Saturday, December 12, 2015
Change of pace for power-spiking mother-to-be Dindin Manabat
9:35 AM
Dindin Santiago, volleyball
Dindin Santiago-Manabat has been playing the active lifestyle for almost half her 22-year life, but with a baby coming her way the 6-foot-2 middle blocker is taking a little break from volleyball.
She played her last volleyball early in December on Game 3 of the Philippine Super Liga Grand Prix finals where her Petron Blaze Spikers lost to her sister Jaja’s Foton Tornadoes and she’s ready to move on from the sport—temporarily at least.
With volleyball, her main source of income, temporarily on hold, Manabat will instead focus on setting up shop as she plans to put up a small restaurant near her alma mater National University.
“Right now I’m not playing, I’ll just make use of this free time and set up a small business,” Manabat said. “It’s a small business, a small restaurant for students.”
She added it’s more of a student-meal place rather a cafĆ©, a business Petron teammate Aby MaraƱo put up near De La Salle University.
Breaking the news
Manabat said the Petron locker room was a room full of tears after their devastating loss in the PSL Grand Prix Finals and the looming departure of their imports.
But the mood immediately turned around when she announced that she and her husband were expecting a baby.
“When Erica said her goodbyes, we were crying, plus we lost the title,” Manabat said. “First we were crying because we were sad but the moment I said I was pregnant they cried again but this time it was because of joy.
Manabat said she found out that she was pregnant a week before game 3, but she just told her baby: “I just talked to my baby and said ‘baby, just hold on, palo lang si mommy.”
“Aby worried because I played while I was pregnant, Ate Rachelle (Daquis) were asking why I played.”
Of all her teammates, it was fellow mom Fille Cainglet-Cayetano who the most ecstatic and immediately gave her tips.
“Fille was so happy I’m a mom since she’s also a mommy,” Manabat said. “She advised what to do during the pregnancy, what to do when I feel things, how to eat healthy, stuff like that.”
Source: Bong Lozada of Inquirer.net
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Rio-bound swimmer Ernie Gawilan wins second gold medal in Asean Para Games
THERE is no stopping Ernie Gawilan, the first Pinoy para swimmer to qualify for the 2016 Paralympics.
On Tuesday night, the 23-year old Dabawenyo born with underdeveloped extremities and orphaned at an early age, won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter individual medley S8 event in another record-shattering performance in the 8th Singapore Para Games.
On Tuesday night, the 23-year old Dabawenyo born with underdeveloped extremities and orphaned at an early age, won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter individual medley S8 event in another record-shattering performance in the 8th Singapore Para Games.
Gawilan, who also broke the 400-m freestyle event record on the wy to a gold medal on Monday, took off almost 10 seconds from the Games record in the 200-m IM with a clocking of 2:47.64, erasing the old standard of 2:56.41.
Toh Wei Soong of Singapore finished a distant second in 3:05.55 while Dang Van Cong of Vietnam would up third in 3:16.39.
“Maganda ang preparasyon ko, sir. One year na training. Pinaghandaan talaga namin ito,” Gawilan told Spin.ph in an online interview from Singapore.
Gawilan, who has booked a ticket to the 2016 Rio Paralympics by virtue of breaking the Paralympics standard in the 400-m freestyle, brought his medal harvest to two gold and one silver in the 100-meter freestyle event where he lost by a hair to Singaporean rival Toh Wei Soong.
Source: Neil Bravo of Spin.ph
Friday, December 4, 2015
Azkals drop two notches in FIFA rankings
photo © Interaksyon.com |
The team’s regional rank¬ings in the ASEAN Football Federation also dropped two notches, from No.1 to No.3 in Southeast Asia. Australia and Thailand now occupy the first and second places, respectively.
The Azkals remain No.19 in the whole of Asia.
After playing six matches in the second round of the joint 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Azkals failed to qualify for the next round of eliminations for the world championship following their 0-1 loss to Yemen last November 12.
However, the Philippine national football team still has a chance to enter the third round of qualifiers for the 2019 Asian Cup that will be held in the United Arab Emirates.
“Our goal is still there, which is to play for the Asian Cup. We [still] have time to reflect on what needs to be done,” said team manager Dan Palami.
With just two games left in the tournament on March of next year, the Azkals are occupying the third spot in Group H with two wins, a draw and three losses.
Source: Jaelle Nevin Reyes of The Manila Times
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Spain ends Philippines' hopes, slams door on host country in Spike for Peace
12:24 AM
beach volleyball
photo © Jerome Ascano |
THE country’s final hope in the 2015 Spike for Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament went down on Tuesday as Philippines-A was eliminated following a 21-14, 21-10 loss to Spain at the Philsports Arena.
The tandem of Amaranta Fernandez and Ester Ribera blasted the Filipina pair of Charo Soriano and Alexa Micek in just 29 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals.
As easy as it looked, Fernandez, who finished with 19 points, including four service aces, said the Filipinas pushed them to their limit.
“No it wasn’t easy, that game we still have to focus, we needed to push until the final,” she said.
Spain finished with an even 1-1 slate in the eliminations for a three-way logjam with Netherlands and Australia B on top of Group A.
Coach Oliver Almadro admitted the Filipinas are still far behind the level of play of their Spanish opponents.
“Ang lalaki nila and masyado pa tayong malayo sa level nila,” he said.
Philippines-A ended its campaign in the tournament winless after losing to Thailand and New Zealand in Group D.
Earlier eliminated was Philippines B, which also finished with a 0-3 slate in Group C as the tandem of Danika Gendrauli ad Norie Jane Diaz fell victim to heavyweight teams Japan, Sweden, and Brazil.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
PH karate team wins 9 medals in Turkey tilt
9:41 PM
karatedo
photo (c) Jacque Manabat - ABS-CBN News |
Veteran campaigner Ali Parvinfar delivered two gold medals in the men’s Masters 35-45 Division 1 category of the tournament participated by 21 countries.
Parvinfar topped the kata event by subduing his Bugarian opponent in the finals via a 5-0 decision. He also beat fighters from Turkey 1 in the first round (4-1) and Turkey 2 in the second round (5-0).
Parvinfar grabbed his second gold in kumite.
Kz Santiago also made her presence felt as she ruled the girls’ kata individual under-21, beating karatekas from the United Arab Emirates in the first round, (5-0), Turkey 1 in the second round (3-2) and Turkey 2 in championship round (4-1).
Santiago added a bronze in kumite.
Southeast Asian Games medalist Mae Soriano got a silver in the women’s kumite while the bronzes were from Rexor Romaquin Tacay (kumite), Michelle Villamayor (kata and kumite), and Elvin John Vergavera, John Paul Bejar, Engene Stoner Barro Dagohoy, Ram Macaalay, Carmelo Estor Patricio Jr. and Tacay (men’s team event).
Recently, the team won four golds, eight silvers and 12 bronzes in the Thailand Karate Open Championship held at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok.
The golds were from Soriano, Chole Bernadette Limson, Lance Gabriel Villafane and Jaspher Fontillas.
Source: Emil C. Noguera of The Manila Times
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
PH paralympian shines in table tennis
9:45 PM
Paralympian, Rio Paralympics, table tennis
Paralympian Josephine Medina reigned supreme in the women’s singles class 6-8 event of the Copa Tango Table Tennis Tournament held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Medina, a fourth placer in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, blasted Elena Livinenko of Russia in the finals via an 11-7 11-5, 13-15, 11-7 decision.
“It was a really tough match, I´m very happy because it´s my second time here and I was able to win the gold medal once again. Elena was a very strong opponent, she is a very attack minded player; I was very focused, I tried to keep the ball on the table and change the speed of the play. The key was to be patient and to play safely,” narrated Medina at the tournamen’s official website.
Medina made it to the finals by beating Sweden’s Anna-Carin Ahlquist, Colombia’s Nelly Sanchez and Chile’s Ailyn Espindola.
“I want to thank all the support I receive from my country and also I must thank the organizers here in Buenos Aires,” she said.
Medina hopes to qualify anew in the Paralympic Games to be held next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But the Filipina netter must maintain her spot in the world ranking. She’s currently ranked fifth in the world.
“I’m hoping to qualify to Rio; so far I’m no.5, so hope to be there. It’s the dream for me and for my country the Philippines, it is not just for myself; in London it was the first time I had qualified for the Paralympic Games, I hope it will be the same again next year,” ended Medina.
Source: Emil C. Noguera of The Manila Times
Monday, November 23, 2015
RP Blu Girls set sights on Tokyo Olympics
9:06 PM
softball
Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL) President Jean Henri Lhuillier welcomed the news that women’s softball has been included on the shortlist of additional sports being evaluated by Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games organizers for potential inclusion at the 2020 Games. The news was relayed to him by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).
WBSC was among 26 international sports federations to have submitted their bids to Tokyo 2020 organizers earlier this month.
“This is a welcome development for Philippine Sports. Our women’s softball team is the country’s most consistent team performer in international competitions being perennial champions of the Southeast Asian Games, 4th in Asia behind Japan, China and Chinese Taipei who are among the top five in the world and we placed 7th in last year’s World Cup. Imagine, we have five (5) full years to prepare, improve and contend for a medal and possibly the gold in 2020 Tokyo Olympics. We will definitely support WBSC in its effort to have women’s softball included in 2020 Games. We’ll also continue preparing our team for international competitions such as the Olympics, said Lhuillier.
“Excited ang buong team sa news na ito. We had first-hand experience competing against the world’s best in last year’s World Cup and we all feel, we’re just a few steps away from being among the world’s elite teams. Sana makalaro nga tayo sa Olympics and we’ll definitely give our best to win an Olympic medal for the country if ever,” said Randy Dizer, Blu Girls Coach.
As part of the team’s preparations and ASAPHIL’s programs, the 2015 Cebuana Lhuillier National Inter-Secondary Girls’ Softball Championship will be held in December 12-18 in Marikina City and the 2015 Cebuana Lhuillier National Inter-Collegiate Girls’ Softball Championship to be held in Baguio City on December 13-19.
ASAPHIL has also lined up strong tournaments for RP Blu Girls next year such as Canada Cup, World Cup of Softball and World Women’s Softball Championships
In August, presentations to Tokyo 2020 organizers will be made by the shortlisted international federations. The final decision on the composition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic sports programme will be taken by the 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.
Source: The Manila Times
PH wins 8 medals in 2016 International Martial Arts Festival
9:04 PM
The Philippines bagged four gold and four silver medals in the tae kwon do event of the 2016 International Martial Arts Festival held at the ESPN World Wide Sports Complex Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Veteran jin Andrew Asis bannered the squad by capturing two gold medals in the poomsae and breaking events. while international campaigner Michael Bugarin added one gold (poomsae) and one silver (breaking).
Mikey Rojas delivered the fourth gold in breaking and chipped in one silver in poomsae while Brianna Asis got two silvers in the poomsae and breaking categories.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Taek won do Association (PTA) will be staging its final selection for national team on November 28 at the PTA Central Headquarters in Vito Cruz, Manila.
Led by Olympians Roberto Cruz and Japoy Lizardo, the association will select athletes in kyorugi seniors division.
Coaches Nap Dagdagan and Dindo Simpao (kyorugi juniors), Alvin Taraya (kyorugi cadet) and Jean Pierre Sabido (poomsae) facilitated the selection in kyorugi cadet and juniors, and poomsae all divisions early this month.
The PTA, a consistent medal producer in international competitions, is revving up for big tournaments next year including qualifying events for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Source: Emil Noguerra of the Manila Times
Philippine Super Liga to send team to tournament in Thailand
THE Philippine Superliga has been invited by the Volleyball Thailand League to compete in a three-nation club tournament in Bangkok next year.
The PSL has confirmed participation in the tournament set March 22 to 28 but has yet to decide whether to send its champion team or a selection.
Among those being considered are Rachel Anne Daquis, Dindin Manabat and Aby Marano of Petron, Jaja Santiago of Foton, Cha Cruz of Meralco, Maika Ortiz of RC Cola-Air Force, Michele Gumabao and Lindsay Dowd of Philips Gold and Jheck Dionela of Cignal.
A team from Vietnam will also see action in the week-long event.
PSL president Ramon Suzara said on Monday organizers are offering a huge prize pot to make sure the tournament will be very competitive.
Suzara also said the deputy managing director of the television and marketing partner of the Asian Volleyball Confederation is coming over to watch Game One of the PSL Grand Prix best-of-three finals between Foton and Petron on Thursday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Siam Inter Multimedia (SMMTV) is the AVC’s partner for the next four years and will also cover the three-nation tournament in Thailand.
"Mr. Prajaya Chaiyakam will be coming over to personally witness how we run things here in the PSL," said Suzara, who got a fresh mandate as marketing and development committee chairman of the AVC in an election last week in Saudi Arabia.
"This is a very exciting opportunity not only to us, but also to the players and our national federation, LVPI (Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc.), as well for we will be given another major exposure that we can use in establishing our own volleyball program. We're all excited to be part of this endeavor."
Aside from the three-nation tourney, the PSL is also expected to enter the Grand Prix champion in the AVC Asian Women's Club Championship which the country will host in September.
The PSL is also hoping to field a team in the FIVB World Women's Club Championship, which could also be staged in the country in October.
"We have a lot of international tournaments in the pipeline. Since the stakes are high, we are expecting this finals battle between Fotonand Petron to go down the wire,” said Suzara.
Source: Spin.phFilipino Nestor Colonia gives Olympic bid a lift with bronze medal finish in world weightlifting
2:38 PM
Nestor Colonia, Rio Olympics, Road to Rio, weightlifting
NESTOR Colonia boosted his bid of gaining a slot in the Rio De Janeiro Olympics after bagging a bronze medal in the clean-and-jerk 56 kg. division of the 2015 World Weighlifting Championship in Houston, Texas.
Colonia lifted 158 kg in the clean and jerk, good enough to place third in the category behind London Olympics gold medalist Om Yun-Chol of North Korea and Wu Jingbiao of China.
The 23-year-old Zamboanga native fell short of a second medal after finishing fourth in the total with 282 kg behind Thach Kim Tuan of Vietnam with 287 kg.
Om won the gold in the clean and jerk in world record fashion with 171 kg, before topping the total with 302 kg. for a second gold.
Wu also took the gold in the snatch at 139 kg to break the current world record.
Hidilyn Diaz is the other Philippine entry in the event as she competes in the 53 kg division.
The World Weightlifting Championship is one of the qualifying tournaments for next year’s Summer Games where points are earned for the ranking system to determine the 108 athletes to make it to Rio De Janeiro.
An athlete can qualify in the Olympics via team qualification where a country can gain three to six berths based on team rankings in the 2014 and 2015 World Championship, and continental qualification events or via individual qualification by being one of eight in the top 15 in each weight category from countries which have not yet gained Olympic berths.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.phHidilyn Diaz cops three bronze medals in world tilt, keeps pace of earning Olympic berth
2:34 PM
Hidilyn Diaz, Rio Olympics, Road to Rio, weightlifting
HIDILYN Diaz completed a three bronze sweep in the 2015 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championship in Houston, Texas to boost her chances of gaining an Olympic berth.
Diaz won the bronze in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total category of the women’s 53kg division to finish behind a China and Chinese Taipei lifter.
She also become the first-ever Filipina to win a medal in the history of the competition and boosted her bid to claim a seat in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.
Diaz, who competed in the 2012 London Olympics as a wild card entry, finished third in the snatch with a 96 kg behind the lifts of gold medal winner Chen Xiaoting of China (101 kg) and Hsu Shu-Ching of Chinese Taipei (96 kg).
The Filipina also placed third in the clean and jerk with a 117 kg tally behind Hsu (125 kg) and Chen (120 kg), respectively.
The 24-year-old Zamboanga native totaled 213 kg to win her third bronze, with Hsu winning the gold over Chen via tiebreak after both lifters accumulated 221 kg.
Diaz, who won three gold medals in this year’s Asian Championship, is on pace for an Olympic berth with the tournament being one of the qualifying tournaments for next year’s Summer Games.
An athlete can qualify in the Olympics via team qualification where a country can gain three to six berths based on team rankings in the 2014 and 2015 World Championship, and continental qualification events, or via individual qualification by being one of eight in the top 15 in each weight category from countries which have not yet gained Olympic berths.
It was a successful campaign for the Filipino weightlifters, who also got a bronze from Nestor Colonia in the clean-and-jerk 56kg division.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.phFriday, November 20, 2015
Centeno pockets World Jr 9-ball Championship in China
1:25 PM
9-Ball, billiards, Chezka Centeno
MANILA, Philippines -- Chezka Centeno capped off an amazing year by winning the 2015 World Junior 9-Ball Championship in Shanghai, China defeating Xia Yuying of host China, 9-3, in the finals.
Centeno won over Xia’s compatriots Wang Xiaoting, 9-2, in the quarterfinals, and blanked Teng Jiang in the semifinals on her way to the finals.
Her latest title romp came a few days after her father celebrated his birthday.
The Zamboanga City teenager is a product of the Philippine National Games, the project of the Philippine Sports Committee. At the middle of this year, Centeno also represented the country in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore where she won a gold medal in the women 9-ball singles at the expense of compatriot and long-time face of Philippine women's billiards Rubilen Amit.
She has long been considered as the future of Philippine women’s cue sports and is expected to carry on the torch from long-time national players Amit and Iris Ranola.
Source: Earl Leonard Sebastian of The Philippine Star
PH’s Wally, Mandal bag world wushu golds
1:23 PM
Arnel Mandal, Divine Wally, wushu
Filipino fighters Divine Wally and Arnel Mandal proved their mettle in the international arena by seizing gold medals in the 13th World Wushu Championships in Jakarta.
The 19-year-old Wally, pride of Baguio City, trounced Vietnamese Luan Thi Hoang in the 48 kg final while Mandal, a 20-year-old prized find from Iloilo City, stunned Indian Uchit Sharma in the 52 kg title duel.
Showing no fear against her more experienced rivals, Wally improved on her silver-medal finishes in both the 7th Asian Junior Championships and 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar in 2013.
Mandal proved to be the surprise package for the Filipinos. His only claim to fame was a gold in last year’s Philippine National Games.
The twin golds boosted Team Philippines’ harvest that included two silvers and a bronze—the country’s best output since 1991, when the World Wushu Championship was first held.
Drawing first blood for the Philippines was Agatha Khrystenzen Wong of Quezon City who won the silver in the compulsory taijiquan.
Francisco Solis, last year’s Asian Games bronze medalist and 2015 SEA Games silver medalist, settled for the bronze. He bowed to reigning Asian Games 65 kg champion Chinese Hong Xingkong.
The Philippines, which surpassed its 1-2-3 medal harvest in the 2013 world championships, wound up tied with Macao for 8th to 9th places.
China topped the medal table with 14 golds followed by host Indonesia with seven and Iran six in the field of 76 countries represented by 904 athletes.
The lean Team Philippine delegation was headed by Julian Camacho, WFP secretary general and Philippine Olympic Committee treasurer.
Source: Inquirer.net
*Also winning silver is Hergie Bacyadan of Kalinga, Apayao .
Centeno, Chua hold future of PH billiards
1:20 PM
9-Ball, billiards, Chezka Centeno, Johann Chua
Rising cue artists Chezka Centeno and Johann Chua have earned their spurs to lead the next generation of Filipino pool stars.
Only 16 years old, Centeno made history recently by becoming the first Filipino to win the 2015 World Junior 9-Ball Championship in Shanghai while Chua topped the 48th All-Japan Championship in Amagasaki Prefecture.
Centeno demolished Xia Yuying of China, 9-3, in the title match to punctuate a marvelous year for the Zamboanga City teenager.
She earlier won the women’s 9-ball singles gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore at the expense of former women’s 10-ball world champion Rubilen Amit.
On the way to the title, Centeno toppled a wall of Chinese foes, beating Teng Jiang in the semifinals, 9-0, and Wang Xiaoting, 9-2, in the quarterfinals.
Chua dug himself out of a 0-5 hole to defeat former world 8-ball champ Ronnie Alcano in the all-Filipino finals, 11-7, in Japan.
Tying the match in the 14th rack, Chua finally gained control and finished off Alcano by sweeping the next four frames.
The pride of Bacolod City pocketed $28,600 (P1.31 million) for his victory.
Chua made it to the finals by besting four-time US Open champion Shane Van Boening, 11-6, in the Final Four.
Source: June Navarro of Inquirer.net
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
PH to compete in first World Beach Games in California
9:34 PM
World Beach Games
photo (c) stokedinc.com.ph |
What was considered before as a simple of fun and games in some of the most pristine beaches in the continent has transformed into a competitive worldwide meet.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr. said the inaugural World Beach Games in 2017 would be held in San Diego, California where top Filipino athletes would seriously aim for medals.
Cojuangco said the POC would immediately form a committee to address the concerns of the WBG, including the sports to be played and the athletes who should carry the national colors.
“Before, the beach games are just fun and games. Now, it has become really competitive,’’ said Cojuangco. “We’ll prepare for this as early as we can.”
The Philippines won three gold medals in the 2014 Asian Beach Games held in Phuket, Thailand courtesy of ju-jitsu fighters Maybelline Masuda and Annie Ramirez and wind surfer Geylord Coveta.
“I’m confident that we can contend for medals on a global level,” said Cojuangco.
San Diego was awarded the hosting rights to the Olympic-style, multi-sport event over the weekend by the Association of National Olympic Committees (Anoc).
The event features more than 20 sports, beach tennis, football, volleyball, surfing, jet skiing, track and field, basketball and triathlon, among them.
Anoc has earmarked US$150 million for the Games scheduled to be held in September next year at San Diego’s Mission Beach.
Other cities that expressed interest in hosting the 10-day Games were Sochi, Russia, Barcelona, Dubai, Istanbul and United Arab Emirates.
Source: June Navarro of Inquirer.net
POC pushes for more Olympic-bound athletes
9:12 AM
POC, Rio Olympics, Road to Rio
MANILA, Philippines - POC first vice president Joey Romasanta said the other day he’s optimistic that the Philippines will send anywhere between eight to 12 athletes to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next year through either competition or invitation with the POC promising to support National Sports Associations (NSAs) in the hunt for qualifiers.
Romasanta, the country’s chef de mission in the coming Olympics, said POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. has assigned four overseers to look after NSAs that are battling for Rio slots. POC chairman Tom Carrasco of triathlon is in charge of canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, golf, triathlon and rugby while Romy Magat of tennis is on top of athletics, judo, shooting, table tennis, tennis and weightlifting. Bettina Pou of gymnastics is checking on aquatics, archery, boxing, gymnastics and taekwondo. Remy Birondo of Cojuangco’s staff is tracking badminton, basketball, rowing, sailing and wrestling.
“The four POC representatives are monitoring the progress of the NSAs assigned to them in relation to their drive to qualify athletes for Rio,” said Romasanta. “They’re addressing what the NSAs need. From the NSAs point of view, they know the point person whom to run to for whatever reason.”
Romasanta said PSC chairman Richie Garcia’s conservative estimate of eight athletes is just about right at the moment. “But of course, we’re hoping to send more than eight,” he said. “We sent 15 to Beijing and 11 to London. The IOC wants to broaden the participation of countries to the Olympics but to make it widespread, the concentration is on countries that historically don’t send more than eight athletes. Countries like Nepal and Bhutan, for instance, will be given priority for invitation tickets.”
Romasanta said the IOC will also prioritize athletes who are Olympic Solidarity scholars for invitations. “The idea behind the Olympic Solidarity program is to identify potential Olympic athletes and get them ready for the Olympics,” said Romasanta. “The IOC’s goal is to make every Olympics exciting and record-breaking with as many countries participating as possible so that the coverage is truly world-wide. At the moment, the Philippines has 12 Olympic Solidarity scholars from six sports so I’m hopeful that if they don’t qualify outright for Rio, some of them will at least be invited to participate.”
The 12 Filipino Olympic Solidarity scholars are Christian Al de la Cruz, Kirstie Alora, Kristopher Uy and Thomas Morrison of taekwondo, Amparo Acuna and Hagen Topacio of shooting, Clare Legaspi and Princess Superal of golf, Hermie Macaranas of canoeing, Jasmine Alkhaldi of swimming and Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno of boxing. Morrison was a recent addition to the roster, replacing the injured John Paul Lizardo.
Aside from qualifying outright for Olympic slots, the other way to make it to Rio is by invitation from the IOC tripartite commission. The commission is made up of a representative from the IOC, the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the pertinent international sports federation.
Romasanta said the IOC tripartite commission has a list of criteria to guide the selection of athletes to be invited to Rio. “The IOC has a data base of all athletes from around the world with their rankings and accomplishments,” said Romasanta. “From that list, the commission will take note of the athletes who failed to qualify but nearly made it. It will also look at the roster of Olympic Solidarity scholars and the priority countries to be invited. On top of all those considerations, there are quotas imposed by a sport and by region. Take boxing, for instance. From what I know, there will be at least three invitees, two men and one female. In golf, there will also be three invitees.”
Romasanta said entries by name must be finalized for the Rio Olympics by July 18 as the opening is set on July 24.
“The qualifying process is still ongoing,” said Romasanta. “So far, the Philippines has qualified only one athlete, Eric Cray in the 400-meter hurdles. Hagen Topacio would’ve also qualified in shooting but the IOC has cancelled the sanction of the qualifying event in Kuwait because of the organizers’ refusal to grant a visa to an Israeli participant. In weightlifting, we’re optimistic of Hidilyn Diaz’s chances of qualifying. She’s gone down from 58 kilograms to 53 and I think she’s more competitive at the lower weight division. We could also qualify athletes in BMX cycling through Danny Caluag and Sienna Fines, judo through Kiyomi Watanabe, boxing and taekwondo aside from the usual two slots each for swimming and athletics. While Danny is the Asian Games BMX gold medalist, I’m not sure if he’s accumulated enough international points but he’s trying to make it. Sienna, a Fil-Am who’s only 17, has better chances to qualify at this stage.”
Romasanta said National Golf Association of the Philippines president Caloy Coscolluela is pushing for the qualification of three Filipino parbusters who are ranked in the Olympic top 60. “The golf cut-off for selection is July 11,” he said. “Only the golfers in the Olympic top 60 will be considered. Fortunately, we’ve got two males, Angelo Que and Tony Lascuna, and one female, Jennifer Rosales, in the top 60.”
Source: Joaquin Henson of The Philippine Star
Monday, November 16, 2015
2017 SEA Games Logo, Theme and Mascot Unveiled
11:57 AM
SEAGames2017
Logo and Theme
The theme of the Games is "Rising Together", signifying the coming of age for Southeast Asia as a community. The region has come a long way in making its mark on the global stage and this is a time for us to come together to write the next chapter in our collective journey of peace, progress, and prosperity. With Kuala Lumpur 2017 being the first SEA Games after the formation of the ASEAN Community, sports will play a big role in bringing all the citizens of Southeast Asia together in celebrating our achievements and commitment towards sportsmanship, as well as uplifting and inspiring the entire region.
The logo is based on the famous Malaysian symbol which is the Wau Bulan, a type of moon-kite synonymous with the east coast states of the country. Graceful, beautiful, powerful and rising high above, the Wau establishes itself as something that could uniquely represent the transcendent power of sports. The system of a combination of stripes and shards of colour is collated from the flags of all Southeast Asian countries to create the Kuala Lumpur 2017 identity.
Mascot
To personify and embody the spirit of the Games, there needs to be a mascot which is memorable and eye-catching. For Kuala Lumpur 2017, our mascot is a graceful and powerful Malayan Tiger. He is gracious, friendly, competitive and athletic. Most importantly, he is a true athlete.
His name is RIMAU.
Which stands for Respect ,Integrity, Move, Attitude & Unity.
Respect
Respect your opponents , the officials and the fans. Uphold the virtues of the games.
Respect your opponents , the officials and the fans. Uphold the virtues of the games.
Integrity
Honesty in respecting the code of ethics of the games and the values that embodies it.
Move
Honesty in respecting the code of ethics of the games and the values that embodies it.
Move
Faster , higher , stronger. Push the limit and break new barriers.
Attitude
Positivity, sportsmanship and friendship. Compete to win but win with honor.
Positivity, sportsmanship and friendship. Compete to win but win with honor.
Unity
Come together as one celebrating the true spirit of the games.
Source: http://www.seagames2017.com.my/about.asp#hlogoCome together as one celebrating the true spirit of the games.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
PH lone Asian bid for Rio qualifier
2:37 PM
basketball, Rio Olympics, Road to Rio
BASKETBALL godfather Manny V. Pangilinan said that he is “happy and relieved” to learn that the Philippines is the only Asian country bidding to host one of three wildcard legs the Fiba will be staging in July next year for berths in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The chair of the governing Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Pangilinan initially didn’t know that Iran had dropped out of the race and that only six countries are now left to slug it out to host the three legs.
“I am happy and relieved (to learn) that we are the only Asian country (left) bidding,” Pangilinan said in a text message to the Inquirer on Friday night. “Although, of course, the decision will ultimately be Fiba’s, I am hopeful the Philippines would make the grade.”
The Czech Republic, Italy, Serbia, Turkey and Germany are the only other countries in the running. Being able to host a wildcard leg will be a big boost to the Filipinos’ chances of tabbing one of three available slots for the Games.
“We need that precious sixth man cheering our Gilas team on,” said Pangilinan, a member of the Fiba’s Central Board.
The winning bid will be known Jan. 19.
Source: Musong Castillo of Inquirer.net
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Aquino signs new nat’l athletes’ incentive plan
12:36 AM
President Aquino gave Filipino athletes more reason to get motivated in future international competitions.
Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia said Aquino signed on Friday a new incentives scheme for medal-winning athletes and coaches where they could earn at least twice the cash bonuses they’ve been receiving from the government.
Garcia said differently-abled athletes were also included in the new bonus plan. He added these athletes would be the first beneficiaries of the new scheme as they compete in the Southeast Asian Para Games in Singapore next month.
“I’m sure the athletes will work even harder in training and perform at their best,” said Garcia.
The new scheme grants gold medalists in the Olympics P10 million, silver winners P5 million and bronze performers P2 million. Gold-winning athletes in the Asian Games stand to get P2 million, silver medalists P1 million and bronze medalists P400,000.
For the Southeast Asian Games, a gold is worth P300,000, silver P150,000 and bronze P60,000.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives ratified the proposed bill amending and expanding Republic Act 9064, known as the Sports Incentives Act of 2001.
Source: June Navarro of Inquirer.net
Sunday, November 8, 2015
SMB pair June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter confirm attendance in first Gilas pool practice
JUNE Mar Fajardo and Marcio Lassiter have confirmed their attendance in the first practice of the new Gilas Pilipinas pool on Monday night, guaranteeing national coach Tab Baldwin a full complement of players when the team begins preparation for the Olympic wildcard qualifiers.
Gilas team manager Butch Antonio told Spin.ph on Sunday he has gotten in touch with touch with the help of PBA president and CEO Chito Salud and SMB governor and league chairman Robert Non, with both confirming that they'll join the rest in a 17-man pool on Monday at the Meralco gym.
"Marcio and June Mar will be at practice tomorrow," said Antonio.
This will mark the 6-10 Fajardo's return to the Gilas program after the two-time league MVP sat out the national team's stint in the last Fiba Asia Championship in Changsha, China, citing plantar fasciitis injuries on both feet.
On the other hand, Lassiter will be joining the national team for the first time since begging off from the 2014 Gilas 2.0 pool along with Greg Slaughter.
The two will join Gilas 3.0 holdovers Marc Pingris, Troy Rosario, Calvin Abueva, Gabe Norwood, Matt Ganuelas Rosser, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jayson Castro, and Terrence Romeo, Rain or Shine's Jeff Chan and Paul Lee, Star's Ian Sangalang, Talk 'N Text's Ryan Reyes, and Ginebra's LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar and Slaughter in the first of the once-a-week practices spread over seven months leading up to the Olympic qualifiers in July.
De Ocampo recently suffered a herniated disc in a freak gym accident and won't be able to join the practices, but Antonio confirmed that Gilas pool members arriving from Dubai - namely Abueva, Tenorio, Slaughter and Aguilar - have expressed an intention to join the Monday practice.
Baldwin said he is thrilled to have the best players available for the Olympic qualifiers, but readily made it known that he expects a fierce competition forplaces in the team during the seven-month buildup.
Depending on the availability of naturalized player Andray Blatche and Fil-Am guard Jordan Clarkson, Baldwin will have to cut a maximum seven players and a minimum five before the tournament.
Source: Spin.phSaturday, November 7, 2015
Batang Gilas salvages fifth place in Fiba Asia U16 with victory over Lebanon
9:41 PM
basketball, Batang Gilas, FIBA
photo (c) FIBA.com |
BATANG Gilas salvaged some measure of pride, claiming fifth place in the Fiba Asia Under 16 Championship with an 89-74 victory over Lebanon on Saturday at the Arena Britama in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Jonas Tibayan scored 16 points as Batang Gilas wound up with a six wins in eight games played.
The young Filipino cagers wind up several slots off the second place finish of the 2013 Batang Gilas squad, and misses out on the Fiba Under 17 World Championship.
Only the top three in the Asian joust move on to the world meet, but the Filipinos can take solace in the strong finish in the 15-team continental championship.
The Philippines’ chances of booking a return trip to the Under-17 worlds were dashed by Japan in the quarterfinals, leaving Batang Gilas to battle for fifth at best.
They made sure to secure that spot, with nine of 12 players fielded making it to the scoreboard and five registering twin-digit marks.
Kris Harvey Pagsanjan and Samjosef Belangel had 13 points each, Dave Ildefoso chipped in with 12 and Gian Mamuyac added 10.
In the preliminaries, the Philippines eased past Bahrain, 98-58; downed Thailand, 70-51; before coming up with a 2-1 record in the second round.
Batang Gilas turned back Iraq, 78-69, before being dealt its first loss by Korea, 74-77, but came up with a huge 78-72 win over titleholder China.
The young Filipino cagers, however, started flat against a hot-starting Japan and fell on the first hurdle of the knockout stages.
Salim Alaaeddine led all scorers with 28 points and Georges El Beyrouty had 20 for Lebanon.
The scores:
Batang Gilas 89 - Tibayan 16, Pagsanjan 13, Belangel 13, Ildefonso 12, Mamuyac 10, De Liano 9, Gozum 8, Credo 6, Publico 2, Lagumen 0, Escalona 0.
Lebanon 74 – Alaaeddine 28, El Beyrouty 20, Zeinoun 15, Ziade 4, Nemer 4, Captan 3, Hachem 0, Belmona 0, Saad 0, Tabet 0.
Quarterscores: 17-14; 50-34; 71-52; 89-74.
Source: Spin.ph
Amit enters World 9-Ball KO stage
1:10 PM
billiards, Chezka Centeno, cue sports, Iris RaƱola, Rubilen Amit, WPA
photo (c) news.xinhua.net |
Former world champion Rubilen Amit scored two straight victories to advance to the knockout stage of the 2015 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship being held at the Guilin Museum in Guilin, China.
The 33-year-old Amit outclassed American Sara Miller in her first assignment, 7-1, then followed it up with a close 7-6 win over Taiwanese Kuo Szu-Ting in Group 6.
Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Iris Ranola also had a good start, beating Angelina Magdalena Ticoalu of Indonesia via a 7-4 score in Group 7 of the tournament sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association.
Ranola guns for a spot in the knockout stage when she faces Chihiro Kawahara of Japan in the next round. Kawahara defeated Kamila Khodjaeva of Belgium, 7-4.
Teen sensation Chezka Centeno, on the other hand, lost to Taiwanese Wei Tzu-Chien in the first round, 4-7, in Group 2 but bounced back with a 7-2 win overt Ine Helvik of Norway.
|Centeno must win against Natalia Seroshtan of Russia in their do-or-die match in the loser’s column of the event which offers a total prize fund of $170,000 with the champion getting $42,000 and the runner-up pocketing $20,000.
Also making it to the knockout stage were Kim Ga Young of South Korea; Cho Chieh-Yu and Wei Tzu-Chien of Taiwan; Jasmin Ouschan of Austria; Allison Fisher of England; and Chinese players Zhou Doudo, Gao Meng, Fu Xiaofang, Han Yu, Chan Ya-Ting and Liu Shasha.
Source: The Manila Times
Lito Ramirez emerges from grassroots program to become first homegrown member of PH Volcanoes
12:57 PM
Lito Ramirez, Philippine Volcanoes, Road to Rio, rugby
LITO Ramirez has made history by becoming the first homegrown player to make the roster of the Philippine Volcanoes coming out of the Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU) grassroots program.
And his first formal stint with the team comes this weekend when the Volcanoes take part in the Asian Rugby 7s Qualifiers in Hong Kong for next year’s Rio De Janeiro Olympics.
Ramirez was only 13 when he was first introduced to the sport and honed his skills at the Tuloy Foundation in Muntinlupa, a haven built through the efforts of Fr. Rocky Evangelista that provides hundreds of underprivileged, abandoned and homeless children the opportunity to learn academics and sports in a safe and caring environment.
He eventually made the National U16 team and later, the National U18 squad, with the hopes of someday making it as part of the Philippine Volcanoes.
Ramirez was also part of the Clark Jets team which scored a golden sweep in the 2015 Philippine National Games (PNG). It was during his stint at the meet where he eventually clinched a spot in the Philippine Volcanoes men’s 7s training squad.
The inclusion of Ramirez in the Volcanoes’ regular lineup is the culmination of PRFU’s mission to develop rugby in the country and spur the rise of homegrown talent.
One of its first grassroots programs was with charitable foundations such as Bahay Bata, Tuloy Foundation, Child Hope, SOS Children’s Villages, and Duyan ni Maria Orphanage.
Ramirez’s campaign with the Volcanoes is expected to be a bumpy ride as the team will be up against tough opposition in the Olympic qualifiers starting with Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Iran on Saturday, before clashing with Sri Lanka the following day.
The top team at the end of the meet gets an outright Olympic berth, while the next three finishers earn the right to compete in the World Repechage for a chance to make the final 12 teams seeing action in the 2016 Summer Games.
Source: Spin.ph
Read more at http://www.spin.ph/football/news/philippine-rugby-selects-first-player-from-grassroots-program-for-debut-at-the-rugby-7s-olympic-qualifiers#Sre7EPJSo6SvUr5P.99
Tab Baldwin wants fierce competition for places as Gilas pool gathers for first practice
12:53 PM
basketball, Gilas Pilipinas, Road to Rio, Tab Baldwin
WHEN members of the new Gilas Pilipinas pool gather for the first time on Monday at the Meralco gym, they better not expect a picnic outside of the pre-practice niceties.
Tab Baldwin isn't.
The national coach wants to hit the ground running when Gilas begins its preparations for the Olympic wildcard qualifiers in July, setting the tone for the Monday-only, once-a-week practices spread over seven months by saying he expects each one of the players to compete for his place in the team.
Seventeen of the best players in the PBA loaned to the national team program will be at Baldwin's disposal, giving the American-New Zealander more depth and size than he ever had in the Gilas squad he took to the final of the last Fiba Asia championship in Changsha, China.
While he's absolutely thrilled about that, Baldwin was also quick to point out that five of those 17 players will not make the final 12-man team to the Olympic qualifiers, or may be more depending on the availability of naturalized player Andray Blatche and Fil-American guard Jordan Clarkson.
By that, everyone should know that no one is guaranteed a spot in the team.
"That people will be given something without having to work or compete for it, you know that's not the nature of sports," Baldwin told Spin.ph.
"In sports, we should be competing for something as precious as wearing the Gilas uniform. It's incredibly honorable to wear that and it should never be assumed that it's the right of any player. It's not, it's a privilege."
That mindset should be there from the first day of practice, when Baldwin will be clear with what he expects from the players and what he will demand from each of them over a seven-month period until the 'cream rises to the top.'
He can't wait to get started.
"I'm really looking forward to it. There's really I lot a wanna do with this group of players in terms of building them into a strong basketball team," Baldwin said.
"I've never really spoken to any of the players, I'm waiting until we assemble on Monday, and we will be starting things out by trying to set the tone of what it's gonna mean to be in this team and the fact that the guys, six or seven of them or more, maybe, depends on Clarkson, depends on Blatche, will not be included in the final team, so it's gonna be very competitive, and I want it to be competitive."
Baldwin isn't sure if the early start, which will give Gilas around 20 to 25 once-a-week practices before the players get together for the final month of the buildup, will be better than the two months his Fiba Asia team got on the way to a runner-up finish behind China in Changsha.
But the veteran internationalist intends to make the most of it as they prepare for what he expects to be a 'brutally difficult' tournament against some of the best teams in the world.
Asked what he intends to accomplish during those Monday-only practices, Baldwin said, "I'd like to think that during that seven-month period we'd be able to introduce the system that we'll be using and then we can refine those and work on them at the last period that we have before the tournament.
"But also we would like to develop a very strong team chemistry. This is difficult when you are only meeting once a week but we want to try and do that. And I want to make the players understand that when they come into the Gilas environment, they will bring all of their talents but they also bring a mentality and attitude that is specific to what we're trying to accomplish."
And what does he expect from the players?
"We want them to be great communicators; I want all of them to be great leaders and ambassadors for the team and the game, and I want them to understand that this tournament will be brutally difficult. But we wanna go there and we wanna set our sights on winning games and qualifying for the Olympics.
"I expect all the players to grow physically and mentally and collectively as a team. And those that do a best job of that will be the ones who will ultimately be named to the team."
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