Category Archives: Sport

AFTNews, eSports, Olympics, Sport

IOC announces Olympic Esports Series 2023 with winners to be crowned at live finals in Singapore from 22 to 25 June, 2023

Source: AFTNN

On 1 March 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced details of the Olympic Esports Series 2023, a global virtual and simulated sports competition created by the IOC and in collaboration with International Federations (IFs) and game publishers. 

The initially confirmed featured games across nine sports are:

  • Archery (World Archery Federation, Tic Tac Bow),
  • Baseball (World Baseball Softball Confederation, WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS),
  • Chess (International Chess Federation, Chess.com),
  • Cycling (UCI, Zwift),
  • Dance (World DanceSport Federation, JustDance)
  • Motor sport (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, Gran Turismo).
  • Sailing (World Sailing, Virtual Regatta),
  • Taekwondo (World Taekwondo, Virtual Taekwondo)
  • Tennis (International Tennis Federation, Tennis Clash),

https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Images/News/2023/03/01/ESports/2023-03-01-Virtual-video-02.mp4

The Olympic Esports Series 2023 begins today, when both professional and amateur players from around the world are invited to take part in qualification rounds across a host of the featured games.

The Olympic Esports Series 2023 will culminate in live, in-person finals for the first time, with players having the opportunity to progress to the Olympic Esports Finals 2023. Taking place at Singapore’s Suntec Centre from 22 to 25 June, the finals action will be a highlight of the recently announced Olympic Esports Week 2023.

Coming together in Singapore for this unique competition, the players will compete in front of fans for the prestigious title of Olympic Esports Series winner. The thrilling finals action will be streamed globally across Olympics.com and Olympic social channels.

This evolved format of the IOC’s virtual competition builds on the successes of the Olympic Virtual Series. The 2021 series, which took place ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, attracted over 250,000 participants from across 100 countries to take part in competitions. The Olympic Esports Series 2023 marks another step in supporting the development of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement, as laid out in Olympic Agenda 2020+5, and continues its collaboration with the gaming and esports communities to create new opportunities for players and fans alike.

Speaking at the announcement, David Lappartient, Chair of the IOC Esports Liaison Group, said: “The Olympic Movement brings people together in peaceful competition. The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a continuation of that, with the ambition of creating more spaces to play for both players and fans of elite competition. We look forward to witnessing some of the world’s best compete on the global stage, as well as exploring together shared opportunities and lessons – across health and wellbeing, training and innovation.”

This follows the recent announcement that Singapore will host the first Olympic Esports Week 2023. Created in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), the four-day festival will showcase the very best of virtual sports – including technology exhibitions, show matches, expert panel discussions, and the first live finals of the Olympic Esports Series. The full programme and ticket details for the Olympic Esports Week 2023 will be revealed in April.

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AFTNews, Soccer, Sport

WHO and football icons rally to score a goal for “Health for All” to build healthier future

On Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC Day), the World Health Organization (WHO) teams up with international football icons to urge action by governments and people across the world to achieve health for all. UHC ensures that everyone, everywhere can access the support they need to be and stay healthy without being driven into financial hardship.

To mark UHC Day, WHO is launching two new tools: one to help governments design and deliver the right service coverage packages for their populations; and a second to provide people with reliable information to support the everyday decisions they make to protect their health and well-being.

 “The World Cup is the greatest prize in football, and the greatest prize in life is good health and well-being,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Health is not a luxury for the rich, but a fundamental human right, and the foundation of peaceful, prosperous and sustainable economies and societies. The tools we are launching today will help governments and individuals to realise that right.”

UHC Day 2022 comes at a critical time when countries across the world are rebuilding from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic while facing many other crises such as economic and energy constraints, climate change and conflict.

UHC Day kicks off the countdown to the high-level meeting on UHC which will be held at the United Nations General Assembly in 2023. Heads of State and Government, at the first high-level meeting on UHC in 2019, affirmed that health is a precondition for and an outcome and indicator of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. They strongly recommitted to achieve UHC by 2030 by scaling up the global effort to build a healthier world for all. The 2023 meeting is an opportunity to take stock of progress and galvanize political support and global action towards achieving UHC targets.

UHC Day at the FIFA World Cup

On the eve of the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022™, WHO and its Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health, football legend Didier Drogba, led UHC Day celebrations in Doha, Qatar. This formed part of a full day of activities organized by the Education Above All Foundation to put a spotlight on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good health and well-being.

“I found myself in the unusual place where if I had problems on the field, help arrived quickly, and we’ve seen how vital that support can be lately. But off the field, we know, this isn’t always the case,” Didier Drogba said. “Ill-equipped clinics, unsupported health workers, and not enough medicines and vaccines put people’s well-being at risk around the world. Good health needs a team effort, so we need governments to commit to policies that support Universal Health Coverage and give everyone access to what it takes to be healthy. When we team up for health for all, we all win.”

Football enthusiasts of all ages moved to show their support for health for all as electronic dance artist and vocalist, The Mad Stuntman, performed his famous song, “I Like to Move It,” highlighting the importance of staying active and the role of sport in promoting good health and well-being.

Sherrie Silver, Rwandan-British MTV Award winning choreographer, advocate for the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the United Nations, Malaria No More Ambassador and Rwandan development advocate also led the crowd in a dance-off, called the World Cup Workout.

“On Universal Health Coverage Day, let’s all be active and play our part to make health for all our goal, said Alisson Becker, goalkeeper for Brazil and Liverpool, and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Health Promotion.

A new WHO tool to help countries deliver UHC

Achieving national health goals has been hampered by the lack of a structured approach in designing and delivering a comprehensive package of health services that are tailored to local contexts.

WHO is launching a new tool named the Universal Health Coverage Service Package Delivery and Implementation or UHC SPDI Tool to support countries in designing their unique UHC health service packages. This innovative and practical online tool includes functionalities that will allow national health planners to select from a comprehensive range of health services—spanning promotive, preventive, resuscitative, curative, rehabilitative and palliative services—that people need to reach the highest attainable standard of health and well-being.

The tool is also designed to help identify human resource needs, essential medical products, infrastructure and other elements required for the effective delivery of health services. It also emphasizes first contact primary and emergency care, and highlights a primary health care approach as the basis for strengthening health systems and bringing all sectors under the vision of achieving health for all. The successful implementation of a national health service package will ultimately equip countries to accelerate progress towards UHC.

Universal health information for “Health for All”

WHO also launched a digital resource for the public called, “Your life, your health: Tips and information for health and well-being.” It provides people across different life phases with trustworthy health information that they can easily access, understand and use in daily life.

The resource provides basic information, founded on WHO technical guidance, on important topics such as keeping well during pregnancy and after childbirth, or how to be healthy and active in later adulthood. It also provides information on people’s rights and skills related to accessing and using information for health and well-being.

LINK: : https://www.who.int/news/item/12-12-2022-who-and-football-icons-rally-to-score-a-goal-for–health-for-all–to-build-healthier-future

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AFTNews, The World Games

The World Games 2025 Application for Sports Selection is underway

Seeking to be in at TWG 2025

With just under 1,000 days to go before the start of The World Games in Chengdu, Peoples Republic of China, the application process for the multi-sport event from 7-17 August 2025 has begun. Member Federations of the International World Games Association have until 16th December to submit their proposals for the sports programme.

The Evaluation Commission will then select the 30+ sports to be in Chengdu. After that, the IWGA Board of Directors will determine the programme that will most excite fans in China at the 2025 Games. The final vote will take place at the Annual General Meeting next spring. The entire process is being managed by Sebastian Garvens, Head of Games Services.

IWGA CEO Joachim Gossow expects the 12th edition of The World Games in the capital of China’s Sichuan Province to present new sports, or at least new disciplines. “There are always changes to the programme. At the Birmingham Games, for example, we awarded medals in Breaking, Parkour, Drone Racing and Flag Football for the first time. Wheelchair Rugby was there as a new sport. I assume that our Federations will want make use our platform in Chengdu for their young and emerging disciplines as well.

At the Games in Birmingham, USA, 34 sports with 58 disciplines and 223 medal events got their globally acclaimed stage during the ten competition days. At the 12th edition of the event, the number of sports on the programme will almost certainly expand. The strategy paper of the IWGA foresees that in addition to the sports of the Member Federations, there will be space in the programme made available for other partners. The host city Chengdu, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee are all invited to participate with proposals for sports disciplines for TWG 2025. The number limit for participants in the Games in three years’ time has been set at 5,000.

Sebastian Garvens explains the criteria for the proposals from the Federations and other partners: “The medal events must not be part of the full Olympic programme in Los Angeles 2028. In addition, each Member Federation can propose a maximum of three disciplines. They must also ensure that the best athletes can compete in the medal events in August 2025.” Other factors that count in programme selection are audience interest in the host country, media interest in a sport, and whether the right kind of sports venue is available. One of the sustainability principles of The World Games is that no new sports facilities need to be built for the event. Gender equality is also important; IWGA allowed almost equal numbers of women and men to compete in the 2022 Games.

In preparation for their applications, the IWGA has sent a questionnaire to the Member Federations. It helps to provide the necessary information for the Evaluation team: the description of the disciplines and events, the number of athletes and competition days, as well as the prerequisites to be created for a competition at the highest level.

The compilation of the sports and disciplines is only the first step on the way to the competition programme for The World Games 2025 in Chengdu. After that, it is a matter of creating a suitable schedule and selecting the appropriate competition venues. The whole process should be largely completed by the fall of 2023. The IWGA will schedule a Competition Managers Meeting for the fourth quarter next year. During the two-days meeting, the concrete implementation of the plans will dominate the agenda.

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AFT Features, Airsports

Korea to host world’s biggest drone racing competition in 2023

The World Air Sports Federation or Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) has awarded the 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship to Korea. It is the biggest competition of its kind, offering an arena for the world’s best pilots to pit their skills against one another.

The Championship will take place from 6 to 9 October 2023 at the Chunhyangol Stadium in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, about two hours south of Seoul. It will include prize money of USD 100,000.

Chunhyangol Stadium

KAMA, one of the sport’s most experienced organisers worldwide, is teaming up with the Federation of Korea Aeronautics and the city of Namwon to deliver the Championship, with the aim of organising a top-level event for competitors and spectators alike. Aside from the Drone Racing competition, an FAI Drone Soccer competition, a Drone Conference and other side events will familiarise spectators with the infinite world of drones. Music concerts and an array of cultural activities will complete the picture in the field of entertainment, while experts will debate and discuss drones at a conference.

Drone Soccer

Antonis Papadopoulos, President of the FAI Aeromodelling Commission, said: “We are delighted with the 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship being held in Korea, knowing this exciting competition has been entrusted to the hands of highly competent and experienced organisers. Their ambitious plans to showcase drones in all their variety, competition and otherwise, is promising to be a hit with everyone. And I must say, after two years of interruption, we are all impatient to see the world’s best of the best pilots fight for victory. This event cannot come soon enough!”

The two first editions of the FAI Drone Racing World Championship happened in Shenzhen (2018) and Ningbo (2019), China, before a three-year gap caused by the pandemic.

Drone Racing
AFTNews, eSports

Esports Pioneer Dato’ Ananth S. Nathan Makes Bold Investment in English Football Club AFC Wimbledon

  • The investment makes Dato’ Ananth puts him in the league of Asians to have ownership of a European football club
  • Bold plans are in the pipeline to leverage Esports as an innovative strategy to grow beyond the traditional football roots, as well as nurture local and regional talent through a football academy

Dato’ Ananth S. Nathan, President of the Malaysian Esports Federation (MESF) and pioneer of the Esports community in Southeast Asia has undertaken a leading investment in founding English Premier League Club Wimbledon FC, which was resurrected in 2002 as AFC Wimbledon. This investment positions him as the second-largest individual shareholder AFC Wimbledon, and one of a select few Asian owners of a European football club.

A very unique aspect of Dato’ Ananth’s investment is that he has never seen the AFC Wimbledon team play live. In 2002, Wimbledon FC, or affectionately known as the Dons, was controversially severed from its community by the decision of a Football Association commission. The club was relocated 70-miles from its home, and repositioned under a new name and ownership.

A devastating moment for fans, this resulted to a fan-led campaign that relaunched the club as AFC Wimbledon in the same year, maintain the team’s outstanding legacy. That same passion was also shown during a multi-million-pound fundraising campaign to rebuild its beloved Plough Lane home stadium, with the club playing its first match in its new Plough Lane home in November 2020.

Dato’ Ananth shared that he found his own journey echoed the story of struggle and triumph of AFC Wimbledon, forming an instant bond with the passion and perseverance with the football club. He has become a committed supporter of AFC Wimbledon’s journey, one which he hopes to extend through a shared community in Asia and beyond.

“In 2010, I went through a tough stint in my personal and professional life. With the support of family and close friends, I persevered.  Like a phoenix, my life rose from the ashes and I embarked on an upwards trajectory,” he said.

Dato’ Ananth said that he believes AFC Wimbledon’s story will resonate in Malaysia and throughout Asia. “The strong community spirit on the revival of the club was an important catalyst of this investment. It never crossed my mind as an investment, I did it because I love football and the romantic history of the club. When I went through the museum here at Plough Lane, I had goosebumps. That’s the effect I want to create in Malaysia. So, when the opportunity came, I had to put my name in,” he continued.

Despite its rocky history, AFC Wimbledon is no stranger to success. The club currently holds the record for the longest unbeaten run of league matches in English senior football, with 78 consecutive undefeated league games, as well as being proud winners of the FA Cup in 1988 having beaten Liverpool 1-0 at Wembley.

Through the investment, Dato’ Ananth also assumes a new role as International President for AFC Wimbledon. His ambition is to combine his unique Asian perspective and connections, and his extensive Esports experience to build on the Dons’ remarkable legacy and passionate fanbase.

Alongside revitalised business foundations in his successful AIRMARINE, an international integrated logistics and supply chain business, Dato’ Ananth believes he is positioned to help inspire an exciting new future for AFC Wimbledon.

In the long-term, there are bold plans to have the Dons play against national teams of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and other nations of the region, as well as develop a Wimbledon Academy in Asia to help build player depth and experience across the club and national team. Dato’ Ananth also plans to build a local clubhouse where people can watch the game live together.

Beyond the traditional roots of a shared gameday experience, Ananth also has a vision to potentially establish the famous Plough Lane stadium as a leading home of Esports, building on the huge growth of this innovative industry.

He said, “I would like to see how we can add value with a Wimbledon Esports Division. According to reports, the global gaming market was valued at USD173 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach USD314 billion by 2027. That is something we should look to capitalise on.”

Dato’ Ananth’s inspired investment also sees him take a significant share in AFCW Plc—the holding company of AFC Wimbledon Ltd, AFCW Stadium Ltd, AFC Wimbledon Women, and The Wider Interests of Football Limited.

Dato’ Ananth S. Nathan, ardent sports fan and International President for AFC Wimbledon

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AFTNews, Airsports

2022 FAI Awards winners announced

FAI announced the recipients of the 2022 FAI Awards on Tuesday in a ceremony held online as a video broadcast. The event celebrated the individuals and teams who have made a significant impact upon aeronautics and astronautics and was viewed by air sports community members and enthusiasts from across the globe.

The 2022 award winners represent many nations, many air sports, and many vocations. Included in this year’s prestigious list are accomplished judges, model aircraft builders, skilled pilots, UAV engineers, a publishing house and the first all-civilian crew to go to space.

> Full Ceremony video

GENERAL AWARDS

FAI Silver Medal
> Alvaro DE ORLEANS-BORBON (Spain)

FAI Bronze Medal
> Marylou LAUGHLIN (United States of America)

Sabiha Gökcen Medal
> Euhee LEE (Korea)

De La Vaulx Medal
> Airbus Zephyr Programme (USA)

Louis Blériot Medal
> Klaus Ohlmann (Germany)

FAI Group Diplomas of Honour
> GFA Training Program Steering Group (Australia)
> Aeroklub Brno – Slatina (Czech Republic)
> Omilos Aeromonteliston Melissochoriou (Greece)
> Editorial Perfils – Revista Parapente – Vuelo Libre (Spain)

Paul Tissandier Diplomas
> Beryl HARTLEY (Australia)
> Arnold HOHENEGGER (Austria)
> Margit NANCE (Canada)
> Karel MARIK (Czech Republic)
> Martin REZEK (Czech Republic)
> Xavier BONET DALMAU (Spain)
> Faustino CANTOS GRACIA (Spain)
> Henri CORDEROY DU TIERS (France)
> Gyula KISS (Hungary)
> Peter SZABO (Hungary)
> Norihiro GOTO (Japan)
> Pierre KLEIN (Luxemburg)
> Tim BROMHEAD (New Zealand)
> Mark WOODHOUSE (New Zealand)
> Krzysztof WIECZOREK (Poland)
> George ROTARU (Romania)
> Srdjan SRDIC (Serbia)
> Anton LANDOLT (Switzerland)
> Rudolf SCHAUB (Switzerland)
> Eduard INAEBNIT (Switzerland)
> Rob HUGHES (United Kingdom)
> Howard TORODE (United Kingdom)

AWARDS FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCIPLINES

Montgolfier Ballooning Diplomas, Best Performance, Gas Ballooning
> Eric DECELLIÈRES and Benoît HAVRET (France)

Montgolfier Ballooning Diplomas, Best Performance, Hot Air Ballooning
> David SPILDOOREN (Belgium)

Montgolfier Ballooning Diplomas, Major Contribution to the Development of the Sport of Ballooning
> Garry A. LOCKYER (Canada)

Leonardo Da Vinci Parachuting Diploma
> Brian PANGBURN (USA)

FAI Aeromodelling Gold Medal
> Marek DOMINIAK (Poland)

Andrei Tupolev Aeromodelling Medal
> Michal ZITNAN (Slovakia)

Andrei Tupolev Aeromodelling Diploma
> Jan KOTUHA (Slovakia)

Alphonse Penaud Aeromodelling Diploma
> Jan KOTUHA (Slovakia)

Antonov Aeromodelling Diploma
> Aleksandar STOJANOVIC (Serbia)

Frank Ehling Diploma
> Vladimir SVEC (Slovakia)

Pelagia Majewska Gliding Medal
> Marina VIGORITO (Italy)

Ann Welch Diploma, Microlight
> Krisztian DOLHAI (Hungary)

Ann Welch Diploma, Paramotor
> Daniel TYDECKS (Germany)

FAI Gold Rotorcraft Medal
> Michael SCHAUFF (Germany)

Leon Biancotto Aerobatics Diploma
> Mike HEUER (USA)

Vladimir Komarov Diploma
> Inspiration 4 (USA)

Yuri A. Gagarin Gold Medal
> Crew of Space DM-2 (NASA/Douglas G. Hurley and NASA/Robert L. Behnken) (USA)

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Features Australia/NZ, Features Australia/NZ, Features Australia/NZ, Sport

Sydney’s Spring 2022 Sporting Events

Team AFTNZ has compiled these top sporting events held in Sydney and New South Wales (NSW) courtesy of images and content from Destination NSW. Join in the action and be part of one of the state’s many dynamic sporting events as the weather heats up, joining elite athletes competing in peak performance mode and casual entrants celebrating their best efforts.

Spring Sporting Calendar at a glance

Blackmores Sydney Running Festival: 18 September 2022
UCI Road World Championships: 18-25 September 2022
2022 Qatar Airways IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney: 22 September
ATC Sydney Everest Carnival: 17 September – 5 November 2022
FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022: 22 September – 1 October 2022
NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final: 2 October 2022
T20 ICC WC Games at SCG: 22 October – 9 November 2022
Sydney Super Cup: 17, 20 and 23 November 2022
Australia SailGP: 18 – 19 February 2023

2022 AusCycling Masters & Junior Road National Championships | 13-16 September 

Riding among some of the fastest amateur cyclists in the country is a rush you’ll never forget, and with a backdrop of Wollongong’s lush hinterland, it doesn’t get much better than AusCycling’s National Championships. Both masters and juniors can compete in this exciting event that traverses epic roads through Mount Keira and Marshall Mount, with more than 500 entrants expected to arrive in Wollongong for four days of racing action. All are welcome: all you need is strong bike skills, good physical fitness, and a positive mindset to ride over the finish line.

The Blackmores Sydney Running Festival | 18 September 

On your marks, get set, go! Sunday 18 September welcomes the keenest runners to Sydney for the prestigious running event. The routes bring runners past the city’s iconic Sydney Opera House, harbour foreshore and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The 20th Anniversary Blackmores Sydney Running Festival hosts four running events including the Marathon, Half Marathon, the 10km Bridge Run and the Family Fun Run – perfect for walkers, friends or families on an invigorating day out!

Ironman – Western Sydney | 25 September 

The 2022 Qatar Airways IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney sees competitors face off in a heart-racing battle to be crowned the ultimate Ironman champ in Sydney’s Penrith. The 1.9km swim leg takes place in Penrith Lake passing under the iconic Olympic Bridge, while the 90km bike stretch loops through the streets before winding out to lush Blue Mountains countryside. At 21.1km, the flat running circuit is centred around the Sydney International Regatta Centre precinct. This year, there’s a junior event, too: seven- to 13-year-olds can take part in the run/bike/run IRONKIDS format on 24 September with the three-lap course creating an exciting stadium-like atmosphere.

FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup | 22 September – 1 October

The season of landmark sporting events bounces into action with the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022, between 22 September and 1 October, which sees the prowess of Sydney’s Opals hitting the court in competition with countries such as the USA, China and France.

NRL Telstra Premiership Rugby Grand Finals | 2 October

This championship is followed swiftly by the live-wire energy of the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final on 2 October, which electrifies the city with the collective passion of dedicated league fans.

Aqua Rugby Festival | 10-12 November

The Manly beachfront isn’t the first location you’d think of when seeing a pro rugby game unfold, but the Aqua Rugby Festival (10–12 November) isn’t your usual sporting match. Watch from the shore or from a boat as professional and amateur teams battle it out on a floating pontoon. Spoiler alert: there’s plenty of tackles into the water.

Sydney Super Cup |17, 20, 23 November

Join the throngs cheering for their Premier League favourites during the Sydney Super Cup (17, 20 and 23 November)

News Source: Destination NSW

Image requires a mandatory credit: Blackmores Sydney Running Festival
Description: Runners partaking in Blackmores Sydney Running Festival running past the Sydney Opera House
Copyright status: Destination NSW Copyright

Commonwealth Games

Statement on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation

Dame Louise Martin, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation said:

“It is with profound sorrow that we learn of the passing of our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen.

Throughout her long life and reign, her extraordinary dedication and service to the Commonwealth has been an inspiration to so many, including all our Commonwealth Games athletes and officials.

Her Majesty’s vision for the Commonwealth as a diverse and united family of nations will continue to inspire us – and will remain our mission and duty for the benefit of all athletes and communities, through the power of sport.

Our thoughts and prayers are with His Majesty The King, The Queen Consort and all members of the Royal Family as we join with citizens across the Commonwealth in mourning her loss at this very sad time.”

—

This message has been published in Asia Fitness Today and Australia Fitness Today from a statement received from The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and for delivering on the vision of the Commonwealth Sports Movement: through sport, we build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities across the Commonwealth. 

AFTNews, Features Malaysia, Fit Tech & Gadgets, Fitness, Olympics

Dato Pandelela Rinong dives into the “OpenSea” with release of non-fungible token (NFT) collectible, ‘P.ZERO1’

AFT News | Malaysia

(PRNewsGIG/AFTNN) – Malaysian athlete Dato Pandelela Rinong revealed her exclusive non-fungible token (NFT) collectible ‘P.Zero1’, which is up for auction until 31 August 2022 via the digital NFT market, OpenSea. Fans will have the opportunity to bid to become the sole owner of the NFT which unlocks a priceless personalised experience with Pandelela and a framed printout of the NFT hand-delivered by the athlete herself.

(From Left): Jolene Knight, Founder & Brand Manager of Knight Communications, Pandelela Rinong, Nicholas Chuan, the digital artist behind the “P.Zero1” NFT and Yong-Chul Yun, Founder of Prime Sports NFT

Intrigued by the evolving NFT industry globally, Pandelela was driven to create her own line of digital artworks as an expression of her professional and personal journey as an athlete.

My vision for ‘P.Zero1’ was to share a piece of my story with the world and to pay homage to the sport which has drastically changed my life from a young Bidayuh village girl to an internationally recognised sportswoman. The adage ‘Zero to One’ reflects the journey I went through – of fate, perseverance, mental strength and dedication that has taken me thus far as well as this whole process of creating something radically new. It is an exciting phase for me and it challenges me to learn and try new things. As they say – the sky’s the limit and my message is for people to always strive for self-discovery and growth with an unwavering commitment to their goals.

Dato’ Pandelela Rinong, Malaysian Olympian & World Championships medalist

I have seen Lela grow from a shy young lady to a confident and courageous adult who is always curious about the world outside sports. There are so many things for her to learn and so many opportunities to explore to create and establish her own brand – something which she could be proud of. This is her first step towards more exciting things. This project has been months in the making and we are excited to share ‘P.Zero1’ with Malaysians and the world. As NFT innovation continues to develop globally, both Pandelela and I are thrilled to venture into this space with the goal of contributing positively and inspiring the youth. We are also thrilled to organise this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the NFT owner to have a tailor-made personalised experience with Pandelela”.

Jolene Knight, Founder and Brand Manager of Knight Communications who has journeyed alongside Pandelela as her Business Manager for 7 years.
Pandelela Rinong holds a framed printout of her NFT collectible – ‘P.Zero1’

Embarking on this creative journey with a prolific athlete like Pandelela has been monumental. Our mission has been to nurture the creative process between athlete and artist while bringing the NFT to market for the fans. We are strong proponents of promoting closer bonds between athletes and fans and are constantly looking for ways to innovate these engagements.”

Founder of Prime Sports International (PSI), Yong-Chul Yun

The collaboration with Pandelela also marks the second initiative and brainchild of Prime Sports NFT which aims to connect the world of sports, arts and culture. Following its recent success with footballer Safee Sali’s ‘SEPULUH’ NFT collection, Prime Sports NFT has been making waves to further partnerships with athletes, artists and partners in the region to be part of the rising industry.

Hailing from Penang, Nicholas Chuan is the digital artist behind Pandelela’s ‘P.Zero1’ NFT who also carries a portfolio of illustrations for world-renowned organisations such as UEFA, Formula 1’s Red Bull Racing, Liverpool FC and FC Bayern and most recently football legend Safee Sali’s ‘SEPULUH’ NFT. “I’m proud to be able to once again represent and work closely with a prominent Malaysian athlete like Pandelela. In addition to her accomplishments, I have always admired her work ethic, determination and courage as a female athlete and wanted to translate her amazing story and core values into ‘P.Zero1’. I hope the fans will enjoy it as much as I have.”

Pandelela’s ‘P.Zero1’ NFT goes live on auction for a period of 7 days beginning 24th August to 31st August 2022 via OpenSea. Fans will have the opportunity to bid to become the exclusive owner of the exclusive NFT which will unlock exciting benefits including a unique personalised experience with Pandelela and a framed printout of ‘P.Zero1’ handed to the NFT owner by the athlete herself.

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AsiaFitnessToday.com Dato Pandelela Rinong dives into the “OpenSea” with release of non-fungible token (NFT) collectible, ‘P.ZERO1’ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Source: https://www.asiafitnesstoday.com/?p=12554

AFTNews, AFTNews, Baseball

Auckland Tuatara to return to ABL in 2022/23 season

The Australian Baseball League (ABL) promised for a “Bigger and Better 2022/23 ABL” and what a better way to begin with the announcement of the Auckland Tuatara re-joining the league after a two-year hiatus ahead of the 2022/2023 season.

The Tuatara brand returns even stronger, boasting a new successful NZNBL Basketball team, with hopes of building on the brand’s early ABL success.

Based in Auckland the Tuatara entered the league in the 2018/2019 season, named after the oldest surviving species endemic to the country. The proud Tuatara name  is derived from the Māori language and means “peaks on the back”.

With six ABL teams locked in from Australia, the addition of the New Zealand team lets more fans from around the world tune into baseball ahead of what will be an exciting summer of baseball.  The ABL is proud to welcome the city of sails franchise back, after their historical playoff push in 2019/20.

With the count-down to the start of the season the Tuatara team is looking to showcase New Zealand and what it can offer at their home ‘North Harbour Stadium.’

Auckland Tuatara CEO Regan Wood says it’s an important step for the history of club, “We think we contribute; we bring a different style of baseball.  Our coaching staff want to win baseball, they want to win every day. But we also want to make sure we engage with the public.”

“One of our goals is to have the largest crowd, one of our goals is to have the most amount of people turning up to a game.  We are refreshed and we’re looking forward to playing again.”

Delivering an exciting global brand of baseball to the world is key to the growth and the participation of the sport something the ABL is eager to showcase.

Paul Gonzalez ABL GM states, “The Tuatara bring an exciting dynamic to the ABL, their fan engagement, competitiveness and international reach to millions, as they strive for the 2022-23 Claxton Shield.”