An Olympic boxing gold remains elusive for the Philippines as Nesthy Petecio concluded her Paris Games campaign with a bronze after a split decision loss to Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the women’s 57kg semifinal at the Roland Garros Stadium on Thursday, August 8 (Manila time).Petecio has been favored to advance to the gold medal match but appeared to lose steam against the 20-year-old opponent as Szemereta eked out a 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29 win.The Polish fighter, the youngest semifinalist in the women’s boxing event, fought back into contention in the second round after getting shut out in the first, using her reach to blunt Petecio’s combination.Szeremeta was the busier fighter in the third round, and while Petecio put together a flurry of punches towards the end, it was not enough to convince the judges who all scored in favor of her opponent.The stunning victory averted what could have been a showdown between Petecio and long-time rival Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei in the finals.Petecio was the last fighter standing for the Philippine boxing team, which was reduced to a two-bronze output after a strong performance in the Tokyo Olympics where the squad collected two silvers and a bronze.Aira Villegas was the other bronze medalist for the boxing team this year. Eumir Marcial, a bronze winner in Tokyo, and Hergie Bacyadan lost their opening bouts while Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam dropped out in the quarterfinals.Despite the loss, Petecio joined an exclusive club of Filipinos who have won multiple Olympic medals, including swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, gymnast Carlos Yulo, and became the first boxer to do so.

Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler Mijain Lopez Nuñez bagged his fifth consecutive gold medal at the men’s 130kg event after defeating Yasmani Fernandez of Chile.Lopez became the first Olympic athlete to win gold in the same event at five consecutive games. He’s also the first wrestler to win five golds.After the match, Lopez symbolically retired by placing his shoes at the center of the mat.

Team USA advanced to the semifinals of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament by dominating Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time) at the Bercy Arena in Paris.The Americans made a 21-2 run and erected a 29-point lead before halftime scoring a total score of 63 points against the 36 of Brazil.LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Jrue Holiday led the run that held the Brazilians without a field goal in a four minute stretch.Brazil continued to struggle in the second half of play as Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker took over on what they had started earlier. Team USA has once again flexed their depth as they have six players reaching double digit points led by Devin Booker’s 18 points putting his best scoring game in the Olympics while Anthony Edwards added 17. The other players who reached double digits were LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards.James, the team’s captain and leader in assists during the pool phase once again showed his leadership by quarterbacking for the Americans as he dished off nine assists to go along with his 12 points and three steals before heading out the game after receiving an inadvertent elbow from Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo early in the fourth period.Meanwhile, Caboclo paced the Brazilians with 30 points but the quarterfinals will be the end of the Olympic journey for Brazil who qualified to the tournament by winning the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament in Riga.USA will then meet Serbia in the final four that will begin on Friday, August 9 (Manila Time).

France clinched a ticket to the Paris Olympics men’s basketball tournament final four by defeating the previously unbeaten Canada on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time) at the Bercy Arena.Guerschon Yabusele, who was inserted to the starting line-up together withIsaia Cordinier picked up the slack for a subdued Victor Wembanyama, helping establish an early 23-10 advantage in the first quarter and France never relinquished until the end.Yabusele led the way for the host team with 22 points and Cordinier added 20 markers. Evan Fournier scored 15 points and Mathias Lessort notched 13 as Wembanyama was limited to seven, while still hauling down 12 rebounds.On the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 27 points for Canada while RJ Barrett contributed 16 markers.The win set up a rematch against Germany in the semi-finals that is scheduled on Thursday, August 8.

Serbia banked on Nikola Jokic in overtime to eliminate Australia 95-90 and book a ticket to the Olympics men’s basketball tournament semifinals held at the Bercy Arena in Paris on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time).In the first half of play, the Serbians trailed by as much as 24 points but surged back in the second half to have a toe-to-toe game against Australia.Serbia almost took the game in regulation but Patty Mills, with two seconds left in the game clock made his fade-away jumper to tie the game at 82 and forced the game into overtime.Jokic hit the go-ahead basket with a minute and seven seconds remaining in overtime before hitting his signature fadeaway shot over the outstretched arm of Duop Reath with 25 seconds left in the extension.The Boomers had a chance to equalize or just trim the lead to one but Josh Giddey made an inbound error that led to two free throws for Bogdan Bogdanovic that eventually sealed the game.Nikola Jokic led the way for Serbia with his almost triple-double performance tallying 21 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, dishing off nine assists and having four steals while Patty Mills led the Boomers with 26 points.Serbia is now waiting for the winner of the USA-Brazil match-up for their semi-finals battle.

Capital1 sealed its spot in the top three of Pool B after overcoming ZUS Coffee in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig on Tuesday, August 6.The Solar Spikers capped off their Pool B campaign with a 18-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-18 triumph over the still winless Thunderbelles. Riding high after a record-setting 45 points last week, Russian import Marina Tushova stuffed the statistical sheet with yet another explosive performance as she poured 32 points, along with 10 excellent digs, and nine excellent receptions to lead the Solar Spikers.Player of the Game Iris Tolenada set up a remarkable Capital1 stand with 21 excellent sets and five attack points.Apart from Capital1’s leading local scorer Des Clemente with 12 markers on eight attacks, two blocks, and a pair of aces, their two draft picks Jenya Torres and Leila Cruz came to Tushova’s aid on offense.Torres showcased her best performance yet of seven points, two off aces and 12 excellent digs, while Cruz contributed five markers. Victory, however, remained elusive for the Thunderbelles even with Japanese reinforcement Asaka Tamaru’s 22 attack points and Dolly Verzosa’s 12 markers on nine attacks, two blocks and an ace apart from 26 excellent receptions.Mitch Gamit and No. 13 pick rookie Sharya Ancheta each finished with six points. Capital1, who snagged huge wins over Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho, assured themselves of facing the three lower-ranked teams from Pool A in the second round, while ZUS Coffee finished the first round winless at 0-5 and will face the top three teams from Pool A.

Akari came out on top as the league’s last undefeated team after dealing Cignal its first loss in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena on Tuesday, August 6.The Chargers finished their Pool B games with a 15-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-22 victory against the HD Spikers, pushing them down to a 4-1 for second. American reinforcement Oly Okaro led the massive charge with 24 points anchored on 22 attacks, one ace, and one block, while Ivy Lacsina chipped in 14 markers from 12 attacks as the Chargers ended the first round with a clean 5-0 slate.Ced Domingo contributed 10, four coming from the total 12 blocks of Akari. Kamille Cal seemed to be adjusting well as the starting playmaker with 14 excellent sets to go with eight points, including three blocks.Gretchel Soltones also had an all-performance with eight points, 19 receptions, and 11 digs.HD Spikers’ Venezuelan import MJ Perez was the only one to score in double digits with 24 points, along with 11 receptions, and nine digs. Riri Meneses and Ces Molina added nine and eight markers, respectively, in the losing effort. Both teams will enter the next round as part of the top three in their group, facing the bottom three from Pool A.

Petro Gazz finally ended their three-game losing skid with a quick sweep of Choco Mucho to end their first round campaign in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference.The Angels end their campaign on a high note after defeating the Flying Titans through a straight-set win, 25-18, 25-21, 25-18, placing them fourth in Pool B and will face the top three teams from Pool A in the crossover second round.Petro Gazz’s Cuban import, Wilma Salas, paced the scoring for the Angels with 18 points and 18 excellent receptions, while Brooke Van Sickle supported Salas with 17 and two digs.Veteran playmaker Chie Saet also made sure the embattled Angels got their act together just in the nick of time, finishing with four markers and 15 excellent sets and seven digs, while Myla Pablo delivered 11.On the other hand, Choco Mucho’s Dindin Santiago-Manabat had a double-digit scoring output with 13 attacks, while Greek reinforcement Zoi Faki was only limited to three points.Choco Mucho ended their first round with a 1-4 record as the fifth-seed with its lone win over hapless ZUS Coffee. They will face a similar path of the Angels in the next round.

Germany overcame their slow start to beat Greece 76-63 in their quarter-finals match-up and be the first one to enter the final four in the Olympics Men’s Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time).Franz Wagner led the German team in scoring with 18 points while Dennis Schroeder chipped in 13 points and 8 assists. The recent World Cup champions improved their record to 4-0 in the tournament.At the beginning of the game at the Bercy Arena, Germany fell behind 10-2 at the start and trailed much of the opening half.But a Schroder three-pointer after the break gave the Germans the momentum to control the game and took a 59-52 advantage coming into the final frame where they finished off their opponent.With the win, Germany men’s basketball team has entered the Olympics semi-finals for the first time in history.

Filipina boxer Aira Villegas wraps up her maiden appearance in the 2024 Paris Games after bagging bronze in the women’s 50kg semifinals at the Roland Garros Stadium on Wednesday, August 7 (Manila time).Villegas fell prey at the hands of more seasoned and third-seeded rival Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey, absorbing a unanimous decision loss. The Filipina made a valiant effort, landing significant punches but the formidable Turkish boxer proved to be too much for Villegas, setting the pace early enough to sweep the judges’ score cards, 30-27, 30-26, 30-27, 30-27, 30-26.This is the Philippines’ third medal in the ongoing Paris Games following gymnast Carlos Yulo’s double gold medal in men’s gymnastics. Villegas exceeded expectations in her Summer Games debut, becoming the Philippines’ second female boxer to win an Olympic medal after teammate Nesthy Petecio. Petecio, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, is the last fighter in the contention for the Philippines, with Eumir Marcial and Hergie Bacyadan losing their opening bouts and Carlos Paalam exiting in the quarterfinals.Petecio assumes the responsibility of winning the Philippines’ first-ever Olympics gold in the sport as she battles Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the women’s 57kg semifinals on Thursday, August 8 (Manila time).

Team Philippines’ John Cabang Tolentino capped off his Paris 2024 medal bid after withdrawing from the competition due to an injury. He was set to compete in the repechage round of the men’s 110 meter hurdles race at Stade de France set on Tuesday, August 6.The Filipino hurdler publicly apologized on social media saying he won’t be able to compete due to an undisclosed injury.

Filipina fencer Samantha Catantan shared that she is set to take a break from the piste again after sustaining another anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during the 2024 Paris Olympics.The 22-year-old Catantan announced the development on Monday, August 5, in an Instagram post, just a week after she concluded her campaign in the women’s foil event last July 28.

The 32-year-old PBA rookie Caelan Tiongsion is ready to bring his bountiful overseas experience to his new team Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and prove that it’s never too late to pursue his dreams.During Monday's Media Day at the Le Parc Event Hall of the Metropark in Pasay City, Tiongson told the sportswriters, “You guys saw a 32-year-old rookie last year emerging as a top newcomer, so I don't know if you're forgetting about that so fast, but yeah, I'm excited." The seventh pick overall in the recent draft was referring to Stephen Holt, who made an impact last season and helped the Terrafirma Dyip reach the Philippine Cup playoffs.

Justin Brownlee secured another championship to his accolades after Pelita Jaya reigned the 2024 Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) after subduing Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta, 73-65, on Sunday, August 4, at the Indomilk Arena. The well-loved Gilas Pilas naturalized player and Barangay Ginebra import did not have a huge offensive night but he made his presence felt by producing 14 points, including eight in the third quarter alone, together with five rebounds. Indonesian team naturalized player Anthony Beane paced the squad with 23 markers, spiked by six triples, while former PBA import KJ McDaniels contributed 14 and seven boards.Forward Muhamad Arighi had 13 points as well, spiked by three triples, off the bench as Pelita Jaya won its second IBL title after seven years.With the crown tucked under his belt, Brownlee is expected to fly back to Manila soon to rejoin Barangay Ginebra as he looks to lead his team in the upcoming PBA Season 49, which kicks off with the Governor’s Cup. 

After winning the interim fight with Gustavo “El Gladdiator” Balart, Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks wants to challenge his longtime rival and reigning divisional king from the Philippines  Joshua “The Passion” Pacio for the third time. The highly anticipated unification trilogy between Brooks and Pacio should be coming into fruition once the Filipino athlete recovers from his torn ACL.Jarred Brooks was disqualified and lost the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title back in March, but he’s hungry to redeem himself and get back to his previous glory as the undisputed king. During their clash last March, Brooks was disqualified in the first round of the contest after slamming Pacio head and neck first into the canvas, resulting in an anticlimactic finish. Pacio then sustained a neck injury.Brooks accepted the bout for the division’s interim crown against Balart while Pacio continues to recover from his injury. However, now that Brooks owns the interim gold, he is super excited and can’t wait to settle the score with Pacio in a high-stakes rubber match.Brooks now has a professional record of 21-3, scoring his 11th finish.

After winning two consecutive gold medals in the Paris Olympics, the well known “Philippine’s Golden Boy” Carlos Yulo didn't forget to thank God first above for the skills and abilities he acquired for the competition. Yulo didn't even lose hope in the prestigious competition, instead he trusted the will of God for his own benefit and good. Yet, he didn't get wrong. What Caloy wished for his country and personal life, all of them in one blink of an eye, God gave it to him without any hesitation. He received a lot of greetings from different prominent people not only from his country where he came from but also from different other nations.

Serbian tennis sensation Novak Djokovic has finally completed his career golden grand slam after winning the Olympic Games gold in Paris. He defeated Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in a tightly contested match and won two sets 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) to earn his first Olympic gold.The 37 year-old and currently world’s No. 1 ranked tennis player joined Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, who have won all four tennis majors (the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open) and an Olympic gold medal in singles.Djokovic has won the Australian Open 10 times, Tour Finals seven times, Wimbledon seven times, US Open three times, and French Open three times.He sealed the title with a forehand. After getting the gold-clinching point, he turned to his box with an outstretched arm, and threw his racquet to the floor in celebration after the match lasted for almost three hours.After the match, he hugged his opponent Alcaraz before bursting into tears and fell to his knee in the middle of the Paris' Court Philippe-Chatrier.Then, Novak unfurled the Serbian and went to the stands to celebrate the victory with his family and support.

The Philippine bet Ernest John “EJ” Obiena came so close to ending the country’s 88-year Olympic medal drought in athletics as he placed fourth at the Paris Olympics men’s pole vault at the Stade de France early Tuesday, August 6 (Manila time).The world No. 2 and acclaimed as one of the Philippines’ strongest medal hopefuls, Obiena, who owns the Asian record of 6.0 meter clearance, failed to clear 5.95 meter height in the 12-man final and lost the bronze to Emmanouil Karalis of Greece.Like Obiena, Karalis, ranked world No. 8 in the sport, also cleared 5.90m but nipped the Filipino for the last podium spot due to fewer attempts.

Filipina-American hurdler Lauren Hoffman is out of contention after she failed to advance in the semifinals of the women’s 400 meters at the Stade de France in Paris held on Monday, August 5.Hoffman placed seventh and last in Heat 3 of the repechage round, clocking in a time of 58.28 seconds.Qualifying from the third repechage heat were France's Shana Grebo (54.91s) and Ukraine's Anna Ryzhykova (54.95s).The first-time Olympian was relegated to repechage after failing to qualify during the first round of the competition. Hoffman registered 57.84 seconds, finishing 37th overall among 39 participants.Another Filipino track athlete, John Cabang Tolentino, will also compete in the repechage of the men's 110 meter hurdles after a sixth-place finish in the heats on Sunday, August 4.