Sunday, 25 October 2015

MqSports Video Blog


Hello there,
As you guys know this is going to be our last post, but before you guys go back to living your ordinary lives sadden by the lost of our beloved sports blog, we have a treat for you guys. We are gonna leave you guys with our very own video blog or should we say Vlog. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, bye for now!

- Johnson Han (Pool), Andy Chhai (EPL), Charlie Smith (NBA), Andrew Papi (Tennis), Erin Ho (Bowling), Henry You (MBA)

Sunday, 11 October 2015

[Major League Baseball] Colorado Rockies' strong batter Carlos González

by Henry You

Carlos González is Colorado Rockies' 
representative left hand batter.
He debuted with the Arizona Diamondbacks
on August 3, 2002 however, he was traded
with Huston Street and Greg Smith to the
Colorado Rockies in 2008.


He was not chosen to be in first grade
at the beginning. However he proved himself
during the spring camp and the coach called
him up to Major League Baseball.


Carlos González received the National League
Players Choice Award for Outstanding Player
in 2010. He then won the Players Choice Award
for Player of the Year throughout Major League Baseball.



Positive Signs From NBA's New Rooks

Now for most people, the NBA Preseason is an opportunity for their first 'real' glimpse at the potential for the new rookies of the NBA. And to be honest, unless you are a die hard, you probably are not going to watch every game of the NBA Summer League, let alone every game of the preseason, which is why I thought i'd break down the rookies that have been showing the most promise in their limited appearances so far.

Number 1 on my list is Detroit Pistons small forward Stanley Johnson. Coming into the NBA he was considered one of the most mature players in terms of his body composition, which may stand to reason why his transition to the big league has not been as difficult. In his first outing he led all scorers with 26 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 4 assists, and then he followed it up with a 12 point, 7 rebound performance.

In addition to these nice looking stat-lines, Johnson has looked smooth on his jump shooting hitting a cool 5/8 from three point territory. His intensity and drive to play hard are very positive aspects of his game, which is why he is going to be a successful player at the NBA level.

SJ in action for the Pistons
The next player on my radar is also a small forward from the Miami Heat, Justice Winslow. Drafted 10th overall he looked like a very well rounded player who was defensively excellent and he has put up a couple of decent performances which can show off his potential despite not being excellent. His first outing he had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, which highlights his versatility. He did struggle shooting the ball, but that will improve with time. His second performance was not as strong with 5 points, 4 rebounds and a steal. Despite what seem like mediocre performances, it is only the preseason and he can definitely grow into the game.

Finally, the last player to keep an eye on based on these very early performances is Karl-Anthony Towns. The no. 1 overall draft pick this year had a fantastic performance against a very strong Oklahoma City side, and he displayed his versatility as a big man. He went off for 18 points shooting at a very efficient 8/12, with 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots. He really did demonstrate why he was drafted first, and it showed that he has been working hard with Kevin Garnett as his mentor to really adjust his game to the NBA.

You can see Towns and Johnson in action today in the preseason, tune in if you want a further look at them.

- Charlie

Saturday, 10 October 2015

Fortunate, yet unfornate news.

“I have good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?”

2020It was glorious news to hear that Ten Pin Bowling has been a part of the possible sports that were to be played in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Out of 26 different sports, Bowling, due to its’ physical and mental skills that it involves, has been a consideration, and made it up to the eight short-listed sports!
This has sparked huge expectations and hopes for the World Bowling Community, and has breached the possible opportunities for bowling competitors.

Despite much expectation and hope, the International Olympic Committee did not pass Bowling as one of the sports that are to be played during the Olympics. However, World Bowling will not give up on pursuing their goals, as the World Bowling President, Kevin Dornberger said on Today’s News, “For World Bowling this remains a huge milestone in pursuing our Olympic quest and we believe that this has laid the foundations for a brighter future ahead”.


World Bowling will be continuing their endeavour to pass Bowling as a sports in future Olympics, particularly aiming to provide opportunities for the youth to participate in training and developing to become champions in Tenpin Bowling, and are anticipating to bringing in more female bowlers.
Ten Pin Bowling is an awesome sport both recreationally and competitively.

Friday, 9 October 2015

Klopp For The Kop

Breaking news: Liverpool are on the verge of signing former Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp.



English Premier league club Liverpool F.C. are expected to name the German coach tomorrow. This is after the sacking of their former coach Brendan Rodgers after a disappointing last season and less then average start to the 2015 campaign with the 1-1 draw with fellow Merseyside rivals Everton as the final straw.

Lets look at the yet to be named Liverpool coaches achievements. 

Mainz 05

His first club Mainz 05 he was able to lead them into promotion into the Bundesliga.

Borussia Dortmund 

The club where he made a name for himself and really planted his foot in the world of football management. At Borussia Dortmund he won back to back Bundesliga titles in the 2010-1011 and 2011- 2012 seasons and came runners up in the 2012-2013 champions league season. He finished with a record of 179 wins, 69 draws and 70 losses.

Thats all for today, we will keep you up to date with what is happening in the English premier league here are MQsports.

Thursday, 8 October 2015

Snooker update Teenage Sensation

Teenage Ace Maturing on Snooker Cue

Snooker 5 PM 28
Rising star Riley Parsons, 15, from Cannock, who has desire on joining the professional circuit.
 Riley Parsons, Formally a member of the St John's Snooker Club has help England with the under 16's win the home international in Leeds.
Hoping to one day become the World Champion Riley has taken his first step towards that journey by winning all 5 all his matches making it a perfect sweep of his opponents.
This was Parson's second call up to the international stage as he was invited to the under 14's in the past.

Some achievements include winning the West Midlands Under 14's Championship for two years in a running during 2013 and 2014 through his long list of highlights. This achievement is a fruit of his hardwork and dedication towards snooker through 7 days of practice at the St John's club, it is not surprising how successful Parson's at such a young age with a positive future beyond the horizon.
Till Next time
-Johnson

The Return Of The All Stars

G'Day NBA fans, the first week of the NBA Preseason has kicked off nicely, with a number of teams finally getting that chance to put on show their new styles and rosters, and to practice their new systems. But on top of all of that, this week has seen the return of a number of premier NBA players, all of which beginning where they left off.

Names like Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant have all taken to the court in their preseason games after recovering from lengthy injuries, putting up some pretty All-Star-like stats and showing why they are in fact, some of the best players in the league. In addition players like Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving still due back soon.

Paul George has been an extremely great comeback story, after breaking - well snapping - his leg in the summer before last season, PG, donning his new number 13 in his most recent game ended with 32 points on a prolific 10/16 shooting. It is certainly good for the NBA and fans to have him back on court.

In addition to this Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Kevin Durant all had strong performances for their respective teams and i'm sure their best is definitely still yet to come. Kobe struggled in his first performance in the limited minutes that he received, however his second game was much stronger, which shows positive signs.

Don't forget, this is only the preseason, so teams are still very rusty and they are just trying to figure out the kinks and new additions to their rosters. It is going to be one exciting season.

- Charlie

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

The Djokovic Brothers - Novak and Djordje


Sourced from atpworldtour.com

In the China Open, Novak Djokovic has teamed up with his brother Djordje, who is 20 years old, putting in a strong performance against Mao-Xin, and Venus, defeating them, 7-6(5) 6-7(6) 10-5, in there first time that they were played together in doubles professionally. The Novak Djokovic stated that he enjoyed playing the doubles match with his younger brother.

Novak Djokovic also mentioned that he was thankful for the organisers allowing him a wild card into the doubles with his younger brother. There probably wasn't any chance that organisers wouldn't have given him a wild card into the doubles, as he is popular in China, and therefore it wouldn't have been a wise decision to not allow Novak Djokovic play doubles matches in China.


By Andrew Papdi


Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Tennis Update - 6 October

China Open (mens)

World number 1 Novak Djokovic defeated qualifier Simone Bolelli in 1 hour 11 minutes, 6-1 6-1.

3rd Seed Rafael Nadal also won his 1st round match against wildcard Di Wu in straight sets 6-4 6-4.

There were some seeded players which suffered shock defeats in the first round, including Milos Raonic, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Australian qualifier John Millman upset Tommy Robredo 4-6 6-1 6-0.



Japan Open (mens)

While the top 3 seeds, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and Gilles Simon progressed to the second round, there were seeds that were lost in the first round.

Number 4 seed Richard Gasquet, suffered a heavy defeat, losing in straight sets 6-4 6-1, to Roberto Bautista Agut.

Number 5 seed Kevin Anderson also lost in straight sets, 6-2 6-3, in 1 hour 15 minutes to Gilles Muller ranked 43.

8th seed Grigor Dimitrov lost in 3 sets, to Benoit Paire.

Australian Nick Kyrgios defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(3) 6-3 6-3, in 2 hours 11 minutes.

Qualifying Australian Matthew Ebden lost in 3 tight sets to Austin Krajicek, in a match lasting 2 hours 55 minutes.

The two other Australian players Bernard Tomic and Sam Groth retired hurt part way through there matches with Steve Johnson and Jeremy Chardy respectively.



China Open (womens)

In the second round, seeds Agnieszka Radwanska, Roberta Vinci, Madison Keys, Carla Suarez Navarro, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and Flavia Pennetta all won there matches, to progress into the third round.

Elina Svitolina, a seeded player did get knocked out of the China Open, and joined Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, and Simona Halep who all got knocked out in the first round.


By Andrew Papdi

Monday, 5 October 2015

Round 8 English Premier League - Standout players

Another week of the EPL has passed us again, done and dusted. This week we focus on the players who have shone, players who's teams can't afford to have them off the pitch and players who have dramatically contributed to their teams week 8 success. This week was no surprise with Sergio Aguero scoring 5 goals in 20 minutes and Alexis Sanchez scoring a brace after a hattrick last week as the clear stand out players.

Sergio Aguero - Manchester city
Agueroooooooooooo!!, the screams of the commentators again and again after this weeks 6-1 win against Newcastle. After a sluggish start to the season, only managing one goal, the argentine was able to catapult his goal scoring tally in 20 minutes. Aguero was able to score 5 goals in the 42nd, 50th, 59th, 60th and 62nd minute to defeat Newcastle who had the lead. 

Alexis Sanchez - Arsenal
After last weeks performance, striking fear into Leicester city after scoring an incredible hattrick to win 5-2. This week Sanchez strikes again ensuring a win against bitter rivals Manchester United after scoring a double. Scoring his first just in just 6 minutes while scoring his seconds in the 20th minute to help his team to a 3-0 win over United.

The two south american superstars look back inform after what was a slow start to both of their seasons. Thats it for now, but say tuned for more up to date new on the English premier league.
-Andy

Tenpin Bowling Event Update!



Tenpin Bowling World-Wide Upcoming Events!

World Bowling is an association who "provides governance to international bowling including 200 million participants and over 4 million competitors".
The WBT, World Bowling Tour (provided by World Bowling), is a significant event for tenpin bowling lovers and champions, who participate in major events around the world.


wbtlogoUpcoming tours from 2015-2016 include: 

2 – 8 November Bowlmor: AMF US Open
Venue: AMF Garland Lanes,Fort Worth,  Texas, USA



November 2015 – Dates TBD: Daejeon International Open
Venue: Daejeon, Korea

26 November – 2 December 2015: Qatar Open 2015
Venue: Qatar Bowling Centre, Doha, Qatar
3 – 7 December 2015: 9th Kingdom International Open Saudi Arabia 
Venue: Universal Bowling Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4 – 13 December 2015: WTBA World Women Championships
Venue: Khalifa International Bowling Centre,Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
17 December: PBA World Championships
Venue: Reno, Nevada, USA
13 February 2016 -2015 World Bowling Tour Finals 
Venue: Indianapolis, USA

Sunday, 4 October 2015

ATP World Tour Finals

The ATP World Tour Finals are held in London beginning November 15 until November 22.
At this point in time, there are four players that have qualified, world number 1 Novak Djokovic, followed by Andy Murray, Roger Federer, and now Stan Wawrinka.

World Snooker Update

Referee Michaela Tabb Sexism Claim

World Snooker has been known for it's outstanding sportsmanship towards opponents but this issue arises from a sexism claim brought up by referee Michaela Tabb.
Tabb believes that the 1000 Euro bonus which all the male referees received which ultimately left her with no bonus was an act of sexism by the world snooker organisation. Tabb resigned from World snooker due to a break down in the relationship between her boss and Chairman Barry Hearn. When questions Tabb said in her own words "I firmly believe I have be discriminated on the basis of my sex".
Tabb has made history by becoming the first woman to officiate the world snooker finals at the crucible in Sheffield. Tabb was also a successful pool player as she held UK and European titles making her a well known face to many pool fans and players.
Below is a video of how strict Tabb was as a referee and how much all the professional snooker players on the circuit respected her decisions especially when she was extremely tough towards one audience member who was too loud for the players liking.



Michaela Tabb Officiating at the World Snooker Championships

Saturday, 3 October 2015

NBA Preseason Officially Tips Off

If you haven't been paying close enough attention (which i'm sure you all have), all 30 teams in the NBA have been at training camp adjusting to new roster members, new coaches, new systems, styles, and much more.

On top of that the NBA Preseason tipped off today with a clash between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. It was a really interesting game to watch as the Clippers were sporting an entirely new kit as well as a much reshaped roster, while the nuggets were still trying to find there groove under new point guard - Emmanuel Mudiay - who replaced the departed Ty Lawson.

The Clippers were constantly testing out different rotations, in an attempt to see what would, and would not work for them on the day. It seemed as though no matter what formation they decided upon, they always had 5 high quality players on the court, meaning that they could be a very tough team to beat this season.

The highlights for the Clippers in today's game were the play from from All Star point guard Chris Paul who had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists, as well as a big effort from resigned free agent DeAndre Jordan who went for 15 points and 12 rebounds.

High-Fives all round for the Clips today
On the other side was the Nuggets who began the game slowly, however they did show some bright spots of what could potentially be an entertaining season for them. Youngsters Emmanuel Mudiay and Joffrey Lauvergne played particularly well, and Gary Harris was also a good contributor. They trailed all game long, but eventually managed to turn the game around and claw their way back into it.

The bump and the bucket for rookie Mudiay
Despite their strong efforts late in the game, they still ended up losing 103-96, however it could have definitely been a lot worse. The Nuggets could be an interesting team to watch this year, with new coach Mike Malone and young energetic players, they may be able to shake up a few teams on their good nights.

- Charlie

9 ball Update Ko Pin Yi







POOLS HARDCORE MAN

As we head to Doha, Qatar Ko Pin Yi has captured his first 9-ball world championship as he performance was considered spectacular when facing Shane Van Boening of the USA with clutch shots in order to edge out his opponent 13-11. The win is Ko's second world championship overall this year has he captured the 10-ball world championship earlier in the Philippines back in February.
The win tonight has cemented Ko's place in the pantheon of greats. The win netted Ko $30,000 whilst the runner-up Boening received $15,000 from a $200,000 prize pool.

Ko celebrating his victory at Qatar

When interviewed about the win Ko was reflecting on his spectacular performance in the Philippines earlier this year and stated his victory as an "unbelievable achievement". This statement heavily reflects how he was considered the underdog of the tournament as all the people who tuned in to the championship didn't give him a chance.
On the other side of the story Boening was gutted as this was his first ever world Championship final which he destroyed his previous opponent with a score of 11-1 and the pressure may have been too much too handle. Boening had the easier draw as Ko was pitted against former world champion Wu Jia Qiang which came to a nail biting 11-10 victory for Ko which made it even more frustrating as Boening was so close to victory losing 11-9 due to a few mistakes.
Below is a video which shows the match between Ko and Van Boening in the 2015 9-ball World Championship.




Until Next week Johnson Out:)

Tennis Update - 3 October - Results - Kuala Lumpur, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Tashkent

By Andrew Papdi

Live Scores - ATP WTA

Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur

Quarterfinal Results:
  • Number 1 seed David Ferrer (Spain) has defeated Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan), ranked 48, in straight sets 6-3 6-4.
  • Benjamin Becker (Germany), ranked 74, has upset number 4 seed Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets, 6-4 7-6(3).
  • Australian Nick Kyrgios, seeded 7, has defeated, 3rd seed Ivo Karlovic in two close sets 7-6(4) 7-6(2).
  • Number 2 seed Feliciano Lopez came back from one set down to defeat 8th seed Vasek Pospisil, 6-7(2) 6-3 6-2.

[Major League Baseball] Mound Domination "Tim Lincecum"

by Henry You

Tim Lincecum is an American professional
baseball pitcher for the San Francisco of MLB.
He debuted in 2006 with sensation and lead
the National League in strikesouts for
three consecutive years.


His change-up and curve induced miss
swings and the signature dynamic
pitching form tricked batters harder
to get the batting timing. 

The fact that he had exact same pre-pitching
motion for both fastball and slider, it created
huge confusion to batters.

Tim Lincecum is still performing well
in 2015 season and one of the
best pitchers in MLB

Friday, 2 October 2015

Tennis Update 2 October

By Andrew Papdi

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the China Open in Beijing and the WTA Finals in Singapore for health reasons and to heal.

Junior Davis Cup
Australia has been defeated by Germany 2-1, meaning that Australia finish second in their pool, and are therefore unable to qualify for the semifinals. 

Alex De Minaur and Blake Ellis both lost in their singles, however, managed to win the doubles. This was not enough to win the fixture and have the opportunity to make it to the semifinals.

The Results:
Marvin Moeller (Germany) d. Alexei Popyrin (Australia) 7-5 3-6 6-3
Nicola Kuhn (Germany) d. Alex de Minaur (Australia) 6-3 6-2
Alex de Minaur/Blake Ellis (Australia) d. Marvin Moeller/Maximilian Todorov (Germany) 6-7(7) 7-5 6-1



Sourced: tennis.com.au


Junior Fed Cup
Czech Republic has defeated Australia 2-1, resulting in Australia being unable to make the Fed Cup semifinals.


The Results:
Jaimee Fourlis (Australia) d. Monika Kilnarova (Czech Republic) 6-1 5-7 6-2
Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic) d. Destanee Aiava (Australia) 6-2 6-1
Anna Slovakova/Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic) d. Destanee Aiava/Seone Mendez (Australia) 6-3 6-4


Thursday, 1 October 2015

MQ Sportblog's Week 7 - English premier league team of the week

Round 7 of English's top flight football league has passed us with a week full of amazing standout players and brilliant goals. This week we will review week 7's outstanding performing players.
Alexis Sanchez celebrating after his hattrick



GK : Hugo Lloris, Tottenham hotspurs
His impressive first half display kept Tottenham in the match, the result of the game and having one one goal conceded by manchester city was mainly due to Lloris.

RB: Kyle Walker, Tottenham Hotspurs
A great performance from Totternhams right back Walker stopping Raheem Sterling while providing support to the attacks and even assisting a goal, this shows why he is included in this weeks team of the week

CB: Virgil Van Dijk, Southampton
A fine run from southamptons new recruit showing his ability to step up and compete in England's premier competition. The Dutch defender was able to step up as a substitute and score a goal for southampton in their 3-1 win over Swansea.

CB: Chris Smalling,  Manchester United
Manchester United's first choice defender was able to step up yet again in what was a 3-0 win keeping a clean sheet for Manchester United. Smalling is considered to be the heart of the united defence providing a stable wall in what used to be a shaky back line.

LB: Matteo Darmian, Manchester United
After the injury to Luke Shaw Darmian has been able to switch flanks and adapt nicely to provide support to united defence in their 3-0 clean sheet.

LM: Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
On the left of mid field Sanchez was able to turn it up for Arsenal in what was his first goal contributions to Arsenal this season getting himself a hattrick to lead his side to a 5-2 win.

CM: Eric Dier,  Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenhams stand out player against Manchester city in the holding midfield role he was able complete multiple tackles and even score an equaliser.

CM: Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool FC
Showing us why Spanish giants Barcelona are after his service the Brazilian is able to provide an amazing performance against Aston villa with his back heel passing providing Daniel Sturridge with his second goal.

RM: Erik Lamela,  Tottenham hotspurs
The Argentine winger is not the most consistent player but when he performs he is able to display his talent in what was a great game from Lamela scoring a goal and creating another in the huge win against Man city.

ST: Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool FC
In his first game from injury after a terrible injure record Sturridge shows why he has still got his goal scoring touch after scoring a brace for Liverpool on Saturday.

ST: Jamie Vardy, Leicester city
After an impressive run in the last few game Vardy show his consistency after bagging himself another 2 goal against Arsenal, holding his place as EPL's current top scoring this season.

Thats it for this week's EPL team of the week, see you next week for what will likely be a thrilling round 8.

- Andy


Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Davis Cup Draw and a rule change for 2016

By Andrew Papdi

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has decided to make a rule change for the start of the 2016 Davis Cup fixtures.

The decision is that the fifth set will have a tie-breaker at 6-6, with the goal of reducing the length of the matches, as well as to have more top players playing.

Previously, the fifth set was an advantage set therefore meaning that the players in the fifth set must win by a margin of two games.

Sunday, 27 September 2015

[Major League Baseball] Accurate Contact Hitter 0.338 Career Batting Average "Tony Gwynn"

by Henry You

Tony Gwynn was one of the most accurate hitters who
could expand his hitting zone with very wide contact.
His philosophy was to "SEE THE BALL AND REACT".
Unlike his appearance he was not a slugger.


After he retired from playing, 
the San Diego Padres retired his No.19 in 2004.
His batting average was always over 0.3 for
15 YEARS!!!
0.35 for 5 consecutive years and records
highest batting average of 0.394.



Tony Gwynn is one of the 46 players in the
Hall of Fame who played their entire major league
career for only one team. His son Tony Gwynn, Jr. is
also an American professional baseball player.



[Major League Baseball] Everlasting Ace Pitcher "Clayton Kershaw"

by Henry You


Clayton Kershaw is "The Ace Pitcher" in LA Dogers.
His records are a bit hesitant this year but as we look at
past records, he is one of the most amazing pitchers in
Major League Baseball.

Kershaw's pitching style relies on deception. He keeps
the ball hidden so that it is hard for the batter to pick up
the ball and has a consistent overhand delivery on all of 
his pitches.

His "f0our-seam fastball" which can sit anywhere from
<148 km/h ~ 153 km/h>
and "12-6 curveball" between
<116 km/h ~ 112 km/h>
are the killer skills.


Also he has great control over his pitches.
Average base on balls ratio is about 
2-2.5 per 9 innings.
He recorded 4.26 ERA in his debut season
at 2008 but it drops to the amazing "1.77"
at 2014 season.
The most amazing record of him is that
he wins 21 games in 2011 and 2014.


Another reason for his popularity is that
he donates a lot and participates in 
volunteer works with his wife occasionally.

Thursday, 24 September 2015

Davis Cup World Group Semi-final Results

By Andrew Papdi

Great Britain 3:2 Australia

The matches were played in Glasgow, Great Britain, from 18 September to 20 September 2015.


  • In the 1st Rubber, Andy Murray comfortably defeated Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis in straight sets 6-3 6-0 6-3.
  • Rubber 2, Bernard Tomic won against Great Britain's Daniel Evans in 4 sets, 6-3 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 6-4.
  • Rubber 3 was the doubles, which was 5 tight sets, however, Great Britain's Jamie Murray and Andy Murray won against Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt.
  • In Rubber 4, Andy Murray defeated Bernard Tomic in straight sets, 7-5 6-3 6-2. This meant that Great Britain had won the tie, and made it to the final of the Davis Cup.
  • However, the 5th Rubber was still played, which was a dead rubber, with Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis defeating Daniel Evans.

Highlights: Great Britain 3-2 Australia

Belgium 3:2 Argentina

Wednesday, 23 September 2015

Taxi Driver Set to Square off With the Champ

Taxi Driver Hopes to Create History in Group Stages

Craig McGillivray is looking forward to his Thailand trip. Pic: Neil Hanna
Craig McGillivray is looking forward to his Thailand trip. Pic: Neil Hanna

Not everyday do you see a taxi driver competing with the world's best in professional Snooker, Craig McGillivray is aspiring to take out a former world champion in Stuart Bingham in the Sangsom 6 red world Championship.
MacGillivray will be alongside many hopefuls in Group E featuring Stuart Bingham who he has played against in the past and recorded a round of 147.
A huge ask for the Taxi driver hailing from Edinburgh who is taking on Bingham, who has even taken out Ronnie O'Sullivan in the World Championship. MacGillivray is going to be sponsored by his local Hostel as they were impressed by his play when qualifying for the group stages.
Hopeful that his long hours as a taxi driver don't hamper his chances of beating Bingham, Macgillivray will also be in a Group E alongside Bingham, Mark Davis (England), Yan Bingtao (China), Soheil Vahedi(Iran) and Noppon Saengkham (Thailand) with the top four in each group going through to the last 32.
When interviewed earlier about Bingham, Macgillivray was full of praise towards Bingham and his achievements and remains optimistic about reaching his to form all over again like his trip to Thailand 25 years ago in order to give the Champ a run for his money.
Bingham started his career by winning 1996 IBSF World Snooker Championship and continually soared up the ranks as his career progressed to win his first world Championship in 2015 which was quotes as "a journeyman's transition into the king of crucible" which represents hard work and dedication towards his game with countless hours of failure to finally say it was worth the wait in 2015.
Below is a video which highlights some amazing shots made by Bingham almost hitting 147 in the World Championship under immense amounts of pressure.


-Johnson Han



Monday, 21 September 2015

The English premier league week 6 - highlights

The English premier league never fails to excite supporters as a week full of controversy, red cards and rising stars. With week 6 of the English premier league kicking off over the weekend after a one week international break some teams have been putting their foot down on the road to the title while others reaching a speed bump. Now let us take you through some of this weeks highlights.

Chelsea vs Arsenal
The week kicked of with the most anticipated match up of the week, between two EPL heavyweights battling it out. The game was a controversial one with the sending off two Arsenal players, Gabriel and Santi Cazola while the ref opting not to send off Diego Costa after a clash with Laurent Koscielny. The defending champions Chelsea won the game against a 9 men Arsenal after a jumping header by Zouma from a Fabregas free kick in the 53rd minute and a Deflection shot by Eden Hazard of defender Calum Chambers in the 90th minute.

Manchester City vs West ham
The biggest upset of the week came from the Etihad after the top of the table, Star studded Manchester City side lost to West Ham in a 2-1 thriller, after two early strikes by West Ham's Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho in 6th minute and the 31st minute respectively, putting a stop to Manchester City's unbeaten start to the season. After half time Manchester City's new recruit Kevin De Bruyne was able to slot in a long ranged effort after an assist from Aguero to put them back into the game. After this City came back at West Ham, attack after attack but the defence was just to strong, even for Manchester city to break resulting in a 2-1win to West Ham.

Manchester United vs Southampton
This weeks 5 goal nail bitter comes from Sunday nights game, Manchester United Vs Southampton. After a Shaky start by United with Southampton capitalising on this with Graziano Pelle scoring after a loose ball from David De Gea after his save from Sadio Mane. Then teenager Anthony Martial hit southampton with two goals in succession in the 34th minute and the 50th minute to put Manchester United ahead. United continued to dominate with new summer signing Memphis Depay taking a shot from inside the box which reflected off the post into the path of Juan Mata slotting behind the nets cooly. Southampton were able to get one back after a header from Pelle assisted by Mane but were unable to make a comeback.

Thats all from MQSportsblog this week, tune in next week for week 7's highlights.
 -Andy




MQsportsblog's Top 3 Teams To Make Big Impact In 2015/16

As we approach the 'one-month-out' mark heading into the 2015/16 NBA season, one of the most intriguing topics is who has really boosted their squad and has the potential to take the NBA by storm. Today I will be looking at my 3 tops teams that will have the biggest impact in the NBA this season, so without further ado.

1. San Antonio Spurs

What the Spurs managed to do in this offseason's free-agency period in signing behemoth free-agent Lamarcus Aldridge was a huge step in fortifying their big-man dominance behind Tim Duncan. Also the inclusion of smaller role-players has meant that a spurs side that at some points last season looked 'tired' are definitely back to being contenders. 

Their All-Star front court of Khawi Leornard, Lamarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan will arguably be one of the best in the league. So for the spurs, the challenge will be putting their new pieces together and gelling as one unit, which, with a coach like Greg Popovich, should not be too difficult. You can be sure to see a firing Spurs outfit in 2015/16.

Spurs fans should be excited with new Aldridge addition.

2. Los Angeles Clippers


The Clippers have been an interesting team for a number of years who have had one of the toughest starting line-ups in the NBA. With superstars Chris Paul and Blake Griffen, and solid players Deandre Jordan and JJ Reddick, the clippers have been contenders but they just have not had the bench depth to make any real impact on the more complete teams of NBA. However, this offseason they finally did something about that, whether people agree with their choices or not. 

They added players Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson and others. This addresses their main problem which is having a solid player at the small forward position, which they missed dearly. They also add some big names to their bench, which enhances their bench and will make them vastly more competitive in 2015/16. Clippers fans should be very excited heading into this next season, they just have to hope that Doc Rivers can make sure that the team plays as a team and not as a group of individuals.

Some of the Clippers new signings in the 2015 offseason.
3. Indiana Pacers

Just to change things up, despite their not being too much action in the Eastern Conference compared to the Western Conference, i feel that one of the dark horses in the East and potentially in the NBA are the Indiana pacers who are coming off a down season, where they struggled all year with chemistry issues and injuries, in particular, the absence of All-Star small forward Paul George.

However this offseason, Larry Bird (operations and team manager) has made a number of moves that could address a number of their issues. Firstly, bearing in mind that if they are all healthy, the Pacers starting lineup is quite strong. With the addition of Monta Ellis in free-agency and Miles Turner in the draft (who performed extremely well in summer league), the Pacers have added two pieces that could boost their performance dramatically. With a starting lineup, at this stage, of George Hill, Monta Ellis, Paul George, and either Jordan Hill, Miles Turner or Ian Mahinmi filling out the two big-men positions, the Pacers do look strong. 

The poor season last year, did in fact have some advantages, as it meant that their bench had plenty of minutes to develop their games, which means that they could be much improved this season. Players like Soloman Hill and Rodney Stuckey should look to make a real impact for the Pacers in 2015/16.

The Pacers key to success lies in PG13 and Monta.
So there you have it, those are definitely three teams to keep your eye on in 2015/16.

- Charlie


Wednesday, 16 September 2015

Australia’s one & only Jason Belmonte.

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Belmonte! Onte! Onte!



32-year-old Australian representative from Orange NSW, Jason Belmonte has hit bowling record by taking honours of winning the US Masters three consecutive times.
Belmonte has further maintained his impressive title for three whole years at the PBA Tournament of Champions in Indianapolis, not once, not twice, but for the fifth time.

“What’s the trick?!” one asks.
Belmonte uses the rare ‘two-hand technique’. He quotes that using two hands causes the ball to have “a lot more revolutions”. This will “curve the ball more while still hitting the pins with a lot more power.”

Thus, Belmonte is able to strike more than other players due to the “extra power”.