By Waylon Galvez

There is no rest for Hidilyn Diaz and other top Filipino weightlifters with two important events line up for them in a bid to make it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Fresh from claiming her first gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games here, Diaz is set to compete in the Roma World Cup on Jan. 27 to 31, 2020 in Italy, and the 2020 Asian Championships on Apr. 16 to 25 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

“Of course tuloy-tuloy lang ang training ko after ng SEA Games kasi kasunod nito is yung Roma World Cup and then next is Asian Championship, pareho itong qualifying tournaments for the Tokyo Olympics,” said Diaz.

“So napaka-importate, lalo to stay in shape mentally and physically kasi malapit lang ang pagitan ng SEA Games and World Cup. It’s a challenge pero ok naman so far,” added the 28-year-old Diaz.

The biennial meet also served as OQT for weightlifting, and Diaz – together with other medalists in the SEA Games – earned corresponding points from the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). She ruled the -55kg women’s category in the SEA Games.

So far, Diaz is at No. 5 in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualification ranking system with a total of 2,731.7699 points.

The top eight weightlifters earn outright spot in the Tokyo Games. Diaz won the silver medal
in the previous Rio Olympics in Brazil.

Currently leading in the 55kg are Chinese weightlifters Jiang Huihua (3,492.7227), Liao Qiuyun (3,402.7612), Zhang Wanqiong (3,351.4374) and Li Yajun (3,209.3427), while at No. 6 is Muattar Nabieva of Uzbekistan (2,715.0661), Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Chinshanlo at No. 7 (2,659.9042) and Maria Alexandra Escobas Guerrero of Ecuador at No. 8 (2,623.4874).

Under the IWF rules, athletes can earn points by joining different qualifying tournaments with corresponding levels. Tournaments like the world championships or world cup is categorized as gold status, continental and regional meets – including the SEA Games – are silver, while invitational events is bronze.

Aside from Diaz, also expected to see action in the last two OQT in weightlifting is teammate Kristel Macrohon, who won the women’s 71kg category in the SEA Games.

Joining them in the tournament are silver medal winners Elreen Ann Ando (64kg), Margaret Colonia in (59kg) and John Fabuar Ceniza (55kg), as well as bronze medalists Mary Rose Diaz (45kg) and Nestor Colonia (67kg).

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Game Saturday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

6:30 p.m. — NorthPort vs Ginebra

Coach Tim Cone believes the Southeast Asian Games stint won’t cause any problems for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel as it faces underdog NorthPort in the start of their best-of-five PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Tipoff is set at 6:30 p.m. as the pro league resumes action after giving way to the biennial meet which the Cone-mentored Gilas team winning gold via a five-game sweep.

Cone and four members of that national squad — LA Tenorio, Stanley Pringle, Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter — will put their focus back on Ginebra as they aim to draw first blood against a NorthPort squad that stunned top seed NLEX in the quarterfinals.

Though the SEA Games hangover may cause some problems, Cone sees no reason to be worried.

“For the team in the semis, it seems like a long time between games, but for Ginebra, it seems like a really quick turnaround,” said Cone, praising assistant Olsen Racela for running the practices while he was putting his focus primarily on the SEAG.

“Coach Olsen did a great job of keeping our guys sharp and ready during the SEA games, and those players who participated in the SEA Games are pumped to get the semis going. I think we’ll be alright in Game 1,” he added.

But Cone stressed that Game 1 won’t be a cakewalk, knowing how NorthPort is also on high morale after becoming the fourth No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 in the history of the PBA playoffs.

The Batang Pier also have Christian Standhardinger, who also played for Cone in the SEA Games.

NorthPort also beat Ginebra 98-96 in their lone elimination round meeting last Nov. 17 to secure a quarterfinals berth.

“We know NorthPort is coming in with a lot of confidence and momentum after knocking out the No. 1 seed,” Cone said.

Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee and NorthPort’s Michael Qualls meet in a battle of two prolific imports.

Brownlee is averaging 29.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks this conference while Qualls comes in with 34.0 points, 14.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.3 blocks.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Carlo Biado looks to make for his disappointing run in the 30th Southeast Asian Games when he competes in the World 9-Ball Championship which starts Saturday in Doha, Qatar.

Biado is out to redeem himself after settling for a bronze medal with Johann Chua in the men’s 9-ball doubles and missing out on a semifinals berth in the men’s 10-ball singles of the biennial meet.

The 36-year-old winner of the 2017 edition will be out to start the campaign on the right note and win his first two matches in the preliminary phase which uses a double-elimination format.

His quest for back-to-back titles was denied last year when he lost 13-10 to Germany’s Joshua Filler in the final.
Also slated to participate are Chua and Jeffrey Ignacio, who also went home with bronze medals in the SEAG.

Chua was Biado’s teammate in 9-ball doubles while Ignacio teamed up with veteran Warren Kiamco.

Also part of the Filipino contingent is unknown Jerico Bunos, who will try to make a name for himself in the competition.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

MIAMI — Dion Waiters has been suspended yet again without pay by the Miami Heat, his third banishment of the season.

The team made the announcement Thursday night, citing “his failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination” as the reasons. The move came only a few hours after Waiters had been ruled out of Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers because of illness.

Waiters has been sick for several days, but clearly, the already-strained relationship is ailing again. He will not be allowed back until after Miami’s game against Utah on Dec. 23.

He has already lost about $920,000 in salary from two previous suspensions — a one-gamer to start the year after he complained about his role in the preseason, then a 10-gamer after an incident on the team plane where a person with knowledge of the matter said he ingested at least one cannabis-infused edible and had a reaction that required medical attention.

The latest suspension amounts to six games, or another $500,000 off his $12.1 million salary — raising his total in lost pay this season to more than $1.4 million. That doesn’t include a $1.1 million bonus that he could have earned by appearing in 70 games.

Waiters is in the third year of a four-year, $47.3 million contract that had about $5 million more in possible incentives for playing a certain number of games.

Waiters has never made more than 46 appearances in a year since coming to Miami. He’s been in only 120 games with the Heat, missing many because of ankle injuries and surgery on his ankle and foot.

Waiters is a career 13.2-point scorer and has averaged 14 points per game while with the Heat.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

NEW YORK — The NBA says former Commissioner David Stern suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage Thursday and had emergency surgery.

The league says in a statement its thoughts and prayers are with the 77-year-old Stern’s family.

Stern served exactly 30 years as the NBA’s longest-tenured commissioner before Adam Silver replaced him on Feb. 1, 2014. Stern has remained affiliated with the league with the title of commissioner emeritus and has remained active in his other interests, such as sports technology.

Stern oversaw the growth of the NBA into a league whose games were televised in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages. The league was playing a regular-season game in Mexico City between Dallas and Detroit on Thursday night when it announced the news about Stern.

Stern stayed busy after stepping down as commissioner, taking trips overseas on the league’s behalf, doing public speaking and consulting. He was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Reality must now be setting in for six Gilas Pilipinas players who took part in the recent 30th Southeast Asian Games as they resume pro duties at the start of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals this weekend.

LA Tenorio, Christian Standhardinger, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter will don PBA uniforms after taking part in Gilas’ unbeaten run to the gold in the biennial meet.

Tenorio, Aguilar and Slaughter lead Barangay Ginebra San Miguel against Standhardinger and the Cinderella NorthPort Batang Pier in their best-of-five semifinals which starts tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Rosario, on the other hand, returns for TNT KaTropa against Meralco in the other semis series set to begin Sunday at the Big Dome.

Winning the gold should give the players extra confidence going into their respective series, though getting substantial rest as possible is also key.

“Malaking tulong to kasi yung morale mo mataas,” said Rosario. “Pero kailangan mo magpahinga dahil madugo din pinagdaanan namin dahil halos wala kaming break simula ng mag-practice kami.

“Tapos na sakripisyo ko sa bansa, it’s time na ibigay ko sarili ko sa mother team ko,” he added.

Tenorio, Aguilar and Slaughter will have to get used to being familiar with Standhardinger as an opponent after spending the past weeks donning the blue and white colors.

“Medyo maninibago but that’s part of our job as a pro,” said Tenorio. “Naging professional kami to represent the country and be together in this SEA Games so I think walang rason para di kami maging professional playing for our mother teams.”

The winner of the two semifinals will advance to a best-of-seven title series slated after the Christmas break.

Another SEA Games gold medalist who will play in the semis is Meralco’s Chris Newsome, who teamed up with Columbian rookie CJ Perez, Phoenix Pulse’s Jason Perkins and San Miguel Beer’s Mo Tautuaa to give the Philippines victory in the inaugural 3×3 competition.

Newsome has since joined the Bolts’ preparation for the semis.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

After its overachieving performance in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine Track and Field Association (Patafa) plans to trim the size of the national team to a level so it can increase the funds available to the elite athletes.

“Right now, the number of athletes and coaches is about 80,” said Patafa president Philip Ella Juico, whose track and field bets garnered a total of 11 gold medals.

“We’d like to cut it to about 60 so we don’t spread ourselves thinly,” said Juico.

Aside from the 11 top finishes, there were also eight silver and 11 bronze medals from the 45 events played during the Nov. 30-Dec. 11 sportsfest at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as top priority next year, Juico will sit down with the Patafa family to make an assessment of everything for the year 2019.

Sending legit qualifiers—and not just token representatives to Tokyo—is foremost on Juico’s mind.

So far, only pole vaulter EJ Obiena has secured an Olympic berth after the Italy-based athlete cleared 5.80 meters last September in Italy.

In the SEAG, Obiena finally lived up to his lofty billing by resetting the SEAG mark from 5.25 meters to 5.35.

Juico is also giddy with excitement over sprinterb Kritina Knott, who likewise shattered the SEAG record in the 200-meter dash, clocking 23.01 seconds.

Then there’s Nataliu Uy, another SEAG pole vault record-holder, and fellow record-breaker William Morrison in shotput.

Eric Cray, who was a dismal failure during the century heats after getting a DQ, redeemed himself with gold medals in the 4×100 mixed gender relay and in his pet 400 hurdles.

Cray, 31, said he would be racing in the US in an effort to make it to Tokyo.

The other gold sources came from marathoner Christine Hallasgo, 110-meter hurdles ace Clinton Bautista, decathlete Aries Toledo, heptathlete Sarah Dequinan and javelin thrower Melvin Calano.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Kristel Satumbaga

Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas seeks to strengthen its grassroots program next year following a successful campaign at the recent 30^th Southeast Asian Games.

The sport debuted in the biennial meet with the Filipinos delivering three gold, two silver and one bronze medal in the eight events at stake.

Kickboxing chief Sen. Francis Tolentino hopes their fruitful showing at the SEAG would encourage the youth to engage in the sport.

He plans to propose to include the sport in the Palarong Pambansa, an annual multisport tournament for elementary and high school students across the country.

“We’ll be discussing this with the DepEd (Department of Education) kung paano maisali ito sa Palarong Pambansa even on a trial basis,” said Tolentino.

Tolentino said the Filipinos have inherent skills in the sport, which has been evident during the PH team’s campaign in the SEAG.

“Compared to other country, medyo bagito pa tayo pagdating dito, but we showed our skills. Hindi naman tayo nagpatalo,” he said.

With the SEAG success, Tolentino also plans to hold a national event in the summer of 2020 for aspiring national athletes.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By WAYLON GALVEZ

After an inspiring performance in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the fencing national team is gearing up for two important tournaments next year, including the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Seoul, South Korea.

The Filipino fencers contributed to the Philippine Team’s successful campaign as it bagged two gold medals, two silvers and seven bronzes in the just-concluded SEA Games the country hosted Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

Jylyn Nicanor won in the women’s individual sabre, while Harlene Raguin, Hanniel Abella, Anna Gabriella Estimada and Mickyle Rein Bustos ruled the women’s team epee event.

Fencing’s national team head coach Amat Canlas said that while it was overwhelming to see Filipinos get medals in the biennial meet, it’s not automatic for these fencers to be included to the squad in the OQT for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the Asian Championship, both in Korea.

Canlas said only six fencers will be selected to the national team in the National Open Circuit from January to March.

“We’re back to zero, because we’ll select fencers to the national team for the OQT and the Asian Championship,” said Canlas. “The fencers who won in the SEA Games, they also need to go through to the qualifying event to be able to join the national and compete for Olympic spots.”

Talents who excel in individual events in foil, sabre and epee will be selected and be part of the national team for the OQT set April 16 and 17.

The last Filipino fencer who competed in the Olympics was Walter Torres during the 1992 Barcelona Games. Canlas said the Filipinos have a solid shot at making it,

“Nararamdam ko na may makakalulusot naman and mag-qualify sa Tokyo Olympics. At least isa, ang sabi ko nga step by step. Kung maka-dalawa, maganda. The good thing now in fencing is maganda ang program,” said Canlas, adding that 16 fencers have already qualified to the Games through world rankings, while 16 more will come from the OQT.

“Meron ng 16 fencers na qualified, kaya 16 na lang ang kukunin. Kung sino lang ang manalo sa OQT, yun lang ang mag-advance,” Canlas added.

Canlas said they will have a full contingent of 24 fencers for the Asian Championships set April 18-23.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jan Carlo Anolin

CAPAS, TARLAC — And the Fair Play Athlete award goes to… Roger Casogay!

The 25-year-old surfer received the award in front of approximately 15,000 roaring spectators at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium late Wednesday night.

Casogay’s heroics became one of the highlights of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, making him an instant fan favorite and earning him the honor of bearing the Philippine flag in the closing ceremony.

No less than Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in fact, lauded Casogay’s sportsmanship

“Winning the competition and upholding sportsmanship is important, but humanity is above all. My appreciation for Roger Casogay, a Filipino surfer who gave up the golden opportunity to help Indonesian athletes who fell in the race,” Widodo said in a tweet Monday.

Casogay sacrificed his lead and came to the aid of Indonesian competitor Arip “Mencos” Nurhidayat, who was overrun by huge waves due to a broken leash, which prompted the postponement of the matches.

Casogay eventually bagged the country’s first gold medal in the sports after defeating fellow Filipino and friend Rogelio ‘Jay-R’ Esquivel Sunday.

In a recent interview, the La Union native champion downplayed his action and stepped away from the phrase being heaped over him.

“Hindi po ako hero kasi ang nangyari kahapon, hindi siya nalunod kundi natatangay lang siya kaya pinapabalik ko lang dahil malalim na.”

Source: Manila Bulletin