BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Estonia sends her curling team to Scotland

By Mike Haggerty

INTERNATIONAL Championship curling returns to Scotland today when the Le Gruyere European Curling Championships get underway in Aberdeen.

This is the largest championship event on the international calendar, with 51 teams from 30 nations competing in two venues, the Linx Ice Arena and Curl Aberdeen facility. It is the first major competition to be held in the home of the sport since the 2005 Women's World Championship.

As well as being current world champion, Scotland's David Murdoch is also European champion and he starts his defence of a title he has won in the last two years, and three times overall, this morning against Sweden's Niklas Edin. Murdoch and his team – third Ewan MacDonald, second Pete Smith, lead Euan Byers and alternate Graeme Connal – then return to the ice this afternoon to face Thomas Dufour of France.

Among Murdoch's other "A" division rivals are Norway's Thomas Ulsrud, losing finalist in the last two European championships, and Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, Czech Republic, Finland and Italy.

A further 20 men's teams are involved in the "B" division, which has been divided into two further sections. One of these sees Bulgaria, England, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Spain compete. The other involves Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Slovakia and Wales.

Exclusive : Celtic start rebuilding programme as Puri and Ki Sung-Yong arrive

Keith Jackson and Neil Cameron

Tony Mowbray's Celtic revolution moved a massive stride closer yesterday when TWO new Boys checked into Glasgow.

Record Sport was the only newspaper to greet Korean kid Ki Sung-Yong when he arrived last night to seal his £2million move from FC Seoul.

Earlier Mowbray sprang a major surprise when he unveiled wing wizard Sander Puri.

The 21-year-old Estonian is out of contract with Levadia Tallinn and after failing to clinch a move to Borussia Dortmund, he is on trial at Lennoxtown, hoping to strike a deal with the Hoops.

Puri has been on Celtic's radar all season after impressing Mowbray's scouts with a dazzling international display against Brazil in August.

He is also being tracked by Werder Bremen but should Celtic win the race for the youngster they would still have to cough up compensation to Tallinn.

Tallinn - January 19th-24th, 2010 : ISU European Figure Skating Championships

The ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2010 will be held in Tallinn, Estonia between January 19th and 24th 2010. The venue of Saku Suurhall will be a stage for Europe’s best skaters competing for a title of European Champion just one month before the Olympic Games in Vanouver. It is great opportunity to see all your favourites and witness the performances of future Olympic Champions.

Estonian Skating Union and city of Tallinn are privileged to invite the skaters, coaches, officials, media and all the guests to Tallinn. The organizing committe welcomes you to take part in this exciting event in Tallinn. See you soon!

Estonian Air becomes an Official Carrier of the Estonian Football Association

President and CEO of Estonian Air Andrus Aljas and President of the Estonian Football Association Aivar Pohlak have signed an agreement on cooperation according to which Estonian Air becomes the Official Carrier of the Estonian Football Association.  Estonian Air is aiming to support football and the development of the Estonian National Football Team.

“Estonian Air has supported Estonian sport and sportsmen for many years, focusing primarily on athletics and skiing, and now also on football. We hope to contribute to the development of Estonian football and offer fast and convenient charter flights to the locations of games of the Estonian National Football Team,” says Andrus Aljas, President and CEO of Estonian Air.

“Cooperation with Estonian Air is important for us, because it allows us to travel directly from Tallinn as a football family – the team, officials, fans and supporters – to the games of Estonian National Football Team abroad,” says Aivar Pohlak, President of the Estonian Football Association. “It is crucial for us to offer for football supporters an opportunity to travel with the team, ensure good flight conditions for our team and cooperate with a well-known Estonian company,” Pohlak continued.

Kotshegarov, Goos Shock Field At Ironman Florida

While the professional fields at Saturday’s Ironman Florida were not very deep, the wins by up and comers 23 year-old Kirill Kotshegarov of Estonia and 29 year-old Sofie Goos of Belgium rattled the veterans of the Ironman distance.

Another unknown athlete, American Heath Thurston, led the pros out of the two-loop swim with a time of 49:21. Right on his heels was one of the veterans of the men’s field, Australian Luke Mckenzie. Kotshegarov was 11th out of the water at 53:44, and would have some time to make up if we wanted to earn his first Ironman win.

Once on the bike, Mckenzie quickly made his way to the front and hoped his bike lead would be enough to carry his position to the finish line. Behind Mckenzie, Kotshegarov made a statement by posting an impressive bike split on the fast Ironman Florida course with a time of 4:28:03 and heading into T1 in second.

Another youngster, 25 year-old Maxim Kriat of Ukraine, headed onto the run in third position looking for his first Ironman win. With several Ironmans already under his belt for the 2009 season, Mckenzie struggled with the marathon and quickly faded on the run, eventually finishing in seventh.

Kotshegaraov’s 2:57:11 marathon paired with his strong bike performance were enough to earn the Estonian the Ironman victory with a total time of 8:24:29.

Levadia have been crowned league champions for the fourth season in a row !

Estonian powerhouse Levadia Tallinn overcame Maag Tammeka Tartu 2-0 on Sunday to claim their fourth consecutive league title and the seventh in their eleven-year history with four matches still remaining in the season.

The Tallinn side also extended their unbeaten league run to a record 59 league games. Levadia started the season with a 2-1 defeat against Flora in the Estonian Super Cup but recovered to produce 28 wins and four draws from their league fixtures to date.

"Well done everybody. The players did their job well. But there are some nuances we still have to work on. We have not reached our ceiling yet. We will always have some inner reserve," head coach Igor Prins said to uefa.com.

Levadia lost their leading goal scorer midway the season as Nikita Andreev moved to Spanish side Almeria. That did not hurt their championship bid though, as Vitali Gussev took up the baton and is currently the league's top goalscorer with 24 goals from 28 games.

Stefan Coerts

Estonian olympian Marko Albert wins Great Floridian triathlon short-course event

CLERMONT - There was no surprise Saturday morning at the Great Floridian Triathlon short course event -- a 1.24-mile swim, 38-mile bicycle and 9.3-mile run -- that was held as part of the 19th annual Great Floridian Triathlon at Waterfront Park.

Marko Albert, 30, a two-time Olympian from Estonia, who is in Clermont training for the 70.3-mile World Championship Triathlon that will be held in Clearwater, Florida, on Nov. 14, breezed to the victory. Albert, who is from Tallin, Estonia, won his race in a time of 3 hours, 7 minutes and 4 seconds -- more than 21 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Marc Giulianotti, 36, of Vero Beach (3:28:45).

Josh Akognon to play in Europe

padecky

Former Casa Grande star Josh Akognon flew Friday to Estonia to begin an 8-month stint for the professional basketball team in the city of Kalev-Cramo.

Akognon, who starred for Cal State Fullerton, went undrafted but had tryouts with five NBA teams: Warriors, Lakers, Kings, Spurs and Trail Blazers.

“I was told that I was an NBA player but that I needed some more experience,” said Akognon, a 5-foot-11 guard. “I also was told that the team in Estonia is one of the top European teams and playing well there would really help me.”

Akognon was not sure what his salary would be but that, at a minimum it’s $5,000 a month.

Golf tees off in Estonia

EVER wanted to play midnight golf? Now you can - but you have to go to Estonia. Golf is pretty new in Estonia - it just didn't happen there when the country gained independence from the Soviet bloc back in 1991 - but already there are now eight courses in the Estonian Golf Association.

Thanks to the county's northern position - on the Baltic coast in eastern Europe - there are only about four hours of darkness daily during the summer. The latitudes allow play deep into the night - and the Estonian Golf & Country Club (www.egcc.ee) offers golfers the chance of that midnight round.

The complex boasts 27 holes, which mixes traditional British golf links with old Estonian forests and the Baltic sea. It was designed by Finnish professional player Lassi Pekka Tilander.

The club's nine-hole Stone Course is ideal for night golfers. Opened in 2005 and situated on the upper plateau, the 2,903m layout is built on a limestone heritage site. The course is open to the winds and sprinkled with stone fences and ancient grave markings and wild junipers. You will be provided with night 'tracer' flashing balls that light up for five minutes after being hit.

Night golf will make you trust your swing and force you to listen for the sound of the ball landing on the fairways and greens. Great fun. And take a post-match sauna - it's a popular Estonian pastime. But don't play in the winter - it's dark all the time and the courses are closed as they are covered in snow. The Estonia golf season starts in April and ends in early autumn.

The jewel in the crown, though, is the club's championship Sea Course, which opened last year. It is already regarded as one of the premier courses in eastern Europe and one of only eight venues endorsed by the European Tour.

Estonia beats Belgium 2-0 in World Cup qualifying

TALLINN — Raio Piiroja and Konstantin Vassiljev scored to give Estonia a 2-0 victory over Belgium on Wednesday in the last round of World Cup qualifying.

Piiroja received a perfect pass from Vassiljev and headed in the ball in the 30th minute, leaving Belgium goalkeeper Logan Bailly stranded.

Estonia doubled the lead after a rapid counter attack in the 67th, when Dmitri Kruglov crossed the ball to Vassiljev to make it 2-0.

The best chance for Belgium came in the 37th minute, but Jan Vertonghen's precise shot failed to beat Estonian goalie Sergei Pareiko.

"The result was thanks to our higher determination to win and our aggressive play," Raio Piiroja said. "We knew that this would be the last qualifying game and the last chance to beat the visitors in front of home spectators."

Neither team had a chance of advancing from Group 5, which was won by Spain

Bosnia beats Estonia 2-0 in World Cup qualifying

TALLINN — Bosnia-Herzegovina beat Estonia 2-0 on Saturday after goals from Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic to clinch second spot in Group 5 of World Cup qualifying.

Dzeko received the ball on a counterattack after Estonia had squandered possession and found the net in the 30th minute.

Ibisevic made it 2-0 in the 64th by beating goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko after another fast-breaking attack by the visitors.

The best chance for Estonia came in the 41st minute, when Vladimir Voskoboinikov's powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area just missed the net.

Ibisevic had an excellent chance to extend Bosnia's lead in the 89th minute but his shot missed the net by a large margin.

Bosnia is likely to advance to a two-legged playoff for the World Cup after finishing second in the group behind Spain.

Estonia - Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia-Herzegovina will be looking for a victory against already eliminated Estonia to seal their passage to the World Cup play-offs.

Estonia Aiming For Revenge

With nothing left to play for, Estonia will at least try to gain revenge over Bosnia-Herzegovina, who hammered them 7-0 in Zenica in their second World Cup qualifier a little over a year ago. The Eastern European minnows have had another difficult campaign, earning just a measly five points from eight games.

The qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup went much better for Estonia. On that occasion, they earned no less than 17 points from 12 games, finishing fourth in their group. This gave the country hope for the future, but the qualification campaign for Euro 2008 was again disappointing, as they finished second from bottom in their group with just seven points from 12 matches.

Their current World Cup qualifying campaign seems to confirm that the progress shown ahead of the 2006 World Cup was just a flash in the pan. Estonia’s only good results in Group 5 came against Armenia, against whom they earned four points, and Turkey, whom they held to a scoreless draw in Tallinn.

One Final Effort

Serena Williams advance at China Open

BEIJING - World number one Dinara Safina had to overcome some tough moments before reaching the second round of the China Open ATP/WTA tournament here on Sunday.

American Serena Williams also ensured a booth in the round of 32 after defeating Kaia Kanepi from Estonia 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 22 minutes.

Williams broke in the eighth game to lead at 5-3 in the opening set but Kanepi, capitalizing on her opponent's double faults, took a break back in the next game.

In the 12th game and leading 6-5 on Kanepi's serve, Williams hit top gear to get three set points and finally converted on the third to take the set at 7-5.

Kanepi showed battling qualities at the start of the next set, storming to a 3-0 lead while Williams, the current world number two, held her nerve to level the match and never looked back before claiming the set at 6-4.

Blazevic announces Bosnia squad for World Cup qualifiers against Estonia & Spain

Bosnia & Herzegovina's national coach has named 24 players to face the Estonians and Spaniards...

Bosnia & Herzegovina national coach Miroslav Blazovic has announced his squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers away against Estonia on October 10 and at home against Spain four days later.

The successful coach has named 24 players for the crucial clashes and will rely heavily on the class of a number of Bundesliga stars. Hoffenheim duo Sejad Salihovic and Vedad Ibisevic, as well as Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko and Zvjezdan Misimovic are part of Blazovic's selection.

Furthermore, Lyon playmaker Miralem Pjanic is part of the Bosnia squad as well. The young midfielder has been instrumental in Lyon's recent good form.

Bosnia currently sit second in their World Cup qualifying group. One win in their remaining two matches will be enough to secure a place in the play-offs.

Excitement builds among World Cup hopefuls in Estonia

The quest to qualify for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup moves to Europe this week as the European Qualifier is staged at the Estonian Golf and Country Club.

A total of 18 nations, including hosts Estonia, will vie for three places at the US$5.5 million Omega Mission Hills World Cup which will be played from November 26 – 29 at Mission Hills Golf Club, China.

Like the Omega Mission Hills World Cup itself, the first and third rounds of the qualifier will use the fourball better ball format while the second and final rounds will use the foursomes (alternate shot) format.

Scotland’s Alistair Forsyth is hoping to secure his return to Mission Hills this year having teamed up with Colin Montgomerie in 2008 when Scotland were defending champions.

“Mission Hills was brilliant last year,” said Forsyth. “The World Cup has really grown in stature and the organisation of the event was great.

“The World cup is different, it’s a bit special. It’s the only time outside The Ryder Cup that we get the chance to play in a team format and to represent our country. It’s good fun as well. Hopefully we will make it back to China this year.”

Assets of bankrupt Otepää Golf on sale for EEK 36 mln

The assets are golf club building, which was on fire in the spring, maintenance fall, office building, golf establishments and cars and other leased assets. The assets also include two trademarks – Estonian Golf Academy and Otepää Golf Marathon.

Otepää Golf doesn’t have all land use contracts.

The assets do not include receivables, claims against third parties and money on accounts or in cash.

Mountain biking : Gold for Dahle Fesjaa

Norway's Gunn-Rita Dahle Fesjaa, secured a surprice victory in the women's European Champion mountain bike cross-country marathon in Tartu on Sunday, only 6 months after giving birth to a son.

In her come-back after the birth Gunn-Rita (36) won ahead of Olympic silver medalist Maja Wloszczowska. The Norwegian also set a new track record, despite a stop due to technical problems. 

- This is a great and unforgettable day, and it will likely take some time before I can really take it in, Dahle Fesjaa said to NRK after the race.

ECCC Juniors titles

Group C

Estonian boys team SK Altius Parnu won Group C in Heusde-Zolder in Belgium with 102 points ahead of Croatian ASK Split (93) and gained promotion to Group B for 2010.

Group C team rankings : 

Junior boys: 1. SK Altius Parnu, EST 102, 2. ASK Split, CRO 93, 3. Nike, LTU 77, 4. Juventude Vidigalese, POR 75, 5. Tamperen Pyrinto, FIN 62, 6. DAL, BEL 59, 7. Dooneen AC, IRL 58.

Bernhardt acting the part for Estonia

Estonia currently lead the way in qualifying Group 2 for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and German coach Frank Bernhardt deserves much of the praise for their impressive start.

Rapid progress
Bernhardt came to Estonia looking to improve youth football two years ago, taking the reins of the national side in four different age groups, and a year later he added the U21 team to his list of responsibilities. Having led the U19 side through to the Elite round of the UEFA European U19 Championship last year, the 40-year-old is now matching that progress with the U21s, who opened qualifying with a 1-0 win in Switzerland and have since beaten Georgia and drawn with the Republic of Ireland.

Coaching chance
As a player, Bernhardt rose no higher than the third tier in Germany before back surgery ended his career, but coaching gave him the chance to stay in football, and after working with the youth sides at FC St. Pauli for six years, he faced a choice between leading a fourth division outfit in Germany or moving to Estonia. "I liked this country and its people from the beginning," he said. "There was lots of room for improvement and that was a real challenge for me. I felt young enough for such a hard and interesting job. Now, after two and a half years, the situation is nowhere near as bad as when I started. Then, 15-0 and 20-0 defeats just shocked me. There were a few talented players and they didn't have an opportunity to improve."

Estonian Golf and Country Club

Eurosport-Yahoo! grabbed a rare chance to play some good old fashioned British links golf. Although there was one catch, it was in a Baltic state!

Next week the Estonian Golf and Country Club hosts the World Cup European Qualifier at its' Sea Course.

The EGCC opened in 2005 and is one of only eight courses in Estonia where golf - like the country itself that only gained independence in 1991 - is still in infancy.

The course is situated just half an hour from the capital Tallinn and only 15 minutes from the airport. With flights from the UK taking under three hours, it is as convenient for a long weekend golfing break as any of the popular Iberian destinations.

But the Costa del Sol this certainly is not. Although Tallinn is bizarrely twinned with Dartford, it's Old Town is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and allows visitors to combine a city break with some quality golf.

The Sea Course was designed by Finn Lassi Pekka Tilander in full compliance with United States Golf Association requirements and is a true Championship course, spanning more than 7,000 yards as it meanders its way through forest all the way to the coast and the Jagala River.