m playing on the court. And I kind of try to embody her a little."

Naomi Osaka kept her jacket on for the warm up (Image: Getty)

Osaka has been working with Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi and finished her round-one outfit with a kanzashi hair ornament and Mikimoto jewelry.

"I like to use fashion as a medium for storytelling," Osaka told British Vogue earlier this year. "Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world. The fact that people care about it and are excited to see what’s next is also pretty cool."

- Mikael McKenzie

JAPANESE FANS CLEAN DALLAS STADIUM

JUDO UKEMI | UKEMI MEANS 'BREAK YOUR FALL' IN JAPANESE

 

WATANABE VS. SUBRAMANIAM | GRASSHOPPER CUP 2026 | FINAL

 

FORMULA 1ARAMCO JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2026 | SUZUKA | FINAL STARTING GRID

 

A JAPANESE BILLIONAIRE SPENT $200 MILLION BUILDING A PRIVATE FORMULA 1 RACETRACK

A Japanese billionaire spent about $200 million building a private Formula 1–style racetrack for use by his wife and children.

The circuit, known as the Magarigawa Club, is located in the mountains of Chiba, around 40 kilometres east of central Tokyo.

The track was designed by Formula 1 circuit architect Hermann Tilke and measures about 2.17 miles, with 22 corners and significant elevation changes.

It was not built to host professional races, but rather as a private facility with limited public access. 

The circuit now also operates as an exclusive members-only driving club for wealthy clients.

- Mechavytes

SATOMI WATANABE | WORLD GAMES ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

 

DATSUN ROADSTER | DATSUN SPORTS | DATSUN FAIRLADY

The car pictured is a Datsun Roadster, also known as the Datsun Sports or Fairlady in some markets.

This lightweight sports car was produced by Nissan in the 1960s. 

The Datsun Roadster model S211 line was first launched in 1959.

The second generation, designed for mass production, made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1961.

It served as a precursor to Nissan's future "Z" series of cars .

SECOND BOXER FROM SAME TOKYO EVENT DIES FROM BRAIN INJURIES

 Hiromasa Urakawa has passed away after a bout with Yoji Saito

A second boxer has died from the same card in Japan (Getty Images)

Hiromasa Urakawa has become the second boxer to die from brain injuries sustained at the same event in Tokyo.

The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) announced the death of Japanese boxer Urakawa at the age of 28 on Sunday following a bout with Yoji Saito on 2 August.

It occurred days after Shigetoshi Kotari, who fought out a draw with Yamato Hata on the same card in Tokyo, died due to injuries to his brain.

"The WBO mourns the passing of Japanese boxer Hiromasa Urakawa, who tragically succumbed to injuries sustained during his fight against Yoji Saito on August 2 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo," a WBO statement read.

"This heartbreaking news comes just days after the passing of Shigetoshi Kotari, who died from injuries suffered in his fight on the same card.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and the Japanese boxing community during this incredibly difficult time."

Lightweight Urakawa fought 14 times as a professional (10-4, 7KOs), while Tokyo featherweight Kotari contested 12 bouts (8-2-2, 5KOs).

The Japanese Boxing Commission has since announced all Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title fights will be reduced from 12 rounds to 10.

- Independent, sports staff

PRO BOXER SHIGETOSHI KOYARINHAS PASSED AWAY AT AGE 28

Professional boxer Shigetoshi Kotari has sadly passed away at the age of 28 due to brain injuries sustained in his bout with Yamato Hata on August 2nd. 

FORD PROVIDE UPDATE ON ALL-NEW RED BULL F1 ENGINE

© XPBimages
Ford

Ford has shared further insight into the development of Red Bull's F1 power unit for 2026, the team's first season as an engine manufacturer.

Mark Rushbrook, global director at Ford performance, has outlined how the project is going from the American car giant's perspective, which has entered a partnership with the Milton Keynes-based squad to see in the new era of F1 power unit regulations.

With Honda leaving for Aston Martin, Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT) is making good on its initial plans to become an OEM (before the Japanese marque reversed its decision to leave the championship), with Ford by its side.

With significant changes to how F1 engines will work from next season, the technical and strategic relationship between Red Bull and Ford is of paramount importance to how the six-time constructors' champions perform next term - and beyond.

"The partnership is actually getting stronger every day, from the first discussions and the moment the contract was signed, although the work had already started before that," Rushbrook told the Dutch branch of Motorsport.com.

"We are contributing in a number of ways. In general, we are on track with our timeline for the ICE [internal combustion engine] and the electrical components.

"There is obviously still a lot of work to do and a lot to prove in terms of durability, but the partnership - the openness, the trust and the contribution from both sides - has been excellent so far. It's everything we hoped for and actually more than we expected."

The original remit of the partnership was for Ford to handle power unit electronics for the team, but the scope has broadened, including to the producing of the ICE.

Now, Red Bull is utilising even more expertise and resources at Ford's disposal. "Initially the focus was on electrification," Rushbrook explained. "But with our advanced manufacturing facility and our [3D] printing machines, we can make things in real time.

"We are literally making things every day that come out of Dearborn, are shipped and are tested in the lab in Milton Keynes."

Is the power unit reaching its targets?

Rushbrook also confirmed the power unit is currently meeting its targets, but was keen to stress that to "achieve everything 100 percent" is not a realistic expectation.

When asked if targets are currently being reached and that everything is going according to plan, he highlighted the need to be reactive to how development unfolds.

"Yes, although of course there are always exceptions because you can never achieve everything 100 percent," he replied.

"But when it comes to achieving the power numbers, then absolutely. Then it's about the reliability tests to match that.

"Do you achieve everything perfectly? No, but that's the reality of any programme. It just happens as you go along and then it's about how you respond, in terms of urgency and in terms of the mindset of the people. So we respond to what we see."

He added: "When the engine develops and finds more power, then of course it's always about testing reliability. So it's: power, reliability, power, reliability."

- Samuel Coop

GERVONTA 'TANK' DAVIS VS. NAOYA INOUE | SIMILAR STATS

 

RED BULL CONFIRM MAX VERSTAPPEN TEAM- MATE FOR REST OF 2025

XPB

Helmut Marko has stated Yuki Tsunoda will remain alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull until the end of the F1 season.

The Japanese driver assumed the seat from Liam Lawson for his home grand prix at Suzuka. Whilst it was not the debut weekend the 24-year-old would have hoped for, Marko has confirmed the Milton Keynes squad will not make further changes this term.

Verstappen scored an improbable victory, built upon the foundation of a superb pole-securing qualifying lap, but Tsunoda's Q2 elimination left him powerless to prevent finishing point-less in P12.

However, he was significantly closer to the Dutchman through practice than Lawson could manage in Australia and China.

According to Marko, Tsunoda wanting a similar set-up approach to Verstappen means the latest Red Bull driver pairing fits better.

"Yuki is actually happy with Max's set-up. They have the same preferences, so it fits well together," Marko said to Austrian broadcaster ORF.

"Of course, it is important for us to have two cars in the points," he added, addressing Tsunoda's underwhelming output for the weekend.

However, the Austrian was also quick to highlight how well he fared up to qualifying, despite the lack of preparation afforded him.

"The first race went fairly smoothly. He was always two-to-three tenths behind Max in practice and qualifying until he was eliminated," the 81-year-old said.

"That's quite an achievement when you don't get more time," before concluding, "Yuki will finish the season at Red Bull."

- Samuel Coop

FIRST DOG PITCH | SHOHEI OHTANI'S DOG DECOY RUNS OUT THE FIRST PITCH

 

ULTIMATE DODGERS TOKYO 2025 SEASON OPENER HYPE TRAILER

 

PREMIER LEAGUE: KAORU MITOMA, YANKUBA MINTEH POWER BRIGHTON TO 3-0 WIN OVER CHELSEA

Brighton and Hove Albion dented Chelsea’s hopes of a top-four finish with a 3-0 win over the Blues in the English Premier League on Friday night. Yankuba Minteh scored a brace whereas Kaoru Mitoma netted a stunner.

Brighton defeated Chelsea 3-0 in the English Premier League to dent the Blues' hopes of a top-four finish. AP
 

 Enzo Maresca admitted Chelsea’s dismal 3-0 defeat at Brighton was the “worst performance” of his reign as Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma produced a contender for Premier League goal of the season on Friday. Maresca’s hapless side failed to muster a shot on target in their second defeat in the space of seven days at the Amex Stadium.

Mitoma scored the winner when Brighton knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-1 victory last weekend. He tormented the Blues again with a breathtaking piece of skill in the first half before Gambia winger Yankuba Minteh netted either side of the interval.

Maresca, in his first season in charge after arriving from Leicester, said this week that Chelsea “belong” in the Champions League, with the club setting him the target of qualifying within two years. But Chelsea’s third defeat in their last four games in all competitions was another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four.

“I feel pressure always, not only now, but tonight the performance we can say was the worst performance since I arrived,” Maresca said.

With this result the frustration is with everything. We feel really sorry for the fans who came here.” Maresca will have to find a solution to Chelsea’s chronically error-prone defence if the fourth-placed Blues, two points ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle, are to achieve their target this term.

“When you play this kind of game, the situation we are in, and you perform in the way we did tonight there are many things you can do better,” Maresca said.

“It is not only mentally. When you play these games in the moment we are, where you can make the gap bigger to the ones behind us and you perform like we did tonight, there are many things that we need to do better. But we are still fourth and we are still in the race to finish well.”

Thrashed 7-0 at Nottingham Forest in their previous league game, Brighton had won only two of their previous 12 top-flight matches. The Seagulls have got back on track at Chelsea’s expense with a pair of impressive wins.

Palmer out of sorts

After beginning the season with six goals in his first seven league games, Cole Palmer had netted eight times, two from the penalty spot, in the following 17 matches in the competition. Chelsea had slipped from early title contenders to top four hopefuls since Palmer’s red-hot start turned colder.

Palmer again looked out of sorts on the south-coast as he blazed over from the edge of the area, then scuffed wide from Noni Madueke’s cross. Madueke limped off injured moments later to add to Chelsea’s growing injury woes.

There was worse to come for Maresca in the 27th minute as Brighton took the lead in eye-catching fashion. Bart Verbruggen’s long goal-kick was superbly controlled by Mitoma with a remarkably deft touch as it dropped over his shoulder.

That was just the start of Mitoma’s magical moment as he adroitly rolled the ball away from Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and planted a fine low finish into the far corner from the edge of the area. Chelsea threatened an immediate equaliser but Enzo Fernandez’s header from Malo Gusto’s cross was ruled out for the midfielder’s blatant push.

Even that near miss was a false dawn for Chelsea as Brighton struck again in the 38th minute. Conceding possession deep into their own half, sloppy Chelsea were unable to recover as Danny Welbeck teed up Minteh, who evaded Marc Cucurella before drilling home from close-range.

Maresca’s men were in disarray at the back and Brighton made it three in the 63rd minute. After Chelsea appealed in vain for a foul on Levi Colwill by Welbeck, the forward found Minteh and he danced past Cucurella to score with a fierce strike from eight yards.

 - Agence France-Presse