The Philippine Men’s Under-19 National Football Team’s hope of advancing to the semifinals was diminished after Cambodia drubbed the former, 0-1, in the last Group A playing day of the 2024 ASEAN Under-19 Boys Championship Tuesday night, July 23, held at Gelora 10 November Stadium in Surabaya, Indonesia.The Philippines tallied a 1-3 win-loss record after the young Filipino booters secured a 2-0 victory against Timor-Leste on Saturday, July 20. Their win was fuelled by their superb composure and excellent game management following their 6-0 defeat to hometown bet, Indonesia, during the tournament’s opener.But their celebration was short-lived as they bowed to Cambodia in the final game, placing them at the rear of the Group A ranking.Meanwhile, Indonesia notched a 6-2 victory over Timor-Leste as they won Group A of the ASEAN U19 Boys Championship.The 2024 ASEAN U-19 Boys Championship is the 19th edition of the ASEAN U19 Boys Championship, organized by ASEAN Football Federation. 

The Philippines marks a momentous milestone as the nation returns on this year’s Paris Olympic stage, celebrating its centennial year of debuting in the world’s biggest sporting event in the French capital.It was 1924 when the first Filipino athlete stepped into the Olympics arena and waved the Philippine flag in Paris. A century later, a larger and stronger Filipino contingent returned to the French capital to raise the nation’s flag on the world stage once again.To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Philippines’ participation in the Olympics, we take a look back on the Top 10 fascinating facts on the colorful history of the country’s Olympic campaign. 

After close calls in the past, Filipino-American gymnast Emma Malabuyo’s dream of making the Olympics finally came true.The fulfillment of the dream came true when Malabuyo finished third in the individual all-round division of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships held in Uzbekistan back in May.

Filipino-American gymnast Aleah Finnegan will proudly carry the Philippine colors when she makes her Olympic debut in the Paris Games.Finnegan is one of the four gymnasts who will represent the country in the Summer Games. She will join fellow Fil-Ams Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar in the women’s artistic gymnastics events while Carlos Yulo will represent the flag in the men’s division. They hope to bring the Philippines’ first Olympic medal for the sport.The LSU (Louisiana State University) legend came from a family of gymnasts. Her sister Sarah was an alternate for the US Team back in the 2012 Olympics while her other sister Hannah represented the Philippines in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.Aleah also represented the US Team in the 2019 Pan American Games where she won a gold medal.Who is Alean Finnegan?Finnegan might have a lot of success in the gymnastics world but there were obstacles that she also faced along the way.She underwent surgery for a navicular bone injury in 2020 after the Tokyo Olympics original schedule was postponed. She eventually tried to compete for a slot in the Olympics trials but was not selected. The Fil-Am gymnast also retired from elite gymnastics in 2021, and decided to continue her career in LSU.Then, opportunities knock upon her door and it opens a lot of success for her.When she switched federations in 2022 and decided to represent the Philippines, she immediately earned success and made an impact by winning a gold medal in the team event and vault of the Southeast Asian Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam.Then in 2023, Finnegan competed in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships where she finished 32nd in the the women’s all-around event which allowed her to be eligible for a slot to the Olympics making her the first Filipina gymnast to qualify in the Paris Games.

As the PBA nears its 50th Season, the league targets to become the best sports entertainment not only in the country but also in Asia.Asia's first play-for-pay league is the most followed sport in the land, and the PBA wants to keep that status, and now looks forward to improving the brand by making the games more exciting and giving in-venue fans an experience that they will never forget.The PBA wants the crowd to be back in the playing venue even though the league is still the most dominant when it comes to TV ratings.In the recently-concluded annual planning session of the PBA board of governors, they established pillars on how to attain their goal of showcasing the league to global fans and make it as the No. 1 basketball entertainment league in Asia.However, chairman Ricky Vargas said that “the challenge is how to execute it.”The ideas include improving the quality and competitiveness of play, re-establishing the league as the source of best talent for the national team and net exporter of players in Asia. They also want to focus on fan engagement by investing in supplementary business like the construction of an own arena and expanding in CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs.In addition to making the game more exciting, PBA will introduce a new set of rules in the coming season highlighted by the implementation of the “four-point shot” from beyond a 27-foot arc.Newly-elected vice chairman Alfranchis Chua said in Filipino, “We have done this in the All-Star Game. With this rule, the zone defense will be lessened, man-to-man will be seen more and the game will be faster.”The PBA will continue to support the national team program and will embrace the thought that a strong Gilas team will be beneficial to the league and vice versa.They will also have programs for the fans where they can mingle, interact and engage with their favorite players. Chua said, “Like those in the upper box, they paid a pricey ticket when they entered the venue and all they got to do was wave to the player. I will tell the coaches that they allow players to go near the fans.” 

Philippine gymnastics’ golden boy Carlos Yulo was predicted to win medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.The International Gymnast Online - an e-zine and kwon as the leading source of gymnastic news wrote in their July 21 preview of the men’s apparatuses that Yulo will land a gold medal in the men’s floor exercises over defending Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel.

Being ranked World No. 2 in the men’s pole vault, Filipino Olympian Ernest John “EJ” Obiena is expected to end the Paris Games 2024 with flying colors by having a podium finish and probably take home the gold for the country.Facing the tall order already, he will be also dealing with added adversity as he has been battling undisclosed “various physical problems” for the past several months. In a lengthy post on Instagram, Obiena said:

In what appeared to be one of the most consequential State of the Nation Addresses or SONAs in recent memory, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., spared one minute of his SONA time to discuss vague plans about his administration’s thrust into sports.For, in a speech loaded with the banning of offshore gaming operations, an affirmation of Philippine territory, and the traditional promises and accomplishments - Bongbong’s third SONA allocated all but a minute for the Philippine sporting world.

After a failed attempt some 30 years ago, the province of Agusan del Sur has been named as the host of the Palarong Pambansa 2026.The development was announced following the passing of the Palarong Pambansa flag on to next year’s host.After nearly 60 years, Ilocos Norte is set to host the Palarong Pambansa once again in 2025. Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Garcia passed on the Palarong Pambansa flag to Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc during the grand closing ceremony at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).Earlier this year, Agusan del Sur submitted its bid to host the event, showcasing the D.O. Plaza Memorial Sports Complex, which boasts of world-class sporting facilities.The highlight of the sports complex is its 3,000-seat grandstand, rubberized track, football field with artificial grass, Olympic-sized swimming pool, air-conditioned courts for volleyball and basketball, and other amenities.Additional facilities include a 24-room hotel located within the main grandstand and a tennis court.The other Mindanao bidders who submitted their proposal to the Palarong Pambansa Board were the provinces of Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga City.The last time Mindanao hosted the Palarong Pambansa was in 2019 in Davao City.

The Philippine’s 22-man delegation is set to bring pride and glory to the country in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and fans will get an exclusive look at the athletes’ journeys through a new series of documentaries, starting Thursday, July 18.SMART Sports is set to release a four-part series entitled “Puso in Paris 2024” directed by Clev Mayuga.“I think our investment in the Olympics and in our athletes has a lot to do with our connection to these athletes. The main purpose of this series is to get to know them a little bit more so we can root for them, cheer for them, and be with them,” said PLDT and Smart Vice President Jude Turcuatco in an interview with Tiebreaker Times.The series opens with an episode on the Philippines’ golden boy artistic gymnastics, Carlos Edriel Yulo, who shares how this Olympics will be different after his struggles in last year’s Tokyo edition.The second episode, airing on Friday, July 19, will spotlight the boxers, including Tokyo 2020 medalists Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial, and Aira Villegas, as they share how boxing has helped them rise from humble beginnings. The second part of the episode, meanwhile, centers on Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam and first-time Olympian Hergie Bacyadan.The final two episodes will air the following Thursday and Friday, July 25 and July 26.The third episode will dive into the preparations of the first-time Olympian Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando, and John Ceniza and how they are upholding the legacy set by the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz.The series wraps with World No. 2 pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who is on a quest to fulfill a new dream of becoming an Olympic gold medalist.The Philippines first joined the Olympic games a hundred years ago. For this year’s Summer Games, the Philippines will be represented by 22 warriors aiming for the podium finish.“Puso in Paris 2024” will be available for free on the Smart Livestream App.

Karl Benedict Wood stepped up in a big way for the Philippine U-20 team as it withstand North America, 82-73, in the Pilipinas Super League (PSL) Global Championships on Tuesday, July 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.Wood exploded with 28 points as the Davao-NTB Wolves led opening-day in the PSL Global Challenge. Peter Adabo added 13 markers, Keith Marquez scored 12 while Most Valuable Player John Eimrod Rodulfa bucked an eight turnover night with 10 points.Joining the Philippines as opening day winner in the U-20 is Thailand’s Trail International School who brutally topscored over UK-Kampi Basketball, 106-72.Japher Kurihara and Don Wayde Basadre each tallied 27 points, with the former adding seven assists to spearhead Thailand’s explosive debut in the Pilipinas Super League’s flagship event.

The Nxled Chameleons rose past the Galeries Tower Highrisers in a five-set marathon to take the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference opener on Tuesday, July 16, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.The Chameleons overwhelmed Highrisers with 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-12 victory led by their American import, Meegan Hart, with 19 points on 12 attacks and seven blocks, while locals May Luna and Chiara Pementilla contributed 17 and 14 markers, respectively.“It was great, we got a win so it is always great but I am feeling really welcomed in the Philippines. So far, the experience has been awesome. I am really excited to be here with the team and win a lot of games,” Hart told reporters during the postgame press conference.Meanwhile, France Ronquillo paced the Highrisers with 17 points while Thai import Sutadta Chuewulim had 14 points and eight receptions. Middle blockers Roselle Baliton and Andrea Marzan scored 12 markers each.Nxled will have the chance to make it two wins in a row against Cherry Tiggo on Saturday, July 20, while Galeries can bounce back against PLDT at the same game date.