By Agence France-Presse

Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed he is “ready to conclude a deal” for an all-British showdown between his fighter and Tyson Fury in December to determine the undisputed world heavyweight champion.

Fury beat American Deontay Wilder last month to win the WBC title, meaning he and Joshua, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion, hold all four of the major belts in boxing’s heavyweight division.

Clamour for a bout between the pair has been building but Joshua will first take on IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria on June 20 while Fury is likely to settle a contractual obligation to face Wilder again the following month.

However, Hearn has divulged that talks with Fury’s handlers are progressing smoothly for a blockbuster fight later this year, provided both combatants come through their next bouts.

Hearn told the Press Association: “Myself and Bob Arum (Fury’s promoter) have been talking to a point where we’re ready to conclude a deal and try to move forward to get that deal done for December.

“There’s no reason why we can’t put that deal in place now for the winner of those two fights.”

He added: “We’ve just got to iron out some basic things like broadcasters and where the fight is going to take place. But I believe there’s a real desire from both sides to get that fight done now. December would be perfect.

“To have two British heavyweight champions is unbelievable but to have them fighting for the undisputed championship is something that will never, ever happen in our lifetime again.”

The Principality Stadium in Cardiff, as well as Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia, remain the front-runners to stage the fight.

But Hearn is optimistic of more than one meeting between the pair and is confident that they will cross paths in Britain at some point.

“This fight is probably going to happen two, maybe three times,” he said. “We’re going to get it in the UK, it’s just whether one, two or three.

“December limits us in the UK, it just really leaves us with the (Principality Stadium), so we’re going to look at all options but first thing’s first, let’s get the deal papered and know exactly where we stand.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Reigning Masters champion Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, is among 10 people named as finalists to be considered for 2021 enshrinement into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Woods, a 44-year-old American whose 82 career US PGA Tour titles matched the all-time record set by Sam Snead, is joined by fellow US players Johnny Farrell and Tom Weiskopf and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington as candidates for next year’s induction class.

US women’s stars Dottie Pepper, Sandra Palmer, Beverly Hanson and Susie Maxwell Berning, former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and the late Marion Hollins, among the first women golf course designers, were also named as finalists by a 26-person Hall of Fame nominating committee.

Harrington, 48, won the 2007 and 2008 British Opens and 2008 PGA Championship while Farrell, who died in 1988 at age 87, won the 1928 US Open and Weiskopf, 77, won the 1973 British Open.

Berning won three US Women’s Opens among her four major crowns while Hanson, who died in 2014 at age 89, won three majors and Pepper and Palmer each won two major titles.

“The nominating committee has selected 10 finalists who represent the highest caliber of golfers and contributors,” World Golf Foundation chief executive officer Greg McLaughlin said in an announcement on the Hall of Fame website.

“We are grateful to the nominating committee for their work and anticipate the Class of 2021 being one of our strongest to date.”

The foundation’s board of directors recently lowered the players consideration from age 50 to 45 or three years retired from the sport.

A 20-member Hall of Fame selection committee will determine who will be inducted next year, with induction ceremony date, location and details yet to be announced.

The Hall of Fame, with 160 inductees, is located in St. Augustine, Florida.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Japan will adjust the Olympic torch relay set to begin this month “as necessary” to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), organizers said Wednesday, giving few specifics.

The Olympic flame is set to arrive in Japan on March 20 and depart less than a week later on a nationwide relay that will begin in Fukushima.

But with the spread of COVID-19, which has infected over 90,000 people and killed around 3,200 worldwide, questions have been raised about whether the Games can go ahead as planned.

Tokyo 2020 organizers insisted again Wednesday that they have no plans to cancel the Games, but acknowledged the relay may have to be adjusted — particularly after a call from the Japanese government for the cancellation, delay or downsizing of major events.

“The Organising Committee will take all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent the spread of infection among runners, spectators, and operational staff,” the organizers said in a statement.

Runners and spectators will be asked to “refrain from participation” if they feel unwell and the organizing committee will “thoroughly monitor the health of runners and staff, including conducting temperature measurements and health checks”, the statement added.

The organizers also raised the possibility that audiences for parts of the relay could be limited, but said that specifics were still being worked out.

“Measures such as limiting the number of entrants to celebration venues and requesting the cooperation of spectators lining the relay route may be taken as necessary,” the statement said.

Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto said decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis as “situations differ from community to community.”

“Concrete measures to conduct the torch relay will be decided in consultation with prefectures at least one week before (the torch arrives),” he added.

He declined to give specifics on measures, repeating only that entry to some venues could be limited and spectators on the route asked “for their help in curbing the spread of infections”.

Local media reported earlier Wednesday that a welcome event for the flame in north-east Japan’s Miyagi would be scaled back from around 1,000 people to just 250.

Reports also said the public might be asked to view the start of the relay on March 26 on screens and televisions at home rather than at the site, a sports complex that was a staging ground for operations during the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Tokyo 2020 organizers have been at pains to insist they have no plans to cancel the Games, and Muto said nothing had changed.

Organizers have been forced to adjust their test event schedule, postpone volunteer training and deal with rescheduling and cancellation of qualifying events.

Muto said the IOC had expressed “confidence” that the Games will start on July 25 and there had been no discussions about cancelling the Games.

READ MORE: Olympic chiefs prepare for ‘successful’ Tokyo 2020

“We are working to deliver a safe Games and devoting all of our efforts to do that.”

Organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori put it more bluntly when asked how long Japan has to decide on any adjustments to hosting the Games.

“I am not a god, so I don’t know that,” he said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Field Level Media-Reuters

After a 58-game absence, Stephen Curry will be back in the lineup for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday as they face the visiting Toronto Raptors in an NBA Finals rematch.

Curry broke his left hand during the fourth game of the season, on Oct. 30 against the Phoenix Suns.

The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player tweeted Wednesday, “About time!!!” accompanied by a video that showed him saying, “I’m back!”

Curry scrimmaged with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Monday before gaining approval to rejoin the parent club’s lineup.

A plan to have him return last Sunday for a game against the Washington Wizards was scrapped, and Curry subsequently missed Golden State’s 116-100 win at Denver on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old point guard is averaging 20.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists this season.

In his absence, and with the Warriors also missing shooting guard Klay Thompson all season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the Warriors are 14-48, the worst record in the league.

The Warriors have won two of their past three games after an eight-game losing streak. They have lost nine consecutive home games. The Raptors, who hold second place in the Eastern Conference, snapped a three-game skid with a win at Phoenix on Tuesday.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach insisted that the nightmare scenario of either cancelling or postponing the Tokyo Olympics was not discussed at a key meeting on Wednesday despite the global spread of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“Neither the word cancellation nor postponement was mentioned today during the Executive Board meeting,” Bach told reporters.

“I will not add fuel to the flames of speculation. Our statement from yesterday is very clear — we are fully committed to the success of the Tokyo Games.”

READ MORE: Tokyo Olympics contract could allow for postponement, says Japanese gov’t minister

The Olympics take place from July 24-August 9.

However, many sporting events around the world have either been cancelled or postponed in the wake of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Around 3,200 people have died and over 90,000 have been infected in more than 60 countries worldwide.

The vast majority of cases are in China, but South Korea, Italy and Iran have emerged as the countries with the most cases outside the epicenter.

The virus has also infected at least 230 people across Japan and been linked to five deaths.

Bach said that a working group had been created made up of the IOC, Tokyo 2020 organizers, the city of Tokyo, the Japanese government and the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We have this joint working group which holds regular meetings. We examine every question which may arise but we do not speculate on possible future developments,” added Bach.

Pressed on what allowed him to display such confidence in holding the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Bach said that the IOC relied on information from a wide range of experts.

However, when questioned over who would make the final decision over a possible cancellation or postponement of the Games, Bach refused to speculate.

‘Issue not on table’

“I don’t want to give legal advice,” said Bacha former Olympic fencer-turned-lawyer. “The issue is not on the table and has not been considered.”

The Olympic Games has never been cancelled in peace time.

There were Cold War boycotts of Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984 while the Zika virus put a cloud over the 2016 Rio Games with many competitors opting to give Brazil a miss.

So far, a number of Olympic qualifying tournaments have been postponed or reprogrammed to other venues.

Furthermore, around 15 test events are still to be staged in Japan before the Tokyo Games in such sports as swimming, cycling, gymnastics and sailing.

“We are facing challenges regarding the qualifications,” admitted Bach.

“But for athletes who cannot compete because of the coronavirus, we will look for a just solution with the international federations.

“This could consist of increasing the (qualification) quotas for a limited number of athletes who, according to their federations, would have qualified had they participated in the qualifying events.”

Elsewhere, the IOC Executive Board also decided on Wednesday to emphasize a commitment to gender equality by deciding that each national delegation in Tokyo should have “at least one female and one male athlete”.

Also, it was decided that during the opening ceremony, a man and a woman — against a single standard-bearer until now — will be able to carry the flag of their national committee together.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday gave teams at this year’s Tokyo Olympics the option of having a male and female competitor carrying their country’s flags at the opening ceremony.

“We have changed the rules to allow National Olympic Committees to nominate a female and a male athlete to jointly bear their flag during the opening ceremony,” said an IOC statement.

“We encourage all National Olympic Committees to make use of this option.”

The IOC also announced that July 24-August 9 Olympics will be the “first gender-balanced Olympic Games in history with 48.8 percent women’s participation”.

The IOC’s executive board meeting added that there should be –- for the first time -– at least one female and one male athlete in every one of the 206 teams, as well as the Refugee Olympic Team, participating.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Games Thursday

(Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig City)

1 p.m. — AMA vs APEX-San Sebastian

3 p.m. — Builders-UST vs TIP

5 p.m. — FamilyMart vs SEAOIL-FEU

Six teams, including Builders Warehouse-University of Santo Tomas, make their debuts Thursday as action in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup shifts to the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Builders Warehouse takes on Technological Institute of the Philippines at 3 p.m. to highlight the first tripleheader of the league’s season-opening conference.

APEX Fuel Mindanao-San Sebastian meets AMA Online Education Senior High in the 1 p.m. opener while SEAOIL-Far Eastern University battles FamilyMart-Enderun at 5 p.m.

UST makes its D-League return under the Builders Warehouse banner after nearly making the playoffs of last year’s first conference.

Coach Aldin Ayo’s Growling Tigers will parade the core of the team he guided to a runner-up finish in the UAAP in Rhenz Abando and Mark Nonoy while also parading new recruit Bismark Lina.

TIP, on the other hand, is coming off a semifinal appearance in last year’s Foundation Cup with coach Potit de Vera banking on import Papa Ndiaye and Bryan Santos.

Big man JM Calma will be tasked to carry APEX-San Sebastian against an AMA side that will have six players aged 17 to 19 years old.

RJ Abarrientos, who represented the Philippines in last year’s FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup, is out to showcase his skills for SEAOIL-FEU in the match opposite FamilyMart-Enderun.

Source: Manila Bulletin

University of the Philippines had an electric start to its UAAP Season 82 men’s volleyball campaign, scoring a stirring upset of Ateneo 25-21, 25-20, 25-22 Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Facing off against last season’s third placers, the Fighting Maroons drew strength and confidence from Louis Gamban. The rookie out of Perpetual rained down 10 points, a bulk coming at the critical juncture of the match.

Trailing 20-21 in the decisive third frame, Gamban showed up with a lot of flare. He pummeled four consecutive hits, lifting UP at match point 24-21.

Nicolo Consuelo momentarily halted the surge with a mishit, before Ruskin Ijiran iced the game for good.

“Ang goal namin talaga is simulan ng maayos ‘yun season. Nahirapan lang talaga kasi Ateneo ‘yung simula agad so yung anticipation, ‘yung pressure andoon agad sa amin,” UP head coach Rald Ricafort said. “Sabi ko naman sa kanila lahat ng adjustments sa offense, defense, execute lang.”

John Lomibao led UP with 11 points, anchoring the Fighting Maroons in the early stretches of the match. Joshua Castillo and captain Mac Millete provided ample support with nine and eight markers, respectively.

The last time UP won a match against Ateneo was back in Season 76 in a first round encounter that ended in four sets.

Having ended a long drought against a team that paraded the likes of Marck Espejo and Tony Koyfman in previous iterations, Ricafort feels relieved. But he said that such a dreadful past is not enough to weigh down the Fighting Maroons.

“Hindi ko na iniisip ‘yun na may history na matagal walang panalo basta lahat ng kalaban namin kailangan ready kami mentally atsaka physically,” Ricafort said

Chumason Njigha had his game-high output of 12 points go for naught. Carlo Glorioso and Kurt Aguilar managed 11 and nine markers, respectively, in a losing cause.

UP seeks to build from this win when it faces University of the East. Meanwhile, Ateneo eyes a breakthrough at the expense of De La Salle University. Both matches will be held on Saturday, March 7 at the same venue.

Earlier, National University began its three-peat quest on a triumphant note.

In their first game without reigning MVP Bryan Bagunas and the reliable troika of Francis Saura, Madz Gampong and Kim Malabunga, the Bulldogs overcame a tough challenge from University of Santo Tomas 27-25, 23-25, 25-19, 27-25 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Nico Almendras came through for the reigning champions with a double-double performance of 20 points and 14 excellent receptions. Former UE stalwart Ed Camposano opened up his one-and-done year with NU on a high, scoring 19 markers with four coming from blocks.

NU captain James Natividad supplied 11 points while Joshua Retamar ably distributed the wealth with 21 excellent sets.

Despite a stellar showing from his integral cogs, head coach Dante Alinsunurin admitted that the Bulldogs had a slow start because of his new integrated system, as NU took some time cranking up its offensive machine.

“Bago kasi yung naging sistema namin, yung opensa ng UST, tapos ‘yung adjustment namin mabagal,” Alinsunurin said. “Yung first game namin medyo matigas talaga buti na lang nung bandang huli, hats off kami sa depensa namin.”

The Bulldogs needed to get their acts together following a second set collapse. They regained control and did not trail until early in the fourth set when the Tiger Spikers snatched an 8-6 lead.

NU’s precise execution at the net and UST errors allowed the former to lock the count at 16, before stretching it to a 20-16 spread.

UST refused to go down without a fight, leaning on the scoring exploits of Joshua Umandal and Wewe Medina to uncork a blistering surge that forged a deuce.

After a trade of crucial blows, Berhashidin Daymil roofed Genesis Redido to buoy NU at match point before Nico Almendras scored a clutch ace to seal the deal.

In the process, the Bulldogs have stretched their winning streak to 17 matches, dating back from last season.

Umandal led all scorers with 25 points for UST in a losing cause. Lorenz Señoron and Medina had 15 and 14 markers, respectively, that went down the drain.

Source: Manila Bulletin

National University started off its UAAP Season 82 women’s volleyball campaign with a resounding statement Wednesday.

The upstart Lady Bulldogs shocked University of Santo Tomas in come-from-behind fashion, 22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20, 15-13, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The troika of Margot Mutshima, Ivy Lacsina and Risa Sato rallied NU from a one-set deficit to forge a decider. There, the Lady Bulldogs displayed composure, providing the fire suppressor needed to douse the Lady Tigresses.

Mutshima impressed in her league debut, firing 23 points built on 20 attacks and three aces. The 6-foot-2 Congolese spearheaded the offensive charge, while Lacsina and Sato anchored above the net.

The second-year Lacsina and the returning Sato netted seven blocks apiece, as the former finished with 19 markers while the latter ended with 17.

Joni Chavez ably stepped up in lieu of the injured Joyme Cagande, dishing out 21 excellent sets. For her part, Jennifer Nierva manned the floor with a double-double outing of 20 digs and 20 receptions.

NU head coach Norman Miguel said that his youthful wards needed to shake off the nerves early on. But once they found their confidence in the fourth frame, the Lady Bulldogs were giving UST all it could handle.

“‘Yung game, ‘yung mga players kanina medyo nagibabaw pa ‘yung nebryos sa game. Medyo natagalan maka-recover that’s why naapektuhan ‘yung skills namin sa passing sa mga ball control,” Miguel said.

“Tsaka siguro late na rin talaga nagconnect kailangan pa umabot sa dulo. So fourth set na kami totally nagconnect with each other. Nakuha na namin ‘yung rhythm after nu’ng fourth set, then finally nung fifth set yun na talaga yung nilalaro nila,” he added.

In the frantic fifth frame, UST errors propelled the Lady Bulldogs to a commanding 7-2 lead. Imee Hernandez and the Laure sisters though ignited the fire of the Golden Tigresses, who whittled away the deficit and knocked to within one, 8-9.

But the returning Risa Sato refused to give way, restoring order with a thunderous quick. Both teams traded blows from there, until Margot Mutshima powered NU at match point, 14-11.

Mutshima sent her backrow attack wide in the ensuing play to give UST some hope before Imee Hernandez roofed Lacsina to trim the deficit, 13-14. Lacsina though made a swift response, hammering down a quick kill to douse any chance of a comeback from the Golden Tigresses.

Eya Laure topped UST with 20 points in a losing cause, while Hernandez managed 18 in her collegiate debut. For her part, EJ Laure put up 17 markers in a somber return to the lair of the Golden Tigresses.

NU tries to stay on the right track when it collides Adamson University on Sunday, March 8. Meanwhile, UST seeks to enter the winner’s circle when it faces Far Eastern University on the same day. Both matches will be held at the same venue.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

Nonong Araneta, chief of mission to the Tokyo Olympics, urged leaders of national sports associations to exercise sound judgement in asking the government for financial assistance in their quest to send qualifiers.

“Kung suntok sa buwan ‘wag na lang,” said Araneta after a series of one-on-one meetings with NSAS at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Araneta noted that there are a few NSAs that seem to be on the lookout for a junket, stressing that the bid to qualify for the Olympic Games is serious business.

“Remember that we are spending taxes, public funds here,” said Araneta, referring to one NSA that has virtually no chance of qualifying.

“Look, there is one sport that will only get 50 qualified athletes and the ranking of (our) athlete is 300th.”

It is the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) that will finance the training and overseas exposure of NSAs that have an eye on the Olympics.

“So we have to be extra-careful in spending,” he said without naming the NSAs that appear to be more concerned about cashing in on funds intended for athletes that have genuine chances of making the Olympic grade.

The NSAs have identified about 50 Olympic candidates although only 38 were deemed capable of securing berths.

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is targeting to send 20 or more to Tokyo for the July 24-Aug. 9 Games. The last time in Rio 2016, only 13 athletes made it.

POC president Bambol Tolentino is planning to undertake a fundraiser to shore up the Philippines’ drive to win a medal in Tokyo.

Araneta, meanwhile, is meeting with PSC chairman Butch Ramirez on Thursday so he can present the NSAs’ revised Olympic program in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak that has affected the preparations of several NSAs.

With talks rife with a rumored postponement or even a cancellation of the Olympics, Araneta has only one advice to the NSAs and the athletes.

“Just concentrate on your training because there has been no (official) announcement that the Olympics have been scrapped so just keep on training even if all the questions I have been getting lately are about whether it will be postponed or not,” added Araneta.

Source: Manila Bulletin