By Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Vanessa Bryant said in an Instagram post on Monday that she was both grieving and angry over the loss of her husband, NBA star Kobe Bryant, and 13-year-old Gianna in a helicopter crash last month.

FILE PHOTO: Apr 10, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) acknowledges the fans as he leaves the court after the game between the Rockets and the Lakers at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports/ REUTERS

Vanessa Bryant, 37, has made few public appearances since the crash that killed her husband, daughter and seven others and said in the social media post that she had been “reluctant” to put her feelings into words.

“My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone,” she said, using a nickname for her daughter. “I can’t process both at the same time. It’s like I’m trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me.”

Bryant said she felt anger at losing both her husband and daughter and has to remind herself to be strong for the couple’s three surviving daughters.

“God I wish they were here and this nightmare would be over,” she said. “Praying for all of the victims of this horrible tragedy. Please continue to pray for all.”

The death of Bryant, an 18-time all-star in the National Basketball Association and one of the world’s most admired sports figures, prompted an outpouring of shock and grief from fans and fellow athletes around the globe.

The retired Los Angeles Lakers forward had been on his way to a youth basketball tournament in which he was coaching and his daughter and two other girls aboard the luxury chopper were due to compete.

Federal investigators have not yet determined a cause for the crash in Calabasas, California, outside Los Angeles, but have said the helicopter was flying in dense fog and that there was no evidence of engine failure.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Game Tuesday
(Rizal Memorial Stadium)
7:30 p.m. — Ceres vs Svay Rieng

Ceres-Negros is not treating Cambodian league champion Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng lightly as it starts the campaign in the AFC Cup group stage Tuesday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Ceres-Negros striker Bienvenido Maranon, left, shake hands with Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng’s Prak Mony Udom during the AFC Cup pre-match press conference at the Century Park Hotel. With them are, from left, Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic and Svay Rieng counterpart Conor Nestor. (Jonas Terrado)

Coach Risto Vidakovic warned the Busmen against complacency even as they are favored to gain the maximum three points in the Group G match set at 7:30 p.m.

“This game is very hard to prepare because everyone thinks that this is going to be an easy game,” Vidakovic said during Monday’s pre-match press conference at the Century Park Hotel.

“The last time we played a Cambodian team we beat them 9-0 at home,” added Vidakovic, referring to Ceres’ 9-0 drubbing of Boeungket Angkor in the 2018 group stage held at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.

“It’s a very dangerous game for us. We need to win and if we are not serious with our approach then we can have a very hard game.”

Svay Rieng, which won its country’s C-League after losing just one game, made its way to the continental competition by way of a 7-1 aggregate win over Laotian side Master 7 in a two-legged playoff round.

Coach Conor Nestor said his team is determined to give Ceres a serious threat in hopes of stealing a result on the road.

“You will see a team with absolutely nothing to lose” said Nestor, whose club is in the second-tier competition for the very first time.

The Philippines Football League and Copa Paulino Alcantara winners flirted at a possible group stage slot in the prestigious AFC Champions League following wins over Myanmar’s Shan United and Thailand’s Port FC before falling short against Japan’s FC Tokyo in the playoff round.

Ceres is seeking either to top Group G or emerge as the best-second placer from the three ASEAN groups in order to make the zonal semis for the fourth straight year.

Team captain Stephan Schrock and foreign strikers Bienvenido Maranon and Robert Lopez Mendy will again lead the Ceres attack while Manny Ott is expected to see action in his return from a brief spell in Thailand.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

The PBA announced on Monday that it has rescheduled the opening of the league’s 45th season due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Commissioner Willie Marcial said the PBA opener will be moved from March 1 to March 8, still at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, as a way to support the government’s measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Also rescheduled is the start of the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup which will now be held on March 2 at the Paco Arena instead of this Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

“It’s a preventive measure against nCov. It’s now in place and will be implemented,” Marcial said in a statement released by the PBA Monday afternoon.

“The safety of our fans, teams, players and officials remain to be our utmost priority,” Marcial added.

Defending five-time Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer and Magnolia are still slated to face off in the opening salvo.

Also to be held is the Leo Awards which will hand out the past season’s individual winners, including the coveted Most Valuable Player.

Originally slated in the D-League are the match between Marinerong Pilipino and Karate Kid-Centro Escolar University followed by the game pitting Wangs-Letran and EcoOil-La Salle.

The PBA was the latest league to reschedule its games because of the nCov scare.

The ASEAN Basketball League had earlier postponed 15 games involving teams from Hong Kong and Macau after travel restrictions were implemented due to the virus.

The NCAA, on the other hand, postponed juniors division matches in all disciplines last week.

Despite the measures, organizers of the Badminton Asia Manila Team Championships announced that it will proceed with the tournament that will start Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Even without bets from three countries, it’s all systems go for the 2020 Badminton Asia Manila Team Championships from February 11-16 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Badminton Asia and the Philippine Badminton Association have taken all measures to ensure the safety of the players participating in the tournament in the light of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.

“We can assure to the players and the Filipino people that their safety is put on a premium to ensure the world-class staging of this event,” said PBA secretary-general Christopher Quimpo.

The non-postponement of the event is a sign that the organizers have taken precautionary measures to address the situation.

“The world’s best badminton players have been vocal in saying that they are ready to put on a show come the Asian Team Championships — and this includes our national team who has been training hard for the past few months for this event,” added Quimpo about this tournament backed by SMART Communications Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Leisure and Resorts World Corporation, Cignal, and TV5.

Both teams from China and Hong Kong and the women’s team of India though will not participate in the biennial meet.

With this, a redraw of the groupings will be held during the coaches’ meeting at Century Park Hotel in Manila.

Originally, China and Hong Kong were in Group B in the men’s division, together with Thailand. Hong Kong was in Group W of the women’s division with Malaysia and Japan while India was slotted with Korea and Kazakhstan in Group X.

China finished in second place in both the men’s and women’s divisions of the tournament in 2018.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Minerva Newman

CEBU CITY— Some 40 martial arts grand masters from various countries are here for the 10th Russian House in the Philippines International Martial Arts Camp.

Some 40 martial arts grand masters from various countries in the world are here in Cebu for the 10th Russian House in the Philippines International Martial Arts Camp. (Minerva Newman)

In coordination with the Philippines Eskrima, Kali, Arnis Federation (PEKAF), Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) and Silat Camp of Maul Morni-Brunei, these top martial arts instructors and students are going to spend the next 14-days here for a special training camp on the Filipino martial arts of Eskrima, Kali, Arnis, and Silat, a Brunei traditional martial arts.

Alexander Pisarkin, a Russian martial arts grand master, started the Russian House in the Philippines Camp in 2011 in Cebu with five of his Russian students, incorporating Eskrima, Arnis and other forms of traditional martial arts into their movements.

Pisarkin told Manila Bulletin that not only that he loved Arnis and Eskrima as a great sports, he liked the Filipino martial artists because “they are great personalities with great sports.”

Through the years, from 2014 to date, more of his friends in the martial arts community in various countries in the world joined Pisarkin in this yearly camp in the Philippines expanding and introducing more indigenous martial arts movements.

Pisarkin said they were introducing the traditional martial arts of Brunei called the “Silat” in this year’s Camp because most of the movements are similar to Arnis/Eskrima.

Silat is another martial arts style indigenous in Brunei Indonesia and Southern Philippines, explained Grand Master and main instructor for Silat, Maul Mornie.

Mornie said Silat has similar foot and hand movements with Arnis/Eskrima because Silat had roots connection to most Filipino martial arts, Brunei and Indonesia being close to the Southern Philippines.

Felix Cortes, a Puerto Rican martial grand master and Camp co-founder told Manila Bulletin that the Camp usually adapts the Filipino culture of salutations, specifically the “Mano Po” and other of your traditions,

Cortes said this year’s camp are held in Cebu, Bohol, Bantayan and Camotes Islands. The Camp has been to many places in the country such as in Palawan, Coron, Hundred Islands and in many parts of Luzon and Mindanao.

Rene Tongson, PEKAF secretary general said that Arnis/Eskrima or Kali has become a national and physical fitness sports and now part of the SEA Games.

“We have an Arnis national team and DepEd has adopted Arnis as a sporting event in the Palarong Pambansa,” Tongson said.

Tongson added that Arnis, Eskrima or Kali has now been adopted by the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) here as a new tourism product to market for the Philippines. “We are finalizing the details of the project,” he said.

DOT-7 and the City of Cebu hosted a gala night gathering at the historic Fort San Pedro, Tuesday evening to welcome them here.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Kiefer Ravena is taking a bigger approach this time after being named team captain of Gilas Pilipinas for the first window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers later this month.

Gilas team captain Kiefer Ravena, wearing a yellow undershirt, talks to his teammates during Sunday’s practice at the Meralco Gym in Ortigas. (Jonas Terrado)

Interim coach Mark Dickel said the leadership role fits Ravena, who despite being just 26 years old has been a veteran of a number of international stints including last year’s FIBA World Cup in China.

“I think it suits him,” Dickel said after Sunday’s practice at the Meralco Gym in Ortigas. “He’s talkative and he’s communicative. It’s his turn.

“I feel like he’s more capable of taking that role and doing a great job with it. And I think for what we’re trying to build here with the culture that we’re trying to implement, we want everyone to be like that.

“But it’s gonna have to start with one guy, of course, so I got a lot of confidence with Kiefer. I think he can be a world-class point guard, so my job in this window is to try and start getting that out of him.”

While he has welcomed the captaincy role, the NLEX guard insisted that he’ll need the help of fellow PBA players who made the pool, particularly 37-year-old veteran Marc Pingris.

Pingris was a surprise addition to the pool, with Gilas program director Tab Baldwin saying that the Magnolia forward will serve as a bridge between past and present members of the national team.

Other PBA cagers on the pool are CJ Perez, RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Poy Erram and Justin Chua, who was named as replacement for Japeth Aguilar.

Ravena also felt that he’ll also serve as a bridge between the pros and the large group of amateurs who are candidates to suit up for the Feb. 20 home match against Thailand at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Feb. 23 road game with Indonesia in Jakarta.

“Feeling ko nandoon ako sa point na ako yung nasa gitna,” Ravena said. “Kaya ako, kahit papaano, one way or another nakalaban ko sila or naging kakampi ko so medyo gamay-gamay ko kung papaano sila kumilos, papaano sila maglaro at yung kakayahin nila.

“I guess that’s one factor that made coach Mark decide na maging captain ako. (But) in terms of leadership, siyempre si Ping yung epitome ng Gilas e, yung puso so kahit hanggang ngayon kailangan namin ipakita yun.

“And I need all the help that I can from Kuya Marc, Poy, CJ and Roger, lalo na nagdagdagan pa si Justin who is another big and another PBA vet to help out, especially the young ones,” added Ravena.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Three sports personalities who played a huge part in completing a season to remember are bound to reap the fruits of their hard work.

National University Lady Bulldogs coach Pat Aquino, NU’s Jack Danielle Animam, Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena are set to receive special awards in the SMC-PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel. (UAAP Images)

Jack Danielle Animam and her venerable coach at National University Patrick Aquino, along with Ateneo stalwart Thirdy Ravena will be the recipients of special awards in the coming SMC-PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel.

Ravena is the year’s Mr. Basketball, while Animam and Aquino are going to be the first awardees of Ms. Basketball and Coach of the Year honors from the country’s oldest media organization established in 1949.

The three are part of the long honor roll list headed by 2019 Athlete of the Year Team Philippines which will be feted in a grand March 6 ceremony presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Cignal TV, Philippine Basketball Association, Rain or Shine, and AirAsia.

Animam and Aquino formed part of the undefeated National University Lady Bulldogs who extended their reign as UAAP women’s basketball champion following yet another perfect season campaign.

The team copped a sixth straight UAAP title with another 16-0 record, including a sweep of University of Santo Tomas in the finals.

Overall, the Bulldogs have extended their unprecedented winning streak to 96 games in a six-year span.

Aquino also served as architect of the Gilas Pilipinas women’s 5-on-5 and 3×3 teams that brought home the breakthrough golds in the last 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Working behind the core of the Lady Bulldogs led by Animam, Aquino steered the Filipina cagebelles on top of the podium for the first time ever by toppling long-time rival Thailand in the final game of the tournament, 91-71, ending a long year of agony for Philippine women’s basketball.

They did the same thing in the inaugural 3×3 event when they likewise thrashed the Thais, 17-13, for the gold.

The same season also saw the Gilas Pilipinas women’s team retaining its spot in Division A of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.

And Ravena?

The well-built Ateneo guard served as the catalyst of the Blue Eagles completing an unprecedented 16-0 campaign in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament.n

The school retained the varsity title undefeated following a two-game sweep of University of Santo Tomas in the finals for their third straight championship.

No men’s team in UAAP history has won the crown with a perfect 16-0 record, and was the first unbeaten champion squad since UST (14-0) in 1993.

Ravena, who will forever be remembered for that iconic photo showing him standing on the scorer’s table and facing the Ateneo crowd while spreading his arms wide in the din of the championship celebration, were part of that Ateneo three-peat, which he capped by emerging as finals MVP each time, a first in UAAP history.

Earlier in the year, Ravena made the final 12-man roster of Gilas Pilipinas in the final window of the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers as the lone collegiate player.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

National athletes who are aiming for Tokyo Olympic slots are slowly adapting to the changes in their respective preparations.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez, left, and Tokyo Olympics chief of mission Nonong Araneta

Chief of mission Nonong Araneta on Monday urged affected national sports association to immediately submit a revised copy of their Olympic blueprint.

Not all 16 NSAs are affected but those who had earlier booked training stints in China were told to make the necessary adjustments the soonest.

Araneta was joined during the meeting by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez, who assured the NSAs that the government is fully behind their respective bids to send qualifiers to the July 24-August 9 Olympics.

NSAs that have been forced to adjust include weightlifting, boxing, taekwondo, gymnastics, athletics and skateboarding, according to Araneta, who revealed that the PSC is going to house the Olympians in Tokyo a month before the Athletes Village formally opens its gates.

“The plan is for the athletes to spend the final few weeks of training in Japan so they can all get used to the conditions,” said Araneta.

While admitting that the Wuhan coronavirus has impacted on the NSAs’ plans, “it’s also happening to the other countries.”

“It’s not just us but every country that has plans to train and compete in China are making adjustments,” noted Araneta.

The good thing, though, is the PSC is more than willing to shoulder the financial burden.

“The PSC simply wants all the athletes to keep their focus,” he said.

And that seems to be the case with boxing, which just sent off its men and women’s squads for a two-week camp in Thailand for the Olympic qualifiers next month in Amman, Jordan.

World champion gymnast Carlos Yulo is likewise moving on after his plan to hone his skills in China got scrapped.

Carlos Yulo  (MB Photo / Alec Go)

“This was before the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak,” said gymnastics chief Cynthia Carrion.

Yulo is now looking to train Israel before taking part in the World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan in March.

From Baku, Yulo will head back to Tokyo where he will be based until the Olympics begin.

Carrion said Yulo won’t be “jumping from one place to another”.

“The advice that we got is for Caloy (Yulo’s nickname) to stay in one place,” said Carrion.

Rio 2016 silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, meanwhile, is Malaysia-bound in preparation for the Asian championships in Kazakhstan in April.

Hidilyn Diaz (MB Photo / Rio Leonelle Deluvio)

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Alaska coach Jeffrey Cariaso acknowledged that Jeron Teng will need to raise his game to another level as he enters his third season in the PBA.

Alaska’s Jeron Teng enters his third PBA season filled with high expectations. (PBA Images)

“Jeron’s a big part of what we do and he’s a big part of our future so we’re gonna rely on him to be that solid three guy,” Cariaso said after Alaska defeated South Korea’s Dankook University 129-101 in Sunday’s tune-up game at the Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City.

“When you’re the three guy (small forward), you’re expected to play both ends so that’s one thing he needs to kinda accept. He’s got a couple of years under his belt, di na siya bata so he has to understand that his role, his expectation even coming from himself, has to be higher.”

Cariaso was reacting to a statement made by team governor Dickie Bachmann, who bared that the Aces expect bigger things from the former La Salle star.

Bachmann said that the “plan is to revolve the team around Jeron” for the 45th season which starts with the Philippine Cup on March 1.

Teng averaged 15.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup, but played only five games after missing the early part of the tournament because of a right hamstring injury.

His campaign in the season-ending conference was cut short when he hyperextended his right knee late in a mid-November game against Phoenix Pulse.

He averaged 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 13 games during the Philippine Cup and 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 14 games in the Commissioner’s Cup.

Alaska is aiming for a much-improved campaign after barely making the quarterfinals in all three conferences last season as Cariaso enters his first full season as coach.

“How we do things here, we play together,” said Cariaso. “But we always have that one guy who’s able and can step up pag kailangan. We’re hoping him to be one of those guys.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coach Tim Cone on Monday clarified that he was aware of the situation that eventually led to Greg Slaughter’s decision to take some time away from basketball.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone, with Greg Slaugher to his left.  (PBA Images)

“Contrary to some reports, I did know Greg was contemplating taking a break from basketball,” Cone said, reacting to his initial statement that he had no news of Slaughter’s decision which he revealed through his Instagram account Saturday night.

Cone said that he and Slaughter discussed the possibility during an exit interview that came after Ginebra’s five-game victory over Meralco in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals last month.

The champion mentor also reiterated his desire to sit down with Slaughter in hopes of clearing the air.

“We discussed it during our exit meeting immediately following the championship, and I hope to discuss it further in the next couple of days,” Cone said.

Ginebra center Greg Slaughter (PBA images)

The 7-foot center’s stunning decision came after the three-year contract he signed in 2016 expired at the conclusion of the championship series.

Cone acknowledged that Slaughter’s decision leaves a big hole in the Ginebra roster for the Philippine Cup which starts March 1.

Ginebra is being groomed as the strongest threat to San Miguel Beer’s bid to win an unprecedented sixth straight title in the PBA’s most important tournament.

“Obviously, his absence in the All-Filipino would be a big blow to the team and his teammates,” he said.

View this post on Instagram

Six years, four championships, a lifetime of experiences and memories. It’s been a fun ride being with this team. I will forever be proud to have played for Ginebra, a dream of mine that came true when they drafted me in 2013. With that, now that my contract has expired, I’ve decided to take a break to be able to work on myself in all aspects. I may not know what the future holds, but one thing is for sure, the best is yet to come! Thank you first and foremost to SMC and Boss RSA, and the rest of the management, Coach Tim and coaching staff, my teammates, and the entire Ginebra community. To the best fans in the world – I can’t thank you enough for all the support you have shown me throughout the years. I will forever be grateful! #NSD

A post shared by Gregory Slaughter (@gregslaughter) on Feb 8, 2020 at 2:17am PST

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Source: Manila Bulletin