Hidilyn Diaz wins Philippines' first Olympic medal since 1996!

She is also the first Filipina to win an Olympic medal!

Click here for Team Philippines updates in the Rio 2016 Olympics!

Team Philippines - Athletes, Schedule and Results

2016 3x3 U18 World Championships

Kobe Paras' U18 team last year failed to pass the group stages and finished 17th out of 24 overall. Can Team Philippines perform better this time?

Gilas Pilipinas captures another FIBA Asia C'ship Silver Medal

Gilas Pilipinas fall short of bagging another gold in the FIBA Asia Championships and outright ticket to the Rio Olympics after losing to China 67-78.

2015 Asian Men's Volleyball Club Championship

The Philippine team is represented by the Cignal HD Spikers who aim to improve on the 7th place finish of the country in the last year's edition which was held here in Manila!

Get to know our delegates to the 28th SEA Games!

Philippines is sending a total of 460 athletes to the 28th SEA Games this time with an aim of a better finish after worst 7th place performance in Myanmar two years ago.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Alyssa Valdez backs calls to keep Philippine team intact beyond SEA Games

SINGAPORE – Alyssa Valdez has backed calls to keep intact the women's volleyball team that competed in the 28th Southeast Asian Games so it can be better prepared for future international competitions.
Valdez said she hopes the Singapore stint will just be the start of something big for the national team, which returned to the SEA Games volleyball competition after a decade-long absence.
“Nag-start na tayo, sana ito na talaga ‘yung start kasi ‘yung mga ibang teams na nakakalaban natin, pagbalik sa country nila, hindi sila nadi-disband. Sana it’s the start,” said Valdez.
The team only trained for a short period of time, leading national head coach Roger Gorayeb to say later that he had hoped the Philippine squad "trained for two years instead of two weeks."
Ateneo coach and Philippine team trainer Tai Bundit said he believes the Filipina spikers can beat 'every team' in this tournament with longer training.
In its return to the SEA Games, the celebrated women’s  team finished with a 1-2 win-loss card in the preliminaries, failing to advance to the semifinals that would have merited an automatic bronze medal.
After seeing the quality of the competition here, Valdez said foreign exposure is crucial to a team's campaign.
“Definitely, iba ‘yung laro ng Pilipino, iba ‘yung sa labas. At least nandoon ‘yung awareness mo sa international competition. Doon ka nakakakuha ng confidence,” Valdez said.
Overall, Valdez said she is satisfied with the play of the team in Pool B, where it was grouped with top regional teams Indonesia and Vietnam as well as Malaysua.
“We were really inspired because Vietnam is the strongest in our group,' said the reigning UAAP MVP. "We enjoyed every game. Konting training pa.”
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

POC 'satisified' with sixth-place finish despite SEA Games team falling well below gold targets

SINGAPORE – Although the country fell well below targets in the 28th Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said it is satisfied with the country's performance in this event that comes to a close Tuesday.
POC first vice president Joey Romasanta said the Olympic body is pleased with a performance that is on course to match the country's 29-gold haul in Myanmar two years ago but is far from the 40-60 projections of sports officials.
As things stand, the Philippines is set to finish in sixth place by the end of the event, one rank higher than its seventh placing in 2013 – the country’s worst finish in the medal tally since joining the SEA Games in 1977.
Romasanta made it clear improving on its seventh place finish was the country’s main target.
“Ang amin naman talaga is to improve on our previous ranking and mukhang doon naman tayo papunta,” said the former Project Gintong Alay chief.
Romasanta also noted that the bulk of the gold medal harvest of the Filipinos came from Olympic sports, which is of much importance since over the past few years, the SEA Games had been giving the host country the prerogative to add indigenous sports to the calendar.
Notable gold medals came from athletics courtesy of Eric Cray and Kayla Richardson, who both ruled the 100m run for the country’s first ever sweep of athletics’ centerpiece event in the SEA Games.
“What is noticeable right now is that, except for wushu, all the medals we gained were from Olympic sports. Malaking bagay ‘yun. Even Southeast Asia is concerned about the declining medals in Olympic sports because napupunta sa mga indigenous or cultural sports,” said Romasanta.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

FATHER'S DAY STORY Dad Roel on Alyssa Valdez: 'Naghuhugas pa rin s'ya ng plato sa bahay'

MUCH has been written and said about Alyssa Valdez the volleyball star; now let's take a look at the popular, hard-hitting spiker in the eyes of her own father, Roel.
It’s easy to understand where Alyssa got her pleasant personality. Daddy Roel is soft-spoken and rarely seeks attention to himself when he travels all the way from their hometown in San Juan, Batangas to watch Alyssa's games.
When Spin.ph finally got to talk to him during one of Alyssa’s game in the Shakey’s V-League, Daddy Roel admitted that to this day he and the family still could not believe what his only daughter has achieved in a young career.
“Wala eh, hindi namin expected na mararating niya itong ganitong kasikatan,” he said. “Kasi galing lang kami sa simpleng pamilya, simpleng buhay lang kami sa probinsiya.”
In fact, he didn't even expect her to become this good in volleyball. Daddy Roel revealed Alyssa only took the sport seriously after she was hit by a ball while playing with her brothers.
“Actually, hindi naman talaga volleyball ang gusto niyan," he said. "Noong bata pa ‘yan, natamaan siya ng bola ng mga kapatid niya, ayun na-challenge siya na maging kasing galing ng mga kuya niya kaya nag-aral mag-volleyball.”
Daddy Roel, who works in the Region IV office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, said he still can't believe until now how popular the Ateneo Lady Eagles star has become.
Yet he was also the first to say Alyssa's star status doesn't extend to the home, where she was never treated as a diva even if she was the only daughter.
“Normal lang, gaya lang ng ibang bata, naghuhugas din siya ng mga plato, ganoon,” revealed Daddy Roel. “Hindi (siya star), pero hindi na rin namin para utusan siya masyado kasi pagod na rin.”
He said Alyssa grew up in a simple household, with the kids doing their share of household chores.
“Sila ‘yan ng mga kapatid niya dati sa amin, pag-aalis kami ng asawa ko, magta-trabaho silang magkakapatid na ang gagawa sa bahay,” said Daddy Roel.
“Kaya uuwi ako ‘yung mga alaga naming kalabaw, manok napakain na nila, ‘yung bahay malinis na,” he added.
Although he swears Alyssa has not changed a bit since she left their hometown at 12 years old to play for University of Santo Tomas girls’ volleyball team, there’s one thing Daddy Roel misses doing with her daughter.
“Bihira na lang na magkasama-sama kami,” he said. “Kasi umuuwi siya sa amin, pahinga na lang.”
“Minsan nagkukulang na rin kami sa mga kamag-anak ‘yung oras niya na makapunta ‘yun lang, ‘yun yung (name-miss ko lang),” he added.
Daddy Roel, 53, said he is aware that Alyssa's popularity entails a little sacrifice and a change in the family's routine. But he still misses doing what ordinary families do.
Like going out for family dinners, for example. Something the Valdezes can no longer do without Alyssa attracting attention in restaurants and other public places.
“‘Di ba kung ordinaryong player lang siya na estudyante, kahit saan ka kasama namin okay lang? Ngayon mahirap na, ‘yun ‘yung mahirap. Pwede ‘yung kasama ka maglakad-lakad lang kayo dyan lalabas,” he said.
“Kasi simpleng pamilya lang kami, hindi naman kami celebrities. Doon lang kami nahihirapan, parang gusto lang namin ‘yung naglaro siya tapos uuwi kami,” he added.
“Makikita mo ba ‘yung ibang player na kasama ‘yung magulang na okay lang lalabas parang mas masaya eh, mas masarap sa magulang kaysa ‘yung hindi mo malapitan,” he continued.
Daddy Roel, however, said he is grateful for the love and support showered on Alyssa by volleyball fans.
“Pero nagpapasalamat ako sa kanila kasi ganoon ang paghanga nila sa anak ko,” he said.
Source: Mei-Lin Lozada of Spin.ph

'Big Mac' Belo steps up as Gilas cadets nip Indonesia to retain SEA Games basketball gold

SINGAPORE - The Philippines found another hero in Mac Belo as it survived a gripping finale against Indonesia, 72-64, to retain the basketball gold medal in the 28th Southeast Asian Games.
Belo scored 22 points and time and again kept the heads of the Gilas cadets above water in a game played before a predominantly pro-Filipino crowd at the OCBC Arena that didn't breathe easy until the final seconds.
The victory gave the Philippines its 17th basketball gold medal in the SEA Games, where it has reigned supreme in all but the 1989 edition in Kuala Lumpur. No basketball competition was held back in 2005 when host Philippines was under suspension from world basketball body Fiba.
However, the gap between the Philippines and its regional rivals is fast closing.
Just a day after having to survive a tough stand by Thailand in an 80-75 semifinal victory, Tab Baldwin's cadets were again made to sweat by an Indonesian side toughened by stints in the Asean Basketball League (ABL).
The Indonesians lost to the Gilas cadets by 56 points in the Seaba tournament and by 29 in their preliminary meeting here. This time they battled back from 18 points down to stay within three points going to the final stretch.
Skipper Kiefer Ravena also made a big play late, intercepting a crosscourt pass by Indonesia and scoring on a layup that eased the pressure on Gilas, 61-56, with 4:31 left.
A visibly relieved Baldwin was given the traditional victory ride later and doused with water by Filipino players, most of whom played in this biennial showpiece for the first time.
“It’s obvious there is a lot of love between this basketball team and coaching staff. We worked hard,” said Baldwin.
The gold medal was also the 29th overall for Team Philippines, sparing the 700-strong contingent the ignominy of falling below its 29-gold output in the 2013 Games in Myanmar.
Ravena finished with 12 points as he clinched his third SEA Games gold medal. Troy Rosario added 11 points to make up for another lackluster showing by Marcu Douthit, who finished with three points.
The scores:
Philippines (72) — Belo 22, Ravena 12, Rosario 11, Ferrer 6, Thompson 5, Vosotros 5, Amer 4, Douthit 3, Jalalon 2, Khobuntin 1, Torres 1, Rivero 0.
Indonesia (64) — Kurnaiwan 16, Sitepu 11, Wisnu 10, Gunawan 8, Wuysang 7, Enguio 7, Putra 3, Indrawan 2, Santosa 0, Sanjaya 0, Dhyaksa 0.
Quarterscores: 22-15, 39-26, 58-47, 72-64.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

28th SEA Games June 15 Results








Sunday, June 14, 2015

Marck Espejo admits SEA Games rivals too strong for young Pinoys: ‘Malakas magsipalo. Konti na lang mababali na buto namin’

SINGAPORE — Marck Espejo put up good numbers for the Philippines in the 28th Southeast Asian Games volleyball tournament, but the reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player stresses his play is still very far from the best in the region.
The high-leaping and power-spiking Espejo scored double figures in all the matches in trying to bring the Philippines to the semifinals.
But that simply wasn’t enough and the Philippine team finished with a 1-2 win-loss slate to end their campaign in the SEA Games.
Despite being consistent during the preliminaries, the 18-year-old Espejo feels that his game is still not at par with the best in Southeast Asia.
“Sa tingin ko, hindi pa po,” said Espejo on Sunday. “Masyado pa akong bata. Siguro dinadaan ko lang sa lakas ng katawan.”
Espejo said he definitely learned a lot from playing against the best in Southeast Asia including reigning gold medalist Thailand, which beat them in straight sets on Sunday.
“Kapag sa laban, sa service, receive lang din nagkakatalo ’yung laro. Defense ’yung natutunan namin sa kanila.
“Kulang din kami sa height. Matatangkad sila tapos malalaki katawan, malakas magsipalo. Konti na lang mababali na buto namin,” said Espejo with a smile.
 Here's a video of the post-match interview:
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

Kiefer Ravena on game-winning three-pointer: 'Gusto ko pang umuwi ng Pilipinas'

SINGAPORE - Prior to the 28th Southeast Asian Games, Kiefer Ravena said he and his teammates will have to migrate elsewhere if the Philippines fails to land the gold medal here.
He almost went visa-hunting on Sunday night.
Ravena and the Gilas cadets were made to sweat in a thrilling game before a huge crowd at the OCBC Arena, needing to overcome a 10-point half deficit before pulling off an 80-75 victory over a rugged Thailand side.
Ravena struggled in the game but was there when the Philippines needed him, hitting a clutch three-pointer with 16.2 seconds left that all but secured the win before a nervous, pro-Filipino crowd.
By hitting the big basket, the Ateneo star also assured he and the entire team are still welcome to go home by the time these Games are over.
"Gusto kong umuwi ng Pilipinas," Ravena said sheepishly after the win, remembering his pre-tournament promise.
The Ateneo star finished with 12 points but said he was no longer 100 percent during the course of the game, saying he 'bruised something' following one of his drives to the basket.
"I got injured sa drive. I bruised something," he said.
Still, Ravena had the courage to take - and make - that three-pointer in the endgame, saying that the last thing he wanted to do was to let his teammates and countrymen down.
"I think just with the confidence na binibigay sa akin ng coaching staff, teammates ko sa akin," said Ravena when asked what was on his mind in that crucial play.
Ravena, though, was quick to say it was a team win.
"Meron mang individual performances na nag-standout, it was a team win," Ravena, who is on course for a third SEA Games gold medal, said. "We wanted to play tomorrow (sa finals)."

Watch the post-game interview
Source:  Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

Treat Huey and Denise Dy end PH gold-medal drought with victory in tennis' mixed doubles

SINGAPORE – Treat Huey and Denise Dy bagged the Philippines’ 25th gold medal in the 28th Southeast Asian Games with a 7-6, 6-4, win over Sonchat Ratiwatana and Peangtarn Plipuech on Sunday in the finals of the mixed doubles event.
Huey and Dy won a fiercely fought first set then never wavered to give the country its first gold medal in tennis, ruining Thailand's bid for a sweep of the gold medals in the sport at the Kallang Tennis Centre Court.
In the second set, the Philippine pair overcame a 0-2 deficit by breaking in the third and seventh games.
Dy will be back in action in the afternoon as she teams up with Katherina Lehnert in the women’s doubles finals against the Thai pair of Varatchaiya Wongteangchai and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn.
“Denise really played well in the first set  and it was really crucial while I got my serves in the second,” said Huey after a match that lasted one hour and 12 minutes. “We’ve played together four years ago (at the Indonesia SEA  Games) so we knew each other well.”
“Truly this great, giving honor to your country all over the games,” added the 29-year-old Washington DC native and world-ranked doubles specialist, who is set to play at the Wimbledon Open next month.
“We held up each other well and it’s just a great privilege for me be playing this game,” said Dy, who hails from San Jose, California and is an assistant tennis coach at the University of Iowa.
Due to an early-morning downpour, the match was bumped off center court and pushed back to the afternoon.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

Tab Baldwin says Gilas boys turned into men in grindout SEA Games win over Thailand

SINGAPORE – National coach Tab Baldwin said the Gilas cadets turned from boys into men in a close game against Thailand, praising his players for showing composure under the grinding pressure. 
Baldwin’s Gilas cadet squad overcame a poor start and a 33-43 halftime deficit to come away with an 80-75 victory over Thailand to reach the finals of the men's basketball competition in the 28th Southeast Asian Games.
The veteran coach said praised the maturity of the Gilas cadets, saying they didn’t wilt under pressure against a Thailand team made up mostly of players from the professional Asean Basketball League (ABL).
“I got nothing but praise on how they handled the pressure,” Baldwin told reporters. “They were down. For young kids, they could have easily have succumbed to that and play like young kids under pressure.
"But in this game, they played like veterans,” added Baldwin.
The concurrent Gilas Pilipinas coach gave credit to Thailand’s defense for making it hard on the heavily favored Philippine quintet.
“We had to make adjustments to their zone. I saw their zone for the first time in their last game against Singapore and I knew that it will give us problems.,” said Baldwin.
"We haven’t practice something like that. Credit to Thailand, they played tough defense. We made adjustments. We had to get penetration from the point and we really felt that we had to limit our turnovers
It was the first time in a long while that the Philippines had to sweat it out in a game in the SEA Games, where it has won the basketball gold medal in all but one of its editions.
Despite the strides Philippine basketball has made over the past years including a stint in the 2014 Fiba World Cup, Baldwin insisted the gap between the country and its Southeast Asian neighbors is closing.
“The ABL teams are improving. These are professional players with months of preparation. This is our cadet team and these are young guys … Because of the ABL, it’s getting closer particularly to the cadet team,” said Baldwin.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

28th SEA Games June 14 Results


























Team Philippines rushing at the last minute to surpass total gold output in Myanmar SEA Games

SINGAPORE—As the 28th Southeast Asian Games winds down, prospect of Team Philippines surpassing its total gold medal output in the biennial meet two years ago is becoming even slimmer.
With three days of competition left here in the Lion City, the Filipinos are still far from the early projection given by sports officials of bagging around 40 to 60 gold medals out of the total 464 athletes competing for the country.
Worst, even the output Team Philippines won in Myanmar in 2013 of 29 golds is in danger of not being surpassed with only a few more events to be disputed.
Of the remaining Philippine entries still competing, only Gilas Pilipinas cadets is sure of winning the gold in men’s basketball, while the rest is still up in the air.
Treat Huey and Denise Dy will go for the gold medal in the mixed doubles, while Dy joins Katharina Lehnert in the women’s doubles finals slated at the Kallang Tennis Court.
But both Filipino bets are up against powerhouse Thailand, which will actually go for a sweep of all the tennis events on Sunday.
Amaya Paz-Cojuangco, the current Asia Cup champion, will be gunning for a gold medal in archery when she competes in the women’s individual compound against a Malaysian foe.
Two-time Le Tour de Filipinas champion Mark Galedo is also entered in the cycling mass start road race where he is expected to figure well in the race.
Pauline Lopez and Samuel Morrison will carry the country’s hopes in the final day of taekwondo.
The Philippines still has entries in bowling, rowing, squash, badminton, and water polo in the final few days although chances of winning a gold is a little remote.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Valdez, Gonzaga and Co. bow out of SEA Games with straight-sets loss to Vietnam

SINGAPORE — The Philippines ended its campaign in the 28th Southeast Asian Games women's volleyball competition with a 25-16, 26-21, 25-23 loss to Vietnam on Saturday at the OCBC Arena.
Alyssa Valdez had 11 points, Jaja Santiago added 10 points, and the Philippines suffered its second loss of the tournament to bow out of the competition.
The Philippines came up with fine plays in the third set, with Rachel Anne Daquis giving the team the lead, 19-18. An error by Vietnam also gave the Philippines a 23-22 lead before the Do Thi Minh-led side put the Filipinas away.
Do scored a match-high 13 points for Vietnam, which completed a sweep of Pool B with a 3-0 win-loss slate.
The April Manganang-led Indonesia squad gets the second semifinal spot in Pool B after finishing the preliminaries with a 2-1 win-loss slate.
National head coach Roger Gorayeb said he was satisfied with the overall result of their campaign that also saw the Philippines beat Malaysia, their lone victory of the competition.
“Masaya ako given na less than one month nag-ensayo,” said Gorayeb. “How I wish this team was formed one or two years ago. Not two weeks ago.”
The Philippines was making its return to the SEA Games competition following a 10-year hiatus.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

Alyssa Valdez says young Philippine team gained a lot in short stint in SEA Games

SINGAPORE — Alyssa Valdez said she and her teammates gained a lot, from match tactics to keeping composed during pressure situations, from the short stint in the 28th Southeast Asian Games.
Twice an MVP in the UAAP and a star of a domestic commercial league, Valdez admitted it takes a lot more to be able to shine on the international stage and she enjoyed the experience.
“We really need a lot of experience para makipagsabayan sa mga top caliber teams,” said Valdez, who finished with 11 points in the Philippines' 25-16, 26-21, 25-23 loss to Vietnam on Saturday in front of a good-sized Filipino crowd at the OCBC Arena Hall 2.
Valdez noted how grizzled attackers picked when to use power, and how veteran teams are able to keep cool and overhaul deficits.
“Sabi nga ng mga coaches, hindi everytime, power. Minsan lagay, lagay lang. And then, ’yung maturity and composure nila, even if we were up, andoon ‘yung composure nila,” Valdez said.
The Philippine team, also featuring Rachel Anne Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga and the Santiago sisters Jaja and Dindin, bowed out with a 1-2 record, but Valdez hopes that the country would still be proud of their effort in their first SEA Games appearance in a decade.
“Kinapos tayo pero every Filipino, gusto natin, lumalaban tayo. Sana nakita ng mga tao that we gave our best and we had nothing to lose. We really gained a lot,” Valdez said.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

Philippine athletics team falls short of gold target, but top official satisfied with total medal haul

SINGAPORE — The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association fell short of its gold medal target, but its top official notes the final tally actually shows a big improvement from two years ago and thus they consider the Singapore Southeast Asian Games campaign a success.
Patafa won five gold medals, way short of the target of 12 in the biennial meet. The output was also one gold less than the Myanmar SEA Games two years ago.
But Patafa president Philip Ella Juico Juico stressed the increase in silver and bronze medals means a better overall performance by the Philippine track and field team.
The team won a total of 21 medals, eight more than in Myanmar with Eric Cray and Kayla Richardson ruling athletics’ centerpiece 100-meter run.
“We have 5-7-9 against the 6-4-3 in Myanmar. That’s a 62 percent improvement in terms of medals. Sa gold, nabawasan ng isa pero ang kapalit, we had that 100m men’s and women’s, the fastest and centerpiece event of the track and field competition. You can look at those angles,” said Juico.
Juico also added that several Gold medal potentials Archand Bagsit (pulled muscle), Eduardo Buenavista (bum stomach), and Kyla Richardson (hamstring) were also not 100 percent fit, and noted that Cray had to skip the 4x400m run due to fatigue on his hamstring.
Even though he is pleased with the medal output, Juico said Patafa will still re-evaluate its program.
“We will be reassessing the program after the SEA Games. Coaches will be reassessed, athletes will be reassessed,” said Juico.
“Nag-imprve na ang mundo. Sa 4x400m, our time was two seconds better than 2013 but we still got second place this time,” he added.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

Gold medals elude Team Philippines as 28th SEA Games down to its final few days

SINGAPORE – The Philippines went cold on Saturday in the 28th Southeast Asian Games as it failed to win a single gold with only a few days left before the curtains fell in this year’s edition of the biennial meet.
All the Filipinos could deliver on this lean day was a pair of silver courtesy of netters Ruben Gonzales and Jeson Patrombon and taekwondo jins Francis Agojo.
Gonzales and Patrombon lost to the Ratiwatana brothers Sanchai and Sonchat of Thailand, 6-4, 6-4, in the finals of the men’s doubles event in tennis, while Agojo bowed to Nguyen Van Duy of Vietnam, 23-9, in the finals of the men’s under 58kg.
Without a gold to show, the country remained in sixth place with 24 golds, 32 silvers, and 59 bronzes for sixth place, still 13 golds behind fifth-running Indonesia (37-47-62).
Pencak silat saw Alshamier Ibnohasim (men’s tanding Class A 45-50kg), Juanilio Ballesta (men’s tanding Class H 80-85kg), and Clyde Joy Baria (women’s tanding Class C 55-60kg) winning bronze medals in their respective events.
Other bronze medals were won by Levita Ronna Ilao in the women’s under 49kg event in taekwondo and Treat Huey and Francis Casey Alcantara in the men’s doubles semifinals, where the Filipinos bowed to the Ratiwatanas, 2-6, 7-6, 10-8.
The Philippine women’s volleyball team also ended its campaign on a losing note after a straight sets defeat to Vietnam.
Gold medalist Marella Salamat placed only eighth in the women’s mass start in cycling, while Avegail Rombaon finished sixth.
Meanwhile, Thailand finally overtook host Singapore on top of the medal tally with 76-73-59 output, with the host a close second at 74-64-94 as of posting time.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph

28th SEA Games June 13 Results