Filipino netters Bambi Zoleta and Princess Catindig failed to advance in the medal round of the women’s singles of the 17th World Soft Tennis Championships in Anseong, Korea, early Thursday, September 6.Both netters lost in the quarterfinals as Zoleta bowed, 2-4, against Chiang Min-Yu of Chinese Taipei while Catindig was ruled by Fu Xiao Chen of China with 1-4. Despite the upset in the women’s singles, the Philippines will carry on its bid for a medal in the World Championship following Zoleta and Patrick Mendoza’s superb performance of defeating Slovakia, 4-0, in the Mixed Doubles Round of 64.Meanwhile, Bien Zoleta-Mañalac and Dheo Talatayod won against Cambodia, 4-1, in the Round of 32.The last time the Philippine Soft Tennis set foot in the medal round was in the 2015 World Championships in New Delhi, India where Zoleta-Mañalac nabbed a bronze in women’s singles.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are trying to paint a perfect slate in the first round of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ cup elimination round when they face the San Miguel Beermen in the main game of the Thursday double-header at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.In their previous game last Friday, the Elasto Painters got their 4-0 record when they dominated the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 116-99.Rain or Shine is the only team right now with an unblemished record in the conference and they are determined to remain perfect in the first round.

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala concluded her campaign after succumbing for the fourth time to German rival Tatjana Maria in the Round of 16 of the 2024 Women's Tennis Association or WTA Guadalajara 125 Open on Thursday, September 5 (Manila time).World No. 99 Maria was just too much for the 19-year-old Filipina as the German veteran punched in four aces in the two-set singles’ win. Maria also won 37 service points and 30 receiving points in a sheer display of expertise.The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate was just bewildered as Maria won the next four games, despite the former being able to go toe-to-toe early with the latter, with a 2-3 tally. The match was over after an hour and 35 minutes.Eala failed to overcome her German tormentor in their fourth encounter as Maria triumphed, 6-2, 6-2, in the WTA Thailand Open; then prevailed again in the WTA Madrid Open in Spain, 6-1, 6-1; and kept domineering over the Filipina in the WTA 250 Guangzhou Open in China, 6-3, 6-0.It was a double blow for Eala as she and Kimberly Birrelly of Australia also exited the doubles play after getting ousted by world doubles No. 83 Katarzyna Piter of Poland and world doubles No. 99 Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-4, 6-4, also on Thursday.

The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots survived the grit of the import-less NorthPort Batang Pier, 105-94 to register their third win in five outings of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup last night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.Sophomore Zavier Lucero played his best game so far in a Magnolia uniform against his former team that also drafted him. He was then traded to the Hotshots in the off-season in exchange for Jio Jalalon and Abu Tratter.Lucero lodged 16 points and 12 rebounds to earn the player of the game honors.Hotshots import Glenn Robinson III registered a game-high 25 points and collected 11 rebounds, while Paul Lee added 20 markers, 11 assists and five boards, to enlist three Magnolia players with double-double performance.Calvin Abueva and Jerrick Ahanmisi also produced double digit numbers by scoring 10 apiece.On the opposite end, Cade Flores led NorthPort with his own double-double by producing 23 points and 10 rebounds to fill the void that import Venky Jois and William Navarro left as they sat out of the game due to ankle injuries.Batang Pier star Arvin Tolentino who just scored 51 games two games prior, was just limited to 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field, though he grabbed 12 rebounds to become the fifth player to have a double-double in the contest.

The Philippine men’s football team opened its Merdeka Cup campaign with a loss, 1-2, against host country Malaysia on Wednesday night, September 4, at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.Jefferson Tabinas scored the nation’s first goal on its comeback appearance in the Merdeka meet since 1972. The goal gave the Philippines an early 1-0 lead but Harimau Malaya didn’t stay idle for too long as the Malaysians tied the score after a straight-away shot from Mohammad Syamer Bin Kutty Abba just outside the box in the 43rd minute.A yellow card sanctioned against new comer Matthew Baldisimo after tackling Aiman Hanapi inside the box resulted in a penalty kick in favor of Malaysia at the 73rd minute. With Safawi bin Rashid’s penalty kick landing a goal, the Malaysians successfully triumphed against the Filipino booters to achieve their first lead of the game, 2-1.The Philippines is now relegated for a third place match and will battle Tajikistan on Sunday, September 8. 

The Creamline Cool Smashers defied all odds after capturing their ninth Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference crown against first-time finalist Akari Chargers on Wednesday, September 5, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.Despite the setbacks of not having the team’s key players Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, and Tots Carlos, the heavily-favored Cool Smashers overcame the previously unbeaten Akari in straight sets, 25-15, 25-23, 25-17. Creamline players rallied behind the efforts of Conference and Finals MVP Bernadeth Pons and reinforcement Erica Staunton to upset Akari with its first loss of the tournament. The stellar feat ensured the Rebisco-backed team its second Reinforced Conference crown and ninth overall title.Pons steered the team with a game-high 19 points anchored on 14 attacks, five aces, along with 12 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions, while Staunton added 13 markers with nine attacks and three blocks. Team captain Michelle Gumabao, who displayed consistent offensive force throughout the competition, chipped in 10.

The Meralco Bolts are now leading the pack in Group A of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup after dominating the Converge FiberXers, 116-88 yesterday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.Meralco, now with a 4-1 record, still played superb even though not yet in full force as key players like Cliff Hodge, Allein Maliksi, Raymond Almazan, and Aaron Black did not play due to injuries.Allen Durham led the Bolts with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists, while Chris Banchero finished with 24 points, 12 of which came from the second quarter alone.They also received solid contributions from the likes of Anjo Caram and Alvin Pasaol in the blowout win. Caram had a total of 16 points (11 in the 3rd canto), while Pasaol had 12 markers, 10 of which came in the 2nd half where Meralco led by as much as 30 points.The FiberXers suffered their third defeat in five games while playing without starting center Justin Arana who sprained his ankle in their previous game. They also lost their back-up center Patrick Maagdenberg during the game when he sustained a knee injury during the game.Scotty Hopson, who’s been consistent since he reinforced Converge tallied 33 points, grabbed six rebounds and six assists to lead the FiberXers. Alec Stockton and JL delos Santos added 13 and 12 respectively but not enough to bring back the team to life.

The Philippines’ RP Blu Girls ended their World Baseball Softball (WBSC) Under-18 Women’s Softball World Cup campaign with a strong finish.The Nationals’ victory against Ireland, 4-0, secured them a fifth-place finish in Group C, while their rival ended the tournament winless in sixth place.Philippines’ starting pitcher Callie Christian paced the team by pitching a complete game shutout. She allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out six batters, imposing her will on the mound.Mylia Perez also contributed to the team’s strong offensive presence as she added two hits in three at-bats and crossing the plate twice.

The Philippines launched its campaign in the 2024 Baseball Federation of Asia or BFA XIII Under-18 Asian Baseball Championship with back-to-back wins at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium in Chinese Taipei on Tuesday, September 3.The U18 men’s baseball squad got off to a strong start with a 10-0 record win over Sri Lanka on Monday, September 2, then followed it up with a 4-2 victory over Hong Kong to stay unscathed so far in Group B. Laurence Valeros banked on his winning pitch to frustrate Sri Lanka as he struck out seven batters and yielded two hits in three and one-third innings. Meanwhile, Rinaldo Kyle and Brandom Sanchez notched the necessary runs to take charge and break the 2-2 score in the sixth inning against Hong Kong. Aron Jesse Manguiat then pounded out four in a five-inning, effectively giving the game to the Philippines.The Filipino batters will battle Japan in its remaining group assignment on Wednesday, September 4, with identical 2-0 win-loss records.The outcome of the match will decide the Philippines’ opponent in the Super Round slated September 6 and 7 with the medal matches set September 8.

The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots and NorthPort Batang Pier will try to finish the first round of the double-round eliminations of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup with a 3-2 slate when they face each other on Wednesday, September 4, 7:30 p.m. at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.The winner of the game will be over the 0.500 mark while the defeated team will have a record of 2-3 in Group A. The Hotshots and Batang Pier were grouped with TNT Tropang Giga, Meralco Bolts, Converge FiberXers and Terrafirma Dyip.After the game, the two teams will be on their way to the 2nd round robin which will start on Saturday, when the Hotshots face the Bolts in Panabo City.

Chezka Centeno continued to carry the fight for the Philippines after defeating Mayte Romero of Spain on Tuesday, September 3, in the World Pool Association or WPA World 9-Ball Women’s Championship held in Hamilton, New Zealand. The World Junior 9-Ball champion will vie for a place in the knockout round when she faces off Yuki Hiraguchi of Japan.Meanwhile, veteran Rubilen Amit launched her 9-Ball Women’s Championship in grand fashion after overwhelming Canada’s Veronique Menard with a 4-1, 4-0 victory in the race to 4 best of three sets preliminary stage.Amit’s win arranged her a match up against Chinese Taipe’s Chen Chia Hua, who earned a first-match bye. But the 9-Ball crown remained elusive for the two-time World 10-Ball champion as she dropped the second game with Hua, 1-2, via shootout.She will meet Gemma Schumann of Australia on the loser’s side.The lone Filipino entry, Carlo Biado, on the other hand, opened his first match with a loss against Jui-an Ryan Hsu of Chinese Taipei, 6-8. He tried to revive his chance by trouncing Kenko Suzuki of Japan when he was relegated in the loser’s bracket but eventually succumbed to Chinese Gao Zhankui, 7-8, to end his World 10-Ball crown bid. 

Barangay Ginebra walloped NLEX, 119-91, on Tuesday to get back on winning track in the 49th Season Governors’ Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.Coming from a 95-88 upset by Blackwater, Ginebra fired on all cylinders in the first half with a 60-percent clip from the field and ended it with a 63-41 lead.Stephen Holt played his best game as a Gin King, leading the team in scoring with 26 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing off six assists.Maverick Ahanmisi added 20 markers for the team while Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos also played their best game for the conference by producing 19 points each in helping the Gin Kings evened their record at 2-2 in Group B.Resident import Justine Brownlee put up only 13 markers in 38 minutes of play but still grabbed seven boards and dished nine dimes.

George King led a regal performance of 44 points, while Sedrick Barefield added 32 more markers to give Blackwater the dub Tuesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.After delivering a 33-point, 19-rebound performance in his PBA debut against Barangay Ginebra last Frida, King made another impactful game as he exploded for his second double-double scoring 44 and grabbing 13 boards for the Bossing, which lead as much as 19.The local unit of Blackwater was led again by their top rookie Sedrick Barefield who hit a three-pointer at the final 1:10 mark of the game to seal the win for the Bossing, and marked the victory with another ‘night night’ gesture.RK Ilagan and Troy Rosario helped out also in the offensive end, scoring 14 and 12 respectively. Ilagan also added five boards and the same number of dimes to his name.

Filipina para swimmer Angel Mae Otom displayed an exceptional performance in her debut stint at the 2024 Paralympic Games after finishing 6th overall in the women’s 50-meter backstroke S5 final at the Paris La Defense Arena Wednesday midnight, September 4 (Philippine time).Otom registered a time of 44 seconds, 0.3 faster than her qualifying time in the heats, to place sixth among eight finalists as China swept the podium places.

The University of the Philippines will be left with a significant hole when the UAAP Season 87 begins with one of their top guns set to miss out the entire women’s basketball tournament.Reigning Rookie of the Year Favour Onoh will sit out her supposed sophomore season as she continues to recover from injuries to both knees. The UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development confirmed the development on Tuesday, September 3, signifying that they are keeping an eye on Onoh’s complete recovery instead of constraining her to join the team in pursuit to end a four-decade title drought.The Fighting Maroons hoped Onoh’s return would have been possible even in the later schedule, but their camp ultimately decided to do what’s best for the young hooper’s career.

Choco Mucho team captain Maddie Madayag is set to embark on a new journey after signing with Kurobe Aqua Fairies of the Japan SV.League for the 2024-25 season. It will be Madayag’s first overseas playing stint, joining outside spiker Lena Stigrot of Germany and opposite hitter Iris Scholten of the Netherlands as Kurobe’s imports. Choco Mucho has been extremely supportive of Madayag’s opportunity to play for her second professional team as an import.

Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala demonstrated resilience as she scored a comeback win following her failed US Open qualifying bid.The unfazed 19-year-old Eala continued her quest for international glory after drubbing Victoria Hu of United States, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4, in the opening round of the Women’s Tennis Professionals or WTA 2024 Guadalajara 125 Open on Tuesday, September 3 (Philippine time).The young Filipina sustained Hu’s hard serves and blew past the second-set tiebreaker before finding her rhythm in the third frame. She then held serve in the sixth to open her biggest lead of the match which she made sure not to relinquish. Eala closed out in the 10th to secure the two-hour, 40 minute win to move into the Round of 16 of the tournament. The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate will need to brace herself for a tougher challenge as her win against Hu arranged her a meet with fourth seed and world No. 99 Tatjana Maria of Germany.Eala and Maria encountered each other three times in WTA tournaments in 2023, with the German beating her in all of their previous matchups. 

Filipino tanker Ernie Gawilan wrapped up his third Paralympic stint as he missed out on the podium finish in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 finals round at the Paris La Defense Arena late Monday night, September 2 (Philippine time).A medal remained elusive for the 33-year-old para swimmer after finishing sixth place with a registered time of 5:03.18.Federico Bicelli of Italy snared the gold medal with an impressive 4:38.70 finish. Andrii Trusov of Ukraine and Inaki Basiloff of Argentina clinched the silver and bronze medal after clocking 4:40.17 and 4:40.27, respectively.Gawilan became the third Filipino athlete to exit the Paralympics after para archer Agustina Bantiloc and para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin.With Gawilan no longer in the medal contention, the Philippine delegation in the Paralympics is now down to three — Jerrold Mangliwan, who will compete in the men’s 100-meter T52, Cendy Asusano, who will contest in the women’s javelin throw F54, and Angel Otom, who will vie for gold in the 50-meter backstroke S5 and 50-meter butterfly S5.

Para swimmer Ernie Gawilan posted his third-fastest time in the heats to advance in the final of the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 in the 17th Paralympic Games.Gawilan registered a time of 5:00.13 minutes and wound up third overall at the Paris La Defense Arena. A redemption performance two days after he failed to qualify for the medal race of the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM7.