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A resounding FIBA World Cup hosting success
In 2007, sports patron and prominent business executive Manny V. Pangilinan flew to Geneva to mend the country’s scarred relationship with FIBA when the Philippines was suspended due to a struggle between the Basketball Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Olympic Committee. Over the years, MVP, along with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas or SBP, were able to make amends and formed a strong bond with FIBA. And as they say, the rest was history. MVP’s vision to host the FIBA World Cup in a tri-nation bid was approved. The country, together with Japan and Indonesia, was granted to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup, with 32 teams competing for the coveted Naismith trophy for the 2023 Last Sunday, the World Cup curtain finally closed, with several records written, erased, and etched in FIBA history. First, the expanded World Cup adopted by the organizers successfully achieved a more competitive playing field. Nine of the 32 that came to this World Cup did not play in the previous World Cup. After two weeks of grueling competition, six of the eight countries that previously entered the quarterfinals in the 2019 World Cup failed to advance to the next round. Argentina, France, Spain, Poland, Australia, and the Czech Republic were eliminated earlier in the group stages, with only the US and Serbia moving to the semi-final round. Second, for the first time since it participated in the tournament, Germany won the World Cup championship, beating all its opponents in the elimination rounds for an immaculate 7-0 and completing an 8-0 game sweep by beating Serbia in the final, 83-77. FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis was quoted by AP saying the expanded qualification field “has changed global basketball on the men’s side.” Third, the three host countries had record-breaking attendance, a rousing success for the tri-nation hosting of the world’s biggest basketball show. Across 92 games in 15 days in five different venues (three in Manila, one each in Okinawa and Jakarta), Zagklis said the World Cup drew a total of 700,000 fans pending the final numbers from the bronze-medal match between USA and Canada and Serbia-Germany finale. In the opener on 25 August, the Philippines tallied a World Cup record featuring 38,115 fans who witnessed the thrilling battle between home team Gilas Pilipinas and the Dominican Republic at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. The milestone highlighted the Philippines’ hosting and smashed the previous record of 32,616 spectators who watched the gold medal match between the USA and Russia in the 1994 games in Toronto, Canada. Zaglis was all praises for the three countries, especially the Philippines, whom he described as an excellent host. “I don’t think it’s easy to find anywhere in the world that has this kind of service to the visitors. Always with a smile and kindness and with a solution-oriented approach. I can only express how grateful FIBA is to the Philippines,” Zaglis said. SBP president Al S. Panlilio had mixed emotions as the FIBA World Cup ended. “We have proven that our country can host a global basketball event as huge as the FIBA World Cup. Everyone involved — the local organizing committee, various private and public stakeholders, volunteers, peace and order personnel, traffic enforcers, the LGUs, and basketball-loving Pinoys who bravely trooped to the venues to watch the games — must be congratulated for making the event a whopping success.” “But there’s also a feeling of extreme bittersweetness as it comes to an end, yet overshadowed by extreme hopefulness for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar,” he added. Panlilio spearheaded the country’s bid for the multiple-nation hosting of the World Cup along with MVP, SBP chairman emeritus, in 2017. He acknowledged what MVP did to bring the FIBA World Cup to the Philippines with his creative vision of bidding for multi-nation hosting. “It was a privilege to help realize that creative vision by collaboratively working with various groups and stakeholders and successfully hosting the World Cup. We are proud of the effort everyone contributed to make this huge undertaking a monumental and amazing feat,” Panlilio said. The post A resounding FIBA World Cup hosting success appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CdO, my second home
Cagayan de Oro City is fast turning out to be no different from other fast developing metropolises. Quotidian concerns like horrendous traffic, crime, political maneuverings (with the Barangay/Sangguniang Kabataan Elections barely a month away), bickering in the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and similar problems of an urban area are common. A year has passed since the new leadership of the city took over, but we don’t see the problems abating. With a full plate before them, the administrators must work double time before their terms of office expire. When the pandemic struck, we sort of evacuated to and settled in the city. It is now a second home to us after our house in Marawi was bombed and ransacked during the 2017 siege (I still have to file my claim for compensation before the Marawi Compensation Board as provided by law). We were a constant visitor to the city and are familiar with its geography. It has always been a choice weekend hideaway of Maranaws of Marawi and as a law practitioner I have cases in courts in the city. But now, I need assistance in navigating its labyrinthine traffic. Thanks to modernity and the Waze app which maps our way to our destination. Still, I feel like a stranger adjusting to life in the city. The main attraction of the city for a golfer like me are the golf courses. Good thing they have courses like Pueblo de Oro which is a championship course, a second-rate military golf course in Patag, Camp Evangelista, and the Del Monte Golf Course — a 30-minute drive from the city, home of golf legends Celestino Tugot and Frankie Minoza. These golf courses were the overpowering magnet that pulled me to settle here, in addition to the fact that many members of my immediate family already lived here. From my vantage position, here are some of the problems I have observed that need attention. Traffic is getting worse. I experience regularly Edsa-like traffic from going my place, Xavier Estates, to the golf course, which I could navigate in two minutes. Unfortunately, there are schools along the road causing monstrous traffic. But we avoid that by teeing off at early dawn to escape the snarl of vehicles. The principal stretch they call Masterson has regular bumper-to-bumper traffic in the morning and late afternoon when office workers’ vehicles fill the street. Yes, I notice uniformed traffic aides managing the flow of vehicles, but they are not enough. A daylight robbery in the heart of the commercial hub of the city has residents worried about their security and peace. Robbers got away with about P9 million. Public and commercial establishment are on their toes because of what happened. The daring robbery has exposed the weak security infrastructure of the city. Residents are asking what happened to the much-publicized installation of 50 traffic lights and 80 closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras in strategic spots at a budget of about P93.5 million over a decade ago. It has been kaput since 2012 and has not been attended to nor repaired. The winning bidder for the project was nowhere to be found after completion of the traffic and security infrastructure. Now the city government is toying with the idea of requiring public establishments to install CCTV cameras within their premises before they are issued a permit to operate. In fact, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has issued a memorandum circular directing local governments “to pass ordinances mandating all business owners to install CCTVs.” The circular allows for the meting out of “penalties for non-compliant business establishments and grants local chief executives the authority to revoke, refuse to renew or grant permits to establishments for non-compliance.” Problems of this nature come with the march of Cagayan de Oro towards progress and development, being the corridor of northern Mindanao. And this column is optimistic that its new mayor is up to the challenges of his stewardship. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post CdO, my second home appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBA star Curry makes hole-in-one at celebrity golf event
NBA superstar Stephen Curry made a hole-in-one on Saturday in the second round of a celebrity golf tournament and ran to the green in celebration of the feat. Curry, a four-time NBA champion guard for the Golden State Warriors, is known as an avid golfer, having even played in a 2017 developmental tour event. The two-time NBA scoring champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player made his ace at the par-3 seventh hole at the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe South Course in Stateline, Nevada. Curry's tee shot took one bounce and went into the hole, prompting a cheer from the crowd. Curry began running to the green, taking off his cap and waving a "No. 1" right finger into the air. He raised both arms, threw the glove off his left hand to the fans, and leaped into the air as he reached the green. After that, he smacked the flagstick with his left hand, ran around the entire green, and finally fell back onto the ground under the shade of a tree with a huge smile on his face. "That was 140 yards and not 94 feet," Curry said, comparing the length of the hole to that of an NBA court. "But wow. Wow. I'll be out of breath for the rest of the day -- for a good reason, though." Curry, who began golfing at age 10, had made only one prior ace. "That was my second one ever," Curry said. "I'm locked in right down, but to do it on this hole is unbelievable. Wow. Wow." The ace gave him 43 points in the three-day celebrity competition, stretching his lead over US tennis player Mardy Fish. The post NBA star Curry makes hole-in-one at celebrity golf event appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
49ers Enterprises agree deal for Leeds takeover
Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani has agreed a deal to sell his controlling stake in the club to co-owners 49ers Enterprises, the recently relegated Premier League club said on Friday. As a result the American investment group, owner of the NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers, and a minority shareholder in Leeds since 2018, will take full ownership. "Leeds United can confirm an agreement has been reached between Aser Ventures and 49ers Enterprises for the purchase of the club," said a statement. "Both parties continue to work through the details, and further updates will be provided soon. "All of our focus remains on a quick return to the Premier League." 49ers Enterprises increased its stake in Leeds to 44 percent in 2021 with the option of buying Radrizzani's remaining 56 percent before January 2024. That agreement, which had valued Leeds at around £400 million ($500 million), was contingent on the club remaining in the Premier League. Leeds' relegation last month forced both parties back into negotiations with the deal now reportedly worth a valuation of just £170 million. Italian businessman Radrizzani bought Leeds in 2017 and helped lead the club back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years as the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as manager proved a masterstroke. However, after just three years back in the top flight, Leeds will find themselves in the Championship next season after finishing 19th in the Premier League. The post 49ers Enterprises agree deal for Leeds takeover appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lim ends hiatus, returns to tennis action in Brookside Open
Lim, who has dominated the junior circuit and vied in a number of Grand Slam junior events, reaching the second round of the Australian Open in 2017, went on a hiatus due to illness but has since worked his way back to form in time for this week’s championship backed by Rep. Michael John “Jack” Duavit......»»
Corpuz, Yin share lead
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Americans Angel Yin and Allisen Corpuz, each chasing their first LPGA title, fired five-under-par 67s to share the lead after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Chevron Championship. In the year’s first women’s golf major, Yin and Corpuz stood on 10-under 206 after 54 holes on the Jack Nicklaus Signature course at The Woodlands near Houston, Texas. “I feel really good this week,” Yin said. “I’ve been feeling really good and calm this entire year leading up. I’m just happy to see myself playing good.” Yin birdied three of the last four holes to charge into a tie at the top with Corpuz, who birdied four of the first five holes in a bogey-free round. ‘I feel really good this week.’ “Been playing really solid these past three days,” Corpuz said. “Really just fairways and greens, give me good looks at birdie and managed to convert a few of them.” Corpuz’s father is a Filipino whose family migrated to Hawaii. South Korea’s Amy Yang, American Megan Khang and Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela shared third on 207 with a pack on 208 including American Nelly Korda and South Koreans Kim A-lim, Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo. Yin, in only her third start of the year, hasn’t managed a top-10 LPGA finish since sharing third in last May’s Founders Cup. But the 24-year-old was the 2019 US Women’s Open runner-up and captured a Ladies European Tour victory at Dubai in 2017. “I feel really good actually,” she said. “A lot of everything that has been happening the last few years has been leading up to this.” Yin opened with a birdie, answered her lone bogey at the third with a birdie at the fourth and birdied 11, then got a stunning break when her tee shot at 12 bounced out of water and onto a bank, allowing her to escape with par before her birdie binge at 15, 16 and the par-5 18th. “Extremely shocked. How rare is that, right?” Yin said of her luck at 12. “My caddie said let’s see you hole this chip and it didn’t go in but it touched the lip. That was TV worthy.” Corpuz, 25, is in her second LPGA season. Her best finish was a runner-up spot last August in Japan. Corpuz said she has felt comfortable this week and knows Yin well for their final-pairing Sunday matchup. “I’ve just been trying to tell myself, ‘Get more comfortable in contention. Just keep learning from every experience,’” she said. “Had a few close calls beginning of this year and end of last year so really just trying to keep everything the same.” Khang birdied the second hole and grabbed the lead with birdies at the par-3 seventh and par-5 eighth holes before stumbling back to 9-under with a bogey to start the back nine. Khang responded with a 10-foot birdie putt at 11 to reclaim the lead but bogeys at 13 and 14 and a birdie at the par-3 17th left her one adrift. The post Corpuz, Yin share lead appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
San Sebastian recruits ‘reliable ball handler’
San Sebastian College landed a gem of a recruit as it secured the commitment of former Batang Gilas team captain Migs Pascual in the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament. Newly-appointed Stags coach John Kallos confirmed the development to Daily Tribune, saying that the move is part of their rebuilding program in a bid to reclaim the title they last tasted in 2009. Kallos, who also handles Sarangani in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, took over as head coach of the Stags, replacing Egay Macaraya following a fruitless stint in Season 98 last year. Although Pascual, a deadshot guard who last saw action playing for University of the East in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, will sit out for a year in compliance with the league’s residency rule, Kallos believes that having the former NCAA juniors champion will ensure the Stags of a dependable ball handler in Season 100. “My point guard is graduating so it’s perfect timing for us to get a reliable ball handler as back up for next season and Migs Pascual will fill that spot,” Kallos said in a telephone conversation. Pascual played for Batang Gilas in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association 2017 Under-16 Championship where the Philippines won the gold medal and the FIBA 2018 Under-17 Championship in Argentina alongside Kai Sotto, now a member of the Gilas Pilipinas men’s team, who is now playing in Japan B. League for the Hiroshima Dragonflies. Kallos said he is impressed with what he saw with Pascual during the workouts. “The kid has talent. He is a good point guard and has a good range,” Kallos said. “But I want him to be more aggressive. I understand that he wants to get his teammates involved and that’s a mark of a good point guard, but I also want to see how he shoots the basketball because he can hit those outside shots.” “Overall, I like what I’m seeing from Migs and that’s the reason why I included him in the lineup in some of the preseason leagues we’re joining in.” Aside from playing for Batang Gilas, Pascual was also a key figure in San Beda’s NCAA junior champion squad in 2019 that made him one of the promising high school players in the country. The post San Sebastian recruits ‘reliable ball handler’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ex-Batang Gilas skipper Pascual joins San Sebastian
Former Batang Gilas team captain Migs Pascual is headed to San Sebastian in the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball. Newly installed Stags coach John Kallos confirmed this development to Daily Tribune, saying the move is part of the team’s rebuilding program. Kallos, who also handles Sarangani in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, took over as head coach of the Stags, replacing Egay Macaraya at the end of the NCAA season. Pascual, however, will sit out for one year to comply with the league’s residency rule. The dependable ball carrier and sharpshooter played for the NCAA juniors champion team San Beda before transferring to the University of the East in the Unversity Athletics Association of the Philippines. “My point guard is graduating, so it’s perfect timing for us to get a reliable point guard as backup for next season and Migs Pascual will fill that spot,” said Kallos in a telephone conversation. Pascual played for Batang Gilas in the SEABA 2017 Under-16 Championship where the Philippines won the gold medal, and the FIBA 2018 Under-17 Championship in Argentina alongside Kai Sotto. Sotto, who was also a member of the Gilas Pilipinas men’s team, is now playing in Japan B. League for the Hiroshima Dragonflies. According to Kallos, he is impressed with what he saw in Pascual during the workouts. “The kid has talent, he’s a good point guard and he’s got good range,” said Kallos. “But I want him to be more aggressive. I understand that he wants to get his teammates involved and that’s a mark of a good point guard, but I also want to see how he shoots the basketball because he can hit those outside shots.” “Overall, I like what I’m seeing from Migs and that’s the reason why I included him in the line up in some of the preseason leagues we’re joining in,” the mentor added. Aside from playing for Batang Gilas, Pascual was also a key figure in San Beda’s NCAA junior champion squad in 2019, which made him one of the most promising high school players in the country. The post Ex-Batang Gilas skipper Pascual joins San Sebastian appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippines gets favorable draw in Asian women s volleyball tiff
The Philippines is making a return to the Asian Senior Women's Volleyball Championship for the first time since 2017 with increased optimism......»»
Coaching great John Thompson of Georgetown dead at 78
By JOSEPH WHITE AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — John Thompson, the imposing Hall of Famer who turned Georgetown into a “Hoya Paranoia” powerhouse and became the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship, has died. He was 78 His death was announced in a family statement released by Georgetown on Monday. No details were disclosed. “Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on but, most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else,” the statement said. “However, for us, his greatest legacy remains as a father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. More than a coach, he was our foundation. More than a legend, he was the voice in our ear everyday.” One of the most celebrated and polarizing figures in his sport, Thompson took over a moribund Georgetown program in the 1970s and molded it in his unique style into a perennial contender, culminating with a national championship team anchored by center Patrick Ewing in 1984. Georgetown reached two other title games with Thompson in charge and Ewing patrolling the paint, losing to Michael Jordan’s North Carolina team in 1982 and to Villanova in 1985. At 6-foot-10, with an ever-present white towel slung over his shoulder, Thompson literally and figuratively towered over the Hoyas for decades, becoming a patriarch of sorts after he quit coaching in 1999. One of his sons, John Thompson III, was hired as Georgetown’s coach in 2004. When the son was fired in 2017, the elder Thompson -- known affectionately as “Big John” or “Pops” to many -- was at the news conference announcing Ewing as the successor. Along the way, Thompson said what he thought, shielded his players from the media and took positions that weren’t always popular. He never shied away from sensitive topics -- particularly the role of race in both sports and society -- and he once famously walked off the court before a game to protest an NCAA rule because he felt it hurt minority athletes. “I’ll probably be remembered for all the things that kept me out of the Hall of Fame, ironically, more than for the things that got me into it,” Thompson said on the day he was elected to the Hall in 1999. Thompson became coach of the Hoyas in 1972 and began remaking a team that was 3-23 the previous season. Over the next 27 years, he led Georgetown to 14 straight NCAA tournaments (1979-92), 24 consecutive postseason appearances (20 NCAA, 4 NIT), three Final Fours (1982, 1984, 1985) and won six Big East tournament championships. Employing a physical, defense-focused approach that frequently relied on a dominant center -- Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo were among his other pupils -- Thompson compiled a 596-239 record (.715 winning percentage). He had 26 players drafted by the NBA. One of his honors -- his selection as coach of the U.S. team for the 1988 Olympics -- had a sour ending when the Americans had to settle for the bronze medal. It was a result so disappointing that Thompson put himself on a sort of self-imposed leave at Georgetown for a while, coaching practices and games but leaving many other duties to his assistants. Off the court, Thompson was both a role model and a lightning rod. A stickler for academics, he kept a deflated basketball on his desk, a reminder to his players that a degree was a necessity because a career in basketball relied on a tenuous “nine pounds of air.” The school boasted that 76 of 78 players who played four seasons under Thompson received their degrees. He was a Black coach who recruited mostly Black players to a predominantly white Jesuit university in Washington, and Thompson never hesitated to speak out on behalf of his players. One of the most dramatic moments in Georgetown history came on Jan. 14, 1989, when he walked off the court to a standing ovation before the tipoff of a home game against Boston College, demonstrating in a most public way his displeasure against NCAA Proposition 42. The rule denied athletic scholarships to freshmen who didn’t meet certain requirements, and Thompson said it was biased against underprivileged students. Opposition from Thompson, and others, led the NCAA to modify the rule. Thompson’s most daring move came that same year, when he summoned notorious drug kingpin Rayful Edmond III for a meeting in the coach’s office. Thompson warned Edmond to stop associating with Hoyas players and to leave them alone, using his respect in the Black community to become one of the few people to stare down Edmond and not face a reprisal. Though aware of his influence, Thompson did not take pride in becoming the first Black coach to take a team to the Final Four, and he let a room full of reporters know it when asked his feelings on the subject at a news conference in 1982. “I resent the hell out of that question if it implies I am the first Black coach competent enough to take a team to the Final Four,” Thompson said. “Other Blacks have been denied the right in this country; coaches who have the ability. I don’t take any pride in being the first Black coach in the Final Four. I find the question extremely offensive.” Born Sept. 2, 1941, John R. Thompson Jr. grew up in Washington, D.C. His father was always working — on a farm in Maryland and later as a laborer in the city — and could neither read nor write. “I never in my life saw my father’s hands clean,” Thompson told The Associated Press in 2007. “Never. He’d come home and scrub his hands with this ugly brown soap that looked like tar. I thought that was the color of his hands. When I was still coaching, kids would show up late for practice and I’d (say) ... ‘My father got up every morning of his life at 5 a.m. to go to work. Without an alarm.‘” Thompson’s parents emphasized education, but he struggled in part of because of poor eyesight and labored in Catholic grammar school. He was moved to a segregated public school, had a growth spurt and became good enough at basketball to get into John Carroll, a Catholic high school, where he led the team to 55 consecutive victories and two city titles. He went to Providence College as one of the most touted basketball prospects in the country and led the Friars to the first NCAA bid in school history. He graduated in 1964 and played two seasons with Red Auerbach’s Boston Celtics, earning a pair of championship rings as a sparingly used backup to Bill Russell. Thompson returned to Washington, got his master’s degree in guidance and counseling from the University of the District of Columbia and went 122-28 over six seasons at St. Anthony’s before accepting the job at Georgetown, an elite school that had relatively few Black students. Faculty and students rallied around him after a bedsheet with racist words was hung inside the school’s gym before a game during the 1974-75 season. Thompson sheltered his players with closed practices, tightly controlled media access and a prohibition on interviews with freshmen in their first semester -- a restriction that still stands for Georgetown’s basketball team. Combined with Thompson’s flashes of emotion and his players’ rough-and-tumble style of play, it wasn’t long before the words “Hoya Paranoia” came to epitomize the new era of basketball on the Hilltop campus. Georgetown lost the 1982 NCAA championship game when Fred Brown mistakenly passed the ball to North Carolina’s James Worthy in the game’s final seconds. Two years later, Ewing led an 84-75 win over Houston in the title game. The Hoyas were on the verge of a repeat the following year when they were stunned in the championship game by coach Rollie Massimino’s Villanova team in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. Success allowed Thompson to rake in money through endorsements, but he ran afoul of his Georgetown bosses when he applied for a gambling license for a business venture in Nevada in 1995. Thompson, who liked playing the slot machines in Las Vegas, reluctantly dropped the application after the university president objected. Centers Ewing, Mourning and Mutombo turned Georgetown into “Big Man U” under Thompson, although his last superstar was guard Allen Iverson, who in 1996 also became the first player under Thompson to leave school early for the NBA draft. “Thanks for Saving My Life Coach,” Iverson wrote at the start of an Instagram post Monday with photos of the pair. The Hoyas teams in the 1990s never came close to matching the achievements of the 1980s, and Thompson’s era came to a surprising and sudden end when he resigned in the middle of the 1998-99 season, citing distractions from a pending divorce. Thompson didn’t fade from the limelight. He became a sports radio talk show host and a TV and radio game analyst, joining the very profession he had frustrated so often as a coach. He loosened up, allowing the public to see his lighter side, but he remained pointed and combative when a topic mattered to him. A torch was passed in 2004, when John Thompson III became Georgetown’s coach. The younger Thompson, with “Pops” often watching from the stands or sitting in the back of the room for news conferences, returned the Hoyas to the Final Four in 2007. Another son, Ronny Thompson, was head coach for one season at Ball State and is now a TV analyst. ___ Joseph White, a former AP sports writer in Washington who died in 2019, prepared this obituary. AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich contributed......»»
Garcia closes with birdie to win PGA Sanderson Farms golf title
Washington---Sergio Garcia made a tap-in birdie on the 72nd hole to win the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday, taking his first US PGA title since capturing the 2017 Masters......»»
Garcia closes with birdie to win PGA Sanderson Farms title
Sergio Garcia made a tap-in birdie on the 72nd hole to win the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday, taking his first US PGA title since capturing the 2017 Masters. The 40-year-old Spaniard dropped his approach inside 3 1/2 feet and eagled the par-5 14th to match US clubhouse leader Peter Malnati, then landed an 8-iron […] The post Garcia closes with birdie to win PGA Sanderson Farms title appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rahm channels frustrations into big win with big moments
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. (AP) — Jon Rahm is no stranger to wild shifts in emotions, whether it was irritation from an absent-minded penalty that led to his only bogey of the weekend or his 65-foot birdie putt that capped an amazing victory at the BMW Championship. The difference now is he enjoyed it. All of it. The shot that will be remembered at Olympia Fields was a putt in the playoff Sunday that was just over 65 feet from the hole and had to travel even farther to get there, across the 18th green toward a ridge and then down the slope toward the cup, 11 seconds of watching, hoping and celebrating. Rahm wonders how different it might have been if not for his mental blunder. That happened on the fifth hole Saturday, when he was five shots behind. He might never be able to explain how he could walk up to his golf ball on the green, pick it up and freeze upon realizing he never marked it. He feared even after a 66 to get back in the mix that one shot could cost him. “I just hope I don't lose by one,” Rahm said that day. “I'm just going to say that. I just hope. And if I do, well, my fault.” He allowed his mind to think back to the penalty while on the range Sunday afternoon after a 64, the best score of the week, and hearing that Dustin Johnson was one shot behind facing a birdie putt just inside 45 feet. “I was like, that extra-shot cushion would be extremely nice right now, I'm not going to lie,” Rahm said. "But at the same time, it happened. I don't know if I would have won had it not happened. It kind of made me mad at myself, and I just went on with my focus after that and was able to play amazing golf. “I can tell you after making that 6-footer for bogey, I was like, ‘OK, that’s it. No playing around. Go.' That's kind of what mentally did it for me.” Rahm has always said he needs time to process success and failure, and this one could take a while. Even after it was over, and he posed with the BMW Championship and Western Golf Association trophies, part of him still felt like he was on the golf course in a playoff. He looked like a winner when his tee shot on the par-5 15th sailed into the trees and ricocheted out into the rough, avoiding a penalty, and his third shot was a 6-iron from 218 yards to 10 feet for birdie. He followed that with a 30-foot birdie putt across the 16th green for a two-shot lead. He feared for the worse when Johnson, down to his last shot, rolled in his improbable birdie putt down the slope on the 18th green for a 67 to force the playoff. That penalty shot looked as though it might be the difference when Johnson's drive on the 18th in the playoff hit a tree and came back to the fairway, and Rahm's shot from deep rough rolled out to the back of the green, leaving a putt so difficult that Rahm was hopeful of making par. “Honestly, I hoped it would be a decent putt for par coming back and have a chance to keep the playoff going,” he said. It was better than decent. It was perfect. The heart rate never eased up as Rahm watched Johnson's 30-foot birdie putt track toward the cup until it peeled away by inches and Rahm was the winner. “I still can’t believe what just happened,” Rahm said. "That stretch of waiting for DJ, him making the putt, going in the playoff, me making the putt, then trying to stay mentally in it just in case he made the last putt, it’s been a roller coaster. But so much fun. ... I set out to enjoy even the uncomfortable moments we had out there. “And man, it was fun.” Johnson took plenty away, too. He twice beat Rahm in 2017 in the span of a month at World Golf Championships, holding off a Rahm rally in the Mexico Championship and withstanding another ferocious comeback attempt in the Match Play. For Johnson, it was his third straight tournament with the 54-hole lead. He shot 68 in the PGA Championship and was beaten by a 65 from Collin Morikawa, which featured the driver onto the 16th green at Harding Park for eagle. Johnson shot 67 at the BMW Championship and lost to a 65-foot birdie putt in a playoff. Johnson held onto No. 1 in the world ranking and in the FedEx Cup, the latter meaning he will start the Tour Championship with a two-shot advantage. Rahm now has multiple victories worldwide for the fourth straight year. What stands out from this year is winning on the two toughest tests — Memorial, where the greens were allowed to bake out because they were being replaced after the tournament, and Olympia Fields, which played as hard as a U.S. Open. Rahm will get another U.S. Open test in three weeks at Winged Foot. The U.S. Open is billed as the ultimate test, most of that between the ears. Rahm looks more capable of that with each victory......»»
SEA GAMES: The silver that glittered like gold
When the editorial staff of ABS-CBN Sports was tasked to come up with our most memorable coverage, it didn’t take long for this writer to respond. The Philippine men’s volleyball team’s Southeast Asian Games semifinal match was the first thing that came to mind. Pesonally, that game against the highly-fancied Thailand squad topped all the countless volleyball matches that I’ve covered in my career. I’m at a loss for words on how to describe the emotions I felt that chilly night of December 8, 2019. Around 6,700 fans filled the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City not knowing that what they were about to witness was something historic. A magical night that would take away the frustrations they felt the day before when the more popular women’s team finished the preliminary round winless. For us sportswriters covering that assignment, we knew the Filipinos were up for a tough ride. Thailand ruled the last four editions of the event. On the other hand, the Philippines’ last significant outing in the biennial meet was a bronze medal finish back in 1991 – or when the current national team’s oldest member, setter Jessie Lopez was just five-years old. Did we doubt our own team? Let’s just say we prayed to the high heavens to give us something positive to write about. But don’t get us wrong. Those who followed the formation and preparation of the squad knew it would yield results come the SEA Games. After all, in all three batches of the Nationals that participated in the regional sports meet since 2015, this particular team had the longest time to prepare – around eight months to be exact. The team’s composition itself looked really promising. For the first time, two of country’s best hitters in Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, who both have experience playing in the Japan V. League, donned the tricolors together. Espejo returned after skipping the 2017 edition so did his teammates in the 2015 squad Rex Intal and setter Ish Polvorosa. Bagunas was on his second tour of duty along with team captain John Vic De Guzman, Mark Alfafara, RanRan Abdilla and libero Jack Kalingking. Head coach Dante Alinsunurin, who was appointed to handle the team after Oliver Almadro and Sammy Acaylar in 2015 and 2017, respectively, tapped an old hand in Lopez and injected young bloods in playmaker Owa Retamar, Jau Umandal, Kim Malabunga, Ricky Marcos and Francis Saura. As part of their buildup the Nationals joined the Thailand Open Sealect Tuna Championship July last year. The Filipinos achieved a great feat when they won bronze. Fans were able to witness the Nationals’ campaign via YouTube streaming while we volleyball writers, got to file our full stories through the help of De Guzman and Bagunas (God bless their beautiful hearts) who supplied us with game stats and granted postgame interviews. It’s just a shame I never got to cover the team’s training in Japan when the Nationals’ preparation went on full throttle. (Note: A little confusion in the training camp coverage assignments had me flying to Japan with the women’s squad and Lance Agcaoili of Spin.ph joining the men’s team. But it was a great experience, nonetheless, and I’m grateful for Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. for the opportunity.) I was as confused as the other sportswriters present during the draw for the group stage a couple of months before the SEA Games when Alinsunurin chose to join the four-team bracket with Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. Those three teams are considered contenders every SEA Games edition. And earning a semifinal spot would be harder compared to the other group composed of Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. Fortunately, the gamble was worth it. Espejo and Bagunas were superb offensively, Malabunga and Retamar made their presence felt and the Nationals’ blocking shocked Cambodia and Vietnam as the Filipinos swept them both to secure a semis seat. Then came the steamrolling Indonesians. Honestly, I thought the Nationals would sweep their way to the group’s top seeding. That way the PHI’s would've avoided a semis clash with Thailand. Forced to take on the defending champions, the Filipinos found themselves down in the first set. They got back in the second frame before yielding the third. And when the Thais came to match point, 24-21, in the fourth we all thought it was over. Fans were slowly emptying the bleachers not wanting to see the impending defeat. I was already waiting for the final score. Ready break the result. Then a miracle happened. The Nationals nibbled on the Thais' lead to force a deuce. After another deadlock, the Filipinos stole the set. The fifth frame was classic story of ‘who wants it more will win.’ An extended set made it even more dramatic. I vividly remember that sequence when Bagunas hammered the game-clinching kill off a lob from Lopez. After that all that I can recall was me pumping my fist up in the air and slapping the hardest high-fives I ever did with those inside the press room while howling like a madman. The national team assured itself of a silver after 42 years. A silver after four freaking decades. They did it. Of course, the Indonesians bullied their way to winning the gold medal in a sweep of the inexperienced Filipinos. But who cares, the host team exceeded its podium expectations. That silver that glittered like gold made that coverage truly memorable. But it never crossed my mind that it would be the last important volleyball event that I will get to report. (Note: It would’ve been the UAAP if not for the health crisis that put all sporting events to a halt. Sad.) And that’s why I ended up writing these last few paragraphs. A farewell from this section. From my first article for this website back on December 1, 2014 – a post-mortem of Petron’s breakthrough title in the Philippine Superliga Grand Prix – to my last published story, these were all written with only one thing in mind: in the service of the Filipino sports fan worldwide. Our run may have not been perfect, of course, we had our flaws. We had our fair share of criticisms from fans, athletes, sports personalities and sometimes even from our partner leagues and properties. We accepted our shortcomings. We tried to be better. But we are proud of what we did. We take pride with how we delivered sports stories through various digital executions that showcased sports beyond the confines of competition. On midnight of September 1 while most of you lay sound asleep, deep in slumber, hopefully, having a good dream and hours away from waking up looking forward to a better day, this website will be snapped out of existence. More than half a decade of sharing stories to the Filipino sports fan will be seeing its last presence online on Monday – a holiday to celebrate the nation’s heroes. This website will then hear its final buzzer, its final whistle. Thousands of articles – written with passion, dedication and love – will be taken down as this website goes offline together with majority of ABS-CBN Sports’ social media accounts. But soon, hopefully, it will once again see the light of day. We do hope that you will remember us, for we will remember all of you who made us your Kapamilya. -- 30 -- --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles Mark Escarlote has served as a sub-section editor for ABS-CBN Sports' website since 2014. He is among thousands of ABS-CBN employees who will be retrenched on August 31, 2020. .....»»
UAAP 81: When the sleeping giant named UP finally awakened
No cheering - that's the cardinal rule for sportswriters during coverages. In collegiate sports, not even your very own alma mater song is spared. Still, on November 28, 2018, I thought this one time could be an exception to the rule. After all, more than half of the Araneta Coliseum had their hands raised in singing "UP Naming Mahal." Certainly, not one more fist in the air could be considered conspicuous. After all, the University of the Philippines Men's Basketball Team was letting it all out right there on the court. Certainly, not one more show of emotion could be out of place. And after all, the Fighting Maroons had just done it. It, being seeing a new dawn after the so-called dark days. FROM FIGHTING TO WINNING UAAP 81 started very much like how many, many UP seasons did in recent memory. There was a lot of hope, no doubt, what with Paul Desiderio in his last year, Bright Akhuetie in his first year, Gomez de Liano brothers Juan and Javi being back for more, and Bo Perasol still at the helm. Only, being a fan of the Fighting Maroons also meant you know full well all of it couldn't be true. History is a lesson to be learned - and from the promise of Migs De Asis, Mike Gamboa, Martin Reyes, and great Filipino-American hope Mike Silungan and the potential of Mikee Reyes, Woody Co, and Kyles Lao, Diliman has learned many, many lessons, indeed. And then, the season started. A season-opening win became a 1-3 standing. A 3-3 record worsened to 3-5. Standing at an even 5-5 in the stretch run then led to winning three of the last four games in the elimination round. And before you knew it, UP, yes, UP was knocking on the door of the Final Four. Could this be it? Or could this be just the biggest disappointment the Fighting Maroons had ever served? FROM WINNING TO LOSING A winning tradition could be taken for granted. Coming from a school down south that was, is, and forever linked to a particular powerhouse, I, personally, was very much used to winning. Even more, I was right there when Joshua (or Dave, as we called him) Webb, Jeric Fortuna, and Jed Manguera led the team formerly known as the Bengals to a breakthrough championship. So, yeah, personally, my tradition was to root for a winning team - be it in the Jrs. or in the Srs. Come college, though, I traded in the shield of green and white for the luntian at pulang sagisag magpakailanman. And hey, UP Diliman is and always will be the best school in the history of man, in my eyes. In terms of basketball, though, it left much to be desired. As I was about to go to college, the Fighting Maroons went winless in back-to-back years. And then, they had three-win seasons when I was a freshie and a sophomore. In all my four years in college, I only experienced eight wins out of 56. So yeah, in State U, there was the exact opposite of a winning tradition. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't get me wrong here. UP is a power in many, many sports and is a contender for the general championship year in and year out. Back then, though, forgive me if I only had eyes for men's basketball.) FROM JETT TO PAUL And then, a ray of light shone bright, and brighter, and brighter. I have now grown to love Mikee Reyes - he is a great guy and a good analyst. Back then, though, he was a prime proof of what wasn't working in UP. Here was a talent who had a shot at making a name for himself and taking his team along with him for the ride, but unfortunately, just could not put it all together. Reyes was just one of many, many promising players in maroon and green who didn't have the sort of support that a winning tradition entailed. True to their name, though, the Fighting Maroons kept, well, fighting. And in his last year, Jett Manuel proved that the tides could turn in their favor. Manuel would never be the best player on De La Salle University or Ateneo de Manila University or even University of Sto. Tomas and Far Eastern University. Still, he gave his all game in and game out and grew to be a beloved player and leader in Diliman. He set the standard for the kind of fight a Maroon should have and in his last year, steered his squad to a fifth-place finish at 5-9. Not a finish to be proud of by any means, but for the first time in a long time, there were signs of life coming from State U. And that's when I knew Jett Manuel would be my forever King Maroon. However, just two years later, Paul Desiderio made me question that. FROM THEN TO NOW Definitely, Paul Desiderio is not Jett Manuel. Jett is eloquent and looks like he came from an exclusive private school, which he did. Paul speaks in short but sweet terms and is very much proud of his roots in Cebu. What they both have, though, is an undeniable love for UP and an unwavering determination to lead the Fighting Maroons to where they belong. When Manuel left, of course, the reins went to Desiderio and in his very first game as main man, he proved his worth. I know you know what I'm going to talk about - because this was the time he uttered the words that would define State U from that point onto the foreseeable future. "Atin to, papasok to!" -- Paul Desiderio during the timeout. Moments later...#UAAPSeason80 pic.twitter.com/7yafSpldJM — ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) September 10, 2017 The maroon and green yet again fell short of the Final Four that year, but come next season, a playoff berth was, indeed, theirs for the taking. Downing La Salle in the very last game of the elims, they booked a trip to the next round for the first time since 1997. That would have been more than enough for their long-suffering faithful, but they did themselves one better - actually, two better - and upset second-seed and twice-to-beat Adamson University. Just like that, UP would be playing in its first Finals since the days of Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc, Eric Altamirano, and Joe Lipa. That day, November 28, 2018, would always live on with me. FROM ME TO YOU As bad as I wanted to break the cardinal rule for sportswriters, I didn't. As bad as I wanted to stay on the floor to listen and live in the chorus singing in harmony, "Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan," I couldn't. When UP made history, I had to go back to the press room and finish my full take on the game. Just minutes before, I honestly couldn't believe the breaking report I was working on in my phone and uploading in our website. Really? The Fighting Maroons had done it. Even with the final stat sheet in my hands, I still couldn't believe it. Really? The Fighting Maroons had done it. Even through writing "those back-to-back wins have set up for them a date with defending champion Ateneo de Manila University in the best-of-three Finals slated for Saturday at the MOA Arena," I still couldn't believe it. Really? The Fighting Maroons had done it. Of course, in the very end, Ateneo was Ateneo and State U had to settle for second-place. Still, there may not be another silver medal that was worth celebrating more. You have to understand that again, this is a team not that far off from its dark days - so, yeah, this silver season was a special season. And so, at the very end of Season 81, when I saw Paul standing on the game officials' table, basking in the UP community's cries of "De-si-de-rio" and "A-tin-to," another chant was playing in my head - "You deserve it." This image, would always live on with me. At the same time, though, I was a firsthand witness to another image that told me this was just the beginning. First Finals appearance, first Finals loss. Fo sho, GDL brothers @javigdl22 and @juan_swish9 will only be better from this. #UAAPSeason81 pic.twitter.com/CMV0JH30rh — No Work Normie Riego (@riegogogo) December 5, 2018 Juan and Javi GDL sat on the makeshift awarding stage while the Blue Eagles were enjoying their back-to-back championships and Desiderio was being serenaded by the Fighting Maroons' faithful. Their eyes were welling up with tears, but deep down there, you could also see their determination to be back, to be better, and to say themselves "Atin 'to" to a championship. FROM HERE ON OUT UAAP 81 was Ateneo's, no doubt about that. UAAP 82, when UP was supposedly stronger, was still Ateneo's, yet again no doubt about that. Actually, the Fighting Maroons were even owned by runner-up UST that year - and those Growling Tigers had a Cinderella tale to tell of their own. And yet, for my money, no team in recent memory has won over everybody quite like Paul Desiderio's UP Fighting Maroons. Maybe, just maybe, that's all because I'm an Isko with student no. 2008-6*1*5. Or maybe, just maybe, it's so good to see a sleeping giant awakened - now knowledgeable of how to build a team and now knowledgeable how to put up support for that team. Or maybe, just maybe, it's so good to see homegrown stars like Diego Dario and the GDLs stay home and play home and to see a foreign student-athlete like Akhuetie shine bright both as a student and as an athlete. Or maybe, just maybe, it's so good to put your full faith in somebody like Desiderio who truly, madly, and deeply believed "Atin 'to" - even though recent history said otherwise. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo. Norman Lee Benjamin Riego has served as a sub-section editor for ABS-CBN Sports' website since 2014. He is among thousands of ABS-CBN employees who will be retrenched on August 31, 2020. .....»»
SEA GAMES: The silver that glittered like gold
When the editorial staff of ABS-CBN Sports was tasked to come up with our most memorable coverage, it didn’t take long for this writer to respond. The Philippine men’s volleyball team’s Southeast Asian Games semifinal match was the first thing that came to mind. Pesonally, that game against the highly-fancied Thailand squad topped all the countless volleyball matches that I’ve covered in my career. I’m at a loss for words on how to describe the emotions I felt that chilly night of December 8, 2019. Around 6,700 fans filled the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City not knowing that what they were about to witness was something historic. A magical night that would take away the frustrations they felt the day before when the more popular women’s team finished the preliminary round winless. For us sportswriters covering that assignment, we knew the Filipinos were up for a tough ride. Thailand ruled the last four editions of the event. On the other hand, the Philippines’ last significant outing in the biennial meet was a bronze medal finish back in 1991 – or when the current national team’s oldest member, setter Jessie Lopez was just five-years old. Did we doubt our own team? Let’s just say we prayed to the high heavens to give us something positive to write about. But don’t get us wrong. Those who followed the formation and preparation of the squad knew it would yield results come the SEA Games. After all, in all three batches of the Nationals that participated in the regional sports meet since 2015, this particular team had the longest time to prepare – around eight months to be exact. The team’s composition itself looked really promising. For the first time, two of country’s best hitters in Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, who both have experience playing in the Japan V. League, donned the tricolors together. Espejo returned after skipping the 2017 edition so did his teammates in the 2015 squad Rex Intal and setter Ish Polvorosa. Bagunas was on his second tour of duty along with team captain John Vic De Guzman, Mark Alfafara, RanRan Abdilla and libero Jack Kalingking. Head coach Dante Alinsunurin, who was appointed to handle the team after Oliver Almadro and Sammy Acaylar in 2015 and 2017, respectively, tapped an old hand in Lopez and injected young bloods in playmaker Owa Retamar, Jau Umandal, Kim Malabunga, Ricky Marcos and Francis Saura. As part of their buildup the Nationals joined the Thailand Open Sealect Tuna Championship July last year. The Filipinos achieved a great feat when they won bronze. Fans were able to witness the Nationals’ campaign via YouTube streaming while we volleyball writers, got to file our full stories through the help of De Guzman and Bagunas (God bless their beautiful hearts) who supplied us with game stats and granted postgame interviews. It’s just a shame I never got to cover the team’s training in Japan when the Nationals’ preparation went on full throttle. (Note: A little confusion in the training camp coverage assignments had me flying to Japan with the women’s squad and Lance Agcaoili of Spin.ph joining the men’s team. But it was a great experience, nonetheless, and I’m grateful for Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. for the opportunity.) I was as confused as the other sportswriters present during the draw for the group stage a couple of months before the SEA Games when Alinsunurin chose to join the four-team bracket with Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. Those three teams are considered contenders every SEA Games edition. And earning a semifinal spot would be harder compared to the other group composed of Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. Fortunately, the gamble was worth it. Espejo and Bagunas were superb offensively, Malabunga and Retamar made their presence felt and the Nationals’ blocking shocked Cambodia and Vietnam as the Filipinos swept them both to secure a semis seat. Then came the steamrolling Indonesians. Honestly, I thought the Nationals would sweep their way to the group’s top seeding. That way the PHI’s would've avoided a semis clash with Thailand. Forced to take on the defending champions, the Filipinos found themselves down in the first set. They got back in the second frame before yielding the third. And when the Thais came to match point, 24-21, in the fourth we all thought it was over. Fans were slowly emptying the bleachers not wanting to see the impending defeat. I was already waiting for the final score. Ready break the result. Then a miracle happened. The Nationals nibbled on the Thais' lead to force a deuce. After another deadlock, the Filipinos stole the set. The fifth frame was classic story of ‘who wants it more will win.’ An extended set made it even more dramatic. I vividly remember that sequence when Bagunas hammered the game-clinching kill off a lob from Lopez. After that all that I can recall was me pumping my fist up in the air and slapping the hardest high-fives I ever did with those inside the press room while howling like a madman. The national team assured itself of a silver after 42 years. A silver after four freaking decades. They did it. Of course, the Indonesians bullied their way to winning the gold medal in a sweep of the inexperienced Filipinos. But who cares, the host team exceeded its podium expectations. That silver that glittered like gold made that coverage truly memorable. But it never crossed my mind that it would be the last important volleyball event that I will get to report. (Note: It would’ve been the UAAP if not for the health crisis that put all sporting events to a halt. Sad.) And that’s why I ended up writing these last few paragraphs. A farewell from this section. From my first article for this website back on December 1, 2014 – a post-mortem of Petron’s breakthrough title in the Philippine Superliga Grand Prix – to my last published story, these were all written with only one thing in mind: in the service of the Filipino sports fan worldwide. Our run may have not been perfect, of course, we had our flaws. We had our fair share of criticisms from fans, athletes, sports personalities and sometimes even from our partner leagues and properties. We accepted our shortcomings. We tried to be better. But we are proud of what we did. We take pride with how we delivered sports stories through various digital executions that showcased sports beyond the confines of competition. On midnight of September 1 while most of you lay sound asleep, deep in slumber, hopefully, having a good dream and hours away from waking up looking forward to a better day, this website will be snapped out of existence. More than half a decade of sharing stories to the Filipino sports fan will be seeing its last presence online on Monday – a holiday to celebrate the nation’s heroes. This website will then hear its final buzzer, its final whistle. Thousands of articles – written with passion, dedication and love – will be taken down as this website goes offline together with majority of ABS-CBN Sports’ social media accounts. But soon, hopefully, it will once again see the light of day. We do hope that you will remember us, for we will remember all of you who made us your Kapamilya. -- 30 -- --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles Mark Escarlote has served as a sub-section editor for ABS-CBN Sports' website since 2014. He is among thousands of ABS-CBN employees who will be retrenched on August 31, 2020. .....»»
Si Coach Boc ang game-changer ko -- Dawn Macandili
If there is one person that multi-awarded libero Dawn Macandili would give credit to for all that she has achieved in her career aside from college coach Ramil de Jesus it would be assistant coach Benson Bocboc. The quiet and soft-spoken De La Salle University deputy has been De Jesus’ numbers guy on the Lady Spikers bench, his reliable scout and a trusted strategist. [Related story: DLSU's weapon against Ateneo: Clipboard and tablet] But for Macandili he is more than just DLSU’s man who crunches numbers or the one who prepares scouting reports. “Si Coach Boc ang game-changer ko,” Macandili said in her appearance on Volleyball DNA hosted by Anton Roxas and Denden Lazaro. Macandili said that when Bocboc went on board as the Lady Spikers prepared for Season 78 – the start of DLSU’s third three-peat – he immediately went down to work to help strengthen DLSU’s floor defense particularly focusing on liberos Macandili and CJ Saga. “Nu’ng dumating si Coach Boc, sobrang na-focus niya ang mga libero kasi ang style niya is Japanese training,” Macandili shared. “In-introduce niya kami sa mga drills na pang-Japanese. Sobrang na-amaze ako, ‘Wow Japanese style na defense.’” Macandili added that it was the first time since she joined the Lady Spikers that a practice session solely dedicated for liberos was added into their training schedule. “Ang daming drills na pinapagawa sa amin. Natutuwa ako kasi I’m always looking forward to learning something new,” she said. Bocboc according to Macandili was very technical, correcting them down to the smallest details. “Lagi niya kaming ini-introduce sa techniques. Gusto ko siyang ma-master. So every training may pinapagawa siya sa amin. Iba rin kasi talaga siyang mag-correct, to the slightest detail,” said the Tanauan, Batangas pride. “Dun ko na-realize na volleyball is very technical. Di lang basta na marunong kang mag-receive, marunong kang mag-dig pass. Hindi, kung marunong kang mag-receive kailangan ganito ang form mo, kailangan ganito kababa, mga ganoon.” He came into the team at the most critical time as DLSU was then shifting to a new approach to its system following two straight heartbreaking championship losses to the powerhouse Alyssa Valdez-led archrival Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles. “[Up to the] smallest details ang itinuturo niya sa amin and makikita mo talaga ang effect niya sa training and sa game,” said Macandili. Under Bocboc’s guidance, Macandili had her breakout season in 2016 as she played a key role in the Lady Spikers’ ascent back to the UAAP throne. Macandili in Season 78 was named Best Receiver, which she would win again the following year, and Best Digger while helping DLSU begin another three-year reign. Macandili would continue to rack in individual accolades, winning the Most Valuable Player award in the Philippine Superliga in 2016, being named the 2nd Best Libero in the 2017 AVC Asian Women’s Senior Championship as a member of the national team before wrapping up her UAAP career by bagging the Finals MVP in Season 80 - the first defense specialist to receive the honor. All thanks to the DLSU assistant coach. “Nag-iba talaga ang mindset ko nun sa volleyball na parang ang lawak niya na ang dami ko pang di alam. Doon ako na-engganyo na I want to learn more, more, more. I want to learn more talaga,” she said. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
Former URCC champion Drex Zamboanga set to make ONE Championship debut
The Philippines will have another representative in the ONE Championship ranks in the form of former URCC champion Drex "The T-Rex" Zamboanga. The 31-year old Zamboanga (8-5) will be making his ONE debut on ONE: A NEW BREED this coming Friday, August 28th in Bangkok, Thailand. The Thailand-based Zamboanga, older brother of ONE women's atomweight contender Denice, is a veteran in the Filipino MMA circuit. Zamboanga began his pro career in 2013 steadily climbed up the URCC ranks. In 2017, Zamboanga knocked out Rex De Lara to capture the vacant URCC Bantamweight Championship. After a quick stint in Japan and South Korea, Zamboanga returned to the URCC and successfully defended his title against Seung Hyun Cho via third-round Doctor's Stoppage. Zamboanga will face Thailand's Detchadin "Detchpool" Sorsirisuphathin in a flyweight contest. Also representing the Philipppines on the card will be top women's atomweight contender Denice Zamboanga, who faces Watsyapinya Kaewkhong, while newcomer KC Carlos takes on Wondergirl Fairtex. .....»»
East Asia Super League partners with FIBA to launch champions-league style joust
East Asia Super League's worst-kept secret is finally out. In an official announcement this week, EASL has partnered with FIBA to launch a champions-league style tournament featuring the top club teams in the East Asian region. The 10-year agreement will kick off with the first tournament in October 2021, one month after the scheduled FIBA Asia Champions Cup. Next year, EASL will gather eight top teams from China (CBA), Japan (B.League), South Korea (KBL), and the Philippines (PBA) to play in a tournament under a home-and-away format. Following preliminary play, the competition will conclude in February 2022 with a Final Four to determine one regional champion. The same format will be used for the 2022-2023 edition and EASL has plans to expand the tournament to 16 teams by 2023. "The recognition of the East Asia Super League is based on a shown commitment to developing basketball in the region, and is in line with FIBA’s club competition strategy that is to shape international club competitions,” said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis. "EASL has demonstrated a great operational capability to organize a high-level competition for top clubs, and a strong commitment to elevate the sport of basketball in East Asia within the FIBA regulatory framework for leagues,” said FIBA Executive Director Asia Hagop Khajirian. EASL has staged tournaments featuring East Asian Club teams in the past. The Super 8 tournament, which require all-local lineups, was played in Macau in 2017 and 2018 with Japan's Chiba Jets and China's Guangzhou Long Lions named as champions. EASL's premier tournament, The Terrific 12, allows teams to play with up to two imports. It was also played in Macau starting in 2018. Japan's Ryukyu Golden Kings won the first Terrific 12 title in 2018. Last year, China's Lioaning Flying Leopards, with Lance Stephenson at the lead, captured the championship, beating PBA flagships TNT KaTropa and the San Miguel Beermen along the way. "EASL is thrilled to receive FIBA’s support for the launch of our league. With top teams from the Greater China region, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, we are confident it will become one of the top professional basketball competitions in the world by 2025," CEO Matt Beyer said. "We also look forward to aligning with FIBA’s vision to strengthen domestic clubs and league competition in East Asia with a potential fan base of over 2 billion people, which will contribute to FIBA’s global club championship ambitions," Beyer added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Mark Magsayo vs. Jose Haro set for September 23rd in Los Angeles
Undefeated Filipino featherweight Mark "Magnifico" Magsayo's return to the ring this year has been confirmed. The 25-year old will be making his first walk out to the ring as a member of Manny Pacquiao's MP Promotions stable on Wednesday, September 23rd in Los Angeles, California when he faces American Jose "Pepito" Haro in a ten-round contest. Both MP Promotions and Magsayo himself posted the bout announcement on their respective social media pages. Magsayo (20-0, 14 KO), one of the country's most promising prospects, will be looking to gain momentum once again after competing just two times in the last two years or so. Formerly an up-and-coming project of the recently-folded ALA Promotions, Magsayo made a name for himself an an exciting knockout artist with world championship potential. Following a split with ALA Promotions in 2017, Magsayo was inactive for all of 2018, before returning to the ring twice in 2019. Earlier this year, the Tagbilaran-native announced his signing with MP Promotions. In July, Magsayo flew to the US to begin training camp. Facing Magsayo is 33-year old Haro, who owns a 15-1-1 pro record with 8 wins via KO. The Washington native is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak. .....»»