Philippine chessers bag 4 golds in Singapore

The Philippines struck for four gold medals on top of a silver and four bronzes in the Singapore International Chess Festival at the Jurong East Sports Complex Sunday.

Winning for the PH squad were Michelle Yaon in the girls’ Under-17 division, Vince Angelo Medina in the Open Under-17, Fide Master Paulo Bersamina in the Open Under-14 and Dennis Gutierrez III in the Open Under-8.

“It’s a good sign for our young chess players,” said Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr., president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. “They showed that we can compete and win in international competitions.”

Yaon, a promising find from Calamba City and a student of St. Simon Montessori School, split the point with India’s G Sushmitha in the final game to win the title with 6.5 points in eight games .

Medina, a student of Far Eastern University-Fern topped his division after a final draw with Jodi Setyaki Azarya of Indonesia while Bersamina capped a dominant performance with a victory over Ooi Zhi Yang Singapore to wind up with 8.0 points.

Gutierrez, a San Fabian, Pangasinan standout, beat Jiddan Firman of Indonesia to clinch the gold also with 8.0 points.

Bohol bet Jerad Docena clinched the country’s lone silver by finishing second behind Bersamina.

Delivering bronze medals were Marc Christian Nazario (Open U-17) Julius Gonzales (Open U-11), Iloilo’s Fiona Geeweneth Guirhem (Girls U-11) and Misamis Oriental’s Mae Ann Joy Baclayon (Girls U-8 ).

Woman Fide Master Marie Antoinette San Diego, an early favorite in the Girls’ U-14, was a big disappointment, however, as she finished with only 5.0 points in the nine-round event.

San Diego wound up two points behind eventual champion WFM Najiha Hisham Nur of Singapore and half a point behind compatriot Shania Mae Mendoza.

Bitoon 2nd in Campomanes Cup

Meanwhile, Grandmaster Richard Bitoon finished tied for second in the second Asean Men Campomanes Cup also in Singapore.

Bitoon wound up tied with GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and Internatioal Master Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam with 6.0 points, just half a point behind champion GM Cao Sangâ of Vietnam.

source by Jasmine W. Payo, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Read More

Guiao key in RoS mission

MANILA, Philippines — While many PBA observers expect a shootout and an exciting run-and-gun encounter between Powerade and Rain or Shine, questions arise on which team holds the advantage in their best-of-seven semifinal showdown in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Will Yeng Guiao’s coaching experience help the Elasto Painters? Or will Gary David’s scoring prowess be enough to lead the Tigers?

It appears that these two factors will decide the seven-game series with Game 1 set Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

The experience of Guiao, who started coaching in the PBA in the late ‘80s with five championships, transformed Rain or Shine to one of the surprising contenders this conference, his third with the team after joining the franchise last season (Commissioner’s Cup).

“Coach Yeng has the edge experience-wise,” said Barako Bull mentor Junel Baculi, once an assistant to Guiao with Burger King/Air21 (now Shopinas.com). “But I think it’s still even since the two teams have players who can light it up every game.”

Guiao will be up against Bo Perasol of Powerade, who started coaching in the pro league in 2005 with FedEx/Air21, which he steered to the 2007 Fiesta Cup Finals where they lost to Ginebra in seven grueling games.

In late 2009, Perasol left Air21, which was then renamed Burger King with Guiao at the helm.

Perasol joined Coca-Cola, first as assistant coach to Kenneth Duremdes before finally taking over as coach. After several disappointing campaigns, Powerade finally made the playoffs this conference where the Tigers earned a quarterfinal slot.

As the No. 8 seed, they stunned top seed and twice-to-beat B-Meg to enter the semifinals for the first time in six years.

However, while Guiao enjoys an edge in experience, the Rain or Shine-Powerade series is almost equal man-for-man. One player though is capable of tilting the balance: 6-foot-3 David.

After averaging nearly 21 points in the eliminations, David elevated his scoring to 34.5 points in the series versus B-Meg.

source by Waylon Galvez, mb.com.ph

Read More

Boxers in Mongolia training

MANILA, Philippines - With the qualifying events for the London Olympics going full blast early 2012, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) is eyeing to send its male hopefuls to Mongolia and female aspirants to Kazakhstan to gear them up for the qualifiers.

ABAP executive director Ed Picson said the plan is to bring along Rey Saludar and Co. to Ulan Bator, Mongolia for possible training sessions with Mongolian pugs on the side while the country’s lady boxers compete in the ASBC Women’s Boxing Championships on March 16-26.

“Mongolia is a strong nation in boxing so we’re coordinating with our counterparts in Mongolia if our male boxers can train there while our female bets are fighting,” said Picson.

Mongolia came off its best Olympics showing in 2008 with two golds and two silvers, with boxing accounting for half, courtesy of bantamweight champ Enkhbatyn Badar-Uugan and lightflyweight runnerup Pürevdorjiin Serdamba.

For the London Games, Mongolia has sent in two in Serdamba and lightwelter Uranchimegiin Mönkh-Erdene while Phl had only one in lightfly Mark Anthony Barriga so far.

From Mongolia, Picson said the male pugs will proceed to Astana, Kazakhstan where they will seek to earn berths in AIBA’s London 2012 Olympic Qualifying Event for Asia, on March 30-April 8.

The plan, according to Picson, is to tag along the Pinay pugs as final buildup for the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, their own qualifying meet for London, slated May 21 – June 3 in Qinhuangdao, China.

SEA Games champions Josie Gabuco (46), and Alice Kate Aparri (48) and SEAG silver medalists Nesthy Petecio (54) are being groomed for the 51-kg Olympic class that Phl intends to send an entry when women’s boxing debuts in London.

“We’re preparing an extensive training program for our male and female boxers as they bid for the Olympics. No ifs and buts about it, the directive of our chairman, Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan, and president, Mr. Ricky Vargas, is to spare no effort; provide all-out support to give our boxers a shot at the Olympics,” Picson said.

The ABAP pool returns to camp today after a brief break during the holidays. They are also set to attend a planning and team-building workshop by mid-January to kickstart their busy year.

source by Olmin Leyba, The Philippine Star

Read More

PBA D-League resumes at The Arena

MANILA, Philippines - NLEX and Freego Jeans hope to come out strong from a long layoff as they take on Boracay Rum and Café France, respectively, at resumption of action in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at The Arena in San Juan today.

The Road Warriors (5-1) step up their drive for an outright semifinal berth as they collide with the Boracay Rum side (4-4) at 2 p.m. and Pacific Pipes (4-3) on Thursday.

The PBA D-League Foundation Cup champions are trying to keep their four-game winning streak going before their much-awaited encounter with pacesetter Cebuana Lhuillier on Jan. 12 for the coveted top spot.

“Our immediate goal is to win our first two games before we face Cebuana. We want to be in the Top 2 but our game against Boracay Rum and Pacific Pipes will be crucial for us,” said NLEX coach Boyet Fernandez.

But Fernandez remains wary of the Waves, who have won three of the last five games before the holiday break.

“With a very good coach and solid unit, Boracay Rum will be a dangerous team. They could’ve swept their last five games but lost two at endgame,” Fernandez said.

Freego Jeans (6-2), meanwhile, is fancied over Café France (2-5) in their 4 p.m. encounter with the Jeans Makers out to check their skid. They dropped two of their last three games and would need no less than a sweep of their last two assignments to stay in the hunt for an outright spot in the Final Four.

 “Our next two games are really important for us. Those games can give us an opportunity to gain at least a tie for one of two slots in the semis,” said Freego Jeans coach Leo Austria.

 PC Gilmore (2-5) and ousted DUB Unlimited clash in the opening match at 12 noon.
source by The Philippine Star

Read More

SI analyst predicts Pacquiao will lose in 2012

Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will lose a boxing match in 2012 for the first time in seven years, a boxing analyst from Sports Illustrated predicted.

Pacquiao has not lost a bout since his unanimous decision setback to Erik Morales in 2005, but Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix is predicting that Pacquiao will lose to Juan Manuel Marquez this year.

"The two rivals have seen their careers become as intertwined as Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier," Mannix said of Pacquiao and Marquez.

"In 36 rounds, only one--Pacquiao's 3-knockdown first round in the first fight--has truly been decisive," he added.

Mannix said that since a mega-fight against undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not be possible until June, a fourth fight with Marquez "is the only natural option."

"And in another back-and-forth battle (likely fought in front of 50,000-plus fans at Cowboys Stadium) Marquez will finally get the win that has eluded him," Mannnix predicted.

Pacquiao and Marquez have fought three times, with all three bouts resulting in controversial decisions. The latest installment, held last November 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, saw Pacquiao eke out a majority decision victory despite struggling against Marquez all night.

Mannix is also predicting that the most highly anticipated fight in boxing, Pacquiao vs Mayweather, will not happen in 2012.

"Mayweather's recently handed down jail sentence likely ruins any chance of making Mayweather-Pacquiao in the first half of the year," Mannix said. "If Pacquiao loses (against Marquez), there will undoubtedly be a fifth fight between the two, pushing any matchup with Mayweather into 2013."

Exciting fight for Donaire

Mannix also predicted that Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire will meet Cuban boxer Yuri Gamboa in an exciting match-up later in 2012.

"Gamboa and Donaire are both explosive talents that always look for the knockout," he said.

Donaire will make his debut at the junior featherweight division in February 2012 against Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr., while Gamboa will move to the super featherweight division in March.

Although the two boxers fight in different weight divisions, Mannix expects that they will meet later in 2012.

"The lack of quality opponents for either will lead to matchup between the two Top Rank-promoted fighters by the end of the year," he said.


source by abs-cbnNEWS.com

Read More

Event of the Year: The SMART Ultimate All-Star Weekend

For most NBA fans, the lockout was a nightmare that everybody wished would end. For Filipino basketball fans, the lockout made our wildest dreams come true.

And considering all that it led to the lockout lasting a little longer probably wouldn’t have been so bad.

With the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement up in the air, many NBA players looked for alternative forms of income. New Jersey star Deron Williams was one of the first to look overseas, signing with Turkish club Besiktas for one year and $5 million. Some of the other high-profile stars weren’t quite so desperate but still needed a little something to tide them over.

So Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and a mix of veterans and young stars packed their bags and trooped to the Philippines for a pair of exhibition games against a PBA selection and the national team.

Yeah, I still pinch myself every now and then to make sure that it really happened. To put things in proper perspective: That was nuts.

Seriously, it was nuts. Look, the NBA has been bringing their preseason to Europe and China the past few years and even they don’t see as many All-Stars under one roof. The event was such a big deal that Sports Illustrated pointed to the event as a model for players to survive the lockout, while Grantland devoted a longform feature on how the weekend came together.

Barring another lockout, we aren’t likely to see an event like this anytime soon. And that’s what makes the SMART Ultimate All-Star Weekend really special. CBA negotiations happen once every six years and sometimes, like in 2005, negotiations wrap up quickly. That means we might have experienced a once-in-a-few-decades kind of game.

And what made it more fun was that the NBA players seemed to have genuinely enjoyed their trip here just as much as we enjoyed having them.

The players were treated like rock stars wherever they went. JaVale McGee did some on-court planking. Paul showed off his boxing footwork for Manny Pacquiao during a timeout late in one of the games. Bryant and Pacman shared a lengthy conversation. Bryant and McGee also reportedly missed a press conference when they diverted their car from an official function to do some shopping.

For a basketball-crazy nation like ours, this was nothing short of a dream come true, and hands-down, the Event of the Year.

source by Mikkel Bolante · image by InterAKTV/Markku Seguerra

Read More

Coach of the Year: Ato Agustin of the Petron Blaze Boosters

Five months after leading Petron Blaze to an upset over Talk ‘N Text in the 2011 Governors’ Cup finals, Boosters coach Ato Agustin admitted that the infamous incident between him and his counterpart Chot Reyes might have taken the Tropang Texters out of their game.

“Nawala sa huwisyo yung Talk ‘N Text nung nagkaroon kami ng sagutan ni Coach Chot,” he said. After Petron was blown out in Game Three, Agustin approached Reyes at midcourt and challenged him to a fistfight. After the incident, the Boosters won three of the next four games.

Agustin contended that it wasn’t his intent to get into the head of the Tropang Texters.

“Hindi naman natin sinasadya yun. Nangyari lang talaga. Pero para sa akin, laro lang naman ako even nung player tayo sanay tayo sa ganyan kahit na pikunin tayo.”

Whether the incident had an effect or not on Talk ‘N Text is up for debate. But what isn’t up for debate is how great a coach Ato Agustin is. In his rookie season as a coach in the league, the 1992 PBA Most Valuable Player led the San Miguel franchise to two finals appearances and a championship. In less than three years as a head coach, he has won titles in the NCAA, the PBL, and the PBA.

Agustin’s deputies at Petron agree are all praises for the coach.

“Maganda sa kanya, yung winning attitude andun – from college, to PBL, now nadala niya yun sa PBA, yun yung isang bentahe nya,” said Pido Jarencio, a Petron Blaze assistant who is also a champion UAAP coach with University of Santo Tomas. “Second, yung personality niya. Yung mga players, nakuha niya yung loob. Dahil yung mga players gusto siya, maaga silang nakapag-adjust sa sistema niya, which is simple lang naman.”

“Dahil mahal si Coach Ato ng mga players niya, todo bigay  sila sa paglalaro sa kanya. Kami naman sa coaching staff, maganda yung camaraderie namin, also because of Coach Ato. Being a head coach, nakikinig siya, kaya sa tingin ko lalong gagaling siyang mag-coach.”

Gee Abanilla, another assistant, said Agustin fosters a great work atmosphere for his staff.

“Magaan yung environment where we are working. He is open to suggestions, binibigyan nya ng role ang lahat ng tao dito sa amin, from the players, coaches down to the utilities. When you see an environment like that, it makes you feel you belong to something and it makes you feel proud to be part of. It’s like working with pleasure,” said Abanilla.

“Kaming mga coaches binibigyan niya ng pagkakataon.  Kung ano yung strength ng isang coach, tina-tap niya. He’s a great listener, pero pinapakita niya sa amin yung mga kakulangan namin. In the end, he makes the decision.”

Biboy Ravanes, a longtime San Miguel assistant, praised Agustin’s openness toward his staff.

“He’s very open to suggestions. Gusto niya kaming mga assistant coaches sama-sama yung mga ideas.  He’s very approachable and hindi ka maiilang sa kanya.”

Olsen Racela, who played for Agustin in the Philippine Cup last season before retiring to join the coaching staff, praised the coach’s ability to get the best out of his players.

“Our players love to play for him. If you’re on a roll or medyo hot ka, he keeps you inside, kaya as a player, nabo-boost yung confidence mo. Nakita mo naman from the line-up naming na puro injuries, may mga nag-step up parati at nakikita ito sa laro ng mga players,” said Racela.

Ravanes added that Agustin’s mindset as a player helps him identify with the Boosters.

“Magaling siyang makisama sa mga players and naiintindihan niya talaga yung mga naglalaro, alam niya yung kiliti nitong mga ito. Para siyang one of them,” said Ravanes.

But beyond just being a players’ coach, Racela said that Agustin has a great feel for the game, which gives him an edge as a bench tactician.

“Magaling siyang magpasok ng tao. Minsan huhugot siya bigla sa bench na hindi mo akalain so magugulat yung kalaban.”

source by Reynaldo Belen, InterAKTV · image by InterAKTV/Markku Seguerra

Read More

Villain of the Year: The South Korean national basketball teams

It’s really difficult to brand any one individual or team as a villain. Certainly, South Korea held no malicious intent when it rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to overtake the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team with 47 seconds to go in the third place game of the FIBA Asia Championships last September. Surely, all the team wanted was the same thing our team did – a medal finish and a berth in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Games. There is no doubt they held no ill will toward us and that they just wanted to perform as best as they could.

There was no malice either when South Koreans youth team eliminated Energen Pilipinas in the semifinals of the FIBA Asia Under-16 Championships, which would have given the Philippine team a spot in the FIBA World Under-17 Championships next year. Like the Pinoy teens, the South Korean kids were just doing their best.

But forget all that, it’s okay to dislike the South Korean national team.

No, they aren’t dirty, excessively physical players. They don’t celebrate in your face or rub it in when you’re down. No, they don’t hold hour-long TV specials just to announce which beach they’re taking their talents to this season.

There is, objectively, no reason to hate on the South Koreans.

But sports fandom is rarely about being objective. The most loyal fans cheer for their adopted teams through thick and thin. It doesn’t matter if they’re actually good. The only thing that matters is whether or not they’re wearing the jersey of the team that you love, regardless of wins or losses.

And it is especially true when talking about national teams. We cheer for the Philippine teams whether or not we actually like the players on the team. We’re almost compelled to like them just because they have PILIPINAS spelled across their chests.

The national team has a way of bringing us together, famously exemplified by former teammates-turned-rivals Robert Jaworski and Mon Fernandez burying the hatchet for the national team in the 1990 Asian Games. Jaworski, appointed to helm the team, chose Fernandez to be his team captain despite a bitter breakup after their partnership in Toyota.

SMART-Gilas inherited a Sisyphean struggle from years of heartbroken national teams that similarly failed to qualify for the world level. And much like the mythical Sisyphus before them, it actually seemed as if SMART-Gilas, in the dying seconds of the third place game, had finally rolled its own figurative boulder all the way up to the top of the hill.

Check out the other nominees for Villain of the Year

But here we are, right back where we started.

We can’t be blamed for disliking the South Korean team just as Sisyphus can’t be blamed for hating that damned rock he’ll have to push for the rest of eternity. They don’t mean us any harm, but that doesn’t mean we have to like them.

So, South Korea, please don’t take this personally. In fact, it’s a compliment to be identified as a villain, because it means you accomplished something we wish that we had in your stead.

Congratulations on being named Villain of the Year. You should feel honored.

Jerks.

source by Mikkel Bolante, InterAKTV · image by AFP file photo

Read More

Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: Stephan Schrock of the Azkals

Significant time has passed since Filipino-German midfielder Stephan Schrock last suited up for the Philippine national men’s football team that it’s starting to feel like it didn’t really happen. So it’s understandable that Filipino fans, many of whom are only taking up football for the first time, kind of forget the impact that Schrock brought to the Azkals this year.

Simply put: When Schrock suited up for the Azkals, he was often the best player on the pitch for the Philippine side.

In his debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo last June, Schrock was murder in the midfield, hooking up time and again with homegrown Pinoy dynamo Chieffy Caligdong for opportunity after opportunity. In the second leg in Manila, Schrock anchored the Azkals’ 4-0 trashing of the Sri Lankans despite not scoring a goal himself.

Apart from quality, Schrock also displayed a combustible personality on the field, and he was penalized with a yellow card in each of the three games against Sri Lanka. That cost the Azkals dearly in the next round, which saw the Philippines yield to Kuwait, 3-0.

The Azkals showed more bite in the second leg in Manila, and it was Schrock leading the charge. After Caligdong battled two defenders to keep possession of the ball late in stoppage time in the first half, Schrock blasted a 25-foot bomb that hit the back of the net, bringing the house down.

For a moment, Filipino fans dreamt about a major upset, against no less than powerhouse Kuwait, the Gulf Cup and West Asian Cup.

Check out the other nominees for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

In the second half, however, reality set in, and the Azkals ran out of miracles. Kuwait scored two goals to end the Philippines’ World Cup journey.

Still, fans saw just how good Filipino football could be, and Schrock plays a big part in the Philippines’ chances to advance in the international stage. As the anchor in the midfield, Schrock would be key in the counterattack, turning defense into offense in a snap.

And with a world-class player like him, Team Philippines might just have a shot at bringing down more goliaths in the future too.

Jaemark Tordecilla, InterAKTV · image by InterAKTV/Markku Seguerra

Read More