Fourteen Filipino trail runners are set to make their presence felt when they compete against the best runners in Asia in the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships in Ulju, South Korea slated October 23 to 27. The two-time Southeast Asian Games women’s marathon gold medalist and five-time Milo Marathon queen Christabel Martes mentored the Philippine Trail Running National Team and guided the team in their extensive training in Baguio City.John Ray Onifa and Elizabeth Dangadang will banner the Filipino runners in the first edition of this prestigious continental meet where they will get to test their mettle against the best runners coming from China, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Japan B.League squad, Ryukyu Golden Kings survive Meralco’s power surge to get their first win in the East Asia Super League (EASL), 77-74, Wednesday night, October 16, at the Okinawa Arena, Japan.The runner-up of last year’s B.League weathered the storm that the Bolts made in the final 2:50 minutes of play.Meralco came back from a 66-77 deficit through an 8-0 run to cut down the lead to only three points with 41.7 seconds remaining.Allen Durham, who’s playing against his former team for the first time, had a chance to force the game into overtime but his attempt was swatted by Ryukyu import Victor Law.Durham finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, while his fellow Bolts reinforcement DJ Kennedy produced 30 markers and 12 boards.Chris Newsome led the local unit with 18.The winning team relied on the heroics of Law, who contributed a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.Jack Cooley, the Golden Kings other import, also got 18 markers along with seven boards, while naturalized player Alex Kirk put up 12.Ryukyu now topped Group B with a 1-0 record, while Meralco split their games to have a 1-1 team standing.The next game assignment for the Bolts will be the Busan KCC Egis of the Korean Basketball League whom they will face on November 13 at the Philsports Arena.

San Miguel’s teamwork made wonders for the Beermen as they defeated Ginebra, 131-121, last night, October 16, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum to tie their PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup semifinals series.The eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo led the pack with his 29 points, 16 rebounds and three assists performance.SMB import EJ Anosike supplemented him with 27 markers, while CJ Perez added 20. Marcio Lassiter and Don Trollano contributed 15 points each to help the Beermen’s campaign.Coach Jorge Gallent said that he was happy that his players responded to his call of playing hard, putting more effort and bringing a lot of energy in order for them to win the game.

TNT narrowly defeated Rain or Shine, 81-79, to have a commanding 3-1 lead in their PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup semi-finals series.Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made the final basket of the game with a slam dunk with 37.3 seconds remaining on the game clock.Hollis-Jefferson also led TNT with his 23 points, 19 rebounds, five assists, five steals, and five blocks.

“They call us the Mighty Beermen, but they are the Kings.”A statement from San Miguel Beermen assistant coach Peter Martin that resonated truth and lament as Justin Brownlee once again essayed another one for the books with his 5-of-6 four-pointer that propelled Barangay Ginebra to secure an impressive 122-105 victory in the best-of-seven series opener of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup on Wednesday, October 9.In a special interview conducted by Scoreline.ph, the Beermen were able to share their sentiments regarding game play assessments and essential adjustments they have to produce in order to deliver a comeback blow against Ginebra’s offensive strategy.Despite June Mar Fajardo and import EJ Anosike fueling the Beermen’s offensive pace, forward Jeron Teng expressed that Ginebra did a pretty good job at scouting them and learning their strategy.“They really had a great game plan against us. They were able to contain our big man, June, and our import (EJ),” Teng said. “We missed a lot of three-point shots, so we just have to regroup and make those shots in Game 2.”Additionally, Teng stated that they need to improve their defense since it is currently lacking, particularly on the perimeter, which is one of Ginebra’s core abilities.

University of Santo Tomas in their domination against the University of the Philippines, 84-57, in the second round of their UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday afternoon, October 14, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.The Growling Tigresses now have a 7-1 record bolstered by their fourth straight win led by their veteran guard Tacky Tacatac who finished with a game-high 23 points.

National University Lady Bulldogs prevail over Ateneo Lady Blue Eagles, 82-62, to make their perfect winning record intact in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, October 13, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.The 20-point outburst of NU was led by rookie Cielo Pagdulagan who contributed with 16 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and five steals, including a +27 rating coming off the bench. She also didn’t commit a single turnover.NU head coach Aris Dimaunhan said that the one week break that they have between the first and second round helped them prepare for this particular game as they had been given a lot of time to process and lay down their game plan.The Lady Bulldogs also capitalized the absence of Ateneo’s leading player Junzie Calago, who fouled early in the third period where they also erected their largest lead at 56-34.Aloha Betanio and May Canuto also scored 11 markers each to supplement the game of their prized-rookie Pagdulagan.On the other hand, Kacey Dela Rosa led Ateneo with her eight consecutive double-doubles by producing 22 points and 17 boards.NU will put their unblemished record on the line once again on October 20 when they face the UP Fighting Maroons at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, while the Blue Eagles will try to end their two-game losing skid against the reigning Season 86 champions UST Growling Tigresses at their own turf on October 19.

The Philippine Men’s National Football Team earned a podium finish in the 2024 King’s Cup after defeating Tajikistan, 3-0, on Monday, October 14, at the Tinsulanonda Stadium in Songkhla, Thailand.Gerrit Holtmann (47') placed the nation on the scoreboard after the first half ended without a goal. Jefferson Tabinas (58') immediately followed with a 54th minute header from a corner, and Zico Bailey's goal in the 62nd minute sealed the victory for the Nationals, making it a 3-to-love score.The triumph marks the Philippines’ first podium place in the competition and their first win under Albert Capellas since he took over as head coach of the men’s national football team.

Filipino Olympic boxer Hergie Bacyadan dominated the women’s K1 -70kg category in the Asian Kickboxing Championships in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Saturday, October 12.Bacyadan’s frustrated attempt to clinch a medal in the women’s boxing tournament of the 2024 Paris Olympics only strengthened her to pursue glory in other combat sports. The 29-year-old Kalinga fighter delivered one of the Philippines’ four gold medals in the event, overwhelming her opponent Chinese Jinwei Teng via abandonment. Bacyadan’s triumph in the continental kickboxing championships earned her a spot in the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.“Everybody wants to be there in the World Games and I’m glad that I’ve qualified,’’ said Bacyadan.

A resounding recommendation from Kiefer Ravena undeniably fuelled the NLEX Road Warriors with American DeQuan Jones joining the team in the remainder of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup.Prior to replacing Myke Henry and donning the shades of blue, orange, and white for his first ever PBA stint, Jones played alongside Ravena, who was a former Road Warriors, for the B. League team Shiga last season.In spite of having no experience playing for Filipino teams, Jones had a minimal to none adjustment period as he insinuated that it is fun to play in the country that really loves and respects the game of basketball.

Seasoned senior chess players Chito Garma and Efren Bagamasbad will compete for the Philippines in the 32nd FIDE World Senior Championships in Portugal next month.The two Filipinos will compete in the Porto tournament from November 16 to 29 with the goal of achieving the Grandmaster titles.Garma, a two-time Olympian, is competing in the 50-and-up group, Bagamasbad in the 65-plus category, and another member, Mario Mangubat, has also entered the 50-plus division.In their appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, October 8, Garma, Bagamasbad, and Philippine delegation member Marlon Bernardino discussed and assessed the country’s chances of contending against the world’s best senior chess players next month.“It would be nice to hear that you are a world senior champion and also a grandmaster,” said Garma in Filipino, who competed for the nation in the Chess Olympiads in Manila in 1992 and Yugoslavia in 1990.“This also serves as an inspiration to the young players because if we could do it, then they could, too,” he added.

The Philippine Squash Academy is set to host two international tournaments later this month, capitalizing on the opportunity to raise its profile and expose its players to world-class action in anticipation of larger competitions. Philippine Squash chairman Robert Bachmann told the Philippine Sportswriter Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, October 8, that everything is set for the Philippine Satellite on October 22-25 and the Philippine Challenger Classic on October 27-31.Both competitions will be held at the PSA Academy, which is located inside the Rizal Memorial Complex in Manila.“Our top athletes can improve their world rankings by competing here and for the rest, this is a chance to get some exposure by playing with the best,” Bachmann said.The tournaments, according to Bachmann, will help the Philippine squad get ready for the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand in 2025, the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan in 2026, and the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

The Philippine Volcanoes made history over the weekend after both securing the men’s and women’s title in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.The men’s national rugby team, led by Darryl Suasua, exhibited their excellent teamwork to prevail over Chinese Taipei with a 27-12 victory in the finals, while their women counterpart, coached by Samantha Scott, followed suit, eking out a 7-5 win over India. “We are immensely proud of both our women’s and men’s teams for their performances and dedication,” said Ada Milby, president of the Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU). “Winning double gold is a historic achievement for Philippine Rugby and reflects the hard work of the athletes, coaches, and support staff. We are excited to see the continued growth and success of rugby in the Philippines.”

Wello Lingolingo saved the UE Red Warriors on Sunday night, October 6, by knocking down a game-winning buzzer beater jumper to take a thrilling 63-62 victory against Adamson Soaring Falcons at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.Lingolingo got a timely offensive board off a Nico Mulingtapang miss, then double-pumped in the air before taking a bank shot at the buzzer that sealed the game and extended the University of the East win streak to five games.UE finished the first round of eliminations with a 5-2 record to place solo third.

Tachiana Mangin became the first Filipina world champion after dominating the 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea.The 16-year-old Filipina jin conquered local bet Kim Hyang-gi in the final of the women’s 49-kilogram category. Mangin secured the gold after three rounds of sparring via a 14-8, 3-4, 7-6 decision.Mangin is the first Filipino female world titlist of the tournament and the second Filipino athlete since Alex Borromeo triumphed in the 47-kilogram class in the first edition of the competition in 1996 held in Barcelona, Spain. 

The PBA Commissioner’s Cup will feature a one-import format with unlimited height.There will also be a guest team in Hong Kong Eastern which is close to finalizing their entry for the said conference.Each team will be allowed to field one import with unlimited height, including HKE as the 13th team of the tournament after they formalized their entry.

San Miguel averted disaster after dispatching the Converge FiberXers in the toe-to-toe Game 5 of their quarterfinals match-up, 109-105, on Sunday night at the Ynares Center, Antipolo.June Mar Fajardo showed why he's an eight-time MVP by producing a monster double-double of 40 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Beermen in entering the semis of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup.Fajardo went 15-of-27 from the field and shot 10-of-12 from the free throw line to carry much of the load in SMB's triumph.Though having a lot of contributions, JMF said that they all step-up in their do-or-die victory.

The University of Santo Tomas blasted Mapua University for a back-to-back win in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship on Sunday, October 6, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. The Golden Tigresses swept the Lady Cardinals with a straight set 25-18, 25-17, 25-20 victory, securing them the second spot behind Pool B leader University of the East with a 3-0 record. “We enjoyed the game. We played the first set in a relaxing manner and we carefully played our game,” said Kyla Cordora who posted nine points on all kills.Xyza Gula contributed eight markers and Margaret Alta scored seven, while Jona Perdido and Regina Jurado supplemented six apiece. Bianca Plaza drove UST at match point, 24-17, before three continuous points from Mapua impeded the Tigresses’ victory. Cordora, however, prevented them any chance of a comeback, halting the Lady Cardinals’ late rally and delivering the final point.

Rain or Shine advanced to the semi-finals of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup after defeating Magnolia in the Game 5 of their grueling battle, 113-103, on Saturday night, October 5, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.Andrei Caracut rose to the occasion by scoring six of his 14 points in the final two minutes of the game.Aaron Fuller produced his usual contribution by knocking 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds, while Jhonard Clarito and Adrian Nocum added 17 markers each.Leonard Santillan and Keith Datu were also vital in the Elasto Painters’ win as they chalked up 12 and 11 points, respectively.RoS head coach Yeng Guiao said that he is proud of how his young team fought against a veteran team like Magnolia.