Japanese spikers reign supreme, Malaysia last

PETALING JAYA: Japan reigned supreme in the Eighth Asian Youth (Under-18) girls’ volleyball championship after beating China 3-0 in the final at the KL Badminton Stadium in Cheras yesterday.

Japan, undefeated throughout the championship, won 25-21, 25-20, 25-14.

Thailand finished third after seeing off South Korea 3-1 (25-13, 26-24, 21-25, 25-17) in the third-fourth placing playoff match.

Thailand will join China and Japan for the World Youth Under-18 Championship in Turkey next year.

Five NBA Teams Crazy Enough To Take a Shot

Those four words may be very key to a handful of NBA general managers and coaches who are searching for a missing piece down low.

What teams, exactly, will even be considering such a notion?

Would any team be crazy enough to take a shot at signing the big guy next season?

Let’s break it down to five squads that truly need help in the paint and under the glass—and how Shaq’s presence can make a positive impact on the team.

Where Shaquille O’Neal will actually land in 2010-11 is anyone’s guess; and for all we know, he could be on the verge of retirement.

Regardless, let’s take a look at who might hook the 7’1” center—carrying with him 17 years of NBA experience.

Anelka finally gets his chance to play in a World Cup

TIGNES (France): France striker Nicolas Anelka has no intention of letting his chance to finally shine at the World Cup slip after not getting selected for the last three Finals.

Anelka has long been an enigmatic player for France, scoring twice in a stunning performance against England way back in 1999, but then refused to play under former coach Jacques Santini and spent three years out of the national team until Raymond Domenech called him back up nearly five years ago.

Nicolas Anelka Now firmly part of Domenech’s plans, Anelka is in contention for a starting place in South Africa where he thinks France can repeat their victory from 1998.

“It’s a very big competition for any player, I have never taken part in it before and I am very happy to get the chance,” the Chelsea striker said on Tuesday. “There’s no point playing just for the sake of it. We will only be happy if we’ve played well and if we’ve won it. Why not?”

France scraped through to the World Cup after knocking out Ireland in a tense playoff, but Anelka is confident the French can improve significantly.

“We think we can win it and we have the players to do so,” the 31-year-old Anelka said. “We have been working well physically and tactically and we can’t wait to see what it brings out on the field.”

Having won two English League and Cup doubles, with Chelsea this season and with Arsenal 12 years ago, the Premier League’s Golden Boot in the 2008-09 season, the European Championship with France and the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2000, Anelka’s last-remaining ambition is to be a World Cup star.

He was overlooked by Aime Jacquet in 1998 because the coach thought he was too young.

Anelka won Euro 2000 under coach Roger Lemerre, who subsequently did not pick him for the 2002 World Cup because he took Djibril Cisse, Thierry Henry, and David Trezeguet – the top scorers from the French, English and Italian Leagues.

Domenech’s decision to snub Anelka in 2006 was more surprising because he had recalled him from his international exile in November 2005. But even when Cisse broke his leg on the eve of the World Cup, Domenech called up Sidney Govou.

Ironically, it was precisely because Anelka did not want to be a replacement for the injured Govou for a friendly against Yugoslavia in Novem­ber 2002 that he had turned his back on Santini’s team.

Anelka then told Paris Match magazine that he would only return if Santini got on his knees and begged.

But Anelka’s unselfish attitude for Chelsea this season has won him many admirers, and his reputation has greatly improved since the days English fans mockingly nicknamed him Le Sulk for his surly attitude.

His abrupt nature has made him few friends in a topsy-turvy career, but Anelka always speaks his mind. He even criticised Domenech’s lack of tactical awareness when France lost 2-0 to European champions Spain in March.