From a cowboy hat to a WWE belt, the NBA champions each put a unique spin on their fits for Friday's celebrations.

The post Photos: The Celtics arrive in style for championship parade and celebrations appeared first on Boston.com.

"To me, that championship meant the most. Because all of us won."

The post What does David Ortiz think is the greatest championship in Boston sports history? appeared first on Boston.com.

The AFC U-19 Championship 2018 Qualifiers draw starts at 4pm, local time.

A total of 43 Member Associations (MAs) from across Asia will participate in the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, with ten (10) group winners and five (5) best second placed teams advancing to the finals along with the hosts. The AFC U-19 Championship qualifying stage is scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 8.

The 43 MAs will be separated into two zones, WEST (West, South and Central) with 22 teams and EAST (East and ASEAN) with 21 teams. Seeding for the draw is based on the rankings of last year’s AFC U-19 Championship in Bahrain. Teams that did not participate in the competition’s 2016 edition have been included but as the lowest-ranked sides. The host MA for the qualifiers will be drawn into separate groups.

The teams will then be drawn into three (3) groups of five (5) teams and seven (7) groups of four (4) teams.

WEST Zone:
Pot 1: Saudi Arabia (Host for Qualifiers), Islamic Republic of Iran (Host for Qualifiers), Iraq, Bahrain, Uzbekistan

Pot 2: Tajikistan (Host for Qualifiers), UAE, Qatar (Host for Qualifiers), Yemen, Palestine

Pot 3: Oman, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkmenistan

Pot 4: Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Syria, India

Pot 5: Kyrgyz Republic (Host for Qualifiers), Maldives

EAST Zone:
Pot 1: Japan, Vietnam, Korea Republic (Host for Qualifiers), Australia, China PR

Pot 2: Thailand, DPR Korea, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia

Pot 3: Timor-Leste, Singapore, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Philippines

Pot 4: Macau, Brunei Darussalam, Northern Mariana Islands

Pot 5: Cambodia (Host for Qualifiers), Indonesia, Mongolia (Host for Qualifiers)
*The remaining two (2) balls that are not drawn will be moved to Pot 4

The 2018 AFC U-23 Championship will be the third edition of the AFC U-23 Championship, the biennial international age-restricted football championship organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the men's under-23 national teams of Asia. A total of 16 teams will compete in the tournament. It is scheduled to take place 9–27 January 2018. China has been recommended as the hosts by the AFC Competitions Committee.

Of the 47 AFC member associations, a total of 42 teams entered the competition. They are divided into two zones

• West: 22 teams, to be drawn into five groups: two groups of five teams and three groups of four teams.
• East: 20 teams, to be drawn into four groups: five groups of four teams.

The final tournament hosts China will participate in qualification despite having automatically qualified for the final tournament.

The draw will be held on 17 March 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The teams are seeded according to their performance in the previous season in 2016.

Qualifiers to be played from July 15-23 July, 2017.

West Asia :

Pot 1 - Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Iran & Jordan.
Pot 2 - Uzbekistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait & Oman.'
Pot 3 - Tajikistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Bahrain & India.
Pot 4 - Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka.
Pot 5 - Nepal & Turkmenistan

East Asia :

Pot 1 - Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia & Thailand.
Pot 2 - China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar & Laos.
Pot 3 - Malaysia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste , Chinese Taipei & Singapore.
Pot 4 - Mongolia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Brunei & Macau.
Pot 5 - Guam 

Player Eligibility :
Players born on or after 1 January 1995 are eligible to compete in the tournament.

The AFC U-16 Championship 2018 Qualifiers draw starts at 3pm, local time.

Some 45 Member Associations will take part in the AFC U-16 Championship 2018 qualifiers, and they have been divided into two (2) zones of WEST (West, South and Central) with 23 teams and EAST (East and ASEAN) with 22 teams. Both zones will have a total of five (5) groups.

Teams in each zone have been placed in five (5) seeding pots based on the rankings of the AFC U-16 Championship India 2016. Teams that did not participate in the 2016 edition have been added but as the lowest-ranked sides. The host nations for the qualifiers will be drawn into separate groups.

The teams will then be drawn into five (5) groups of five (5) teams and five (5) groups of four (4) teams.

Ten group winners and five (5) best second-placed teams will advance to the final stage of the tournament, along with the host MA. The AFC U-16 qualifiers are scheduled to take place from September 16 to 24.

WEST Zone:
Pot 1: Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran (Host for Qualifiers), Oman, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan

Pot 2: Kyrgyz Republic, Saudi Arabia (Host for Qualifiers), Yemen, India, Tajikistan (Host for Qualifiers)

Pot 3: Syria, Jordan, Afghanistan, Qatar (Host for Qualifiers), Palestine

Pot 4: Bangladesh, Bahrain, Lebanon, Nepal (Host for Qualifiers), Turkmenistan

Pot 5: Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka

EAST Zone:
Pot 1: DPR Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Korea Republic, Thailand (Host for Qualifiers)

Pot 2: Malaysia, Australia, China PR, Hong Kong, Laos

Pot 3: Timor-Leste, Myanmar, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Mongolia (Host for Qualifiers)

Pot 4: Cambodia, Philippines, Macau, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands

Pot 5: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia

Top spot in the respective groups will earn direct qualification, while the four best second-placed teams will also advance to the 2020 Finals.

Should the yet to be determined host for the Finals finish either top of their group or among the best four second-placed teams, the next (5th) second-placed team in the ranking among all groups will qualify instead.

The Qualifiers will be played on November 2-10, 2019.

When was the last time we had good performance in the AFC U-19 qualifiers? Brandon, Naryan das batch i think 

The draw for the AFC U-16 Championship 2020 Qualifiers concluded at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur yesterday with the 47 teams discovering their opponents.

India have got tricky and difficult group comparing to other SAFF nations. Blue colts have qualified for last 2 editions, this time it looks difficult not just because of the draw but also because of our preparation. 

The Asian hopefuls will vie for top spot in their respective groups that promises direct qualification, while four best second-placed teams will advance to the 2020 Finals.

As the host for the Finals has yet to be determined, should the yet to be determined host finishes among the qualified as either top of their group or one of the four best second-placed teams, the next (5th) second-placed team in the ranking among all groups will qualify instead.

During his 11 years as an NFL quarterback, Jeff Kemp was known on and off the field for his leadership skills. Whether it was calling and executing plays on the gridiron or working away from the sport to strengthen marriages and families, Kemp has always been willing to work for the improvement of the modern family. Recently, Kemp has teamed up with Fatherhood CoMission to champion fatherhood both inside and outside the Church.  It is his desire for dads to be positive difference makers in...

For the celebrity or celebrities that have shown genuine and productive support for their chosen charity or charities

"I would like to thank the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association for hosting the World Dairy Expo competition platform. Winning 65 awards is a great honor, and not only did we top last year's number of WDE awards, but we also retained our place as the competition's most-awarded dairy," said Matt McClelland, Prairie Farms CEO/EVP. 

With this sponsorship, Shaw Floors’ Pet Perfect innovations and branding will be featured throughout the “Pet Perfect Puppies at the Playoff” activation within Playoff Fan Central. 

1202 E 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Friday, November 8, 9am – Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 8pm

Prepare for the ultimate culinary showdown at the 2024 World Food Championships (WFC)!

Over 1,500 chefs, home cooks, and professional teams from around the globe will compete for the coveted title of World Food Champion and a share of hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.
From sizzling steaks to decadent desserts, the WFC showcases ten official categories, offering a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Whether you’re a passionate foodie, an aspiring chef, or just looking for a fun and delicious experience, the WFC has something for everyone.

Event Highlights:
Date: November 8-12, 2024
Location: 1202 E 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Special Features: Live cooking demos, tasting experiences, and opportunities to meet culinary stars!

Don’t miss out on this exciting event celebrating culinary creativity and excellence. Tickets are on sale now! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit worldfoodchampionships.com.


Follow on social media for the latest updates and behind-the-scenes action:
Facebook: World Food Championships
Instagram: @worldfoodchampionships
Twitter: @WorldFoodChamp

Ticket Web Link: www.indianastatefair.com…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: worldfoodchampionships.com

With standout jammers and unmatched teamwork, Wheels of Justice dominates the track to claim Women's Flat Track Derby Association's highest honor. by Corbin Smith

On Sunday in beautiful Portland, Oregon, Rose City Rollers' Wheels Of Justice—an all-star squad of the best of the best skaters in Portland’s longtime roller derby league—clinched a 141-104 victory over St. Louis, Missouri’s Arch Rival All-Stars and won the sport's highest honor: the Hydra Trophy.

The teams played neck and neck in a tight first half, but Rose City came out in the second and dominated, due to slick skating from the team’s jammers—who jumped and stomped their way into a series of massive jams, putting the contest so far out of Arch Rival’s reach that a last minute Missouri team revival meant nothing.

This year’s event was the first Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Global Championship since 2019. The Rollers’ executive director Kim Stegeman, AKA Rocket Mean, told the Mercury the pandemic was particularly hard on derby leagues, which made shoring up a competition field very difficult before now. “The last one we had was in Montreal in 2019, and then, you know, COVID hit," Stegeman said. "Rose City Rollers, we have 12 staff members, so we stayed alive during COVID. But a lot of leagues, who didn’t have staff or couldn't retain their venues—it took a lot of leagues a lot longer, a much greater struggle than Rose City had to come back.” 

Related: How Portland Became a Roller Derby Mecca

As I am a basketball writer drifting into an arena with a camera and some barebones knowledge of the proceedings, this recap will steer clear of hard analysis. But I can tell you this: it was sports. Major sports. 

Rose City Rollers jammer Loren Mutch clears a pack to rack up points for her team,
Wheels of Justice, during the WFTDA Global Championships. Corbin smith Springroll, a jammer for the Wheels of Justice, braces for a hit from Arch Rival
blocker KWoo! during a championship roller derby game Sunday, Nov. 3. corbin smith

Roller derby sets itself apart from mainstream sports in a number of noticeable ways. For one, WFTDA doesn't regulate player athletic wear, beyond team jerseys and safety gear. Personality is a close companion to the athleticism, and skaters can wheel under a nom de plume—such as Oona Roll or OMG WTF. There's also a strong emphasis on participation and teamwork, in place of pursuing excellence and submission to authority.

“People see roller skating and think, ‘I could do that,’" Stegeman explained. “As opposed to, if you're in high school, you don’t look at the soccer team and think, “I could walk on.”

The game itself is a nifty contraption that makes for good viewing. Each team fields five skaters. Four act like football linebackers trying to simultaneously make space for their team's jammer, while also blocking the opposing team’s from racking up points. For our mileage, we told them apart by the stars on their helmets—jammers have one and blockers do not—but of course they're also playing differently. Like in football, these blocking schemes can be quite technical, even as they are also dependent on everyone’s ability to move side to side on roller skates. 

Wheels of Justice blockers Tenacity (front) and Tarantula (back) keep an Arch Rival jammer
contained during the championship game between Portland and St. Louis. corbin smith Fans cheer during the championship game between Portland's Rose City
Rollers and St. Louis, Missouri's Arch Rival Roller Derby. corbin smith

Sooner or later, a jammer breaks out. Whenever this happens—through a spin or a glide past a solid blocking construction, a straight up running leap on roller skates, or a high step that makes my ankles hurt by association—it's an act of genius athletic work. Then, the jammer busts down the track, and when it’s all perfect, they slip past everyone untouched, scoring four points before anyone has a second to think about it. It’s a thing of beauty.

Loren Mutch, one of the Wheels’ jammers, did a lot of this: slipping and sliding to victory on Sunday. At one point, I watched her break out of the pack, sprint through the stretch, confront the pack, avoid everyone, circle the track again, and slip past the defenders to net a whopping 23 points for Rose City.

Even after the team's win, Mutch deflected any attempts at compliment, saying: “I had a lot more penalties than I would have liked, and that was a bummer for me. But I feel like I drew so much courage from my teammates, and my teammates have my back, so it helped put a little fire under me.”

Asked how she learned to slip past a wall of people on roller skates, Mutch credits "a lot of practice." Her teammate, Mia Palau has a different take: “She has magic feet, and she’s a hard worker—seriously the hardest worker in the game.”

“And so is Mia,” Mutch adds. “Mia has one mode, and it’s a hundred percent.”

The two players credit months of practice for the win. Mutch highlights "the trust we have in each other.” Palau notes the team's extensive preparation, saying: "We really study our opponents, respect our opponents, so we always step on the track with our homework already done.”

While the WFTDA Global Championships concluded the all-star season of play, Portlanders can still catch plenty of derby in the Hangar at Oaks’ Amusement Park, 7805 Southeast Oaks Park Way, schedule and more info at rosecityrollers.com

Tell Me More has been dedicated to covering stories from Africa. Host Michel Martin speaks to NPR's Africa correspondent Ofeibea Quist-Arcton about reporting on the changing continent.

Wrestler Gable Steveson, who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, is coming out of retirement. Steveson will compete for the University of Minnesota for a fifth and final season. 

Should the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (FHR) support its colleagues in Belarus and declare a boycott of the 2021 Ice Hockey World Cup in Latvia in protest against the interference of politics in sports? Fasel explains why Belarus can not host Ice Hockey tournament President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Rene Fasel said in an interview with TASS that the decision to cancel the World Ice Hockey Championship in Minsk was made under political pressure. "I realized that the reaction from the Eastern European, Western media and the political pressure was very strong, especially in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. I would say that it is more about political pressure rather than the situation with sponsors. This is a bad situation, but I think that it is very difficult for us to go against it," Rene Fasel said.

[Sports] :
South Korean golfer An Byeong-hun claimed his first DP World Tour victory in nine years, defeating compatriot Kim Joo-hyung on Sunday in a playoff on home soil.  At Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, during the final round of the 2024 Genesis Championship, An secured his second career win on the DP ...

[more...]

[Sports] :
South Korean golfer Kim A-lim won the Lotte Championship on Saturday for her second LPGA Tour title. Kim clinched the title at Hoakalei Country Club in Hawaii, closing with a four-under 68 for a two-stroke victory over Nataliya Guseva from Russia. With the first victory in nearly four years since the ...

[more...]

The Institute of Medicine today presented the 2012 Gustav O. Lienhard Award to Donald M. Berwick, a physician whose work has catalyzed a national movement to improve health care quality and safety.

Offering six times faster changeover, Piab’s Changeover Champion vacuum conveyor piFLOW®p SMART enables users to save time when changing from one material to another, increasing the productivity of their operations.

Be they kettle-cooked, baked, fried, formed and even puffed, potato chips are still gold medal winners in the snack race.

Accipital identifies global sports, media, and technology opportunity to benefit Puerto Rico.

The State Bar of Michigan names local disability attorney and advocate among its 2024 award recipients

Imaginet supports two great pool players for the Predator 10-ball Championship

Somerdale Billiards and Pool Hall Awarded Prestigious Honor in Only 2nd Year of Operation

Plans to grow into a comprehensive MMA league that includes professionals

Georgia Native Sutton will be Showcasing Her Georgia Inspired Cherokee Rose Apparel Ahead of Monday's Game

In an unprecedented gathering at the Georgia State Capitol on February 16, 2023 Georgia State Representative Park Cannon hosted a landmark think tank focusing on holistic health equity for the transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Boston Celtics guard and Olympic Gold Medalist Derrick White has been named the official brand ambassador for Boston Dental, launching a collaboration focused on elevating and promoting the brand.

Burhani Engineers Ltd, a leading Kenyan construction company, is spearheading the charge for gender-inclusive engineering in Africa.

Shabazz Arts will launch a Kickstarter campaign for their new graphic novel, Bearcat Wright & The Kayfable Chronicles. The book tells the story of Wright, the first African American pro-wrestling champion.

BKFC is the fastest-growing mixed martial arts company in the world. Former UFC Champion Conor McGregor announces intention to fight in BKFC. MIT45 will provide its high quality Kratom products to BKFC fighters, trainers and staff.

The Pizá Chamblee collaboration will focus on distinct and key golf design projects

The American Century Championship is Title Sponsored by American Century Investments

Contest prizes include $10,000 for the charity of choice, trips for two, and an autographed keepsake celebrating American Century Investments' 25th anniversary as title sponsor

Enhancing sustainability offerings via an alliance with Emerald Built Environments

The Uncle Scotty's Trading Post has the perfect gifts for an NHL fan "to live like a Pro"

Athletes rarely clean their mouthpieces, but in this case, the solution is inside.

MariJane Kirk, Assistant Director, Business Resources Division in the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, received the Government Operations Champion Award from the National Association of State Chief Administrators.

In today's digital landscape, where authenticity can often be obscured by the noise of fake reviews and malicious competitor tactics, Task Impetus Inc. stands as a beacon of unwavering commitment to integrity and quality service.

The Champions of Justice Award Scholarship is a $1,000 merit award intended to help the next generation of legal professionals in their pursuit of education.

Monster Energy MACC Racing Unveils Powerhouse Team Lineup for the 2024 P1 AquaX US Jet Ski Championships Featuring Chris MacClugage, Tim Miller, and Rising Star Cooper Caldwell.

American Century Investments® celebrated record attendance, the highest number of participants in its annual ACC Fantasy Golf contest, impressive celebrity and professional athlete involvement, and another successful year of philanthropy.

Dedicated Advocacy for Coachella Valley's Vulnerable Elders

Celebrity lineup features newest stars, stalwart favorites and hottest athletes

A Legacy of Service, Compassion, and Leadership

The I-Drive area is known for its world famous attractions, non-stop entertainment, great dining and shopping and it is home to the second largest convention center in the U.S. And Orlandos tourist corridor also provides a golf mecca known for its championship courses designed by legends to provide play year-round in this vacation destination.