Joe Devance is coming out of retirement to mark his PBA comeback for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel ahead of their 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals opening game against Meralco on Thursday, September 26.The 42-year-old Devance announced the development on his Instagram account after posting a copy of the PBA memo on Tuesday, September 23.

The Elasto Painters team is now ready for their competition against Magnolia Hotshots in another do-or-die game tomorrow, Saturday, October 5, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. Coach Yeng Guiao firmly believes that through this match, their desire to end the eight-year hunger for a title will be strong and soon to get hold of it. It can be remembered that last Tuesday in their intense Game 4 against the Hotshots, Rain or Shine failed to get the third win and they were dumped by Magnolia, 129-100. Guiao said that his team's stability as well as their resiliency and character will be tested in their clash tomorrow (Saturday) against the Hotshots. “Yung experience of playing a Game 5, of being in a winner-take-all situation, sa akin, kasama na ng build up yun. We're always getting better every playoff game that we played,” said the head coach of Rain or Shine. “So investment namin ito sa future ng team na para lalo kang tumitibay pag ka ganitong sitwasyon. So a Game 5 would be good for us as a team. This Saturday pag balik namin kailangan mas prepared kami for a very physical game, noting how the Hotshots played physically in the previous game.” Guiao added. “On our end, siguro kailangan kaming mag step up in terms of being a little bit more aggressive defensively and medyo yung transition game namin, yung running game namin, I don’t know if we’re tired or we’re a little slower or not able to get into the pace that we would usually be playing,” told Guiao. The winner of the series will play TNT Tropang Giga in the best-of-seven semis that begins on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

University of Santo Tomas in their domination against the University of the Philippines, 84-57, in the second round of their UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday afternoon, October 14, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.The Growling Tigresses now have a 7-1 record bolstered by their fourth straight win led by their veteran guard Tacky Tacatac who finished with a game-high 23 points.

The first-ever father and son duo happened on the opening night of the NBA's 2024-25 Season when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Minnesota Timberwolves, 110-103, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.The historical feat happened in the latter part of the first period when LeBron and Bronny James were fielded in together. They shared the court for more than two minutes.According to LeBron, family is the reason why he wanted to play together with his son in the league.

Petro Gazz rebounded from a heartbreaking loss to defending champion Creamline with a strong 25-21, 25-17, 25-19 win over Farm Fresh in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on Saturday, November 23, at Candon City Arena, Ilocos Sur.The Angels won their second straight game thanks to a spectacular homecoming performance from reigning conference MVP Brooke Van Sickle, who scored 20 points — 19 of which came from attacks.With the victory, Petro Gazz and Choco Mucho shared the same 2-1 record and were now tied for fourth position.

D’Navigators Iloilo wrapped up its 2024 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on a high note after defeating Martelli Meats, 25-17, 25-14, 25-20, on Sunday, December 1, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. The win allowed the D’Navigators to end the tournament on a triumphant note by ending a seven-game losing streak. They finished eighth in a 10-team field with a 2-7 win-loss record. “Despite being at the bottom, maybe we tried our best despite the problems,” head coach Boyet Delmoro said as he lauded his team’s resolve despite the challenges. "The main factor is not being able to practice together. We'll learn from that in the next season. We will plan carefully so that we can be there again (above), because we were number four before. Now, we're far," he added.

The NLEX Road Warriors dominated the Terrafirma Dyip, 104-85, to earn their second win in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday, December 3, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.From the get go until the very end, NLEX never let go of the lead that even reached the high of 25.Robert Bolick led the Road Warriors with his 32 points, five assists, and four rebounds on 78.6 (11/14) percent shooting from the field, 2-of-2 from the four-point line, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.Import Mike Watkins backed-up Bolick with his monster double-double of 26 markers and 30 boards, to go along with four blocks and three dishes.Two more players scored in double digits with Xyrus Torres contributing 15, and Anthony Semerad adding 13.NLEX also dominated the paint, 52-34, which became a big factor in getting their second straight win after losing their opening game of the mid-season conference.Coach Jong Uichico’s wards might have won the game but the nine-time PBA champion mentor was not completely satisfied with the results as they played an opponent who played all-Filipino in the entire second half.

Farm Fresh emerged victorious over sister team ZUS Coffee off a four-set decision, 26-24, 13-25, 25-21, 25-19, in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on Thursday, December 6, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. After barely winning the opening set and getting slumped in the second, the Foxies regained their rhythm and immediately corrected the mistakes in the last two frames to secure the win and post an even 2-2 win-loss record.Jovelyn Gonzaga's attack error at 19-15 gave the Foxies a four-point lead after the game had started neck and neck in the fourth set.With momentum on their side, Trisha Tubu propelled Farm Fresh ahead to gain its largest lead at 23-16.“We observe how they move, and if we see something that doesn’t align with their usual play, we need to correct it immediately, and that’s what happened earlier,” said Farm Fresh head coach Edson Bocboc. “In the first two sets, they were really off, so those are the things we need to fix. They still need to get used to competing and playing in more matches,” he added.

Gilas Pilipinas Women's 3x3 player Beth Pettinggil shared her thoughts on Instagram after representing the country at the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Xiantao Stop in China.The Gilas Women's team (Manila Gilas) made history by finishing fourth, the highest placement ever by the Philippine national team in the tournament.They defeated Paraguay, 20-17, to advance to the semifinals before falling to China, 21-11, in the semifinals.Pettinggil also made history as the first naturalized player in the Gilas Pilipinas Women's basketball program."Craziest side quest ever but I officially have Filipino citizenship and get to represent the Philippines in 3x3!!! Feeling so blessed to get to play the sport I love and compete within such a supportive and passionate community. Just the beginning with the Gilas family ," she wrote.To more side quests, Beth! 

Great sporting events are not built by athletes alone—they are made possible by dedicated leaders working behind the scenes.The 2026 Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships is more than a gathering of the continent's top gymnasts. It also stands as a testament to the leadership and commitment of three remarkable women whose vision and hard work have helped make the Philippines a proud host of this prestigious international competition.Their contributions extend far beyond organizing a championship. By bringing a major sporting event to the country, they are creating opportunities for Filipino athletes, strengthening the nation's standing in the international sports community, and inspiring the next generation of gymnasts and sports leaders.Their leadership highlights the growing role of women in Philippine sports—not only as elite athletes but also as administrators, decision-makers, mentors, and advocates who continue to shape the future of the industry.Every successful international event hosted by the Philippines enhances the country's reputation as a capable sporting destination while encouraging more young athletes to pursue excellence. It also sends a powerful message to aspiring girls that leadership knows no gender and that determination, vision, and service can leave a lasting impact on Philippine sports.As the 2026 Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships unfolds, the spotlight belongs not only to the competitors striving for medals but also to the women whose leadership has helped make this milestone possible.Their dedication serves as an inspiration that the future of Philippine sports grows even stronger when more women are empowered to lead.

Young Filipina golfing star Rianne Malixi won the US Girls’ Junior Championship at the El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 20 (Sunday, July 21st in Manila).Just a year after finishing as the runner-up, the Filipina golfer defeated Asterisk Talley in the final.Malixi claimed victory in record-setting fashion, with her 8-and-7 win over the American marking the largest winning margin in the tournament's history. At 17, Malixi redeemed herself from last year's narrow one-hole loss to Filipino-American Kiara Romero, becoming the second golfer representing the Philippines to win the championship, following Princess Superal’s 2014 achievement.“I’m getting pretty emotional right now because I know how much hard work I’ve put in over the past years,” said a teary-eyed Malixi in an interview with Rappler. “I’m not the only one who made a lot of sacrifices. I’d like to credit my family, especially my dad.”Malixi dominated the first half of the 36-hole match, taking a commanding 6-up lead by the 18th hole with nine birdies. Although Talley cut the deficit to 5-up by the 24th hole, Malixi sealed her victory by birdying the 25th and 27th holes and parring the 29th, which Talley bogeyed, clinching the title with seven holes remaining. Malixi finished with 14 birdies and no bogeys.Her triumph over Talley earned Malixi a spot in the 2025 US Women’s Open, where Japan’s Yuka Saso, who won the major for the Philippines in 2021, will defend her title. Malixi plans to attend Duke University in 2025. (PB)

The Philippine Sports Commission has begun the preparations for the 11th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games scheduled in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on December 1 to 5.The tournament aims to foster excellence and camaraderie in sports among young people in the sub-region.PSC commissioner Walter Torres on Thursday, July 18, assured the successful production of the games, which features athletics, archery, badminton, karate, swimming, sepak takraw, pencak silat, and e-sports.City Tourism Department (CTD) chief Demetrio Alvior Jr. said representatives from BIMP-EAGA visited the country last May to discuss the friendship games, as there are specific requirements that need to be met, particularly because most of the attendees will be Muslims.One of the requirements is halal certification, which Puerto Princesa City and Palawan currently do not have. However, according to Alvior, they are already taking measures to address this issue before the friendship games.“The only challenging part for us is accommodating those coming from Muslim countries since we don’t have a large halal restaurant here. However, we already have strategies in place to address this,”said Alvior.The CTD chief also mentioned that the federation handling the event initially wanted all food to be halal and uniformly served to all Muslim delegates, regardless of the hotel they are staying.“This is a significant and somewhat delicate event, but it is also a test to see if we are serious about advancing in sports. We need to participate in these major events to identify what we still lack and what needs improvement,” he added.Puerto Princesa City will host the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games for the second time. The first was in 2003.Brunei Darussalam’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan played host in the last edition of the games.

Strong Group-Philippines obliterated Malaysia after a compelling fourth quarter surge to pull off an 89-54 win, staying unblemished in the 2024 William Jones Cup on Wednesday, July 17, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City.Strong Group improved to 4-0, in a tie with Chinese Taipei National Team A, while Harimau Malaysia fell to 3-1.Five players from SGA poured in double digits with Chris McCullough continuing to anchor the Philippines’s offense netting 16 points and five rebounds while Rhenz Abando played his best game of the tournament by finishing with 14 markers and 10 rebounds, some of which coming the late third-quarter flourish.Tajuan Agee finished with 12 markers, seven boards and four steals, while Ange Kouame contributed 11 and 10 rebounds in the victory that saw Strong Group pull away after a nip-and-tuck battle in the first three quarters.The Philippines squandered a double-digit lead in the first two quarters as they went into the half with a four point lead, 40-36.Malaysia then led 47-46 midway through the third frame before it fizzled out as Strong Group ended the game on a 43-7 run.Filipino-American DJ Fenner scored 10, while Barangay Ginebra-bound RJ Abarrientos had an all-around effort of nine points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Dave Ildefonso, on the other hand, added eight points, all coming in the fourth quarter.John Murray II topscored Malaysia with 25 points, seven rebounds, and three assists while Joseph Obasa, who previously suited up for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 86, registered 13 markers, six boards, and three blocks.Strong Group returns to action on Thursday, July 18, against Future Sports USA, hoping to shoot for its fifth straight win. 

In a recently shared post by a Magnolia Hotshots fan page from Vic Manuel’s IG story, he is seen working out and joking around with Magnolia forward Jackson Corpuz.When the camera panned to the other side, it was also noticeable that another Hotshot, Russel Escoto was also present together with some of the team's personnel.With the arrival of athletic forward Zav Lucero from their recent trade, are they looking to boost their front court furthermore by adding the “muscle man” to their line-up?But who are they going to give up in order to land Manuel to their roster? Also, what team will be interested to be their conduit so that a trade may be pushed through? SMB and Magnolia cannot trade directly by being sister teams.Is a trade really happening or are they just having a good bonding?

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.

Strong Group Athletics remained unblemished in the 43rd William Jones Cup after a 82-74 win over Ukraine on Monday, July 15, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan.Chris McCullough spearheaded the squad with a game-high 28 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block while Jordan Heading poured in 24 markers built on four 3-pointers.The team also drew brilliant playmaking from Kiefer Ravena, who notched 10 points and nine assists.Ukraine led 72-67 before Strong Group went on an 11-0 tear highlighted by McCullough completing a three-point play, sinking a triple, and making a pair of free throws in succession to seize the upper hand at 78-72.Free throws by Heading and Ravena then sealed the comeback win for SGA, which remained undefeated after back-to-back wins against UAE and Australia’s BSBL Guardians.Anatoliy Shundel’s 17-point outing was all for naught while Rostylav Novitskyi added 12 for Ukraine.Strong Group will look to solidify its hold on the top sport when it takes on Malaysia on Wednesday, July 16, at the same venue. 

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.

Carlos Edriel Yulo has truly become the Philippines “Golden Boy” after capturing not just one but two golds in the grandest stage of sports.Yulo won his first Olympic gold medal in the men’s artistics gymnastic’s floor exercise last Saturday, July 3.He became the first male Filipino athlete to bring home an Olympic gold for the country and the second overall after Hidilyn Diaz got the first one in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.During the finals of the floor exercise, Yulo scored 15.000 points to dethrone Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat, who eventually got the silver medal by tallying 14.966 points while top qualifier Jake Jarman of Great Britain bagged bronze with 14.933 points. Just 24 hours after clinching his first gold medal in Paris, Yulo got another one by topping the vault finals. He scored a massive 15.433 in his first vault followed by 14.800 in his second to have an impressive average of 15.116.The other two podium finishers in the vault were former world champion and Tokyo silver medalist Artur Davytan of Armenia who bagged another silver with his 14.966 performance, and Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth brought the bronze with an average of 14.949 points. With two golds from Caloy Yulo and an assured of at least bronze for boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, the Philippines has already matched its four-medal haul in Tokyo - the biggest in Philippine Olympic history.The Philippine Centennial delegation can still overcome the feat as EJ Obiena entered in the men’s pole vault while the other athletics representative Lauren Hoffman (women’s 400m hurdles) and John Cabang Tolentino (men’s 100m hurdle) were relegated to the repechage round. Golfer Bianca Pagdanganan will start her quest for a medal on August 7 while weightlifters John Ceniza, Eireen Ando and Vanessa Sarno will also have their opportunity this week.Having two golds already, assured of another two medals, and six more athletes having a chance to bag more, this can truly be called the golden era of the Philippine delegation in the Olympics while celebrating the 100 years of participating in the Summer Games.

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.

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.