Sports arena to host Fed Cup final in November The tennis world will have an eye on the San Diego Sports Arena this November. On June 29, the U.S. Tennis Association announced that the local venue will host the 2010 Fed Cup final, the biggest team event in women’s tennis. The U.S. hasn’t hosted a Fed Cup Final since 2000 and San Diego was one of 10 cities nationwide that put in a bid for the event. The sports arena also hosted a Davis Cup tie in 1989, making it only the eighth U.S. venue to host the men’s and women’s tennis equivalent of the World Cup. The city has hosted a Fed Cup event before in 2008, when the U.S. beat Germany in the 2008 quarterfinals in La Jolla. The U.S. team is 7-0 all-time in California. In the final on Nov. 6-7, the U.S. will host Italy in a rematch of the 2009 finals, which the host Italians won 4-0. The U.S. team currently leads all nations with 17 Fed Cup titles, with the last championship coming in 2000. Tickets are expected to go on sale for the event in August. For more information, call the U.S. Fed Cup hotline at (888) 334-8782, or visit www.-usta.com/fedcup. Young Angler Tournament to reel in youth Saturday Young anglers between the ages of six and 15 will compete in the free eighth annual Young Angler Tournament on Saturday, July 31 at the Shelter Island Pier, 1776 Shelter Island Drive. The saltwater event, sponsored by the International Game Fish Association (IFGA) and the San Diego Sportfishing Council and the Port of San Diego, will feature a points system to allow for catch and release. Winners in the various age categories will be determined by adding up points for fish caught. The angler with the most points overall will be recognized on the tournaments’ perpetual trophy. IGFA representatives and volunteers from the United Pier and Shore Anglers Club, San Diego Rod & Reel and the San Diego Anglers will be on hand to assist young anglers and to tally points. Young anglers in the competition are encouraged to bring their own gear, although a limited number of loaner rods will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Small quantities of bait will be provided each angler while supplies last.?Registration begins at 9 a.m., followed by fishing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Prizes are awarded by 2 p.m. Hot dogs, chips, and sodas will be served to all registered anglers. For more information,call the San Diego Sportfishing Council at (619) 234-8793 or visit www.sportfish-ing.org. Point Lomans excel at Karate championships Local karate students and instructors went head-to-head with some of the best competitors in the world July 16-18 at the World Tang Soo Do Championships in Greensboro, NC. Sal Convento, owner and chief instructor of the United States Karate Academy (USKA) at Liberty Station, led a team of seven competitors from the San Diego-based studio. Convento, 37, earned his second world championship competing in the senior men’s division. Other USKA standouts in their age groups included 63-year-old Susan Townsend of Point Loma, who earned two medals for finishing third in forms and second in weapons; and Desmond Field, 18, of Point Loma who finished third in forms. Tang Soo Do is a classical Korean martial art that has its roots in the Chinese T’ang method of martial art. Competitors display the precision, focus and physical stamina demanded by the 2000-year-old art. Convento is a third-degree blackbelt who previously won first places in forms, weapons and sparring at the World Tang Soo Do Championships in 2002 and 2004. Also in 2004, he was Men’s world champion. He is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and naval aviator who flew missions over Iraq and Afghanistan during “Operation Enduring Freedom.” For more information about USKA, visit www.uskasandiego.com. Bike the Bay event returns Aug. 29 Local bicyclists are set to pedal across the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge and then traverse along some of the county’s most scenic bay shore routes during the third annual Bike the Bay ride on Sunday, Aug. 29. The non-competitive 25-mile “fun ride” starts at 7 a.m. at Embarcadero Marina Park South on Harbor Drive in San Diego and travels over the 2.1-mile bridge and along the expanded Bayshore Bikeway. The ride is open to riders 12 years and older and recommended for all cycling abilities. The route winds along bayside paths and down dedicated bike lanes through Coronado, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista and National City. The family-friendly event finishes at the Embarcadero Marina Park with post-ride festivities including food, entertainment and a Karl Strauss beer garden. The entry cost is $55 and the event is limited to 2,500 riders. Tandem and corporate team entries also are available. For information and online registration visit www.bikethebay.net. Ride proceeds benefit the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making area bicycling better.
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