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A group of former Major League Baseball players, including David Ortiz, announced on Wednesday the formation of a new private equity firm to invest in baseball-specific companies.Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Barry Larkin, along with Ortiz, Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells are the principal financial backers of the firm, called Dugout Ventures.The firm is the latest in a trend of athletes investing in companies. Carmelo Anthony founded Melo7 Tech Partners in 2013, and Kobe Bryant announced a $100 million venture capital firm in August.Dugout Ventures has already had its hand in two baseball-related brands. The company financed protection company EvoShield before it was sold to Amer Sports in October and also invested in bat company Marucci.Like Warren Buffett says, its not what you know, but how realistic you are about what you dont know, Ortiz said in a statement. We know baseball. But we plan on finding the best people in the business to help us on what we dont know.In addition to the retired players money, Dugout Ventures is inviting investors to finance up to $50 million in a fund of the companys investments.Players arent the only ones investing in sports; teams are as well. The Los Angeles Dodgers, for example, have two accelerator programs designed to boost young companies through financial backing. Basketball Shoes Canada Cheap . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Basketball Shoes Canada Online . After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. http://www.clearancebasketballshoescanada.com/ . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. Wholesale Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . 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SEOUL, South Korea -- Chinas overwhelming domination of table tennis at the Olympics will likely continue in Rio, but theres drama about just which member of the fantastically talented Chinese national team will prevail.Starting Aug. 6, there will also be intense competition among the rest of the world for bronze and, just maybe, a surprise gold or silver.Among the other stories that could captivate: A 16-year-old American looks to make his name internationally, war-torn Syria gets its first Olympic table tennis entry and two female Paralympian athletes will also compete in Olympic matches.Even if its another largely all-China affair, fans who tune in will be treated to a mesmerizing mix of wicked spins and powerful slams, with players rocketing the small, lightweight, white plastic ball at each other in a blur of slicing parabolas.Heres a look at what to expect from the worlds most popular racket sport, otherwise known as pingpong:---THE CHINA SCRAMBLEJust qualifying for a Chinese team that has taken home 24 of 28 gold medals since table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, and all the golds at the last two Games, is a major achievement.For instance, the current womens world No. 1, Liu Shiwen, didnt get one of her countrys two spots for singles, though she will be part of the team competition. Instead, it will be London champion Li Xiaoxia, now ranked No. 5, and reigning world champion and world No. 2 Ding Ning, who won silver in London, going to Rio in singles.For the mens side, current world No. 2 Fan Zhendong, a rising young star, and world No. 3 Xu Xin didnt make the Chinese singles team.London champion Zhang Jike, who was named after Brazilian soccer star Zico, will go to Rio in singles, despite being ranked No. 4 in the world and putting in erratic performances since London. Zhang, for instance, lost in the first round of a June tournament in South Korea to a player from Taiwan ranked No. 63 at the time.The other Chinese man for singles will be Ma Long, the current world NNo.dddddddddddd. 1, who lost in the finals of that South Korean tournament to Xu Xin.---THE REST OF THE WORLDAlthough still a source of national pride, some see a dip in table tennis popularity as China has become richer, more confident and more curious about other sports.The rest of the world, meanwhile, has been working to catch up. Theyve been helped by a rule that limits each country to only two players for each singles event; that gives everyone else a chance for medals, though mostly of the bronze variety.While China has the top three womens spots currently in the world rankings, there are three Japanese in the top 10, as well as one player each from Germany and Singapore.For men, China takes the top four spots, but after that comes players from Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Belarus and South Korea.The United States has never medaled in table tennis, but there is excitement about the future. Kanak Jha, now 16, was the youngest male to qualify for table tennis in Olympic history when he made the U.S. team in April while still 15.---DOUBLE DUTYTwo female Paralympian table tennis athletes will also compete in the Olympic games -- a first, according to table tennis officials.Natalia Partyka of Poland, who was born without a right hand and forearm, has been in the last two Olympics, in Beijing and London. Partyka has also won gold three times at the Paralympics.It is the first Olympics for Melissa Tapper of Australia, whose right arm has nerve damage.---SYRIASyria will send its first player to an Olympic table tennis tournament, despite a long, calamitous war.Heba Allejji will represent Syria in Rio after being awarded a special place in the table tennis competition.The 19-year-old is currently ranked No. 713 in the world.She has competed in international competitions before, including the 2016 Asian Olympic qualifiers and the World Tour Qatar Open. ' ' '