Friday, December 4-- [Texas A&M's Dat Nguyen wins two NCAA Awards] Dat Nguyen won the Butkus and Lombardi Awards which add a fitting end to an illustrious college Linebacking career. He was part of the Aggies stellar defense. Nguyen finished with a league-high 132 tackles and more than a school-record 500 stops in his career.
Friday, November 20-- [Thailand's Tamarine falls to Li in Volvo quarterfinals ] China's Li Fang eliminated Thailand's best hope Friday, defeating Tamarine Tanasugarn 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Volvo Women's Open. The two women will carry their respective country's aspirations in the upcoming Asian Games in Bangkok in December. Tamarine, seeded fourth, wasted more than her share of break points in the first set. She and Li -- seeded fifth -- exchanged a couple of service games before both started to hit their pace, pushing the opening set into a tiebreaker. "I was so tired as she moved me around the court. But I just went for every ball. I never give in easily," the 25-year-old Li said.
Thursday, November 19-- [Woods defeats Singh to win Grand Slam of Golf] With the wind howling and squalls sweeping over the Poipu Bay Resort Course, Tiger Woods' patience prevailed Wednesday, giving him the PGA Grand Slam of Golf title in a 2-up victory over Vijay Singh. Woods, who gained entry to the exclusive four-man event as an alternate, led only briefly, at the 15th hole, until the 17th when he rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt. In describing the round, Woods said, "It was a rough day. Conditions were awfully hard, very difficult, very demanding. You had to be very patient, execute the shots you had to execute and keep your patience. "Today was one of those days if you lose your patience, you lose the match very quickly."
Thursday, November 19-- [Pak has gone from qualifier to celebrity in 1998] Se Ri Pak was just a qualifier looking forward to her first season on tour when Annika Sorenstam won last year's LPGA Tour Championship in a three-way playoff. On Thursday, she's paired in the final group with Sorenstam in the season-ending tournament - with an outside chance of adding player of the year to the rookie of the year title she long ago tucked away. To say the least, it's been quite a debut season for the 21-year-old, who went from medalist in tour qualifying school to win two majors and become a hero in her native South Korea. "It is a special year," Pak said.
Thursday, November 19-- [Japan's Imano shoots 64 to set pace at World Cup] Yasuharu Imano hit off in the first group and had the outstanding score with an 8-under 64 on a Gulf Harbor course playing better than expectations. His round was enough to lead his two-man outfit to the front of the 32-nation field in the 43rd edition of the teams event. Imano, yet to win in two seasons as a professional, is ranked 31st on the Japanese tour and was making his first appearance at the World Cup. Teammate Mitsutaka Kusakabe, also on debut, was less spectacular with a 70 on the new 6,288-meter (6,850-yard) course as Japan ended at 10-under 134, three ahead of nearest rival South Africa. "My putting was very good today and I hit every green but one," Imano said through an interpreter. "It's my first time in a team match and my leader [Kusakabe] helped me read the line."
Thursday, November 19-- [Thailand's Tamarine advances to Volvo quarterfinals] Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn advanced to the quarterfinals of the Volvo Women's Open, beating Janet Lee of Taiwan 6-2, 7-5 Thursday. Tamarine, the No. 3 seed, needed one hour, 18 minutes to subdue Lee with a series of strong crosscourt ground strokes. Tamarine, 38th on the WTA Tour, will next face China's top ranked player, Li Fang, who took less than an hour to overcome Miho Saeki of Japan, 6-2, 6-0.
Tuesday, November 17-- [Kotonishiki keeps sole lead at 10-0] No. 12 maegashira (senior wrestler) Kotonishiki bulldozed out higher-ranked Tochiazuma and kept the sole lead at 10-0 Tuesday with five days left in the 15-day Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. No. 9 maegashira Tosanoumi stood at 9-1, followed by three wrestlers at 8-2 -- yokozunas (grand champions) Takanohana and Wakanohana and ozeki (champion) Takanonami. Hawaiian-born ozeki Musashimaru, who ended a three-bout losing streak, stood at 7-3, along with komusubi (junior champion second class) Musoyama.
Sunday, November 1-- [Payload specialists John Glenn and Chiaki Mukai on the Discovery] Along with Sen. John Glenn's historic return to space, Japanese astronaut and cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Chiaki Mukai makes a return trip. She became the first Japanese woman in space back in 1985, and has logged over 353 hours since. Let's keep the whole crew in our prayers for a safe journey home.
Friday, October 30-- [Paralyzed
Goodwill gymnast taking recovery one step at a time] 17-year-old Chinese gymnast who
broke her neck at last summer's Goodwill Games was discharged from a Manhattan hospital
Friday, vowing to someday walk again. "I shall never give in," said Sang Lan as
she left the Mount Sinai-New York University Medical Center. Her rehabilitation will
continue while she lives at a friend's Manhattan apartment. "I feel sad that I'm
paralyzed and can't take care of myself like normal people," Sang said. "But I
don't want to lose the confidence that I'll stand up again." In a moving farewell at
the hospital, Sang raised her arms and waved goodbye with obvious difficulty. Her
immediate plans are to continue rehabilitation and learn English. She spoke Friday through
an interpreter.
Back in July, when Sang Lan had her accident, I decided to post the news on the AAAF Homepage because I had a hard
time finding any news about her progress. It soon blossomed into this Current News Section, and I
hope that you all continue to enjoy these ecclectic news clippings. 8-)
Saturday, October 31-- [Singh struggles early, comes on late to stay atop Tour Championship] Vijay Singh experienced the best and the worst that East Lake Golf Club had to offer on Friday. When his wild ride was over, he was right back where he started -- atop the leaderboard in the Tour Championship. One day after his course-record 63, Singh recovered from a disastrous start with birdies on six of the last 13 holes for an even-par 70 that put him at 7-under 133 and gave him a two-stroke lead over Jim Furyk. "My game came back, and I gained some confidence," Singh said.
Tuesday, October 27-- [Pak receives heroine's welcome in South Korea] LPGA rookie sensation Se Ri Pak returned home to a heroine's welcome Tuesday, a year after leaving almost unnoticed for the U.S. golf tour. Wearing sunglasses and holding a big teddy bear, the 20-year-old winner of four LPGA tournaments was mobbed by 400 fans and reporters when she arrived at Seoul's Kimpo Airport for a weeklong visit. President Kim Dae-jung said he will award Pak the Order of Sport Merit Maengho (Brave Tiger) Medal next Monday. It is the second-highest honor the government can confer to an athlete. "By winning four LPGA tournaments at a time that the nation was suffering difficult times, Pak encouraged the Korean people to have confidence that they can overcome the crisis," Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil, an avid golf fan, said at a dinner he gave for Pak.
Tuesday, October 20-- [Cooper, Kwan named Sportswomen of Year] Michelle Kwan showed that gracefully coming in second at the Olympics (she was a silver medalist at the Nagano Olympics) has its reward. On Monday, Cynthia Cooper, the basketball player, and the figure skater were honored as Sportswomen of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation. A gold medalist at the Goodwill Games in July, Kwan went to Hawaii for two weeks for her first vacation since lacing up her skates at 5. Before that, except for an injury that kept her off the ice for three weeks last year, she'd only been away from skating for three days. Kwan, who received a travel and training grant from the foundation when she was 12, graduated from high school this summer with a 3.6 grade-point average. "I did it, even though I had to lug my books around the world," she said. Kwan, 18, is considering colleges for next year, and is interested in journalism and sports broadcasting.
Monday, October 12-- [Chang fights back in Shanghai] Michael Chang claims his second title in six weeks
Michael Chang, enjoying a revival after a run of injuries, claimed his second title in six weeks when he beat top seed Goran Ivanisevic 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the Shanghai Open final Monday. The 26-year-old American was ruled out for nearly two months by knee and wrist injuries earlier this year and his world ranking has dropped from third at the start of 1998 to 33rd. But he rediscovered his winning touch after more than a year without a tournament victory when he took the MFS Pro Championship title in Brookline, Massachusetts, at the end of August. Monday's victory over Ivanisevic brought second-seed Chang his 33rd ATP Tour title and a record 12th Asian crown. "It was like a home-court advantage. I was also able to use my forehand shots to keep Goran off balance," Chang said. "It's a very special feeling to win in Asia. The support I get from people, I feel a great sense of warmth and love from people here. "They can relate to me, to be able to see a Chinese person doing so well in a sport dominated by so many races makes them and me feel good."
Wednesday, October 7-- [Se Ri Pak rankes number 2 on the LOGA money list] The South Korean rookie sensation Se Ri Pak, who just turned 21 last week, headlines a field crowded with stars this week at Grand National Golf Course at Opelika. She didn't think it would take her this short of time to acclimate herself to the U.S. and the LPGA Tour. "It is a special year," said Pak. She has been called the Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour because of her rocket-ride to stardom. "It makes me happy," Pak said of the comparison. "But I'm not that strong a player. Maybe I have my own style." They are playing for for the money lead and Player of the Year honors.
Sunday, September 27-- [Jeanette Lee's Official Web Site]
Jeanette Lee took first-place honors at the Penra Recreational Classic in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this month. She beat Vivian Villareal. I just saw on ESPN that she beat the current #1 ranking player in the world at another tournament, as she said quietly "God likes me." I have yet to find billiard news on the Internet though. 8-( But, if you're in the central Indiana region, check out the October issue of Indanapolis Woman (it's free!). There's a fantastic feature on this World-famous Hoosier! 8-)
Send a minimum $5.00 donation to the Jeanette Lee Foundation and receive a
personally autographed 8 x10 picture from Jeanette!
Make your check out to:
The Jeanette Lee Foundation
Please include a large self-addressed stamped envelope with at least $1.47 posting to:
1427 W. 86th St.
Suite 183
Indianapolis, IN
46260
Monday, September 28-- [CNNSI's Sumo coverage] Konishiki to spread the word
Retired Hawaiian-born sumo wrestler Konishiki vowed Monday to continue to be "a bridge" with the world in helping spread understanding for the traditional Japanese sport. With his unpretentious vivacious personality, Konishiki remains one of Japan's most loved former athletes, appearing often in TV ads and talk shows even after his retirement from active wrestling last November. On Sunday, Konishiki, 34, whose real name is Salevaa Atisanoe, handed in his resignation to the Japan Sumo Association, the sport's ruling body, ending his job as an "oyakata" coach for young wrestlers, under the name Sanoyama. "I have learned so much from the Japan's national sport of sumo," said Konishiki, who weighs more than 260 kilograms (580 pounds). "For someone who has devoted his entire life to sumo, this decision was far from easy."
Sunday, September 27-- [CNNSI's Skating coverage] Kwan captures Grand Slam of Skating crown
Americans Michelle Kwan and Todd Eldredge captured the Grand Slam of Skating titles Saturday night, besting Russian competitors Maria Butyrskaya and 1998 Olympic gold medalist Ilia Kulik. Kwan, a gold medalists in July's Goodwill Games, led her division through all three Grand Slam segments at the North Charleston Coliseum. The event is sanctioned by the International Skating Union. Seven international judges scored technique and presentation on a scale of 1 to 6. She received straight 5.8 scores for technique and all 5.9s for presentation.
Thursday, September 24-- [Asian Week Vol. 20 No. 04]Cartoons are in
Lauren Tom, one of the stars of The Joy Luck Club and currently the voice of Minh and Kahn Jr. Souphanousinphone, the Laotion neighbors of Hank Hill in King of the Hill, will be voicing more cartoons coming this Fall (oh, which just started today, Happy Autumn everybody!!!). She will play the role of Dana Tan, Batman's girlfriend in Batman Tomorrow and Angela Chin, Lois Lane's archrival in Superman. But the most exciting news is of her new role as Amy in Futurama, which is described as "Simpsons in Space," by Matt Groening. I really like the Simpsons (but don't laugh at the stereotypical Asian Indian jokes)!!! But anyway, this new series is supposed to start in January. I got to see Lauren perform at Northwestern University during a Midwest Asian American Student Union conference a couple years ago. Check her out, she's really cool.
Monday, September 14-- [Makoto "Mac" Suzuki info page] Makoto Suzuki wins his first major league game
Makoto Suzuki (1-1, 5.25 ERA) earned his first major-league win in three attempts this season as the Seattle Mariners routed the Minnesota Twins, 10-3. Suzuki allowed two earned runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings with four walks and a career-high eight strikeouts. The 23-year-old right-hander, who in 1996 became the first Japanese-born player to play in the big leagues without appearing in the Japan League, was making his third start this season. The 23-year-old right-hander signed with the Mariners in 1993. "I'm happy I got a win tonight," Suzuki said. "I struggled early in the game but I think I had good command."
Sunday, September 13-- [AAAF Homepage] UPDATE:
This is just a periodic update to let y'all know what's happening here at the AAAF
Homepage.
First off, props out to the cool people at ToyFare Magazine for
publishing my little e-mail message to them about the site. Copy Editor Tom Root printed a
cool commentary on the site too. Check out the Links page for the URL of
ToyFare's parent company Wizard, who also publishes a monthly magazine. Oh, and if 'ya
wanna check out the commentary, buy issue #15, which has Beavis and Butthead on the cover,
and look in the FanFare section! Thanks Wizard Entertainment for your support! Keep up the
great work you do with ToyFare and your other endeavors!
Recently, I've been browsing the USENET News Groups. (Check out Raving Toy Maniac for a great on-line Internet Toy
Resource) My favorite are: rec.toys.action-figures, rec.toys.lego, and alt.toys.gi-joe.
But anyway, some kind people in these news groups have been giving me feedback, and I have
decided to begin adding action figures that I do not personally own. Among these include
the very popular MEGO Figures from the 70's, and some girl-targeted toys such as Gem and
the Holograms (there was an Asian American girl named Aja in that series - props out to my
Hip and Trendy friend down in Broad Ripple for pointing this out to me). But anyway, it
will take longer for me to put these up since I cannot simply look at the figures and come
up with some opiniated or quirky analysis, so I will most assuredly need any assistance
from you all who happen to know anything about MEGO, GEM, World Barbies, Rambo, and
whatever else you may find out there. With your help, the AAAF Homepage will truly become
an "on-line resource" worthy of the disk space that it is on. 8-)
I'm hoping to get more interviews lined up in the near future. I pray that everything will
work out with interviewing Dalyn Chew (from ROTJ:SE) sometime this month, and as soon as I
can get permission from Paramount Studios, I will have the ability to interview any of the
Star Trek Asian Americans, of which there are many. Keep tuning in to the AAAF Homepage to
see what the future holds. 8-) Oh, I always appreciate feedback and guestbook signings, as
well as votes from the Geocities Banner's "RANK MY SITE" and the Starting
Point.com's Hot Site which can be found on the links page. 8-)
Saturday, September 12-- [Million Dollar Challenge] Woods confirms entry in first Million Dollar Challenge
Tiger Woods, golf's world No. 1, will make his first appearance in South Africa at this year's Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City. Woods's presence makes this probably the strongest Million Dollar field since the tournament's inception in 1981 and sets up a possible head-to-head with South African Ernie Els. The 12-man line-up for the invitational tournament at the Gary Player Country Club from December 3-6 was announced at a news conference on Saturday.
Sunday, August 30-- [Rail Classic - LPGA] Sinn rallies to win Rail Classic for first tour victory
Korean-born Pearl Sinn had a 7-under-par 65 Sunday to beat Michelle Redman by a stroke and win the $700,000 Rail Classic for her first LPGA tour victory. "It was very sweet," said the Korean-born Sinn, 31, who finished with a 16-under 200 total to take the first prize of $105,000. "It's been a long time coming." Sinn's best previous LPGA finish was a second in 1995. She won the U.S. Amateur and the Public Links Championship in 1988.
Sunday, August 23-- [1998 Little League World Series] Girl Makes History, Helps Japan defeat Mexico, 6-1
Sayaka Tsushima made history Sunday as the first girl to play for a Far East team in the Little League World Series, playing center field and going 1-for-2 with a single, walk and two runs as Kashima, Japan, defeated the defending champions from Guadaloupe, Mexico, 6-1. The top two teams in the interntaional pool meet Thursday, August 27, with a trip to the finals (on Saturday, August 29) at stake.
Sunday, August 23-- [1998 Rainbow LPGA Classic] Kobayashi claims Rainbow Classic for 2nd Minnesota victory
Five years after winning the Minnesota LPGA Classic in a one-hole
playoff, nine-year pro Hiromi Kobayashi from Ibaraki, Japan beat Tracy Hanson on the first
sudden death playoff hole Sunday to win the Rainbow LPGA Classic. When asked why Minnesota
has been so good for her, she replied:
"I have no idea, maybe a special god is behind me. It feels good. I don't know why,
but it feels good."
Sunday, August 16-- [1998 PGA Championship] 1998 PGA Championship goes to Fiji's Most Favorite Son!
On Sunday, the hardest working man in golf finally got a major payoff by winning the PGA Championship. Vijay Singh's victory gave his native island nation of Fiji one of its greatest moments in international sports
Sunday, August 16-- [1998 U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship] 2 Asian Americans T-off for the crown!
Grace Park won the 94th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship on Sunday, routing U.S. Women's Open runner-up Jenny Chuasiriporn 7 and 6 in the 36-hole championship match. Park moved from South Korea to Phoenix seven years ago, and is currently 19 years old. Chuasiriporn is a 21 years old Duke University student and resident of Timonium, Maryland. She gave U.S. Women's Open champion Se Ri Pak of South Korea a run for her money earlier this summer en route to her runner-up title. I think this is a monumental event since Asians and Asian Americans are becoming more known and accepted in the world of sports.
Tuesday, July 21-- [1998 Goodwill Games] Chinese Gymnast injured
I just wanted to say that our hearts and prayers go out to 17 year-old Chinese gymnast Sang Lan who was paralyzed during Tuesday's Goodwill Games gymnastic competition warm-ups in New York. She landed, head-first, on the ground after losing control of a forward jump. It has been difficult for me to find information and news regarding this tragic inncident (which is NOT surprising since I live in Indiana), but the Associated Press reported that the competition went on as scheduled, and people did not know how serious her injury was until two hours after the medal ceremony. I would like to say that during the evening TBS Goodwill Games update, Jim Lampley said they would not show the footage from the accident since it was so tragic, a very commendable act in lieu of so many recent examples of media sensationalization.
Official Sang Lan Relief Fund:
[www.CNNSI.com] is currently the best source of news and updates.