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Squires, Junior Altas begin NCAA title showdown
It will be championship experience versus hunger as Letran and University of Perpetual Help battle it out for the NCAA Season 99 junior basketball crown starting Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Junior Altas, Squires chalk up win No. 6
The Perpetual Junior Altas recovered from a loss and recorded their sixth win in the NCAA Season 99 Juniors basketball tournament with a 102-84 rout of the Jose Rizal U Light Bombers at the Filoil EcoOil Center in San Juan City yesterday......»»
Padilla, Navarro power Squires in routing Braves
Daniel Padilla and Jolo Navarro teamed up in lifting back-to-back title-seeking Letran to a 106-85 decimation of Arellano University on Wednesday and keeping its iron grip of the lead in NCAA junior basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Squires all bald, brawny
The all-bald Letran Squires crushed the Jose Rizal U Light bombers, 102-64, yesterday and kicked off their back-to-back bid in NCAA junior basketball on a high note at the Filoil EcoOil Centre......»»
Squires begin 3-peat bid as NCAA juniors cage tourney fires off
Letran aims to replicate its magical championship run a year ago minus its former beacon of hope Andy Gemao as the NCAA Season 99 junior basketball unfurls Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre......»»
TOP GAN — JGFP’s dynamic chief steers jungolf to new heights
There’s a big room in Oliver Gan’s office building in Quezon City dedicated to the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines. It has two office staff, golf sets, boxes, trophies, shirts and two large white boards filled up with schedules and marginal notes. That particular afternoon, Gan was charting the interschool championships which is JGFP’s major event of the year. He was going through the logistics of the competitions as well as the events JGFP is staging leading up the interschool. Hectic day in the office for the 40-year-old Gan. Except that his real office was in the adjacent room where he runs the family business. “Running our family business and running the JGFP is easy for me. As long as there are no parents complaining,” Gan said jokingly. “But that is impossible. Between the two, it seems like running the family business is easier.” Yet despite that, Gan has been hands-on in JGFP. And for good reasons. One of them is the fact that Gan is himself a national jungolf champion. The other is because he has two daughters, Nicole and Stephanie, who happen to be two of the most promising jungolfers in the country. Gan said he’s playing golf at least once a week. But his downtime is not entirely for golf. “I used to play baseball and volleyball back in high school but concentrated on golf when my teammates outgrew me,” Gan said. Lately, his evenings are spent on the basketball court. “I used to play in the Xavier Alumni Basketball League,” said Gan, who acts as the team “owner,” being both the manager and playing coach of their batch. He is also chairman for sports in the alumni association of Xavier School. On the national level, Gan is former program officer of the Philippine Sports Institute for the National Capital Region and adviser for golf at the Games and Amusements Board. Clearly, his heart belongs to golf. And it shows in his work at JGFP. “We parents invest so much time and effort in our kids’ golf. We now know that our efforts are not wasted,” Gan said. “Before, golf was very exclusive. Not everyone can play it. Especially the children. Now our efforts to give golf a wider talent pool is gaining traction. Everyone is taking notice and is starting to cooperate.” That’s why JGFP is working on “giving it back to the kids, especially the under-privileged,” supporting several scholars. Through Gan’s initiatives, JGFP has been gaining the support of the private sector which is crucial in every grassroots program. JGFP, too, has reached Mindanao where there are a lot of untapped talents. And just recently, it announced that former Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo as JGFP’s “godfather.” “I think we are doing well. People know junior golf is in good hands. Businessmen are supporting the foundation. We are staging tournaments left and right. Golf courses offer to hold our events. We are getting invitations and accreditations from all over the world,” Gan said. But what Gan is counting as his biggest moment was when JGFP managed to span to Visayas and Mindanao which will soon have their own inter-school meets. “All the regional winners, we will pit them against each other in a truly national inter-school championships,” Gan said. “And from there we get the players to represent the country in international meets.” Such ambitious plans for JGFP. But nothing far-fetched with Gan at the helm. The post TOP GAN — JGFP’s dynamic chief steers jungolf to new heights appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fan power: SB19’s A’TIN routs global fanbases
P-Pop sensation SB19 recently clinched victory in the Billboard Fan Army Face-Off 2023, thanks to the unrelenting loyalty and support of their fans, called A’TIN. SB19 emerged as the eventual champions of the annual face-off, which pits artists’ supporters against each other. The quintet climbed to the top of the 64 participating acts, outperforming worldwide powerhouses such as BTS, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Ariana Grande. The competition, designed to determine the most formidable fanbase, commenced on 5 July and culminated on Tuesday, 8 August. The ultimate battle matched SB19’s A’TIN against SEVENTEEN’s CARATs, devoted fans of the K-pop group SEVENTEEN. In the end, SB19’s A’TIN received 51.1 percent of the vote, while SEVENTEEN’s CARATs received 48.9 percent. Following their historic victory, SB19’s official Twitter account congratulated the group’s fans: “Congratulations, A’TIN! You’ve once again proven the power that you hold. Maraming salamat!” Member Josh expressed his pride in the fandom, acknowledging their hard work and dedication. This landmark victory marks a significant milestone for SB19’s A’TIN, making them the first Filipino fandom to secure the Billboard face-off title. They join the likes of Super Junior’s E.L.F, TARA’s Queens, BIGBANG’s V.I.Ps and Stray Kids’ STAYs as previous champions. SB19’s A’TIN had finished second in the previous year’s tournament, trailing Stray Kids’ STAYs. SB19’s rise to prominence has been a sequence of triumphs. They were the first Filipino act to be included in Billboard’s Social 50 list in 2020, and their fame continued with a nomination in 2021. The group broke another record in 2021 with their song “Bazinga,” which ruled the Hot Trending Songs Chart for an unprecedented seven weeks, breaking the previous record established by BTS’ “Butter.” Recently, the quintet made their presence felt on Hollywood Boulevard with an electrifying street performance and a special appearance on the KTLA Morning Show. The group has just begun their world tour, with performances around the Philippines and select cities abroad in support of their second EP, PAGTATAG! which includes the chart-topping single “Gento.” The group’s headline performance at the recent PPOP CON was but the latest affirmation that in the world of P-pop, SB19’s Josh, Justin, Stell, Ken and Pablo are now the kings. And the world is fast taking notice. The post Fan power: SB19’s A’TIN routs global fanbases appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kai’s last chance
Up to now, Kai Sotto’s stint in the FIBA Basketball World Cup remains unclear. Sure, he has been in the country for over two weeks and has been attending some Gilas Pilipinas events, but the fact that he has yet to actually train with his teammates is making Chot Reyes anxious. Sotto is tipped to play a crucial role in the Gilas squad. His 7-foot-3 frame, athleticism and feathery shooting touch from the perimeter will be needed when the Filipinos battle the best players in the world in the prestigious basketball spectacle from 25 August to 10 September. But it will be impossible for Reyes to involve Sotto in his game plan if he has yet to actually see him banging bodies with his fellow big men like World Cup veterans June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar, as well as rising star AJ Edu. It is no secret that Sotto’s dream is to make it to the National Basketball Association. He was still a gangly kid when he started joining the Junior NBA program before moving to Ateneo de Manila University and eventually donning the national colors in various age-group events — the biggest and most prestigious was the 2019 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Greece. A lot of offers came his way, including a chance to play for prestigious European clubs like Alba Berlin, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Baskonia, but Sotto, then 17, decided to bring his talent to the United States — not to enter play at the collegiate level — but to make a daring leap straight into the NBA. After training at The Skill Factory, he joined Team Ignite, a developmental team in the NBA G League that aims to prepare athletes for the NBA. At Team Ignite, Sotto showed some promise as he played for former Los Angeles Lakers coach Brian Shaw together with future NBA players Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix, and Isiah Todd. But when Team Ignite was about to start its season and enter the G League bubble in Orlando, Sotto shockingly flew home and joined Gilas in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. Ignite eventually dropped Sotto, prompting him to look for other ways to realize his dream of becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. He found one in Australia. He played for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League and had some measure of success. In fact, he was able to gauge his prowess when the 36ers played against Chris Paul, Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns in an NBA preseason match. After a couple of seasons in Australia, he moved to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the B League. He had some impressive games, but it wasn’t enough to earn the attention of NBA coaches, scouts, and talent evaluators. Still, he joined the NBA Summer League. Playing against veteran free agents, journeymen, and incoming rookies looking to earn spots on the opening-day rosters of NBA teams, Sotto rode the Orlando Magic bench in their first three games before making his debut against the Portland Trail Blazers, recording six points, four rebounds and three blocks in their 71-88 loss. Sotto tried to play in his fifth game, but he was slowed down by a back injury. His return to Manila was surrounded by controversy as he failed to join the Gilas squad that was set to go to China for the final leg of its preparations for the World Cup. He opted to stay home to “rest and recover” from his back injury. Until when? It’s something that only Sotto and his American handlers know. But Sotto should realize that the doors of the NBA are slowly closing on him. He already made a bad decision by snubbing the invitations of top European clubs as well as prestigious American collegiate programs like Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Auburn that could have helped him develop his game and gain confidence while playing against kids his age. Instead of staying patient and working on his game away from the prying eyes of NBA scouts, he rushed the process by signing up with Team Ignite before committing another massive blunder of flying back to Manila just before the G League season tipped off. Now he has only one chance — the FIBA Basketball World Cup. A lot of Filipinos ranging from Johnny Abarrientos to Aguilar, Kiefer Ravena and Ray Parks all tried — and failed — to make it to the NBA. On the contrary, Sotto is being presented with a rare opportunity to display his talent and carry the torch in a world-class event. Sadly, despite repeatedly saying that he is ready, his body language suggests that he is reluctant to step up to serve as the hero of this basketball-crazy nation. The clock is ticking for Sotto. The doors of the NBA are slowly closing right before his very eyes. He has to lace his sneakers, grab that Gilas jersey, and play his heart out for the country in the FIBA Basketball World Cup before he becomes another “what if” in the history of Philippine basketball. The post Kai’s last chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A ‘feminist diplomacy’ for France? Not quite yet
France has made "undeniable efforts" to roll out a feminist foreign policy with women holding top ministerial jobs but is still falling short in defending women's rights around the world, according to a new report. The concept aims to promote gender equality and women's rights -- particularly sexual and reproductive rights -- and France was an early adopter of "feminist diplomacy" in 2019, following similar moves by Canada and Sweden. It has resulted in a rise in the number of French women ambassadors and consuls general, who now make up nearly a third of such posts compared to just 14 percent a decade ago. But an evaluation of its progress published Monday by the High Council for Equality -- an independent consultative body -- found mixed results, with strides made at home outpacing "timid progress" abroad, council president Sylvie Pierre-Brossolette told AFP. That was "regrettable in an international context of regression of women's rights, including in democracies like the United States, Poland, and Hungary, which would... require French feminist diplomacy to be deployed as a matter of urgency," she said, referring in particular to the US Supreme Court's historic decision last year to erase abortion rights. How "feminist diplomacy" is defined and executed -- from whether it applies to trade policy or foreign aid delivery -- varies between countries that have adopted it. While Luxembourg, Spain, Mexico, Germany, and Chile have joined the ranks to embrace feminist diplomacy, according to the United Nations, pioneering Sweden, which launched the concept in 2014, abandoned the effort last year after a change in government. It's failed to become mainstream, Pierre-Brossolette said. Although France flaunts the term, "we don't give it enough importance", she added. In his second term President Emmanuel Macron appointed Catherine Colonna as minister of foreign affairs, the second woman to hold the post in French history. The top diplomat is also supported by two women who occupy two out of the three junior ministerial posts: Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, in charge of development issues, and Laurence Boone who is responsible for Europe. 'A human issue' Still, the concept "cruelly lacks an official definition, political support at the highest level of government, and the means to deploy it," Pierre-Brossolette said, noting Macron's recent speeches make no reference to the strategy. Looking at the foreign ministry as a whole, "it is still men who often hold the most prestigious posts", she said. Diplomatic sources told AFP the policy still has an impact. Colonna herself, on receiving the report, said its approach did "not always fully credit the progress we have made and the exemplary nature of our track record". But she added: "This will far from discourage us... The best response will be to act." France's initiatives overseas include aid to rape victims in Ukraine, sanctions on countries like Iran for violations of women's rights and aid focused on securing financing for women in Africa. In a separate push, French human rights artist Guila Clara Kessous launched in April the Sarah and Hajar Accords to promote women in diplomacy and women's rights in the Middle East. Signed by representatives from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Bahrain, it replicated the 2020 Abraham Accords aimed to normalize relations between the four countries. Men need to be convinced of the necessity to include more women in diplomacy so they take "pride in defending an issue that concerns them" too, Kessous told AFP, adding that women's rights are "a human issue". With concerns over the lack of women represented in African foreign affairs, Kessous said she wants to see a similar accord launched for the continent. In France, a new strategy to "accelerate" feminist diplomacy is also in the works. "France, the country of human rights, can be an example for the world," said Pierre-Brossolette, particularly as Sweden has fallen back from the lead. "We can try to take up the torch." The post A ‘feminist diplomacy’ for France? Not quite yet appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UK royal family unite for King Charles III’s birthday parade
Britain's royal family rounded off King Charles III's inaugural birthday parade Saturday with a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace to watch a spectacular fly-past. Three of the king's young grandchildren -- future king Prince George, age 9, Prince Louis, 5, and Princess Charlotte, 8 -- joined the rest of the family on the balcony with the princes sporting red ties and blue blazers and Charlotte in a sailor suit with red trim. They were cheered by the crowds who gathered outside the palace and in The Mall, the avenue leading up to it. The air display of some 70 military aircraft, following a 41-gun salute from nearby Green Park in central London, came after bad weather cut short a planned fly-past at Charles's coronation on 6 May. It ended with the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force's aerobatic display team, trailing red, white and blue vapours. Earlier, Charles saddled up for the annual Trooping the Colour parade that marks the British sovereign's official birthday. It was the first time the monarch has ridden at the ceremony since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1986. Charles, who also took the royal salute, was followed on horseback as he inspected the troops by his eldest son and heir, Prince William, Charles' brother Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and sister Anne, the Princess Royal. Queen Camilla in a military-inspired red outfit, and William's wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, who was dressed in green, followed in a carriage. The colourful display of regimental precision and pageantry was the first of 74-year-old Charles's reign. Charles's actual birthday is on 14 November but British sovereigns celebrate twice -- once in private and again in public. See more photos: Colorful display The June parade tradition began in 1748 under King George II, who wanted a celebration in better summer weather, as his own birthday was on 30 October. The televised event kicked off with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade. Some 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses took part, led in the parade by Juno, a 10-year-old shire mare, alongside three other Drum Horses -- Perseus, Atlas, and Apollo. Drum Horses are the most senior animals in the army and hold the rank of major. They are traditionally named after figures from Greek mythology. The minutely choreographed event has its origins in the display of colours or flags of different regiments to allow their soldiers to identify them in battle. The 1st Battalion Welsh Guards trooped their colour up and down the ranks this year. The UK is currently experiencing a hot spell which would have made it difficult for the troops in their ceremonial black bearskin hats and thick red tunics. Unlike last weekend, however, when William inspected troops from the Household Division group of senior regiments, none of the soldiers appeared to faint. As Prince of Wales, William is an honorary colonel of the Welsh Guards. Charles -- who as head of state is commander-in-chief of the armed forces -- later led the soldiers back to the palace. Queen Elizabeth last rode her horse, Burmese, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, at the parade in the mid-1980s. After the horse -- which she rode for 18 years -- was retired in 1986, she decided to use a carriage for Trooping the Colour. Last year's parade was the last for the late queen and formed part of four days of events to mark her record-breaking 70th year on the throne. It was one of her final public appearances before her death, aged 96, in September. The post UK royal family unite for King Charles III’s birthday parade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon seeks probe vs alleged NIA’s ‘institutional corruption’
Senator Raffy Tulfo lambasted several incomplete projects of the National Irrigation Administration due to alleged “institutional corruption” by its contractors, causing trouble to the country’s irrigation program. Amid corruption issues, Tulfo is urging his colleagues to conduct an inquiry on NIA’s “wastage of billions of pesos” for irrigation development and restoration. “I won’t hesitate anymore and I will expose that the government is wasting billions of pesos with NIA,” said the senator on Wednesday. He also stressed that the government-owned and controlled irrigation corporation has been given a total budget of P121 billion for the past six years. Tulfo lamented NIA has started several projects with its contractors in the last five years and yet, despite having the Notice to Proceed, none was ever completed until now. While NIA said it did not release the full amount to contractors, Tulfo said there was no reason for the department to hold the budget intended for addressing the needs of the farmers such as farm machinery, fertilizer subsidies, and livelihood capital. “Aside from this, NIA did not publicize some contracts,” said Tulfo, stressing the importance of public bidding as he criticized the underperformance of the NIA’s contractors despite continuously awarding them with projects for irrigation projects. “This is an undeniable red flag of institutional corruption. We give these contractors the people’s tax money and they just give us falsified reports of their accomplishment to help them in corruption,” Tulfo said. The lawmaker identified the four contractors allegedly being favored by NIA which include Oscar Sarmiento Construction Inc. (Sta. Mesa, Manila), R.D. Interior Junior Construction (Quezon City), J.D. Construction and Supply (Makati City), and Brostan Construction (Caloocan City). “These are just among contractors that have been continuously awarded with projects by NIA despite not finishing their contracts,” said the senator. Tulfo said some of these contractors were even put on the blacklist by NIA. He said his office obtained documents, revealing that these contractors are just changing their company names which allow them again to join in the government’s bidding process after being blacklisted. He added there are also “ghost projects” worth P890 million, mostly in Mindanao, that were funded by the government, yet even a groundbreaking never happened. “There appears to be a wide-scale corruption scheme that has persisted for far too long,” said Tulfo, adding that there is a need to investigate the matter and make responsible individuals accountable for the corruption. “Our government is fighting for every peso of revenue, and we keep on increasing taxes for everyone, while we waste so many funds feeding corruption and ‘padrino systems’ in government infrastructure programs,” Tulfo said. The post Solon seeks probe vs alleged NIA’s ‘institutional corruption’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tulfo calls for Senate inquiry on NIA, names `favored’ contractors
Senator Raffy Tulfo lambasted several incomplete projects of the National Irrigation Administration due to alleged “institutional corruption” by its contractors, causing trouble to the country’s irrigation program. Amid corruption issues, Tulfo is urging his colleagues to conduct an inquiry on NIA’s “wastage of billions of pesos” for irrigation development and restoration. “Hindi na po ako magpapaligoy-ligoy at isisiwalat ko na ang gobyerno ay nagwawaldas ng bilyun-bilyong piso sa National Irrigation Administration (I won’t hesitate anymore and I will expose that the government is wasting billions of pesos with NIA),” he said in a press statement on Wednesday. He also noted that the government-owned and controlled irrigation corporation has been given a total budget of P121 billion for the past six years. Tulfo lamented NIA has started several projects with its contractors in the last five years. Despite having the “Notice to Proceed,” none was ever completed until now. While NIA said it did not release the full amount to contractors, Tulfo said there was no reason for the department to hold the budget intended for addressing the needs of the farmers such as farm machinery, fertilizer subsidies, and livelihood capital. “Bukod dito, meron pang mga kontrata kung saan sinadya nilang hindi ipakita sa publiko kung sino ang nanalo (Aside from this, NIA did not publicize some contracts),” he added, stressing the importance of public bidding. Tulfo also criticized the underperformance of the NIA’s contractors despite continuously awarding them with projects for irrigation projects. “This is an undeniable red flag of institutional corruption. We give these contractors the people’s tax money and they just give us falsified reports of their accomplishment para matulungan silang may makurakot (to help them in corruption),” he said. Tulfo also named four contractors allegedly being favored by NIA including Oscar Sarmiento Construction Inc. (Sta. Mesa Manila), R.D. Interior Junior Construction (Quezon City), J.D. Construction and Supply (Makati City), and Brostan Construction (Caloocan City). “Iilan lamang to sa mga contractor na inyong makikita ngayon na nakatanggap ng ibat-ibang proyekto mula sa NIA sa kabila ng kanilang paulit-ulit na hindi pagtapos ng kanilang kontrata (These are just among contractors that have been continuously awarded with projects by NIA despite not finishing their contracts),” he said. Tulfo said some of these contractors were even put on the blacklist by NIA. He said his office obtained documents, revealing that these contractors are just changing their company names, allowing them again to join in the government’s bidding process after being blacklisted. He added there are also "ghost projects” worth P890 million, mostly in Mindanao, that were funded by the government, yet even a groundbreaking event never happened. “There appears to be a wide-scale corruption scheme that has persisted for far too long,” he said, stressing the need to investigate the matter and make responsible individuals accountable for the corruption. “Our government is fighting for every peso of revenue, and we keep on increasing taxes for everyone, while we waste so many funds feeding corruption and ‘padrino systems’ in government infrastructure programs,” he maintained. Tulfo said the NIA also found 28 projects with substandard construction and other anomalies. The post Tulfo calls for Senate inquiry on NIA, names `favored’ contractors appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Benilde seals perfect season
College of Saint Benilde crushed Lyceum University of the Philippines, 25-19, 25-11, 25-20, to retain the Season 98 National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball crown via sweep yesterday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. The Game 2 victory in the best-of-three series was the Lady Blazers’ 29th stretching back to January 2020 and was made possible by the precious contributions of Gayle Pascual, who hit 15 points, and Finals Most Valuable Player Jade Gentapa, who had 13. Also making her presence felt was Cloanne Mondonedo, who had 23 excellent sets. The win, which culminated its perfect season, allowed Saint Benilde to hold a double celebration as it was also head coach Jerry Yee’s 49th birthday. “Honestly, this championship was harder. We had a few five-set games along the way and we had to adjust,” said Yee, who gave the school its third league title. “I’m happy that in the end, we were able to get the championship,” he added. Johna Dolorito was the only Lady Pirate to score in double digits with 11 points. Meanwhile, San Beda University clawed out of a 0-2 hole for a 17-25, 25-27, 25-22, 25-23, 15-11 win over University of Perpetual Help System Dalta in Game 2 of the men’s volleyball tournament. Kenrod Umali and rookie Ralph Cabalsa both scored 19 points each as the Red Spikers snapped the Altas’ 32-game winning streak that started back in Game 2 of the Season 93 Finals against Arellano University on 19 February 2018. Both San Beda and Perpetual will play for all the marbles on Sunday in the same San Juan venue. Red Spikers head coach Ariel de la Cruz said the team’s positive mindset despite the odds proved vital. “It has to start with me. I have to motivate them and elevate them so that whatever mistake that happens, we work together and fix it,” De la Cruz said. “It starts when you enter the court with a smile and enjoy the game.” San Beda started the fifth set with a 6-2 lead and never looked back as Cabalsa fired an off-the-block kill for the win. Season 98 MVP Louie Ramirez led the way for the losers with 32. An awarding ceremony took place before the matches kicked off with individual awards being given to the tournament’s other top performers. John Benedict San Andres of Mapua University was hailed as the 1st Best Outside Spiker while Emilio Aguinaldo College’s Joshua Ramilo took home the 2nd Best Outside Spiker award. Letran College’s Vinze Himzon won both Rookie of the Year and 1st Best Middle Blocker awards while Jethro Cabillan of Arellano University took the 2nd Best Middle Blocker award. Adrian Villados of the Chiefs was hailed as the Season 98 Best Setter with Perpetual’s Joshua Zareno taking the Best Opposite Spiker plum and Lawrence Briones of EAC getting the Best Libero honors. In the women’s tournament, Mary Rhose Dapol was hailed as both the MVP and the 1st Best Outside Spiker of Season 98 with teammates Shaila Omipon and Marian Anday picked the Rookie of the Year and Best Libero, respectively. Gentapa likewise took home the 2nd Best Outside Spiker while teammate Pascual got the tournament’s Best Opposite Spiker title. Lyceum team captain Venice Puzon picked up her second Best Setter diadem with fellow Lady Pirate Jaja Tulang voted as the 2nd Best Middle Blocker. Arellano’s Trina Abay took home the 1st Best Middle Blocker award. The post Benilde seals perfect season appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Let taipans fund Maharlika
Malacanang claims that Junior, together with his economic advisers and seven top taipans of Philippine business, promoted the Maharlika Fund in Davos. We shouldn’t hold our breath that they convinced anyone......»»
Falcons get lucky, hold off Blazers
George Pascua felt lucky in his coaching debut for Adamson as it wore down St. Benilde, 25-21, 28-26, 23-25, 25-16 to kick-start its V-League Collegiate Challenge campaign yesterday at the Paco Arena......»»
Nets hold off Portland sans Irving, Durant; Sixers beat Curry-less Warriors
James Harden took charge for Brooklyn, dishing out 17 assists to facilitate the Nets' offense. He also top-scored in the back-and-forth affair against the Blazers with 25 points......»»
Antetokounmpo, Bucks hold off Celtics in restart opener
By The Associated Press LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo converted a tiebreaking three-point play with 1:28 left on an overturned call that kept him in the game and helped the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics 119-112 on Friday night. Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in the Bucks’ first game in the restart. Milwaukee improved the NBA’s best record to 54-12 and moved within a victory of clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year. Boston overcame a poor start to tie it at 107. Antetokounmpo was then called for a charging foul, appearing to negate his basket and giving him a sixth foul. The call was changed to a blocking foul on Boston’s Marcus Smart after review, and Antetokounmpo made the free throw to make it 110-107. Khris Middleton then knocked down a 3-pointer for a six-point advantage. Middleton added 18 points for the Bucks, who played without Eric Bledsoe and Pat Connaughton while they work on their conditioning after testing positive for the coronavirus. Marvin Williams sat out with a strained left groin. Smart scored 23 points for the Celtics and Jaylen Brown had 22, but star forward Jayson Tatum had a nightmarish restart. He had five points on 2-for-18 shooting — though he actually only made one basket. Kemba Walker scored 16 points but played just 19 minutes as the Celtics look to keep the All-Star guard healthy after he’s been battling a sore knee. TRAIL BLAZERS 140, GRIZZLIES 135, OT CJ McCollum scored 33 points, teaming with Damian Lillard for 11 of Portland’s 16 in overtime, and the Trail Blazers pulled out a desperately needed victory to resume their season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 140-135 on Friday. Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists to help the Trail Blazers boost their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. McCollum started fast, scoring 19 points in the first half, and finished strong with two crucial 3-pointers in overtime. The first one to open the extra period gave Portland the lead for good, and he added six assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis. Memphis rallied from a 13-point, third-quarter deficit to take an 11-point lead, then gave it away almost as quickly. When the Grizzlies recovered to take a 112-103 lead with 6:01 left in regulation, it appeared the Grizzlies might pad their lead in the standings. Instead, Anthony’s 3 with 37.5 seconds left tied it at 124 and Morant fell on a last-second fast break, sending the game to overtime. MAGIC 128, NETS 118 Evan Fournier scored 24 points, Nikola Vucevic had 22 and Orlando picked up where it left off before the NBA season was suspended, beating Brooklyn. Playing as the designated road team not far from their arena, the Magic looked right at home at Disney — whose name they wear as their jersey patch. They extended their winning streak to four and moved back ahead of the Nets into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn also won its last three before the stoppage, but the decimated team that returned is a shell of the one that beat the Lakers in Los Angeles in its final game. The Nets are missing Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince after they tested positive for the coronavirus. They are already playing without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who had season-ending surgery. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 24 points for the Nets. SPURS 129, KINGS 120 DeMar DeRozan scored 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help San Antonio beat Sacramento. Before the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and assistant Becky Hammon stood for the national anthem while the remainder of the coaches and players for both teams knelt. DeRozan shot 10 of 13 and had 10 assists, and the Spurs shot 53.3% from the field. Derrick White matched a career high with 26 points in San Antonio’s first game of the restart. The Spurs needed to find offense because LaMarcus Aldridge, the team’s No. 2 scorer, had shoulder surgery in April and will not play in the restart. De’Aaron Fox scored a career-high 39 points for the Kings. SUNS 125, WIZARDS 112 Devin Booker scored 27 points, Deandre Ayton added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Phoenix beat Washington. Booker made all nine of his free throws and the Suns hit 30 of 32 from the line. They shot 52% from the field, with Ayton hitting two of three 3-pointers and going 11 of 14 overall. Rui Hachimura scored 21 points and Jerome Robinson added 20 for the Wizards on coach Scott Brooks’ 55th birthday......»»
Josh Taylor would love to fight ‘hero’ Manny Pacquiao
Add undefeated Scottish junior welterweight Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor to the growing list of people who want to step in the ring with eight-division boxing world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. The 29-year old Taylor (16-0, 12 KO) is coming off a majority decision victory over American Regis Prograis to retain the IBF Junior Welterweight World Champion and caputure the WBA (Super) Junior Welterweight World Championship in the World Boxing Super Series Junior Welterweight Finals. Now, Taylor is looking up to a different weight class and targeting one of it’s biggest names in Pacquiao, who’s currently the reigning WBA (Super) Welterweight World Champion. Taylor had nothing but praise for the 41-year old Pinoy icon, and even referred to Pacquiao as his hero. “Manny Pacquiao is my hero,” Taylor said in an interview with BT Sport. “To share the ring with my hero would be brilliant. It would be amazing. That would be a dream come true in itself sharing the ring with Manny Pacquiao.” While the respect is indeed there, Taylor kept it real and said that if he did get the opportunity to share the ring with a legend like Pacquiao, he wouldn’t be putting it to waste. “Obviously once you get in there you, go in there to take his head off. I would love to fight my hero it would be brilliant,” Taylor continued. Taylor is just the latest to pinpoint Pacquiao as a coveted opponent, with other top-tier welterweights like Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Mikey Garcia, and Keith Thurman all expressing their desire to face off against Pacquiao. Taylor is confident that he can hold his own and do well against some of the world’s best 147-pounders. “I’m pretty big for one 140. I can afford to go on and put one a bit of muscle and a bit of strength,” Taylor explained. “I think it works in my advantage with the speed coming up from the slightly lower weight with Spence killing himself to make 147, me coming up with the speed and the natural weight would work in my advantage.”.....»»
CSB puts recruitment on hold; prioritizes 250 active student-athletes
There will be no new student-athletes coming College of St. Benilde's way. The Taft-based school has decided to do away with recruitment for the time being in the face of the continuing COVID-19 crisis. However, the green and white institution has pledged its commitment to the 250 student-athletes who are already part of its varsity teams. "We made a commitment to our student-athletes and their families and we remain true to our mission of faith, service, and communion," Center for Sports Development Director Stephen Fernandez said. That means that their players in badminton, basketball, chess, football, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, track and field, and volleyball could rest assured that they would remain Blazers. Not only that, they also remain entitled to their Athletic Recruit Grants. CSB has been home to several national team athletes in Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting) as well as Southeast Asian Games double-gold medalist Agatha Wong (wushu) and silver winner Johnvic De Guzman (volleyball). --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
Mikey Garcia still wants Manny Pacquiao fight, says Pac-Crawford would be big
As eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao’s boxing career presumably nears its twilight, each fight that the Filipino boxing legend has becomes more and more special. After the 41-year old’s impressive performances against Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman in 2019, many believe that Pacquiao - while no longer in his prime - can still very much hang with the best of them inside the ring. As such, a who’s who of boxing stars have been discussed as potential future Pacquiao opponents, from the likes of welterweight champions Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford, even much bigger guys like middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. Among those names, while arguably not as high-profile, is that of Mikey Garcia. Garcia has an impressive 40-1 professional record with 30 wins coming by knockout. In that 41-fight stretch, he’s managed to capture world titles in the featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions. He has also beaten former Pacquiao opponents in Broner and Jessie Vargas. His lone loss was against reigning IBF Welterweight World Champion Spence. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s long-time trainer, has said that he likes the idea of a Pacquiao-Garcia matchup. Garcia, for his part, says that Pacquiao indeed remains his top target once he can return to the ring. “We haven’t discussed any names, everything got put on hold,” Garcia said in an interview with FightHype.com. “That would be my number one name, the target I would go after, but we have no clue.” Garcia admits that he has no idea as to how things might play out in the future, but maintains that he still does want a fight with “Pacman.” “Originally, we talked about it, his team was excited for it, now, being that all this happened, who knows? He might want to take something else. He might want to fight someone else. He might just decide to retire, I don’t know, I have no control over what he decides to do. But if he’s still available by the time boxing resumes, then I will definitely be excited for a fight with him.” While Garcia has long been linked to Pacquiao, a name that’s getting a lot of traction now is fellow welterweight Crawford, the reigning WBO Welterweight World Champion and one of the best pound for pound today. Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s former long-time promoter and CEO of Top Rank Boxing has spoken about the possibility of a Pacquiao-Crawford clash, and Crawford himself also has the Pinoy boxing icon in his sights. While it certainly might not do him any favors, Garcia knows just how massive a Pacquiao-Crawford bout will be. “Him and Crawford, I saw the Instagram posts, Twitter and stuff. I think that would be a big fight for both, meaning that Pacquiao - at his age - he already proved to everybody just by beating [Keith] Thurman, so people are still kind of like ‘Wow!’, surprised that that that happened the way it did.” “I think Crawford has all the skills and talent to make it an awkward, difficult fight for Pacquiao based on height and reach and his IQ, so I think it would be a great fight for both. Can Pacquiao do it one more time? After beating Thurman, can he do it again? Back-to-back against Crawford? Or is he now finally too old to do it? That’s the question,” Garcia added. The 32-year old California-native even went on to say that after the Thurman bout, he believes Pacquiao can be the one to end Crawford’s undefeated streak. “I would probably still side with Manny. A little while ago, I think Crawford would have won, but after seeing [versus Thurman], I’m kind of leaning towards Manny, and only because of what I’ve seen with Thurman. Prior to that, I would have said Crawford.” As for challenging fighters in heavier weight divisions, Garcia believes that Pacquiao has what it takes to play with the big boys, so to speak. “He’s already fought up to 154, I think two fights at 154 or right under 154, so if he wants to fight some of the bigger guys, or make them come down to 156, 154, he might be able to pull it off,” he stated. Even a crazy superfight at middleweight? Like one against GGG? “He’s done it all, so I wouldn’t be surprised. F*ck it, do it! Go for it. He’s already a legend as it is, and he’ll only be greater if he accomplishes something like that. That feat would be f*ckin’ undeniable, one of the greatest achievements in boxing,” Garcia concluded......»»