By Field Level Media-Reuters

Giannis Antetokounmpo is performing a variety of tasks in order to pass the time since the NBA suspended its season because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Those activities include spending time with his newborn son as well as cooking, cleaning and playing video games. One thing the reigning NBA MVP isn’t doing is playing basketball, however.

“So, I don’t have access to hoop,” Antetokounmpo said during a conference call Friday, per ESPN. “A lot of NBA players have a court in their house or something, but now I just get home workouts. Ride the bike, treadmill, lift weights and pretty much stay sharp that way, but I don’t play basketball.”

The 25-year-old Greek star is not alone, as fellow Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton shared a similar story.

“Since the practice facility is closed down, I don’t have any access to a basketball goal unless I go to one of my neighbor’s house to shoot outside,” said Middleton, 28. “It’s really no basketball for me. Basically, like Giannis said, it’s the treadmill, the jump rope, some weights, and that’s it.

“I have a couple of basketballs I can just dribble in my house or outside but no actual goal to go shoot on.”

Antetokounmpo (29.6 points per game) and Middleton (21.1) are the top two scorers for the Bucks this season, who boasted a league-best 53-12 record when play was paused.

Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that his wife, Ayesha, had to order a basketball hoop so he could practice at home. Putting it together was another problem, Curry admitted.

“I got overwhelmed looking at the manual,” Curry said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Tito S. Talao

Three weeks after PBA commissioner Willie Marcial suspended the first conference Philippine Cup after only one game due to COVID-19 with no timetable for resumption, league governors are inclined to change nothing.

Initially, with the enhanced community quarantine implemented over Luzon on March 17 about to end in less than two weeks — unless an extension, even an expansion, is deemed inevitable, preliminary movement was anticipated from dormant PBA ballclubs.

As of Friday, however, such may not be the case.

“If ever the conference will resume, we will be given two weeks notice,” says PBA vice chairman Bobby Rosales of Columbian Dyip. “That’s the only time our team will resume practice. That’s the agreement as issued by the Commissioner’s Office.”

Rosales says no board meeting has been scheduled so far, meaning everything remains on hold.

“Meanwhile, everyone’s staying home. Some players in their own little way provide assistance during the lockdown and do their own physical conditioning.”

Atty. Mert Mondragon of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters says the PBA will be taking its cue from the government.

“Pag na-lift yung lockdown, saka pag-uusapan sa PBA board kung ano ang gagawin,” says Mondragon.

Until then, says Erick Arejola of the NorthPort Batang Pier, health continues to be the principal focus.

“Safety of the whole PBA family is our immediate concern although we discuss and update each other online,” says Arejola.

“We are regularly monitoring the condition of our players, making sure they stay fit and healthy. What course of action we’ll take next will be based on Commissioner Marcial’s recommendation.”

The enforced social distancing scheme to help stop the spread of the coronavirus has made it impossible for the PBA governors to meet, prompting the Meralco Bolts’ Al Panlilio to advance the use of recent web-based video conferencing tools.

“Right now work from home is in place. We will review things weekly. Meetings are done through virtual means — MS Teams or Zoom,” says Panlilio, also president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Dickie Bachmann of the Alaska Aces says staying home offers one of the best protections against the disease — and one of best ways to stay in shape.

“For now, sa bahay pa rin.. #homeworkoutchallenge for the team the past two weeks and we will continue to do it,” says Bachmann, who, along with Aces coach Jeffrey Cariaso, has devised a creative way to ensure their players’ fitness, even inviting Alaska fans to participate in the online workout challenge.

Monitoring the current situation, says Alfrancis Chua of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, should give the PBA an idea how to proceed.

“Pag ako ang tatanungin, play by ear muna,” he says. “Hindi natin alam kung ano mangyayari pag magulo pa. Sa ‘kin lang, huwag muna maglaro. Para sa mga fans din, sa mga players at sa pamilya nila.”

Atty. Raymond Zorrilla of Phoenix Super LPG and Blackwater Elite’s Silliman Sy share the views of his PBA colleagues.

“We’re on standby,” declares Silliman.

Zorrilla, meanwhile, isn’t leaving anything to chance.

“As of now we will follow the government as to the measures imposed during the enhanced community quarantine,” he says. “If lockdown is lifted, we will still assess the situation and wait for the advice of the PBA.”

Zorrilla maintains their “primary consideration will always be the health of our players, staff, coaches and their families and the community in general.”

Phoenix players, he adds, “are in constant communication with our coaches for proper monitoring and physical exercises while in the comforts of their homes.

“Likewise, they have their own efforts in helping the community by providing relief packages and pooling donations for relief efforts.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Rain or Shine’s James Yap has an opportunity to close in on becoming the new three-point king once the PBA resumes play.

Yap is currently fourth all-time in three-pointers made with 1,163, trailing only Jimmy Alapag (1,250), Allan Caidic (1,242) and Ronnie Magsanoc (1,171).

The two-time Most Valuable Player could pass Magsanoc for third during the course of the Philippine Cup, which is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But he’ll have to meet his average over the last three seasons in order to put himself in a good position to overtake Alapag.

He averaged 54.7 made shots from rainbow country since making his debut with Rain or Shine in the 2016-17 season. Yap was traded from the Star Hotshots (now-Magnolia Hotshots) in exchange for Paul Lee.

Yap converted 54 triples during the 2019 season that saw Rain or Shine reach the semifinals of the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup. He also averaged 11.4 points in 33 games for the Elasto Painters.

Alapag surpassed Caidic during his final season in 2016 as a member of the Meralco Bolts. He hit 1,177 attempts for Talk ’N Text from 2003 to 2015 before suiting up for Meralco following a brief retirement.

Caidic previous held the status of being the three-point king after a stellar career with Great Taste/Presto/Tivoli franchise, San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra from 1987 to 1999. He became the first member of the 1,000 three-point club, doing so while wearing the Beermen uniform in a July 2, 1995 game against Pepsi Mega.

Magsanoc compiled his three-point career numbers from 1988 to 2002 with Formula Shell, Sta. Lucia and Purefoods.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

With his fight in the US scuttled temporarily owing to the pandemic, rising Filipino featherweight Mark Magsayo remains active so he can spring into action the moment things clear up.

Just before the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak put everything to a grinding halt, Magsayo was a picture of pride and happiness after signing a promotional deal with Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions.

Upon signing, MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons immediately booked Magsayo to a fight in mid-May but the coronavirus ruined those plans and the unbeaten puncher was left with no choice but to stay behind.

Plans were afoot for him to be trained by Freddie Roach but the 24-year-old Magsayo suddenly found himself training alongside his wife Frances in a house in Pasig amid the enhanced community quarantine.

“He does balance training, sit-ups, shadow boxing, skipping rope,” Frances told the Manila Bulletin on Friday.

“There is also a basketball court beside where we reside so he plays sometimes and jogs early when there are no people around,” added Frances, who serves as his husband’s ‘sparmate’ when they do ‘partner play’, sometimes referred to as simulated sparring.

Armed with a 20-0 win-loss card with 14 KOs, Magsayo is ranked No. 5 by the World Boxing Association and No. 4 by the International Boxing Federation.

Despite the lockdown, Magsayo is making sure he keeps himself in shape.

“He’s a real pro as he stays in shape physically and mentally,” said Gibbons.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

Boxing manager Joven Jimenez has a stable of 15 boxers, including International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, and a training staff of five trainers, and is already feeling the pinch of the severe effects of the pandemic.

While Jimenez attends to the needs of the boxers and trainers in

Magallanes, Cavite, he also looks after the people they cherished the most: their families.

“Aside from the boxers, we also feed their families,” said Jimenez, who shares the sentiments of countless other stables around the country.

“It’s very hard because boxing, like the other events, are put on hold,” said Jimenez.

Art Monis, who manages IBF minimumweight ruler Pedro Taduran, maintains that boxers and their trainers simply live off on fight schedules.

“They have no other job outside boxing,” said Monis, who has 10 stay-in fighters and a few trainers.

In the wake of this tight situation comes the Games and Amusements Board.

GAB chairman Baham Mitra has forwarded a letter to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) requesting that boxers and trainers be included in the government’s social amelioration program.

Based on the computation, individuals affected by the No Work No Pay policy should get between P5,000 to P8,000.

Over in the boxing hotbed of Cebu, the ALA Boxing Club is looking after the welfare of their fighters, including about 15 who have been unable to leave for home owing to the lockdown.

ALA Boxing chief Michael Aldeguer said food and shelter are provided for those who have remained.

Two-time word title challenger Edito ‘Ala’ Villamor, now the lead trainer there, insists that the poor are going to be the ones that will suffer from the continued work stoppage.

“The rich can survive but the poor and those who have jobs but who can’t work and won’t be paid will have a hard time,” said Villamor.

Brix Flores, a bronze medalist in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, welcomed

the GAB’s move to provide assistance to the boxing industry.

“That’s great news for pro boxing because we don’t know when boxing will return,” he said from the Queen City.

Mitra said only those with valid GAB licenses were included on the list of beneficiaries.

Aside from boxing, also out to benefit from the financial help are fighters and trainers from Muay Thai and mix martial arts.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Olympic chiefs said Thursday they were bracing themselves for the extra costs incurred by rescheduling the Tokyo Games by a year to 2021.

The historic decision to postpone the summer Olympics by 12 months was taken this week amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It was the first peacetime postponement of the Games.

According to the latest budget, the Games were due to cost $12.6 billion, shared between the organizing committee, the government of Japan and Tokyo city.

The postponement affects every aspect of the organisation — the Olympic Athletes’ Village, hotels, ticketing, venues and transport, being among the major headaches.

“What is being recognized is that there will be additional costs on one side for the Tokyo organizing committee and there will be additional costs for the IOC and Olympic family,” Christophe Dubi, the Olympic Games executive director, said in a conference call.

“We are looking into those with great detail. It is tens of thousands of lines of budget that need to be reviewed.”

The Tokyo organizing committee, Dubi said, “had a fantastic campaign in terms of marketing, ticketing, hospitality”.

“Tokyo 2020 was in a great financial position prior to the crisis.

“It is truly helpful because the revenues are incredibly high. That’s something we can rely on.”

Dubi said it was “reassuring” that the IOC and Japanese officials had a set date for the rescheduled Games in 2021.

“It’s very good because we have a date. For us, it means we have some certainty,” he said.

Turning to questions over athletes’ participation, IOC sports director Kit McConnell said nothing had been decided on those footballers currently under 23 years of age and eligible for an Olympics in 2020, but who would be a year older next year, with each team only allowed three over-23 players.

“We’re in discussions with federations, including FIFA,” McConnell said.

“There’s no decision yet, but it’s logical to look at that.”

McConnell added that all athletes who had already qualified for Tokyo 2020 would be eligible for 2021, although they are not necessarily guaranteed a spot as their presence depends on them making the cut for their national teams.

“The NOC (National Olympic Committee) retains the right to select athletes,” he said, with 57 per cent of the 11,300 athletes having already qualified.

McConnell said that the marathons and race walking events would take place in the northern city of Sapporo in 2021, as they would have done in 2020.

“The competition schedule remains in place and that includes Sapporo,” he said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has used the NFL team’s airplane to deliver 1.2 million protective masks from China to the United States for coronavirus (COVID-19) medical workers needing them.

The effort came after Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker ordered 1.7 million masks from China but had no way to get them from Shenzen back to the Boston area.

“Thanks to some serious teamwork, Massachusetts is set to receive over 1 million N95 masks for our front-line workers,” Baker tweeted Thursday with a photo of masks being loaded onto the plane. “Huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen.”

The Patriots’ red, white and blue plane — a Boeing 767 complete with images of the team’s six Super Bowl trophies on the tail — flew to China, picked up the cargo until the plane was filled and departed.

Another 500,000 masks that would not fit aboard will be shipped and arrive next week, according to The Wall Street Journal, which detailed the operation.

Issues Kraft had to overcome included upgrades to the plane for international travel and a waiver for virus quarantine that required the crew not to depart the plane while in China.

“It is an honor for our family to be a part of this humanitarian mission,” Kraft said in a statement.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady, who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month, will reportedly be moving into a huge waterfront mansion owned by retired baseball star Derek Jeter.

The Tampa Bay Times reported Thursday that Brady, the 42-year-old NFL icon who departed the New England Patriots last month for the Florida squad, will rent a 30,000-square foot (9,144m) home on Davis Islands, about six miles from the Buccaneers’ training facility and seven miles from their home stadium.

Brady, who said Thursday he’s donating 10 million meals to Feeding America’s coronavirus relief efforts, will move his family into a home built by former New York Yankees shortstop Jeter, chief executive of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins.

It features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an entertainment room, a billiards room and two boat lifts providing crafts access to Tampa Bay.

Brady signed a two-year deal with the Bucs worth $50 million on March 20.

Jeter, 45, won five World Series titles with the Yankees. He lived in the mansion during the off-season while playing, completing construction in 2011.

Jeter retired in 2014 after playing his full 20-year MLB career with the Yankees and since 2017 has been a part-owner of the Marlins.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

NBA officials are studying the possibility of staging the entire playoffs in Las Vegas but nothing is close to being settled, Sports Illustrated reported Thursday.

According to a story on the magazine website, unnamed sources said the league is exploring what it would take to stage games and house players in Vegas hotels and that while nothing is near being completed, there is also nothing off the table.

The report also cited several league and club sources saying there is no chance of staging a typical NBA playoffs involving travel between cities due to different impacts of the deadly disease in different areas as well as potentialy travel issues.

Quarantines for teams in one location and playing in an empty arena is seen as the only answer, with Las Vegas being the only city the league is seriously considering, an NBA source told Sports Illustrated.

A CNBC report last week said the NBA has considered many scenarios but was not near finalizing any one-site plan, including a tournament idea that would send 16 teams in a reduced best-of-five first round, then two knockout stages to decide which teams would play a best-of-seven NBA Finals.

The NBA stages Summer League events annually in Las Vegas and so has relationships in place with hotels and arenas that could accomodate such a playoff.

But staging such an event would require thousands of players and team staffers to journey to Las Vegas, support staff at arenas and hotels to work, broadcasters to provide workers to telecast the games.

That would also require thousands of COVID-19 tests to be available and be advanced enough to quickly provide results.

And conditions would have to be advanced enough where using so many tests for an NBA tournament would not be seen as controversial, given how much of the nation has yet to be tested.

The league shut down on March 11 after Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. Major US sports leagues and events followed and much of the sporting landscape is barren into July.

The league was already looking at up to $400 million in losses after issues with Chinese officials over a tweet supporting Hong Kong protesters by an NBA executive last year.

Losing the final month of the NBA regular season and playoffs would deliver another major blow to team owners and players.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Wimbledon chief Richard Lewis admitted on Thursday that he feared the remainder of the 2020 tennis season could be wiped out.

Tennis has been in lockdown since early last month and is not scheduled to return until July 13 at the earliest following the cancellation of Wimbledon for the first time since World War II on Wednesday.

The decision to axe the sport’s oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam event due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic followed the French Open’s unilateral switch from its traditional May-June slot to September-October.

The double body blow resulted in the entire claycourt and grasscourt seasons being abandoned.

“I don’t think it’s unrealistic to say that there may be no more tennis this year,” said All England Club chief executive Lewis.

“But I would like to think that things will settle down so that tournaments can be played sooner rather than later. Who knows what will happen?”

Lewis told the Guardian that, despite his fears, he hoped that the season’s next Grand Slam, the US Open in August-September could take place.

“Let’s hope the US Open and Roland Garros (rescheduled to start in Paris a week after the final of the US Open in New York) can take place,” he added.

“The optimist in me – and I am often not optimistic – still hopes the American hard-court season, the big tournaments, the Masters and the Premiers, will take place: Montreal, Toronto and then Cincinnati.

“But we all know that’s probably tenuous at the moment.

Earlier Thursday, the president of the Spanish tennis federation (RFET), Miguel Diaz, said he hoped the sport could return to the courts “in the last quarter of the year”.

“I think that in the last quarter of the season we will be able to see tennis again, we don’t know if it will be with fans in attendance or without, but I think our sport will return to the courts,” said Diaz, in a statement released by RFET.

In Spain, he said, “we have had to suspend dozens of tournaments that were on the calendar” at all professional levels.

Top-level tournaments such as the Madrid Open, a joint ATP and WTA event, and the Barcelona Open and Mallorca Open, both on the ATP Tour, have been scratched in the aftermath of the rescheduling of the French Open and the cancellation of Wimbledon.

Diaz said it was “logical” that Wimbledon decided to cancel, but added: “I think that now tennis becomes secondary.”

“What is needed is to heal.”

Source: Manila Bulletin