Archive for July, 2008

For a change, a couple of Filipino athletes competing in the Beijing Olympics are not really counting on the luck of the draw.

“I don’t want to say that during the drawing of lots, we’ll be hoping that they are not drawn with the top guns,” said RP taekwondo chief Robert Aventajado in yesterday’s PSA Forum.

He said flyweight Tshomlee Go and middleweight Toni Rivero have worked so hard in training that the luck of the draw shouldn’t decide their chances of winning the medals in Beijing. Read the rest of this entry »

UAAP commissioner Chito Narvasa yesterday turned down the protest filed by University of the East contesting a no-call in the last 3.03 minutes of its 69-71 setback to Far Eastern U Saturday at the Philsports Arena.

In a seven-page decision obtained by The STAR, Narvasa said the bone of the Warriors’ contention, a supposedly 24-second clock violation that the latter deemed should have nullified Tams’ Marlon Adolfo’s putback, was not a technical error but a judgment call. Read the rest of this entry »

They form one of the league’s most prolific backcourt tandems but Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand have found themselves locked in a fierce battle for the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award.

Already leading the BPC race after the elimination round, Caguioa and Helterbrand further boosted their bid for the coveted plum when they helped power the Kings to an amazing 12-game romp for the first championship berth in the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Finals. Read the rest of this entry »

The main group of athletes and officials in the 37-member Team Philippines will leave for Beijing on Aug. 5, three days before the 29th Olympic Games comes off the wraps in glittering rites.

Chef de Mission Monico Puentevella and Arturo Macapagal head the 27 athletes, coaches and officials taking a Philippine Airlines for a four-hour trip to the Chinese capital.

Leaving with the three are athletes Marestella Torres and Henry Dagmil of athletics, Harry Tañamor of boxing; Sheila Mae Perez and Rexel Ryan Fabriga of diving; Daniel Coackley, Ryan Paolo Arabejo, Miguel Molina, James Walsh and Joan Christel Simms of swimming, and Hidilyn Diaz of weighlifting; coaches Patricio Gaspi, Jennifer Chan, Joseph Sy, Juan Enrique Tissert, Zhang Dehu, Jason Calanog, Carlos Brosas, Ramon Solis; press officer Joey Romasanta, Ricardo Yang, Mark Joseph, doctors Martin Camara, Alejandro Pineda and Orson Odulio. Read the rest of this entry »

SINGAPORE – Former World Pool champion Alex Pagulayan ended the Chinese Taipei stranglehold of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 as he defeated compatriot and current world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo, 11-6, in an All-Filipino finals of the Singapore leg last night at Velocity@Novena Square.

Pagulayan’s victory earned him the top prize of $15,000 (P675,000) while Orcollo, who entered the tournament as a wild card bet, settled for $6,000 (P270,000).

The Chinese Taipei players previously dominated the Tour as they swept all six legs last year and this year’s first three legs, which were all won by Chang Jung-Lin. Chang was booted out of the competition by Orcollo in the group stage last Friday. Read the rest of this entry »

Panama’s Rafael ‘El Torito’ Concepcion willed his way to overpower the slick-punching but late last night a totally exhausted AJ ‘Bazooka’ Banal of the Philippines to win the WBA superfly interim title at the full house Cebu Coliseum here.

Concepcion sent Banal kneeing to the canvas in the 10th round where Banal was unable to beat the referee’s count apparently due more to exhaustion to the dismay of thousands of local fans in attendance who were expecting a sure win by the erstwhile undefeated ALA Gym world title contender. Read the rest of this entry »

Manny Pacquiao vowed to be in his best shape ever if and when he gets to fight Oscar dela Hoya in December.

“If it’s Oscar I’m fighting, training should be at least eight weeks. Even 12 or 13 weeks or three months,” said the boxing superstar Wednesday.

Pacquiao knows too well that a fight with the Golden Boy should be his biggest fight ever in terms of magnitude and purse.

“That’s why I need to be in my best possible shape. Even better than when I fought (Marco Antonio) Barrera the first time,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh from scoring its biggest win, Jose Rizal University guns for a fourth straight victory when it plays Mapua in the NCAA basketball tournament at the Astrodome in Pasay City today.

The Heavy Bombers and Cardinals tangle at 2 p.m. with the Mandaluyong-based squad determined to follow up their stunning 79-74 win over defending champion San Beda two days back.

Despite their win over the Red Lions, JRU coach Ariel Vanguardia is not taking the Cardinals lightly.

“Marami silang big men that could match up with (James) Sena,” said Vanguardia. “We have to defend well against (Kelvin) dela Peña at (Allan) Mangahas.” Read the rest of this entry »

Another player with a Filipino lineage has made it to a Major League Baseball club after the addition of 25-year-old pitcher Geno Espineli to the San Francisco Giants’ roster earlier this week.

Born as Eugene Macalalag Espineli on Sept. 9, 1982 to Filipino parents in Houston, Texas, the southpaw hurler played for one inning during the Giants’ 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers last Sunday (Monday Manila Time). Read the rest of this entry »

Barangay Ginebra kept the momentum of its Game One win over Red Bull and took control practically throughout, repeating with a 111-104 win over the Bulls in Game Two of their Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Final Four showdown at the Araneta Coliseum. Read the rest of this entry »

Oscar De La Hoya said a fight with Manny Pacquiao remains a possibility, although he believes a third fight between the Filipino and Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico is necessary.

“Does Pacquiao need Marquez? Absolutely,” said De La Hoya who was among those disappointed over Pacquiao’s split decision over Marquez last March. Read the rest of this entry »

One streak will end today as defending champion La Salle and Adamson cross paths while University of the East tries to get back on the winning track in the UAAP basketball tournament at the Philsports Arena.

The Archers will stake their three-game winning run against the Falcons (2-2) at 2 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »

Manny Pacquiao leaves for the United States on Thursday, hoping to hit a jackpot with the finalization of a proposed mouth-watering December date with Oscar De La Hoya.

In Las Vegas, Pacquiao will meet with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum to discuss the merits of the De La Hoya bout being penciled for Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand. Read the rest of this entry »

Sister teams Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia Beverage won the opener of their respective semifinal series last night in the Smart-PBA Fiesta Cup at the Astrodome in Pasay City.

Magnolia took advantage of an import-less Air21 to post an impressive 113-87 victory while Ginebra hammered a 108-82 win against Red Bull. Read the rest of this entry »

Ateneo, as expected, remained unbeaten yesterday and continued to look down the opposition in the 71st UAAP season.

A great start anchored on a running game gave Ateneo the cushion it needed the rest of the way as it turned back host University of the Philippines, 83-66, at the Philsports Arena. Read the rest of this entry »