, I think he is a good, good, good player so we are happy to have him

TOKYO -- Theyve set up the elite academy, set in motion the Gold Plan and expect Kohei Uchimura to deliver three medals of that color in Rio de Janeiro next month, all part of the Japanese Olympic Committees ambitious program leading into Tokyo 2020.Japan is sending 331 athletes to Rio, the countrys third-largest delegation at the Olympics after Tokyo in 1964 and Beijing in 2008, and has targeted 14 gold medals -- double its tally from London four years ago.Koji Murofushi, the 2004 Olympics hammer throw gold medalist who is now sports director for the 2020 Tokyo organizing committee, says Japans performance in Rio will be vital in paving the way for success on home soil in the subsequent Summer Games.Rio is a very important moment for us, Murofushi told The Associated Press. If the athletes do well in Rio, then more attention would be coming from the public, and then, throughout Tokyo 2020. So it is very important for athletes to compete well.Japan is anticipating strong performances in mens gymnastics with London gold medalist Kohei Uchimura projected to win three golds. Other gold medal hopefuls include wrestlers Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho and swimmer Kosuke Hagino.The expectation is that success in Rio will carry over to Tokyo. Host countries have done well on the medal standings in recent editions.Japan has set an ambitious goal of third place on the table in Tokyo, a vast improvement on its 11th place at London in 2012.The goals are set out in the JOC Gold Plan, designed to improve Japans international competitiveness. A key component of that is the creation of a national youth development program called the JOC Elite Academy to identify and prepare young athletes for the Tokyo Olympics in four years.Those games are sure to have a different look than Rio. For starters, there could be five new sports added to the program under the International Olympic Committees new rules that allow a host city to propose sports.Baseball-softball, surfing, skateboarding, karate and sports climbing have been recommended for inclusion, with a decision expected from the IOC next month.While Murofushi welcomes the return of baseball and softball, which are hugely popular in Japan, the 41-year-old former Olympian says hes especially excited about new sports making a debut in Tokyo.I was a skateboarding kid too, Murofushi said. Think about the skateboarding kids doing tricks on the streets -- once they announce that in the Olympics there will be skateboarding, I know they will be so crazy and excited.While the 1964 Games were largely about Japan returning to the global stage as an economic power, 2020 will be a showcase of high-tech, safety and organizational efficiency.Tokyo is a very secure and safe city, Murofushi said. So I know that athletes will enjoy both the competition scene and when theyre relaxing. Theo Pinson Nets Jersey . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Julius Erving Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. https://www.netsrookiesshop.com/Dzanan-Musa-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Taurean Prince Nets Jersey . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Theo Pinson Jersey . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. MANCHESTER, England -- After an offseason of heavy spending, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is to set about trimming his squad -- and one player whose future could be in doubt is goalkeeper Joe Hart.Guardiola was asked Friday how central Hart was to City and the England international was hardly given a ringing endorsement.Im so happy about his qualities, his behavior, what he means to this club, Guardiola said. After, we are going to decide inside the doors (of the club). Now, he is a player of us.City has been linked with a move for goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who plays for Guardiolas former club Barcelona and is more comfortable than Hart with the ball at his feet. Its a quality that Guardiola likes in a goalkeeper, so attacks can be built from the back.Hart has been with City since 2006, and is Englands undisputed No. 1. However, he had a disappointing campaign for England during the European Championship, blamed for two of the goals conceded -- including Icelands winner in the embarrassing last-16 exit to the smallest nation in the competition.Guardiola said he would be busy shuffling his squad until the last day of the transfer window, with one of the priorities getting the numbers down from the 28 or 29 he says he has at his disposal. Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony could also be set to leave City, having been left off the squad for the upcoming Champions League playoff against Steaua Bucharest.We have to reduce our squad, Guardiola said.City has spent around $200 million this offseason in signing eight players -- the latest being center back John Stoness from Everton for a fee of $62 million on Tuesday.ddddddddddddStones is another technically gifted player. And while doubts have been cast about his defensive qualities, Stones is the type of ball-player that Guardiola likes having at center back.With his ability to build up (play), with his intelligence to read the next step, the next pass, behind the line, I think he is a good, good, good player so we are happy to have him, Guardiola said.Stones may be handed his debut against Sunderland on Saturday, in Guardiolas first competitive game in charge of City.Of course, there is a lack of time, its true, Guardiola said. But he reads the game. The people who are intelligent, they read exactly what is going on, what they have to do. John Stones, that is why we took him. I think hes ready.City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak visited the club this week, and chatted to the new players during training. He will be at Etihad Stadium for the Sunderland game, which begins possibly the most exciting era in Citys history.City is the favorite to win the Premier League title, but Guardiola doesnt expect the team to be at its best immediately.To create something, we need time, to create something with ideas to attack we need time, he said. But to play with soul and something inside, we dont need time.Tomorrow we dont know if everyone is going to play good or if we will get the result, but I will not accept not playing with soul. We can do that from the first day. ' ' '