TORONTO - The torch relay for the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games will be a national event, with stops in five Canadian cities as well as more than 100 Ontario communities, organizers said Wednesday. Ernie Banks Jersey .It will be carried by 3,000 people during its 41-day journey to the Games, and astronaut Chris Hadfield has been named as the first honorary torchbearer.What a thrill, Hadfield told a cheering crowd that included Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Olympic athletes and officials from the Games organizing committee.It makes me, oh, doubly or triply proud to be one of the representatives of the many people who are going to be carrying the torch.Stops are planned in Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax and the Greater Vancouver Area, as well as 130 communities in Ontario.Hadfield noted that his hometown of Sarnia and Milton, where his parents live, are among the places where the torch will go through. The inspiration of it is the key, the former commander of the International Space Station said, adding that he is looking forward to May 30 when the relay will begin in Toronto. It will end back in the city July 10 for the lighting of the cauldron at the end of the opening ceremony.I cannot think of a better person than Chris Hadfiled to launch this relay, said Wynne.Olympic medallists Simon Whitfield and Catriona Le May Doan, who were among the first torchbearers at Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, were also present at the announcement.We want others to feel the impact of how big it is to carry that flame, said Le May Doan.These Games are bigger than people even realize and they will really inspire the next generation. Anyone aged 13 and up by May 30 next year can enter to be a torchbearer at TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay as of Wednesday.Names will be chosen by a random draw in December. Torchbearers will also be chosen by communities along with route and other stakeholders.The Toronto 2015 Pan Am torch relay is an invitation to the nation to join the journey, share the spirit and show community pride as we prepare to welcome the best to the biggest international multi-sport Games Canada has ever held, said Saad Rafi, CEO of the Games.A separate Parapan Am Torch Relay will take place prior to the start of the Parapan Am Games on Aug. 7, 2015. Nicholas Castellanos Jersey .com) - Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a thigh injury. Kyle Schwarber Jersey . FIFA said the suspension was requested by ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia, making Beckenbauer the first person to be punished as a result of the case. Beckenbauer refused "repeated requests for his assistance, including requests that he provide information during an in-person interview or in response to written questions provided in both English and German," FIFA said in a statement. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-manuel-rodriguez-jersey-large-2110n.html . Her return engagement begins tonight as TSN presents Day 1 coverage of the 2015 event from Melbourne. Watch Eugenie Bouchards opening round match at the Australian Open live tonight on TSN5 at 3am et/Midnight pt.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Al Jefferson said he feels like hes playing the best basketball of his 10-year NBA career. Its tough to argue that point. The 29-year-old Jefferson had a great run five years ago with Minnesota, but that came when the Timberwolves were irrelevant. This year Jefferson is spearheading the Bobcats charge to the playoffs and seemingly getting stronger and more confident with each passing game. "My confidence is up, especially on the defensive end, and Im just playing well," Jefferson said. "In Minnesota we were 20 games under .500 and we were getting ready for the draft. Right now were in a dogfight. I mean its a dogfight man, and it just means a lot more to me." Jefferson had 33 points and 10 rebounds on Friday night, helping the Bobcats beat the New Orleans Pelicans 90-87 for their third straight victory since the All-Star break. Jefferson has scored 29 points or more in eight of his last 11 games and at least 20 points in 17 of the last 19. Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said hes never coached a player who has been on a roll quite like the one Jefferson is on now. "Its unbelievable," Clifford said. "I cant imagine many guys in the league are playing better than him right now." And Jeffersons production might only increase in the coming months. The Bobcats traded for Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour on Thursday, looking to bolster their 3-point shooting. Jefferson said hes excited about the trade. He believes Neal will bring the Bobcats an outside presence, one that may force teams to think twice about how often they double team him in the low post. "Playing against (Neal) in Utah the last few years, I didnt like him -- I didnt like him at all," Jefferson said. "He didnt miss a lot of shots." The Bobcats, currently the seventh seed in the East after Atlanta lost to Detroit, overcame some shoddy free throw shooting Friday night in the final minute to win for the seventh time in the last 10 games. Charlotte had missed four of six free throws in the final minute before Kemba Walker knocked down four foul shots in the final 9 seconds to put the Bobcats up by three. The Pelicans had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Josh McRoberts stripped Brian Roberts of the bball at midcourt and time expired. Jonathan Lucroy Jersey. Rookie Cody Zeller continues to steadily improve, chipping in with a career-high 13 points for the Bobcats. "Defensively Im starting to see plays before they happen and on offence Im playing with more confidence," said Zeller, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft. Roberts had 20 points and Anthony Davis added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans (23-31), who have lost four of their last five games. The Bobcats wasted no time exploiting the matchup of Jefferson on Alexis Ajinca, repeatedly dumping the ball in the low post. Jefferson had 14 points in the first quarter. The Pelicans also tried Greg Stiemsma and later Anthony Davis on Jefferson, but nobody had much success stopping him. The trio combined for 13 fouls. Charlotte was 25 of 36 from the foul line; the Pelicans attempted just 11 free throws. "I dont like wearing him down," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said of the decision not to put Davis on Jefferson to start the game. "So, to put him on Al from the jump, I think it wears him out. We did that with Carmelo (Anthony) the last game and he did a good job and he did a good job on Al tonight. "And Al missed some shots. They got 36 free throws and we got 11. So you figure that out." The Bobcats defence, which came in ranked fifth in the league in points allowed, limited the Pelicans to a season-low 32 points in the first half to take an 11-point lead at the break. "We couldnt put the ball in the bucket in the first half," Davis said. "We played great defensively, but its tough to get out of that hole." There was a comical moment in the fourth quarter after an errant pass. A fan retrieved the ball and fired it back to the official on the court just as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was getting up from his seat on the bench. The ball hit Kidd-Gilchrist in the back of the head, causing him to flinch. NOTES: Clifford said newly acquired Neal and Ridnour will not play until next week as the NBA has yet to approve the deal. Both arrived in Charlotte on Friday and watched the game from behind the team bench. ... Gerald Henderson is one of only eight guards in the NBA that has started every game this season for his team. ' ' '