IJR News

Tom Kim Seeks Military Exemption at Asian Games — 2dTom Kim leaves the Presidents Cup late Sunday for the Asian Games, where gold would exempt him from South Korea’s 18-to-21-month military service.

Elena Vasquez Tom Kim's choice to chase that Asian Games gold for the exemption is practical given the long service requirement, but it does put extra pressure on his Presidents Cup team.

Sri Lanka’s Pathirage Wins Asian Games Javelin Gold, India Takes Silver and Bronze — 1dSri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage won Asian Games men’s javelin gold, while India’s Yashvir Singh took silver with a personal-best 85.72 meters and Rohit Yadav earned bronze. India competed without defending champion Neeraj Chopra, who withdrew because of injury.

Elena Vasquez Pathirage threw a strong series to take gold, and India's pair stepped up nicely without Chopra in the field.

11-Year-Old Kurihara Sets Asian Games Gold Record — 5dEleven-year-old Japanese esports player Yuki Kurihara won the Puyo Puyo gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating South Korea’s Kang Dong-shin 10-2 in the final. The victory made Kurihara the youngest medalist and gold medalist in Asian Games history.

Zhang sets Asian Games record with seven golds — 5dChina’s Zhang Zhanshuo made history with seven swimming golds at the Asian Games, while Japan’s 17-year-old Shin Ohashi broke the men’s 200-meter breaststroke world record. The Games have also faced complaints from teams about inadequate athlete accommodations and late shuttle buses.

13-year-old Yu Zidi leads Asian Games butterfly heats — Sep 20, 202613-year-old Yu Zidi won Asian Games 200m butterfly gold in 2:05.08, a reported Games record. She is the youngest world championships swimming medallist ever and beat Regan Smith in March.

Maya Lindstrom Japan grabbing the first triathlon gold gives the home fans an early reason to cheer.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Yu Wins Third Asian Games Gold, Sets Record — Sep 21, 2026China's 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi extended her Asian Games dominance with multiple golds and world-leading times, including record-breaking performances in the women's 200m medley and other events. The Nagoya-Aichi Games also featured the first known doping case, as Thailand's Pitchamon Opatniputh tested positive for furosemide, alongside tight finishes and notable results across swimming and badminton.

North Korean Anthem Played at Asian Games Hockey Match — Sep 18, 2026Organizers played North Korea's anthem by mistake before South Korea's Sept. 18, 2026 Asian Games hockey match; the announcer said "we played a different song" and South Korea won 5-0.

Priya Raman South Korea handled the win well despite the glitches, but Bangladesh deserved proper respect too.

Ohashi Sets 200m Breaststroke World Record, Wins Gold — 5dJapan's 17-year-old Shin Ohashi won Asian Games gold in 2:04.83 on Sept. 24, 2026, breaking Qin Haiyang's 2:05.48 world record and becoming first under 2:05.

Jared Kim Qin Haiyang's record lasted only a short time, but this 2:04.83 swim looks like it could stand for years.

Afghan Cyclist Hashimi Finishes Seventh After Fleeing Taliban Rule — Sep 20, 2026Fariba Hashimi, 23, finished seventh in the Asian Games time trial after fleeing Afghanistan in 2021; she once trained in men's clothes and masks to avoid stones and bottles.

Chris Dalton Hashimi finishing seventh after all that hardship shows how strong she really is and what these athletes endure just to compete.

Two North Korean Delegates Reportedly Seek Japan Asylum — Sep 22, 2026Two members of North Korea's 180-person delegation at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are reportedly seeking asylum in Japan, though their identities and whether they have filed formal applications remain unconfirmed. The reports, citing Japanese intelligence via sources linked to Chongryon, come as Tokyo granted an exception to entry for the Games and mark the largest North Korean delegation to Japan in 41 years.

Priya Raman A delegation this big after so many years and two want out already says a lot about who gets picked to travel abroad from North Korea.

Asian Games Face Housing Shortage Across Aichi — Sep 14, 2026The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games face a serious housing crunch, with no dedicated athletes’ village and organizers relying on a cruise ship, temporary containers, and hotels to house more than 17,000 participants, well above initial projections. While officials say arrangements will be made and most athletes have beds, reports highlight shortages, variable lodging quality, and some delegates being relocated to Airbnbs or separate hotels.

Priya Raman At least beds are guaranteed for most, but inconsistent lodging quality still seems unfair to competitors.

Physical Books vs E-ReadersYourlist — VS BattlePaper's soul versus the paperless suitcase.

South Korea U-20 women reach World Cup round of 16 after late goals — Sep 13, 2026South Korea posted a string of advances across sports, rolling past Japan 100-83 to top Group A in the Asian Games basketball group stage and reach the quarterfinals, while in the Overwatch World Cup the national team swept its quarterfinals to reach the semifinals, and in the U-20 Women's World Cup the junior side defeated Ecuador 3-2 to finish second in Group C and advance to the Round of 16.

Dana Whitfield The basketball win over Japan plus the Overwatch sweep makes this a strong week overall for Korean teams.

Balew Sets Asian Record, Wins Diamond TitleSports — Sep 5, 2026Oct. 18 marks a string of sports milestones—from 1924 college football heroics and the Four Horsemen to historic franchise moves and Olympic world records in 1968. Contemporary highlights include Jax State's four-TD game, Lucca's Lucchese museum anniversary and Brunori's visit, Bahrain's Balew winning the Diamond League, and a retrospective on local Sept. 1-6 sports history from 2016 and 2006.

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka gain knockout entry — Jul 24, 2026India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have direct entry into the knockout stages of the 2026 Asian Games cricket events, with Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman consigned to the preliminary rounds; all matches will be in Nagoya, Japan, in the Twenty20 format, with the men's tournament running September 24–October 1 and the women's September 17–22.

Vishal TK Plans Historic Commonwealth Games Debut in GlasgowSports — Jul 21, 2026Indian sprint prodigy Vishal Thennarasu Kayalvizhi (Vishal TK) heads to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after becoming the first Indian man to break the 45-second barrier in the 400m with a national-record 44.98 seconds, carrying four national titles and a growing global top-60 profile along with pivotal relay contributions at the Asian Athletics Championships. He credits a strong support system, including the Inspire Institute of Sport and his coach, and speaks of a winning mindset and dedication to inspire the next generation of Indian athletes as he aims for a breakthrough on the world stage.

Would you get phished?Quizie — QuizFifteen workplace scam scenarios. Most people are more confident than correct — the rank says which one you are.

Global Weekend Sports Schedule Highlights LaLiga Liga MXSports — Aug 28, 2026Across a busy weekend, broadcasts mix European football, Liga MX, and a Tijuana boxing card with specific match times and U.S. and Mexico coverage, including Lokomotiv-Dynamo, Levante-Real Betis, Sevilla-Atletico Madrid, and four Liga MX games plus a late-evening Santos Laguna vs Tigres. Outside that schedule, China shines in basketball and snooker—China’s win in FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and Zhao Xintong becoming world No.1—and China also shows progress in volleyball, alongside ongoing college football analysis and preparations surrounding Stanford and the 49ers.