By Jonas Terrado

The Philippine Football Federation has made efforts to resolve issues that hounded the football competitions of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

PFF president Nonong Araneta said the federation was able to get 18 buses through the Ceres bus company while also assuring women’s national team coach Let Dimzon that food concerns are being addressed.

“There are well-meaning individuals and companies that are willing to help us and make this Southeast Asian Games successful,” Araneta said in the weekly PSA Forum at Amelie Hotel.

“We’re addressing all these things naman and we’re there not to criticize but to help,” added Araneta, whose federation is only in-charge of the technical management for the competition.

Phisgoc, the main organizer of the biennial meet, apologized over the weekend after defending champion Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Timor-Leste dealt with transportation and accommodation woes upon their arrival.

Photos of the Myanmar team taking a mini-bus and members of the Cambodian squad sleeping at the floor of a function room while waiting for their hotel rooms to be fixed made rounds on social media.

Dimzon also cried foul during the pre-match press conference for women’s football, saying that the teams were served with eggs and kikiam during breakfast.

Local and foreign reporters were later taken aback during Monday’s opener at the Rizal Memorial Stadium after the football press center was placed in an unfinished venue originally constructed for the squash events.

Football insiders pointed out that a rented air-conditioned tent would have been the most logistical idea instead of placing the press center in the unfinished building.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

MABALACAT, Pampanga—As the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games receives a beating, athletics chief Philip Juico called on the track and field squad to rise to the occasion and repair the “distorted image” of the biennial sportsfest.

“It is our duty to lift our country,” Juico said during Tuesday’s sendoff rites at the Marriott-Clark before the majority of athletes.

“Months and years of effort is over, work is about to start,” said Juico, who was joined in the event by chief backer Judith Staples of the Lucerne Group.

“Do your best. I know you will. (But) prepare smart. Do it not only for yourself and your family but for the country.”

The athletics competitions—happening at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac—will kick off on December 6 and will run until December 10.

Originally, 62 bets will compete but Juico said last-minute injuries on two athletes, trimmed the number to 60, 36 men and 24 women.

“There are so many negative things happening and it is our wish that we recover,” added Juico.

Save for a few Fil-Ams who are already in town, the majority of the athletes with foreign blood, are coming in anytime in the week.

Local talent EJ Obiena of pole vault, who is based in Italy, is arriving on Nov. 29.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Pool isn’t just a game in the Philippines but a way to make a living, driving a fiercely competitive scene that has produced some of the world’s top players.

The game played in dirt-floor pool halls with bumpy tables in thousands of little towns has provided an escape route from the grinding poverty endured by millions.

Though competition is ferocious from places like Taiwan and China, the Philippines is today the only country with a man and woman shooter in the top five of the World Pool-Billiard Association rankings.

“If you miss that shot, you might not eat,” said Ted Lerner, a US-born journalist who has made a life in the Philippines, summing up the pressure they play under.

It means the Philippines will be well placed for the billiards, pool, snooker and carom events at the Southeast Asian Games, starting in and around Manila this week, where 10 gold medals are on offer.

Perhaps the best example of the Philippine tradition is Efren ‘The Magician’ Reyes, a former world champion in both eight- and nine-ball pool and considered one of the best to ever pick up a cue.

The eighth child in a poor family of nine siblings, he left his hometown north of Manila to live with his uncle who owned a pool hall in the capital.

He started playing at eight years old, looking for a way out of poverty.

“I saw my uncle win cash after playing billiards and I realized I can earn a living from here,” 65-year-old Reyes told AFP, between shots at a Manila pool hall.

He rose to prominence playing for money and hustling in the United States, and was part of the so-called “Filipino invasion” that took over the sport in the 1980s.

“They call the Philippines the pool capital of the world,” Marissa Guinto, sports psychologist and professor at the University of the Philippines, told AFP.

“Even the Americans… have a hard time competing against Filipinos,” she added.

‘Money for everyday food’

The incubator that produced these players goes back to the 1900s when American soldiers stationed in the Philippines played pool as a pastime, and fueled the game’s growth.

As pool spread, so did the practice of betting on the matches. As a result, the game was picked up by Filipinos who were literally starving for a win.

“We couldn’t find money for our everyday food,” Carlo Biado, the men’s number four in WPA rankings, told AFP.

“I started with just 20 peso bets ($0.39) and I eventually made a living out of billiards,” said Biado, 36.

Biado won the world nine-ball title in 2017 and broke the Philippines’ seven-year championship drought in the event.

The success of Filipino shooters has changed the perception of pool as a poor man’s game, and helped build future world champions like Biado and Rubilen Amit, ranked the third best female player in the world, who grew up watching pool on TV.

One of the watershed moments was Reyes winning the world nine-ball title in 1999, a match televised live back home.

“It really opened the consciousness of Filipinos that it’s a legitimate sport. A lot of Filipinos gravitated towards that,” Guinto, the sports psychologist, said.

Amit started out working in her family’s cargo logistics business, but when it hit the rocks financially she turned to pool.

“Basketball was my first love, but I am not tall enough. So I pursued billiards,” Amit told AFP, echoing the national obsession with hoops.

“Playing billiards helped my family. In 2009, I was blessed to win the world championships and be given financial blessings. That’s how we recovered,” Amit, 38, said.

The win-or-go-hungry attitude is key, but players may also get a boost from the nation’s legion of iffy pool tables.

“Players in poor communities aren’t picky about table surfaces. In fact, the bumpy surfaces may have bred better cue masters,” Severino Sarmenta, a professor and veteran sportswriter, told AFP.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

Unknown to most Filipinos, floorball became the early source of pride for the country as the national women’s team tallied the first victory for the host nation with an 8-1 win over Indonesia in the 30th Southeast Asian Games on Monday.

With a resemblance to the more popular ice hockey, floorball events kicked off at the UP College of Human Kinetics Gym in Diliman, Quezon City, with the Filipinas earning the win for the country in a lopsided match.

Forward Jade Rivera delivered five goals, including three hits in the first period, which made it a 5-1 spread in the first 20 minutes.

“We didn’t expect to win this big. We only prepared as a team for one week, but I guess everyone wanted to win as one, just like the motto of the SEA Games,” Rivera said.

In a highly physical match, Team Philippines Michelle Jennifer Lindahl drew first blood with her goal at the 2:45 mark. Yosi Nurmalida Pramatiara of Indonesia answered back with her side’s lone goal to even the score.

Rivera led an onslaught that hiked the cushion to a four-point lead after the first period. From there, the Indonesians were punished as Rivera, along with Michelle Cruzado, applied pressure in the next two frames for a swift end.

Filipina goalies Michelle Simpson and Pia Tolentino delighted the crowd when they saved eight attempts—all vital when the hosts clamped down on defense to negate any chances from the opponents.

“I think we had a good start. We know the Indonesians are really good and fast,” said Coach Noel Johansson. “We have worked on our defense very much. Our defenders had a fantastic job.”

Johansson said they must beat powerhouse teams Singapore and Thailand, which they are facing Tuesday at 1 p.m., to earn a shot for the gold medal.

“If we can beat Thailand and Singapore, then we can have a good chance of winning the gold,” he said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Betheena Unite

A 1.12-kilometer interchange, which provides a new exit route from the Philippine Arena to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Bocaue, Bulacan, was opened Tuesday.

Mounting traffic upon exiting Bocaue, Bulacan to NLEX is expected to be lessened as the newly-completed Philippine Arena Interchange opened to public in time for the 30th Southeast Asian Games and ahead of the holiday rush, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said.

Traveling to the eastern portion of Bulacan will also be faster using the P260-million interchange, which aims to improve mobility and accessibility within the Bulacan road network particularly in Bocaue, Sta. Maria, Pandi, Norzagaray, Angat, and other nearby towns.

“Alam naman natin na malapit na ang SEA Games at dito gaganapin kaya hinabol talaga naming matapos ‘to para sa SEA Games dahil napakalaking bagay sa traffic sa area na ‘to (We all know that the SEA Games opening is approaching, so, we fast tracked the interchange’s completion because it will also decongest traffic in this area),” Villar said.

“Kung dati kapag lalabas galing sa Arena e-exit pa ng (Bocaue) Bulacan, iikot pa, ngayon hindi na kailangan puwede nang um-exit diretso na sa NLEX (Motorists will no longer have to utilize the Bocaue exit, they can already exit through the interchange going to NLEX),” Villar explained.

The Philippine Arena Interchange features an 80-lineal meter bridge which connects Bocaue Municipal Hall, NLEX, Ciudad de Victoria, and Bocaue-Sta. Maria Bypass Road. It has a northbound entry and exit toll plaza and soon, a southbound toll plaza for better accessibility.

The secretary, however, clarified that the road project was not exclusively built for the SEA Games but can be utilized beyond the biennial meet and thousands of motorists, especially the people of Bulacan who had to deal with the heavy traffic on Bocaue exit, will continuously benefit from the road.

“Actually hinabol lang namin para sa SEA Games, ahead of schedule — wala pang isang taon tapos. So, ito game-changing project dahil maraming traffic dito at luluwag ang Bocaue Exit (Actually, we expedited the construction in time for SEA Games — within less than a year. This is really a game-changing project to decongest Bocaue exit),” Villar said.

Initially, the section from Philippine Arena to the southbound side of NLEX will open on November 29, while the southbound section (from north of NLEX) going to the Philippine Arena will open on November 30 only for the SEA Games Opening Ceremony to give way to the remaining works of the interchange project.

Villar also emphasized that the Philippine Arena Interchange is also expected to help ease mounting traffic along Governor F. Halili Road in Bocaue-Sta.Maria.

NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J Luigi Bautista, for his part, said that “NLEX is keen on supporting he government’s infrastructure plan as it also provides travel convenience for motorists using the expressway system and opens up opportunities for local communities.”

A a second phase of the interchange will be constructed.

“Merong phase 2. I-extend itong kalye tapos meron din sa kabila. So, magkakaroon ng extension para magkaroon ng additional benefit sa mga taga Bulacan. (There will be a phase 2. We will extend the road for the benefit of the people in Bulacan),” Villar said.

Eventually, a 1.91-kilometer road from MacArthur Highway to Bocaue Municipal will be improved and a 1.3-kilometer road from the Philippine Arena to the existing Patubig Road in Marilao, Bulacan will be constructed.

“We are excited with this project that will further improve the roads leading to the Philippine Arena, especially now that we are hosting the 30th Southeast Asian Games Opening Ceremony,” Villar expressed.

An inaugural drive-thru of the new interchange was led by the secretary, Senator Joel Villanueva, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando, Bocaue Mayor Eleonor Villanueva, Toll Regulatory Board Executive Director Abraham Sales, Iglesia ni Cristo Head Legal Counsel Atty. Glicerio Santos IV, NLEX Corporation Senior Vice President for Communication and Stakeholder Management Atty. Romulo Quimbo Jr., Senator Francis Tolentino, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, and other government officials.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

Giannis Antetokounmpo had one of the most dominant games of his career and the Milwaukee Bucks needed every bit of it.

Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 50 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his 17th consecutive double-double to help the Bucks rally in the second half for their eighth straight victory, 122-118 over the Utah Jazz on Monday night.

“We threw everything at him. We threw everybody at him. We threw double-teams and he made plays out of the post,” said Jazz guard Mike Conley. “He got to the free throw line. When he started making the long-range shot, that really makes it tough. I was proud of the way we defended. We tried rebounding and tried to box him out, and he was too tall, too long.”

Milwaukee led 120-113 with 1:24 left, but Bojan Bogdanovic countered with a 3-pointer and Donovan Mitchell followed with a layup to make 120-118 with 43 seconds left. The Bucks missed on their next possession, but Brook Lopez blocked Mitchell’s driving layup attempt with 4.4 seconds remaining.

Wesley Matthews added 19 points and Eric Bledsoe 13 for the Bucks, whose last loss was at Utah on Nov. 8.

Bogdanovic had 24 points and Mitchell 20 for the Jazz, who were 21 of 45 on 3-pointers.

Antetokounmpo’s streak of double-doubles is the longest to begin a season since Bill Walton opened with 34 straight in 1976-77. Antetokounmpo, who had 32 points in the second half, played 38 ½ minutes and did not commit a turnover.

“I’m impressed, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP. “Great game and all that. My second 50-point game of my career. Doing it with zero turnovers and all that, that’s great. I see that they made 21 3s, and as a team we were still able to be in the game and still win the game. At the end of the day, all that matters is a win.”

Milwaukee trailed 57-48 at the half, going just 3 of 17 from 3-point range, but pulled even with a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter. Antetokounmpo’s 3-pointer from the top of the key tied it at 74 with 5:28 left in the period.

“The third quarter stood out, where we played well on both ends,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “(We) had enough stops. More importantly, against a good team, we were able to make some shots. I was really pleased with the third quarter.”

The Jazz used a 10-0 run early in the second quarter to go in front 35-25. Milwaukee missed seven consecutive shots during that span, including 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.

Utah was aided by a six-point swing midway through the second quarter. Bledsoe’s short pull-up jumper from the right baseline was negated when he was called for an offensive foul for jumping back into Bogdanovic. The Bucks challenged, but the call was upheld, and Budenholzer then was called for a technical. Bogdanovic made the free throw and then drilled a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to put Utah up 39-29.

“We pride ourselves on being a team that’s going to play late (in the postseason),” Mitchell said. “But we’ve got to grind and get to that point. We could have got them tonight, but Giannis got 50. He’s the MVP for a reason.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

The Spurs were struggling to contain LeBron James in the fourth quarter and DeMar DeRozan knew firsthand San Antonio’s best chance against King James is to hope he misses.

Keep hoping.

James had 33 points and 13 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers won in San Antonio for the second time this season with a 114-104 victory Monday night.

“Bron carried us tonight, hit big shot after big shot,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said.

Showered with “MVP! MVP!” chants by a large contingent of Lakers fans at the AT&T Center, James put on a vintage performance against the Spurs. He had 12 points in the fourth quarter on 4-for-8 shooting along with five assists.

James was surprised by the cheers given he was the recipient of thunderous boos when he played against the Spurs in the 2013 and 2014 NBA Finals with Miami.

“I’m very appreciative because I’ve definitely gotten a lot of boos in this building in my career, playing a lot of finals games in this building,” James said. “To be able to have that support and they respect the way I play the game and they love the Lakers, it’s just a very humbling moment.”

Lakers fans had a lot to cheer this season in San Antonio.

The Lakers (15-2) have one game remaining against the Spurs on Feb. 4 in Los Angeles but have already won the three-game series against their longtime rivals in the Western Conference.

Davis added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers in his final game before returning to New Orleans on Wednesday.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and DeRozan added 22 for the Spurs. San Antonio fell to 6-12 after its 11th loss in 13 games.

Aldridge started the game 3 for 4, including his 10th 3-pointer of the season, while primarily being defended by James. It was one of the few times the Spurs got the best of James.

DeRozan competed for nine seasons with Toronto against James when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Heat. DeRozan never got past James to reach the NBA Finals during his tenure with the Raptors.

“It’s tough, LeBron is LeBron for a reason,” DeRozan said. “He’s been doing it for 17 years. I faced him a lot throughout my career. You just try to throw different looks at him, but a guy like that has seen every look, every combination of rotations. You’ve just got to make it difficult and hope he misses.”

James finished 13 for 24 from the field and 4 for 7 on 3-pointers in 35 minutes.

Trey Lyles blocked Davis’ short jumper in the paint with 20 seconds left in the first half. Dejounte Murray collected the block and sprinted downcourt for a layup but James ran down the Spurs’ speedy point guard and blocked his attempt from behind. The play was reminiscent of James’ block of Golden State’s Andre Iguodala with less than 2 minutes remaining in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, which the Cleveland Cavaliers won.

James hit consecutive step-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that produced a 93-85 lead and followed it up with a drive and alley-oop pass to JaVale McGee for his 10th assist of the evening.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

Marcus Smart had the ball bounce right for him and the Boston Celtics this time.

Jaylen Brown scored 24 points, Jayson Tatum had 20 and the Celtics held off the Sacramento Kings 103-102 despite a career-high 41 points from Buddy Hield on Monday night.

Smart had 17 points, including two key baskets, and seven assists. Enes Kanter added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who had lost the final two games of a 2-3 trip to the West.

Smart sandwiched his baskets around a 3-pointer by Bogdan Bogdanovic, the second a spinning shot with 31 seconds to go that pushed the Celtics ahead 103-102. The first bounced off the front of the rim and fell in — a similar look to one that went the other way as time expired when the teams met in Sacramento.

“Yeah, it was a good feeling,” he said, smiling, of the friendly roll. “When I shot it, I saw it on the front of the rim again and I was like: ‘Not again. I’ve got to get it this time.’ It felt good to see the ball finally go in. It’s just ironic it happened to bounce like that again this time.”

In the team’s first meeting on Nov. 17 — a 100-99 Kings victory that snapped Boston’s 10-game winning streak — Smart drove and had his shot roll off the front as time expired.

Harrison Barnes added 20 points for the Kings, who had won seven of 10. Hield was 15 of 26 from the floor and went 11 for 21 on 3-point attempts.

“They’re (defenders) locked into Buddy, and to win in this league it takes a team. So we’re going to keep looking for him, but we need everyone to step up and make plays, and I thought we did it tonight,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “We didn’t score the last one, but we gave ourselves a chance.”

Boston picked up the victory despite missing three starters. Kemba Walker was sidelined with a neck strain after a scary collision with a teammate last week. Gordon Hayward has a fractured hand and Daniel Theis was sick.

“It’s one game. We’ve just got to find ways to win. We’ll welcome Kemba back when he’s healthy. Let him rest up,” Brown said. “We’re just holding it down for him and Gordon until they make their return. It’s great to find ways to win, even with injuries. We’ve got to continue to do that, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Hield hit his 11th 3-pointer to cut Sacramento’s deficit to 97-96. Brown countered with a short jumper in the lane before Cory Joseph tied it with a 3 in front of Boston’s bench with 1:06 to play.

With Boston clinging to its 103-102 edge, Tatum airballed a long shot from the right corner, and Hield grabbed the rebound with 5.7 seconds left.

Bogdanovic’s long jumper bounced off the rim, and the ball was tipped out of bounds in a battle for the rebound as the horn sounded.

Hield scored 21 points in the third quarter, going 8 for 11 from the floor, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, and the teams entered the fourth tied at 75. Brown had nine in the quarter.

“In the third quarter, I felt good,” he said. “I just came in locked in. All it takes is one to go in, and it started trickling down the lineup.”

But, at the start of the fourth, Hield headed to the locker room and a trainer was stretching both of Brown’s legs while he was on his back at the side of the bench.

Both returned midway into the final quarter.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

Spencer Dinwiddie keeps coming through in the clutch for the Brooklyn Nets.

Dinwiddie’s fadeaway jumper with 1.9 seconds remaining gave Brooklyn its fourth straight victory, 108-106 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

Dinwiddie scored 23 points on the day he was voted Eastern Conference player of the week.

The Nets are 5-1 without leading scorer Kyrie Irving, who missed his sixth straight game with a sore shoulder. Dinwiddie is averaging 24.6 points in Irving’s absence.

“Spencer Dinwiddie just put on a clinic on how to keep your team under control and make the right play,” Cleveland coach John Beilein said.

Following a shot clock violation and the score tied 106-all, the Nets called timeout with 6.2 seconds left. Dinwiddie, after taking the inbounds pass from Joe Harris, dribbled around Cedi Osman to the right of the key and hit the tiebreaking shot from 18 feet.

Dinwiddie improvised after taking the pass and was hoping center Jarrett Allen would bail him out if he missed.

“I was trying to get a shot up in the first three seconds, so Jarrett had a chance to tip it in,” Dinwiddie said. “Cedi was kind of sliding right, so I took a couple dribbles and put it up.”

Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson gave Dinwiddie credit for the result.

“It was not a great play (drawn up), but a great individual play by Spencer,” he said.

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was out for the second straight game because of a sore back.

Jarrett Allen had 22 points and a season-high 21 rebounds, going 9 of 10 from the field and adding a key block when he swatted Jordan Clarkson’s shot out of bounds with eight seconds left and the game tied.

“I should have kept in inbounds, but I got a little excited,” Allen said. “I knew I had to be a little bit careful and not foul.”

Cleveland erased a 106-97 deficit with just over 2 minutes left and cut the lead to one on Clarkson’s 3-pointer. Collin Sexton tied the game with a free throw, but missed the second shot with 21 seconds to play.

“It felt good,” Sexton said. “It went in and out. I’ve just got to make it the next time. I know I should have made it.”

Cleveland maintained possession, but Allen blocked Clarkson’s shot and the Cavaliers followed with their shot clock violation.

Clarkson scored 23 points while Larry Nance Jr. had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost seven of eight.

Brooklyn didn’t shoot a free throw in the first half but was 9 of 11 at the line in the third quarter. The Nets didn’t get to the line in the fourth.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

Pascal Siakam scored 25 points, Fred VanVleet added 24 and the Toronto Raptors held Joel Embiid scoreless in a 101-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who posted their 14th consecutive home victory over the 76ers.

OG Anunoby scored 12 points, Terence Davis had 11 and Norman Powell 10 as Toronto improved to 7-0 at home.

Josh Richardson scored 25 points, Tobias Harris had 18 and Mike Scott 12 for the 76ers, who have not won a regular- season game in Toronto in more than seven years.

Embiid shot 0 for 11, missing all four of his shots from 3-point range and going 0 for 3 at the free throw line. He finished with a game-high 13 rebounds.

Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons had 10 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds. Al Horford scored 11 points and added 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

It was the first meeting between the teams since Kawhi Leonard’s dramatic buzzer beater that bounced off the rim four times before dropping, the winning basket in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs in May. Toronto went on to win its first NBA title, before Leonard left for the Los Angeles Clippers.

This time, the Raptors led 88-87 on a driving layup by rookie Terence Davis with 7:31 remaining in the fourth. Philadelphia’s Furkan Korkmaz hit a 3, Horford made a baseline jumper and Harris added a hook shot as the 76ers used a 7-0 run to build a 94-88 lead with 5:16 left to play.

Powell and VanVleet hit 3-pointers that cut the gap to two, 96-94, but Toronto missed three straight chances to tie it. Marc Gasol missed a pair from the line, a jump shot by Siakam missed the mark, and Harris blocked Anunoby’s fast-break drive after an Embiid turnover.

Siakam ended Toronto’s drought with a three-point play, giving the Raptors a one-point edge, 97-96, with 1:01 left.

Siakam forced a turnover on an entry pass from Simmons with just over 10 seconds remaining to preserve Toronto’s lead. VanVleet was fouled and made two shots, giving the Raptors a three-point cushion.

Harris and Simmons missed 3-pointers before Siakam finished it with a thunderous dunk.

For the first time in his career, Embiid didn’t score in the first half. He missed all four field goal attempts and came up empty on a pair of free throws.

 

 

 

Source: Manila Bulletin