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COTTO VS KAMEGAI PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

HBO World Championship Boxing will present WBO Jr. Middleweight World Championship fight between Puerto Rican four division world champion Miguel Cotto (40-5,33) and Japanese world contender Yoshiro Kamegai (27-3-2,24) that will be held on August 26 at Stubhub Center in California. 
“I’m very happy to be back and to be here. Our training camp starts on the first of July. Kamegai is a tough fighter, and he is coming with the victory on his mind. I’m going to do the best I can for this fight and fight with my heart as always. See you all on August 26.” – Miguel Cotto
“For me to fight someone I’ve been a fan of since I was 20 years old is an honor. I look forward to fighting him, and I’m out here to win this fight. I don’t speak English well, but I do speak boxing and I plan to put on a very entertaining fight. Please watch this fight on HBO on August 26. “When I first heard that this fight had been made and that I would face Cotto, I thought to myself, ‘YES!'”
-Yoshiro Kamegai

Miguel Cotto also inks with Golden boy Promotions with multi fight deal. 

Local Boxing Promoters Recognized by WBC in Bangkok

Great news for the Philippine Boxing Community as local boxing promoters from the Philippines get recognized by the Asian Boxing council as Honorary promoters of the year for 2016.
Congratulations to:
Mr. Jim Claude Manangquil 
Brico Santig 
Gabriel S. Elorde Jr.


 WBC Asia Honorary promoters of the year for 2016.
video posted by Brico Santig
#Sanmanpromotions 
#Sanmanboxing
#Highland Boxing
#ElordeInternational

Rain or Shine finally Puts an end to Ginebra’s Winning Streak

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters dropped a 118-112 victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup Friday at Cuneta Astrodome.
ROS imports Duke Crews and Jericho Cruz both rallied against the Ginebra troops and made 28 and 19 points respectively.
It was in the latter part of second half when Ginebra starts to pull away and build their biggest lead at 93-77.
However, a 19-2 run was made by Rain or Shine since the third quarter after coach Carlos Garcia mounted his boys to release the beast in them.
Elasto Painters established a 109-101 early lead in the last quarter but Ginebra made a comeback courtesy of Justin Brownlee who scored seven straight points that made the lead switched to them, 111-109 with a minute and 29 ticks left in the clock.
It was Crews, Cruz and Jay Washington’s impressive play who carried their team back to the top. Washington’s three free throws finally made ROS regained their lead. And Cruz clutch play were converted into a point after he made it a fastbreak layup that send them a 114-111 lead over Ginebra with 33 seconds left.
Washington and Cruz sealed the Rain or Shine win with their freebies and finally stopped the Ginebra’s winning streak.
Justin Brownlee tallied 38 big points, eight boards and six assist but his digits were not enough to make a sixth-straight victory for Barangay Ginebra.

Top European football teams set to visit Asia

Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

Last week, Powcast published an article about the Premier League Asia Trophy (Read: 2017 Premier League Asia Trophy) heading to China and Hong Kong on July for the 8th edition of the biennial tournament.

That however is not the only event football fans in Asia may look forward to. Tottenham is set to play in Hong Kong on May 26 just 5 days after their final game in the Premier League this season. Singapore and China are also set to stage top class football as they’ll host the International Champions Cup on July.

Hong Kong: Tottenham vs Kitchee FC

The Spurs are set to face the recently crowned champions of the Hong Kong Premier League, Kitchee FC on May 26 at the Hong Kong Stadium. The level of football in Hong Kong may nowhere be near that of the English Premier League, but Kitchee FC will definitely not allow this match to be lopsided as they’ll have the home advantage for this friendly match. Kitchee FC also has a history of defeating top European clubs in the past. Facing the Spurs who were very close to winning the English Premier League title this season would provide the Hong Kong based squad a tough test and an experience which they can learn a lot from.

International Champions Cup, Singapore

After successfully hosting the Premier League Asia Trophy 2 years ago, Singapore will again be graced by top European squads namely Chelsea FC, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. The matches are set to be held at the National Stadium from July 25-29. Ticket prices for the tournament are priced for as low as S$25 (P 885.07) and for as high as S$ ( P6655.78).

International Champions Cup, China

China will be hosting 2 tournaments all at the same month. The country will be hosting the International Cup in 4 cities. The first matchday which will be on July 18, will be held at Guangzhou featuring AC Milan who’ll go up against Borussia Dortmund. The second matchday on July 19 will be hosted by Shanghai bringing in Arsenal and Bayern Munich. On the 20th, Shenzhen will get to witness Bayern Munich and Arsenal while Nanjing on the 21st will feature Inter Milan and AC Milan.

The series of football events to be held in the continent will surely be of big help in promoting football in Asia. It gives football fans the opportunity to watch their favorite football teams and players exhibit their skills without the need to go to Europe.

5 Very Young Children Making Their Way to MMA / BOXING World

Some children commonly choose singing and dancing as an early career, but check out these kids who started making names in the world of Boxing and MMA even when they were still young.
Here are the list of 5 amazing children who excelled early in their chosen sports.

5. Grandy Twins

Daniel and Steven Grandy have been in boxing since 2. They used to work out in the park surrounded by boxing gyms with their boxer father Danny. These two young boxing prodigies from West Philly showed their interest and passion that’s why their father decided to train with them every weekend. Since they were four, their videos giving some hard punches has gained many likes and they even caught the attention of a boxing analyst. Their Instagram followers reached 43,000 and also 16,000 likes in Facebook. Last August 26 2016 at 8 yrs old, they won their first belt at Clarion Hotel in Philadelphia. Now Danny limits the twins training because he didn’t want to burn them in sports to just three times a week and just one sparring day and also to give time to their school work.



4. Javon Walton

Javon “Wanna” Walton spends a lot of time in gymnastics that helped his balance and strength. He started boxing at 4 years old, but showed his interest as early as 2 years old. He is travelling around the globe for different boxing tournaments in his division. He trains 32 hrs per week and punch, 2000 punches per day. His biggest inspiration is Muhammad Ali, and he plans on becoming the next great world champion in his era. Like him, his two older brothers are also in Team Onward boxing. He is the youngest Under Armour athlete, a RX Smart Gear athlete. He was personally picked  by the CEO because of his skills and achievements in both gymnastics and boxing. His hard work and love for sports took him to become the State Champion in both sports, he is 2# in the nation. But not just that, he is also a straight “A” student.

3. Nijee 
Training with his father Randy, Nijee “The Future” takes the gloves and started to throw punches at the age of 4. His video hitting pads shows how serious his skill is at his young age went viral. A hand speed that is considered the fastest in the history for the age of 5, adding some head movement, hook blocking and razor-sharp jabs caught the attention of the famous individuals in boxing. Although Nijee didn’t fight for an official match yet, his father let him to have training sessions with other older kids and real opponents and this young boxing phenom can score KO. Eveyone is looking forward to every step this young boy will take in boxing industry for he is becoming the world champion like his favorite fighter of all time, Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson.

2. Ryusei Imai 
Ryusei Imai is considered as “Baby Bruce Lee” because of his impressive imitation of the great Bruce Lee. He caught the attention of many people online while performing the nun chucks scene in one of Lee’s movie, Game of Death. This six year old kid can do one finger push ups and 360 spinning kicks and an expert nun chucks user. Ryusei really wanted to be Bruce Lee. This talented young boy watched every movie of the most influential martial artist in the last century. He started watching Lee’s movies at one year old, started practicing nun chuck at three years old and at four, people believes that he is the incarnation of Bruce Lee. His father Ryuji Imai is helping him to learn. 
1. Evnika Saadvakass
The 9 year old Evnika shocked the world with her skills and speed in boxing. She was trained together with her siblings in the woods near their home in the morning and in the evening by their father Rustram Saadvakass who is a professional boxer as he believes discipline teaches courage and perseverance. Her father noticed that she can throw 47 punches in 30 seconds with one hand when she was 4 years old. She is giving so much attention in her strict training. She’s also using a training tool  invented by her father and was named after her, the Evnik simulator can condition her body and helps to increase speed and mobility. The physical training plus the training tool, helped her gain amazing strength that you can almost feel in her videos. Her video showcasing her talent also went viral and won internet fame.

Porter Stops Berto in 9th; Charlo put Hatley to Sleep

Shawn “Showtime” Porter stops two time world champ Andre Berto to become WBC’s mandatory challenger to unified WBC-WBA World Welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman in the main event of SHOWTIME BOXING (Premier Boxing Champions) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Former IBF Welterweight champ Porter (27-2-1,17KOs)  drops Berto (31-5,24) once in  second round and twice in 9th before the referee waved off the fight at 1:31 of ninth round.
In co main event Jermell  Charlo (29-0,14) remains unbeaten and the WBC World Jr Middleweight champion after defeating Charles Hatley (26-2-2,18) by the way of 6th round KO. Jermell floored Hatley  by connecting left and right combination in the third round. Charlo continued to control the fight in fourth and fifth before landing a picture perfect right to sent Hatley in the canvass in 6th round. 

Julius Indongo schooled Ricky Burns; Became Unified Jr Welterweight champ!

Namibia’s Julius “Blue Machine” Indongo (22-0,11) schooled the former 3 division world champion Ricky Burns (41-6-1,14) to unify the IBO , WBA and IBF Jr Welterweight world titles earlier in Glasgow Scotland. 
34 year-old Indongo was the aggressor most of the rounds while Burns was trying to counter and throw some combination but Indongo still had the edge in action in the first half of the fight. In 6th round Burns was trying to get more aggressive and it seems that the sixth round was the best round for Burns. In the 7th Burns was pushing the action but the tricky southpaw Indongo was accurate in his counter punches. In the 8th round Indongo hurts Burns in early minute of the round and it look likes that Namibian boxer wants to finish the fight but Burns was on his bicycle to avoid the stoppage. Burns was down twice in the 12th and final round but the referee ruled it as slip. In the end of fight Indongo was declared as the clear winner, scores were 120-108, 118-110, 116-112. 

Eduard Folayang and Ev Ting Face-Off in Manila



28 March 2017 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in conjunction with Predator gaming laptops, recently held an Exclusive Media Day for ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY, featuring main event combatants ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines, and challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The two fighters faced off in front of the media at the Top of the Citi Restaurant in Citibank Tower on Tuesday, 28 March, in Manila.

Photos of the ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY Exclusive Media Day can be found here: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Am0VcTcnsBbptHdKg-gIu-3zK7ZE.
Eduard Folayang, ONE Lightweight World Champion, stated: “I always consider every fight a tough one because every fighter goes into the cage with the intent to give more than a hundred per cent of themselves. Every fighter prepares very well at this level and they all have their own uniqueness and strategy. It all depends on how our styles will match up. Keeping the title is what I plan to do. This title means a lot to me, and I can’t just let it go easily.”
Ev Ting, ONE world title challenger, stated: “Eduard displayed the best version of himself in the Shinya (Aoki) fight when he won the title. He displayed a lot of patience, he exploded at the right times, and put pressure on at the right times, so he showed a very top-caliber Eduard Folayang, and I expect nothing less in April. His wrestling is solid, his timing is obviously one of his strongest strengths, and he defended everything from Shinya despite strong positioning, so yeah, I have a hard task ahead of me.”
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the legendary Team Lakay in Baguio City is one of the Philippines’ most experienced mixed martial artists. After nearly a decade of competing in various promotions, Folayang has amassed an impressive 17-5 professional MMA record. The 33-year-old veteran authored a career resurgence in 2016, winning three consecutive bouts against high-profile opponents while showcasing a highly-improved wrestling and grappling arsenal. In his last bout, Folayang shocked the world by capturing the ONE Lightweight World Championship with a sensational victory over Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki. Folayang will now put his title on the line against Ev Ting.
Ev “E.T.” Ting is a mixed martial artist with deep roots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Living and training out of Auckland, New Zealand, Ting owns a stellar 13-3 professional record, including four wins by submission and four exciting knockouts. A winner of his last four bouts over top-caliber opponents, Ting is one of the most talented mixed martial artists to come out of Malaysia. In his most recent bout last February, Ting overcame a tough challenge from MMA veteran Kamal Shalorus to win by split decision. The victory earned him a date with ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang in Manila.
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Glen Rice’s Optimism on Philippine Basketball

Pilipinas represent! The very first Filipino Heritage Week was celebrated by the NBA from March 13 to 19. The commemoration of rich Filipino culture and hospitality filled the air and the walls of the NBA Store in Trinoma. The richness and love for the game also exuded by the Philippine-themed games spearhead by Filipino community filled Golden State Warriors and Filipino-coached Miami Heat. Props to the NBA store staff’s reception and recreation of an adrenaline filled ambiance.

NBA stalwart Glen Rice graced the country for the second time to participate in various activities such as the NBA Cares event and a pair of viewing parties. The charismatic 3-point specialist did not disappoint as this writer was challenged to a shoot-out and won prizes. Glen Rice, being the sport that he is truly made each encounter with the fans personable and warm.

When asked about his playing days, he fondly recalled the story of how he earned his moniker, “GMONEY.” According to him, a teammate gave it to him because of his shooting accuracy. In basketball terms, every basket made by a player is money. So every time Rice shoots, its guaranteed money. When asked, who his ultimate competitor was, it wasn’t a surprise that Michael Jordan always came up.

Filipinos stand a better chance of making it to the NBA nowadays according to Rice. The evolution of the game gave rise to a different breed of players. Today, having height is not a necessity of a great advantage. Opportunity’s ingredients are effective practice, determination and encouragement. Soon, a homegrown Filipino player will be seen hooping in an NBA court.

Engaging as Glen Rice is, may the inspiration and encouragement to Filipino players all over continue. A push to the right direction like the NBA Filipino Heritage Week is sometimes all a dreamer needs: To get his head off the clouds. Plant his feet firmly on the ground and shooting. – Allan Paolo P. Zerna

Against The Flow Color Run on April 08, 2017 @ Club Manila East


                                                               
Run Against the Flow is an annual fun run activity of Generation Congregation that aims to raise funds for their evangelistic camps every summer. By joining in this event, you’ll be supporting us in spreading the word of God to the youth and help us in providing a great encounter of faith for them.     
                                                              
                                                                  EVENT DETAILS

RACE CATEGORY AND FEE:

             3KM –  P250
             5KM–   P350
             7KM –  P450

DATE: April 08, 2017 (Saturday)

VENUE: Club Manila East, Taytay Rizal

GUN START: 

           Assembly Time: 5:00 AM
            7KM Category: 5:40 AM
            5KM Category: 5:50 AM
            3KM Category: 6:00 AM

REGISTRATION PROCEDURES:

– Click REGISTRATION LINK to process your event registration

RACE KIT INCLUSIONS:

– All runners will receive an Event Shirt, Race bib, Holi powder, ATFColoRun Pin, and Raffle stub.

Dwyane Wade & Some Chicago Bulls Attend Jimmy Butler’s Jersey Retirement

Jimmy Butler got his Jersey retired at his High School. Jimmy Butler is currently one of the cornerstones of the Bulls right now but it wasn’t always like that. Jimmy Butler worked for it and worked for it the hardest according to the people of Tomball, Texas. He is getting his Jersey retired and Dwyane Wade was all out support for his team mate. See the video below:

Amanda Nunes speaks about retirement, Rousey and making history in the UFC

Amanda Nunes spoke about her retirement plans during her interview with ESPN W. According to the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, she would like to retire after 2-3 fights and would like to have a family after. Nunes cited that it would be difficult to keep fighting and have a family all at the same time.

During her interview, Nunes also talked about Rousey who according to her doesn’t know how to take a loss. Nunes said that Rousey was a dominant fighter in the UFC for a long time and that when she first tasted a loss, she did not know how to comeback.

The reigning champ was also vocal about her intention of making history as she wants to be the first woman in the UFC to hold titles in 2 different divisions. She plans to fight the winner between Holm and Randamie which will take place at the UFC 208 event this February.

Olivarez Sea Lions cager Mavrick Dwight ‘The Maverick’ Saguiguit and his passion for the game

 
It takes a lot of guts, courage, and hard work to attain such discipline in the world of sports like basketball. But this guy from Las Piňas has more to offer with the Olivarez College Sea Lions Men’s basketball Team especially in the upcoming NCR-UCL tournament.
Born Mavrick Dwight C. Saguiguit on November 17, 1994 to Mr. Michael A. Saguiguit and Ms.
Donna-Jay C. Sablan, the 5-foot-11 point guard for Olivarez  College Sea Lions is currently studying BSBA Major in Operations Management.
Asked how he manages to balance his studies and games, “If we have games, I make sure to ask for reviewers or notes from my classmates for me to cope up with our lessons and I also ask my professors to give me make up quizzes and exams”, quipped the cager from Olivarez.
His career high in points is 27 in the NCBL against TIP. For him, every game is unforgettable since not everyone gets the chance to play for the school. His idol is the NBA is two-time MVP and 3-points specialist Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. With perseverance and hard work, the road to basketball glory may not be far-fetched for a determined guy like Mavrick Dwight.
*Photo courtesy of UCBL.
Email the author at: paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com

adidas Harden Vol. 1 Performance Review



Right after James Harden signed a 13-year, $200-million endorsement contract with adidas last year, people immediately started talking about a Harden signature shoe. The leaked photos had people reacting negatively initially, but so far this shoe has turned out to be the Ugly Duckling of the basketball sneaker world, people going from “what are those?!” to “I gotta have ’em!”

I first laid eyes on the Harden Vol. 1 during its grand launch at Titan Conrad in November. They released the first colorway then, the “Imma Be a Star,” which had a Primeknit upper and a suede toe cap. I opted instead to wait for the December release of the “Pioneer” colorway, which uses buttery premium leather on the toe cap, since I planned to use them on court.

After roughly 3 weeks of testing, I’m ready to share my thoughts on The Beard’s adidas signature shoe.

Fit and Stability

The toe area is pretty roomy, with the shoe tapering down to the midfoot and the heel. I like the space in the toe box since I prefer my on-court shoes with some wiggle room for comfort, especially during longer hoop sessions. 

The upper requires some break-in time as I initially felt some pinching at the forefoot flex point. It took roughly three to four hours of wear before they broke in enough for the pinching to disappear. Use them casually prior to playing in them to help speed up the break-in period if that’s an option, since aesthetically they have off-court appeal too.

The off-center, asymmetrical lacing allows for better lockdown and alleviated lace pressure and the tongue construction ensures that the tongue stays in place. I was able to cinch up real tight in these but I still felt lace pressure where the knot is after an hour and a half or so of playing. A couple of friends complained about the laces getting undone pretty quickly and often but I didn’t experience those issues at all.

I encountered some heel slippage during my first few runs with the shoe as I normally play with thinner, lighter socks. The sockliner material was very smooth and didn’t provide much friction, and I really felt the slipping as I ran and moved around the court. Using thicker socks helped a lot with the heel slippage and lace pressure though, so they aren’t major issues for me, just a minor annoyance that I can disregard.
One thing that I really like about adidas basketball shoes throughout the years has been stability, and the Harden Vol. 1 continues that trend for me. That independent leather toe cap doesn’t only make this shoe look good—it serves a pretty good purpose as well. It makes for a good counter during hard stops, cuts, and changes in direction, making the motions feel smoother. The midfoot plastic plate adds to the stability and also makes heel-to-toe transitions smoother when running.

Wearing the right socks, I felt that the shoe was one with my foot and there were no unexpected nor unwanted slips inside the shoe. I felt in control and secure even though they were low-tops. The overall feel of the shoe reminds me of another adidas favorite, the TMac 6, in terms of protection and stability (not to mention colorway).
Go a half size down from your usual if your feet aren’t that wide to get the best fit. I went with my true size because my feet are wide in the midfoot and forefoot, though now I think I should have gotten a smaller size since they got roomier after the break-in period.

Cushioning

The Harden Vol. 1 uses a full-length Boost midsole that’s encased for the most part except for a section on the medial side. People have been asking why they couldn’t just completely wrap the Boost (mostly to prevent yellowing), and the answer is air flow. Boost is made up of thousands of steam-expanded TPU pellets, which makes the material very porous, and the air has to be expelled from the inside of the midsole to get the Boost cushioning we all know and love. Without that vent, it would feel like any ordinary cushioning system.

Boost performed as expected, offering excellent impact protection, but court feel wasn’t sacrificed at all. The shoe still felt very low to the ground. Cushioning was there where you expected it, a bit plush at the heel and firmer in the midfoot. The toe felt solid, which is a necessity for takeoffs, quick cuts, and changes in direction. The firmness in that part works well with the toe cap.

Don’t expect Ultraboost-like cushioning with the Harden Vol. 1 since those are two separate applications. The Hardens, however, still provided me with good impact protection that my old-man knees didn’t feel Father Time as much during the past couple of weeks.

Traction

This category is often the make-or-break factor when it comes to basketball shoes. adidas used what they call a fractal traction pattern on the outsole that was inspired by a geometric Fibonacci sequence and specifically engineered to match The Bearded One’s movements on court.

I wasn’t wowed by the traction initially as there were times when I’d feel the forefoot slipping and the heel catching instead, but the more I used the shoe, the better the traction became. After the second week, however, grip greatly improved as the top layer of the outsole was worn away. It was squeaky-sticky even on a mildly dusty, painted cement surface.

The traction pattern does collect a lot of dust and dirt, but this didn’t affect grip in any way for me. One thing I don’t like about the rubber compound though is how hard they are to clean, but that’s minor and in no way affects performance.

Overall

I love the ’90s feel merged with the latest technology that the Harden Vol. 1 brings. The shoe offers superb cushioning, good traction, excellent foot protection, and the PhP 7,995 price tag I feel is justified.

If you’re looking for plush cushioning, these may not be for you since they’re guard shoes and those normally trade off cushioning for court feel. If your style of play has you on your toes a lot, the Harden Vol. 1 would be the perfect on-court kicks.

IPTL: Get to Know the Back to Back Champions

Photo Credit: PhotoConcierge E. Ling
Hyderabat, December 11th 2016.One of the four original charter franchises that participated in the IPTL’s inaugural 2014 season, the Slammers ended up fourth on the table. In the following season in 2015, they ended up as the trophylifters after defeating the Indian Aces in the final. And in 2016, they have retained the title with a rematch of last year’s final. Back-to-back finals. Back-to-back titles.
Here are the names to be remembered.
Carlos Moya is a retired professional tennis player from Spain. The 40 year-old who turned pro in 1995, was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, the man from Majorca helped his country win the Davis Cup. Carlos has won an impressive 20 singles titles in his career. The Spaniard has been the perfect Legend contender for the Slammers, winning seven consecutive matches in this 2016 IPTL.
Kiki Bertens is a Dutch national whose highest ranking has been World No. 21 in women’s singles. She is 25 years old and plays with her right hand with a two-handed backhand. The true lucky charm of the Slammers, she has been vital for the Singapore side over the 2016 stint, her first one.
Marcelo Melo is from Brazil. In 2015, Melo became the first Brazilian male ever to win a French Open doubles title, playing alongside Ivan Dodig. He is a doubles specialist who turned pro in 1998. Melo has won 21 doubles titles in his career. A true team-player, Melo is the soul of the Slammers.
Nick Kyrgios is from Australia. The 21-year old has already made a name for himself as one of the brightest
prospects in modern day tennis and his gameplay backs that up. Nobody likes the IPTL more than thenAussie, who has been a Slammer for three years now.
Marcos Baghdatis is a 31-year old from Cyprus who has reached a career-high ATP ranking of World No. 8 in 2006. Baghdatis’ playing style is relaxed and smooth, but he generally employs a ‘high risk, high reward’ playing style. In his first IPTL, Baghdatis has been the breakout player of the 2016 Slammers team alongside Bertens. 
Coach Purav Raja is an experienced doubles player. The 31 year old Indian has been the decision-maker for the Singapore Slammers with very well done strategic decisions during this 2016 edition.
WHAT THE CHAMPIONS SAID
The Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League 2016 has come to an end and the OUE Singaporen Slammers have retained the title with a sensational win over the local team Indian Aces. After the fantastic
victory, here is what the Players said:
CARLOS MOYA
“Kiki has been the queen of the team.”
“How I keep it so cool? I guess it’s the way I am and also the team competition helps too. I try not show to
the other guy what I am thinking when things don’t go the way I want. But then again, that’s a team effort also, the other players help you to keep it cool.”
NICK KYRGIOS
“It was a lot of fun. I always look forward to the ITPL and the new faces on the team have been key. You make new friends, you have this team spirit that the IPTL offers and we have had such a good chemistry… the win shows it. We have been supporting each other during the whole competition.”“I love team sports. I love watching and also playing. Everyone supported me this week and that makes it more fun, more enjoyable.”
KIKI BERTENS
“Has been a really nice experience. It didn’t feel at all that I was the only girl in the team. They have been very supportive. Has been great.” “Yesterday was my birthday and I had a great day with the guys. We could celebrate, have a nice dinner and they sang happy birthday probably fifteen times during the day. The win is a birthday present for sure. We all came out with great energy today.”

Witnessing the greatest rivalry in Philippine Sports

After 8 long years, the greatest rivals in Philippine sports finally met again in the UAAP season 79 men’s basketball finals- the De La Salle Green Archers and the Ateneo Blue Eagles. The last time they met, ADMU Blue Eagles won the crown in their first win for a 5-peat reign in UAAP Men’s basketball.
                                                         
This year, the top-seeded DLSU Green Archers are on the verge of taking back their 2013 championship but ADMU Blue Eagles will stop at nothing to topple the Green Archers. An exciting and promising match-up, I went to my first La Salle-Ateneo basketball game on December 3, 2016 with Dyrham Palfrey of National University. We first watched the game 1 triumph of NU as they beat DLSU in the women’s basketball, 77-74.
Before the game started, I had some photo-ops with DLSU and ADMU players including Aljun Jay Melecio who spent his junior years playing for De La Salle Zobel, and Thirdy Ravena, the younger brother of two-time UAAP season MVP Kiefer Isaac Ravena.
The Dream Match
A double-double performance from Ben Mbala lifted La Salle Green Archers over Ateneo Blue Eagles in game 1 of their best-of-three UAAP season 79 men’s basketball finals on December 3, held at Mall of Asia Arena.
Ben Mbala scored 20 points with 20 rebounds while 2013 finals MVP Jeron Teng added 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. La Salle’s scorching offense and superb defense proved to be too strong for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the first half with a hammering 36-26 by the Archers.
Aaron Norman Black led all Eagles with 12 points and 8 rebounds while Thirdy Ravena chipped in 8 points and 4 rebounds. Chibueze Ikeh had 8 points and 9 rebounds with a slam dunk in the second quarter. George Go, the hero of their match against FEU, added 6 points and 2 rebounds.
The Quarters: 19-6, 36-26, 52-52, 67-65
*Photo courtesy of Francis Quinto of Powcast.net

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule
Email the author at: paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com or text 09184059751

UAAP 79 Men’s Basketball Finals Recap: Archers shoot down Eagles in Game 1

MANILA, Philippines – For the first time since 2008, we finally got to witness the greatest rivalry in Philippine Sports history.

                                                        Photo Courtesy of: Warleigh Lacson
   The first seeded De La Salle Green Archers (15-1) squared off against the second seeded Ateneo Blue Eagles (10-5) in the UAAP 79 Men’s Basketball Finals Saturday night for the first time since 2008, a series that will forever be a classic and well loved by many Filipino basketball fans. 

The Mall of Asia arena was sold out with a whopping attendance of 16,712. One side of the arena was covered in Green shirts for La Salle while the other half was covered in Blue for Ateneo. In the first quarter, DLSU quickly went on a 6-0 run. Ateneo F Thirdy Ravena made a chasedown block against DLSU’s Ricci Rivero as Ateneo’s first highlight play. DLSU was able to go on an dominating 16-2 scoring run for the quarter. At the end of the first, The Archers lead Ateneo, 19-6.

When the game resumed in the second quarter, Ateneo’s Norman Aaron black hit a three to start off things and hype up the Ateneo crowd. Followed by Black’s three, another bucket by Ateneo cut La Salle’s lead to 8, making the score 19-11. It was evident that DLSU committed lots of turnovers for this quarter. Despite the numerous turnovers by La Salle and being out scored by ADMU, 16-20, they managed to be up by 10. At the end of the first half, DLSU led ADMU 36-26.

At the half, the Archers were shooting 56 percent while ADMU was shooting at just 28 percent. La Salle’s bench performed fairly making 4/9 field goals while Ateneo’s bench only shot 2/16. DLSU’s starters also outscored ADMU’s starters 25-16. Also, The Archers led with 8 assists compared to the Eagles’ 4. Top 10 MVP Candidate Thirdy Ravena of the Blue Eagles and teammate Adrian Wong combined for only 6 points shooting a combined 1/8 while shooting at a horrific 12.5 percent. Ateneo’s Aaron Black led all scorers with 8 points while Ben Mbala led all Archers’ with 7 points.

To start off the second half, Ateneo had first blood from a post-up shot. Wong had five straight points including a three pointer while Black split free throws and sunk a three to DLSU’s lead to two, 44-42. Mbala responded with an and-one play and the Archers proceeded to go on an 8-0 scoring run including a trey by Aljun Melecio. In the closing minutes of the quarter, Matt Nieto cut DLSU’s lead to one, 51-50. Ateneo’s Rafael Verano tied things up after splitting free throws, 51-51. 2015 Rookie of the Year Andrei Caracut split free throws to put the Archers up 52-51 but was quickly tied up once again by ADMU’s split free throws. At the end of the third, things were tied up at 52-52. DLSU was again outscored by ADMU 26-16.

During the last quarter of the game, everything was intense as the game was very fast paced. Melecio started off with a three pointer off the glass which sparked off an 7-0 run by La Salle making the score 59-52. Nieto’s pair of free throws and three pointer cut the Archers’ lead to two with the score being 59-57 and Chibueze Ikeh layup finally cut DLSU’s lead to one 60-59. Melecio proved to still be on fire after another three to put DLSU up by 3. Ben Mbala had a monster block on Thirdy Ravena but the ball was quickly recovered by Ikeh for the easy layup putting ADMU behind DLSU by only one point at 64-63. During the last few minutes of the game, a controversial foul was called against La Salle, when it was clearly seen that an Ateno player elbowed two DLSU players defending him in the face while trying to secure the ball, which should’ve been a technical of either an flagrant foul agains the ADMU player for his actions. 

With a minute left in the game, emotions in the arena was mixed, some were cheering, some were quietly praying, while some were just watching the game in nervousness. The game was very intense and left everyone wondering: who will strike first blood in the series? DLSU was able to steal the ball in which Teng was able to sink a clutch jumper which was supposed to put DLSU up 66-64 with 37 seconds left in the game, but it was ruled out by referees after a lengthy review deeming that Teng was not able to get the ball of his hands in time before the shot clock ended. With ADMU in possession, Nieto was able to make a layup and was fouled with 34 seconds left, giving the Eagles their first lead of the game 65-64 with a chance to extend their lead to two with a free throw. Nieto failed to convert the and-one, and Teng responded quickly with a clutch layup that counted this time as DLSU retook the lead 66-65 with less than 30 seconds left in the game. 15 seconds left in the game clock, Ateneo ball, they either win the game or lose it. Aaron Black took the jumpshot but was swiftly blocked by Jeron Teng. Mbala grabbed the rebound and made a long pass to Kib Montalbo. Montalbo was fouled and split free throws to guarantee the Green Archers their first win of the series. Ateneo then attempted a half court three as a last ditched effort but simply missed. DLSU players stormed the court in celebration of their first win, Lasallians were roaring in excitement, and both Atenistas and Blue Eagles players watched in frustration as La Salles Alma Mater Hymn was playing. 

DLSU Center and reigning MVP Ben Mbala led all scorers and rebounders with a double-double (20 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block) while Aaron Black led all Blue Eagles in scoring with 12 points and 8 rebounds.

Author’s Take:
It was a lousy game during the first half. La Salle committed too many turnovers and shot almost poorly. Ateneo, on the other hand, also shot terribly. Both teams played great defense against each other. What I was most disappointed about was the officiating in the game, which was very one-sided and in Ateneo’s favor. Like I said during the Final Four, if DLSU continues to play like this, they will have close games like these against Ateneo while Ateneo needs to hit shots if they want to get a win.















About the author:
Jerry Balot Jr. is a Grade 11 Student at De La Salle Santiago Zobel school. He aspires to become a journalist once he graduates college. Jerry’s loyalty to all his sports teams from San Francisco is unmatched ever since he was born. Jerry also loves sneakers, music, and many other sports.


Twitter: _JerryGB   Instagram: jrryb   E-mail: jerryhansolo@icloud.com




UAAP Season 79 Final Four Recap: DLSU Green Archers defeat the AdU Soaring Falcons, move on to the Finals.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES –  It was a tough game for UAAP Season 79 Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala and the DLSU Green Archers, but in the end, they still earned the victory.

Photo courtesy of: Francis Quinto

Things were already getting heated even before the tip-off. Green Archers’ Ben Mbala and Soaring Falcon’s Papi Sarr stared down for some time on the court right before tip-off and an exchange of some words was also evident. DLSU player Jeron Teng scored the first points in the game from a steal off the inbound and got fouled on a layup, in which he was able to convert into an and-one. DLSU then proceeded to go on a 7-0 run. Sean Manganti cut DLSU’s lead to one after a fast break dunk with 5:32 left to play in the first quarter. Ben Mbala hyped up the entire arena with a posterizing dunk on Dawn Ochea. Melecio almost made a buzzer beater from half-court but the ball rattled out of the basket. At the end of the first quarter, DLSU led Adamson 22-20.

In the second quarter, Ben Mbala viciously blocked Alexis Barrera post-up attempt. Manganti scored off an backdoor pass giving AdU an 26-24 lead with 7:03 in the second quarter. With 4:23 in the game, Ben Mbala was fouled and was able to shoot both free throws cutting AdU’s lead to 1. With 3:27 left in the game, Archers G Kib Montalbo sunk a three-pointer giving DLSU a 29-28 lead. During the last few minutes of the game, La Salle was on a 12-1 run while AdU had zero FG’s for the last five minutes. With 1:42 left in the first half and the score at 37-29, Jeron Teng turned the ball over twice in a row off inbound passes allowing AdU to score easy back-to-back buckets. At the end of the first half, DLSU out scored AdU 15-13 and led 37-29.

At the half, DLSU was shooting 54% while AdU was only shooting at 36%. However, DLSU allowed 15 turnovers with AdU scoring 14 points off them and on the other hand, AdU had a fair 7 turnovers with 9 points being scored off those turnovers. Ben Mbala led all scorers with 14 points, Teng with 10, and Manalang and Manganti both with 7.

At the beginning of the second half, Jonathan Espeleta shot a three-pointer to get things started, cutting DLSU’s lead 36-37. DLSU committed lots of turnovers allowing the Falcons to score and lead   DLSU late in the third quarter, which ended with consecutive free throws made by Jerrick Ahanmisi, 51-50.

The fourth quarter was where everything started to get interesting. It was a rollercoaster for both teams with many fouls and turnovers. Mbala was able to get a jumpshot off a turnover in the backcourt to start off the final quarter of the game but Robbie Manalang quickly responded with a three-pointer to give the Falcons the lead once again 54-52. The Archers had a beautiful sequence with a Prince Rivero blocking a layup, allowing Aljun Melecio to gain possession of the ball and score an easy layup. Espeleta tied up things at 56-56 with a layup. Later in the game, Falcons Coach Franz Pumaren was given a Technical Foul, and Jeron Teng was able to make the free throw and hit the dagger with 2:21 left in the game with the Green Archers leading 67-64. AdU was able to grab enough offensive rebounds during the last 70 seconds of the game, but wasted their oppurtunity to score with back-to-back three-pointers. Mbala turned the ball over once again after travelling on the baseline with 56 seconds left in the game. This was followed by an 8 second backcourt violation against DLSU giving AdU another oppurtunity to score and keep their hopes up for another game. With 11.5 seconds left in the game, AdU misses another three pointer to tie the game, Teng gets fouled and heads to the line getting both free throws made sealing the game 69-64. With the last possession of the game, AdU airballed a three pointer and Mbala grabbed the rebound, which signified the Green Archers return to the Finals after three years.

Jeron Teng led all scorers with 25 points and fellow teammate Big Ben boasted a double-double with 21 points and 16 boards. Sean Manganti led Falcons scoring with 13 points. The De La Salle Green Archers will face the winner of the Ateneo Blue Eagles-FEU Tamaraws matchup on Saturday.

AUTHORS TAKE:

This game was a very tough game for DLSU as AdU proved that they were worthy to have a spot in the Final Four. The Falcons played very good defense against the Archers forcing them to allow a whopping 26 turnovers with 18 being scored out of those 26. It seemed that AdU was able to recognize the Archers’ plays and intense D and exceptional transition defense was able to hold the Archers at 69 points, in which, the Archers lead the league at scoring with 88.1 PPG. DLSU needs to stay smart and make good decisions especially when it comes to passing. Ben Mbala’s 16 rebounds and 4 blocks kept DLSU’s defense up. I was disappointed at AdU during the last few minutes of the game since they were basically chucking up three point shots and missing them all when they had the chance to score from all their offensive rebounds and turnovers from La Salle. If DLSU continues to play like this in the finals, I have a feeling that they won’t last long especially if they meet the Ateneo Blue Eagles, who gave the only loss to DLSU this season.

About the author:
Jerry Balot Jr. is a Grade 11 Student at De La Salle Santiago Zobel school. He aspires to become a journalist once he graduates college. Jerry’s loyalty to all his sports teams from San Francisco is unmatched ever since he was born. Jerry also loves sneakers, music, and many other sports.

Twitter: _JerryGB   Instagram: jrryb   E-mail: jerryhansolo@icloud.com

AFF Suzuki Cup Group A Matchday 2

The Group A of the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup resumes yesterday with the reigning champions Thailand will take on 4x champions Singapore and the co-hosts Philippines will take on Indonesia.
Thailand 1-0 Singapore

After a successful park the bus tactic by Sundramoothry against the Philippines, Singapore’s game plan against Thailand remained the same as they parked the bus for the entire game. Thailand enjoyed most of the possessions of the match, but realistically the best chances of the game came from the Singaporean players who were lethal on their counter-attack plays. The park the bus almost worked for the Lions before they conceded a very late heartbreaking goal in the 89th minute when substitute Sarawut Musuk met the cross of Theerathon inside the box. With the win Thailand are ensured of the semi finals reaction and the top spot of the group

Philippines 2-2 Indonesia

After a disappointing draw against Singapore last game. The Philippines are eager to win this match to put themselves in the great position of advancing in the semi-finals for the 4th consecutive time. However in just the 7th minute they were already behind thanks to a Fachrudin header that bounced past Muller. However since that goal its been the Philippines who are controlling the possession and got a lovely chance with a Manuel Ott shot that just been tipped over the bar. Indonesia also has some wonderful chances on being up 2-0 thanks to their hardworking player Boaz. However Misagh Bahadoran tucked in a wonderful free kick by Shrock to make it 1-1 in halftime. At the second half the Azkals became more attacking oriented and tried to pushed the Indonesians, however that leave gaps in the midfield which gave the Garuda’s plenty of chances to make it 2-1 and it happen in the 68th minute with Boaz Solossa reacted first on the the rebound after the ball hit the post. The Garuda’s are on their way on a great victory until in the 82nd minute when Phil Younhusband scored a superb free kick that curled away from the keeper. Despite the result being a disappointed one for a Philippine perspective. As a neutral viewer this is the right result for the game as both teams pushed hard to score a goal. 

A Camera showdown between Samsung S7, Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Huawei P9

When was the last time you ever saw someone holding up a mobile phone with a VGA camera to take photos? Nowadays, it is unusual to even see someone owning that kind of mobile phone. When you walk down the streets, you would mostly see people holding smartphones. These smartphones have cameras that can capture megapixels. The higher, the better and more accurate in terms of image resolution.
The camera game has definitely changed. Smartphone brands are constantly upgrading their cameras to challenge professional cameras in the best way that they can. However, to be able to know who the reigning king of smartphone photography is, there is a need to directly compare the capabilities of various smartphone cameras.
Seven participants, comprised of Instagram influencers and photography enthusiasts, have been invited to test out smartphone photography. In respective order, Samsung, Apple and Huawei came out as the top 3 with the most smartphones sold globally during Q2 of 2016. As such, for the challenge, the selected smartphones to be used were the Samsung S7, Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Huawei P9.

Battle of the Smartphone Photography
iPhone 7 Plus
Huawei P9
Samsung Galaxy S7
Camera
Dual 12 MP, (28mm, f/1.8, OIS & 56mm, f/2.8)
Dual 12 MP, f/2.2, 27 mm with Leica optics
12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm with Dual Pixel Technology
Focus
Phase Detection
Laser Autofocus + Phase Detection
Phase Detection with Dual Pixel Technology
LED
Quad LED Flash
Dual LED Tone Flash
Dual LED flash
Optical Image Stabilization
Yes
Yes
Yes
Special Technology
Two Cameras that works independently
Two cameras for RGB and B&W co-engineered with Leica
One of the few smartphone with f/1.7 aperture
PRO MODE
Basic Only
Yes
Yes

The Rules of the Challenge

On the battle, each participant was instructed to shoot different subjects using the iPhone 7, Huawei P9 and Samsung Galaxy S7 in same angles. This method is mostly used to easily compare shots, but we’ve also added more context as they need to shoot in 4 different kinds of categories, vivid, bokeh/depth of field, low light and monochrome/black and white.

The iPhone 7 Plus trumps Samsung Galaxy S7 and Huawei P9 in the lowlight category with 6 voting it to be the best in that segment. It further proves what the brand claims as a mastery to taking photos even at the most unexpected moments.
However, Huawei P9 takes the lead for most of the categories namely the bokeh feature, monochrome and vivid portions with 7, 5 and 4 respondents respectively voting for the brand to have the best in these specifications.
In a similar phone blind test that Vox Pop did, this time with 50 respondents, the results are almost the same. The Samsung Galaxy S7 lags behind the two other brands in all categories, getting only 12%-18% of the respondents’ nod. The iPhone 7 Plus ranks in second, getting 30% of the votes for the bokeh category and 34% for the monochrome selection.
Unsurprisingly, the Huawei P9 got the most votes for Bokeh with 29 respondents agreeing it has the best feature in that category. It finished a close second to the iPhone 7 Plus in the Monochrome and Vivid categories, gathering 24 and 22 total votes, respectively. Overall, the participants seem to favor Samsung Galaxy S7 the least and Huawei P9 the most when it comes to three key features: bokeh, monochrome and vivid.

The Result of the Challenge
As this was a blind test for all the respondents, both surveys swing in the same results with the Samsung Galaxy S7 as the least favorite for all of the features suggested. Meanwhile, the iPhone 7 Plus gets applauded for its excellent lowlight capacity.
As for the rest of the features tested – bokeh, monochrome and vivid – Huawei P9 proves to be the best and it can be said that the brand’s partnership with Leica has turned out to be the most wonderful decision it has made to date.
Do you agree with the result? What’s your choice and what would you say works best for you? Find out here (hyperlink to “here”)
SOURCES:

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