The UAAP’s 88th season officially came alive on September 19 with a vibrant opening ceremony at the University of Santo Tomas Grandstand and Open Field, ushering in a new chapter of collegiate sports tradition and pride.Athletes, students, alumni, and supporters from all eight member schools gathered in a spirited show of unity, painting the venue in school colors and cheers that reflected the league’s enduring passion and energy.As this year’s host, UST rolled out its world-class facilities to welcome the league, emphasizing the university’s deep sporting legacy and commitment to excellence.Carrying the theme “Strength in Motion, Hope in Action,” UAAP Season 88 aims to highlight not only athletic brilliance but also the values of camaraderie, perseverance, and resilience that continue to define the country’s premier collegiate league.With the stage now set, fans can look forward to another season of unforgettable rivalries, inspiring performances, and stories of triumph that transcend the playing field.

Harold Alarcon came alive when it mattered most, leading the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons to a heart-stopping 89-88 win over the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena!The veteran guard rose to the occasion, scoring 10 of his 22 points in the crucial fourth quarter to lift UP to its 7th win in 10 games, securing solo second place in the standings as the race to the Final Four intensifies.“Marami kaming struggling nung first half, so nung fourth, whatever na hinarap sa akin ng defense, talagang kinuha ko lang,” said Alarcon, who provided the spark just when the Fighting Maroons needed it most.With Alarcon’s late-game heroics, UP continues to strengthen its Final Four push — showing the poise, depth, and championship mentality that have defined the team all season long.Also starring for State U was Noy Remogat, who chipped in 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Migs Yniguez provided instant offense with 11 points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting from deep.Down 87-88 with under 30 seconds left, Alarcon coolly sank one of his signature mid-range jumpers to put UP ahead. UST had multiple chances to steal the game, but Amiel Acido missed two potential go-ahead baskets, and despite Collins Akowe grabbing another offensive rebound, he turned the ball over at the buzzer.Akowe finished with a monstrous 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Nic Cabañero added 18 points for UST, which suffered its fourth straight loss and dropped to 5-10 overall. Forth Padrigao was limited to just two points and six assists before exiting early due to an ankle injury.UP continues to surge at the right time — showing grit, composure, and championship poise as the postseason draws near.

Gilas Pilipinas Youth clinched a berth in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup after Indonesia defeated Malaysia 77-64 last Saturday in the SEABA Qualifiers held at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Earlier, the Gilas U18 squad defeated Thailand 87-53 to have a clean slate during the tournament and assured them one of the top two spots when Indonesia won their own battle.The Philippines and Indonesia became the top two teams with 2-0 records after the Saturday games. Having been on top of the standings, they already qualified for SEABA in the FIBA U18 tournament to be held from September 2 to 7 in Amman, Jordan.The two teams will join reigning champion South Korea, host Jordan, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Mongolia, Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, India, and Iran.Already assured of the slot, Gilas Youth still swept the tournament by dealing Indonesia their first loss. Guard Andy Gemao led the team with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists in their 87-64 win while Wilham Cabonilas added 17 points and grabbed nine boards.

Asia Paraase from Central Visayas delivered another spectacular performance after securing her second gold medal at the Palarong Pambansa 2024 on Sunday, July 14, at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) oval.Paraase clinched victory in the secondary girls’ 1,500 meter run, setting a new personal best of 4 minutes and 50 seconds, surpassing her previous record of 4:56 set at the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) 2024.The 17-year-old student athlete from Lapu-Lapu City first made headlines last Thursday, July 11, when she earned the inaugural gold medal of the ongoing games by topping the 3,000-meter run.“I am very happy that I succeeded in this Palarong Pambansa and won the 1,500 meter run,” said Paraase told Manila Times in an interview after the competition.The young athlete was overwhelmed with joy, discovering at the last minute that her entire family had come to watch her final race.“I am happy that they are happy. I was able to achieve my goal,” said the incoming Grade 12 student at Pajo National High School.Meanwhile, Paraase also revealed that universities in the National Capital Region have offered her scholarships, but she plans to finish her senior high in Lapu-Lapu before deciding on her next step.

Swimming powerhouses, National Capital Region (NCR) and the CALABARZON (Region IV-A), emerged as the dominant delegations as the medal-rich swimming event of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 closed its curtain after four days of competition at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) Aquatics Center on Sunday, July 14.In total, NCR transpired as the top delegation and overall champion of the swimming event with 21 gold medals, 20 silvers, and 22 bronzes.On the other hand, CALABARZON also hauled 21 gold medals with 11 silvers and 10 bronzes to put them at the second spot of the overall medal standings.Despite placing second, Region IV-A produced the victorious swimmers of the event.Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh completed a sweep of six individual events she participated at the 64th Palarong Pambansa capped by a girls’ secondary 400 meter individual medley conquest on Sunday, July 14.Representing Brent International School Manila, Mojdeh collected a total of six gold medals and one bronze in the secondary girls division.The 17-year-old ruled the 200m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, 200m Individual Medley, 400m IM, and the 4x100m medley relay.Besides that, Mojdeh set two new records in the 200m butterfly, registering 2:19.72 beating her previous record by almost three seconds, and 200m breaststroke, clocking in 2:42.75 routing the 2:43.08 time set by Xandi Chua in 2019.Meanwhile, Albert Jose Amaro II completed a sweet in his seven scheduled events. Amaro who won four gold medals in the first three days of competition, added three more in the finale day.The San Beda Taytay representative topped the 4x100m medley relay, 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle and finished his campaign by ruling three more events in the 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, and the 50m freestyle.

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.

Akari’s import Oly Okaro had a performance to remember as she paced her team to a five-set comeback against the Choco Mucho as they went 2-0 to start the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Tuesday, July 23.The Chargers remain undefeated in Pool B after pulling off the reverse sweep against the Flying Titans, 18-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-13.The 28-year-old American opposite spiker recorded an explosive performance in the game, matching the season’s scoring record of 38 points built off 33 attacks, three aces, and two blocks. Okaro tied Creamline’s Tots Carlos in the season-opening All-Filipino Conference last March with the fifth-highest scoring output in the league’s seven year-history.

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.

Filipino Olympian and boxers Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial earned byes for the first round of their respective events as the brackets for the Paris Olympics boxing competitions were determined on Thursday, July 25.Marcial (men’s 80kg) and Paalam (men’s 57kg) advanced to the round of 16 as they both begin their golden quests on Wednesday, July 31.Paalam, who moved up in weight after bagging silver in the men’s 52kg category in Tokyo, will go against Ireland’s Jude Gallagher, a gold medalist in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.On the other hand, Marcial tangles with Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev, who earned a bronze medal in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.The draw has also put Marcial for a potential rematch with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak three years after the Filipino obtained bronze following a split decision loss in their semifinal bout in Tokyo.Debuting in the Games, Hergie Bacyadan, meanwhile, got dealt a tough hand as she faces a tall order in the women’s 75kg after being drawn with top seed Li Qian of China for their round of 16 duel on Wednesday, July 31.Li boasts of impressive credentials, winning an Olympic bronze in Rio de Janeiro and silver in Tokyo on top of gold medals in the Women’s World Boxing Championships, Asian Games, and Asian Amateur Boxing Championships.Meanwhile, Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg) and Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg) begin their respective campaigns in round of 32.Villegas will be the first Philippine boxer in action as she fights Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki on Monday, July 29, before Petecio opens her bid of improving the silver she won in Tokyo against India’s Jaismine Lamboria on Tuesday, July 30.The boxing competition runs until August 10.\

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.

Chile’s table tennis player Zeng Zhiying proved that age is just a number by being the country’s representative in the Paris Olympics. She fulfilled the athlete’s dream of playing in the grandest stage at 58 years old.Despite bowing out early in the tournament, Zhiying still shone with her own spotlight because of her grit to finally reach her Olympic dream in a tourney where it’s filled with all sorts of players from different ages and backgrounds.Zeng made her Olympic debut on Saturday but fell short in the preliminary round where she lost to Lebanon’s Mariana Sahakian, 1-4.Before Zeng’s match, she made sure to thank her father and brother for the support they have given throughout her journey.

Aira Villegas gifts herself with the best possible present on her 29th birthday as she advances to the women’s 50kg quarterfinals in the Paris Olympics early Friday, August 2 (Manila time).The Filipina boxer stunned the No. 2 seeded Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria when she showcased her quick movement and counterpunching.Villegas repeatedly backed off her Algerian foe with her stinging left jabs and quick combinations, enabling her to get all of the five judges’ nod in the first round. While the next two frames were closer, it was Villegas’ clean blows that spelled the difference.It was the second straight unanimous decision win for Villegas, who has been impressive so far in her Olympic debut. She gave the Philippine boxing team a winning start in the Paris Olympics on Monday, July 29, with a victory over Yasmine Mouttaki of Morocco.The 29-year-old’s win set up a date with home bet and seventh seed Wassila Lkhadiri of France as they duel for a spot in the semifinals on Sunday, August 4 (Manila time).Villegas joins Tokyo silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam among the Filipino boxers who remain in the medal contention. 

The pairing for the 2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Basketball Tournament is already set and will take place on Tuesday, August 6 (local time in France).FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 champions Germany will be the one to start the quarters against Greece to be followed by Serbia against Australia.The third game will feature the host country France against Canada and the fourth match-up will be Brazil against the powerhouse Team USA.The Knockout Semi-Final stage will be on August 8. The winner of the Germany versus Greece will face the winner of the Canada-France battle while the winner of the Serbia-Australia match-up will face the winner of the Brazil versus USA game.The Finals and battle for bronze will be on August 9 to cap off the men’s basketball tournament.

Heavy-hitting performances propelled Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio into the next round of their Paris campaign as both Filipina boxers blew past their respective events, securing two Olympic medals for Team Philippines.Continuing a display of boxing mastery, Petecio outpoints Chinese foe Xu Zichun, 5-0, in the women’s 57kg quarterfinals bout Sunday afternoon, August 4, at the North Paris Arena. The 32-year-old pride of Davao del Sur made sure her rival was no match for her as she clinched the win through the first two rounds of the match. Petecio reached the safe waters in the third round but still opted to engage a suddenly active Xu, who attempted to reclaim the advantage that clearly belonged to the Philippines.Petecio won via unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, to assure herself a chance to surpass the silver medal finish that she bagged during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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.

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.

After crashing out of the W100 Landisville quarterfinals, Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala bounced back from her loss rather quickly after outplaying Julia Riera of Argentina in the first round of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W100 Tournament in Cary, North Carolina on Monday, August 12.At the women’s singles Round of 32, the 147th ranked Eala overpowered the world No. 119 and eighth seeded Riera, 6-3, 6-1, in a 58-minutes match to move to the Round of 16.The 19-year-old Eala was fresh off a loss from the 2024 Kewer Jewelers Tennis Challenge in Landisville, Pennsylvania over the weekend, losing to Olivia Galecki of Australia in the quarterfinals, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3.Eala is either going to face Hina Inoue of the United States or her former doubles partner Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia in the next round. The tournament serves as Eala’s final build up for the US Open Qualifiers set August 20 to 24 in New York.

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.