The Fighting Maroons snapped defending champion National University’s perfect run, clawing their way back from the brink to pull off a 26-24, 23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12 victory on Wednesday afternoon, March 26, at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.UP’s fiery start in the opening set proved crucial as they erased NU’s 24-23 advantage with three straight points, including two clutch attacks from Niña Ytang and an error from Alyssa Solomon. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected its new president last Thursday, March 20, naming Kirsty Coventry as the first woman and first African to hold the position.Before becoming an IOC member, Coventry was a standout athlete for Zimbabwe, winning seven of the country’s eight Olympic medals. At 41, she also became the youngest person to assume the most powerful position in sports governance.The first round of voting did not proceed without issues, as numerous voters reported problems with the technological voting systems.However, the voting was quickly closed after the first round, with a winner already securing the absolute majority (50% + one vote) required.After a 30-minute break, Coventry was announced as Thomas Bach’s successor and the 10th president of the IOC. Of the 97 votes cast, Coventry received 49, while second-place candidate Juan Antonio Samaranch secured 28.“This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl, I never thought I would be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” Coventry said.She was initially expected to face a tight contest against IOC veteran Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe for the top job.Coventry emphasized her commitment to addressing inequality in sports, stating, “This also means strengthening women’s sports by protecting female athletes and promoting equal opportunities for women at all levels of our movement.”“This is not just a huge honor; it’s also a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you. I will lead this organization with immense pride and uphold its core values. I promise to make you all very, very proud and confident in the decision you’ve made today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now, we have work to do—together. This race was an incredible challenge, and it made us better and stronger,” Coventry added.Meanwhile, her first major event to oversee will be the Milan-Cortina Winter Games next year in Italy, with the Opening Ceremony less than 11 months away. She will officially take up the role on June 24, following the conclusion of Thomas Bach’s 12-year tenure.

Renowned for his sharpshooting from beyond the arc, Rendell Dela Rea aims to fuel Masters Pinoy Pilipinas Basketball's campaign in the upcoming World Masters Tournament, set for May 17-30 in Taiwan.In an exclusive interview with Scoreline.ph, Dela Rea shared on what he can bring to the table when this Philippine team composed of 45 years old and above basketball players face the battle in Taipei.The sharpshooter out of Jose Rizal University (JRU) emphasized the team’s steady improvement as they familiarize themselves with Coach Arlene Rodriguez’s system.“Our camaraderie and teamwork are strengthening every day. We encourage each other and embrace our roles. We’re like brothers here—that’s our team’s advantage,” Dela Rea said in Filipino.“These practices are crucial. When we step onto the court in Taiwan, we need to be fully prepared. It would be tough to compete without proper preparation,” he added.

Petro Gazz secured the final slot in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference semifinals after decisively sweeping feisty ZUS Coffee in a must-win Game 3 on Tuesday, March 25, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.The Angels cruised to victory with a straight-sets victory, 25-21, 25-19, 25-23.With this triumph, Petro Gazz joins defending champions Creamline, along with Choco Mucho and Akari, in the round-robin semifinals. The two teams with the best records will then advance to the best-of-three finals to determine the league champion.Despite cruising through the first two sets, Petro Gazz faced strong resistance in the third, as the young and determined Thunderbelles fought to extend the match. However, the Angels maintained their composure when it mattered most.

Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala has etched her name in history, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.The 19-year-old moved forward after Spain’s Paula Badosa, ranked No. 11 in the world, withdrew due to a lower back injury during their Round of 16 matchup on Monday, March 24 (Tuesday, March 25, Manila time).Eala’s stellar performance throughout the tournament already included massive upsets. She stunned the World No. 5 and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, as well as No. 25 and 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, to advance to the fourth round.

Good news to all boxing enthusiasts. This sport will get its spot back in the program of the LA Olympics in 2028. This good news was brought by the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) after attending the World Boxing  board meeting last, March 18, 2025. Chairman and Philippine Olympic team chef-de-mission Ricky Vargas heralded this good news not only for the country and the Filipino sports officials but for the sport and all the boxers. “We are back in the Olympics with an international federation (World Boxing) recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee). The Philippines made a principled decision to leave AIBA (the old boxing governing body that lost IOC recognition in 2023). We took a principled risk to join (the new) World Boxing. We were first and got elected to the WB board. Now, wow, we are back in the LA Olympics, WB is getting its recognition from the IOC and is here to stay,” said Vargas. Now that boxing’s place in LA is all but a formality, the Pinoy boxers can go about their Olympic quest in 2028 without a cloud of uncertainty. The Philippines has captured four silver medals and six bronzes in the quadrennial Games and will continue hunting for the breakthrough gold in the next Olympiad.“It feels like boxing was reborn and is here to stay,” said Vargas.It can be recalled that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set aside the inclusion of boxing in the upcoming 2028 LA Olympics due to the issues and controversies seen in the 2024 Paris Olympics, one of which was the gender issue.Meanwhile, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino, for his part, said he had known all along that boxing would stay in the Olympics.“It’s expected because it’s a favorite sport played by all, it’s just a matter of time,” said Tolentino.The PhilCycling chief and Tagaytay City Mayor also said it was just fitting to have boxing since it was in the United States where the sport was first played in the quadrennial meet – in 1904.“It’s been in the Olympics since 1904, in the USA, and so for LA too,” Tolentino added.

Barangay Ginebra secured a 73-66 victory over TNT in Game 5 of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals on Sunday night, March 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.Scottie Thompson was named Best Player of the Game after delivering an all-around performance with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. His relentless hustle on both ends of the floor—something that doesn’t always show up in the stat sheets—was key to Ginebra’s success.Justin Brownlee was also impressive. Despite dealing with a dislocated thumb and scoring only two points in the first half, the Gin Kings' import still managed to finish with 18 markers, 14 boards, five dimes, and one deflection.Japeth Aguilar and Maverick Ahanmisi chipped in 11 points apiece to support Thompson and Brownlee, while Stephen Holt played a tremendous defensive role against Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Although Hollis-Jefferson managed to score 19 points, he struggled with efficiency, shooting just 7-of-26 from the field.

Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala achieved the biggest milestone of her career, shocking World No. 5 and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 victory in the Round 32 of the WTA 1000 Miami Open on Monday, March 24 (Manila time).With this historic win, the 19-year-old became the first Filipina in the Open Era to defeat a top-10 player, earning a spot in the Final 16 of a WTA event for the first time."I'm so blank," an emotional Eala said after the match, as Filipino fans in the crowd cheered and waved flags. "I'm thinking of my parents. ‘Mom and Dad, I got it!’ My God."  Keys, a seasoned Grand Slam contender, started strong and controlled the early exchanges, winning four of the first seven games. However, Eala turned the tide with a crucial break in the ninth game to claim the first set, 6-4.Riding the momentum, the young Filipina dominated the second set, breaking Keys twice—first at 3-2, then again at 5-2—before sealing the match in just 1 hour and 27 minutes.

The TNT Tropang Giga once again relied on their scoring prowess to secure a narrow 87-85 victory against Barangay Ginebra in Game 2 of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals to get the 2-1 series lead on Wednesday, March 19, at the Philsports Arena.Rey Nambatac played his best game as a pro as he finished with 24 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the three-point area. He also had seven assists and five rebounds.The Letran product also led TNT in their comeback from a nine-point deficit in the first half of play. Then, “Sting-Rey” sank a crucial three-pointer in the closing moments of the game to break the 82-deadlock.Tropang Giga’s import, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson flirted with a triple double, tallying 20 markers, 11 boards and eight dimes, including his last dish to the wide open Glenn Khobuntin, who made his fastbreak layup to get his 10th point and put the game almost out of reach.Calvin Oftana also ended up in double figures, scoring 16 markers, on top of his five rebounds and four assists.

In the recently concluded PSA forum yesterday, head coach and tournament director Ronalyn Redima Greenlees is confident that the country’s hosting of the event will be up to the challenge in trying to defend the gold medals in the men’s pair and women’s singles events. Eight golds in singles, pairs, triples and fours (men and women) will be at stake in the event. According to Greenlees, lawn bowls has been in the country for over two decades, and was played in the 2019 Manila SEA Games where the hosts won one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.The Philippine lawn bowls is set to host the 16th Asian Lawn Bowls Championships next month.The said competition is scheduled on April 27 to May 4 at the Clark Bowling Greens in Clark, Pampanga, in which Twelve countries will field entries, including Malaysia, Iran, Brunei, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Macau, South Korea and China.Unfortunately, the sport that was born in Great Britain, was not included in the calendar of the Thailand SEA Games in December.Greenlees also said that Filipinos are ranked No. 10 in the world and have had victories in the Asia-Pacific level.“Kilala na kami sa mundo. Dito lang sa Pilipinas hindi. Full support sila,” she said, citing the full support of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Clark Development Corporation for the hosting of the Asian meet.Rodel Labayo, back-to-back gold medalist in the pairs event along with partner Elmer Abatayo, said winning a third straight gold is their primary objective.“Gusto namin dito sa Pilipinas mag three-peat,” Labayo said Rosita Bradborn, on the other hand, will try to defend her title in women’s singles. She won the gold last year in Thailand after a couple of silver-medal finishes.“Nag-tiyaga kami ng husto sa training para manalo ulit,” said Bradborn. Despite the challenges, the Philippine lawn bowls team is determined to showcase their skills in the upcoming Asian Championships.

ZUS Coffee delivered a shocking sweep of Petro Gazz, 25-21, 25-23, 27-25, in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals on Tuesday night, March 18, at the PhilSports Arena. The victory not only snapped the Angels’ 10-game winning streak but also pushed the Thunderbelles to the verge of their first-ever semifinal appearance. In one of their most balanced performances yet, five players scored in double digits, proving their depth and teamwork against an established PVL contender.Setter Cloanne Mondoñedo orchestrated the offense brilliantly with 19 excellent sets, while Chai Troncoso led all scorers with 14 markers. Thea Gagate and Jovelyn Gonzaga tallied 11 apiece, while Mich Gamit and Chinnie Arroyo contributed 10 each in a well-rounded attack.The Thunderbelles also dominated at the net, recording 11 blocks compared to Petro Gazz’s five. Troncoso anchored the defense with five kill blocks, while Gagate added three.

Creamline is just one win away from securing yet another semifinal appearance in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference after a commanding straight-sets victory over Chery Tiggo, 25-10, 27-25, 25-21, on Tuesday, March 18, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.  Adding to the celebration, the victory marked a personal milestone for head coach Sherwin Meneses, who earned his 100th career win with Creamline.“We’re thankful for the management’s support. Our goal is always to keep winning,” Meneses said after the match.  From the get-go, Alyssa Valdez and Jema Galanza set the pace for Creamline, launching an offensive onslaught that overwhelmed the Crossovers in the opening frame. Valdez made an immediate impact, delivering three straight points early in the first set, while Bea de Leon kept the momentum going with powerful spikes that left their opponents struggling to respond. Chery Tiggo showed resilience in the second set, with Shaya Adorador leading the charge. However, just when the Crossovers seemed poised to steal the frame, Pangs Panaga came through with a clutch block to seal it for Creamline.The third set saw Chery Tiggo attempt another fightback, led by Pauline Gaston and Cess Robles. However, Creamline’s defense held firm, with De Leon and Seth Rodriguez battling at the net. Ultimately, the Cool Smashers prevailed without dropping a set.