Filipino woodpusher Daniel Quizon earned the coveted Grandmaster title in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at BOK Sports Hall in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday, September 14.The 20-year-old Quizon accomplished his dream of achieving the GM title after outlasting 64-year-old Grandmaster Igor Efimov in 37 moves of a King’s Indian Defense to earn two rating points needed to reach the 2500 ranking. With this feat, Quizon, who hails from Dasmariñas, Cavite, became the 17th Grandmaster of the Philippines.. The country last earned a GM was in 2011 with Oliver Barbosa and Richard Bitoon. Meanwhile in 2017, Janelle Mae Frayna became the Philippines’ first and only woman Grandmaster. 

Far Eastern University earned its first win under Raiza Palmera-Dy’s mentoring after denying University of the East’s comeback attempt, 62-52, at the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, September 18.The Lady Tamaraws held their ground despite missing Josee Kaputu, who suffered an ACL tear in her left knee during their game against National University last Saturday.FEU established a pivotal run of 43-21 at halftime courtesy of Maxene Dela Torre, MJ Manguiat, Shane Salvani, and Rea Ong, who combined for eight three-pointers as opposed to UE who missed all of their 11 attempts after grappling with their perimeter shooting. Despite stumbling in the first half, the Lady Warriors pushed through and withstood the might of their opponents in the fourth quarter, propelled through the efforts of Rachel Lacayanga, Dominique Vacalares, Kate Cruz, and Aliyah Ronquillo.It was almost but not quite for UE as their late-game surge proved to be too late when Salvani’s free throws with 13.1 seconds left sealed the victory for FEU. 

Finally, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters solved the mystery on how to defeat the mighty San Miguel Beermen as they scored a 122-112 victory on Thursday night and gained a solo lead in Group B of the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.Now having a 7-2 record, ROS relied heavily on import Aaron Fuller and Beau Belga to solve the puzzle by limiting June Mar Fajardo's efficiency.

University of the East pulled off a shocker when they defeated the defending champion, De La Salle Green Archers, 75-71, in the UAAP’s 87th Season at the Mall of Asia Arena.The Red Warriors also gave La Salle its first loss of the season in front of the 6,946 spectators inside the arena who also witnessed them shoot an astonishing 12-of-30 from downtown.John Abate led the Recto side with a career game of 20 points while firing a perfect 3-of-3 from the arc, also grabbing four boards, and sinking two-pressure packed free throws with 3.4 seconds left to complete the upset.Wello Lingolingo had 18 points built on six triples, Gjerard Wilson contributed 10 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists, and Precious Momowei produced only five markers but hauled 12 boards.

University of the Philippines reclaimed its winning ways after fending off Far Eastern University, 82-77, in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, September 22, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.The win improved the Fighting Maroons’ record to a 2-2 slate, putting them tied with Ateneo de Manila University for the fourth spot in the standings.

The Philippines will host the 2024 Southeast Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy slated September 28 to 29 that will take place at the SM Skating Mall of Asia in Pasay City.About 90 skaters from 10 countries are expected to take part in the two-day skatefest, which will open for Junior F category, that range from 8 years old and below, and Senior class 19 and above or range from 6 to 24 years old.This is the country’s second time hosting the SEA event, with the primary goal of enhancing competition accessibility and promoting sport’s growth not only in the Philippines but also within Southeast Asia.The countries that will be participating include Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and the host Philippines.

Defending champions De La Salle University are looking to get back on its winning ways after suffering its first scar at the hands of the University of the East in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.After tasting the first beating of the tournament, the Green Archers seek a turnaround when they face winless Far Eastern University on Wednesday afternoon, September 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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.

Glenn Khobuntin fired a perfect 5-of-5 from the three point territory and finished with 17 points to lead TNT Tropang Giga to their 109-91 victory against NLEX Road Warriors on Sunday night, September 29, in the PBA Governors' Cup quarterfinals at the Ynares Center, Antipolo.The Tropang Giga's dominant win made them closer to entering the Final Four if they take another victory on Tuesday, October 1, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.The defending champions also showed their suffocating defense by limiting the production of DeQuan Jones, who scored his lowest output with the Road Warriors.TNT's import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson played his usual game by producing another double-double. He scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, together with eight assists to pace the team.Calvin Oftana contributed 18 markers on 3-of-7 from downtown, while Rey Nambatac added 17 points, six boards, and four dimes. Kelly Williams also added 11 for the Tropang Giga.Meanwhile, Robbie Herndon took over for NLEX with 17 points and five assists to cover up for the struggling Jones, who only scored 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field.Road Warriors top gunner Robert Bolick was also limited to 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting, though he dished off 10 assists.

Converge Alec Stockton made the final say in the Game 3 of their quarter finals against San Miguel when he hit a two-point jumper at the end of the buzzer to lead the FiberXers victory against the Beermen, 114-112, on Monday night, September 30, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.The victory was the first franchise win of Converge in a post-elims play and the team did it in a fashionable way as they pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback from 21 deficit.San Miguel’s lead even reached as high as 27 points when they erected an 83-56 advantage before entering the final canto with an 83-66 edge.Then, the FiberXers resilience prevailed in the end as Stockton buried the game-winning shot over the outstretched arms of CJ Perez.Stockton's buzzer-beater became possible after the Converge guard stayed in the game when a flagrant foul penalty two called on him in the first quarter was downgraded to a penalty one after a review.He was initially called for a F2 after elbowing Kris Rosales in the closing seconds of the first period, but after the referees changed the call, allowing Stockton to stay in the game.Stockton finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists for the FiberXers, while Justin Arana produced 23 markers and 11 boards, and import Jalen Jones added 17.

Meralco tamed the new team Macau Black Bears and gave them a rude welcome in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 2.The Bolts, just recently eliminated from their PBA Governors’ Cup campaign, poured out their frustrations against Macau with a 97-85 win on Wednesday night, October 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.Chris Newsome led Meralco with 18 points and six assists, while import Allen Durham produced double-double numbers, 17 markers and 11 boards.The other Meralco import, DJ Kennedy contributed solid numbers by scoring 17 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing off eight dimes.Another Chris also tallied double-digit in scoring as Banchero shared 14 for the Bolts.Naturalized player Ange Kouame added nine points and nine rebounds for Meralco, which led by as many as 19 points.

The Choco Mucho Flying Titans had a tough game win against the Farm Fresh Foxies on Thursday evening to wrap up the year with an important win in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.Choco Mucho squandered a two-set advantage but rediscovered their touch in the final frame to pull off a tough 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 25-27, 15-12. Sisi Rondina was the catalyst of their breakaway in the fifth set, as the explosive spiker fired back-to-back hits that gave the Flying Titans a 13-8 advantage. The former league MVP dropped 26 points,13 digs and 13 receptions.Kat Tolentino added 18 on 10 attacks, a whopping six blocks, and two aces, while Cherry Nunag finished with 10 points and playmaker Mars Alba was credited with 25 excellent sets.

AN OLYMPIC EMBLEM LEAKED THREE DAYS EARLY. THE ORGANIZERS CALLED IT A PUBLICITY OPPORTUNITY. BUT WAS IT REALLY PART OF THE PLAN?Brisbane 2032 was supposed to have its big reveal on Monday. Instead, its Olympic and Paralympic emblem landed on the internet ahead of schedule—and forced organizers to explain what went wrong.An explainer video intended to be released after a ceremonial unveiling briefly appeared on the Brisbane 2032 YouTube channel on Friday night, October 2. Screenshots quickly spread across social media, exposing the emblem before its planned official launch.By Saturday, October 3, officials were holding a hastily arranged media conference to address the accidental leak.Rather than treating the incident as a major setback, Queensland Olympic and Paralympic Minister Tim Mander and Brisbane 2032 chief marketing officer Brent Hill framed it as an unexpected opportunity to generate attention.Hill said the publicity had been “incredible,” while acknowledging that organizers would have preferred the unveiling to proceed as scheduled.That response raises a question: when a carefully planned Olympic reveal goes off-script, should viral attention be enough to call it a success?The emblem features a pink cockatoo, an Australian bird, with its stylized colors resembling an Olympic and Paralympic flame. Its identity had been kept under wraps during a staged unveiling campaign across regional Queensland, where athletes and former Olympians—including swimming legend Ian Thorpe and cyclist Anna Meares—helped fuel speculation.The guessing game was part of the buildup. Suggestions ranged from a crocodile’s tail to a mango, turning the emblem’s identity into a promotional mystery ahead of Monday’s event in Brisbane.The early leak disrupted that carefully timed reveal. While the resulting online attention may have expanded the emblem’s reach, it also raises questions about the planning and digital controls behind a major international sporting event.Still, the organizers insist the official unveiling will have more to offer. Hill said there is more to come on Monday, suggesting the event can still deliver beyond the images that surfaced online.The real test is not how much attention a leaked emblem generates. It is whether Brisbane 2032 can turn that attention into a compelling identity for the Games—and deliver the organization expected of an Olympic host.For now, the emblem is out. The planned reveal, however, is not over.

THE THRONE IS STILL HIS. THE RECORD IS NO LONGER THE SAME. AND THE PHILIPPINES HAS ANOTHER REASON TO ROAR.Rain poured over Nagoya. The pressure was sky-high. But EJ Obiena once again rose above the rest.The Filipino pole vault superstar successfully defended his Asian Games crown, clearing 5.91 meters to establish a new Games record at the rain-soaked Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.One gold medal. One new record. Another statement from a man who refuses to surrender his place at the top.Three years after conquering the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games with a record-setting 5.90-meter vault, Obiena returned to the continental stage and did something even champions struggle to do: he made his own greatness look ordinary by doing it all over again.The old record was his. The new record is his, too.And just like that, Obiena secured back-to-back Asian Games gold medals, reinforcing his status as one of the Philippines' premier sporting champions.His victory also delivered the country's third gold medal of the 2026 Games, joining gymnastics superstar Carlos Yulo, who had already struck gold twice.But behind the historic performance was a champion running on fumes.“I think it's my 10th win of the season,” Obiena said afterward. “I'm dead, I'm tired man. I'm satisfied.”Those words may sound simple, but they tell a story that the medal table cannot fully capture.The world sees the record. The country celebrates the gold. The headlines immortalize the achievement.But the athlete feels every jump, every training session, every ounce of pressure, and every demand that comes with defending a title.Because winning once makes you a champion. Coming back three years later and winning again—while breaking your own record—demands something more.DOMINANCE IS NOT JUST ABOUT CLEARING THE BAR. IT IS ABOUT RETURNING TO THE TOP WHEN THE WORLD EXPECTS YOU TO STAY THERE.Obiena did not merely defend his crown in Nagoya. He raised the standard, literally and figuratively, and left the Asian Games with another chapter in his growing legacy.And perhaps the most human part of this triumph is that even after another golden performance, he could admit he was exhausted.Athletes are people first. Champions get tired, too. Even kings need a moment to breathe after conquering the mountain.But when the next challenge comes, the bar will rise again—and the Philippines will be watching its champion take aim at it.EJ OBIENA: BACK-TO-BACK ASIAN GAMES GOLD. A NEW GAMES RECORD. SAME KING. HIGHER BAR.

Cignal HD Spikers opened its Pool B campaign in the Premier League Volleyball (PVL) Reinforced Conference on a high note as they cruised past Choco Mucho Flying Titans, securing a 25-18, 25-21, 25-16 triumph at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.New HD Spikers MJ Perez and Judith Abil were clear-cut contributors in the sweep.Despite missing key players like Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Vanie Gandler, Cignal unleashed a potent offense led by their Venezuelan import Perez, anchoring the team with game-high 22 points off 19 attacks, two aces, and a block, while Abil proved herself worthy of a spot with 15 excellent digs and eight receptions.“It is very nice to be in a new team with new and young players. I feel happy because I can help them with my experience. Of course, I have good friends in the other teams, my former teammates, but it is really nice to come to a team who appreciates my work,” Perez said.“I know there is more to come because this is just the beginning and we will keep working for it,” she added.Meanwhile, Choco Mucho, hampered by the absence of Sisi Rondina due to Alas Pilipinas duties, struggled to find their rhythm.Greek import Zoi Faki took the scoring load for the Flying Titans with 13 points, 10 receptions, and eight digs while newly debuted Dindin Manabat-Santiago contributed eight markers.Cignal aims for another win against ZUS Coffee on Tuesday, July 23, while Choco Mucho seeks to rebound against Akari, both held at the same venue.

Lauren Hoffman has faced many hurdles already whether in sports or in life.In the upcoming Paris Olympics, she hopes to surpass another one as she is to face the grandest hurdle of her career.Hoffman will be one of the Philippines’ track and field Olympic bets together with fellow hurdler John Cabang Tolentino and pole vaulter EJ Obiena in the athletics.The 25-year-old Filipino-American hurdler will compete in her pet event 400-meter hurdles as she vies for no less than a medal. Her Olympic journey will begin on Sunday, August 4, 6:35 (Philippine Time).When Hoffman learned about her qualification for the Paris Games, these are the first words that she uttered, "I qualified for the Olympics. Still feels so crazy to say that."Lauren, the daughter of a Filipina mother and American father, grew up in the States, and started representing the Philippine flag only in 2023, then immediately made an impact since donning the national colors.She buckled up to work and competed in that year's Asian Games in China, where she impressed right away in the 400m hurdles after finishing second second in the heats with a 57.61-second output and fifth in the finals with a 57.21 seconds performance.However, that was not enough to clinch a berth in the Paris Games. She needed to either hit the Olympic standard time of 54.85 seconds in succeeding competitions or finish within the top 40 in the world rankings.Only 32 athletes managed to meet the required time while the eight others had to rely on their Olympic rankings to punch their way to the Games. Hoffman qualified through the latter after ranking 39th as her current personal best and national record is at 55.47 seconds she set in 2022.Despite hurdling the harder path, Hoffman was just ecstatic to wave the flag once she set foot at sports' biggest stage. 

Filipina rower sealed her place in the quarterfinals of the women’s single sculls after finishing first in the repechage round in the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.The 26-year-old rower topped her repechage heat with a time of 7:55.00 to ensure that she will finish in the top 24 in her very first Olympic stint.Vietnam’s Thi Hue Pham also qualified for the quarterfinals after she came in second behind Delgaco, finishing the race after 8:00.97. The top two in the heat would advance in the next round of the Olympic rowing competition.Delgaco improved on her performance in the heats, where she recorded 7:56.25 for fourth place as she missed a top 3 finish that guarantees an outright quarterfinal berth.The pride of Iriga, Camarines Sur has yet to show her best form, considering she registered 7:49.39 in the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Qualification Regatta, becoming the Philippines’ first female rower to reach the Olympics.Cuba’s Yariulvis Cobas (8:10.64), Nicaragua’s Evidelia Gonzalez (8:26.23), and Togo’s Akoko Komlavi (8:43.11) missed the cut and got relegated to the semifinals E/F.Delgaco will take a one-day break before continuing her historic Summer Games campaign on Tuesday, July 30, for the quarterfinals at the same venue.

After heartbreaking losses from the women’s rowing and women’s judo, Kalya Sanchez kept the women's medal dream alive for the Philippines as she entered the semifinal round of women’s 100m freestyle in swimming.Sanchez swam to the top 16 with a time of 53.67, earning the country a slot in the semi-finals. She even ranked number four in heat 4.This is the second Olympic stint of Sanchez who previously represented Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won silver.The semifinals will be tomorrow, July 31, 3:25 a.m. PH time.

Farm Fresh finally tallied its first win in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference.Yeny Murillo was unstoppable in the fifth set as Farm Fresh survived the Galeries Tower in a five-set thriller, 25-22, 35-37, 23-25, 25-20, 15-10, to secure their first victory in Pool A on Tuesday, July 30, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.The Colombian outside spiker led her team’s offense after delivering 29 crucial points, built on 26 attacks, 16 excellent receptions and 10 excellent digs, carrying her squad on her back in the fifth set.“You know, we have been working really hard and we are trying to get in rhythm with each other and I feel like my team needed this win because my team needs motivation to keep pushing and keep pushing harder,” Murillo said during the postgame press conference.Also leaving a strong impression for the Foxies were Caitlin Viray and Trisha Tubu with 18 markers apiece and Ckyle Tagsip contributing 15, including four blocks, in a solid team win for Foxies, who now occupied the fifth spot in Pool A with a 1-2 win-loss record.On the other hand, the Highrisers dropped to 0-3 at the bottom of Pool A.Thai import Chuewulim Sutadta paced the Galeries Tower with 19 points, 19 excellent receptions, and 10 excellent digs.Graze Bombita and France Ronquillo added 17 points each, while Roselle Baliton chipped in 14 markers.Farm Fresh aims to sustain its momentum when they face Nxled on Saturday, August 03, at the same venue, while the Galeries Tower will look to secure their first win against Creamline. 

Carlos Yulo begins the first of his three final events at the Paris Olympics men’s artistic gymnastics at the Bercy Arena on Wednesday, July 31.The reigning Asian all-around champion, Yulo showed he can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world after placing ninth in the qualification with a total of 83.631 points.The individual all-around finals, featuring 24 finalists, is expected to be a showdown among the Chinese and Japanese aces with Filipino-British bet Jake Jarman as a dark horse.Meanwhile, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthua Carrion is realistic that Yulo has a slim chance in the all-around competition.“He will not win,” said Carrion bluntly. “But he will give it his all.”But Yulo will be there in what could well be a preview to an anticipated Yulo moment in floor exercise and vault finals at the Bercy Arena this weekend.Yulo's determination to succeed stems from a frustrating finish in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, where the 2019 floor exercise world champion could not make the final event as a fall during the qualification round took him out of medal contention.