Sports
Nobuko Oshiro: Okinawa’s only female karate grandmaster
Training in karate was not always easy for Nobuko Oshiro, who faced bullying and harsh treatment from her instructors as one of the few women in the sport. Now at 77, she is Okinawa’s only female grandmaster and runs a renowned dojo, inspiring students from around the world.
Rebeca Andrade leads Brazil’s women’s gymnastics team to the Olympics
Brazil is sending 274 athletes to the Paris Olympics this week. It’s the largest delegation from a Latin American country. The majority of the athletes are women. One of the biggest stars from Brazil is an athlete who has helped build enthusiasm for women’s gymnastics across the country and the globe.
France sets its sights on the gold medal in blind football at the Paris Paralympics
Blind football is one of the most-popular sports of the Paralympic games, which kick off in Paris in late August. Brazil has won gold at all previous Paralympic tournaments but host country France is hoping to be in with a chance to take home a medal this year.
Baseball rises in Argentina thanks to Venezuelan migration
In soccer-obsessed Argentina, there’s little place for other sports, and baseball is not the exception. The average Argentine knows very little about it, and there’s only one baseball field in the capital of Buenos Aires, a city with close to 16 million people. But in the past few years, baseball is attracting more players and more fans in the South American country.
Latvian basketball fans are rooting for ‘unicorn’ Porziņģis in the NBA finals
The Celtics are in the NBA finals, and one of the team’s most impactful players is Latvian center Kristaps Porziņģis. Fans in Latvia are rooting for him to become the first Latvian NBA champion. The World’s Daniel Ofman reports from Riga, Latvia.