FIBA to have ‘bubble’ for Asia Cup qualifiers
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) will have a bubble for the remainder of its continental cup qualifiers to ensure the safety of players amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. One host city will be designated by FIBA for the bubble. The games inside the bubble will be done in accordance with FIBA health protocols and […].....»»
Biggest-ever Asian Games ready for liftoff in China after Covid delay
The biggest Asian Games in history, boasting about 12,000 competitors -- more than the Olympics -- will open on Saturday in the Chinese city of Hangzhou after a year's delay because of Covid. Athletes including world and Olympic champions will fight for medals in 40 sports from athletics, swimming and football to eSports and bridge. Nine sports, among them boxing, break dancing and tennis, will serve as qualifiers for next year's Paris Olympics. The Games were supposed to take place last September but were postponed because of China's strict zero-Covid rules, before China's ruling Communist Party abruptly abandoned the policy. The 19th edition of the Games, which were first held in New Delhi in 1951, throws together competitors from 45 countries and territories across Asia and the Middle East. For China, which hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics in a Covid-secure "bubble" in Beijing, it is a chance to show off its organizational, sporting and technological prowess after the pandemic years cut the country off from the sporting world. "We have overcome a lot of challenges but we are now fully conditioned to hold a successful Games," Chen Weiqiang, chief spokesperson for the Games, said on Wednesday. Sport meets politics The Games will be staged at 54 venues -- 14 newly constructed -- mostly in Hangzhou but also extending to cities as far afield as Wenzhou, 300 kilometres (180 miles) south. The centerpiece is the "Big Lotus" Olympic stadium with a capacity of up to 80,000 where athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies will be staged. President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and meet Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad there, along with other visiting leaders, Chinese state media says. Assad is making his first visit to ally China since the war erupted in Syria in 2011. Russian President Vladimir Putin likewise attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, along with Xi, and weeks later launched the invasion of Ukraine. Hangzhou, a city of 12 million people an hour's bullet train from Shanghai, is famed in China for its ancient temples, gardens and its beloved West Lake. It is also the unofficial home of China's tech industry, notably the birth place of Jack Ma's Alibaba. The Games will showcase some of the latest tech to come out of the city, including driverless buses, robot dogs and facial recognition. China medal dash Hosts China have topped the medals table at every Asian Games since 1982 and are expected to do so again by the time the curtain comes down on October 8. They should reign in swimming, with Qin Haiyang fresh from his heroics at the world championships, where he announced himself as the new undisputed breaststroke king. The 24-year-old swept all three men's events and set a new world record in the 200m. In athletics, another of the most closely watched sports, India's Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra will defend his Asian Games javelin crown. His nearest competitor should be world silver medalist Arshad Nadeem from arch-rivals Pakistan and the countries are also on a collision course in cricket and hockey. ESports, in what is seen as a step toward Olympic inclusion one day, will make its full Asian Games debut having been a demonstration sport five years ago. Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as "Faker", has god-like status in League of Legends and will lead the South Korean charge at the futuristic-looking China Hangzhou Esports Centre. There is an added incentive which has caused controversy in South Korea -- winning gold will exempt them from having to do military service. A feature of the Asian Games is that it includes sports that are a little more quirky than the Olympics. Xiangqi -- also known as "Chinese chess" -- the card game bridge and the ancient wrestling discipline of kurash are all on the menu. Although the Games officially open on Saturday, the sporting action began on Tuesday, when North Korea returned to major international competition for the first time since the pandemic with a 2-0 win over Taiwan in men's football. The post Biggest-ever Asian Games ready for liftoff in China after Covid delay 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......»»
Sustainability from plant to shelves to every Filipino home
Procter & Gamble Philippines continues to integrate sustainable solutions in its product manufacturing and business operations so that its trusted and superior products are produced and delivered in more sustainable ways from plant to shelves, and ultimately into every Filipino household. One of the largest players in the consumer goods industry in the Philippines, P&G has stepped up to integrate sustainable solutions in its Cabuyao plant, which manufactures most of its products sold domestically. It purchases 100-percent renewable electricity and maintains a zero-manufacturing waste-to-landfill plant. It recycles over 300 metric tons of non-residual waste every year. P&G’s LEED-certified Cabuyao distribution center houses energy-saving facilities that feature the use of roof skylights, roof ventilators and automatic exhaust and supply fans that only run at specific times of the day to save energy during the cooler times. P&G’s offices and plants have also started converting their use of fluorescent lights to LED light fixtures, which use less energy than other types of light bulbs. The company is reducing electricity consumption by utilizing motion detector devices in its lighting fixtures in the distribution center to eliminate the possibility that the lights will accidentally be left on in the mega-facility. P&G also integrates sustainable alternative solutions into its product packaging. Safeguard multipacks eliminated its virgin plastic overwrap packaging to 100-percent recycled paper carton material, saving 8,500 kilometers worth of plastic waste every year, equivalent to one thousand times the length of the world-famous Boracay shoreline. Herbal Essences Bio: Renew Collection also uses 25-percent post-consumer resin for its bottle packaging. As it works on packaging innovations, P&G has also improved its product bundling packaging by converting single-use laminate-based bellybands and stickers to 100-percent FSC-certified papers, resulting in 66-percent less in bundling material usage and a 380,000 kg reduction in plastic waste. To further expand the company’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle waste in its business operations, P&G launched its employee-led Project LESS program in 2021 to provide better and more sustainable alternatives to other significant but often overlooked retail materials such point of sales materials. The initiative resulted in the development of “Flexi-POSMs”, which are collapsible, reusable and paper-based in-store displays. P&G’s flexi-POSM has a changeable visual structure that allows house brands to easily redesign and reuse the flexi-POSMs for other brand launches and initiatives. P&G launched a regional sustainability partnership with a leading e-commerce company to recycle used cartons from its Cabuyao plant for use as last-mile packaging in e-commerce delivery. Cartons converted into honeycomb-like protective wraps are now being used as replacements for the previous plastic bubble wrap paddings. The honeycomb-like protective wrap reduces usage of single-use bubble wrap plastic while providing the same quality of packaging protection. The beauty brand Olay also produced a “Ship-In-Own-Container” molded carton packaging for online purchases, eliminating the need for additional customization and last-mile packaging materials such as bubble wrap, fillers and tape. P&G Philippines was recently recognized at the 2022 Asia CEO Awards with the Sustainability Company of The Year’s Circle of Excellence Award. The award is given to organizations that achieved important success in environmental progress and demonstrated leadership and commitment to sustainability. The post Sustainability from plant to shelves to every Filipino home appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 Pinoy refs picked for FIBA bubble
Three Filipino referees will join six others from different countries in the officiating pool to work 12 total games in the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window for Groups A, B and C at Clark on June 16-20. Bong Pascual, Ricor Buaron and Joenard Garcia are the three locals tapped by FIBA for the competition......»»
Safety assured in Clark bubble
FIBA Medical Commission member Dr. Jose Raul Canlas yesterday assured that safety and health protocols will be strictly imposed during the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window involving nine teams, including the Philippines, in an IATF-approved bubble at Clark on June 16-20......»»
No quarantine for visiting teams
There will be eight teams coming to the country to participate in the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window involving three groups in the Clark bubble on June 16-20 and SBP has facilitated no quarantine for the visitors when they arrive......»»
Hosting ng Pilipinas sa FIBA Asia Cup tuloy na
Inaprubahan na ng Inter-Agency Task Force ang hirit ng Basketbol ng Pilipinas na makapag-host ng International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup na gaganapin sa buwan ng Hunyo ngayong taon sa Clark Pampanga. Ayon kay Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, gagawin ito sa ilalim ng set-up na bubble type. Kinakailangan din aniyang sumunod ang lahat ng kalahok […] The post Hosting ng Pilipinas sa FIBA Asia Cup tuloy na appeared first on Bandera......»»
Prosper to prove himself vs Gilas
Former PBA import Lester Prosper said the other day he’s coming to prove himself against the “new” Gilas and promised to unleash “a different me” when Indonesia plays the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand in the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window at the Clark bubble on June 16-20......»»
SBP assures players’ safety
Despite the current situation, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has confirmed the Philippines’ hosting of three groups in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in mid-June in a bubble setup in Clark......»»
Kai begs off from bubble
Kai Sotto isn’t joining the Gilas bubble at Inspire in Calamba to focus on training and development in the US but it’s still not decided if the 7-2 center will play in the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window in Clark on June 14-20 and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade on June 29-July 4......»»
Japan joinIng pocket tourney?
There’s a possibility that Japan may play in a pocket tournament with Gilas and two PBA teams before the start of the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window at Clark on June 14-20 if its group is confirmed to join the bubble......»»
Ignite coach Brian Shaw tempers expectations ahead of Kai Sotto s US return
Sotto was penciled to miss most of Ignite's action in the bubble with his commitment to Gilas Pilipinas in the third window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers......»»
Clark to host FIBA bubble after all
In a memo from the International Basketball Federation released by multiple media outlets on Friday, FIBA said that the Philippines will play host to two groups of the Asia Cup Qualifiers......»»
FIBA Asia Cup Doha qualifiers cancelled, says Saudi hoops body
This after the Saudi Basketball Federation announced a decision to cancel their hosting of the FIBA bubble due to rising cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)......»»
Kai Sotto back in Philippines, set to join Gilas in Calamba bubble
Sotto arrived on a connecting flight from Narita, Japan late Tuesday night as the 7'3" wunderkind is set to join Gilas Pilipinas in the third window of the FIBA 2021 Asia Cup Qualifiers later this month......»»
Cruz awaits Guam advice
PBA veteran Jericho Cruz would’ve returned to the Clark bubble to play for Guam in the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window next month but the cancellation due to travel restrictions has put his stint in doubt as he awaits advice from coach E. J. Calvo on where the games will be relocated......»»
SBP unfazed over lack of PBA cagers in bubble
By JONAS TERRADO The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is refusing to dwell on the lack of PBA players taking part in Gilas Pilipinas’ preparation for next month’s final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. Only six PBA players are taking part in the ongoing training bubble at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, […].....»»
TNT stars Pogoy, Rosario join Gilas training bubble in Calamba
By JONAS TERRADO Four more players arrived at the Inspire Sports Academy Friday to join Gilas Pilipinas’ training bubble for next month’s final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. PBA players RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Raul Soyud and amateur Juan Gomez de Liano had their RT-PCR […].....»»
Sotto will join Gilas Pilipinas at 2021 FIBA Asia qualifiers
Kai Sotto won’t be joining the start of the NBA G League that is set to go on inside a bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida this February......»»
Clark bubble crucial for Korea
Gilas Pilipinas will face a South Korean team that’s in a must-win situation in next month’s FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers as a result of sanctions slapped on the Asian powerhouse by the world basketball body......»»