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    Tokyo 2020: Meet the Team GB boxers hoping to replicate Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams including Daniel Dubois’ sister

    TEAM GB travel to Tokyo for the delayed Olympics with a group of elite amateurs looking to replicate Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams.Joshua, 31, famously won gold in the super-heavyweight division at the London 2012 Games.
    Caroline Dubois, Cheavon Clarke, Charley Davison, Halal Yafai, Ben Whittaker, Karriss Artingstall, Frazer Clarke, and Lauren PriceCredit: Getty
    And the same year, Adams, 38, made history as the first-ever women’s boxing gold medalist, later becoming a two-time champion in Rio four years later.
    Now, Great Britain are in an even greater position to return home with a bag of medals due to the packed talent out in Japan.
    Here, SunSport runs down the boxers competing in the Games.
    Galal Yafai, flyweight
    Yafai is the younger brother of professional boxers Kal – an ex-world champion – and Gamal, a former European title holder.
    Galal, 28, won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Queensland, Australia and also boxed in the last Olympics in Brazil.
    He was beaten in the last 16 by Cuban Joahnys Argilagos, and snubbed turning pro to instead finish off his Olympic dreams.
    Galal Yafai in the Rio 2016 OlympicsCredit: Reuters

    Peter McGrail, featherweight
    McGrail, from Liverpool, is considered one of the best of the pack and also carries a vast amount of experience in the unpaid ranks.
    He is already a Commonwealth gold medalist, European champion and twice won bronze in the Worlds.
    McGrail, 25, has even been dubbed ‘The scouse Lomachenko’ due to his slippery southpaw style and ability to slip and counter with so much ease.
    Liverpool’s Peter McGrail is a hot prospectCredit: Reuters
    Luke McCormack, lightweight
    McCormack, twin to GB team-mate Pat, is a star in the making alongside his brother due to their infectious personalities.
    But it is certainly not substance over style for the Sunderland boxer, who has won silver at the Europeans and bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
    Luke, 26, is also an ABA champion – the highest prize in English amateur boxing.
    Lightweight representative Luke McCormackCredit: Getty
    Pat McCormack, welterweight
    Pat, equally as eccentric as his brother, is one to watch in Tokyo and has high hopes of going all the way having been ranked World No1.
    He won gold in the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and a year later took home a silver medal in the Worlds, losing to Russian Andrey Zamkovoy in the final.
    More importantly, Pat, 26, has Olympic experience having competed in Rio at light-welterweight but was knocked out in the last 16 by Cuba.

    Pat McCormack boxed in the 2016 OlympicsCredit: Reuters
    Ben Whittaker, light-heavyweight
    Whittaker, who calls himself ‘The Future of Boxing’, is another tipped for superstardom and has reaped the reward since moving up from middleweight.
    At light-heavyweight, he has won silver at the European Games in 2019 and bronze at the Worlds the same year.
    Whittaker, 24, who stands at 6ft 3in, has caught the eye of Joshua while training at their Sheffield HQ and uses his range expertly in bouts.
    Light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker is one to watchCredit: Getty
    Cheavon Clarke, heavyweight
    The heavyweight contender, which would be cruiserweight in the pro ranks, represented Jamaica in the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
    But after switching allegiances and joining the GB setup, Clarke, 30, has become a real force with a Commonwealth Bronze for England in the 2018.
    He also has a European silver medal for his efforts in the 2017 championships.
    Cheavon Clarke boxes at heavyweight for GBCredit: PA
    Frazer Clarke, super-heavyweight
    It has been a long road to the Olympics for Clarke – no relation to Cheavon – having been overlooked in 2012 for AJ and then for Joe Joyce in Rio in 2016.
    But finally the big man, who captains GB in Japan, will get his chance to medal, just like Joshua and Joyce, 35, did.
    Clarke, 29, is full of experience with a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, European silver and ABA title.
    Super-heavyweight Frazer Clarke is GB captainCredit: PA
    Charley Davison, flyweight
    Davison, 32, retired from boxing in 2012 to start a family as she narrowly missed out on selection for the London Olympics.
    But the mother of three returned to the gym in 2019 after seven years out – first only to lose weight – before re-finding her passion for boxing.
    Within a year she became England’s national champion and now has a medal at Tokyo in her sights.
    Charley Davison will compete at flyweight in TokyoCredit: Getty
    Karriss Artingstall, featherweight
    Artingstall, the first ever British female soldier to box at the Olympics, comes into the games having medalled internationally before.
    She won bronze at the Worlds in 2019 before taking home the silver in the Europeans the same year.
    Artingstall, 26, a Gunner in the British Army, joined the GB Boxing’s Podium Potential squad in 2018.
    Karriss Artingstall is the first ever British female soldier to box at the OlympicsCredit: Getty
    Caroline Dubois, lightweight
    The youngest member on the team and sister to heavyweight prospect Daniel, 23, Caroline is something of an amateur prodigy.
    As a Youth, the 20-year-old won it all, including World, European and Olympic golds.
    Caroline as a senior qualified for Tokyo at the European Qualification Tournament, and left with a silver, and has lost only twice in 37 bouts.
    Caroline Dubois is the sister to heavyweight prospect DanielCredit: Getty
    Lauren Price, middleweight
    Price is a decorated sportswoman, winning over 50 caps for the Wales Women national football team and also competing in kickboxing.
    She even played professionally for Cardiff City but gave up football in 2014 to focus on boxing, winning Commonwealth bronze the same year.
    Price, 27, has since won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, Worlds and Europeans.
    Lauren Price played professional footballCredit: PA More

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    Tokyo 2020: Youngest Olympics competitor Hend Zaza, 12, loses to table tennis opponent 27 years older

    THE Olympics’ youngest competitor has crashed out of the Tokyo Games in the preliminary round of the women’s table tennis event.Team Syria star Hend Zaza, 12, lost in straight sets against Austrian opponent Liu Jia who is 27 years her senior.
    Syrian star Hend Zaza, 12, is out of the Olympics after losing to Austria’s Liu JiaCredit: Getty
    Veteran table tennis player Jia won 4-0 in straight sets against Zaza in TokyoCredit: Reuters
    Chinese-born athlete Jia, 39, won 11-4, 11-9, 11-3, 11-5 to secure her place in the first round.
    But Zaza, who is the youngest Olympian since Spanish rower Carlos Front in 1992, more than held her own.
    She was even leading 6-2 in the second set, only for the veteran player to show her class.
    Speaking after her Olympics debut, Zaza said: “It was very tough to mentally be prepared for (the Olympics).
    “But I think I somehow managed to overcome this, and this is the part that I think I did the best during the match.
    “The main lesson was the loss of this match, especially in the first match.
    “So next time, I will be working hard to pass the first, second, third round, because I want to play more in this competition.”
    Zaza – the fifth-youngest person to compete in the Olympics in the modern era – secured her entry at Tokyo after winning West Asia Olympic qualification tournament in Jordan last year.
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    Her coach Adham Jamaan has stated she has only been able to play up to three external games a year due to the Syrian Civil War.
    Commenting on her upbringing, Zaza remarked: “For the last five years, I’ve been through many different experiences.
    “Especially with the war happening around the country and the postponement of the funding for the Olympics.
    “It was very tough, but I had to fight for it. And this is my message to everyone who is in the same situation — fight for your dream.
    “Try hard regardless of the difficulties that you’re having and you will reach your hope.”
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    First Tokyo 2020 Olympic cancellation due to Covid as women’s beach volleyball game scrapped after player tests positive

    THE opening match of the women’s beach volleyball event at the Tokyo Olympics was cancelled due to coronavirus.Czech Republic star Marketa Slukova tested positive for Covid earlier this year – which knocked her and partner Barbora Hermannova out of the Games.
    Czech Republic women’s beach volleyball pair Marketa Slukova and Barbora Hermannova are out of the Olympics due to coronavirusCredit: Reuters
    Their game on Saturday became the first event of the Tokyo Games to be called off due to Covid.
    As a result, Japan’s pair of Megumi Murakami and Miki Ishii have been handed a 2-0 victory.
    So far there have been six confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Czech Republic Olympic team, including Slukova’s husband and coach Simon Nausch.
    Men’s beach volleyball ace Ondrej Perusic has also tested positive, along with table tennis player Pavel Sirucek and cyclist Michal Schlegel.
    Slukova has spoken of her dismay at being unable to compete in the Olympics as she claimed she was reduced to tears.
    She remarked: “It’s awfully sad for me, that Barbora and me, we had to quit this way.”
    Before adding: “We cried, then we swore, then we cried again.
    “I am just hoping that no other athletes will follow us.
    “Because I think that something like this is a nightmare for any athlete, for any Olympian, who gets this far, this close to the Olympic competition.”
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    All of those in the Czech team that tested positive arrived in Tokyo in the same charter plane, prompting the country’s Olympic Committee to launch an investigation.
    The Committee said: “The investigation will focus on whether all safety measures against COVID-19 spread were upheld before, during, and after the flight and whether some individuals have neglected their duties.”
    A total of 14 athletes were on the plane from Prague to Tokyo, with the other people on the flight testing negative on their PCR tests.
    Commenting on the cases, Czech team doctor Martin Doktor declared: “The situation is serious.
    “We have done our best to stop spreading the virus. Unfortunately, we didn’t avoid sport tragedies. I’m deeply sorry.”
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    Tokyo 2020: Team GB boxing brothers Pat & Luke McCormack hope ‘jail craic’ Olympic cocoon can help them make history

    PAT AND LUKE McCORMACK reckon the “jail craic” of Tokyo hotel life can help them make history.The boxing twins from Sunderland, 26, do not shy away from their bad boy pasts.
    Luke McCormack is ready to take on the Tokyo Games – and is fully focused on successCredit: Getty
    His twin brother Pat is also in Japan as they put their bad boy pasts behind themCredit: Reuters
    Pat admitted: “If you are around bad stuff you can get dragged into it.
    “Without boxing I definitely know my life could have turned out an awful lot worse. It’s kept me out of trouble.”
    Despite that, neither welterweight Pat nor lightweight Luke really trust themselves if they are let off the leash.
    So being confined to their training camp in Yokohama, and now the Olympic Village, is the only sure way they will not waste their chance to become the first British brothers to win gold.
    Luke said: “It’s got my head a little bit battered having to stay in all the time.
    “But if we were allowed to do whatever we wanted to do, after we finished training at six o’clock we’d be off and out.
    “It’s worked out better for us because you can’t make any mistakes.
    “When you come over here there’s a lot of stuff to do to get sidetracked. But in the hotel you’re eating right and going to bed early, at 9.30pm.
    “A late night can mess you up. We’re making the most of it.
    “When we’re in camp we call it ‘jail craic’ because we’re with each other all the time. So it’s just like jail craic.”

    That the twins’ banter has an edge is not in doubt. They are, unquestionably, instinctively hardcore party animals.
    But both can fight, too, part of a crack squad that has the quality to exceed the five medals — including golds for Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell and Nicola Adams — won in London 2012.
    Pat is world No 1 and favourite for gold, with team captain Frazer  Clarke calling him “the standout  fighter” in the squad.
    Luke is up against Indian army officer Manish Kaushik tomorrow morning.
    He has what it takes in his division, after missing out on selection in Brazil   — although there was an upside.
    Luke recalled: “It was tough not to make it to Rio but I knew my time would come.
    “I always knew I would make it to Tokyo. I’ve improved probably ten times.
    “When Pat came back, everybody thought I was him. So I was getting free drinks every weekend. It was cush.”

    Pat, though, has an Olympic score to settle, still convinced he was robbed in his last 16 clash against Cuban bronze medallist  Yasniel  Toledo last time out.
    He said: “If I can win the Olympic gold I know I will become a big name 100 per cent because of what the sport means.
    “It’s the biggest stage an amateur can get, with the world watching. It’s your chance to become a hero.
    “I know I belong at the very top level. I’ve done my apprenticeship and had my bad decisions and I’m looking to bring the gold home.
    “Being the No 1 seed makes me feel better because I’m meant to win it.
    “I was seeded No 1 in the Europeans and got gold and No 2 in the world when I got silver so I want to be No 1 seed because I know I can meet that.
    “I’d rather be the No 1 seed, expected to win gold, than the underdog who had to pull out a big win.”
    Although maybe, just maybe, not against his fiercest rival of all.
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    Luke added: “If we’re playing a game against each other there’s a high level of competition.
    “We’re not really allowed to spar much because it gets out of hand. It always did when we were younger.
    “But when it comes to boxing, there’s no rivalry. I want to see him win and he wants to see me win.”
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    Fran Kirby OUT of Team GB Olympics clash with Japan but should be back for final group game in Tokyo

    CHELSEA star Fran Kirby has been ruled out of Team GB’s group clash against Japan today – but SHOULD return for the final match with Canada.Women’s footballer of the year Kirby missed the opening win over Chile with a knock sustained in pre-tournament training at Loughborough.
    Fran Kirby is recovering from a knock sustained by the Tokyo Olympics football tournamentCredit: PA
    Coach Hege Riise is set to make changes on the left side with Demi Stokes replacing Rachel Daly at the back and Nikita Parris coming in for Lauren Hemp.
    Riise said: “Fran is back in training, slowly but we have to be sure we don’t push her.
    “We don’t want to risk her when there are so many games left to play.”
    Scotland’s Kim Little will take the rotating captaincy from Steph Houghton after pulling the midfield strings against Chile.
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    Little, one of just three non-English players in Riise’s 22, said: “It’s just exciting to play with new players and a different team and to see what we’re capable of. 
    “We all bring different qualities and combining them, with our speed or technical ability, will always come together when we’re put in a pressurised environment where we can thrive.
    “As players, whenever you come into a new team you just try to bring your best self as much as possible. 
    “So I wouldn’t say it’s something Caroline Weir and myself spoke about because we’ve both played with a number of the players in different circumstances over the years. It’s just quite natural.”
    Riise believes the empty stands inside the Sapporo Dome will work to GB’s advantage against the hosts, held 1-1 by Canada in their opener.
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    A draw would be enough to guarantee a knock-out place but the Norwegian coach is looking for more.
    She added: “Every time we step on the pitch we aim to win.
    “When you have fans cheering it gives you more energy.

    “Against Canada, they conceded early and struggled to get into the game so maybe their confidence has gone down.
    “We have done a lot of work on and off the pitch on set-pieces because it can be a big thing for us. 
    “But we also have to be more ruthless than we were against Chile.” 
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    Ex-Arsenal star Dani Ceballos shares horror picture of ankle after nasty injury for Spain at Tokyo 2020

    SPAIN midfielder Dani Ceballos has revealed the extent of a painful ankle injury that has threatened to end his Olympics.Midway through La Roja’s opening Tokyo 2020 clash with Egypt, the former Arsenal loanee suffered a freak injury.
    Dani Ceballos shared a photograph of his heavily bruised ankleCredit: Instagram @danifuli10
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    Opposition forward Taher Mohamed caught Ceballos while on the turn, planting one foot on the ankle of his rival to leave a hefty mark.
    The Spanish star’s ankle became swollen immediately, forming a huge lump that meant he was unable to play on.
    Mohamed escaped a red card after a VAR check, much to the chagrin of Dani Olmo who said there was ‘no doubt’ it deserved more than a booking.
    And Ceballos, 24, posted an update to his Instagram 24 hours after the game, showing little improvement on his injury.
    The phrase ‘no pain no gain’ also featured after he shared an upbeat post about his chances of featuring again in the tournament.
    He wrote: “In pain, yes.
    “But still hoping and excited about doing everything I can to come back and keep helping my colleagues in this Olympic Games.”
    However, Spain are not said to be optimistic about Ceballos’ hopes of appearing again in Tokyo.
    According to Marca, the swelling has taken longer than hoped to go down, meaning an official diagnosis and recovery timeframe cannot be deduced.
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    Ceballos was named captain of the Olympic squad sent to Japan, with Euro 2020 stars Pedri, Olmo and Unai Simon also selected.
    The Real Madrid player is certain to miss Sunday’s second group match against Australia, and is a major doubt the game against Argentina.
    La Roja are out to win a first Olympic men’s football gold medal since the 1992 Games in Barcelona, but drew 0-0 with Egypt to open the tournament.
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    Watch awkward moment South Korea’s Lee Dong-gyeong REFUSES to shake Burnley striker Chris Wood’s hand at Tokyo 2020

    BURNLEY striker Chris Wood was awkwardly snubbed after he went to shake hands at the end of New Zealand’s win over South Korea at Tokyo 2020. The Olympic spirit was in short supply after Wood was left embarrassed by Lee Dong-gyeong’s snub.

    Chris Wood tries to shake hands
    Lee Dong-gyeong declines to shake the striker’s hand
    Wood is left bemused by the Olympic snub
    Wood fired New Zealand to a 1-0 victory over South Korea in Japan in their opener.
    And the Burnley striker’s attempt to shake hands with midfielder Dong-gyeong fell on deaf ears.
    Wood was left surprised by the awkward snub and initially felt it was due to disappointment over the result.
    He said: I’m sure they thought it was going to be an easy game against us and walk all over us, but we made it a lot harder than they would have expected.
    “I’m sure he was just disappointed and there’s nothing too much to worry about. We move on.”
    But the South Korean was simply following Covid protocols by avoiding “unnecessary contact”.
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    It was a historic success for New Zealand after securing their first men’s victory at the Olympics.
    Wood said: “This is a huge one and to get a win on the international stage like this is massive.
    “It’s when I do my best work; when I don’t have time to think.”
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    Tokyo 2020 gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals made entirely from mobile phones and recycled electronics

    TOKYO 2020 medallists will become the first in the history of the Olympics and Paralympics to win medals made out of recycled electrical goods.And the precious prizes have been crafted from more than SIX MILLION reused mobile phone parts.
    Nearly 80,000 tonnes of recycled electrical goods were used to make Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalsCredit: AFP
    The parts of more than six million used mobile phones were also used to make gold, silver and bronze medalsCredit: Getty
    The creation of the environmentally-friendly gold, silver and bronze awards are all part of an effort by organisers to make this year’s competition as eco-conscious as possible. 
    The opening ceremony for the Tokyo Games, which is this year’s biggest sporting event, takes place today. 
    It is the second time the capital city of Japan has hosted the Olympics with the first being back in 1964. 
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    It is reported a whopping 79,000 tonnes of small electrical goods – including 6.21million used phones – were reconstructed into medals ahead of the contest. 
    The items – which took two years to gather – have been turned into 5000 gold, silver and bronze medals. 
    And two-time Olympic decathlete champion Ashton Eaton, 33, is among the sports aces backing recycled goods being awarded to athletes. 
    The American, who is the heptathlon indoor world record holder, said: “I have always been a fan of people who do things differently – of those who try to move the needle in a positive way.
    “The weight of a medal around your neck is always a good weight,” 
    “And when an athlete at Tokyo wins a medal, the weight of it will not be from the gold, silver or bronze; it will be the weight of a nation.”
    Yuki Arata, the Tokyo Games director of sustainability added: “We hope that the approach we are taking for these Olympics, for example utilising timber to make benches for public facilities for local areas will remain in (people’s) minds as a good memory of these Olympics to be passed on to the next generation.”
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    Other recycled inventions include Olympic uniforms produced entirely from reused plastic bottles. 
    The iconic torch used to light the flame to mark the start of the Tokyo Games is among the items made from reused products. 
    The Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch has been crafted from recycled aluminium used for earthquake sheltersCredit: Alamy

    Aluminium waste from homes built as temporary shelters following a major earthquake in Japan in 2011 was used to construct the torch. 
    And competitors staying in the Athletes Village will be sleeping in recyclable cardboard beds.  
    At least 18,000 of these beds have been provided for athletes staying in the Village located at Tokyo Bay.
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