Early access to the game, now renamed FC 24, began last week with the novel feature of female soccer stars virtually taking to the pitch with male counterparts for fantasy squad matches in an “Ultimate Team” mode of online play.

A version of the game tailored for mobile devices powered by Apple or Android operating systems was released Tuesday.

Spotlights on female soccer stars such as Sam Kerr and Alexia Putellas reflect the reality of the sport today, something the franchise wants to capture, EA Sports FC vice president of brand David Jackson told AFP.

“It’s not a moral thing; it’s not a cause-related thing,” Jackson said of fielding women soccer stars.

“It’s a faithful replica representation of the real world of football.”

Fans of the franchise offended by the idea of women and men athletes battling in mixed matches have bashed the game in online posts.

“This is like putting go-karts in F1 and racing them together,” a critic groused in a chat forum on YouTube.

“Putellas is actually good though,” a reply countered. “Don’t be sexist.”

– Farewell FIFA –

The launch of FC 24 marks the end of an alliance with world soccer governing body FIFA that spanned three decades.

Since kicking off the franchise in 1993 with FIFA International Soccer, the annually refreshed lineup has become a key part of EA’s business, boasting some 150 million players last year alone.

The franchise has shed the FIFA name for the first time as the California-based video game giant pursues a vision of becoming a “global football platform” incorporating broadcast games, live match play and more.

“There are a number of different ways we can grow and expand and we intend to do that in the future,” Jackson said.

“While we were called FIFA, we weren’t able to realize the potential due to limitations of the rights that we held.”

Along with freeing EA from contractual constraints that came with carrying the FIFA name, the rebranding also enables the franchise to avoid being marred by scandals at the governing body.

“If we’re going to carry the name of the organization as the name of our product, we’ve got to make sure that name carries the requisite level of quality, integrity and weight over time,” Jackson said.

“Now that we own that name, it’s all on us.”

– Likely top seller –

EA designed FC 24 to be familiar to fans while adding novelty to make it fresh, according to Jackson.

EA uses motion-capture technology on real athletes and in-stadium cameras to capture action that translates into the gameplay, ramping up the amount of content it gets from games in top leagues, he said.

“Yes, the FIFA license is gone, and the game won’t feature the World Cup, but other than that, the feature set is basically unchanged and arguably even improved,” Circana video game analyst Mat Piscatella said of FC 24.

“It’s been a huge part of the US gaming landscape over the past decade, and of course elsewhere in the world it’s even bigger.”

Piscatella expects FC 24 to be among the top 10 best selling video games of this year in the United States.

The games have already been among the top 20 best selling titles annually in the United States for more than a decade, he added.

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects most players to see FC 24 as the game they have come to know, just with a different name.

As the franchise evolves, EA may explore incorporating advertising or real-time matches into its game engine, eventually allowing live-action viewers to play out matches their own way.

“You could be watching an English Premier League game,” Jackson envisioned.

“If you don’t like the score at halftime, then you jump out of that and into our game and kind of rewrite history.”

The post Hit soccer video game adds mixed-gender teams, sheds FIFA name appeared first on Digital Journal.

By the end of a highly successful day one for the hosts, they had pocketed 20 of 31 golds, while their nearest challengers South Korea had five.

China’s medal rush began when Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping dominated the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing for the first gold of the Games, finishing almost 10 seconds ahead of Uzbekistan.

It was especially satisfying for Zou, who hails from Hangzhou.

“I am very excited as it’s my first Asian Games,” she said, clutching her gold medal.

The home nation won six of the seven golds at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre rowing venue with only Hong Kong’s Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun getting in on the party by winning the men’s pairs.

More golds rolled in for China in shooting, modern pentathlon, wushu and artistic gymnastics, in which they triumphed in the men’s team event ahead of Japan.

But they saved the best for last in swimming, in what is always one of the most prestigious events at the Games and has extra significance with the Paris Olympics less than a year away.

Olympic champion Zhang Yufei, China’s “Butterfly Queen”, was among the winners as the hosts romped home in all seven races on the opening night in the pool, smashing a slew of Asian records.

Zhang successfully defended her 200m butterfly crown, cruising to victory ahead of teammate Yu Liyan in a new Games-record time of 2min 05.57sec.

That has been bettered this year only by Canadian star Summer McIntosh and Australia’s Lizzie Dekkers, then Zhang claimed a second gold of the night in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

“I felt I could have gone even faster,” she warned.

“My first mission was to take the gold for China. Next was to beat Jiao Liuyang’s Games record, and I also did that.

“I actually felt the pool was a little slow for me and I told my coach that I wasn’t feeling in good form.”

– India tear through Bangladesh –

The first official day of the 19th Asian Games also saw medals handed out in fencing, judo and taekwondo.

Hong Kong’s Edgar Cheung, already a hero to many in the southern Chinese city, added Asian Games gold to the one he won at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago in the men’s foil.

Two of South Korea’s five golds came in taekwondo, with Kang Wan-jin winning the men’s individual poomsae and Cha Yea-eun doing likewise in the women’s event.

North Korea, returning to major international sport for the first time since the Covid pandemic, got on the medals table when Chae Kwang Jin took bronze in the men’s -60kg judo, which was won by Taiwan’s Yang Yung-wei.

India’s women cricketers earlier ripped through Bangladesh, dismissing them for just 51 in the first semi-final.

The Indians knocked off their target in just 8.2 overs and will face Sri Lanka in Monday’s final of the Twenty20 competition.

President Xi Jinping opened the Games on Saturday night after a delay of a year because of China’s now-abandoned zero-Covid policy.

With more than 12,000 competitors from 45 nations and territories, the Asian Games has more participants than the Olympics.

They will battle for medals in 40 sports across 54 venues.

Most events take place in Hangzhou, a city of 12 million people near Shanghai, but some sports are being staged in cities as far afield as Wenzhou, 300 kilometres (186 miles) to the south.

The post China rule in pool and beyond on first day of Asian Games appeared first on Digital Journal.

The Games open Saturday after a one-year delay because of Covid with about 12,000 athletes and thousands of journalists, technical officials and spectators descending on Hangzhou.

The city is the unofficial home of China’s tech industry and robots and other mind-boggling gadgets are set to serve, amuse and police visitors.

An automated mosquito trapper roams the vast Games Village, zapping the pests after luring them in by mimicking a human’s body temperature and breathing.

Robot “dogs” that can run, jump and flip over patrol power-supply facilities. Smaller versions dance while a bright-yellow android plays the piano.

Driverless minibuses are set to shuttle visitors through the nearby city of Shaoxing, where baseball and softball venues are located.

Athletes can put their reflexes to the test against a table-tennis playing “Pongbot”.

At the massive media centre, a blushing plastic-and-metal receptionist with a number pad and card slots built into its torso greets customers at a makeshift bank.

Even venues were built with the help of construction robots which organisers say are “very cute, with unique skills”.

Summing up how keen China is to push the theme at the Games, the mascots are three humanoid robots — Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen, whose smiling faces adorn massive signs across Hangzhou and other nearby host cities.

– Dog meets ‘dog’ –

Hangzhou, a city of 12 million people in China’s east, has built up a reputation as a home for tech startups.

That includes a thriving robotics sector eager to close the gap on industry-leading rivals in countries such as the United States and Japan.

At a business park, staff from DEEP Robotics put some of their most advanced models through their paces, commanding one four-legged bot to walk through construction rubble and sending another up a nearby pedestrian bridge slick with rain.

At one point, a real dog turns up and sniffs its robotic equivalent curiously.

Elsewhere, office workers pick up lunch from vending machines that can steam the food and, according to maker Kuaie Fresh, check the temperature so the meal is just right.

The machine also collects data on customer preferences.

In some countries, that would give rise to concerns about where their personal information is going and how it will be used.

But at least one customer was impressed.

“Its cooking skills are better than most people who don’t know how to cook,” said Hu, 29.

A global race to push the limits of artificial intelligence brought AI-enabled humanoid robots to a UN summit in July, where they claimed they could eventually run society better than humans.

And industrial robots have raised fears around the world that machines could make millions of jobs obsolete.

“I wouldn’t say that robots will replace humans, but rather they are a tool, and they will help humans,” Qian Xiaoyu, a DEEP Robotics executive, told AFP.

A temperature-taking robot had been lined up to take people’s temperatures and report if they showed signs of a fever.

It can also remind visitors to wear a mask.

But the gadget will probably remain in its toolbox after China’s ruling Communist Party abruptly lifted its draconian zero-Covid policy late last year.

The post Hi, Robot: machines take over at China’s Asian Games appeared first on Digital Journal.

Dupont, 26, will almost certainly miss France’s final pool game against Italy on October 6 and could be a doubt for a potential quarter-final against reigning champions South Africa or Ireland, the world’s number one-ranked team.

The French federation said the scrum-half had suffered a “maxillo-zygomatic fracture”, meaning a facial injury.

“Specialised surgical advice was requested to assess how long he will be unavailable for,” the federation added, but it said Dupont would remain with the squad.

Later, the president of Dupont’s club Toulouse, Didier Lacroix, said Dupont would travel to the southwestern city for “additional scans”.

One of France’s most eminent facial surgeons will also examine Dupont “to define the best way forward, either an operation or not. First of all we have to be ‘secure’ about the player’s safety,” Lacroix said.

France’s assistant coach Laurent Labit said: “We’re waiting for the specialist’s opinion… we’ll wait 48 or 72 hours to see where we really are.”

Dupont left the field visibly in pain in the 46th minute of Thursday’s 96-0 rout following a clash of heads with Namibia captain Johan Deysel.

Deysel, who was initially handed a yellow card that was later upgraded to a red, apologised on Friday.

“I would like to extend my best wishes to Antoine Dupont. Clearly, I meant no harm. Everything happened very quickly and I couldn’t get my head out of the way quick enough, resulting in a head clash,” he said.

The importance of Dupont, a former World Rugby player of the year, is underlined by the fact that he is yet to lose in a France team he has skippered on home soil in 14 Tests.

– Victory, but no party –

France scored a national record 14 tries in their third consecutive win in the tournament but prop Cyril Baille said Dupont’s injury had completely overshadowed the performance.

“We know how important he is in the squad, what he brings,” said Baille. “It tarnished the evening somewhat, there’s a lot of stress.

“Of course we’re happy with the scoreline, but it wasn’t a party in the changing room after that.”

Flanker Francois Cros, who like Baille is a teammate of Dupont at Toulouse, said that if the injury turned out to be serious, “it would obviously have an impact on him and on us”.

Cros added: “We still have some experienced nines who can take over.”

Lyon’s Baptiste Couilloud came on for Dupont and was full of running as he scored a try of his own, as he ensured the French team re-discovered their rhythm after a raft of replacements.

The third scrum-half in the 33-man squad is Bordeaux-Begles’ Maxime Lucu, who won the man-of-the-match award in the second pool victory against Uruguay.

Head coach Fabien Galthie faced questions after the match about whether Dupont should have been replaced at half-time of a game France were clearly going to win.

“What do you want me to say? You can’t take 14 players off at half-time. Our plan was to bring off one, three and five at half-time, then the rest at the 55th minute,” he said.

“The aim was to give everyone some game-time and not sit back for a month. The players wanted and needed to play.”

There was sympathy for Dupont from other countries. England defence coach Kevin Sinfield said: “We have no doubt he’ll be back. World-class players like that get themselves right very quickly and I’m sure he’s doing everything he can.”

France are already without their first-choice fly-half, Romain Ntamack, who was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury.

The post France captain Dupont to have tests on facial fracture appeared first on Digital Journal.

Founded in 1993, it was at risk of bankruptcy in 2001 when brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta purchased the organization. They put Dana White in charge, who revamped the format to make it palatable to the general public and bought broadcasting rights to make the sport easily viewable worldwide. These actions have led to rapid growth, with more than 600 events and counting.

One of the UFC’s biggest success stories is in Great Britain. Interest in the UFC rose in 2015, when Michael Bisping won the Middleweight Championship, and has stayed constant through Leon Edwards’ Welterweight Championship in 2022/23.

The influx of fighters from Britain helped UFC eclipse local leagues’ popularity and cemented the organization’s commitment to making Britain a destination for fighters. Under White’s leadership, the UFC has made London one of the most popular sites for the tournament, hosting three UFC fight cards over the past year, the most of any overseas city.

Many notable athletes of the sport come from Britain, some currently holding records in the league. OLBG compiled a list of 10 of the best British fighters in the UFC. Athletes from England, Scotland, and Wales were selected based on record, UFC experience, and divisional rank.

Mike Roach // Getty Images

Muhammad Mokaev

– Weight class: flyweight
– Record: 10-0
– 11th ranked fighter

Despite only four matches in the UFC, Mokaev cemented himself as one of the best fighters in his country’s history. Born in Russia, he grew up in England, where he gained interest in wrestling with the Manchester Wrestling Club and started professionally in August 2020 against Glenn McVeigh.

His most notable fight is his UFC debut in UFC Fight Night 204, where his win against Cody Durden in the first round won him Performance of the Night. Though he has a background in wrestling, he also incorporates Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques and submission grappling, allowing versatility in his approach.

Chris Unger // Getty Images

Arnold Allen

– Weight class: featherweight
– Record: 19-2
– 4th ranked fighter

Arnold Allen is already making history, holding one of the longest win streaks in UFC Featherweight history. Trained in mixed martial arts, he started in the UFC in June 2015 after his first technical knockout with Paul Cook. His next TKO is probably his best-known match in the UFC, knocking out Dan Hooker in the first round of UFC Fight Night 204, winning performance of the night.

Though Allen’s been able to use his strength to knock out opponents, many analysts say his IQ and ability to read opponents sets him apart from other fighters.

Chris Unger // Getty Images

Tom Aspinall

– Weight class: heavyweight
– Record: 13-3
– 4th ranked fighter

Tom Aspinall followed in the family business, training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu like his father Andy. After a stint in the Cage Warriors, he signed with the UFC in 2020.

One of the Liverpool native’s most notable matches is his debut, where he knocked out Jake Collier less than a minute into the match, winning the performance of the night. Aspinall’s only getting better, with three of his recent wins happening in the first round. Opponents fear his ability to finish, with all but three of his wins coming from knockouts.

Jeff Bottari // Getty Images

Jack Shore

– Weight class: featherweight
– Record: 17-1
– Unranked fighter

Jack Shore never wanted to become a fighter—his father got him started in kickboxing at 6 and in MMA four years later. He’s fought in various styles, like BJJ, traditional jiu-jitsu, and boxing, before signing with the UFC in 2019.

The Welsh native prefers to fight using Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques, which can be seen in his win on UFC Fight Night 160 when he put Nohelin Hernandez in a submission and winning performer of the night. Built ruggedly, opponents have a hard time knocking him down, with commentators dubbing him Jack “Tank” Shore.

Chris Unger // Getty Images

Nathaniel Wood

– Weight class: featherweight
– Record: 20-5
– Unranked fighter

Although Nathaniel Wood grew up watching UFC with his dad and brother, he didn’t start training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu until age 16. He fought professionally for six years before signing his debut in 2018. Wood turned heads in his UFC debut in June, choking out Johnny Eduardo in a performance of the night.

He’s known for his ability to absorb hits and counter opponents, applying this strategy in three recent matches, often sparring with his opponents through the third round.

Jeff Bottari // Getty Images

Leon Edwards

– Weight class: welterweight
– Record: 21-3
– Welterweight champion (4th ranked pound-for-pound fighter)

Leon Edwards claims MMA saved his life. He joined an MMA club later at 17—it only took the striker four years in his professional career to sign with the UFC in 2014.

Currently the Welterweight champion, he took the title from Kamaru Usman in UFC 278, a rematch from December 2015. Easily one of the most talented active fighters in the league, Edwards attributes his success to his mental toughness.

Mike Roach // Getty Images

Paddy Pimblett

– Weight class: Lightweight
– Record: 20-3
– Unranked fighter

“The Baddy” found his calling in the MMA at 15, uprooting his entire lifestyle to train for the UFC. After nearly a decade competing in Cage Warriors and turning down multiple offers from UFC, Pimblett signed with the industry juggernaut in 2021.

Preferring to fight using jiu-jitsu techniques, the Liverpool native is known to take down opponents with a rear-naked choke. This move appears in UFC Fight Night 204, where he took down Rodrigo Vargas in the first round.

Jeff Bottari // Getty Images

Joanne Wood

– Weight class: flyweight
– Record: 16-8
– Unranked fighter

Wood unintentionally attended a muay Thai class at 13, but fell in love with it, dedicating all her free time to training. It paid off; after only two years of dominating in European leagues, she signed with the UFC at the end of 2013 and started her first match the year after.

Most recently fighting as a striker, she’s still applying her muay Thai training, being known for her outside jabs, kicks, and grappling, which she used for her first-round victory in UFC Fight Night 135.

Chris Unger // Getty Images

Paul Craig

– Weight class: middleweight
– Record: 17-6-1
– 13th ranked fighter

Paul Craig’s successful history in MMA started in 2012. Craig’s record was 8-0 before his 2017 UFC debut. He trained in kung fu but has fought using Brazilian iu-jitsu techniques in his past few matches.

Craig holds various records, including the most triangle chokes, a particular fear for opponents. The Scotsman can still pack a punch, as seen in UFC 263 with his knockout of Jamahal Hill less than 2 minutes into the first round.

Julian Finney // Getty Images

Molly McCann

– Weight class: flyweight
– Record: 13-6
– Unranked fighter

A multiskilled athlete, McCann started training in boxing and karate after retiring early from soccer. After a 7-1 record fighting around her native Liverpool, she signed with UFC in 2018.

Preferring to be a striker, she’s known for wearing down opponents. Her sparring with Ji Yeon Kim resulted in a UFC Fight Night 191 win.

This story originally appeared on OLBG and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

The post 10 of the best British fighters in the UFC appeared first on Digital Journal.

The announcement followed hours of negotiations over player demands for further changes at the Spanish football federation (RFEF) after ex-president Luis Rubiales resigned.

“We have arrived at a series of agreements which will be drawn up and signed tomorrow” between the RFEF and the Spanish government, Victor Francos, secretary of state for sports, told reporters, adding that two of the 23 called-up players did not wish to continue with the squad.

A total of 19 players from new coach Montse Tome’s squad had been on strike over changes they want made to the RFEF, sparking concerns they would not play in upcoming Nations League games.

In the hours before the deal was announced, internationals selected by Tome gathered for training despite declaring themselves unavailable, some expressing fear of facing sanctions if they refused to play.

“We have been forced to come. But if they want to sanction us, then we have to come,” Barcelona defender Mapi Leon said.

Asked by a reporter on her arrival for training if she was happy to be included in the squad, goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez replied “no”.

Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas was asked at Barcelona airport how she felt. “Well, bad,” the Barca player replied.

The striking players issued a statement Monday in which they had reiterated their wish not to be called up, while acknowledging the potential for legal consequences may force them to attend.

They had faced possible fines of between 3,000 and 30,000 euros ($3,200 and $32,100), while they could also have lost their licences to play for up to five years.

Secretary of state for sport Francos, who is also the president of Spain’s High Council for Sports (CSD), said the two women who decided not to play would not face sanctions.

– Outrage –

The scandal erupted just moments after Spain won the World Cup on August 20, when then president Rubiales forcibly kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips as the team received the trophy.

He eventually resigned three weeks after the incident and controversial coach Jorge Vilda was sacked, but many players demanded more wide-ranging improvements and structural changes.

Hermoso was not named in the squad in order to “protect” her, the new coach Tome, Vilda’s former assistant, said Monday.

That decision too proved controversial.

“Protect me from what? And from whom?” Hermoso posted on X on Tuesday.

She accused the RFEF of seeking to “intimidate and threaten” the world champions by calling them up against their will for the upcoming matches.

Francos initially said he would have to apply the country’s sports law against any player who snubbed the call.

However he later made a U-turn on those comments and met with the players on Tuesday night to ask them to play and offer them government help.

“You go (to play) and we commit ourselves so that what you are asking for can be possible,” Francos told Spanish public television.

“If any player is not comfortable and does not want to play, I think the most normal thing is that they are not called up and another one is called up,” he added.

Spain face Sweden on September 22 and Switzerland on September 26 in the Nations League.

The eventual finalists of the Nations League will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.

– ‘We support them’ –

Spanish players were offered support by their Swedish counterparts.

“They need to feel the support around them, that other countries support them in the decisions they make,” said Sweden midfielder Filippa Angeldahl.

“If they feel they have to boycott to make something happen, it’s clear that we support them.”

Goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl wrote on X: “I don’t want to be part of encouraging people to chase a football dream if the game will not protect them while doing so.”

Spain plan to fly to Sweden on Thursday morning before their match in Gothenburg on Friday.

The post Most Spanish women footballers rejoin squad after deal appeared first on Digital Journal.

International basketball competitions are especially important to advancing the worldwide growth of the game, which is why the Fédération Internationale de Basketball, the governing body for basketball throughout the world, came to be. Because of FIBA’s efforts (along with the support of 32 other nations), basketball was included in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

When the United States sent a team of iconic NBA superstars to the 1992 Olympics, a generation of future international basketball players were inspired to pursue their passion by the “Dream Team.” Almost three decades later, the 2019 FIBA World Cup would reach over 3 billion TV watchers and engage new segments of fans across the globe.

In recent years, the FIBA World Cup has also become a barometer of basketball growth in different countries. Some national teams have begun to rival the U.S. with the number and experience of NBA players on their rosters. With that in mind, OLBG compiled a ranking of countries with the most NBA players in the 2023 FIBA World Cup using data from the NBA. Ties were broken using total years of NBA experience on each team.

OLBG

3 other FIBA teams rival USA in total NBA experience

Although the United States dominates the heap of top-end basketball talent, the FIBA World Cup teams are often composed of younger stars with only a few years of experience under their belt. The average NBA experience for U.S.-born players is just four years. International teams, however, are much more successful at luring their veteran NBA players to play for their country.

So, without further ado, here are the countries that have the most NBA players participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Takashi Aoyama // Getty Images

#5. Germany

– NBA player count: 4 players
– Total NBA experience: 23 years
– Notable participants: Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner

Ever since Dirk Nowitzki retired from basketball in 2019, the German national team has been searching for its next star. Dennis Schröder performed exceptionally well in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, leading the tournament in assists per game and finishing in the top 10 in points per game, but his play alone couldn’t elevate the team past the group phase.

In the 2023 World Cup, Schröder was joined by promising young talent Franz Wagner, who helped the country secure their first FIBA World Cup championship. Wagner possesses a rare well-rounded skill set with a 6-foot-10-inch frame, which nicely complements Schröder’s nimble and attacking style of play. The duo also led Team Germany to a bronze medal in 2022’s EuroBasket tournament, with impressive victories over tournament favorites France and Greece.

ADEK BERRY/AFP // Getty Images

#4. France

– NBA player count: 4 players
– Total NBA experience: 42 years
– Notable participants: Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum

France has been a lurking giant in international tournaments for almost two decades. The team seemingly always fields a solid crop of NBA players, with the likes of Rudy Gobert leading the charge. Gobert becomes even more impactful under FIBA basketball rules, which allow defensive players to camp out in the restricted area and swat away balls bouncing on the rim.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup was likely the last tournament before basketball phenomenon Victor Wembanyama enters the equation for the French national team. The 2023 #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft declined to play in this year’s World Cup, citing need for rest after just concluding a long season with Metropolitans 92 in France. Wembanyama’s awe-inspiring size and skill combination will make him a terror for opposing teams to deal with when he decides to suit up for France.

YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP // Getty Images

#3. Canada

– NBA player count: 7 players
– Total NBA experience: 42 years
– Notable participants: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks

Canada originally seemed like the most formidable threat to Team USA in the 2023 tournament. Aside from Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the only other player in the World Cup who received a 2023 All-NBA selection. The 25-year-old is a very crafty and prolific scorer who can go head-to-head with anyone at the end of close games.

Gilgeous-Alexander also had a strong supporting cast on this year’s team, headlined by RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, and Luguentz Dort. The players may not have had the same top-down star power or offensive skill as Team USA, but they did have enough talent to beat the Americans and take home a bronze medal.

Takashi Aoyama // Getty Images

#2. Australia

– NBA player count: 10 players
– Total NBA experience: 43 years
– Notable participants: Josh Giddey, Patty Mills, Joe Ingles

Due to the popularity of the National Basketball League (NBL) in the 1990s, a generation of Australian basketball players grew up watching the likes of Andrew Gaze and Leroy Loggins play in their home country. The NBL has spawned the careers of many future NBA players, including veterans Patty Mills and Joe Ingles.

Josh Giddey, who played in his first FIBA World Cup in 2023, will be a key player for Australia. Giddey possesses a unique combination of size and passing, which allows him to see over opposing players and create open shots for teammates. Australia most recently took home a bronze medal in the 2021 Olympics.

Ezra Acayan // Getty Images

#1. USA

– NBA player count: 12 players
– Total NBA experience: 50 years
– Notable participants: Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr.

The United States has been an indomitable presence in the FIBA World Cup since 1994 when NBA players first began participating. Despite an overwhelming talent advantage, Team USA often lacks the chemistry and roster continuity of other countries, making it vulnerable to upsets against more experienced teams in the tournament.

The World Cup is often a great display of budding young stars for the United States. This year’s team featured three 2023 All-Stars and two former #1 overall picks, but it still wasn’t enough to take home a medal. (Germany won the gold, Serbia won the silver, and Canada won the bronze.)

Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.

This story originally appeared on OLBG and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

The post Countries with the most NBA players in the 2023 FIBA World Cup appeared first on Digital Journal.

Gaming was a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games but gold medals will be up for grabs this time in Hangzhou in seven different games.

Players will battle in EA Sports FC, PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, League of Legends, Dream Three Kingdoms 2 and Street Fighter V.

For Mayank Prajapati, India’s medal hope in the Street Fighter beat’em up game, the Asian Games opening on Saturday will mark how far he and eSports have come.

He recalled how his father would beat him for sneaking off to play video games.

“I played my first game in the late 1990s at an arcade machine at a market with the two rupees I had,” the 33-year-old said.

“It was my first exposure with Street Fighter and I fell in love with the game.

“I got addicted and often lied to my parents, saying ‘I am going for tuition’, but spent hours playing.”

Prajapati, a 3D designer, recalled how his father once tracked him down out playing video games at night, surrounded by half a dozen cheering children.

“I got a lot of scolding… I think I got beaten up,” laughed Prajapati, himself now a father to a two-year-old boy.

Prajapati’s tale is a familiar one among gamers from different countries.

Kim Gwan-woo, who will represent South Korea in Street Fighter V, told AFP in Seoul: “My parents absolutely hated me playing video games.”

South Korea and Vietnam do battle in League of Legends ahead of the Asian Games – Copyright AFP Jung Yeon-je

They remain “dubious” about him going to the Asian Games, he said, but added: “I think they will be very happy if I actually win a medal.”

South Korea, together with hosts China, are expected to be the dominant force in eSports at the Games.

– Olympic dream? –

ESports events at the Games are expected to play out to bumper crowds at the futuristic-looking China Hangzhou Esports Centre — a far cry from players slinking off to dingy arcades against their parents’ wishes.

Its inclusion at the Games is a milestone for eSports in its quest for recognition as a “real” sport, said Professor Kang of Shingu College, who was one of the first generation of Korean professional gamers under the alias “H.O.T Forever”.

“When I was a player in the late 1990s the initial reaction was, ‘Why is a video game on TV?'” Kang told AFP.

“But with the hard work of the players and staff, I think we’re about 90 percent there in becoming a real sport,” he added.

Lokesh Suji, vice-president of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, called the Asian Games a significant step towards the ultimate goal.

“The dream will eventually be realised once it gets included into the Olympics as a fully fledged medal sport,” said Suji, also director of the Esports Federation of India.

That does not look like happening in the near future, certainly not in time for next year’s Paris Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee is desperate to attract younger audiences, hence there will be breakdancing for the first time at the Games next year.

But even though the IOC officially recognised eSports as a sport in 2017, there is currently no plan to include video games in the Olympic programme.

One stumbling block is the type of games which would be included because the promotion of violence goes against Olympic values, so that immediately rules out some popular eSports titles.

– On the sly –

The Olympic dream may still be out of reach, but gamers say that eSports at the Asian Games will result in more fans, players and recognition.

Sanindhiya Malik, 21, who is in the Indian team for the League of Legends, used to pretend to be studying on his computer when in actual fact he was competing online.

“Sometimes during a tournament I had to hide and play from my parents so that they didn’t know,” Malik said.

“But after I graduated to representing India, my parents have noticed the recognition that this game can give me.

“Even my relatives and friends who earlier questioned my game time have congratulated me — and it feels good.”

The post Asian Games landmark for eSports fires Olympic dreams appeared first on Digital Journal.

The WTA tournament opening Monday in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou will be the first in mainland China since 2019 — and while no top-20 stars are expected to attend, it is set to attract plenty of attention.

The WTA suspended activities in China in December 2021, when former world doubles number one Peng briefly disappeared after making — and then withdrawing — accusations of sexual assault against a senior Chinese leader.

Saying the issue was “bigger than business”, the tennis body insisted it would not hold events in China until Beijing guaranteed the safety of Peng.

“Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China,” WTA chief Steve Simon said at the time.

Peng published a long social media post in November 2021 saying she had been “forced” into sex during a years-long, on-and-off relationship with Zhang Gaoli, a married ex-vice premier of China 39 years her senior.

She has since denied she accused anyone of sexual assault and described the situation as a “huge misunderstanding”.

Peng has not been seen outside China since the allegations were made.

In April this year though, the WTA announced the resumption of tournaments, admitting its “principled stand… a powerful message to the world” had not been able “to bring about change”.

“It was, in my opinion, a complete capitulation, because it was pretty obvious to anyone who knows anything about China that China wasn’t going to offer a free or fair investigation into the sexual assault claims,” China-based sports expert Mark Dreyer told AFP.

“I really do feel they’ve undone all that good will that they had gained by taking a principled stance.”

Dreyer added that the suspension had been largely symbolic as most international sporting events were put on hold during the pandemic under China’s strict zero-Covid policy.

– An economic choice –

China is a crucial market for the WTA, given the quality of local infrastructure and investment as well as TV rights and sponsorship deals with mainland partners.

“The choice to return is an economic one,” Lionel Maltese, a former member of the executive committee of the French Tennis Federation, told AFP.

“The income generated in China has a strong impact on the financing and income of all players.”

Before the pandemic, the WTA organised 10 tournaments in China each year — with a total of $30 million in prize money — out of more than 60 tournaments globally.

These included the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, which in 2019 offered the largest tennis prize in history: $4.4 million.

China is also home to five players on the world’s top 100 list.

They include 20-year-old Zheng Qinwen, world number 22 and recent quarter-finalist at the US Open, and 21-year-old Wang Xinyu, this year’s French Open women’s doubles winner.

These stars have boosted the popularity of tennis in China, along with the market’s economic potential.

“If you have enough big names, the money will come, the tournaments will come,” Dreyer told AFP.

– ‘Convictions’ –

The headliners in Guangzhou are likely to be world number 24 Magda Linette from Poland and Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, currently world number 26.

It is unclear if any players will be vocal about Peng, with Maltese saying there was “no leadership among players on ethical issues”.

“Very few athletes are taking a stand,” he said.

But France’s Alize Cornet, ranked 99th globally, announced this week she would skip the tournament.

“Staying true to my convictions and careful about my health, I decided that I will not be playing in China this year,” she wrote on social media.

Peng herself could make an appearance.

After her initial disappearance from public view, she has made what appeared to be orchestrated appearances at multiple sporting events, including the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022.

The post Women’s tennis returns to China after Peng Shuai boycott appeared first on Digital Journal.

Many eyes have been on Saudi clubs’ remarkable transfer outlays which have rivalled those of the top European sides, but Turkish teams have been signing big names under the radar.

Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Besiktas and Trabzonspor, the four biggest Super Lig clubs, spent almost 120 million euros ($128 million) between them during the summer window, which ended on Friday evening in Turkey, while only receiving less than 80 million euros in fees.

“It was a fiercely contested transfer window,” said Galatasaray Vice-President Erden Timur earlier in September.

Timur said Turkish clubs were forced to change tack due to inflated fees caused by the Saudi clubs’ sudden emergence.

“The average price (for players) multiplied by two or even two and a half, so we had to change strategy,” he added.

“We had a spending limit and had to turn to free agents.”

Galatasaray has brought in several household names, with former Crystal Palace star Zaha joining on a free transfer, while Ziyech and Tanguy Ndombele have signed on loan deals from Chelsea and Tottenham respectively.

Argentine striker Icardi was snapped up from Paris Saint-Germain for just 10 million euros after a successful loan spell last season, as defender Davinson Sanchez was signed for 9.5 million euros from Spurs.

Fenerbahce signed Cengiz Under from Marseille and Brazil midfielder Fred from Manchester United.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Eric Bailly have arrived at Besiktas on free transfers from Liverpool and Manchester United respectively, while Trabzonspor took on Nicolas Pepe when his Arsenal deal ran out.

Reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray spent 30 million euros this summer, down on the 43 million of the same window last year.

– Debt-ridden clubs –

However, the payment of high salaries — more than 90 million euros for the coming season just for Gala and arch rivals Fenerbahce — risks plunging debt-ridden clubs into financial crises.

According to economist Kerem Akbas, author of a book on Turkish football finances, the big four clubs had two billion euros of debt between them at the end of August.

“There were a lot of recruits who were at the end of their contracts, like Icardi, who were cheap… but the salaries of these players are much higher than the clubs’ income,” Turkish sports journalist Alp Ulagay told AFP.

Ulagay said TV rights have lost significant weight for clubs in Turkey due to the devaluation of the Turkish lira against the euro and US dollar.

Only European competitions could help Turkish clubs make back their cash, but Galatasaray will be the sole Super Lig team in this season’s Champions League.

The economist Akbas believes trying to appease devoted football fans in the country pushes clubs into spending money they cannot afford.

“Some salaries are covered by the sponsors although UEFA does not favour this,” said Akbas.

“Every transfer window, the teams are essentially managed by the fans via social media.

“The clubs are in a tight financial spot as a result of fan pressure and executives’ quest for fame…

“The government permits it. Otherwise, with these financial statements, the clubs would have gone bankrupt long ago.”

There is no sign of Turkish clubs slowing down in their attempts to sign famous players.

Outside of the big four teams, another familiar face returned to Turkey on deadline day, as former Manchester City and Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli signed for a second spell with Adana Demirspor.

The post Turkish clubs take financial hit to attract big names in transfer market appeared first on Digital Journal.