MELBOURNE (AFP)

– Defending champion Novak Djokovic swept into the Australian Open quarter-finals but 15-year-old Coco Gauff exited in tears on Sunday after failing in her bid to become the Open era’s youngest Grand Slam winner.

Djokovic, on the hunt for his eighth Melbourne title, was remorseless against Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman, crushing the 14th seed 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to book an 11th appearance in the last eight.

The Serb’s reward is a match-up with big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, who is back in form after a run of injuries and dismissed 2018 finalist Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.

”Milos is one of the tallest, strongest players on tour and has one of the biggest serves,” said Djokovic, the 16-time Grand Slam winner.

”I’ve got to be ready for missiles coming from his side of the net.”

Gauff’s giant-killing Australian debut generated intense hype as she attempted to become the youngest Major-winner in the post-1968 Open era, breaking the record set by a 16-year-old Martina Hingis in 1997.

The teenager beat seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in round one and title-holder Naomi Osaka in the third, but she came unstuck against a determined Kenin.

 

Gauff raised hopes by edging the first set but then her fellow American Kenin took control and it was one-sided at the finish as she won 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-0.

”I just did the best I can,” said the Moscow-born 14th seed, when asked how she had dealt with the ‘Cocomania’ that blew up around the match.

”I just tried to take it like any other match. I know she’s playing well, I just tried to play my game and fight for every point and just not focus on anything else.”

Kenin, already on the best Grand Slam run of her career, next faces Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur who beat China’s Wang Qiang to become the first Arab woman to reach a Major quarter-final.

Wang stunned Serena Williams in the third round but the 27th seed ran out of steam against the powerful Jabeur, who fought back from a break down in the first set to win 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.

Jabeur, the highest-ranked Arab woman in history — she reached a career-high 51 last year — is the first Tunisian woman to win a main-draw match at the Australian Open.

”I’m really shaking right now, it’s unbelievable, I can’t describe how I feel,” said the 25-year-old.

”Last time Kenin won against me so maybe it’ll be my revenge,” added Jabeur, who last year lost to Kenin in Hobart and retired against her in Mallorca.

Later, Roger Federer plays Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics as he seeks a record 15th appearance in the Melbourne quarter-finals, two days after going the distance in a five-set thriller with John Millman.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant on the all-time scoring list with a 29-point performance on Saturday, but his Los Angeles Lakers suffered a one-sided loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, 108-91.

James, who was named to his 16th straight all-star game this week, etched his name in the record books by becoming the third-leading scorer in NBA history.

With the Lakers trailing the host Philadelphia 76ers 74-52 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the third period, James received a pass from Anthony Davis at the three-point line and drove across the lane, splitting two defenders for a layup and the historic points.

At the next timeout he received a standing ovation from the crowd of 21,109 at the Wells Fargo Center arena.

The basket put James at 33,644 career points, one more than former Lakers great Bryant’s 33,643.

Longtime Utah Jazz star forward Karl Malone is next for James to pass with 36,928 points. Centre Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the league’s all-time scoring leader with 38,387 points.

After the game, James talked about meeting Bryant as a teenager and getting a pair of shoes from his hero. They cramped his feet but he wasn’t going to take them off.

“I wore them that night. I was a 15 and he was a size 14. I wore them anyways,” James said.

“He was immortal offensively because of his skillset,” James said. “The story is too much. Now I am here in a Lakers uniform in Philadelphia where he is from.

“The universe just puts things in your life. When you live the right way, things happen organically. It is not supposed to make sense but it just happens.”

Bryant congratulated James, who is in his second season with the Lakers, on Twitter. “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother,” Bryant wrote.

James spent 11 seasons across two different stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a four-season run in Miami in between.

He is averaging over 25 points over 44 games this season, leading the Lakers to the Western Conference’s best record of 36-10.

Ben Simmons finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Sixers.

Tobias Harris scored 29 points and Al Horford had 16 for the Sixers, who improved to 21-2 at home.

The shorthanded Sixers played without Joel Embiid (injured finger) for the 16th time this season and were also missing Josh Richardson with a strained hamstring.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points, while James also had eight assists and seven rebounds.

– Irving shines –

Elsewhere, Rudy Gobert finished with 22 points as the Utah Jazz rallied to beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-107.

Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 25 points while Bojan Bogdanovic added 23 points as Utah won its fourth straight game.

Luka Doncic scored 25 points, Seth Curry added 19 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 15 for the Mavericks, who are 1-2 in their last three after winning four straight.

In Detroit, Kyrie Irving scored 45 points and the visiting Brooklyn Nets snapped a five-game losing skid with a 121-111 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Irving added seven assists and six rebounds in his highest-scoring game since his Nets debut in October.

Jarrett Allen had 20 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks and Joe Harris tossed in 16 points for Brooklyn.

Derrick Rose, who has scored 20 or more points in 12 straight games, led Detroit with 27 points and six assists.

Detroit center Andre Drummond delivered 20 points and 21 rebounds while Svi Mykhailiuk contributed 19 points and Bruce Brown added 17 points with five assists.

Drummond missed the previous two games after taking an elbow to the face at Washington on Monday.

Brooklyn scored the first six points of overtime and Harris nailed a three-pointer with 2:40 remaining to seal the match.

Source: Manila Bulletin

 

Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes remains one of the top draws in Philippine sports even at the age of 65 as shown in the recent 30th Southeast Asian Games.

The iconic pool player with the charismatic smile still packed them in, and was easily the most sought after member of the men’s billiards and snooker team.

Reyes, with his deteriorating eyesight, only settled for a bronze in the men’s carom (1 cushion) – not exactly his pet event – during the biennial meet, but nonetheless, was an inspiring presence in the team winning a total of 12 medals, four of them were golds.

For all his greatness, ‘The Magician’ has yet to conquer the SEA Games where his highest finish was a bronze, five times to be exact, and all of them in men’s carom.

Yet, that doesn’t diminish a bit what the Mexico, Pampanga pride has achieved in the pool table, where he’s been universally acknowledged as the greatest player of all-time.

For that, Reyes is set to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement award by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) during the traditional SMC-PSA Awards Nights on March 6 at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel.

At the same time, ‘Bata’ will serve as special guest speaker during the gala night in a rare function for a man known for his few words. He became the second straight athlete to become guest speaker in the event presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), MILO, Cignal TV, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and Rain or Shine after Olympian Bea Lucero last year.

Team Philippines is the recipient of the coveted Athlete of the Year award from the country’s oldest media organization for defying the odds and winning the overall championship of the SEA Games.

Reyes incidentally, was a three-time winner of the Athlete of the Year plum solely given by the PSA in 1999, 2001, and 2006.

For the Lifetime Achievement award, Reyes, whose humble beginnings and simple demeanor endeared him to the Filipino masses, was a hands-down choice following the massive success he achieved both in the local and world stage.

The long list of honor include being the best player to win world championships in two different pool disciplines, having reigned as both world eight-ball and world nine-ball champion, was the first non-American to win the US Open 9-Ball Championship, became the inaugural winner of the World Cup of Pool in tandem with good friend Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante, acknowledged as the winningest player in the history of the Annual Derby City Classic with five titles, and won the largest prize money in the history of pocket billiards after topping the IPT World Open 8-Ball Championship worth $500K.

Known for his legendary ability to ‘kick safe’ the ball, Reyes topped the billiards money list five times, including a record earnings of $646K in 2006.

While still active, he was already inducted into the Billiard Congress of America’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

Last year, the PSA honored bowling great Bong Coo and cycling champion Paquito Rivas with the Lifetime Achievement award.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

The city of Passi in Iloilo province was selected to host the PBA All-Star Weekend for the first time, league commissioner Willie Marcial said.

Marcial bared the extravaganza highlighted by the All-Star Game will be held in the second week of July at the City of Passi Arena which has a capacity of 2,000.

Other events slated are the Skills Challenge, the game between some of the league’s young stars and outreach activities.

The All-Star could be held after the season-opening Philippine Cup which opens March 1 or during the midseason Commissioner’s Cup.

A PBA conference usually takes at least three months to be completed.

It will be the third time that Iloilo province will host the All-Star, having staged the event in 2000 and 2018 at the San Agustin Gym in Iloilo City.

Passi is also the fifth city, town or island in the Visayas to host the game, joining Iloilo City, Cebu City (1998 and 2004), Bacolod (2008), Boracay (2011) and Lapu-Lapu City (2017).

Passi City previously held an out-of-town game in September 2018 when TNT KaTropa faced Rain or Shine before a packed crowd.

The arena was completed months before the said PBA game that saw TNT winning 110-104.

Last season’s All-Star was held in Calasiao, Pangasinan as the PBA reverted back to a single-site hosting following a three-leg series the previous two editions.

Barangay Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar and San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos shared MVP honors as the North defeated the South 185-170 at the Calasiao Sports Complex.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

San Miguel Alab Pilipinas coach Jimmy Alapag welcomed the possibility of bringing back Justin Brownlee in the ASEAN Basketball League but insisted that the team is more focused on taking matters one step at a time.

Brownlee expressed interest in an Alab return after leading Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to its third PBA Governors’ Cup title in the last four seasons.

“Justin Brownlee is obviously a hell of a player, and he’s someone who we won a championship with two years ago,” Alapag said after Alab’s 77-76 road win over Hong Kong Eastern Thursday night at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai.

“But right now, he’s coming off a championship and he’s coming off a tough 4-5 months of playing and making another championship run,” he added. “So, I’m sure he’s gonna need a short break and right now with our schedule, we’re focused on our upcoming games.”

Alab’s victory over Hong Kong was the start of a difficult stretch of six games in the next 16 days.

Alapag and company return Sunday against league leader Mono Vampire at the Caloocan Sports Complex followed by another match with the Thai club on Jan. 30 in Nonthaburi, Singapore Slingers on Feb. 2 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Kuala Lumpur Dragons on Feb. 4 in Malaysia and back in Sta. Rosa against the Saigon Heat on Feb. 9.

Alab’s current imports are 7-foot-5 Maltese center Sam Deguara, southpaw Nick King and Prince Williams, who made his debut against Hong Kong following the departure of Khalif Wyatt.

Brownlee teamed up with fellow import Renaldo Balkman and Local Most Valuable Player Ray Parks Jr. to lead Alab to the ABL championship in 2018.

Brownlee averaged 21.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 25 games for Alab.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Unseeded 15-year-old Coco Gauff said she was in disbelief after beating reigning champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets in a major upset at the Australian Open on Friday.

The American, the youngest player in the draw and making her Melbourne debut this year, defeated the third seed 6-3, 6-4 to avenge a heavy defeat at last year’s US Open.

Gauff plays compatriot and 14th seed Sofia Kenin or China’s Zhang Shuai in the fourth round after a comprehensive victory which underlines her rare talent.

This was the second instalment of a budding rivalry between Gauff and Osaka that could light up tennis for the next decade, having met at the US Open, where the 22-year-old Japanese won easily.

On that occasion it was the teenager who struggled with nerves, but the tables were turned this time.

Even so, the scale of the achievement had not fully set in for Gauff, the youngest woman to beat a top-five opponent since Jennifer Capriati defeated Gabriela Sabatini at the US Open in 1991.

“On the court I was definitely, what is my life? All these people clapping for me,” she said.

“I’m still new to this, but I’m sure I’m not used to it.”

She was in such shock afterwards that “I don’t even remember what I did, but I think I was more in disbelief so I didn’t really know what to do”.

“I’m trying to think of what even happened today.”

The sense of bewilderment took on a whole new level when Roger Federer became one of the first people to congratulate her.

“I was, like, ‘Thank you,’ trying to be calm. Inside, I was, like, Oh, wow!”

Osaka rattled 

Gauff, who spent time training with Serena Williams in the off-season, had said she would be less nervous and more aggressive this time round in facing the world number four Osaka.

And so it proved as they rattled through the first five games in barely 15 minutes at the 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena.

Osaka fired into the net to drop serve in game eight and then racked up more unforced errors in gifting Gauff the first set in 32 minutes.

“Come on!” shouted Gauff, ranked 67 but fast making a name for herself as the most exciting prospect in women’s tennis.

The young American carried the momentum into the first game of the second set, breaking a subdued and rattled Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam champion.

The Japanese broke back for 1-1 when Gauff volleyed into the net, but it was a rare mistake by the American and she broke once more, before serving for the match at 5-4.

The nerveless teenager clinched victory on the first match point when Osaka fired into the net.

Gauff announced herself to the sporting world at Wimbledon last year when, as a qualifier, she stunned Venus Williams in the first round.

She did the same thing to the seven-time Grand Slam champion on her Melbourne debut this week, then came back from a set and 3-0 down to defeat Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday.

When Gauff and Osaka met five months ago in New York, also in round three, then-world number one Osaka crushed the tearful and overawed teenager 6-3, 6-0 in a little over an hour.

“I learned a lot from that US Open. Not even just playing against Naomi, but the whole tournament,” said Gauff.

“I think I was on edge and I had the three-setters in the first two rounds of the US Open, and I think that was just dealing with all of the media.

“I feel like now I’m more playing, just having fun.

“And winning is a cherry on top.”

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

American veteran Serena Williams sensationally crashed out but 15-year-old Coco Gauff went through as tennis got a glimpse of its past and future at the Australian Open on Friday.

Williams’ bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam was halted by the unlikely figure of China’s Wang Qiang, who triumphed in three tough sets — after winning just one game when they played at the US Open in September.

Gauff then stepped up her giant-killing Melbourne debut as she ousted Japanese defending champion Naomi Osaka, 22, in dismissive style, winning 6-3, 6-4 in just 67 minutes to reach round four.

“Oh my gosh. Two years ago I lost first round in the juniors and now I’m here — this is crazy,” said the teenager, who upset Venus Williams in the first round.

With Williams now 38, 23 years older than Gauff, the two players are at opposite ends of their careers.

And with Williams’ close friend Caroline Wozniacki retiring on Friday, after defeat to Ons Jabeur, it looked like a changing of the guard.

But Williams, who has now had eight winless Grand Slams since returning from childbirth, said she hadn’t given up hope of matching Margaret Court’s 47-year-old record for Grand Slam titles.

“I definitely do believe (I can equal it) or I wouldn’t be on tour,” said Williams, a seven-time winner at Melbourne Park.

Williams was the bookies’ favourite to lift the trophy for the eighth time but she came unstuck against a determined Wang, who won 6-4, 6/7 (2/7), 7-5.

‘People thought I was crazy’ 

Her defeat came just minutes after Denmark’s Wozniacki was knocked out by Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, bringing a tearful end to the former world number one’s final tournament before retiring.

“I had a dream when I was a kid. I wanted to win a Grand Slam. I wanted to be number one in the world,” said Wozniacki, the Melbourne winner in 2018.

“People thought that I was crazy being from a small country. But I made it happen.”

Williams’ exit removes a major hurdle for Australia’s world number one Ashleigh Barty, 23, who had been on course to meet her in the semi-finals.

Barty, bidding to become the first Australian champion since 1978, hit form in a 6-3, 6-2 demolition of Elena Rybakina, saying she had played her best tennis so far this year.

“I felt I needed to be really switched on for this,” Barty said. “I feel it’s the best I’ve played this summer so far.”

Gauff, who trained with Serena Williams in the off-season, had promised she would be less nervous than in her last meeting with Osaka, when she was thrashed in round three of last year’s US Open.

And so it proved as the teenager broke once in the first set and twice in the second to floor a rattled Osaka and ramp up a rivalry that could run and run.

In the men’s draw, reigning champion Novak Djokovic thrashed Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the round of 16 at a canter.

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic, 31, outlasted Robert Bautista Agut in five tough sets and Tennys Sandgren, under fire during his last deep run in Melbourne over links to right-wing activists, beat fellow American Sam Querrey in straight sets.

In Friday’s night match, Roger Federer will need to avoid a second Grand Slam upset at the hands of home favourite John Millman, after the 2018 US Open, to bring up 100 Australian Open wins.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki made a tearful exit from tennis on Friday after defeat at the Australian Open brought the curtain down on her glittering career.

Wozniacki, who announced in December that this would be her final tournament, lost 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to lower-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.

The 29-year-old Wozniacki closes a career that saw her win 30 WTA titles, with her sole Grand Slam triumph coming in 2018 at Melbourne Park.

She was in tears when the end came at the hands of 78th-ranked Jabeur and just under two hours later her eyes were red and puffy as she arrived at her post-match press conference.

“I was told there are tissues here. I see the tissues in case I need them, I think I’m cried out,” said Wozniacki, who was given a round of applause by reporters.

She was also given a generous reception by Melbourne Arena crowd after hitting her last shot in tennis — “I finished my career with a forehand error. Those are the things I’ve been working on my whole career,” she joked to the crowd.

Choking back tears, Wozniacki, now ranked 36, added: “Guess this is just how it was meant to be.”

Wozniacki, who made her professional debut in 2005, was carried triumphantly across court by her Polish-born father — who is also her coach — Piotr.

She also hugged husband David Lee, the former NBA star, as Neil Diamond’s hit song “Sweet Caroline” reverberated around court.

Williams in tears 

Wozniacki finished 2010 and 2011 as world number one, and ascended to the top ranking again in 2018, the year she won the Australian Open.

But later that year she revealed that she was suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, which causes fatigue and joint pain.

She insists that has nothing to do with her decision to leave tennis and says she hopes to start a family.

Defeat for Wozniacki, minutes before Serena Williams’s shock loss to Wang Qiang, deprived the close friends of an emotional meeting in the fourth round.

Williams also cried when asked about Wozniacki’s retirement.

“She came into the locker room afterwards, we were both kind of bummed about our matches,” said the American, 38.

It was then that Williams, who was a bridesmaid at Wozniacki’s wedding, began welling up too.

“She’s had an amazing career. Oh my God, I’m getting emotional. Oh my,” she said.

“God, I’m going to miss her. Guys, I can’t answer Caroline questions, I’m going to be crying. She’s one of my best friends in the world.”

Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic said Wozniacki, the first Dane to win a WTA title, left a “great legacy”.

“It’s sad to see her leave tennis because she has been a great champion and she has been a friend of mine for many years,” he said.

Wozniacki, who started playing tennis aged seven, said she had no second thoughts about retirement and could look back on her career with no regrets.

“I had a dream when I was a kid. I wanted to win a Grand Slam. I wanted to be number one in the world,” she said.

“People thought that I was crazy being from a small country, But I made it happen.”

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

 

By Jenny Ortuoste

In view of declining sales and other concerns, Games and Amusements Board chairman Abraham ‘Baham’ Mitra led a roundtable discussion with Albay Rep. Joey S. Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, and horseracing stakeholders on issues affecting the sustainability of the horseracing industry.

Tuesday’s meeting in Mandaluyong City was held in cooperation with Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) commissioner Reli de Leon.

Philracom is the government agency tasked to regulate and supervise the sport, while GAB has jurisdiction over the wagering aspect of horseracing, providing check-and-balance function.

Among the issues they brought to Salceda’s attention were high taxes, possible adoption of new measures through policy-making procedures, and the terms of legislative franchises of the three racetracks.

Representatives from the horse racing clubs that operate the racetracks and horse racing stakeholders were also present at the breakfast meeting to voice their concerns.

Among the reasons cited for the decline in the industry’s revenue were the huge taxes imposed on winnings and on the importation of stallions and their feeds.

“The first step we need to take to keep the horseracing industry from extinction is the restructuring of taxes on winnings and importation of horses. Lower taxes will surely encourage horse breeders to import more horses,” Mitra told the Manila Bulletin.

De Leon said Philracom submitted to Salceda the agency’s data on horseracing sales, horse prizes and taxes for the last four years, and it shows, he said, that the implementation of the tax reform law in January 2018 adversely affected horseracing sales and horse owners’ prizes.

And because sales have declined over the past two years, direct taxes remitted to the government also dipped in 2019, De Leon pointed out.

“Looking at the data, makikita na (it can be seen that) the industry is suffering,” he said.

The racing commissioner also said the stakeholders present appealed to Salceda to help boost the flagging industry by asking the Department of Finance (DOF) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to instead enforce, for the next two years, the franchise tax as provided for in the congressional franchises of the three racetrack operators – Manila Jockey Club, Inc. (MJCI), Philippine Racing Club, Inc. (PRCI), and Metro Manila Turf Club, Inc. (MMTCI).

According to De Leon, the franchise tax will be “better” than the current tax structure being imposed.

Also discussed was the renewal of franchises of the three racing clubs since they are allowed to operate only upon issuance of a Congressional franchise. MMTCI’s expires in April this year, MJCI and PRCI’s in 2022. A former solon has said that it takes at least two years to process the renewal of a franchise.

A hearing of Salceda’s ways and means committee is set on Jan. 29 to discuss the taxes on the horseracing industry.

The racing industry “will attend in full force,” De Leon said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

“The employees are the heart and soul of this anniversary celebration,” declared Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez as he addressed the employees at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum this Friday.

The PSC is donating its anniversary budget to the victims of Mt. Taal’s eruption. The celebration, simple as it seems was filled with heartfelt gratitude and melancholic remembrances of the past thirty years of the sports agency.

In his speech, Ramirez said “I humbly acknowledge those who have stood as chairman before me, all who steered the PSC ship in the direction that they know and believed in the hearts to be the best of the Philippine Sports. I am privileged to be in their ranks. Marami pong salamat sa inyong lahat.”

Among the ten chairmen of the commission, Ramirez has the special perspective of different times and situations being the only PSC chief who has served the agency twice and led the country’s two overall championships at the Southeast Asian Games in 2005 and 2019 as the Chef de Mission.

Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo of the Presidential Management Staff who served the PSC before joined his former officemates and thanked everyone for their service to the country, “I think we’re not just celebrating 30 years of public service, I think it’s more than 30 years because the sacrifices that you have rendered to the Filipino nation and to the country itself – overtime, travel, leaving behind your families, those are the additional time that you have shared to the PSC.”

Also present were PSC Commissioners Celia Kiram, Arnold Agustin, Ramon Fernandez and Charles Raymond Maxey.

“Mabuhay po ang Philippine Sports Commission. Ipagpatuloy po natin ang pagseserbisyo ng wagas.” said Commissioner Kiram.

Commissioner Agustin said that he would like to encourage “to continue working together to achieve our goals for the Philippine sports!” adding that the construction activities to uplift the facilities of the commission will continue as the board is united in their desire to leave a lasting, practical legacy to the Filipino athletes and people.

The grant of loyalty award is “pursuant to Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 02-0295. These policies were formulated to recognize the continuous and satisfactory service rendered in the government by officials and employees for a period of ten years.”

“If we are all united and we work hand-in-hand we can never go wrong,” said Commissioner Maxey during his speech, recalling his days as a media man visiting the Commission to cover.

Basketball legend and PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez could not let go of the chance to share that he was only 16 years old when he first set foot in the historic RMC as an athlete. He underscored the importance of sports in the lives of people explaining that “Hindi lang ito sports. Ang importante, we make a difference in our jobs. So let’s work together and hopefully magpatuloy yung swerte, at magkaroon tayo ng Olympic gold this year.”

Source: Manila Bulletin