Remulla back to on-site work after bout with Covid-19
MANILA - Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is back on duty starting Thursday, seven days after he contracted coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).Mico Clavano, a lawyer with the Office of Justice Secretary, said Remulla has physically reported back to work after a we.....»»
Pacatiw tries to buck cage rust in ONE Championship return
More than a year since his last ONE Championship bout, Jeremy Pacatiw acknowledged that he has a lot to work on before his comeback fight......»»
Eumir Marcial K.O’s Thai foe in Manila duel
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial made easy work against Thai Thoedsak Sinam in his homecoming bout in Manila on Saturday night, March 23, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Marcial, who is bound for the Paris Olympics in July, knocked out Sinam in the fourth round in their eight-rounder non-title bout. With.....»»
Amparo will bounce back, become champion one day, says PMI chief
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Boxing promoter and lawyer Floriezyl Echavez Podot gave nothing but praises to his ward, Jake “El Bambino” Amparo who came up short in his first world title eliminator bout against ex-world champion Pedro “Kid Pedro Heneral” Taduran. This happened in the main event of “Kumong Bol-Anon XIII” on December 28, 2023,.....»»
Gabunilas promises impressive fight vs. Japan’s Sakama
CEBU CITY, Philippines — There’s no turning back for boxing prospect John Paul “Angas ng Cebu” Gabunilas as he and his team from the ARQ Boxing Stable arrived in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, December 23, 2023, for his upcoming Naoya Inoue-Marlon Tapales undercard bout. Gabunilas will face unbeaten hometown foe Kanamu Sakama in one of.....»»
Andrew Moloney is new WBO Global super flyweight champion
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former world champion Andrew Moloney is officially back in the winning column after making an easy work against Filipino Judy Flores in their World Boxing Organization (WBO) Global super flyweight title bout on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the Pullman Hotel in Albert Park City, Australia. Moloney finished the 10-round regional.....»»
Ginebra blasts Terrafirma in LA Tenorio’s return; Chris Banchero saves day for Meralco
LA Tenorio shows no signs of rust in his first game back from a bout with colon cancer as he helps Barangay Ginebra notch its third straight win in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.....»»
How Hong Kong became a fencing powerhouse and cheered up a city
Hong Kong is one of the smaller Asian Games teams by population, but when it comes to fencing the city is a regional heavyweight with ambitious medal hopes. Edgar Cheung won gold at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games two years ago -- Hong Kong's first Olympic fencing title and first Olympic gold in any sport in a quarter of a century. It turned Cheung into a celebrity overnight and prompted parents across the Chinese territory of 7.5 million people to rush and sign their children up for fencing classes. Cheung's historic win in the foil competition was a much-needed dose of good news for a city mired in social unrest and pandemic gloom at the time. With more funding and public attention as a result, Cheung and his team-mates now hope to stamp their mark on the Asian Games in Hangzhou when they open on Saturday. Despite a strong record at recent editions, including eight medals in the sport in 2018, Hong Kong is yet to win fencing gold at the Asian Games. "No matter for individual or team events, I hope we can (win gold at last)," the softly spoken Cheung, 26, said. The city will have 24 fencers, 12 women and 12 men, at the Games. Another gold-medal contender is 29-year-old Vivian Kong, who is ranked number two in the world in women's epee. There is also Ryan Choi, who along with Cheung was part of the Hong Kong team that won bronze in the men's team foil at the world championships in July. Cheung said the Hong Kong team have "improved greatly" since the 2018 Games in Jakarta. The left-hander, who has recovered from a recent wrist injury, told AFP he wanted to "prove to our competitors they need to beware of us". - Pathway to success - Fencing in the city stretches back decades, to when Hong Kong was a British colony, with its amateur fencing association founded in 1949. The city had occasional success in the early 2000s, but it was the 2010 Asian Games, where Hong Kong fencers won seven medals, that first established them as a regional powerhouse. Local organisers made efforts to popularise the sport, bringing classes to schools and community hubs in the past two decades -– that is where Cheung had his first taste of fencing. Fencers also benefited from a reform to Hong Kong's pipeline for discovering and training talent which allowed Cheung to devote himself to the sport full-time when he was 17 with his parents' blessing. Cheung's final bout at the Tokyo Olympics drew hundreds of fans who crowded into a Hong Kong mall to watch the live broadcast, popping champagne corks after he emerged victorious. Days later, then-city leader Carrie Lam announced more funding for elite Hong Kong athletes, including an expansion to the fencing hall at the institute where Cheung trains. Fencing schools reported a spike in applications, although observers say interest has since tapered off somewhat. - Warning for star man - Gregory Koenig, who previously coached in his native France and also Taiwan, began working with Hong Kong's fencers five years ago and has developed a close relationship with Cheung. He had a warning for Hong Kong's star man, who has slipped to seventh in the men's foil world rankings. "When you're Olympic champion it's very hard because everybody has an eye on you and everybody's fighting hard against you," Koenig said. He said he told Cheung: "You have to understand that many people fight all their life to reach the goal you've already reached." "Okay, do you think you reached the maximum level and you want to stop here? Or are you still motivated for more?" Koenig says he told Cheung. "He told me, 'No, I really want to put my name in the history of fencing.'" hol/pst © Agence France-Presse The post How Hong Kong became a fencing powerhouse and cheered up a city appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea's military said Thursday, shortly after Pyongyang warned of an "inevitable" response to ongoing US-South Korea joint military drills. South Korea and the United States, which have ramped up defense cooperation in response to growing threats from the nuclear-armed North, are currently carrying out joint large-scale live-fire "annihilation" exercises. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had detected the launch of "two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area into the East Sea between 19:25 and 19:37 (1025 to 1037 GMT)," referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. "We have stepped up monitoring in case of further provocations and are maintaining readiness in close coordination with the United States," the military said. Tokyo also confirmed the missile launches, with a defense ministry official telling reporters that the two missiles had landed in waters within Japan's exclusive economic zone. "The missiles may have flown on irregular trajectories," Japan's top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, adding that one had flown 850 kilometers (530 miles) and the other around 900 kilometers at altitudes of 50 kilometers, before landing in Japan's EEZ. In a joint statement, the United States, South Korea, and Japan condemned the launches, saying they violated UN Security Council resolutions and demonstrate the threat "unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to the region." And in a separate move, Washington on Thursday imposed sanctions against two North Koreans based in Beijing over their alleged connection to Pyongyang's weapons program. "The DPRK's development of its missile programs directly threatens regional and international security, and the United States will continue to take action to curtail activities in support of those programs," State Secretary Antony Blinken said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea's official name. 'Inevitable' response Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with diplomacy stalled and the North's leader Kim Jong Un declaring his country an "irreversible" nuclear power, as well as calling for ramped-up weapons production, including tactical nukes. North Korea has conducted multiple sanctions-busting launches this year, including test-firing its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, and last month attempting to put a military spy satellite into orbit. In response, the hawkish administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has bolstered defense cooperation with the United States and Japan, including expanding joint drills, which had been scaled back because of Covid-19, and during a bout of ill-fated diplomacy. Yoon personally watched South Korean and US troops take part in the live-fire exercises Thursday. All such drills infuriate Pyongyang, which regards them as rehearsals for invasion. North Korea slammed the drills, saying they were escalating military tensions in the region. "Our response to this is inevitable," the defense ministry said in a statement Thursday carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "Our armed forces will fully counter any form of demonstrative moves and provocation of the enemies." Lawsuit On Wednesday, South Korea filed a lawsuit seeking damages from North Korea for the 2020 demolition of a liaison office. The office was established in 2018 with funding from Seoul at an industrial zone near the border in North Korean territory, as South Korea's then-president Moon Jae-in pressed for a diplomatic breakthrough with Pyongyang. But after that process collapsed and relations deteriorated, North Korea demolished the building in June 2020. Seoul describes the demolition as a "clearly an illegal act" and is seeking 44.7 billion won ($35 million) in damages. North Korea is likely to ignore any ruling by the court, but there is precedent in South Korea and the United States for damages being awarded against its government. "Given the timing, the launch seems like the North's expression of discontent or protest at Seoul's legal action seeking compensation (for) the North's demolition of the Kaesong office," Choi Gil-il, professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP. The post North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul says
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea's military said Thursday, shortly after Pyongyang warned of an "inevitable" response to ongoing US-South Korea joint military drills. South Korea and the United States, which have ramped up defence cooperation in response to growing threats from the nuclear-armed North, are currently carrying out their latest large-scale joint military drills, and live-fire "annihilation" exercises. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had detected the launch of "two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area into the East Sea between 19:25 and 19:37 (1025 to 1037 GMT)," referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. "We have stepped up monitoring in case of further provocations and are maintaining readiness in close coordination with the United States," it added. Tokyo also confirmed the launch, with a defence ministry official telling reporters that the two missiles had landed in waters within Japan's exclusive economic zone. Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with diplomacy stalled and the North's leader Kim Jong Un declaring his country an "irreversible" nuclear power, as well as calling for ramped-up weapons production, including tactical nukes. Nuclear-armed North Korea has conducted multiple sanctions-busting launches this year, including test-firing its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, and last month attempting to put a military spy satellite into orbit. In response, the hawkish administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has bolstered defence cooperation with the United States, including expanding joint drills, which had been scaled back because of Covid-19, and during a bout of ill-fated diplomacy. Yoon personally watched South Korean and US troops take part in the live-fire exercises Thursday. All such drills infuriate Pyongyang, which regards them as rehearsals for invasion. North Korea released a statement Thursday slamming the drills, a defence ministry spokesperson saying they were "targeting the DPRK by massively mobilizing various types of offensive weapons and equipment", referring to the country by its official name. "Our response to this is inevitable," they added in the statement, which was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. They added that the drills were "escalating the military tension in the region", and warned: "Our armed forces will fully counter any form of demonstrative moves and provocation of the enemies." - Lawsuit - On Wednesday, South Korea filed a lawsuit seeking damages from North Korea for the 2020 demolition of a liaison office. The office was established in 2018 with funding from Seoul at an industrial zone near the border in North Korean territory, as South Korea's then-president Moon Jae-in pressed for a diplomatic breakthrough with Pyongyang. But after that process collapsed and relations deteriorated, North Korea demolished the building in June 2020. Seoul said it was seeking 44.7 billion won ($35 million) in damages, with the country's Unification Ministry describing the demolition as "clearly an illegal act". North Korea is likely to ignore any ruling by the court, but there is precedent in South Korea and the United States for damages being awarded against its government. "Given the timing, the launch seems like the North's expression of discontent or protest at Seoul's legal action seeking compensation for the North's demolition of the Kaesong office," Choi Gil-il, professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP. kjk/ceb/leg © Agence France-Presse The post North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul says appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Tank’ crushes Garcia
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Unbeaten Gervonta “Tank” Davis handed Ryan Garcia the first defeat of his career on Saturday, stopping the Californian with a paralyzing body shot in the seventh round of their marquee fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Davis, who has won five world titles in three weight classes, added another highlight reel knockout to his collection as he improved to 29-0 with 27 knockouts. Garcia was making the running in the second round when Davis drilled him with a left overhand counterpunch to send him to the canvas. The knockout blow was blindingly fast as Davis took advantage of an advancing Garcia, landing another heavy left to Garcia’s ribcage. After staggering back, Garcia steadied and attempted to square up before dropping to one knee — unable to rise before referee Thomas Taylor counted to 10. “It was a good shot,” Davis said. “I thought he was going to get up. I was looking at him, trying to tell him ‘get up.’” “And he just shook his head.” There was no title on the line, nor any battle for dominance in the 135- or 140-pound classes. But the fight at a 136-pound catchweight, which headlined a pay-per-view card and drew an enthusiastic, celebrity-studded crowd to the T-Mobile Arena, lived up to the hype generated by the clash of unbeatens. “I am the face of boxing,” said Davis, who had never headlined a pay-per-view card despite earning world titles at super-featherweight, lightweight and super-lightweight. “I just saw Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl and I was like that was going to be me one day, and here we are,” he said. “It definitely matches the dream. But the job’s never done til I retire. So I’m going to keep my head down, stay humble and continue to work.” Garcia, meanwhile, will have to go back to the drawing board after falling to 23-1 with 19 knockouts. The 24-year-old’s hand speed and punching power make him a formidable opponent, and his massive social media presence has made him a mainstream celebrity, but he has yet to earn a top-flight world title. After a testy build-up to the bout, Garcia was gracious in defeat, calling it “an honor” to be in the ring with Davis. “He just caught me with a good shot,” Garcia said. “I just couldn’t recover. Snuck under me and caught me good.” He said he didn’t want to elaborate, but when asked agreed he couldn’t breathe. “I was going to get back up, but I just couldn’t get up,” he said. The post ‘Tank’ crushes Garcia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pacquiao plots comeback
After an absence of 20 months, Manny Pacquiao returned to the site of his old playground to watch a major fight and raise speculations that he is on the cusp of staging a comeback at age 44. But Pacquiao told Daily Tribune yesterday that while he is missing boxing, a comeback seems to be unlikely at the moment since he has a commitment to fight an exhibition on 29 July in Japan. Asked whether a regular boxing bout could be next, Pacquiao was tight-lipped but didn’t close the door on such a possibility. “We’ll see,” said Pacquiao, who was at ringside when Gervonta “Tank” Davis demolished Ryan Garcia in the seventh round of their high-profile showdown at the T-Mobile Arena. Pacquiao last fought in August 2021 and lost to Yordenis Ugas of Cuba and several weeks later, he announced his retirement. While watching the fight, boxing fans called out Pacquiao’s name and it brought back memories of his fighting days in Sin City that lasted for two decades. “The crowd’s reaction to his presence was terrific,” Sean Gibbons, who mans the Pacquiao’s owned MP Promotions said. “All the fans loved that Manny was here,” Gibbons said. Lawyer Tom Falgui, who joined the future Hall of Famer, said the audience applauded when “Manny and wife Jinkee were shown on the screen.” Pacquiao rubbed allows with former undisputed heavyweight king Mike Tyson and five-division titlist Sugar Ray Leonard and was interviewed on television and dropped by the dressing rooms of the main event fighters Davis and Garcia. Pacquiao will spend a few days in Los Angeles to bond with his son Jimuel, whom he had not seen since the Ugas fight, before leaving Tuesday night and arriving in Manila on Thursday morning. Still, don’t rule out a possible comeback that could take place sooner than later. “We are trying (to stage a fight),” Gibbons added. Even Falgui is on the same radar screen, stressing that there are plans for a return fight. “Keeping our fingers crossed.” The post Pacquiao plots comeback appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Davis stops Garcia to remain unbeaten in marquee bout
Unbeaten Gervonta Davis handed Ryan Garcia the first defeat of his career on Saturday, stopping the Californian with a paralyzing body shot in the seventh round of their marquee fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Davis, who has won five world titles in three weight classes, added another highlight reel knockout to his collection as he improved to 29-0 with 27 knockouts. Garcia was making the running in the second round when Davis drilled him with a left overhand counterpunch to send him to the canvas. The knockout blow was blindingly fast as Davis took advantage of an advancing Garcia, landing another heavy left to Garcia's ribcage. After staggering back, Garcia steadied and attempted to square up before dropping to one knee -- unable to rise before referee Thomas Taylor counted to 10. "It was a good shot," Davis said. "I thought he was going to get up. I was looking at him, trying to tell him 'get up.' "And he just shook his head." There was no title on the line, nor any battle for dominance in the 135- or 140-pound classes. But the fight at a 136-pound catchweight, which headlined a pay-per-view card and drew an enthusiastic, celebrity-studded crowd to the T-Mobile Arena, lived up to the hype generated by the clash of unbeaten. "I am the face of boxing," said Davis, who had never headlined a pay-per-view card despite earning world titles at super-featherweight, lightweight and super-lightweight. "I just saw Rihanna perform at the Super Bowl and I was like that was going to be me one day, and here we are," he said. "It definitely matches the dream. But the job's never done til I retire. So I'm going to keep my head down, stay humble and continue to work." Garcia, meanwhile, will have to go back to the drawing board after falling to 23-1 with 19 knockouts. The 24-year-old's hand speed and punching power make him a formidable opponent, and his massive social media presence has made him a mainstream celebrity, but he has yet to earn a top-flight world title. After a testy build-up to the bout, Garcia was gracious in defeat, calling it "an honor" to be in the ring with Davis. "He just caught me with a good shot," Garcia said. "I just couldn't recover. Snuck under me and caught me good." He said he didn't want to elaborate, but when asked agreed he couldn't breathe. "I was going to get back up, but I just couldn't get up," he said. The post Davis stops Garcia to remain unbeaten in marquee bout appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
RHJ builds PBA legacy
Former Brooklyn Nets standout Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was sunning himself on Boracay Island when he got a call from TNT Tropang Giga asking if he was willing to suit up in the Governors’ Cup. The precious tip that TNT got was from a friend of team manager and head coach Jojo Lastimosa, who was on the lookout for someone who can replace Jalen Hudson. While he was not a bad choice for the squad, Hudson was more of a scorer and the team needed someone who could also excel on defense, compete in the rebounding department and get his teammates involved. For all his talent, Hollis-Jefferson was not able to show what’s made of when he got signed by Jeonju KCC Egis in the Korean league. Then, TNT came calling and he found himself wearing a Tropang Giga jersey and immediately made a lot of heads turn with his brand of play. He did not lose a game in the elimination round and only tasted his first defeat against Meralco in the best-of-five semifinals series. Still, he managed to lead TNT past the Bolts and set up an unlikely last dance with the back-to-back champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Against the Gin Kings, the Tropang Giga were the betting underdogs since they were up against a team that won the tournament four times in the last five editions. Standing on Hollis-Jefferson’s way was Justin Brownlee, who had never lost a championship series six times. But Hollis-Jeffersonqas simply of a different breed. Standing a shade below 6-foot-6, he, however, boasts of a wingspan of a 7-foot-2 player and a skill set of a wily guard. In Game 4, Hollis-Jefferson banged in 36 points, grabbed ten boards and five feeds en route to a 116-104 win, numbers that only solidified the league’s selection of the 28-year-old product of the Arizona Wildcats assembly line as Best Import. The import’s numbers were impressive enough, but even more impressive was the way he facilitated the game and made his teammates more involved as TNT hit a finals record 21 three-point shots to level the series to 2-2. In Game 5, Brownlee had a bout with food poisoning and was unable to finish the game for the Gin Kings. But all series long, Hollis-Jefferson, a Muslim, was also somewhat handicapped as well as he didn’t have food and water intake from sunrise to sunset in observance of Ramadan. The import, however, found the resolve to survive and in Game 5 and 6, he was able to take care of business while leading the Tropang Giga to the championship, their first ever title in the Governors’ Cup. No doubt, Hollis-Jefferson will be high on TNT’s priority list but this recent triumph could serve as his ticket to his return to the NBA. But if ever Hollis-Jefferson would go on and stay in the PBA, he would definitely become the Tropang Giga’s resident reinforcement, similar to what Brownlee is with Ginebra and Sean Chambers with Alaska back in the days. Won’t be surprised if he ends up playing in a tournament where the ceiling is 6-foot-10 owing to his tremendous skills. If K.J. McDaniels stood his ground against bigger rivals in the past, I don’t see no reason why Hollis-Jefferson won’t do the same thing given his NBA lineage. The post RHJ builds PBA legacy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kingad hopes latest win propels him back to ONE world title conversation
In an impressive outing after a lengthy layoff, Kingad showed his wares against the Indonesian fighter who entered their fight on a seven-bout win streak......»»
Dave Apolinario plunges back into action
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Reigning International Boxing Organization (IBO) world flyweight champion Dave “Dobermann” Apolinario will end a seven-month hiatus with a fitting tune-up bout on February 11, 2023, in General Santos City. The 23-year-old hard-hitting Apolinario, one of Sanman Boxing Gym’s banner boxers, will put his unbeaten record at stake against Indonesian journeyman Frengky Rohi in […] The post Dave Apolinario plunges back into action appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Adiwang returns from ACL injury, fights Malachiev in ONE Fight Night 6
Adiwang, who tore his ACL in an all-Filipino bout against Jeremy Miado at ONE X last March, looks to bounce back not just from his injury, but also to make his late father proud......»»
Remulla back to on-site work after bout with Covid-19
MANILA - Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is back on duty starting Thursday, seven days after he contracted coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).Mico Clavano, a lawyer with the Office of Justice Secretary, said Remulla has physically reported back to work after a we.....»»
Knott to set up final training camp in Nagasaki before Olympic bid
Fil-Am sprinter Kristina Knott is back in full strength after a bout with COVID-19 last month......»»
Erap back to ICU after lung infection, not COVID& mdash;son
Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada was returned to a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) due to a lung infection following a bout with COVID-19, his son, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, said Friday......»»
Pacquiao to fight Mikey Garcia?
All indications point to Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao heading back the ring to face former world champion Mikey Garcia for a non-title welterweight bout tentatively set in May in Dubai......»»