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Philippines bows down to Iraq in FIFA Qualifiers
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mohanad Ali scored a late goal for Iraq that sent the Philippines to the bottom of Group F in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Friday, March 21 (March 22, Manila Time) at the Basra International Stadium in Iraq. With the defeat, the Philippines’ chances to.....»»
Two more Paris qualifiers for boxers
Only lightheavyweight Eumir Marcial qualified for the Paris Olympics out of nine fighters in the Philippine boxing team at the Hangzhou Asian Games with two more chances to book tickets in world competitions in Busto Arsizio, Italy, on Feb. 29-March 12 and Bangkok on May 12-June 3......»»
Cone not taking chances
It could be the most problematic Gilas team ever but no matter the odds, coach Tim Cone is armed for battle with a band of brothers determined to fight ‘til the final buzzer of every contest at the Hangzhou Asian Games......»»
Tolentino: Our athletes are prepared
Team Philippines will be prepared and ready to win when it marches to the 19th Asian Games that will open on Saturday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China. No less than Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino declared their readiness, saying that they will deploy the best and most prepared athletes in the prestigious quadrennial meet that got delayed by a year due to Covid pandemic. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal, will be at the helm together with other standouts like pole vaulter EJ Obiena, swimmer Kayla Sanchez, and boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam. Although expectations will be tempered on the chances of Diaz as she will compete in the heavier 59-kilogram category, she is still expected to make her presence felt as she had already warmed up in the World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after finishing seventh. Even the boxers will be ready as they are coming off an intensive training in India and Australia in a bid to dominate the Asian Games that will also serve as a qualifying tourney for the Paris Olympics. Tolentino said he has high hopes for the 396-man national delegation. “We are very much prepared. Some of our athletes are coming off from their training abroad,” said Tolentino, who will join Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann in leading the send-off ceremony for Team Philippines on Monday at the Philippine International Convention Center. In the previous edition of the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018, the Filipinos finished 19th after pocketing four gold, two silver and 15 bronze medals. It was the country’s best finish since grabbing five gold medals in 1951 in New Delhi, seven gold medals in 1962 in Jakarta, eight gold medals in 1958 in Tokyo and 14 gold medals in 1954 in Manila. The first batch of Filipino athletes had already left for Hangzhou. First to leave were Olympian Cris Nievarez and the national rowing team composed of Joanie Delgaco, Tammy Sha, Feiza Lenton, Edgar Ilas, and Zuriel Sumintac with coaches Shukhrat Ganiev, Ed Maerina, Nic Jasmin and Con Fornea. The rowers will kick off their campaign in the men’s single sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls, women’s single sculls, and lightweight women’s double sculls on Wednesday at the Olympic Sports Expo Center. Also first to arrive in the bustling city in Hangzhou, the capital and most populous city in Zhejiang Province, are the staff of the national women’s football team, windsurfers and indoor and beach volleyball players. The national booters, popularly known as the Filipinas, are expected to arrive in the coming days in batches as they kick off their campaign on Tuesday. Tolentino said exceeding their performance in the previous Asian Games will already be considered as a success. “This will be the best of the team. We hope to exceed our performance for the last four years,” said Tolentino, who is pinning his hopes on Diaz as well as Asia’s best vaulter Obiena, Olympic medalists Marcial, Petecio and Paalam, and two-time Olympic medalist Sanchez. “We have high hopes for medals in weightlifting, boxing, swimming, and e-sports, with potential surprises in martial arts as well.” The post Tolentino: Our athletes are prepared appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl spikers keenly await draw
Whether the Philippine beach volleyball teams will make inroads in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou will be determined during today’s groupings, Philippine National Volleyball Federation national commission chief Tonyboy Liao said. The Philippine volleyball teams flew to Hangzhou last Saturday to become of the early birds. “There’s a general technical meeting for pool play. They haven’t started I don’t know who we will be up against,” said Liao, also the commissioner of the Premier Volleyball League. “There’s no meeting yet so we don’t know the pool play. Once the groupings have been decided, then we can gauge our chances.” “The preliminary inquiry was yesterday so most likely, the general technical meeting was last night.” Ranran Abdilla, James Buytrago, Jude Garcia and Jaron Requinton, the core players who snagged three bronze medals in the Southeast Asian Games, will banner the squad in men’s play. With the dynamic duo of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons unavailable for the national team, it’s up to Dij Rodriguez, Gene Eslapor, Grydelle Matibag and Khylem Progella to banner the Philippines as this will be the first time in 17 years the country will join the women’s volleyball tournament in the Asiad since the Filipino-American pair of Diane Pascua and Heidi Ilustre finished seventh in 2006. The post Phl spikers keenly await draw appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Our team
The 19th Asian Games have yet to start, but Gilas Pilipinas is already winning the hearts and minds of Filipinos. Gilas coach Tim Cone swept local fans off their feet when he allowed them to watch their joint training session with the Gilas Women team last Thursday at the PhilSports Arena. After their workout, San Miguel Corporation director Alfrancis Chua gave the fans five minutes to have their pictures taken with their basketball idols. But when Cone approached Chua, he suddenly changed his mind and increased the allotted time to 15 minutes. Seeing Gilas — a collection of the country’s most popular and wealthiest athletes — go out of their way to mingle with fans is truly heartwarming. And it won’t be the last time they will see their basketball heroes as Cone has invited them anew to watch their friendly match against Changwon LG Sakers on Friday. But just a few weeks ago, this beautiful bond between Gilas and their fans was unthinkable. Gilas struggled to gain public support during the country’s hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. At the same time, their head coach, Chot Reyes, was being bashed and heckled mercilessly due to their forgettable performance. Fans questioned Reyes’s integrity as a coach, especially when he benched Kai Sotto in their first game against the Dominican Republic. He was also criticized for relying too much on National Basketball Association star Jordan Clarkson, raising speculations that he was unprepared for the world’s biggest and most prestigious basketball event. The fans inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum made their presence felt. They booed Reyes during the player introductions against Italy, prompting some of his players, like Kiefer Ravena, Rhenz Abando and Clarkson, to rush to his defense. Even Reyes’s outfit didn’t escape the eyes of the public. Social media exploded with insults, adverse reactions, and comments after Reyes flaunted an ultra-expensive Thom Browne suit during their game against Angola. The money he spent, reportedly around P200,000, wasn’t worth it as Gilas suffered a 70-80 loss to the Angolans, dealing a major blow to their chances of advancing to the knockout stages. But his manner of coaching and posh outfit were not the only reasons Reyes struggled to deodorize his public image. When Gilas was preparing for the World Cup, Reyes shut the doors of their practice facility to fans and sportswriters. Instead of making the team available, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas assigned a media liaison who disseminated information and narrated what was happening through short videos and photos regularly posted on social media. That was the practice when Gilas trained at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, as well as when they were in Estonia and Lithuania. Gilas also played friendly matches against Ivory Coast, Mexico, and Montenegro at the PhilSports Arena with no one but a very few team staffers and federation officials in attendance. With the friendly matches being inaccessible, sportswriters had to resort to checking the social media pages of Gilas’s opponents and the SBP to get information and avoid the wrath of their editors. They jokingly called it “socmed journalism.” That’s why the appointment of Cone as Gilas’ head coach is a breath of fresh air. The 65-year-old Cone may be an American, but he knows the importance of gaining public approval. In fact, he started his career as a villain in the eyes of the masses after engaging with the charismatic Robert Jaworski in numerous coaching battles. But he let his coaching do the talking as he led Alaska to a grand slam in 1996 before winning another triple crown with San Mig Coffee in 2014. At Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, the most popular professional team in the country, Cone further cemented his reputation as a well-loved, well-respected coach when he turned the likes of LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson and Justin Brownlee into fan favorites. Now, Cone is at the helm of Gilas Pilipinas, armed with a mission of not only winning an Asian Games medal but also bringing the national players closer to the public. It’s a tough order. But Cone is carrying it out to perfection. The post Our team appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Quo Vadis Gilas?
Over the past week, basketball crazy FIBA co-host Philippines has been the mecca for world basketball. Hordes of foreign basketball fans eager to support their teams have trooped to our country, and along with thousands of local fans, including yours truly, have endured the hardships of hours long traffic, bewildering weather of humidity, heat and massive rainfall melding intermittently all within the day enroute to the venues, just to witness live the World Cup’s top hoopsters. Despite what I felt were atrociously expensive tickets for the lower box sections, being an incorrigible basketball fanatic, I just felt that I could not pass up the chance to be part of the once in a lifetime World Cup experience, particularly since I would be in the company of family friends, businessman basketball-sportscaster Dominic Uy who shared his insightful off-court commentaries and who was responsible for getting us some great seats, my erstwhile golfing partner Cookie la’O who had partnered with me decades back to bag the prestigious Mango Tee Tournament championship in Alabang, and my son-in-law, noted New Balance shoe designer Gabe la’O, who flew all the way from New Hampshire to watch some top-notch games. Never mind that they are all as La Salle Green as can be but their youthful energies in cheering their hearts out for every basket, block, steal and mad breakaway was infectious. I watched the US-Greece and Gilas-Italy games live and the experience did not disappoint. The highlights of those games in consonance with the tremendous roars of the fans will be replayed in my memory bank over and over again for a long time to come. But, of course, like all true-blue basketball aficionados, recounting and analyzing the wows of a won game and the what-ifs of a heartbreaker and the future of Gilas is par for the course. So here goes. Despite the four heartbreaking defeats to the Dominican Republic, Angola, Italy and South Sudan, the last game of Gilas winning against the undisputed Asian champion, China, has given us a slight glimmer of hope, again, to have a chance to make it to Paris next year. Although the win was masterfully achieved as a team effort, undoubtedly it was Jordan Clarkson who practically carried Gilas on his shoulders with his hot 3-point shooting in the third quarter. Even China’s coach Sasha Dordevic and NBA star Li Kaier of the Minneapolis Timberwolves pointed to Clarkson as the main reason for their never-before lopsided loss to Gilas. Because of this win, Gilas is ranked 24th out of the 32 participating countries, enough to allow us to participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and so the buzz over Gilas’ chances continues. What changes are needed? As far as the team composition is concerned, unless there are injuries, I believe the current line-up is as good as it can get. All are unquestionably standouts. On the other hand, as far as the coaching leadership is concerned, Chot Reyes already declared immediately after the win over China that he is stepping down because the incessant social media abuse from his critics has been “brutal” for him and his family. Kudos to Chot for his service to the country and for making this move rightly expected of any leader who has not delivered on the goals. The options, however, are limited. And worse, there is an extremely short timeline to make the choice because the Asian Games starts on 23 September. Tab Baldwin of course is the popular clamor, but the UAAP season begins as well this September and I don’t think he will leave the Blue Eagles coachless. Also it seems that there could be some pushback from certain SBA and PBA quarters who might not be too keen on Tab’s up front in your face style. Tim Cone is my own bet because not only is he an equally great coach but also for continuity since he is already in the Gilas coaching staff. Regardless of the choice, however, the problem of conflicting schedules of the players with their home teams will continue to be an obstacle to building a Gilas team that needs to be properly honed with significant playing time together. PBA and SBP will have to somehow firmly reach an understanding, otherwise Gilas fans will have to face up to the reality of more heartbreaks. Quo Vadis Gilas? Until next week… OBF! For comments, email bing_matoto@yahoo.com The post Quo Vadis Gilas? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Monsters in Phl volleyball
Philippine volleyball is again in trouble. The country’s lone professional volleyball league — the Premier Volleyball League — is under fire after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation penalized it for staging a tournament “within the national team period without authorization.” Based on the calendar of the International Volleyball Federation, no commercial tournaments will be held around the world from 16 May to 15 October to give way to the national teams’ participation in various tournaments. The PVL, however, kicked off its Invitational Conference last week to run till 30 July with guest teams from Japan and Australia said to be joining to jack up the level of competition in the semifinals. The biggest casualty is the national squad that competed in the AVC Women’s Challenge Cup in Indonesia recently. With the core of the team that saw action in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games like Alyssa Valdez, Kat Tolentino, Jia de Guzman, and Mylene Paat busy with their respective mother teams in the PVL, the PNVF had no choice but to send young and untested players to the prestigious continental tournament. Bannered by Faith Nisperos, Michelle Cobb, AC Miner, and Roma Doromal with Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Bang Pineda as the only veterans, the national squad had a forgettable seventh-place finish. This didn’t sit well with the PNVF. In a memorandum that Daily Tribune obtained last Thursday, the federation cracked the whip by barring PVL clubs from securing the International Transfer Certificates of foreign players in the reinforced conference. Sideliners see the penalty as a declaration of war by the PNVF leadership as it will prompt the PVL organizers to either alter their format or scrap the season-ending conference altogether. But more than that, the sanction will disrupt PVL operations, hurting the players, coaches, officials, utility, and other personnel who are banking on professional volleyball to make ends meet. But let us remember that the PVL is the federation’s last remaining ally. When the PNVF was formed at the height of the pandemic in 2021, the PVL rallied behind it while other leagues such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, University Athletic Association of the Philippines, and the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball League refused to toe the line. The PVL had also been very cooperative and supportive of the national team program by deploying its players to major international tournaments. In fact, when the PNVF leadership threw a tantrum and fired National University players from the national squad, it was the PVL that cleaned up the mess by sending its players to the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup that the country was set to host. During the buildup to the SEA Games, the PVL made the major sacrifice of halting its operations so its players could go to Japan for a 15-day training. Although it could have easily refused since the Osaka training was scheduled from 13 to 28 April, which was outside the national team window, the PVL still agreed to lend its players to help the federation regain a SEA Games medal. The PVL has also been very gracious, allowing national team head coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito of Brazil to coach one of its marquee clubs, Akari, even though there are many local coaches available who can easily do the job. And now this? The PNVF is penalizing the PVL for something that could have been resolved with a mere phone call or a 30-minute meeting. You don’t do that to your partner, especially your most loyal — and last remaining — ally. What if — only what if — PVL team owners fire back and bar their stars from playing for the national team in the 19th Asian Games? Can the PNVF still form a competitive team? The monsters that have been terrorizing Philippine volleyball are again starting to appear. And, sad to say, they are destroying the relationship between the PVL and PNVF, greatly affecting the country’s chances to form a stronger, more competitive national team. Unless local officials slay the monsters — pride, greed, arrogance, and lust for power — Philippine volleyball will forever be a source of punchlines in the international arena. The post Monsters in Phl volleyball appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kim climbs US Open leaderboard with sizzling third-round start
Tom Kim turned in a record-equalling front nine at Los Angeles Country Club then found himself holding on for dear life as he tried to play his way into contention at the US Open. The 20-year-old from South Korea had seven birdies in the first 10 holes -- his 29 on the front nine matching the championship nine-hole scoring mark. Kim joined Vijay Singh in 2003 at Olympia Fields, Louis Oosthuizen in 2015 at Chambers Bay and Neal Lancaster, who did it back to back in 1995 and 1996 at Shinnecock and Oakland Hills. Coming in, however, there were bogeys at 13, 15 and 16 by Kim as the sun-baked course, hosting a US Open for the first time, showed its teeth. "Those three bogeys really don't feel like bogeys because I barely missed it by a yard or two," said Kim, whose four-under par 66 put him at three-under 207 for the tournament. "But major championship golf, US Open, really brings it out of you. "Would have been nice to kind of par in and see that bogey-free or see one or two more birdies, but if you told me at the start of the day, I'd take that score." One of Kim's bogeys came at the par-three 15th, playing Saturday at just 81 yards. Birdies were proving even harder to come by there than they had in the first two rounds, when it played at 124 and 115 yards and saw three holes in one. Kim said it still offered one of the few "realistic" birdie chances on the back nine because players are hitting a wedge off the tee. "If you have a wedge, you have a chance to get it close and have a chance," he said. - No room for error - But at 81 yards, there's certainly no room for error. "I mean, it was 76 yards, 80 something to the hole. You have four yards of green to work with," Kim said. "You're long, you're dead; you're short, you're dead. It's a really simple wedge shot, but with the wind kind of going down to left, you've got to really hit it at the right time. "It's a wedge. You don't want to bail out left. Then you have like a 40-footer down the hill. "I just kind of got cute and kind of got plugged in the bunker. A bogey from 80 yards stats-wise isn't great, but definitely double is in play there." Kim, who earned his second US PGA Tour title at TPC Summerlin last October and owns two titles on both the Asian Tour and Koran Tour, is chasing a first major title. He's trying to follow the trail blazed by Asia's two male major winners: South Korean Yang Yong-eun -- who out-dueled Tiger Woods to win the 2009 PGA Championship -- and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion. Although he'd told himself not to watch the scoreboard, Kim admitted he couldn't help himself as the birdies were falling. "It did catch my mind once I was seven-under, after 10 where, man, if I can keep this going, have a good finish -- and if the leaders kind of stumble -- I might have a chance to be really close up there on Sunday," Kim said. "But it was a really short thought because I still had the hardest part of the golf course right in front of me." bb/js © Agence France-Presse The post Kim climbs US Open leaderboard with sizzling third-round start appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wide-ranging partnerships define the new ABS-CBN
Here’s proof that ABS-CBN has been seriously taking itself in its new avowed role as a content supplier to the entertainment industry as well as online media: Since May of last year, the Lopez enterprise has been a major partner of Pinoy Interactive Entertainment, a company that has begun to make its mark on the entertainment scene with its acronym PIE. Billed as the country’s first multiscreen, real-time interactive channel, PIE is a collaborative project of ABS-CBN, BEAM, 917 Ventures and KROMA Entertainment, which boasts of being “tradigital,” meaning engaged in creating traditional and digital outputs. BEAM, KROMA and 917 Ventures are all under Globe Telecom. ABS-CBN’s involvement with PIE is overseen by the towering (as in basketball player-tall) Jamie Lopez, the company’s head of digital business. Ian Monsod, once known as a theater actor and music man, heads BEAM. He is the son of the famous and influential couple Christian Monsod, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, and renowned economist Winnie Monsod. [caption id="attachment_137021" align="aligncenter" width="896"] PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY KROMA ENTERTAINMENT | Kroma Entertainment CEO Ian Monsod (second from left) and Kroma head of Broadcasting Jil Go with ABS-CBN chief of staff Connie Lopez and PIE Channel head Alex Asuncion.[/caption] The PIE company was launched last year to media people and to v/bloggers only through a Zoom conference. To mark its first anniversary this year, the company held a face-to-face conference with the media and v/bloggers at Pandan Asian Restaurant in QC, just some blocks away from the ABS-CBN studios. Interaction with the company’s shows is mainly through digital devices. On its second year, the interactive channel promises a platform where people can increase their chances of winning while having fun by simply clicking on their mobile phones or engaging via the website. Or as its tagline puts it: “Pindot PIEnalo ka dahil kada pindot, PIEnalo ka more!” ABS-CBN stars Stars from ABS-CBN topbill many of PIE’s shows. For instance, Sinong Manok Mo? is headlined by momshie and pop-culture icon Jolina Magdangal, joined by It’s Showtime “Ate Girl” Jackie Gonzaga and comedian Eric Nicolas. [caption id="attachment_137022" align="aligncenter" width="525"] JOLINA Magdangal and Eric Nicolas.[/caption] Sino’ng Manok Mo? airs Saturday and Sunday nights, 7 to 8 p.m. A co-host in the show is Paris-born and -raised Ralph Malibunas, a contestant on ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother, where he revealed that he didn’t mind working as a caregiver and park attendant for some years. The seemingly suddenly famous Jennica Garcia of the ABS-CBN series Dirty Linen cannot be happier that Pie Channel recently also gave her a chance to co-host Ur Da Boss with Melai Cantiveros (Magdangal’s co-host in the morning show Magandang Buhay). [caption id="attachment_137025" align="aligncenter" width="896"] MELAI Cantiveros and Jennica Garcia.[/caption] Garcia said she felt un-ready to be a host as she had not done that kind of job before. Her smart solution: “Iniisip ko na lang na (I just think that) for this show, I’m going to be the Gen Z version of Jean Garcia.” Jean Garcia is her mom, whose showbiz fame began as one of the hosts of the well-loved 80’s and 90’s musical variety youth show on GMA 7, German Moreno’s That’s Entertainment. Even Jennica’s father, then-actor Jigo Garcia, was a That’s Entertainment mainstay. Ur Da Boss airs Monday to Friday, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dramatic actress Charlie Dizon seems to be not getting major follow-up exposures after she made waves as an obsessed fan in the film The Paulo Avelino Story. So let’s all hope her being made a mainstay in the PIE show Mga Kwento ng Dilim can lead to a series on ABS-CBN, PIE or elsewhere. Angeline Quinto, meanwhile, hosts The Chosen One (TCO): Kakatacute an interactive piliserye with comedian Chad Kinis. The show’s weekly elimination show is hosted by actor Jameson Blake and reality show alum Karina Bautista. [caption id="attachment_137023" align="aligncenter" width="896"] KARINA Bautista and Jameson Blake.[/caption] The channel also has a teen narrative offering, Para Sa All, headlined by Mutya Orquia this month. Another teen show, Pak na Pak! is hosted by Vivoree, Aljon Mendoza, Anji Salvacion, Jeremy G., Igi Boy Flores, Sheena Belarmino and Gello Marquez. Then there’s the daily show Matching-Matching Mini Game, which uses customized PIE cards inspired by the classic Filipino card game ungguy-ungguyan. For late sleepers, PIE offers the adult show SPG: Saktong Pang Gabi, a naughty evening talk show topbilled by comedian Negi and supported by MNL48’s Rans Rifol and actor-model Argel Saycon. [caption id="attachment_137024" align="aligncenter" width="896"] RANS Rifol and comedian Negi.[/caption] Expanding content reach ABS-CBN Corp. has declared that it is keen on forging more partnerships to expand content reach in a bid to secure its financial future. “We’re willing to work with any partner, whether in free, pay TV or online streaming,” said Carlo Katigbak, president and CEO of ABS-CBN Corp, during the company’s annual stakeholder meeting. Hence, it’s taken on partnerships here and abroad, such as with Amazon Prime Video to syndicate a TV series, and a distribution deal with India’s MX Player. It also has partnerships with Netflix, Hong Kong-based Viu and Youtube. “We decided to shed off all assets not relevant to storytelling… The new ABS-CBN is learning to partner with other platforms,” Katigbak added. ABS-CBN’s partnerships on the domestic front include a milestone deal with its media rival, GMA Network, Inc. The two signed a deal to produce a teleserye, and the Kapuso network can now use ABS-CBN’s iWantTFC streaming platform to widen its international reach. ABS-CBN has also inked content partnerships with the Pangilinan-owned TV5, PIE Channel, AMBS and the A2Z channel founded by Bro. Eddie Villanueva. The company managed to trim its net losses in 2022, now at P2.63 billion after posting a P5.67-billion loss in the preceding year. The post Wide-ranging partnerships define the new ABS-CBN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gilas Pilipinas’ SEAG win fuels excitement for 2023 FIBA World Cup
Less than a hundred days before the opening tip of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Filipino basketball fans are growing excited as they await the final list of local and international basketball superstars who will be playing in the Philippine leg of the said basketball championship. Following Gilas Pilipinas’ euphoric win against an import-laden Cambodian team in the recent 32nd Southeast Asian Games, and with the team’s grit and sound coaching strategies, basketball enthusiasts are optimistic about the team’s chances in this year’s FIBA World Cup. With Gilas Pilipinas facing familiar foes — Italy, Dominican Republic and Angola — in the FIBA World Cup’s group stage, the victory over Cambodia could inspire the players as they compete with these teams. Playing in front of the home crowd will boost the team’s morale as Gilas Pilipinas sets their sights on winning in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and qualifying to represent the flag in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. The Philippines last played in the 1972 Olympics and winning the FIBA World Cup could end the drought. In an interview, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Alfredo S. Panlilio shared his wishes that Gilas Pilipinas could win at least two (games) and move to the next round. Since the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas had only won once in 10 matches. Thus, there is enormous pressure to perform at an all-time high, considering that the Philippines is one of the co-hosts of this year’s tournament. Panlilio added, “If we do that (win at least two games and advance to the knockout stage), possibly, because the highest ranking Asian team after every tournament gets a slot in the Olympics. It’s a reward if we’re the highest Asian team. In the meantime, what remains crucial for Gilas Pilipinas’ coaching staff is its selection of players that would participate in the FIBA World Cup. The players’ selection also excites Filipinos as they all wait to see if Filipino-American and Utah Jazz Guard Jordan Clarkson would don the country’s colors. News reports quoted Gilas Pilipinas Head Coach Chot Reyes saying, “The selection would be based on various factors such as schedules, players’ plans, and even economics. To be very honest about it, to be very frank, economics will also be an issue.” “There are a lot of things that are going to be involved in making the final determination. We plan to have a 16- or 18-man pool, and it might be more, to go on an extended training period that will include foreign camps and tune-up games against quality competition,” Reyes said. The Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia will host this year’s FIBA World Cup from August 25 to September 10, 2023. The games will be played simultaneously at the Araneta Coliseum for Groups A and B, Mall of Asia Arena for Groups C and D, Okinawa Arena in Japan for Groups E and F, and at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta for Groups G and H. The qualifying teams will head to Manila as the Playoffs and Finals Games will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena. As the country prepares to host the most prestigious FIBA World Cup, Panlilio also called on all basketball stakeholders to unite to support Gilas Pilipinas as it competes in the international arena. With the Philippines’ passionate fans, rich basketball culture, and world-class venues, the stage is all set for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which is certain to leave a mark on the global basketball landscape. The post Gilas Pilipinas’ SEAG win fuels excitement for 2023 FIBA World Cup appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cabinet shake-up looms (3)
From Indonesia, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. confirmed that there will be a reorganization, not a reshuffle, of the Cabinet following the end of the one-year ban on those who ran in the May 2023 elections. He said he has already evaluated the performance of the Cabinet members during his first year in office and he will be appointing competent individuals as additional members of his official family. He added that he will be picking them up from those who lost in the last elections. No wonder some are lusting to be picked and even hired public relations persons to push for their names and peddle them as already being chosen. Social media is replete with a list of so-called incoming appointees with the departments they are supposed to head. The truth of the matter is — this list is bogus and purposely circulated by the handlers of those whose names appear thereat. One wonders why they go to great lengths to project themselves as having already clinched the Cabinet portfolio. Some of them have served at one time or another in the past administrations while others would like a taste of the limelight accompanying the position as well as the perks that go with it. Still others, the opportunity of public exposure is a golden chance to raise one’s chances of getting elected to a national office. It cannot be discounted that there are unscrupulous few who having accumulated ill-gotten wealth while in office, would like to return to their money-making ventures having succeeded to evade the graft busters from discovering or unearthing their unlawful under-the-table deals. There is one political opportunist and a scoundrel who has been suspended by the highest court of the land for unethical practice, and who is so hated by a religious group for his threat to kill its members, but who managed to worm his way to the graces of the appointing power, or so seems, (hopefully it’s more apparent than real ) in the last elections by using gutter language in a distasteful attempt at aping the maverick, politically willed and well-loved PRRD. It will be a disaster if these kinds of people are appointed in the Cabinet for they are termites that will destroy the image of the administration. Unsurprisingly, there are Cabinet members who will have sleepless nights the next few days for they might wake up the following day to learn that they would be joining the two former Cabinet officials who fell from power just after a few months in office. It is indisputable that those who will get the axe have not performed well in their departments and have become an embarrassment to the presidency. Instead of being assets to the administration, they have become liabilities and therefore should be given their walking papers. The performing ones will undoubtedly remain for they have helped PBBM in implementing his policy of national development and vision of economic growth and prosperity for the people. In an earlier column, they have been named. There is another member of the Cabinet who is an asset to the administration. His stint as President of the University of the Philippines and as a long-time executive of the Asian Development Bank have helped him steer competently and efficiently the Department of Trade and Industries. Secretary Alfredo Pascual not only has continued the innovative programs in the trade industry initiated by the Duterte administration but improved on it resulting in the country’s steady economic rise coming from the crippling pandemic. He has introduced business practices geared toward attracting foreign investments while strengthening domestic trade. These business opportunities for both local and foreign investors will greatly produce not only needed government revenues but employment for the millions of the unemployed. Hopefully, the coming new composition of the Cabinet will usher in the much-needed support coming from the alter egos of the President to ensure the success of the latter’s presidency. The post Cabinet shake-up looms (3) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remolino sees better medal chances of 3 Cebuano triathletes in upcoming SEA Games
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Veteran triathlon coach Roland Remolino is confident of the chances of the three Cebuano triathletes under his wing to win medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) next month in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Remolino, head coach of two-time SEA Games men’s triathlon silver medalist Andrew Kim Remolino as well as […] The post Remolino sees better medal chances of 3 Cebuano triathletes in upcoming SEA Games appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
World-class foes boost triathletes
Competing against world-class foes had prepared the national triathlon squad for the tough grind in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco yesterday said he is confident over the SEA Games chances of the triathletes after getting world-class exposure in the 30th Subic International Triathlon over the weekend. In the previous staging of the biennial meet in Hanoi, the Filipinos dominate the triathlon and duathlon event after bagging three gold, one silver and one bronze medal. Now, Carrasco is pumped up, knowing that his wards would deliver in the 11-nation conclave set in Phnom Penh from 5 to 17 May. “We’ve just completed the elite events as a final tune-up for our Cambodia-bound team. They experienced a very tough race today (Sunday) competing again Asia’s best. Very good experience,” Carrasco, who is looking to win at least three gold medals in the biennial meet, said. Carrasco said seeing action in high-level events is definitely a big boost to the triathletes. “We might not have had a Filipino on the podium of the SuBit race but I’m happy they got exposed to a world-class experience,” Carrasco said in a separate interview. In the SuBit event, five-time SEA Games gold medalist Kim Mangrobang emerged as the best local performer after finishing 24th in the 48-woman field with a clocking of one hour, one minute and seven seconds. In the men’s side, Filipino-Spanish Fernando Casares finished 25th out of 66 local and international competitors after crossing the finish line in 54:46. Mangrobang and Casares will banner the 11-man national team in both the triathlon and duathlon events of the biennial meet. Also competing in the SEA Games are Raven Alcoseba (women’s triathlon and women’s aquathlon), Kim Remolino (men’s triathlon and mixed relay), John Chicano (men’s duathlon) and Kira Ellis (women’s duathlon). For the aquathlon events, Gene Quiambao (women’s aquathlon) and Josh Ramos (men’s aquathlon) will join Alcoseba and Remolino the mixed relay team will be composed of Ellis, Aki Lorbes, Erica Burgos and Wacky Baniqued. The national squad will be flying to Cambodia this Friday, just in time for the start of the event on 6 May at the Cambodian province of Kep. The post World-class foes boost triathletes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bagunas gushes over men’s progress
Veteran internationalist Bryan Bagunas couldn’t help but get goosebumps at the prospect of seeing more Filipino volleyball players campaigning in club leagues overseas. Four homegrown talents have been invited to the 2023 KOVO men’s Asian Quota Draft tryouts set on 25 April for the coming Korean Volleyball League, hoping to join Bagunas on the list of Filipino spikers showcasing their wares abroad. Bagunas, who is fresh from a successful stint in Taiwan’s Top Volleyball League after leading Lien Zhuang WinStreak to the crown and winning tournament Most Valuable Player in the process, is optimistic about the chances of the likes of Marck Espejo, Jau Umandal, JP Bugaoan and Manuel Sumanguid III getting selected. ‘I’m having goosebumps now.’ The four national team standouts are scheduled to fly to Jeju Island in Korea for the face-to-face tryout where seven slots will be at stake. “I’m having goosebumps now. I’m really proud that slowly the Philippines men’s volleyball is getting recognition from other countries,” Bagunas said in an interview over the weekend. “It’s overwhelming for me to see that other countries are now eyeing Filipinos as imports,” Bagunas, who is currently busy preparing for his wedding in June, added. Just last Friday, Fil-American middle blocker MJ Phillips was picked 5th overall by the Gwangju AI Peppers during the 2023 KOVO Women’s Asian Quota Draft held online. “We really have the skills to compete internationally,” Bagunas, who will return to Taiwan for the next Top League season in October. “Being one of the few Filipinos playing international (volleyball) I’m really proud that we’re getting the recognition we deserve. Hopefully, there will be more of us playing abroad.” The post Bagunas gushes over men’s progress appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bagunas gushes over men’s progress
Veteran internationalist Bryan Bagunas couldn’t help but get goosebumps at the prospect of seeing more Filipino volleyball players campaigning in club leagues overseas. Four homegrown talents have been invited to the 2023 KOVO men’s Asian Quota Draft tryouts set on 25 April for the coming Korean Volleyball League, hoping to join Bagunas on the list of Filipino spikers showcasing their wares abroad. Bagunas, who is fresh from a successful stint in Taiwan’s Top Volleyball League after leading Lien Zhuang WinStreak to the crown and winning tournament Most Valuable Player in the process, is optimistic about the chances of the likes of Marck Espejo, Jau Umandal, JP Bugaoan and Manuel Sumanguid III getting selected. The four national team standouts are scheduled to fly to Jeju Island in Korea for the face-to-face tryout where seven slots will be at stake. “I’m having goosebumps now. I’m really proud that slowly the Philippines men’s volleyball is getting recognition from other countries,” Bagunas said in an interview over the weekend. “It’s overwhelming for me to see that other countries are now eyeing Filipinos as imports,” Bagunas, who is currently busy preparing for his wedding in June, added. Just last Friday, Fil-American middle blocker MJ Phillips was picked 5th overall by the Gwangju AI Peppers during the 2023 KOVO Women’s Asian Quota Draft held online. “We really have the skills to compete internationally,” Bagunas, who will return to Taiwan for the next Top League season in October. “Being one of the few Filipinos playing international (volleyball) I’m really proud that we’re getting the recognition we deserve. Hopefully, there will be more of us playing abroad.” The post Bagunas gushes over men’s progress appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ramos confident of Gilas’ chances
Young gun Dwight Ramos said recently he realizes Gilas will be up against a souped-up Indonesian team in the coming FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window at Clark but is confident of bringing down coach Rajko Toroman’s squad just the same when the Southeast Asian rivals clash on June 18......»»
E-Gilas seeks redemption, domination in return to FIBA Esports Open
E-Gilas Pilipinas likes its chances to complete sweet revenge even against additional challengers in the Southeast Asian Conference of the FIBA Esports Open III starting tonight......»»
Tsukii rules Golden Belt karate tourney in Serbia
The Asian Games bronze medalist and Southeast Asian Games gold medal winner is one of the country’s best chances at a spot in the Summer Games set from July 23 to August 8......»»
Fernandez sees smaller medal haul in Vietnam
With fewer events offered, the Philippines will have reduced chances of winning medals in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam......»»