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TRINITY CITY, STARBASE 118 — Speed racing legend takes a comfortable grip of second place on the points leaderboard of the Jenatris Cloud 500, locking in a fourth overall victory with noted Gorn relish. The Gorn trailed the leader by 13.8 seconds heading into the final stage. Despite an unexpected squall of micro-asteroids which perforated his starboard manifold, he finished 32.6 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. He beat the race leader, V’Nar, at the last moment by little more than a canopy length. Approached after the race, V’Nar merely raised an eyebrow at the questions asked and walked away. Voorsh, however, was in an understandably jubilant mood. The team celebrations continued long into the journey back to Starbase 118. “I am excited to return to Jenatris Cloud 500 and knock V’Nar out of the lead,” expressed Voorsh with relish. “Once the shuttlecraft is repaired, we will continue with our domination of the speed-racing scene.” Thunderbolt Sports Report waits in anticipation of the next thrilling race and, as always, live coverage is available through sports streaming nets. The post Thunder at Jenatris Cloud 500: Glirash Voorsh snatches fourth victory appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

ASHALLA DISTRICT — Her name is all over the Tetraball record books, holding more titles than anyone in the game’s history. Remembered for her rise to fame playing for the Varan Vipers, winning a record eleven Trinity Sector Champions League trophies, over twenty various league titles, and a record of fourteen Trinity Sector Challenge Cups. “Our thoughts are with Taase’s family at this very sad time,” expressed Varan Vipers spokesperson, Riri Vope. “She is not only a legend amongst Vipers fans but throughout the world of Tetraball.” Unsurprising, given her early support of the relatively unknown sport in 2363. In previous interviews on her initial foray into Tetraball as a viable galactic sport, Taase discovered the game on a Velocity tour of Beta Antares IV, and advocated for the founding of an Interstellar Tetraball Foundation. She served as one of the founding members and representatives until her declining health in recent years. “We are incredibly sad to lose one of our own,” ITF Publicity Chairperson Norem Kaam said, expressing the grief of the teams. “She never missed a chance to show us how our interstellar sports could benefit from expansion, inspire all around the galaxy, and reach the hearts of billions. Truly, she was a star.” Several of her former teammates have come forward to express their gratitude for the life of the graceful and dignified athlete, who endeavoured to inspire everyone she could, including her many devoted fans through an incredible eighty-year career. For some, she was a shining beacon during the years of the Bajoran Occupation, and continued the same work in her home on Starbase 118’s Ashalla District, reaching out to the communities. “She was unbreakable, the stuff of stars.” Ache Alraso, Captain for the Varan Vipers said, exemplifying her courage and tenacity. “A personal hero and I’m forever grateful I could call her my friend.” As the 2398 season is due to start imminently, a special presentation covering the life and work of Taase Ripre will feature and will be available for all Thunderbolt Sports Report subscribers, as well as viewable on all major networks during the event itself. The FNS extends its condolences to the family and will pass on well-wishing communications received. The post Tetraball legend Taase Ripre dead at 109 appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

BETA ANTARES IV — The Trinity City Eagles have cut off talks to re-sign Matteo Barana, their former star Centre. Barana is coming to the end of his two-season contract with the Raskor Giants, the only “off-station” team in the three-tier league system aboard Starbase 118 and based in the capital of Raskor IV. Fans were ecstatic at the news of Barana’s return. His participation in the league was instrumental in four of the Eagles’ last five title wins. A curt club statement asserting all talks were off, and would not be rekindled, left many fans stunned and wondering just what had occurred behind the scenes. Our on-site reporter can reveal the Eagles came into possession of a recording in which it shows Barana making xenophobic comments towards his Andorian teammate, Kahl Shreth. When asked for his views on the matter, Shreth simply said, “I have not the time for childish word games.” With Barana’s reputation in tatters, fans will now have to wait to see if the Starbase 118 Ice Hockey Association will allow him to even remain a registered player. Stay tuned for further updates. Bringing you the latest sports news from around the galaxy and Starbase 118: Tetraball, Speed-Racing, Ice-Hockey, and more. Thunderbolt Sports Report keeps you in the loop. The post Scandal as Matteo Barana leaves Trinity City Eagles appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

SOL III – The Federated States of Micronesia claimed their third successive Soccer World Cup victory this weekend, smashing records for historical finals with a flourishing spectacle. On a night to remember in Montevideo, two powerhouses of Association Football faced each other in what will surely go down as one of the most dramatic World Cup finals in history. In the sweltering South American heat, hosts Uruguay took on everyone’s pre-tournament pick to lift the trophy – the Federated States of Micronesia. Though, the FSM did not have it all their own way. Uruguay took the lead early in the first half with a terrific headed goal from their talisman striker – Ernesto Castro. The goal unsettled the FSM team, and they were lucky to have left the field trailing by only one at half-time. After the break, the already considerable temperature inside the Luis Suárez Arena continued to rise as both teams challenged their opponents’ goalkeepers skills to the maximum. Jonas Valverde, the official photographer of the Uruguayan national team, was on hand. “The atmosphere was incredible. For a while, our fans really believed we could do it! They were so motivated, shouting from the stands, and even the holographic fans did their part!” Sadly for the host nation, however, it wasn’t to be on this occasion. Goals from Adao and Marz placed FSM 2-1 ahead with less than ten minutes remaining on the clock. Uruguay could draw level, and it was Castro who popped up once again for La Celeste, but as the game approached full-time, defender Newell Ortiz brought down Adao in the box, earning a last-minute penalty. Despite overwhelming protests from the partisan crowd, the Holovid Assistant Referee confirmed they had made contact, and upheld the decision. Ortiz received a green card, meaning he must leave the field of play, but as Uruguay had not used all five substitutes, they quickly replaced him. Ultimately, though, it mattered little, as FSM striker Wilson tucked the penalty away with aplomb. Concluding FSM’s third successive World Cup title, Terrans are wondering if the Islanders’ domination can ever be broken. Uruguayan head coach Dennis Hernández expressed some pride in that all of his players were born on Earth. Conversely, the same was not true for their opponents, five of whose number born on various Terran colonies and one of whom who is half-Klingon. With a United Earth government and the diversity and freedom offered by space travel and the Federation in this modern age, some have questioned the relevance of an exclusively Terran tournament in recent times, but some traditions die hard. FIFA President Richard Argent has argued against it. “No other sport can claim to have done as much to bring the people of this planet together. Was it not football played on the battlefields of World War One during the Christmas truce of 1914? Was it not FIFA that had more member countries than the United Nations at one point? Did El Salvador not wage war on Honduras following the defeat in a soccer match? Wasn’t it a soccer player who organised a cease-fire in the Ivory Coast, bringing a five-year civil-war to a close? Did an exhibition match not bring the 1967 Nigerian Civil War to a stop for two days?” Uruguay was, in fact, the first team to host a World Cup over 450 years ago, and the first team to win it. In celebration of the victory, a new trophy will be commissioned for the next tournament in 2399, as tradition dictates that a team who wins the tournament three times is allowed the keep the current iteration. The post Dramatic Late Winner Of Soccer World Cup Seals Third Victory For Pre-tournament Favourites appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

ANDORIA – Andorian Aces and Kindred of Kahless meet on the ice in an epic battle for the title of Champion in first Galactic Ice Hockey tournament held on Andoria. Ice Hockey, a popular sport from Earth, has taken off amongst the many races of the federation, and several of her neighbours too. As is stated in the name, this particular sport is played on a field of ice. It should come as no surprise then, that the Andorians, who inhabit the frozen moon Andoria, would naturally gravitate toward this sport. Ice Hockey has always had a reputation as an aggressive sport, and unsurprisingly this has drawn the attention of the Klingon Empire. They have fielded a team for the first Galactic Ice Hockey tournament, which is being held on Andoria. Several other planets within the Federation have fielded teams too, including five teams from Earth, which is unsurprising when you consider the fact that they invented the sport. With Andoria hosting the tournament it seemed only fitting that their team, calling themselves the Andorian Aces, be the first to play, and with the Klingons as the only non-federation species attending it seemed respectful that the Kindred of Kahless opposes the Aces for the first match. Both teams gave it all they had, and both teams walked away with an assortment of minor injuries. Some concerns were raised by officials when one of the Andorian players collided with one of the much larger Klingons and suffered an injury to his antenna, rendering him out for the season. The Galactic Ice Hockey league promises that they are looking into the incident and say that they will be amending the rules with clauses regarding injury to antenna, tails, and other uniquely sensitive and vital pieces of alien anatomy. In the end, the game was very close with the Klingons taking it 4-3. “It was a glorious game!” Echak, son of Mellor, Captain of the Klingon team reported after the match. “The Andorians played with the honour and ferocity we expected from them, and they proved more challenging than we expected. However, I never lost faith that my brothers out there in the ring would seize victory!” The Andorian team could not be reached for comment but released a statement affirming their Klingon opponents played well and deserved their victory. Fans are now waiting eagerly for the second match of the tournament when the Saurian Strikers are set to take on the first of the Terran teams, the Canadian Chargers. The post First Galactic Ice Hockey Tournament Kicks Off on Andoria appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

BOLARUS IX – For the third year in the event’s history, the Galactic Regatta’s championship leg will be held on Bolarus IX home of the defending cup holder. The event is being touted to run for four days to maximize both fan enjoyment and time for the unique events centred on the Bay of Bolse. The first day promises smaller activities including a free swim race across the mouth of the bay, jet ski buoy races, windsurfing, and land-based activities to help everyone settle in. On the second day, the rowing competition begins with two separate races of four teams each across the widest part of the bay, the winners of both races will compete the following morning to decide the winner of their division. Later in the morning on the third day the Junior Championship race begins with seven teams of two piloting catamaran styled crafts in a race from the lower tip of the bay out to a buoy in the Lolsara Ocean and back to the bay. The junior race this year also marks a first as a team from the Romulan Republic have qualified for entry. When asked for comment, last years Junior Champion Captain Ardolar Saht said, “I think it is great that we are allowing more teams into the race, more variety means better competition.” “Regardless of the amount of the competition it is only logical that we will hold our title given how well we work together,” added Strelvuk, Mister Saht’s Vulcan teammate. On the ultimate day, they will decide the Grand Championship as the competitors square off in a race around the continent of Rasara. The 7.6-meter ships leave the Bay of Bolse heading east before turning north. The first checkpoint will be at the domed underwater settlement of Bor’Kehr, then the ships will continue north around the tip of Rasara through the Strait of Bolse, which holds the second checkpoint before they head down the western edge of the continent braced with the sheer, jagged cliffs buffeted by a rough surface even during the dry season. The final checkpoint comes as the ships hug the coast and turn east once more heading to the finish line at the mouth of the bay. Some competitors have voiced concern with the length of the last race, and how close Bolarus is to the onset of the rainy season, however, others have pointed out that the racer-cruiser style of boats outfitted for overnight sailing. The crew of The Prophet’s Gaze shared their thoughts. “I think the amount of complaining at this stage of the competition is pitiful,” explained Voga Rhosarn, captain of the Gaze. “If they are so concerned with the type of race, they should win the title so they can move the Championship to their homeworld next year.” No matter the outcome, the festivities are sure to be an exciting and action-packed time for everyone involved and a fantastic way for Bolarus to conclude the dry season with the reassurances from the representative of the Bolian World Council Mihya Corass. “While hurricanes may have once been a problem for our people we have excelled at predicting their onset and strength with almost perfect accuracy.” The post Twelfth Annual Galactic Regatta Championship to be hosted on Bolarus IX appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

STARBASE 118 – After a decade of dominance in Starfleet’s intramural baseball league, Deep Space 9’s “Niners” team has announced they will not be competing for this year’s top prize in the Benjamin Sisko Memorial Cup. With their star player out for antennae reassignment surgery, and their coach – Ambassador V’Lelk – having retired last year, the DS9 team is regrouping and disappointing fans everywhere. This opens the way for newer teams to compete, including Starbase 118’s Trojans, named after the station’s official class designation. The Trojans have recruited several skilled and experienced players, including Takata Yuma of the DS9 team who transferred to 118 soon after V’Lelk retired in what some saw as a power-play by Captain Sal Taybrim to put her team in the running for the Cup. The chances are slim, though, that a new and inexperienced team will make it to the final runoff considering the competition they’re up against. Last year’s finale losers, The Logicians, from the venerated Vulcan-only starship T’Pol, have already said they’re determined to take the crown after what was seen as a controversial close to last year’s game when the first Ocampa visitor to the Alpha Quadrant, four-year-old dignitary Lok, reached out over the outfield wall and caught a ball, robbing the Logicians outfielder of the opportunity to catch the fly and giving the Niners the extra runs required to put them over the top. Other teams – including The Voyagers, Binars, and Nawesomcaans – have all been training with heretofore unseen zeal for this moment when the Niners finally loosened their grip on the prize. “We’re not sure why there’s so much controversy over the fact that we brought in holosuite design expert for our training field program. It doesn’t seem like much extravagance to upgrade the field if we’re going to go for the cup?” said Commander Condor Rampart, coach for the Nawesomcaans, commenting on the Federation Enquirer story that questioned Rampart’s use of Federation time and resources, and an alleged connection between the holosuite program designer and the Orion Crime Syndicate. A Starfleet investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. Cup matches are slated to begin after the Ha’mara festival and will take place on Betazed. In an amusing turn of events, the Betazoid team failed to submit their paperwork in time to qualify after a miscommunication about the deadline. The post Benjamin Sisko Memorial Cup Sees New Entrants appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

CESTUS III ⁠— The reigning champions of the Cestus III Baseball League are trading in their bats and mitts for bowls of broth and plenty of rest. Remy LaFleur, Assistant General Manager for the Pike City Pioneers baseball club, confirmed that the team’s offseason training which was set to begin today has been delayed due to most of the players and coaches contracting food poisoning. Team doctors are not sure of the exact nature of the infection but stated the team should be able to commence their training in the next few days. When asked in which restaurant the players likely contracted the food poisoning, LaFleur declined to speculate. However, the cause is most likely due to ingestion of bad sushi at a favorite Pioneers player restaurant, according to one fan theory. “I call on all Pioneers fans to boycott Rainbow Pagoda! They tried to kill our boys!” said super fan “Wagon Train” Rick, speaking as President of the official Pike City Pioneers fan club at the club’s annual preseason meeting held last night. “We all know that’s the favorite restaurant of the team, and we all know how bad their sushi can be this time of year!” The owner of Rainbow Pagoda, a popular seafood and sushi restaurant in Pike City’s market district, could not be reached for comment. Rival teams, the Cestus Comets and Traerston Tigers, could also not be reached; however, rumors indicate both teams are prohibited from consuming non-replicated food for the remainder of the season and plenty of antacids to alleviate acute functional dyspepsia are on standby. Pike City is coming off their fifth straight championship title and baseball pundits from across the planet have already named the Pioneers a favorite to be a “Six-peat”, even with the delayed start to training. Exhibition games for the year’s spring training are set to begin next month. The post Champion baseball team training delayed due to illness appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

ANDORIA — Action ramps up at the Galactic Ice Hockey Tournament as the Denobulan Dodgers are off to a flying start after topping their first division and set to face old enemies in the next game. Losing only one of their games in the group – their game against The Gallant Grazites – missed by the last minute goal making the score 2-1 in favor of the Grazites. The loss was a shock to everyone, as they were last in the group with the one game to go. Sadly, they stayed in the last position but showed performance to be proud of for their fans. Other teams in the league displayed rousing feats of power as well. The Blessed Bajorans came second. While they didn’t lose any matches, they drew two and only won the singular game, coming in position behind the Denobulan Dodgers by only a couple of points. In third was the Haliian Heroes. They lost all their games bar one against the Gallant Grazities, which came in at 4-1. Their opponent came in dead last, losing all their games bar the surprising win over the Denobulan Dodgers, and coming in under the Haliians due to scoring fewer goals in the group. They only managed the three goals by full-time – two against the Denobulans, and the one against the Haliians – they failed to score against the Bajoran team, thrashed 7-0 by the team. The highest scoring match in the group was the Denobulan Dodgers vs. Blessed Bajoran match, culminating in a thrilling 8-9 win for the Denobulan Dodgers. Every fan in the stadium was up on their feet for almost the whole match. It was quite something to watch. The lowest scoring match was the Blessed Bajorans vs the Haliian Heroes, in which they shared a 0-0 draw, leaving many fans disappointed. “My guys and gals did amazing out there,” commented Captain Arax – of the Denobulan Dodgers – how she felt about her team’s success in the group. “I’m extremely proud of them and I know that they did our planet and people just as proud.” Receiving the “Denobulan of the Match”, Krez Carlson scored four of the nine goals against the Blessed Bajorans. A Denobulan Human Hybrid, Carlson was permitted to play for the team due to his Denobulan heritage. “It’s an amazing feeling,” said top goal scorer Carlson, regarding his performance in the matches. “I’m just happy I can show off how much we’ve developed as a team since the last tournament. We didn’t do too well then and we’ve all been training almost day and night for the past three months for this. So yeah, it’s amazing!” The Denobulan Dodgers will go onto play the Antaran Athletes in the next stage of the competition following their decisive victory in their group. The game is set to be an interesting one due to the history between the two species. It will be exciting to see how that game plays out and see who will progress further on towards the final of the tournament and claim the prize of Galactic Ice Hockey Tournament. The post Denboluan Dodgers set to face Antaran Athletes after rousing victory in first division appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

M892-IV – The colony of M892-IV celebrated the ancient festival of Saturnalia last month with a communal feast, altruism, an incessant party, bookmaking, and a heavily protested gladiator competition broadcasted across the sector. Gladiators a thing of the past? Only seen on Qo’nos? The answer to both is no. They are alive and well, and on M892-IV, the recent Saturnalia gladiator tournament attracted Klingon warriors and Andorians amongst the legions to fight it out. The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, once celebrated on Earth and other similar “parallel development” planets, continues to be observed on M892-IV, where the Roman Empire remains strong in its rule. A high point of the calendar, the festival sees a weeklong party in the last month of the year. This past celebration saw many events taking place, from sampling exotic foods to drinking alcoholic drinks from the far reaches of the quadrant. Other activities were hosted by the Ceti eel fanciers and the tribble breeders club. Bars were set up to be open all the time, and plenty of drinks were shipped in to ensure partygoers had no time to sober up. And of course, there was the gladiator tournament, where betting was high in anticipation of the Klingon warrior Okras, who had been highly favored to win. The tournament was transmitted live by M892-IV’s controversial broadcast channel Empire TV, already reviled in some areas for its screening of the Great Targ Hunt in 2390 and the heavily criticised Galactic Bake-Off, which saw the Klingon entrant serving Gagh and Targ milk and advising the judges if it wasn’t to their liking, they could suckle at a Targ instead. Although heavily protested, the tournament remained popular with the locals, and a major upset occurred when Nausicaan fighter Harkenna emerged victorious. When asked to comment on his win by one of Empire TV’s local reporters, Harkenna attacked the journalist and was subsequently arrested. Empire TV later reported that the broadcast broke a new viewership record. The post Empire TV broadcasts live gladiator tournament during Saturnalia amidst protests appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

TELLAR PRIME — Following three months of quarter-finals and semi-finals, two teams in the Tellarite Debate Championship remain. The Debate Championship is a popular spectator sport on Tellar Prime, traditionally reaching an audience of millions across the Federation every year. This year’s debate finals have drawn a crowd of 175,000 spectators watching the debate in person while millions more watch a broadcast of the deliberations. The popular Rurlet City Debate Association is now engaged in a verbal duel with the Tellar Prime University Debate Team for the championship title. The Rurlet City Debate Association had a strong showing in the qualifying round after earning an unprecedented perfect score from two judges. The team’s thorough defense of the necessity of the Khitomer Accords ban on subspace weapons and their argument against the utility of espionage in Federation-Romulan relations both earned them a substantial following early on. An unexpectedly persuasive rebuttal against the Tuwe Foundation’s argument for warp speed restrictions saved the team’s chances of advancing to the final round by a very thin margin. Meanwhile, the team from Tellar Prime University was not favored to advance past the third round. A series of subpar performances and a seeming inability to obey time constraints left the team of students without much chance to enter the finals. An unexpected forfeit from their opponents in the final round of regular debate allowed them to secure their spot in the quarter-finals. The debate finals have so far seen neither team advance substantially. The first round of the finals focused on the Dominion War. Subjects included the amount of blame that the Tenth Fleet deserves for the Battle of Betazed, whether or not addiction to Ketracel-white indicated an inability to control the Jem’Hadar, and the motivating forces behind the creation of the Cardassian Liberation Front. No clear winner emerged after exhausting the list of topics so the judges began the second round of debate. This week marks the start of the fourth week of debate and the opening arguments for the rights of non-organic life. “The scorecards from the judges in round one are illuminating,” said Tarne’Gil, a former judge for the Tellarite Debate Championship. “Tellar Prime University’s team has matched the Rurlet City team’s natural gift for rebuttal and counter-arguments with their unique style of presenting and structuring their arguments.” While this year’s championship match-up has lasted longer than expected, it is not the longest by any means. During each round of debate, typically lasting two days per topic, the panel of judges assign a numerical score to each team based on various aspects of their debate performance. The finals continue until one team has earned a majority of the points available or all eight rounds have ended. The current record is 143 days with a previous Tellar Prime University team winning the championship by six points after all debate topics had been exhausted. Whatever the outcome, it is clear that the art of debate is alive and thriving on Tellar Prime. The post Tellarite Debate Championship Final enters fourth week appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

CESTUS III — The thriving baseball league on the Federation world of Cestus III has seen a new team, the Traerston Tigers, join its ranks. All baseball lovers Federation-wide are aware of the state of the league on Cestus III when it comes to its quality of play. While always fair and a good show, it has yet to happen that a team from the Top League of the Cestus III Baseball League reaches a high ranking in the Federation Galactic Cup. The Traerston Tigers are hoping to change that by inviting multi-title winners Bill Cleansy (batter, Earth planetary team regular, Ex-Achilles) and top pitcher Jammy Allen (pitcher, Alpha Centauri planetary team regular, former player for the Black Gladiators) to their line-up, as well as some new local and old veteran league talents. Rumour has it the team has been receiving regular donations and sponsorships, allowing them to reach such high-quality players. “I am very happy to have joined the Tigers,” said Bill Cleansy. “The group is known for fair play and as a real underdog. Helping them to the top would be a challenge Jammy and I are certainly looking forward to!” When the never-so-talkative Jammy was asked about a chance in the local Federation Cup, not to be confused with the coveted Galactic Cup, he reacted with it being a “possibility.” According to Sports Analytics, the Tigers are already a contender for the Cestus III League Title, simply because of their lineup. However, a chance at winning a multi-system Federation title such as their local Federation Cup might still be far off. This article was written by Ensign Wallace Williams of the Duronis II Embassy. The post Cestus III gains new baseball team, possible league title contender appeared first on Federation News Service. View the full article

BETA ANTARES IV — The Interstellar Tetraball Federation has announced the addition of twelve new planetary teams and a new junior professional league to its organization for the 2394 season. The sport, often simply called tetra, experienced an explosion in popularity last year, with the championship final game ranking among the most-watched sporting events of the year. The Interstellar Tetraball Federation (ITF), the sport’s governing body, has nearly doubled its number of active members. “Last year was such an exciting time for the sport,” said ITF Publicity Chairperson Norem Kaam. “We were thrilled to see tetra take a new place of prominence among team sports in the quadrant.” This is a preview. Read the rest of the article Professional Tetraball undergoes major expansion for 2394 season at the Federation News Service. This article was written by Lt. Cmdr. Didrik Stennes of the Andaris Task Force.