Category Archives: Oceania

**Interactive maps and country-level data available atwww.ncdrisc.organd see notes to editors**

Newswise Over the past 30 years, the number of adults (aged 30-79 years) living with hypertension worldwide has doubledrising from an estimated 331 million women and 317 million men in 1990, to 626 million women and 652 million men in 2019, with most of this increase occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The international study, published inThe Lancet, analysed blood pressure measurements from more than 100 million people taken over three decades in 184 countries.

Despite being straightforward to diagnose and relatively easy to treat with low-cost drugs, nearly half of people (41% of women and 51% of men) with hypertension worldwide in 2019 were unaware of their condition; and more than half of women (53%) and men (62%) with the condition werent treated. Worldwide, blood pressure was controlled (ie, medicines were effective in bringing blood pressure to normal ranges) in fewer than 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men with hypertension.

Large improvements in treatment and control rates seen in some middle-income countries including Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, and Iran over the past three decades show that the expansion of universal health coverage and strengthening primary care have been instrumental in improving high blood pressure care and reducing the burden of this condition. With some of these countries, like Costa Rica, achieving treatment and control rates as good as, or better than, many high-income countries.

High blood pressure is directly linked to more than 8.5 million deaths worldwide each year and is the leading risk factor for stroke, ischaemic heart disease, other vascular diseases, and renal disease. Lowering blood pressure can cut the number of strokes by 35%-40%, heart attacks by 20%-25%, and heart failure by around 50% [2].

Despite medical and pharmacological advances over decades, global progress in hypertension management has been slow, and the vast majority of people with hypertension remain untreated, with large disadvantages in low- and middle-income countries, says Professor Majid Ezzati, Imperial College London, UK, the senior author of the study. Our analysis has revealed good practice in diagnosing and treating hypertension not just in high-income countries but also in middle-income countries. These successes show that preventing high blood pressure and improving its detection, treatment, and control are feasible across low- and middle-income settings if international donors and national governments commit to addressing this major cause of disease and death. [1]

He continues, Policies that enable people in the poorest countries to access healthier foodsparticularly reducing salt intake and making fruit and vegetables more affordable and accessiblealongside improving detection by expanding universal health coverage and primary care, and ensuring uninterrupted access to effective drugs, must be financed and implemented to slow the growing epidemic of high blood pressure in low- and middle-income countries. [1]

The Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) analysed data from 1,201 population-representative studies, involving 104 million people from 184 countries (covering 99% of the worlds population). The authors only used data from studies that had measured blood pressure to avoid biases in self-reported data. Hypertension was defined as having systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for high blood pressure.

Modelling was used to estimate prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis, who were taking medication for hypertension, and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg, by country, year, and age.

The authors note that whilst the study provides the first comparable estimates of blood pressure prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and control in adults for all countries of the world, it may be affected by a lack of data in some countries, especially in Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa.

Standstill in global prevalenceWhile the global age-standardised prevalence of hypertension in adults has remained largely unchanged over the past 30 yearswith around a third of the adult population worldwide living with hypertension in 1990 (32% women and 32% in men) and 2019 (32% women and 34% in men)rates have dropped sharply in high-income countries (eg, Germany, Spain, Canada, Switzerland, and the UK), but have increased or remained unchanged in many LMICs, especially those in Oceania.

Canada and Peru had the lowest proportion of people living with hypertension in 2019 at around 1 in 4 (figure 2). Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK had the lowest hypertension rates in women (less than 24%), while Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and the Solomon Islands had the lowest rates in men (less than 25%).

At the other extreme, more than half of women had hypertension in Paraguay and Tuvalu in 2019; and over half of men in Argentina, Paraguay, Tajikistan and several countries in central and eastern Europe (ie, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Belarus, and Croatia).

Slow rollout of global treatment and control in poorest nationsTreatment and control have improved in most countries since 1990, with particularly large improvements (of greater than 30 percentage points) seen in high-income countries like Canada, Iceland, and South Korea (where treatment levels were greater than 70%; and control rates were higher than 50% in 2019), and in several upper-middle and middle-income countries such as Costa Ricawhere more than 65% of adults with hypertension were treated and nearly half had their condition controlled in 2019 (figure 4).

However, there has been little change in LMICs in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania, Nepal, and Indonesiawhere less than a quarter of women and less than a fifth of men with hypertension were being treated in 2019, and fewer than 10% had well controlled blood pressure (figure 4).

Low detection and treatment rates that persist in the worlds poorest nations, coupled with the rising number of people who have hypertension, will shift an increasing share of the burden of vascular and kidney diseases to sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and south Asia, warns co-author Leanne Riley from WHO, Switzerland. Improving the capacity of these countries to detect and treat hypertension as part of primary health care and universal health coverage must be accelerated. [1]

Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Clara Chow from the University of Sydney, Australia, (who was not involved in the study) says, There is an urgent need for a transformation and innovative approaches to reduce the burden of hypertension globally. We need better strategies to increase diagnosis and management, leveraging primary care or existing systems or identifying new methods to engage consumers in blood pressure management. With such vast differences in rates of prevalence, treatment, and control across countries there is a need to examine local implementation. From a medical model point of view, digital transformation such as telemonitoring, home blood pressure monitoring, text message reminders to improve adherence, and other digital health interventions to encourage healthy behaviours, or simpler medical regimens such as initial treatment with a combination therapysuch as a single pill containing ultra-low-dose quadruple combination therapyshould be considered to address barriers to blood pressure control.

She adds, The standstill in global prevalence and the global control rates of approximately 20% should serve as an important global wakeup call that cardiovascular disease is going to be a main burden of disease for many years to come, especially if we carry on like this.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The study was funded by WHO. It was conducted by researchers from the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration.[1] Quotes direct from authors and cannot be found in the text of the Article.[2] See:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)01225-8/fulltext

Other 2019 country data:

Country

Sex

Hypertension prevalence

World ranking(low to high)

Europe ranking(low to high)

Hypertension treatment

World ranking(high to low)

Europe ranking(high to low)

UK

Women

23%

8th

3rd

48%

103rd

34th

UK

Men

30%

22nd

2nd

47%

44th

23rd

USA

Women

29%

38th

73%

4th

USA

Men

34%

57th

66%

4th

South Korea

Women

21%

6th

77%

1st

South Korea

Men

32%

39th

67%

3rd

China

Women

24%

9th

45%

118th

China

Men

30%

24th

35%

103rd

India

Women

30%

45th

35%

143rd

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The Lancet: Number of people living with hypertension has doubled worldwide over past 30 years to more than 1.2 billion - Newswise

By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net

The national teams still in the hunt for a spot in the 2023 FIBA World Cup are gearing up for Qualifiers Draw planned to be held on Tuesday, 31 August.

The national teams coming out of the Pre-Qualifiers, including eight European countries, recently completed the Qualifiers field.

Per the press release: The Official Draw Ceremony for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers is coming live Tuesday, August 31 at 12:00 CET from the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball.

The qualifier draw ceremony marks the tip-off as teams try to successfully navigate their way on the road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Set to take place in 2 years in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, the 2023 edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup marks the first time multiple countries will host this showpiece event.

Continuing with the new era of FIBA event qualification implemented for the 2019 World Cup, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 competition system is comprised of six windows played over 15 months across the four regions of Africa, Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe.

Each qualification window lasts nine days, with the windows running from November 2021 to February 2023.

80 countries are left vying to be among the 32 teams at the 2023 World Cup and it will take teams a cumulative 420 games to get there. The national sides play home and away games across each of these event windows, a surefire way to ensure theres intense national team play for players and fans to experience all around the world.

Africa will have 16 national teams vying for 5 spots in the World Cup.

Link to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers Explained

The Americas qualifiers will feature 16 countries going for 7 places.

Link to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers Explained

The Asia/Oceania region will have 16 teams in their qualifying games going for 6 spots.

Link to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asia/Oceania Qualifiers Explained

As hosts, the Philippines and Japan are automatically qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Both teams will play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers first round and second round, advancing to the next phase as automatically qualified.

Following a decision from FIBAs Executive Committee, Indonesia needs to be ranked among the top eight teams at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 in order to receive automatic qualification.

The European qualifiers will feature 32 countries with the 12 top European national teams earning World Cup entry.

Link to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers Explained

You can follow all the Official Draw Ceremony action live on the FIBA YouTube channel.

FIBA also has dedicated event websites for each of the World Cup qualifying regions African Qualifiers, Americas Qualifiers, Asian Qualifiers, European Qualifiers to keep you up-to-date on the latest news, rosters, player features and game reports as the final teams take to the road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL

Link:

FIBA World Cup 2023 path to be set on Tuesday - Eurohoops

The Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) will provide teams with one last-ditch effort to make it to VALORANTs end-of-year Champions. From Oct. 12 to 17, a total of 10 teams, eight from North America and two from Oceania, will compete for the last spot at the event.

Based on circuit points accumulated over the course of the year, the teams ranked 3-10 in NA and the top two teams from the OCE Championships will battle it out in the LCQ. An LCQ will also take place in EMEA, South America, and Asia.

Here are the NA teams that have qualified for the LCQ based on circuit points:

The last spot will be decided on the outcome of VCT Masters Berlin. If one of the three North American teams wins the event in September, the two other teams will also qualify for Champions, and TSMwho are currently 11th place with 40 circuit pointswill make it to the LCQ.

If none of the three NA teams wins the event, Sentinels, who have already qualified, and 100 Thieves or Envy will qualify for Champions based on who finishes the tournament with the most circuit points. In this scenario, the NA team with the least circuit points would head to the LCQ and TSM would be knocked out of contention.

NRG, Andbox, and Immortals, the 12th, 13th, and 14th placed teams in the NA VCT circuit point standings, are all out of the running for the LCQ.

As for OCE, the teams will be decided at the end of the Oceania Tour Championship from Sept. 10 to 12. The two teams that reach the finals will automatically qualify for the LCQ.

The LCQ will be held on LAN and will follow a double-elimination format. There wont be a live audience at the venue though, due to the changing nature of COVID-19, according to Riot.

Go here to read the rest:

Everything you need to about NA VCT Last Chance Qualifier - Dot Esports

Valve has given ESL the task of hosting all the remaining Regional Major Ranking (RMR) tournaments of 2021, the tournament organizer announced today. ESL will be organizing the CS:GO events across six different regions and plans to hold the European one on LAN, while the others will take place as online competitions as a result of ongoing restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

These six RMR tournaments will serve as the last chance for teams to gain points in the rankings that will determine who will attend the PGL CS:GO Major in October. All six events will be held under the IEM Fall competition. The North American and CIS events will feature 12 teams each, while the South American, Asian, and Oceania competitions will consist of four squads each. IEM Fall Europe is the only event featuring 24 teams since EU is the largest CS:GO region.

All of the teams attending the IEM Fall RMR will be invited based on the rankings for their own region. The official and final invites will be handled once the teams have submitted their rosters to determine possible RMR point deductions. Once no further teams can be invited using the rankings, ESL will use its own world rankings to determine the next teams in line.

There will be a $255,000 total prize pool distributed across all six regions, with Europe taking the largest slice ($105,000), followed by North America ($70,000), and CIS ($50,000). Asia, South America, and Oceania will be playing for $10,000 each. Each region will offer up to 2,500 points in the ranking.

There will a be lot at stake in the IEM Fall RMR considering that CIS and South America are the only regions that will have played three RMR events this year. This is will be the second and last RMR events for the remaining four regions and big teams like Fnatic, OG, and FaZe Clan will have to do exceptionally well to secure a spot in the PGL Major.

Here are all the dates for all of the IEM Fall events.

Read more here:

IEM Fall to host final RMR events of 2021 - Dot Esports

Oceania Cruises, known as the foodies cruise line, has revealed the restaurants and dining experiences aboard its newest ship, Vista, which is due to make her debut in 2023.

Vista will present a fresh perspective on the finest cuisine at sea with an astounding array of dining options that range from informal to the extravagant, stated Bob Binder, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises.

Vista will offer a total of twelve dining venues and of the twelve, four are brand new and exclusive to Vista.

We have never been content to rest on our laurels, so even the expected has become the unexpected. A dramatic re-inspiration of every dining space from dcor to table setting to menu offerings has resulted in a new pinnacle of diversity and creativity for our guests to enjoy, added Binder.

Ember is the signature addition to Oceania Cruises family of restaurants. Featuring a menu of inventive American creations blended with time-honoured classics like braised short ribs on polenta, grilled swordfish with asparagus, crab cakes with spicy aioli, and a cobb salad with smoked chicken are just a few of the delights designed to tempt the palate.

Aquamar Kitchen is for guests looking for wellness approach to their food. Breakfast selections include cold-pressed raw juices and super-food smoothies, hearty homemade granolas and avocado toasts, organic power bowls, and savoury breakfast wraps. For lunch, dozens of tempting, healthy dishes are offered such as slow-roasted organic salmon with quinoa tabouleh and lemon tahini, yellowfin tacos with white cabbage slaw, or even a crunchy chicken sandwich on a freshly baked whole grain roll.

The Grand Dining Room is the luxurious grand dame of Oceania Cruises culinary world. This signature dining experience has always offered a bevy of delicious continental dishes, and now a fresh and new array of options brings even more exciting possibilities. Every day presents a realm of choices from signature Jacques Ppin classics to an incredible spectrum of global flavours and an all-new Executive Chefs Tasting Menu. Menus change daily with an expansive choice of at least ten entres, soups and salads and ten main courses along with healthy options such as Aquamar Vitality Cuisine.

Polo Grill is the ultimate classic steakhouse experience presented with timeless reverence. Richly layered dcor and an abundance of custom millwork create an imaginative rendition of tradition set against crisp white linen tablecloths, while a cadre of black jacketed servers set the tone for an evening of gracious dining. Each course stands as the very definition of time-honoured favourites, most notably the beef dishes, all of which are 28-day dry aged certified Black Angus USDA Prime, while succulent seafood dishes such as grilled swordfish and whole Maine lobster gratine are also classics in their own right.

Toscana focuses on Tuscan cuisine in a truly Italian setting of rich Chianina leather, hand-blown Venetian glass and Carrara marble. Many of our recipes originated with the mothers and grandmothers of Oceanias Italian culinary staff. Presented on elegant, custom-designed Versace china, masterfully prepared dishes exemplify the essence of Tuscany and celebrate Italys culinary passion. The evening begins with the octopus carpaccio with Champagne vinaigrette or the artichoke and parmesan cheese timbale with black truffle sauce, followed by classic dishes such as the hand-rolled gnocchi with pesto, a rich risotto with lobster medallions and shallots, or a pan-seared sea bass fillet finished with sorrento lemon, Chardonnay and Capers.

Red Ginger has a focus on Pan-Asian dishes our talented chefs have created. Much like the room itself, the Thai, Korean, Japanese and Malaysian rooted specialties are a mlange of spicy and soothing, savoury and sweet to please virtually every palate. Begin with a salad of spicy roast duck and watermelon with cashews, mint and Thai basil. Savour a Malaysian beef Penang with coconut rice and paratha roti. Or try Thai vegetable curry with sweet potatoes, eggplant, mushrooms and basil in green curry sauce.

Terrace Caf is the ultimate informal dining experience any time of day. At breakfast, Terrace Caf features a seemingly never-ending selection of sumptuous savoury and sweet temptations including made-to-order eggs, omelettes, pancakes and waffles. Come lunch, an expansive menu of international-inspired dishes is complemented by flavourful roasted and rotisserie meats and the magic of the pizzerias oven. In the evening, youll enjoy dinner from grilled-to-order lobster tails, fish, fillets and steaks to freshly made, hand-cut sushi and sashimi. A varied menu of hot and cold specialties changes daily along with our hallmark Chefs Market Dinners featuring locally inspired selections from the ports of call.

Waves Grill is a casual, colourful, and perhaps a bit playful setting for dining on all-American favourites. Located in a spacious, shaded area steps from the swimming pool and Terrace Caf, Waves Grill offers an extensive and mouthwatering menu during lunch and late into the afternoon for that much-desired snack or meal after an adventurous day of touring ashore. Watch the chefs grill gourmet burgers, succulent seafood and sandwiches to order in the open galley, accompanying them with sides like fresh salads, coleslaw and crispy, hand-cut fries. There is always room for dessert and the selection here is too good to pass up. Try a homemade sorbet, a made-to-order hot fudge sundae or a thick, hand-dipped milkshake.

The Culinary Center is where guests may not only partake in lively hands-on instruction they may also indulge the pleasures of the palate in the new ocean view Culinary Center Dining Room with private group dinners or one of our many exclusive and highly acclaimed food and wine pairing experiences.

Prive is a private dining venue for ten privileged guests. Dramatic backlit, debossed walls and a blooming flower petal ceiling from which a dramatic chandelier descends over the polished marble slab dining table set the stage for a memorable evening while a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass provides an exhilarating view to complement a most memorable private dinner party that can literally traverse continents.

Baristas is where guests enjoy complimentary illy espressos, cappuccinos and lattes prepared by our master baristas as well as delicious pastries, finger sandwiches and homemade biscotti. Just steps away is the new Bakery, with its freshly baked French and Italian pastries.

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Oceania reveals new restaurants and culinary experiences on the new Vista - Cruise Passenger

Oceania Cruises has revealed the restaurants and dining experiences aboard its newest ship, the 1,200-passenger, 67,000-ton Vista, due to debut in early 2023. These include the new to the brand Ember and Aquamar restaurants

Ember will be open for lunch and dinner with American creations such as braised short ribs on polenta, grilled swordfish with asparagus, crab cakes with spicy aioli, and a cobb salad with smoked chicken among the menu items.

Aquamar Kitchen promises to offer wellness choices. Breakfast selections include cold-pressed raw juices and smoothies, homemade granolas and avocado toasts, organic power bowls, and breakfast wraps. For lunch, dishes will include slow-roasted organic salmon with quinoa tabouleh and lemon tahini, yellowfin tacos with white cabbage slaw, or a crunchy chicken sandwich on a freshly baked whole grain bun.

The Grand Dining Room is described as the grand dame of Oceania Cruises culinary world. This signature dining experience will have new array of options from Chef Jacques Ppin in addition to an all-new tasting menu. Menus change daily with a choice of at least 10 appetizers, soups and salads and 10 entres.

Polo Grill will feature a classic steakhouse experience. Of the beef dishes, all will be 28-day dry aged certified Black Angus USDA Prime in addition to seafood dishes such as grilled swordfish and whole Maine lobster gratine.

According to Oceania, Toscana presents an evolution of Tuscan cuisine, listing octopus carpaccio with Champagne vinaigrette, artichoke and parmesan cheese timbale with black truffle sauce, hand-rolled gnocchi with pesto, risotto with lobster medallions and shallots, pan-seared sea bass filet with Sorrento lemon, chardonnay and capers.

Red Ginger will feature Pan-Asian dishes ranging from spicy roast duck and watermelon with cashews, mint and Thai basil to Malaysian beef penang with coconut rice and paratha roti, or Thai vegetable curry with sweet potatoes, aubergine, mushrooms and basil in green curry sauce.

Terrace Caf will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner informally and alfresco. Oceania said that a varied menu of hot and cold specialties changes daily along with the chefs market dinners featuring locally inspired specialties from the ports of call.

Waves Grill is the setting for all-American favorites, including burgers and sides of fresh salads, coleslaw and hand-cut fries.

In the Culinary Center guests may partake in hands-on instruction and may also join the new ocean-view Culinary Center Dining Room with private group dinners or one of the ships exclusive food and wine pairing experiences.

Private dinner parties can be arranged in Prive for up to 10 guests. And, the Baristas is, as the name implies, the ships coffee bar with pastries.

Excerpt from:

Oceania Reveals Dining Options on the New Vista - Cruise Industry News

Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images

Caleb Clarke, who played five tests for the All Blacks in his breakout season in 2020, will return to the 15-man game with Auckland but says he wont play for them this weekend.

Caleb Clarke has a plan, and it doesnt involve joining the All Blacks on a flight to Perth on Sunday.

Instead, Clarke, fresh out of MIQ, intends to return to the 15-man game as a member of an Auckland backline that may also include ex-Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson speaks to the Breakdown about a couple of the hot topics of the rugby week.

Named as a travelling reserve for the All Blacks Sevens team that secured silver at the Olympics, Clarke never took the field in Tokyo and hasnt played since the Oceania Sevens Challenge tournament in Townsville in late June.

Good enough to make five appearances for the All Blacks last year, Clarke made the bold call to skip the earlier part of the test programme, so he could have a crack at the Olympics.

READ MORE:* Tokyo Olympics: Wallaby Samu Kerevi picked for Australia's men's sevens team* Tokyo Olympics: All Blacks star Caleb Clarke named as travelling reserve in sevens squad* Tokyo Olympics: Last chance for Caleb Clarke to cement place in All Blacks sevens squad

While isolated in a Christchurch hotel he watched the All Blacks retain the Bledisloe Cup, and experienced pangs of jealousy as Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane and Will Jordan operated on the wings against the Wallabies in both tests.

Yet Clarke says he still didnt question the decision to trade a potential start for the All Blacks for a trip to the Olympics.

I loved this (sevens) team, just being a part of it, he said. Definitely no regrets.

Clarke was unsure whether he would try to play sevens in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year, but indicated it may be unlikely.

I feel like I have tried my best. I have said it before, even before coming into sevens, that I wanted to look back at my career and have my best shot at the Olympics. And I feel like I did that.

Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Caleb Clarke tries to break a tackle while playing for the All Blacks Sevens team against Fiji in the Oceania Sevens Challenge in Townsville in late June.

While in MIQ, he fielded calls from All Blacks coach Ian Foster and Blues coach Leon MacDonald but said not all the discussions were related to rugby.

A lot was about where my mindset was at, how I have dealt with the last few weeks, and what I am looking forward to once I get back playing the 15-man game.

Riding a stationary bike, and doing push-ups and squats, as well as being careful with his food intake, ensured Clarke remained in good shape prior to getting back home.

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Beauden Barrett celebrates with Caleb Clarke after the Blues won the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final against the Highlanders this season.

While keen to get back to the rugby field, Clarke was encouraged by Foster not to rush back; he confirmed hes not expected to play for Auckland against Bay of Plenty at Eden Park on Saturday night, which means he isnt going to be asked to fly to Perth as the All Blacks prepare for the dead rubber against the Wallabies next weekend.

Some of the conversations were to have a little break, which was quite strange given that we have just got out of quarantine, but it was more just around the mental side of around being able to see family and friends and to have a last little break-up of the sevens (squad) as well.

When, or if, Clarke will represent the All Blacks in 2021 is uncertain.

Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Braydon Ennor, Jordan, Reece and Ioane, who can all play on the wing, were named in the squad for the Rugby Championship matches against the Wallabies, Springboks and Pumas all possibly to be played in Perth because of the pandemic.

Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

All Blacks Sevens squad member Caleb Clarke (right) looks on during a welcome home ceremony for the New Zealand Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games team at Christchurch Airport on Monday.

I will just be with Auckland, that is where my mindset is at the moment, Clarke said.

It is up to Fozzie. It is in his and all the selectors hands, which I am happy with. I am not in any rush to be anywhere.

I am just really looking forward to playing 15s rugby. I know I am just excited to get out and play, and it will be awesome to play with Roger (Tuivasa-Sheck) as well.

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All Blacks: Caleb Clarke eyes return for Auckland instead of trip to Perth - Stuff.co.nz

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - The FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike, has been updated following the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers, FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs), and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. While the majority of the top teams in Asia & Oceania remained close to their original spots, some aspiring and rapidly developing countries took huge leaps towards the top.

Here's the link to the full country list of the FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike for Asia & Oceania.

Syria were the team that moved up the ranking the most in Asia & Oceania, shooting up from 92 to 82. Their 10-spot climb was also the 5th highest at the global level. The Qasioun Eagles were able to beat Qatar in the recent FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers to punch their tickets to the next Asia Cup where they will have a chance to go up even higher in the ranking.

Syria (+10) and Saudi Arabia (+6) are one of the biggest climbers in the recent Ranking

Asia Cup 2021 hopefuls Guam were the second highest climbers from the region as they went up from 85 to 77. The up-and-coming squad have been one of the most enthusiastic teams in the Asia Cup Qualifiers so far. Theyll be aiming for a spot at the grand event when they play in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifying Tournament for third ranked teams in Mangilao against Chinese Taipei on August 26 and 28.

Palestine and Saudi Arabia will also be playing in a FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifying Tournament for third ranked teams. However, these two teams will be playing in the tournament held in Jeddah. Coincidentally, both teams are also among those that have made the biggest climbs in this update of the ranking by moving up 6 spots. Both nations have been moving up the ladder at a fast pace and could go up even higher should they later qualify for the Asia Cup.

Japan also made a significant leap in the standings going up 7 spots to 35. Hosting and playing in the Olympics have helped their steady rise and the future looks bright with a promising Asia Cup appearance coming up.

FIBA

The rest is here:

Syria, Japan, and Guam are the biggest leapers in the FIBA World Ranking update - FIBA

The stage is set for the 2021 League of Legends World Championship.

For the second year running, the end-of-year event will take place in China. The multi-city tour will include five distinct cities from Shanghai in the opening stage of the tournament to Shenzhen in the finals.

Weve locked in the five Chinese cities after an extremely competitive bidding process, and were now ready to deliver on our promise to players with a multi-city tour for the biggest esports event on the planet, Riots head of esports John Needham said in June.

Worlds 2021 will bring together the top teams from 12 regional leagues to compete for the Summoners Cup. At its full capacity, the 60,000-seat Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen will be host to the finals on Nov. 6.

All in all, 24 teams will compete at the event, including four teams from China and Korea, three teams from Europe and North America, two teams from Taiwan and Vietnam, and one team from each of CIS, Latin America, Turkey, Brazil, Japan, and Oceania.

Here are all of the teams attending Worlds 2021.

DWG qualified for Worlds 2021 based on championship points accumulated over the course of the season. A total of 170 points90 from the Spring Split and 80 from the Summer Splitsecured qualification for the reigning world champions.

After placing first in the LEC summer regular season with a 13-5 record, a hard-fought win against Misfits was all Rogue needed to qualify for Worlds 2021. The addition of Odoamne in the top lane has been vital to the teams success over the past eight months.

In a repeat performance of the 2021 LEC Spring Split playoffs, MAD Lions beat G2 Esports 3-1 to secure a spot at Worlds. The team effort of the squad was more than enough to overcome the former LEC champions, who left much to be desired in the best-of-five series.

For the first time since 2018, 100 Thieves qualified for Worlds after beating Evil Geniuses in the LCS Summer playoffs. A roster reshuffle in the offseason has made a sizable difference to the team.

Team Liquid qualified for Worlds 2021 after a decisive 3-1 win over TSM in the LCS Summer playoffs. The team got it together when it mattered the most, despite issues with health, player management, and coaching staff throughout the split.

See the rest here:

All teams qualified for the 2021 League of Legends World Championship - Dot Esports

Danny Hay is determined to have the All Whites playing in the October and November international windows as his focus turns from the Tokyo Olympics to qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar next November.

The countrys top footballers havent played since November 2019, more than 600 days ago, but having gained experience in how to operate amidst the Covid-19 pandemic with the OlyWhites in Japan, their coach is hopeful they will soon be back in action.

September is a no-go for obvious reasons seeing as we've just come back and are still sitting here in quarantine, Hay said of the next international window, which begins in less than three weeks, on August 30.

STUFF

OlyWhites midfielder Clayton Lewis reflects on New Zealand's Olympic campaign.

It's just too much of a quick turnaround, but we're working hard to get games in October and November.

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I think it's critical that we try and bring a large number of the players that were with us in Japan back together and then bring other players in, that are based around either Europe or the US.

It's not an easy operation. It's tough getting the games, as everybody will be aware, but we're going to make it happen.

We're very determined that it's going to happen and if that's going to mean a few staff members being based over in Europe for a couple of months, then so be it.

We're just champing at the bit to get it going again.

There are no European opponents available in the October window, so New Zealand Football will likely have to look to the Middle East and west Asia, where Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Uzbekistan are among the nations yet to organise fixtures.

In November, there are several European countries with dates free, including the Czech Republic, who made the quarterfinals at Euro 2020 in July, and Lithuania, the All Whites most recent opponents.

Managed isolation and quarantine requirements are set to rule players based in Australia and New Zealand out of any matches arranged later this year, but there should be enough players based in Europe and the US available for Hay to assemble a squad.

That group grew by one this week, with midfielder-turned-defender Gianni Stensness on the move from Australia to Norway following a strong Olympic campaign.

While Hay is busy preparing for the end of 2021, he is also hoping to soon have some clarity as to what the start of 2022 will look like for the All Whites.

An Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament is set to take place in January in the Middle East, as local venues were unviable as a result of Covid-19 border restrictions, with the winner advancing to an intercontinental playoff in June for one of the final two spots in the tournament, which has been moved from its usual place in the middle of the year to November and December.

The best team from Oceania will play either the fourth-best team from North and Central America, the fifth-best team from Asia, or the fifth-best team from South America in that playoff, with a draw to determine the exact matchup expected to take place soon.

I know they're looking closely at having the OFC qualifiers in Qatar, Hay said.

Hopefully that happens. I think that would be a great place to host them, particularly with the World Cup being there later that year, but we're arming up for that, and then the Intercontinental playoff, should we make it that far.

For us, that is the main goal, to get to that point and then give ourselves the best chance possible of trying to make the World Cup. We still don't know who we could potentially be facing in the intercontinental playoff, but we're happy to face whoever.

We need games at the moment and time together, and that'll obviously give us our best opportunity.

The All Whites last matches and their only matches with Hay in charge were in November 2019, when they lost to the Republic of Ireland and Lithuania in a pair of European friendlies.

They were scheduled to play Bahrain and Oman in March 2020, but those matches were cancelled when the scale of the Covid-19 pandemic became clear.

Plans to play friendlies in Europe at the end of last year, including against powerhouses Belgium and England, were scuppered when travel restrictions as a result of Covid-19 led to player availability issues.

October 4-12 2021: Two-match international window

November 8-16 2021: Two-match international window

January 2022: Potential Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament

March 21-29 2022: Two-match international window

May 30 June 14 2022: Four-match international window, potentially including a World Cup qualifying intercontinental playoff

September 19-27 2022: Two-match international window

November 21 December 18 2022: Fifa World Cup in Qatar

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All Whites determined to play this year as World Cup qualifying campaign looms - Stuff.co.nz