I Dig Sports
Jeff Inger, one the earliest junior internationals passes away
Born in 1935 in Manchester, in 1950 Jeff became one of the first ever junior internationals, before gaining his first senior cap against Yugoslavia in 1957 in Norwich, the first of nearly 60 caps.
He played in three World Championships just missing out on a medal in 1961 when the England men’s team finished fourth, his best individual result was with Elsie Carrington in the mixed doubles when they reached the last 16 in 1959 and beat the strong United States pair of Dick Miles and Leah Neuberger. Jeff also played in the European Championships and many international matches. In the Home Nations Quadrangular Tournament he was part of the squad which won the team event in 1960, 1961 and 1962 never losing a singles or doubles match.
Jeff also captained England and was an England selector.
Notably, Jeff played in his first English Open in 1947, significantly in Manchester, at the tender age of 12 years; later in 1961 partnering Kathy Best, he was the mixed doubles runner up, losing Hungary’s Zoltan Berczik and Eva Foldi of Hungary.
Meanwhile in the English National Championships in 1960, the inaugural edition, Jeff won silver in the mixed doubles with Jean McCree and bronze in the men’s singles. Later in 1962 he also secured men’s singles bronze as well men’s doubles bronze in 1963 partnering Kevin Forshaw.
As a junior, Jeff undertook a tour of Sweden and Norway in 1951 with John Hunt and Cliff Booth, Tommy Sears was the captain. The tour lasted 29 days during which time 21 matches were played plus an invitation tournament and an exhibition match. Of the 21 matches, England won 20 and Jeff won 43 of his 53 encounters. He distinguished himself by beating Bo Malmquist.
The team travelled extensively sometimes undertaking 12 hour train journeys. Coming from an austere post war Britain, where much was still rationed, Jeff recalled the food was amazing. His eyes were watering at all the goodies that he hadn’t seen before or were very restricted in England. Chocolate and steak were items which unheard of at home, certainly for teenage boys.
A true sportsman in the best meaning of the word, Jeff described his proudest moment winning a gold medal in the Maccabiah Games in Israel in 1957 and 1961, in the latter year he beat fellow England international Stan Jacobson, a match which was umpired by Michel Haguenauer of France before a crowd of 3,000 in the Hilton Hotel.
Throughout his career, Jeff was as interested in the happenings of the table tennis world today as he was in the history and kept up to date with the progress of the up and coming youngsters.
My condolences go to Jeff’s daughters and all the family who were so important to him.
A memorial service will be held in a few months’ time and information regarding this will be published when known.
Read: Swaything No.106
Mohamed Sameh Eid Saleh nominated for Allianz Athlete of the Month
by Olalekan Okusan, ITTF Africa Press Officer
Born in Alexandria, 41 years old, a class 4 athlete; undoubtedly the greatest achievement for Mohamed Sameh Eid Saleh is the bronze medal secured at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Success in London but it is in his own continent that he has enjoyed the greatest success. Victory on home soil in June meant that commencing in 2007, he collected his sixth consecutive men’s singles African Para Championships gold medal; in fact the list of wins could be considered nine in total. Beginning in 1999, repeating the success in 2003 and 2005 he struck gold at the tournament’s forerunner, the African and Middle East Championships.
Voting concludes on Friday 12th July at 12.00 (Central European Summer Time).
First awarded in June 2010, there have been two previous Allianz table tennis winners; in November 2016 Chile’s Matias Pino Lorca emerged the victor, one month later Germany’s Thomas Schmidberger secured the award.
Almost one year to go; entries closed for Bordeaux
The maximum number of 5,000 applicants has been received; if you still want to play, you must add your name on the waiting list.
It is a response that has even staggered Hans Westling, the Chair of the ITTF World Veteran Committee and the man at the helm of proceedings since time in memoriam.
“Normally we do not open registration for the World Veteran Championships until after the European Veteran Championships has finished. It means that registration is open one year in advance. However the Bordeaux organisers insisted that registration started on Friday 1st March. I could really see no reason for that but I did underestimate the huge interest; just before the European Veteran Championships started on Monday 1st July we had reached the limit of 4,500 entries!” Hans Westling
Discussion followed with the Swaythling Club; it was agreed to raise the limit to 5,000 players and use the maximum number of 188 tables.
Notably, the European Veteran Championships in Budapest attracted over 3,000 players; now Bordeaux awaits what much surely be the biggest international tournament in the history of our sport.
On the men’s list, Xu Xin (1,713 points) replaces Ma Long (1,425 points) at the head of the order; China occupying the top four places.
Lin Gaoyuan remains at no.3 (1,250 points) with Wang Chuqin, beaten by Xu Xin in the Geelong final, climbing from no.10 to no.4 (519 points). Making way, Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto drops one place to no.5 (506 points); a situation that applies also to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju. He is now at no.6 (491 points).
Major progress for Wang Chuqin, it is the same for Germany’s Patrick Franziska, the player who came within a whisker of ending the advance of Xu Xin in Geelong. He climbs from no.19 to no.10 (324 points)and thus currently holds one of the 16 places for Grand Finals’ qualification.
One step higher for Xu Xin, on the women’s singles standings it is two steps for Sun Yingsha (1,319 points). She replaces colleague Chen Meng (1,300 points) at the top order; Chen Meng now occupies the no.2 spot (1,300 points); likewise it is a drop of one place for Wang Manyu (1,051 points), as China’s reserves the leading five places.
Despite her absence through injury in Geelong, Liu Shiwen retains the no.4 spot (779 points), ahead of Ding Ning (775 points) who now changes places with Mima Ito (681). A drop of one place for Mima Ito but there is good news for Japan; semi-finalist in Geelong, Kasumi Ishikawa moves from no.16 to no.10 (372 points).
Notable progress and there is a most notable factor when previous years are considered. Just over the halfway point in the calendar, seven of the 12 tournaments completed; of the top 16 names on the men’s singles standings, only China’s Sun Wen (225 points) and Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov (198 points) have not completed the five tournament appearance criteria to qualify for the Grand Finals. On the counterpart women’s singles standings there is just one; China’s Gu Yuting in 16th place (175 points).
Never has the basic requirement been met by so a large proportion of the elite players, so early in the calendar year; this year could prove the most intense battle for places in the Grand Finals.
Similarly, success in Geelong, Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem now head the mixed doubles standings. Likewise Chen Meng and Wang Manyu top the women’s doubles order; Korea Republic’s Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu now stand in second spot on the men’s doubles list.
Wong Chun Ting and Do Hoi Kem (770 points) climb three places. Former leaders, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching now occupy second place (763 points); as with Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen, now in the no.3 spot (600 points), they drop one place. Climbing the ladder but the most notable climb is that made by Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito, the runners up on Geelong, they advance from no.19 to no.6 (200 points).
A notable climb, in the women’s doubles standings, the most notable climb is that made by Chen Meng and Wang Manyu (500 points). Formerly, they stood in the no.5 spot in a list where Wang Manyu is the popular player; she is listed in second spot with Sun Yingsha (450 points) and third place alongside Zhu Yuling (350 points).
Similarly it is major progress for Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu; they advance three places to no.2 on the men’s doubles standings (550 points). Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin continue to lead (575 points) with Germany’s Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska, dropping one place to no.3 (450 points). The most significant climb is that made by Lin Gaoyuan and Ma Long; they move from no.23 to no.9 (188 points).
The next Seamaster ITTF World Tour tournament on the calendar starts in Bulgaria on Tuesday 13th August.
Monday 15th July: Latest Standings after 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Australian Open
Rory Duncan: Worcester Warriors allow head coach to talk to other clubs
Worcester Warriors have given head coach Rory Duncan permission to talk to other clubs.
South African side Southern Kings are reported to have the 41-year-old on a four-man shortlist, which prompted Warriors to release a club statement.
"The club has put in place a strategic plan for the future of Warriors," it said. "We do not envisage Rory Duncan being part of those plans.
"Therefore we've given Rory permission to seek opportunities elsewhere."
Having been earmarked as a potential long-term successor to Warriors director of rugby Alan Solomons, Duncan remains a Warriors staff member for now, as he is under contract until the end of next season.
Duncan was director of rugby with South Africa, coaching the PRO14 side before he came to Sixways in May 2018.
Warriors finished 10th in the Premiership last season, above Leicester and relegated Newcastle, winning a club record nine of their 22 games.
SPEED SPORT has been reporting on and covering motorsports happenings from all over the world for 85 years, so we thought it would be fun to take a look back in the archives to see what happened 10, 25 and 50 years ago each week.
So check out what SPEED SPORT was covering 10, 25 and 50 years ago this week in Looking Back!
10 Years Ago (July 15, 2009): Rebounding from a dismal week at Watkins Glen Int’l, Dario Franchitti bounced back to win the 85-lap IRL IndyCar Series event on the streets of Toronto. The victory in the 85-lap event slugfest was helped by a lucky break from officials, who ruled Franchitti was ahead of Paul Tracy during a timely caution flag when Franchitti was making a pit stop. The victory moved Franchitti back into the championship lead.
Other Happenings: Dave Darland, Chad Boat and Levi Jones picked up victories during Indiana Sprint Week while Bryan Clauson led the points during the week-long series; Mark Martin earned his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup victory of the year, holding off Jeff Gordon at Chicagoland Speedway; Antron Brown, Ron Capps and Allen Johnson collected trophies during the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.
25 Years Ago (July 13, 1994): Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George announced the formation of his own racing series, the Indy Racing League. He hired Jerry Hauer to run the new series while also hinting that Indy Racing League loyalists could be guaranteed starting positions in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, which would be a part of the new IRL schedule.
Other Happenings: Ricky Rudd earned his first victory as an owner-driver, gambling on a two-tire pit stop to beat Dale Earnhardt at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; Damon Hill raced to victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone; Scott Pruett won the Trans-Am Series race at the Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio; The National Transportation Safety Board released a report regarding the death of Davey Allison in a helicopter crash earlier in the year.
50 Years Ago (July 16, 1969): On the same day his daughter Barbara was born, Mario Andretti raced to victory in the 100-lap USAC National Championship race at Nazareth National Speedway. He outdistanced Gary Bettenhausen by nearly a lap, completing the race in 56 minutes and 42.25 seconds with an average speed of 105.851 mph.
Other Happenings: Bobby Unser won the Miller High Life 200 at The Milwaukee Mile; David Pearson earned a pair of victories in NASCAR Grand National action, winning events at Trenton (N.J.) Speedway and Thompson (Conn.) Speedway; Ernie Derr was the winner of the Iowa 300 stock car race at the Iowa State Fairgrounds; Bruce McLaren led a McLaren one-two finish in Can-Am action at Watkins Glen Int’l.
ATTICA, Ohio — Sheldon Haudenschild doesn’t just want to win at Eldora Speedway, he feels like he needs to.
The half-mile speedway, located in Rossburg, Ohio, is a home track for the Wooster, Ohio-native. And it’s a track his father, Jac Haudenschild, has won at nine times with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series — including three Kings Royal victories.
“Every year Eldora is on my win list,” Sheldon Haudenschild said. “I feel like I need to win there. I feel like I’m capable of it. Just need to make it happen.”
After racing Tuesday in the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic at Attica Raceway Park, he’ll have four attempts at an Eldora Speedway win this week — #LetsRaceTwo on July 17, Jokers Wild on July 18, Knight Before the Kings Royal on July 19 and the $175,000-to-win Kings Royal on July 20.
To win, he’ll have to compete against his hero — his dad.
“I love racing with my dad,” Haudenschild said. “Just having him at the track, I feel like my mood is better. It’s hard not to be happy around my dad, he’s always happy.”
The sentiment is shared by Jac. While he doesn’t run many races with his son, Jac Haudenschild said when he does it’s always fun. And when he does, you’re guaranteed to find the two together.
“It’s definitely good to have another guy to talk to and see what he’s feeling on the track and what he sees, too,” Sheldon Haudenschild said.
But on track, both Haudenschilds see each other as just another driver.
“He’s definitely just another guy out there,” Sheldon Haudenschild said. “I know he’s definitely not going to cut me any slack and I can’t either.”
For Jac, he said he races everyone the same. He’ll race them how they race him. No matter who it is.
He doesn’t always lend much advice to Sheldon, either. Not because he’s trying to withhold something. Because he knows Sheldon already has the knowledge he needs.
“He’s watched me for years race,” Jac Haudenschild said. “He’s been around racing all of his life. He’s paid pretty close attention. He’s doing a pretty good job.”
Sheldon spent his rookie year in the World of Outlaws in 2017 driving for his dad. He finished seventh in points and earned the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year award. The following year he was hired by Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing to drive the NOS Energy Drink No. 17 car and picked up five wins.
The first half of his season saw highs and lows with a few podium finishes, but no wins. He changed that at the start of the second half by out running 10-time series champion Donny Schatz to win at Cedar Lake Speedway — his sixth career series victory.
“It’s been fun watching him,” said 72-time World of Outlaws winner Jac Haudenschild. “He’s got a good ride.”
Before going head-to-head at Eldora, on Tuesday the Haudenschild father and son duo will both be searching for their first win at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio.
“I’ve got a lot of laps at Attica,” Sheldon Haudenschild said. “I’m looking forward to Attica. We’ve been close there. Led some Outlaw laps there in my own car.”
While neither have won the Brady Doty Classic at the third-mile track, Jac knows what it’s like to win in his home state. Sheldon is still searching for that honor.
“It’s pretty good,” Jac Haudenschild said about winning in Ohio. “It’s always good to have won in front of your home crowd of fans.”
Whether it’s at Attica or Eldora, Sheldon would like to experience winning at home, too. He’s most eager to get one at Eldora, though.
He failed to transfer to the Feature at Eldora in May, but with four nights of racing in-a-row at the speedway, Sheldon Haudenschild said he thinks the extra day on track will help him get more comfortable there.
While Jac has won at the speedway several times, Sheldon said his dad hasn’t really given him too much advice about the track. Watching his dad race there for years is all the advice he needs. However, he acknowledged implementing what he’s seen his dad do isn’t always easy to materialize.
“I feel like last year when I ran third at the Knight Before the Kings Royal is probably my best run there,” Sheldon Haudenschild said. “I don’t think we followed it up very well the second night. But I know I got speed there and I feel like I can run that place right. It’s just putting a night together.”
This year, they’ll have to piece together four solid nights — due to the second May #LetsRaceTwo event being postponed by rain and being moved to July. To be successful all four nights, Jac Haudenschild said it’s going to take a strong motor program and a good team.
Doing so could lead to the unprecedented $175,000 payday on Saturday. The Kings Royal’s winning purse had been $50,000 since the event started in 1984. Jac Haudenschild’s winnings from his three Kings Royal victories don’t even top the new winning amount.
“That’s nice, you know,” Jac Haudenschild said. “It’s paid fifty thousand (dollars) for years. It’s pretty much just been the same purse for a long time. So, looking forward to the one hundred and seventy-five (thousand dollars) this year. We always look forward to going back to Eldora and look forward to going back there again this year.”
Racing is all the Jac and Sheldon ever done. Both want to win just as bad as the other. Whether it’s Attica or Eldora, neither is going to lay down for the other. But that racing passion won’t stop them from still being father and son.
“My dad is one of my heroes and someone I look up to,” Sheldon Haudenschild said. “It’s really cool everything he’s done, but to me he is just my dad. I’m very fortunate to have a dad that’s done a lot of things in a sprint car.”
The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Andre Burakovsky to a one-year contract. TSN reports that the deal is for $3.25 million.
The restricted free agent was acquired from the Washington Capitals on June 28 for forward Scott Kosmachuk and a second-round and third-round pick in the 2020 draft.
Burakovsky, 24, signed a two-year, $6 million contract in July 2017.
He recorded 25 points (12 goals) in 76 games with the Capitals last season. In 328 games with the Caps since he was their first-round draft pick in 2013, Burakovsky has recorded 145 points (62 goals).
Burakovsky had been the subject of trade rumors due to his promising but inconsistent play.
The Capitals and Avalanche are familiar trade partners. In recent years, the Caps have sent defenseman Brooks Orpik and goaltenders Philipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov to Colorado.
McIlroy recalls record 61 at Royal Portrush: 'I always think about that round'
Rory McIlroy admittedly can’t recall many shot-by-shot accounts of his rounds.
“But for that round, I do,” McIlroy said during a May sit-down with TheOpen.com.
McIlroy is referring to the 11-under 61 he shot as a 16-year-old playing in the 2005 North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush. The round smashed the previous course record of 64, and though the Dunluce links layout has been altered since, many still consider McIlroy’s score to be the course’s benchmark.
“I knew the record was 64,” said McIlroy, who birdied just one of his first five holes before catching fire with eagle at the par-5 10th hole. “Once I got to 9 under through 16, I thought if I could par the remaining two and set the new record that would be pretty special.”
McIlroy did two shots better, birdieing each of his final two holes – he actually birdied each of his final five coming in.
“I did not care what the score was,” McIlroy said. “I just wanted the course record.”
McIlroy added: “It doesn’t feel like 13 years ago, but when you look back at the footage, it does feel like 13 years ago. Whenever I look back at Royal Portrush, links golf and my development I always think about that round of golf.”
At the time of McIlroy’s 61, St. Andrews was hosting The Open. McIlroy recalls a congratulatory text he got from Darren Clarke during the event. Even McIlroy's swing coach at the time, Michael Bannon, was in awe.
“A member of the golf club phoned me and told me, and I thought it was a joke,” Bannon said. “No one can shoot 61 around Royal Portrush.”
No one but McIlroy, who was already a prodigy with immense talent and expectations.
“It felt normal to me,” McIlroy said. “I had that cockiness and thought this was what I was supposed to do. It is only when time goes on that I realize these things are special and you should savor them.
“It was a defining moment … because the wider golf world took notice.”
McIlroy turned pro two years later and the rest is history. McIlroy is a surefire Hall of Famer and four-time major winner as he prepares to take on Royal Portrush in this week’s Open Championship.
Of course, McIlroy wouldn’t mind history repeating itself.
“I shot 62 at Quail Hollow in 2010 on the old setup, and then they went and redesigned it and I went back in 2015 and shot 61 on the new course,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully the same things happen at Royal Portrush. I hold the record on the old course, but it would be special to come back to The Open and break it on the new one.”
United States men's national team midfielder Tyler Boyd has signed a four-year deal with Turkish club Besiktas, the club announced on Monday.
Boyd, 24, was born in New Zealand before moving to California as a child. He returned to New Zealand at age 10 and played for that country's youth teams. He played for the All-Whites' senior squad but last made an appearance in 2014.
He made the one-time switch to represent the U.S. internationally earlier this year and debuted in a June friendly against Venezuela.
O artık Beşiktaşlı! ✍#ComeToBeşiktaş ? pic.twitter.com/RuPJ7jgoQX
— Beşiktaş JK (@Besiktas) July 15, 2019
Boyd was part of Gregg Berhalter's squad for the Gold Cup, where he scored twice in the USMNT's group-stage opener against Guyana. He played in two more matches but was an unused substitute in the semifinal win over Panama and the final loss to Mexico.
Prior to signing with Besiktas, Boyd played at Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes. He was loaned to Turkish side MKE Ankaragucu in January and enjoyed a breakout stint, scoring six goals in 14 appearances.
According to Goal.com, Besiktas will play Victoria $2.2 million for Boyd's services.
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