An archer from Siliman University competing for the first time ever grabbed three gold medals during the Palarong Pambansa 2024 Archery Competition.Naina Dominique Tagle earlier won two gold medals in the Girls Recurve 60 meters and 70 meters events, and one more for the Girls 1140 FITA event held at the South Road Properties (SRP) Grounds in Cebu City on Saturday, July 13.She ended up getting 3 golds in 4 events she participated in, grabbing the silver medal in the Girls Recurve 50 meters event - a great showing for a team debuting in the highly-competitive regional sports meet.“I think everybody has their skill set and not everyone can be the best at everything,” she told CDN Digital in an interview.Tagle’s coach, Darlene Banglos, had nothing but good words for her debuting team as they ended up victorious in their Palaro debut.“There is a bright future when it comes to archery because these are very young athletes, they still have a lot to learn,” Banglos told CDN Digital.Tagle will be competing for the Olympic Round of the archery event. 

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.

Earmarked as the heir apparent to the sole Philippine Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz, Vanessa Sarno has definitely big shoes to fill in her first Olympic Games.The 20-year-old weightlifting prodigy guaranteed her spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics after flashing a remarkable performance in the women’s 71-kilogram category at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup held in Phuket, Thailand, last April.Sarno solidified her Olympic aspirations by shattering her previous record in the snatch with 110 kg and cleared 135 kg in the clean and jerk for a total lift of 245 kg to finish fifth in the tournament that served as the last qualifying event for Olympic weightlifting.The Bohol native has been anointed as the predecessor to Tokyo gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz after beating and surpassing record marks at the regional and global levels.Sarno made history after her smashing debut in the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. She single-handedly ruled the -71 kg class with a performance for the ages, lifting 104 kg for the snatch and 135 kg in the clean and jerk, registering a total of 239 kilograms, which was tallied as a new SEA Games and Philippine record.In her much-awaited debut at the Paris Olympics, Sarno is looking to replicate her previous successes and deliver a medal for the Philippines.Now ranked No. 5 in the world, Sarno may be one of the favorites to win a medal, but getting a podium finish in her first trip to the Olympics will be easier said than done as she will be facing a tough field bannered by the likes of world champions Loredana Toma of Romania and Neama Said of Egypt, as well as Tokyo Games bronze medalist Chen Wen-huei of Chinese Taipei.Fans will be able to watch Sarno compete on August 10 on the Smart Livestream App.

Kiyomi Watanabe is set to make her mark again in the world stage as she will be competing for Team Philippines in women’s judo of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 for the second straight time.It has been three years since the Philippines fielded the Olympics with a female judoka to represent the nation in judo. And though Watanabe’s campaign did not get as far as she had hoped, she earned the distinction as the first Filipina Olympian in the sport since the country participated in Olympic Judo competitions since 1964.Three years later, that remains to be the case as Watanabe is the lone female in the country’s elite line of judokas in the Olympics which includes John Baylon (1998 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona), Jerry Dino (1998 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona), Benjie McMurray (1988 Seoul), Tomohiko Hoshina (2012 London), and Kodo Nakano (2016 Rio).The 27-year-old had a forgettable outing in her Olympic debut in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games after absorbing defeat in the opening round via an ippon to Spain’s Cristina Cabaña.Despite the heartbreaking loss, Watanabe booked her return trip to the Olympics.Watanabe, who won four gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games and a silver medal in the Asian games, secured her seat after earning one of the two continental quotas allocated for Asia in the -63 kilogram class of the women’s category through her world ranking, No. 92.In her return to the Olympics, the Filipino-Japanese vowed to do better by hurdling the first round in the weight division consisting of 28 entries.Watanabe is set to begin her stint on July 30. 

Central Visayas collected 16 gold medals in the final day of the 2024 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games weightlifting competition at the Gogon Elementary School on Wednesday, July 24.Bohol Institute of Technology’s June Michael Jaluag registered a total of 216 kilograms – 85 kg in the snatch and 105kg in the clean and jerk – to secure three gold medals in the men’s 94kg category.Czar Angelo Bangoy of Holy Trinity College in General Santos City (SOCCSKSARGEN) took the silver medals in snatch (70kg), clean and jerk (100kg), and total (170kg) while Jhon Benedict Jacob of Naga College Foundation (Region V) settled for the bronze medals in snatch (50kg), clean and jerk (75kg), and total (125kg).Rising Boholana lifter Samantha Nicole Podot pocketed three gold medals in the women’s weightlifting -77kg category.The 19-year-old Podot lifted a tournament-best 55 kilograms in the snatch and 65 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 120 kilograms that earned her a golden treble.Podot, a first year BS Medical Technology student of Holy Name University (HNU) in her hometown of Tagbilaran City, trains alongside Vanessa Sarno, one of the country’s representatives to the most anticipated Paris Olympics set to kick off on July 26.Other weightlifting gold miners from Central Visayas include Justine Luke Loreto (men’s 54kg), Julia Xeanne Quano (girls 49kg), Daisymae Zerna (girls 53kg), and Rhea Marie Magparo (girls 57kg).Meanwhile, Bicol Region produced nine gold medals coming from Naga College Foundation students Mateo Noel Falcon (boys 68kg), Venn Emil Quiros (boys 73kg), and Aljo Augie Bibe (boys 54kg).With about a day left in the 2024 PRISAA Games, Central Visayas and Bicol Region have the most number of golds and total medals collected in the senior and youth division, respectively.Region VII has so far won 66 gold, 33 silver, and 34 bronze medals in the senior level, a total of 133 medals.Cordillera Administrative Region has the second most gold medals won with 33, plus 23 silvers and 31 bronzes, followed by Western Visayas (Region VI) with a 24-23-19 medal tally.Also reaching double digit numbers in gold medals are SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) and CALABARZON (Region IV-A) with 23 each, Ilocos Region (Region I) with 14, as well as the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) and Negros Island Region with 11 apiece.In the youth division, Bicol Region (Region V) has 52 golds, 39 silvers, and 38 bronzes, totaling 129.Western Visayas is second with 38 gold, 42 silver, and 30 bronze medals, while Calabarzon is not too far behind with a 33-21-20 medal haul.Central Luzon (Region III) has 25 golds, Central Visayas has 11, and Northern Mindanao (Region X) has 10.The PRISAA National Games will have its closing ceremony on Friday.

Serbian gaming organization Aurora Gaming has formally entered the MLBB scene through the reveal of its powerhouse MPL Philippines roster Saturday night.The team is composed of powerhouse veterans, all of which have had significant experience in and out of the Land of Dawn.Leading the pack are ex-Blacklist International stalwarts Edward Jay “Edward” Dapadap, Kenneth Carl “Yue” Tadeo, and Renejay “Renejay” Barcarse.RSG Philippines’ former star jungler Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto, TNC Pro Team stalwart Ben “Benthings” Maglaque, and Minana EVOS’ Jan Dominic “Domeng” del Mundo have also joined the team.At the coaching team of Aurora’s star-studded lineup are ex-Blacklist coaches Aniel “Master The Basics” Jiandani, supported by assistant coach Dexter Louise “Dex Star” Alaba.And guiding the team as Esports and Gaming Content Directors are MPL legends Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie James “Wise” del Rosario.Aurora Gaming says their focus on the team would focus on ambassadorship, quelling rumors of a return for both OhMyV33nus and Wise to competitive MLBB.

Nesthy Petecio secured a ticket to the Round of 16 of the Women's Featherweight (57kg) via unanimous decision (5-0) against India's Jaismine Lamboria.Petecio, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist and Philippine female flag-bearer in the Paris Games  showed her might from the very beginning of the match to keep her gold medal dream alive.The Filipina boxer will face France Amina Zidani in the Round of 16 on August 3, 2:00 a.m. PH time.

Swimmer Kayla Sanchez’s quest for a medal in the women’s 100 meter freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics came to an end when she failed to advance in the semifinals.Sanchez clocked 54.21 seconds in the second semifinal on Tuesday, July 30, (early Wednesday in Manila) at the Paris La Defense Arena, good for seventh in her group and 15th overall.Earlier in the day, the 23-year-old Filipina made her Olympic debut for the Philippines by delivering an impressive performance after finishing fourth-place in the heats.She registered 53.67 seconds, setting a new national record for the Philippines in the women’s 100m freestyle.Unfortunately, Sanchez missed the top-eight cutoff for the final and became the eighth member of the 22-strong Team Philippines to get eliminated.Gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, fencer Samantha Catantan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, rower Joanie Degalco, and boxer Eumir Marcial all bowed out of medal contention in their respective events.

Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist is coming to the French capital, not as an athlete, but as a member of the International Weightlifting Federation Athletes’ Commission.Her arrival to the Games was confirmed by the Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Dicky Bachmann on Tuesday, July 30.“She is arriving either on August 3 or August 4,” said Bachmann in a text message, adding that Diaz’s arrival would be a great source of inspiration for other Filipino athletes who are still vying for the Olympic medal, including her fellow weightlifters Elreen Ando, John Ceniza and Vanessa Sarno.“Her presence will definitely add much-needed inspiration to all our athletes competing in the Summer Games,” added Bachmann.The Zamboanga native Diaz, who captured the country’s first Olympic gold medal during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, remains a towering figure in Philippine sports as her feat became a shining moment for the nation.Marking a new chapter in her journey to develop future champions, Diaz inaugurated her weightlifting academy, HD Weightlifting Academy, in Jalajala, Rizal on July 26, the third-year anniversary of her golden conquest in the Tokyo games.

University of the East opened its bid in the 2024 V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge in a stunning way, crushing reigning NCAA Season 99 champion De La Salle-College of St. Benilde in straight sets at the Paco Arena on Wednesday night, July 31.The Lady Warriors staged multiple comebacks to complete their domination of the Lady Blazers in a battle between Jerry Yee-coached squads.“The Lady Blazers have had the advantage over us the past couple of weeks, so I’m very happy that the girls pulled through even coming from behind,” said UE assistant coach Obet Vital.Down by as many as five points midway through the final set, UE rattled off a pivotal 9-1 run to gain momentum and sweep CSB to a 25-22, 25-23, 25-21 victory.Khy Cepada led the Lady Warriors by delivering 20 points, all from attacks, while Kayce Balingit and Jenalyn Umayam contributed 12 and 10 markers, respectively.Jelai Gajero also returned to the court for the first time since tearing her ACL in the same tournament seven months ago. The California Academy standout focused on regaining her floor defense for the game.Meanwhile, Corrine Apostol paced CSB with 14 points, while Rhea Densing chipped in 12 markers.UE will face UAAP Season 86 silver medalist University of Santo Tomas on Sunday, August 4, while St. Benilde will aim to bounce back against Far Eastern University on the same date.

Carlos Edriel “Caloy” Yulo’s memorable win at the 2024 Paris Olympics comes with its perks that will mark his place in Philippine history.From millions of pesos in cash prizes, to perks at selected establishments, the Philippines’ “Golden Boy” comes home from Paris to a myriad of rewards that are waiting for him across the Philippines.We take a look at the rewards that the 24-year-old Olympian will come home to after what has been a historic run at the biggest sporting stage of them all.

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 golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina made significant strides in the second of four rounds in the Paris Olympics women’s individual stroke play at the Le Golf National on Thursday, August 8.Pagdanganan put up her best performance yet in Paris 2024 after firing a 3-under 69 to climb seven spots after ending the first round with a par 72. She brushed off two two bogeys in the first four holes and went on to earn four birdies, including three in the back nine with a total score of 3-under 141 through two rounds.If Pagdangan keeps her nerves and sustains her charge, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) veteran could increase the country’s medal harvest.Ardina, the other Philippine bet in the field, remained at the bottom half of the 60-woman field despite improving four places to joint 36th. She shot a par 72 as she compensated for a double bogey at the second hole with birdies at 11th and 18th for a 4-over 148.Japan’s Yuka Saso, who represented the Philippines in the 2020 Tokyo Games, struggled anew and dropped a spot to joint 47th. She went two-over-par with 74 in the second round, with a seven on a par-four 12th hole.Round 3 of the event will continue on Friday, August 9.

Eleven members of the National Masters & Senior Athletics of the Philippines are set to represent the country in the World Masters Athletics Championship 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden on August 13 to 25.Javelin thrower Danilo Fresnido, World Masters Athletics double gold medalist, will be leading the Philippine delegation for the 12-day biennial competition.Other members of the team include John Aguilar (100m), Ben Alacar (10km road run and 5km walk), Edward Kho (400m), Ninoy Marayag (triple jump and long jump), Drolly Claravall (hammer thrown and discuss throw), Riezel Buenaventura (pole vault), Nhea Barcena (half marathon), Brenza Zinampanan (100m, 200m, and 80m hurdles), Judith Stapes (pole vault and discuss throw), and the father of Philippine Olympian EJ Obiena, Edward Obiena (pole vault and discus throw).The competition will commence on August 13, Tuesday, with three athletes competing on the first day: Staples in pole vault, Zinampan in the 100m Women’s event, and Aguilar in the 100m Men’s event.Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) director Merly Ibay will be the official accompanying the team. 

Italian Angiolino Frigoni will be debuting as Alas Pilipinas men’s head coach in the first leg of Southeast Asian Volleyball League (SEA V.League) slated for August 16 to 18 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.The 70-year-old mentor is a two-time Olympian head tactician for the Italian women's team in the 1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney games. He was formally named by the PNVF last June after being recommended by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) last year.The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), headed by President Ramon Tats Suzara expects Alas Pilipinas men's team to showcase quality competitions among fellow Southeast Asian nations in the single round robin three-day tournament.

The Office of the President prepares a simple yet meaningful heroes’ welcome once the 22 Filipino Olympians return to the Philippines on Tuesday.According to Reichel Quiñones, Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs, two-time Olympic champion Carlos Yulo and the rest of the Filipino Olympians will arrive in the Philippines in the evening of Tuesday, August 13, via chartered flight, where they will be received by their families at the Maharlika Presidential Hangar at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.They will be welcomed by the First Family in Malacañang, and after that, an awarding ceremony and dinner reception will be held in a simple yet meaningful way for them.

Choco Mucho kept its Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference playoff bid alive after escaping Chery Tiggo on Tuesday, August 13, at PhilSports Arena.After coming from back-to-back losses to Petro Gazz and Capital1, the Flying Titans stayed in contention for the quarterfinals after overcoming the Crossovers in five sets, 25-16, 25-11, 23-25, 19-25, 15-12.

Far Eastern University has announced the return of Tina Salak as the head coach of the Lady Tamaraws for the upcoming UAAP Season 87.The development, made on Wednesday, August 14, marks Salak’s reassumption of the role after she stepped down as FEU’s main tactician in June last year due to her plans of migrating to the US.

The Philippine women’s football team will commence a six-day training camp beginning this Saturday, August 17, at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.Coach Mark Torcaso will stage the camp from August 17 to 23 aimed at tapping more local-based players to its talent pool.About 30 players will be invited to the camp and it is the first activity of the Filipinas since the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) took over the role of managing the national women’s side.

Two-time gold medalist Carlos Yulo is planning to reconnect with his former coach Munehiro Kugimiya after his successful competition in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kugimiya helped Yulo to develop his gymnastic skills from 2016 up to 2023. Yulo wants to pay respect and express his gratitude to ‘Coach Mune’.He wouldn’t be the same magnificent figure that he is now without the important person that molded him to what he is today. The Gymnast Association of The Philippines (GAP) head Cynthia Carrion  said that Yulo will visit Kugimiya in November.