By Jonas Terrado

Game Tuesday
(The Arena, San Juan)
4 p.m. — Alab Pilipinas vs Singapore

Khalif Wyatt erupted for 20 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as San Miguel Alab Pilipinas came back to stun the Singapore Slingers 90-83 Sunday night in the ASEAN Basketball League at the City of Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.

Wyatt fired five triples during the payoff period that enabled Alab to erase a 54-41 deficit in the third and register its second straight win after losing to Thailand’s Mono Vampire in the season-opener.

Seven-foot-four import Sam Deguara had 12 points and 11 rebounds in his first game after replacing Adrian Forbes while reinforcement Nick King and Fil-Australian Jordan Heading added 10 each for coach Jimmy Alapag’s team.

Also key for Alab Pilipinas was point guard Jason Brickman, who dished out 11 assists.

The Filipino club survived after the Slingers took control behind imports Xavier Alexander, Anthony McClain and Marcus Elliott.

Alexander had 26 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks, McClain produced 25 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks and Elliott 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in his Slingers debut.

Local player Delvin Goh, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds, gave Singapore that 54-41 lead, 5:44 remaining in the third.

The Slingers were in command 59-50 to open the fourth before Wyatt went on a shooting barrage that sparked Alab’s rally.

Wyatt made three consecutive triples, the last putting Alab ahead 69-67 with barely five minutes to go in the fourth.

The scores:

ALAB PILIPINAS 90 — Wyatt 28, Deguara 12, King 10, Heading 10, Brickman 9, Ganuelas-Rosser 9, Vigil 7, Gray 3, Domingo 2, Caracut 0.

SINGAPORE 83 — Alexander 26, McClain 25, Goh 12, Elliott 11, Lim 6, Kwek 3, Raj 0, Oh 0.

Quarters: 12-16; 35-36; 50-59; 90-83.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Game Monday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — NorthPort vs Ginebra
(NorthPort leads series 1-0)

Game Tuesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. — Meralco vs TNT KaTropa
(TNT leads series 1-0)

TNT KaTropa broke loose in the third quarter to defeat Meralco 103-94 Sunday and gain a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Import KJ McDaniels, Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy combined for 28 of the 30 points the KaTropa scored in the third to dominate the Bolts side that had support to reinforcement Allen Durham from the get-go.

McDaniels finished with 38 points and 14 rebounds, Pogoy scored 14 points despite suffering a back injury during the quarterfinal win over Magnolia while Castro added 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

While the result was pleasant to the eyes, coach Bong Ravena said there’s no reason for TNT to feel comfortable.

“I’m glad we won the first game but to celebrate,” said Ravena, pointing out one major problem TNT must address before Tuesday’s Game 2 at the same venue.

“We have to find ways to stop Durham,” he added.

Durham produced 32 points and 21 rebounds, numbers that usually result in a Bolts victory.

But Durham got little support from the locals, with Allein Maliksi scoring 15 and Chris Newsome 14.

Half of Maliksi’s points came in the fourth when the Bolts tried to erase the KaTropa’s 87-65 lead early in the period.

Newsome started out strong with 12 in the opening period but made two the rest of the way before fouling out.

TNT led 47-41 at halftime before the McDaniels and Castro combined for 18 during a stretch where Meralco was outscored 22-13 for a 69-54 lead.

Pogoy wound up hitting two threes before the quarter ended with the KaTropa ahead 77-61.

The scores:

TNT KATROPA 103 — McDaniels 38, Pogoy 18, Castro 17, Parks 11, Rosario 11, Digregorio 8, De Leon 0, Reyes 0, Williams 0, Vosotros 0, Taha 0.

MERALCO 94 — Durham 32, Maliksi 15, Newsome 14, Caram 9, Amer 9, Hodge 5, Quinto 3, Jackson 3, Almazan 2, Faundo 2, Pinto 0.

Quarters: 22-25; 47-41; 77-61; 103-94.

Source: Manila Bulletin

BY THE MANILA BULLETIN SEAG TEAM

 

The 30th Southeast Asian Games duration became a golden feat for me in the same way with how the athletes dedicated every ounce of their blood, sweat and tears to get their medals — be it gold, silver or bronze — and bring honor to their respective countries.

For a rookie in the industry responsible for online operations, covering both the historic opening and closing ceremonies was not an easy task, from posting stories and handling social media to writing stories and etching history all in one.

But being part of it strengthened my sense of duty as a sportswriter and a journalist. It’s as if all hard work paid off after a long and winding road despite being physically and mentally drained after wrapping up the day.

Hearing the roaring crowd from different countries, witnessing the unity of people from the 11 nations and feeling the camaraderie of teams and athletes gave me a sigh of relief being with a solid team who pulled off the SEA Games coverage. – CARLO ANOLIN

 

 

So many athletes shed tears during the 30th Southeast Asian Games here, many to celebrate a win – be it a gold medal, silver or bronze – while there were some who wept after falling short in their goal to achieve victory after long hours of training the previous two years.

If there’s one that really melts the heart, however, it’s the story of ‘SamGirl’ Jamie Christine Lim, daughter of PBA legend Avelino ‘Samboy’ Lim and former Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Darlene Berberabe, who won the +61kg kumite event in karatedo.

The 21-year-old honor student from UP cried unabashedly after her triumph. She then dedicated her success to the two most important persons in her life in a most unique manner: “Summa cum laude is for mom, SEA Games gold for dad. I looked up to my mom and dad so much. As in to be compared to him and to mom, parang it’s so big for me. Today is just so special for me.”

And for us, too. – WAYLON GALVEZ

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Anwar bin Sholeh had something to cheer when he showed up at a Jakarta training center to practice pencak silat — the Indonesian martial art was added to UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list.

“It’s an honor that pencak silat has been recognized internationally,” the 38-year-old, who has been practicing the art since elementary school, told AFP.

“This will motivate us to preserve our traditions and culture,” he added.

Dating back to as early as the 6th Century, one legend has it that the ancient martial art — which blends self-defense and artistic elements — originated after a woman watched a tiger do battle with a giant hawk, and copied their techniques to fight off a pestering group of drunken men.

The term pencak silat describes hundreds of indigenous combat styles in Southeast Asia, with fighters wielding a terrifying array of weapons such as knives, sickles and machetes.

It has gained greater awareness outside Indonesia after being featured in Star Wars and John Wick films in recent years.

“I’m glad that Pencak Silat is now not only recognized in Hollywood,” said practitioner Rian Irawan bin Maswan Hasan.

“It’s a unique martial art because it is not only for health and self-defense, but it also builds solidarity and brotherhood among it members,” he added.

The inclusion on UNESCO’s list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage” practices was decided during a committee meeting in Bogota last week.

“In addition to their sporting element, traditions of Pencak Silat also encompass mental-spiritual, self-defense and artistic aspects,” the United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organization said.

“The moves and styles of Pencak Silat are strongly influenced by various elements of art, involving a unity of body and movement fitting the accompanying music.”

The martial art was featured at last year’s Asian Games, where host Indonesia swept the gold medal tally.

Traditional Pencak Silat covers a broad range of styles and can be different from what appears in official sporting competitions with set rules.

“Many tradition-based silat practitioners could not take part in those competitions because the standards are very different,” said 43-year-old Hasan.

Indonesian batik and Wayang puppet theatre are among the Southeast Asian nation’s other entries on the UNESCO list.

Source: Manila Bulletin

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is all set to award the cash incentives it promised to the medalists of the recent 30^th Southeast Asian Games after another major player and the House of Representatives joined hands in making another round of contributions.

POC president Bambol Tolentino said this will mark the first time the POC is giving out cash rewards to athletes following the landmark 149-117-121 (gold-silver-bronze) performance of the country in the 2019 SEAG.

San Miguel Corp. (P50 million) and the MVP Sports Foundation (P20 million) initiated the fund-raiser that will guarantee a gold P200,000, a silver P50,000 and bronze P30,000.

“We got some help from our friends, notably Mr. Dennis Uy of Udenna/Phoenix and my colleagues in Congress. The POC alone does not have enough cash to include everyone but we were fortunate to have individuals who personally pitched in because they believe our athletes deserve to be rewarded”, said Tolentino, noting that Uy pledged P15 million and members of Congress chipped in a total of P6 million.

The total pot now stands at P52.87 million and the POC is finalizing the date of the actual awarding ceremony.

For team medalists, it’s P100K each for two members, P75K each for teams composed of 3-4 members, and P50K for every member of teams with five or more athletes who won gold.

Individual silver medalists and teams with two members will receive P50K per athlete while those with three or more members will be given P30K each.

All bronze medalists will receive P30K a piece.

“It’s the least we can do for the athletes who sacrificed, toiled and persevered to make our countrymen proud in our hosting of the Games”, the Tagaytay solon said.

“With the previous contributions from San Miguel Corporation, the MVP Sports Foundation and the PBA, plus yesterday’s pledge Mr. Uy and from the members of Congress, we are able to make this happen”.

Vietnam, the next host country in 2021, was a distant second with 98 gold while third placer Thailand managed 92.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke at Sunday’s official completion of the new national stadium, the venue for the opening and closing ceremony of next year’s Tokyo Olympics. It will also host track and field and some soccer.

He could have spoken for anyone who has been inside the creation of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, whose venue is sure to be up for many design prizes.

“It blends with its surrounding and the natural environment,” Abe said, noting it showcased Japan’s ties to nature with its use of wood lattice work around the stadium’s rim and roof, and earth-tone colors in the seats that are randomly colored brown, gray, two shades of green and white.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike pointed out the other strong feature as she spoke.

“This stadium uses a lot of trees in its structure,” she said, speaking of the greenery that is everywhere — from flower planters, to trees and shrubs.

Although Tokyo is densely urban, it is also dotted with many parks and green areas. The stadium works off that theme, making sure it is functional and linked to nature.

A walkway on the fifth level is called the “Grove of the Sky.” It’s about 30 meters (100 feet) above street level and runs 850 meters (1/2 mile) around the entire circumference of the stadium. It’s lined with benches, flowers and trees. A stroll offers a breathtaking view of Tokyo, and on a clear day Mt. Fuji is visible to the west.

Makoto Sato, a spokesman for the Japan Sport Council, a national government body that built the venue, said the walkway will be open to the public on days when there are no events after the Olympics.

“We have tried to emphasize all four seasons and people can use it around the year and enjoy it,” he said.

The stadium seating rises in a steep gradient from the field level and the nine-lane track, getting steeper the higher it goes. The colors of the seats also get lighter the higher up you go with more brown seats near the bottom — the earth — and more green, gray and white near the top.

“Because of the gradient, it creates an atmosphere where people can feel close,” said Takeo Takahashi, another Japan Sport Council spokesman.

The stadium is sure to be the centerpiece of the 2020 Olympics, built at a cost of 156.9 billion yen, about $1.43 billion at the present exchange rate. The capacity for the Olympics will be 68,000 and can be expanded later to 80,000.

Tokyo’s 1964 Olympics left behind several architectural jewels, the most famous of which was Kenzo Tange’s Yoyogi National Stadium. It was the swimming venue in ’64 — American swimmer Don Schollander won four gold medals there — and will host handball this time, and badminton and wheelchair rugby at the Paralympics.

The new stadium also feature items from the old national stadium, which was razed in 2015. The most prominent are two mosaic-tile murals featuring the Greek goddess Nike and Nomino Sukune, a legendary sumo wrestler. They are located at the Aoyama Gate entrance.

The venue will be open to the general public on Dec. 21, which will also feature a visit by eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt. The first real event will be Jan. 1, 2020 with the Emperor’s Cup, the championship of the Japan football league.

Governor Koike noted that the Olympics open in just over seven months — July 24, 2020.

“I can already envision the scene where the athletes are sprinting on this field and spectators are cheering for them in this stadium,” she said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

 

By WAYLON GALVEZ

After contributing to the victories of athletes in the recently concluded 30th Southeast Asian Games by way of financial assistance, the MVP Sports Foundation vowed to continue the support in the hopes of helping pave the way in the country’s quest of the first Olympic gold medal.

From gymnast Carlos Yulo and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz to skateboarder Margie Didal and the four-gold medal sweep in basketball, various athletes delivered the goods for the Philippine Team, many of them backed by the MVPSF.

The support, according to MVPSF president Al S. Panlilio, will intensify with international competitions coming up, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“The MVP Sports Foundation will not cease on its support of the Filipino athlete and the Philippines’ unrelenting quest to finally get an Olympic gold medal,” said Panlilio in a statement.

“We are proud of the achievements of all Filipino athletes. But we can’t stop here. We’ll use this momentum to try, and get even more Filipinos to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”

Yulo, the reigning world champion, accounted for two gold medals as he topped the all-around and floor exercise events to go with five silvers, while Diaz – silver medal winner in the Rio Olympics and Asian Games gold medalist – finally won her first SEA Games gold medal as she ruled the 55-kg category.

Weightlifting had two golds as Kristen Macrohon won in the 71kg women’s division, to go with three silvers and two bronzes.

For her part, Didal – also an Asian Games gold medal winner – won gold medals in both the Women’s Street and Game of Skate events that highlighted the dominance of Filipino skateboarders, who took home six gold medals, five silvers and a bronze medal.

In basketball, the Philippines proved to be the best in the region following a sweep in all four events – the men’s and women’s categories in both the 3×3 action (a first in the SEA Games) and the 5-on-5 competition.

The boxing team got the most gold medals with seven wins courtesy of women boxers Josie Gabuco (light fly) and Nesthy Petecio (feather), and the men’s squad of Carlo Paalam (light fly), Rogen Ladon (fly), Charly Suarez (light), James Palicte (light welter) and Eumir Marcial (welter).

“The best thing about winning 35 golds out of the 78 medals from athletes that MVPSF supported is that a lot of our champions are strong Olympic hopefuls,” said Ryan Gregorio, the foundation’s executive director.

“We’re proud of every athlete we supported and we’re hopeful for those who can carry our flag in Tokyo.”

The national team won 149 gold medals, as well as 117 silver and 121 bronze medals to win the overall title in the SEA Games for the first time in 14 years – or since the 2005 meet also held here.

Hidilyn Diaz waves to the crowd after bagging the gold medal in the women’s weightlifting 55kg category, her first for the Southeast Asian Games (MB Photo / Rio Leonelle Deluvio)

 

 

 

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Johann Chua and Jeffrey Ignacio made up for Carlo Biado’s stunning loss as they earned spots in the knockout stage of the World 9-Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar.

Chua defeated Taiwan’s Liu Ri Teng 9-3 and Ignacio downed Greece’s Giallourakis Damianos 9-7 to secure berths in the round-of-64 of the annual competition.

Biado, 2017 winner and last year’s runner-up, was relegated to the loser’s bracket after a shock 9-3 setback to Chile’s Enrique Rojas.

The 36-year-old must beat Jordan’s Hassan Shahada to join Chua and Ignacio in the next phase.

Also in danger of elimination is Jerico Bonus, who lost Canadian John Morra 9-7.

Bonus must beat Qatar’s Bashar Abdulmajeed to make his way to the knockout stage.

Meanwhile, Alex Pagulayan, who represents Canada, qualified to the round-of-64 following a 9-3 triumph over American Max Eberle.

Pagulayan is eyeing his first World 9-Ball crown since 2004.

Source: Manila Bulletin

They crowded into Nationwide Arena, 13,000 strong, cheering every shot, roaring with every basket.

Many were not there to see the game. They came to see LeBron.

Both of them.

Bronny James made his Ohio debut Saturday, and hit the go-ahead shot in the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers’ 59-56 victory over the St. Vincent-St. Mary Irish. Sierra Canyon is 8-0.

Watching, cheering loudest of all and pacing the sideline, was LeBron James, NBA great, father to Bronny, and St. Vincent-St. Mary’s most famous alum.

The elder James led the Irish to three state titles in four years, bringing their games to the airwaves of ESPN airwaves and the pages of Sports Illustrated.

Now it’s Bronny’s turn.

More than 400 credentialed media encircled the court to capture every pass, every dribble, every shot of the King’s firstborn, who would likely have worn an Irish jersey had the family not moved west so James could shine for the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James put Akron’s St. Vincent–St. Mary High School on the map nearly 20 years ago and has donated $2 million to the school, renovating the gymnasium that now bears his name and writing a $250,000 check to buy new uniforms for athletes and band members. His best friend, Willie McGee, is the athletic director.

But his heart Saturday was clearly with the Trailblazers, as he yelled tips and encouragement from his court-side seat.

With a timeout, James walked halfway on to the court, calling, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” to the Sierra Canyon bench and leaping to his feet when the Trailblazers took a first-half lead.

“Before LeBron went to the Lakers, it was assumed Bronny would stay in Ohio and play at St. Vincent -St. Mary, and carry on the tradition,” Zach Fleer of 270 Hoops, central Ohio’s premiere prep basketball site, said. “Among freshman class, he is among the elite players, but he is not the best player in country. He’s not like his dad yet—he still has a ways to go, Right now I think he is a better shooter than LeBron was at that age. He’s 6-foot-2 now. If he stretches out to his dad size, there is no telling how good he can he.”

James took a private plane from Miami to watch his son play high school ball live for the first time, but the game was about more than family by blood.

He started the night having dinner with his St. Vincent-St. Mary teammates — the “Fab Five,” they were called when they were the biggest thing in high school basketball 17 years ago. Joining James court-side was his wife, Savannah, childhood friend and business partner Maverick Carter, and former Irish teammate Romeo Travis, who cheered his alma mater but shouted as Bronny James drove down the court, “Here we go young King!”

LeBron James has anticipated the sight of his son facing his alma mater for some time.

“A pretty surreal, come-full-circle, unbelievable thing,” LeBron James said.

James and Dwyane Wade decided months ago that they would have their sons pair up at Sierra Canyon — just as they did in Miami from 2010 through 2014, winning two championships together with the Miami Heat. Now their kids are chasing a title, although Wade’s son Zaire was injured and did not play Saturday.

LeBron James’ said his only regret so far being that his schedule with the Los Angeles Lakers takes him away from Trailblazers’ games.

“I love what I do. I don’t take this for granted. This is a dream come true,” LeBron James said. “But missing my son, missing LeBron Jr., missing (younger son) Bryce’s first game the other day when we left for Orlando, missing my daughter at gymnastics and things of that nature, I understand it’s the business, but it sucks.”

Sierra Canyon has been a well-known program in high school circles for some time — the Trailblazers have won the last two California Open Division state championships and were ranked nationally last year with a roster loaded with blue-chip prospects.

Celebrity sightings are an everyday thing at the school where it costs $37,700 a year in tuition alone for high schoolers to attend: Recent Sierra Canyon rosters included the sons of former NBA players Scottie Pippen and Kenyon Martin. Marvin Bagley III played there. Kendall and Kylie Jenner attended the school. Drake has been to games as a fan.

This year — with the oldest sons of James and Wade added to the mix — it has become a full-on spectacle.

Saturday’s game was part of a four-game run that will see them play in four different states, California, Arizona, Ohio and next up will be Nevada in a few days. They’ve played in Texas already. Games in Massachusetts and New Jersey are later this season.

ESPN will air 10 more Sierra Canyon games this season, with other games either on television or streamed.

Bronny James being compared to his father is inevitable. The attention he draws is also enormous — videos of his first dunk, when he was 13, have been viewed on YouTube more than 20 million times and he has 3.8 million followers on Instagram. For now, the family is trying to squash any talk of how good a player he can be or if he’ll one day make the NBA.

“My son is in the ninth grade; he’s a kid,” LeBron James said. “We’re not even thinking about anything besides how he can be a great teammate, how he can be a great son, how he can be a great brother to his sister and little brother, how he can continue to be a great kid.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

Breaking out of a mini-slump, Nikola Jokic is reasserting himself as the centerpiece of the Denver Nuggets’ offense.

Jokic had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season, leading the Nuggets past the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-102 on Saturday night.

Jokic now has 32 regular-season triple-doubles to tie Rajon Rondo for 11th on the career list. The stat line signaled his return to form after a series of off-target shooting performances and sluggish ball movement that bogged down the Nuggets’ attack over the last two weeks.

“He’s definitely well past rounding back into form,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “For Nikola, getting past those struggles that everybody goes through, it’s just handling that adversity, staying with it and finding a way to stay aggressive, knowing that’s the only way you’re going to right the ship.”

Jokic was effective from the perimeter and the low post, hitting three 3-pointers and muscling in a pair of dunks. When the defense collapsed on him, he was dishing off to the open man and figuring prominently in all five Denver starters scoring in double figures. Will Barton had 18 points and Jamal Murray scored 14 as the Nuggets beat the Thunder for a seventh straight time.

“When (Jokic) is aggressive, it just opens up everything for everybody else,” said Gary Harris, who finished with 11 points. “We were all clicking today. He was able to get assists, rebounds, points. He was able to do whatever he wanted.”

Said Jokic: “I’ve been playing like that my whole life, so it kind feels like I’m playing the way I’m supposed to play.”

Dennis Schroder had 22 points to lead the Thunder. Steven Adams had 18 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 for Oklahoma City. Chris Paul finished with 15 points and 10 assists.

“I think it was a game where we just didn’t shoot well,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “This was a game where we needed to have our defense be really elite, but we had some breakdowns, some missed opportunities, some blown coverages, and we couldn’t overcome those things.”

Leading by three at the break, Denver used a 12-2 burst late in the third quarter to take a 77-62 lead. Abdel Nader had the Thunder’s lone basket in that span while Murray highlighted the Denver surge with a lob off the backboard that he put back through the net with a two-handed dunk.

Torrey Craig later hit a 3-pointer and Juancho Hernangomez had a driving layup to help Denver take an 82-68 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Thunder narrowed the deficit to five points on a jumper by Gilgeous-Alexander with 6:50 left to play, but the Nuggets then scored nine straight points, including a dunk and 3-pointer by Jokic for a 102-88 advantage with 4:35 remaining. The Thunder couldn’t mount another threat.

The Nuggets got off to a hot start, opening a 22-6 lead early, but the Thunder steadily gained on them and Adams’ dunk pulled Oklahoma City within 52-49 at halftime.

Source: Manila Bulletin