and the Wildcats have made tournament runs on th

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Cheerleading and Thai kickboxing have made their way into the Olympic movement.The International Cheer Union and the International Federation of Muay Thai received provisional recognition Tuesday from the IOC executive board -- a first step on a long road to becoming a future Olympic sport.They were among 16 sports bodies which applied for IOC recognition earlier this year, and they join 35 other sports on the list of recognized federations.Cheerleading and Muay Thai will now be assured of $25,000 in IOC funding per year. They are also eligible for other development programs and access to content of the IOCs digital Olympic Channel.IOC sports director Kit McConnell said the two federations were given provisional recognition for a period of up to three years. During that time, the IOC executive board can recommend full recognition, another necessary step in the drawn-out path toward joining the Olympic program.McConnell said the cheerleading federation has over 100 national federations and nearly 4.5 million registered competitors.It is a sport with growing popularity, a strong youth focus in schools and universities and we noted that, he said.McConnell said Muay Thai has 135 national federations and nearly 400,000 registered athletes. Custom AC Milan Jerseys . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Discount Custom Soccer Jerseys . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. http://www.customjerseyssoccer.com/ . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Clearance Custom Soccer Jerseys . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Custom Soccer Jerseys Outlet . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Villanova slipped on the national championship rings, raised the national championship banner and hit the road on a victory circuit that had almost as many stops as a Wiz Khalifa summer tour.Khalifa even made a cameo appearance at Villanova as part of a championship celebration. The Wildcats shared laughs with President Barack Obama. Rollie Massimino danced at the title party.The Wildcats were feted with parades and presentations, first pitches and first pucks, and ordinary Big East players morphed into overnight college basketball sensations.Villanova has basked in the spotlight for seven months after beating North Carolina in one of the NCAA Tournaments all-time greatest games. Its now time for the Wildcats to try to defend -- defend? -- the championship.Nobody can take the ring off our fingers, 6-foot-5 swingman Josh Hart said. Were not defending nothing. Were a team that can make a deep run in March.Again the Big East favorites and ranked fourth in the AP preseason Top 25 , the Wildcats should be on the short list of teams to beat for a championship. They went 31 years between winning it all. Theyd like to shorten the next gap to one year.Led by Hart and title game star Kris Jenkins, the Wildcats are in prime position to become the first team to go back to back since Florida in 2006 and 2007.Just cutting down that net again would be great, Hart said.The Wildcats wouldnt have to search far to find a ladder. They kept the one they used in Houston to snip the nets after they beat the Tar Heels on Jenkins buzzer-beating 3-pointer.Hart, the Big Easts preseason player of the year, will begin his senior season on The Associated Press preseason All-America team . Hart averaged 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds last season for the Wildcats and considered turning pro.He wants two-time national champ stamped on his bio for next years NBA draft.A couple of people told me that when they were going through the draft process, they were like, `It was a storybook ending, and you can basically ride off into the sunset, Hart said. Riding off into the sunset in that way this year would be crazy.Coach Jay Wright, who is 354-157 with two Final Fours in 15 seasons at Villanova, said a national title has only boosted the Wildcats confidence.Thats not something they lose. That confidence is inside them, he said. That experience is inside them. Youre never going to take that away. Usually its harder to control your ego than it is to pump someebody up.ddddddddddddThe challenge is really our ego and staying humble and hungry and getting better.Get better?That could be scary for the rest of the Big East. The three-time defending conference champs have improved their record in the league (16-2 each of the last three years) and a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament is usually a mere formality.Here are some of the challenges ahead for the reigning national champs:FREE OMARIOmari Spellman, a 6-foot-8 highly recruited forward, was expected to become Villanovas big man in the frontcourt this season. The NCAA declared the freshman academically ineligible for this season because Spellman did not complete his initial eligibility requirements in time.That leaves more minutes for Darryl Reynolds and freshmen Tim Delaney and Dylan Painter.But Spellman would have carried a load left by Daniel Ochefus absence and made the Wildcats more potent inside. The Villanova fans chanted Free Omari! at their national championship celebration. Hell be free -- just not until next season.WONT YOU STAYSpellman was an expected stud and sophomore guard Jalen Brunson had one-and-done potential until he eased into his team-first role in the starting lineup.Wright has never had a one-and-done player leave for the NBA and the Wildcats have made tournament runs on the strength of four-year players like Ochefu, now with the Washington Wizards, and point guard Ryan Arcidiacono.Wright said that approach wont change as champs.Were trying to find kids that appreciate what Villanova is all about, he said. People say it must have helped you in recruiting. Were recruiting the same guys. Were trying to find the best guys for Villanova that can make it to the NBA, not the best guys for the NBA.WRIGHT WAYWright said he had nothing more than simple, casual conversations with NBA team executives about jobs open at the next level. Wright, who has dealt with job offer rumors for a decade, said he does not have NBA aspirations.I dont, he said. Would I like to coach in the NBA? Would I like the challenge? Yeah. But I dont want to give this up. Youve got to give this up to do it. I dont want to give it up. If I ended my career and I never got to coach in the NBA, Id be far more happier saying I got to coach at Villanova for a long time.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '