By Kristel Satumbaga

Dave Ildefonso ended speculations Monday night by confirming his transfer from National University to Ateneo in the next UAAP season.

In a lengthy Instagram post, the 6-foot-2 shooting guard thanked his former school for the support given him and announced his decision to continue his collegiate career elsewhere.

“I would like to thank first and foremost Sir Manny Sy and Sir Hans Sy for all the support they gave throughout my stay in NU,” Ildefonso said. “A big part of my heart will always belong to the Bulldogs and the NU supporters who were with me and the team through the toughest of times.”

“I have made the decision to return to Ateneo to continue my basketball journey.”

Ildefonso said his decision to transfer would help him reach further his dreams of playing for the national team in the future.

“My biggest basketball dream has always been to represent the country in major international meets and I feel that this is the best path to the fulfillment of my dream,” he said.

One of the brightest talents in the league, the 19-year-old son of PBA legend Danny Ildefonso has played for NU over the last two seasons.

He still has three seasons left under current UAAP eligibility rules but has to sit out one year until cleared to play for the Eagles in 2021.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Boys Juniors Basketball  – Pace Academy (2-0), Saint Jude Catholic School (2-0), Jubilee Christian Academy (1-0), Grace Christian College (1-1), Uno High School (0-1), St. Stephen’s High School (0-2), MGC New Life Christian Academy (0-2) and Philippine Cultural College (X-X)

Girls Juniors Volleyball – Pace Academy (2-0), MGC New Life Christian Academy (1-0), Jubilee Christian Academy (1-0), St. Stephen’s High School (1-0), Uno High School (0-1), Saint Jude Catholic School (0-2), Grace Christian College (0-2) and Philippine Cultural College (X-X)

Host Pace Academy claimed twin triumphs in boys basketball and girls volleyball in the 7th Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association (PCYAA) competitions over the weekend.

The PCYAA is a multi-sports league featuring eight Chinese-Filipino high schools in the Metro Manila area. It kicked off the second half of its sports calendar with games in the 18-under boys and girls basketball divisions and women’s volleyball.

Pace Academy opened hostilities Saturday with a 75-59 rout of MGC New Life Christian Academy behind the combined 34-point effort of Airick Jaden Sy (20) and Kleivz Fong (14).

The Pacers then defeated Uno High School 78-67 on Sunday as Sy netted 17 points and Anton Evangelista had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Perennial title contender Saint Jude Catholic School also triumphed in its first two outings, crushing St. Stephen’s High School 90-51 and MGC NLCA 115-48 as the Green Knights’ Mallechi Colby Lim posted 23 and 27 points, respectively.

Pace and Saint Jude will battle each other for the leadership Thursday in the main game of a doubleheader at the Uno HS gym.

Meanwhile, defending Juniors champion Philippine Cultural College was to have debuted Tuesday against Uno High School (0-1).

In girls volleyball, Pace Academy grabbed No. 1 spot with victories over Grace Christian College 3-1 and Uno High School 3-0 at the Philadelphia High School gym.  The Lady Pacers will look to score their third win in a row when they face St. Stephen’s High School (1-0) in the second game of a twin bill.

Reigning champion MGC New Life Christian Academy opened its four-peat title quest with a 3-0 sweep of Saint Jude Catholic School last Sunday.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By JONAS TERRADO

Game Tuesday

(Rizal Memorial Stadium)

7:30 p.m. — Ceres vs Shan United

 

Ceres-Negros aims for a spot in the second round of the AFC Champions League qualifiers when it faces Myanmar’s Shan United Tuesday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

A win in the 7:30 p.m. match puts the Philippines Football League and Copa Paulino Alcantara winners the right to face Thailand’s Port FC in next week’s second stage of the qualifiers of the region’s top-tier continental competition.

The match will proceed as scheduled, unless the AFC officials decide at the last minute to have it rescheduled due to eruption of Taal Volcano last Sunday.

At press time, Ceres is focused on extending its mastery over Shan, which it has been multiple times in recent years.

The Busmen have beaten Shan five times since their first encounter in the 2018 Champions League qualifiers.

But coach Risto Vidakovic refused to see its history as an advantage against the Myanmar domestic league champions.

Stephan Schrock and Spanish striker Bienvenido Maranon will be crucial in Ceres’ chances of making it to the next phase of the qualifiers.

Source: Manila Bulletin

PSA AWARDS

 

 

For making the country proud in the year just passed, top sports achievers will be honored anew as the SMC-PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night is set on the first week of March at the Manila Hotel.

Highlight of the annual affair also presented by MILO, CIGNAL TV, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is the awarding of the coveted Athlete of the Year honor solely handed out by the country’s oldest media organization.

The year 2019 saw Filipino athletes made their presence felt everywhere, from Southeast Asia all the way to the world stage.

Team Philippines won the overall championship of the Southeast Asian Games only for the second time in 42 years of competing in the biennial meet, while Carlos Yulo became the first Filipino and gymnast from Southeast Asia to win a historic gold medal in the 49th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

Lady boxer Nesthy Petecio also won a first ever gold when she ruled the featherweight division of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Ulan-Ude Russia, even as Ernest John Obiena distinguished himself as the first Filipino to qualify in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he surpassed the Olympic qualifying standard in men’s pole vault by ruling a tournament in Chiara, Italy.

These sports heroes and heroines are expected to lead the various personalities and entities to be honored on this special night by the country’s sportswriting fraternity.

Aside from the Athlete of the Year award, also to be given out are the President’s Award, the National Sports Association (NSA) of the Year award, Executive of the Year, Ms. Basketball, Mr. Volleyball, Ms. Golf, Mr. Football, and a first ever Coach of the Year.

As in past awards night, there will likewise be Major Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, Tony Siddayao Awards, MILO Junior Athletes Award, and citations to be led by the SEA Games gold medal winners.

Sports personalities who passed away last year will also be accorded with a posthumous recognition.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) and one of the five newly-elected members of the 2nd Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) athletes’ commission make up Tuesday’s lively discussion in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Amelie Hotel Manila.

ABAP Secretary-General Ed Picson is going to talk about the national boxing team’s campaign in the various qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10:00 a.m. public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Meanwhile, Olympian swimmer Jesse Lacuna will represent the Athletes’ Commission in the weekly session as he discusses the upcoming plans and projects of the group. Lacuna was voted to the commission along with Nikko Huelgas, Cheska Altomonte, Jake Letts, and Samuel Morrison.

The PSA Forum is being livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2 from 1-2 p.m. and later at 6:30 p.m.

PSA members are enjoined to attend the session.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jan Carlo Anolin

Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone’s game plan against Meralco is slowly coming into fruition, especially now that the Bolts likely lost one of their key cogs in the paint in Raymond Almazan.

Without Almazan, who hurt his left knee early in the first quarter of Game 3 at Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Kings’ guards saw a hole in Meralco’s defense and executed plays that involve driving hard to the basket and penetrating the paint.

“Yeah, definitely that was key for coach Tim Cone,” Stanley Pringle told reporters post game. “To penetrate, move the ball around, and get in the paint before we shot a three.”

Pringle, who chalked up 21 points, five rebounds and four assists in Ginebra’s 92-84 win against Meralco, added that the Kings are trying to be more disciplined in that type of offense since the Bolts seem to intentionally give them enough space for three-pointers.

Despite Almazan’s absence, the 6-foot-1 speedy guard won’t take out other Meralco locals from the picture, wary of what the substitutes can contribute.

Pringle singled out Cliff Hodge, known for his defensive intensity, as possible replacement for Almazan. Hodge only had two points in Game 3 but got six rebounds.

Even without Almazan, Pringle remains grounded and accepts the Bolts to be as good with Hodge.

Kings team captain LA Tenorio shared Pringle’s comments: “We’re getting the stops, we’re getting the assists. ‘Yun ang mantra namin – get everybody involved and move the ball.”

Ginebra pulled off a turnover-free third quarter with nine assists and outscored Meralco in the paint 42 to 34.

However, Tenorio said what worked in Game 3 might be ineffective the next time they face Meralco at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday.

Almazan’s MRI results were unavailable as of this writing.

Tenorio chipped in 11 points in Game 3 including a key three-pointer with 1:47 left in the payoff period for a 90-82 lead to go. He had four assists, two steals and a rebound.

Aside from Allen Durham and Chris Newsome, more Meralco locals have been producing numbers on both ends of the series, leading Tenorio to believe their next task is to contain almost every player who comes in.

“We have to credit all their players for being ready all the time,” Tenorio said, mentioning Bryan Faundo, Trevis Jackson and Nico Salva.

After Almazan went down, Faundo stepped up and tallied 10 points and two rebounds while Jackson contributed eight points and three rebounds. Both players did that in at least 13 minutes of play.

In Game 2, Salva, together with John Pinto, also showed the way for the Bolts who tied the series with a 104-102 thriller Friday.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jan Carlo Anolin

Raymond Almazan’s absence in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals series will likely make a huge shift for both Meralco and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

Given that it’s already bad news for the Bolts, Ginebra team captain LA Tenorio said Sunday night the Kings should take advantage of the situation and use it now that momentum is on their side.

“He’s really in pain,” said Tenorio, who scored 11 points including a key three-pointer with 1:47 left in the payoff period.

“We don’t want to have a player na ma-injured. But I think malaking bagay sa kanila na nawala si Almazan.”

Tenorio recalls how Almazan landed following a missed layup in the opening quarter.

“Parang bumagsak siya na alanganin pero naramdaman ko, bumagsak siya sa paa ko o sa hita. Di ko alam eh, pagbagsak niya nandoon ako sa posisyon. Very awkward nakita ko sa replay,” Tenorio said.

Almazan only saw action for 6:05 minutes, tallying two points and two rebounds.

Despite Almazan’s absence, the Bolts still outrebounded the Kings 50-36.

Tenorio believes that Almazan is instrumental to Meralco and hopes nothing less but speedy recovery for his fellow Gilas Pilipinas player.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Games Tuesday

(The Arena, San Juan)

8:30 a.m. – San Beda vs Lyceum (Junior’s)

10 a.m. – San Beda vs Lyceum (Men’s)

12 noon – San Beda vs Lyceum (Women’s)

2 p.m. – Perpetual Help vs Letran (Women’s)

3:30 p.m. – Perpetual Help vs Letran (Men’s)

5 p.m. – Perpetual Help vs Letran (Junior’s)

The NCAA cancelled six volleyball games Monday due to the unfavorable conditions caused by ashfall following the explosion of Taal volcano.

The games called off include the match up between defending three-time women’s champion Arellano University and Emilio Aguinaldo College, and College of Saint Benilde and Mapua. Both the Lady Chiefs and the Lady Blazers are eyeing early lead after winning their respective opening games last Friday.

Also postponed were the Chiefs-Generals and Blazers-Cardinals men’s division matches, and the Braves-Brigadiers and Greenies-Red Robins juniors games.

The announcement was made late Sunday by Peter Cayco, NCAA Season 95 Management Committee chairman.

“Due to thecancellation of classes by some LGUs, including Manila, NCAA Volleyball games for Monday, 13 Jan 2020 are cancelled,” said Cayco.

The resumption of games Tuesday at The Arena in San Juan, Cayco said, will depend if there will be no more suspension of classes in Metro Manila.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

Efforts to get a deal in place for an April fight for Manny Pacquiao are being undertaken.

American matchmaker Sean Gibbons, head of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, told the Manila Bulletin he is in talks with a group from the Middle East.

“Working hard to get a fight in April,” reported Gibbons from the US, noting that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are in play.

Though time is fast catching up, Gibbons is not losing hope he can get things done.

If Pacquiao can’t fight in April, Gibbons says the earliest the Filipino star can return to the ring will be July.

“We’ll see by Jan. 20 if we can have a fight (in the Middle East) or not,” added Gibbons.

The last time Pacquiao fought, the eight-division world champion stunned the previously-unbeaten Keith Thurman in Las Vegas in July last year.

Pacquiao, 41, shocked Adrien Broner six months earlier also in Las Vegas.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Meralco center Raymond Almazan is one optimistic dude.

Choosing to stay positive as he awaits the results of MRI tests on his injured left knee, the Bolts center says he is looking forward to suiting up for Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Wednesday.

“Tingin ko makakalaro ako,” said Almazan, who has averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds in the first two games of the finals.

Almazan spoke to the Manila Bulletin about his frustration about getting hurt early in Game 3 contributed to a 92-84 setback Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Any injury naman nakaka-frustrate, lalo ngayon nangyari na nasa finals pa kami,” said Almazan, who landed awkwardly after going for a layup halfway through the first quarter.

“Pero alam naman natin na ang injury possibleng mangyari kahit kelan, kahit kanino.”

Almazan had an MRI test after the game at the Makati Medical Center, but results were unavailable as of this writing.

Though he still feels some pain in his knee, Almazan says that most of the sensation is tolerable.

“Sa ngayon may mga movements ako na masakit. Pero sa tanong mo kung na-lessen yung sakit, oo medyo,” said Almazan, who was obtained by the Bolts in a trade with Rain or Shine last conference.

“Isa pang maganda siguro sabi nga ng doctor sakin, hindi siya yung namaga ng sobra. First time na mangyari kasi sakin ito e.”

Meralco’s team manager Paolo Trillo said that it’s hard to guess if the injury is severe or just a minor one, which could allow Almazan a couple of days rest.

“We’re still waiting for official reading of MRI. Hoping for the best but can’t really say right now, we’ll take it day to day,” he said. “When you talk about injuries, there are partial tear or talagang punit yung ligament. Of course we’re hoping talaga for the best.”

After the game, Meralco coach Norman Black said it’s always hard to comeback from a knee injury – something he experienced being a former player.

“He can’t move his leg, and as a former player myself, it’s never a good sign. I hope that he’ll be ok. But it’s not something that you’ll just bounce back,” he said. “Because of what happened, we just have to try and make as many adjustments as we can and be ready for the next game.”

Without his prized center, Black will rely on reserves Bryan Faundo and Jayson Ballesteros to provide help at the frontline alongside Cliff Hodge and import Allen Durham.

Source: Manila Bulletin