• Schmeichel slams criticism of ‘boring Spain’

    Will Fernando Torres even get a game in the final? (Reuters photo)Will Fernando Torres even get a game in the final? (Reuters photo)

    REPORTING FROM WARSAW, POLAND

    Manchester United and Danish goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel cannot for the of life of him understand the criticism of Spain as a "boring team".

    "I really am impressed that some people can have the imagination to criticise a team that plays so well, that puts technical football ahead of physical football, that gets result after result," said the former national Denmark captain to Yahoo! Singapore on Thursday.

    Spain will meet Italy in the final of Euro 2012 on Sunday (Monday morning, Singapore time) after scraping through on penalties against Portugal after a goalless 120 minutes.

    With Spain and Italy already having met and drawn 1-1 in the group stage, some are already some are predicting a cautious, tactical slugfest that will not be pleasing to the eye.

    While Spain set world alight with their brand of "tiki-taka" football on the way to the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup, of late the defending champions have earned a reputation for "passing their

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  • ‘Ronaldo the most complete player in the world’

    Danish goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel rates Ronaldo higher than Messi. (Yahoo! Singapore photo)Danish goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel rates Ronaldo higher than Messi. (Yahoo! Singapore photo)

    REPORTING FROM WARSAW, POLAND

    Goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel has re-ignited the debate surrounding  the best player on the planet by calling Cristiano Ronaldo the "most complete player" in the world.

    Rating the Portugese superstar even higher than Lionel Messi,  the former Man United great said, "Ronaldo can lift any team no matter what. On his own, he is a force -- big, strong and technical. He can do everything. He has no limitations, he can head the ball and he can even defend if you want him to."

    Schmeichel, Carlberg's Euro 2012 global ambassador, said that in contrast, the way Barcelona's mercurial playmaker Messi plays has "limitations".

    "Messi's skill levels are so high that he needs players around him who understand his play, how good he really is and what he can do. In the Barcelona team, everyone understands that," said Schmeichel.

    Schmeichel's argument could go some way to explaining why Messi, the current reigning three-time World Player of the Year, has struggled to

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  • There is a record 9 local drivers taking part in Formula Drift Singapore this year (photo courtesy of Alvin Tay)There is a record 9 local drivers taking part in Formula Drift Singapore this year (photo courtesy of Alvin Tay)

    Despite the lack of a dedicated drift pad and the relatively high costs of building and maintaining a drift car, drift fever reigns in Singapore. For proof of that,  just look at the nine local drivers -- a record number -- who will represent the country at Formula Drift Singapore 2012. Here, we give you the lowdown on who they are.

    Ivan Lim
    Age: 31
    Occupation: Sales manager
    Team: Kumho Tires Binter
    Car: Nissan Silvia S13
    Drifting since 2005
    First Formula Drift event: Formula Drift Singapore 2008

    A pioneer in the Singapore drift scene, Ivan Lim is one of the most experienced drifters around, having participated at regional drifting competitions. A trained car mechanic, Ivan has received training under Japanese drift legend Ken Nomura at Sekia Hills in Japan too. He was the first Singaporean to compete at Formula Drift USA and is one of only two Singaporeans to have taken part in every single instalment of Formula Drift Singapore.

    Ivan's thoughts on the development of drifting in

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  • The evolution of Formula Drift Asia

    Driving the evolution of Formula Drift in Asia: Ken Gushi and Marcus Lim (photo by Adrian Wong for Driftpac)Driving the evolution of Formula Drift in Asia: Ken Gushi and Marcus Lim (photo by Adrian Wong for Driftpac)

    Five years ago, not many would have known what drifting is, but now, the average person on the street may be more aware of this modern form of motorsport is.

    Unlike in most motorsports, where competitors are judged on speed, drifting is more about completing a marked course in the best style. Indeed, drifters, as participants are called, are judged based on their style, angle, line and also speed, as they coax their machines sideways.

    Professional drifting series Formula Drift Asia was created in 2008 when Marcus Lim, general manager of regional tyre distributor Binter Pte Ltd, bought the franchise rights from the North American drift series Formula Drift and set up Driftpac Pte Ltd.

    That year, Lim plough in S$850,000 to plan, organise and market the inaugural Formula Drift Singapore. Part of the money also went into the creation of his own drift team.

    His endeavours have paid dividends. Over the last four years, Formula Drift Singapore became part of a multi-round Asian drifting

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  • S’pore paddlers still gunning for two medals in London

    Despite their mixed recent form, S'pore is still gunning for two medals at the Olympic Games (photo courtesy of STTA)Despite their mixed recent form, S'pore is still gunning for two medals at the Olympic Games (photo courtesy of STTA)

    Team Singapore table tennis players are still gunning for two medals at next month's Olympic Games in London.

    Making this clear at a press conference on Thursday morning, Singapore Table Tennis Association chief Lee Bee Wah said that she is confident in the players' abilities.

    This, despite the paddlers' mixed recent form and topsy-turvy performances in the lead-up to London.

    Earlier this month, Singapore's Feng Tianwei lost the women's singles final of the Brazil Open to South Korea's Kim Kyung Ah, the latest in a string of disappointing results for the players in the sport's professional circuit this year.

    This means the women's team -- which brought home a silver medal from Beijing four years ago -- has all but lost the race to be the second seeds for the London Games, which means they could face top dogs and powerhouse China before the final.

    While acknowledging the tough task ahead, Lee, the member of parliament for Nee Soon GRC, said she is not about to "revise the target

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  • Drivers at the Achilles Formula Drift Singapore 2012 Drivers' Press Conference 28 June 2012 held at the MOA Brewing Company (Photo courtesy of Achilles Formula Drift Singapore)Drivers at the Achilles Formula Drift Singapore 2012 Drivers' Press Conference 28 June 2012 held at the MOA Brewing Company (Photo courtesy of Achilles Formula Drift Singapore)

    Singapore's best drift drivers will aim to fly the national flag high at the Achilles Formula Drift Singapore 2012, presented by Canon, when the event kicks off the first ever Canon Nations Cup this weekend at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

    Contrary to the traditional Formula Drift tandem battles, the Canon Nations Cup sees drivers of the same country paired together for two tandem runs where points are awarded for teamwork and coordination; teams with the most stylish runs wins. Adding an entertaining spin to the exciting drift action, fans are encouraged to keep their eyes peeled on the track as teams have been given the green light to include props of any size in their tandem runs.

    Six countries will be competing in the Canon Nations Cup that will be held in Singapore for the first time, and the local experienced duo of Ivan Lim and Jansen Tan will look to outdo a strong field from USA, Oceania, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan, who clinched the first-ever Nations Cup title the

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  • Yahoo! users hope for Spain-Germany Euro final

    Will we see Germany and Spain clash once more in the Euro final? (Getty Images)Will we see Germany and Spain clash once more in the Euro final? (Getty Images)

    A Spain-Germany final in Euro 2012 sounds pretty mouth-watering, doesn't it?

    Yahoo! users definitely agree as 59 per cent of respondents who took the poll question, "What would be your dream Euro 2012 final?", indicated that they would like to see those two teams lock horns once again in the Euro final.

    Trailing rather far behind in the poll results are a Portugal-Germany final (22 per cent), a Spain-Italy final (13 per cent) and a Portugal-Italy final (seven per cent).

    Poll results on our Euro site.Poll results on our Euro site.

    While the Spanish have a psychological edge over Germany in recent major competitions -- La Roja beat Die Mannschaft in the Euro 2008 final, and also in the semi-final of the 2010 World Cup -- the Germans are firm favourites to lift the trophy this time, according to a poll at the start of the competition.

    In that earlier survey, 41 per cent of the 558 Yahoo! respondents selected Germany as the runaway favourite to lift the Euro 2012 title. In second place, and perhaps not too surprising, was Spain with approximately

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  • Drunk Dutch fans make life misery for local reporter

    Re-posted from Yahoo! UK (Eurosport)

    A Ukrainian reporter trying to do a piece to camera got very different footage from what she intended thanks to the constant interruptions of Dutch fans.

    The reporter was aiming to give her audience a flavour of the mood of the travelling fans ahead of their game against Germany in Group B of Euro 2012.

    But every time she tries to start her report a worse-for-wear Dutch fan has the same idea - get in front of the camera and interrupt her.

    The reporter's efforts, resiliently starting over and over again, have now become a web smash, while the last laugh was emphatically on the fans.

    The Netherlands lost to Germany, and then again on Sunday to Portugal to finish pointless in Group B and depart the tournament early.

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  • Chelsea staff break Champions League trophy

    Chelsea staff break trophy (Eurosport)Chelsea staff break trophy (Eurosport)

    Re-posted from Yahoo! UK (Eurosport)

    Three Chelsea staff broke the Champions League trophy after taking pictures of themselves holding it during an impromptu late-night photo session.

    The trio - all security personnel at Stamford Bridge - have been suspended from their jobs pending a full investigation.

    Reports claim that another member of staff noticed that one of the handles was hanging off the side of the famous cup, and reported the damage to senior club officials.

    The trophy was immediately sent to a London silversmith for emergency repairs, and is now back as good as new - but furious club chief executive Ron Gourlay has ordered a thorough internal enquiry into what happened.

    The Daily Mail reports that the three security staff were not on duty at the time of the incident, and were in the building without permission.

    A club spokesman confirmed that the staff members had been taking pictures of themselves with the trophy when the accident happened.

    Trophies at Stamford Bridge are

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  • Withdrawals will not deter fans: Li-Ning Singapore Open

    (L-R) China's Wang Zhengming, Du Pengyu and Superseries marketing manager S. Selvam (Photo courtesy of Li-Ning Singapore Open)(L-R) China's Wang Zhengming, Du Pengyu and Superseries marketing manager S. Selvam (Photo courtesy of Li-Ning Singapore Open)

    Organisers of the Li-Ning Singapore Open are confident the withdrawals of players will not deter fans from catching the action which starts on Tuesday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

    15 players including China's women's no.8 Jiang Yanjiao and South Korea's women's no.13 Bae Youn Joo took their names out just days before the start of the Super Series tournament, adding to the five Chinese players who withdrew last month.

    But the organisers believe it will attract more local fans as Singapore's Olympic-bound shuttler Derek Wong replaces Indonesia's Simon Santoso in the main draw.

    Rose Tan, media director of Li-Ning Singapore Open, said in a press conference on Monday, "Those who come to watch their celebrity players may not turn up.

    "But with the latest withdrawals it may be good news because Derek will move into the main draw and there could be more Singapore players moving up and that may attract more local crowd."

    She also hopes fans will pack the stadium to give Wong a good

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