Filipina weightlifter Jhodie Peralta delivered a strong showing at the 3rd Asian Youth Games, capturing medals in both the snatch and clean and jerk events of the Girls’ 57-kg category.Peralta came close to clinching gold in the snatch, lifting 85 kg and 87 kg before narrowly missing her final attempt. Her 87-kg lift was enough to secure the silver medal, just behind North Korea’s Hae Yon Pak, who topped the event with 88 kg—a new World and Asian Youth record.“I was so close, but I will strive to improve next time,” Peralta told POC Media following her podium finish.In the clean and jerk, Peralta managed a 100-kg lift to claim the bronze medal after unsuccessful tries at 105 kg and 107 kg. Pak once again dominated the event, setting new world and continental marks with a 107-kg lift, while Vietnam’s Lien Y earned silver with a total of 188 kg.Peralta’s double-podium performance marked another proud moment for the Philippines in the continental youth stage, highlighting her potential as one of the country’s emerging weightlifting stars.

Fresh from their medal-winning performances in the 3rd Asian Youth Games, the Philippines’ young athletes are setting their sights even higher — aiming to turn their victories into future gold medals in the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games.Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino lauded the athletes’ performance and reaffirmed his commitment to expanding the country’s participation in the next edition of the Asian Youth Games in 2029, which will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.“Our young athletes have shown that the future of Philippine sports is bright. We’ll continue to support their growth and push for a bigger delegation in 2029,” said Tolentino.The Asian Youth Games serve as a vital platform for the country’s next generation of elite athletes—a launching pad for those who will soon compete on the regional and global stage.With the lessons learned and confidence gained from this year’s campaign, the young Pinoy medalists are more motivated than ever to keep their winning momentum—and carry the flag with pride in future international competitions.Meanwhile, a Php500,000 incentive will be given to all gold medalists from the last 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain; silver winners will receive Php300,000, while bronze finishers will get Php100,000 care of the PSC. In addition to this, units of iPhone 17 Pro Max will be given to gold medalists, and iPhone 17 will be issued to silver and bronze medalists by Sportsplus, the official gaming partner of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman John Patrick “Pato” Gregorio has been appointed to head the newly created National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC) established by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. under Administrative Order No. 38, signed on October 29, 2025.Gregorio will serve as chairman of the committee, with the Department of Tourism (DOT) as vice-chair, and representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) as members.The NST-IAC aims to promote and develop sports tourism across the Philippines — integrating sports and tourism as twin engines for economic growth, youth development, and national pride.“This initiative recognizes how sports can inspire communities, drive regional progress, and showcase Filipino excellence on the global stage,” said Gregorio.

The William Jones Cup crown is back at the hands of the Filipinos after Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas trounced hometown bets Chinese Taipei and secured a 83-79 victory on Sunday, July 21, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan.The Philippine representative completed a title sweep after going undefeated eight times and achieved what they fell short last January when they finished runner-up in the 33rd Dubai International Championship with a team reinforced by former NBA player Dwight Howard. SGA lost to Al Riyadi in the final.In the championship game against Chinese Taipei-A, Tajuan Agee lead the pack with game-high 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block, and a perfect nine-of-nine from the free throw line, following him was DJ Fenner who contributed with 15 markers, nine boards, and four steals.RJ Abarrientos tallied 14 on four-of-eight shooting from the three-point line in his last game before joining crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra in PBA.Also standing out is veteran guard Kiefer Ravena as he provided nine markers on a 3-of-6 clip along with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.Chris McCullough, on the other hand, finished with 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting.McCullough was later named the tournament Most Valuable Player, averaging 21.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks in Strong Group’s eight-game sweep.Robert Tsang Hinton led Taiwan’s failed attempt at the title with 16 points, Cheng Yin Chun followed with 13, while Brandon Gilbeck had a double-double of 11, 13 boards along with five blocks as the host team settled for the runner-up finish with its 7-1 record.Strong Group became the seventh Philippine team to rule the annual Jones Cup. The last time the country reigned supreme was in 2019 under the Mighty Sports squad, which incidentally, was also coached by Charles Tiu.

South Sudan men’s basketball team brushed off all obstacles to get a historic first win in the Paris Games.In the first battle from the Group Phase C, the world’s No. 33 ranked team shocked world’s No. 16 Puerto Rico by winning their first foray in Olympics men’s basketball 90-79 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium on July 28.Carlik Jones led the South Sudan in victory by tallying 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists while Marial Shayok added 15 markers.The team overcame an 8-0 start from Puerto Rico and only managed to taste the first lead of the game in the 7:13 mark of the 3rd quarter of play when Noni Omot made a three-pointer to give them a two-point cushion 56-54.From there, South Sudan never looked back and got their first ever Olympic win. The African nation qualified for the Paris Games after qualifying as Africa’s top finisher in last year’s world cup.Anthem Blunder before gameBefore the game began, an anthem blunder was made by the Paris Games organizers. They inadvertently played the neighboring Sudan’s anthem - and they later apologized for their mistake.The nation of South Sudan has gained independence from Sudan after a referendum in 2011 but violent clashes between the two nations continued to spark as the dispute over borders, natural resources and political power.Before their win, the organizers inadvertently played the anthem of neighboring Sudan – and later apologized for the mistake.South Sudan gained independence from Sudan after a referendum in 2011 but disputes over borders, natural resources and political power have continued to spark violent clashes between the two.No indoor basketball courtsIn South Sudan, there were no indoor basketball courts according to NBA All-Star Loul Deng, who’s also the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation.Deng was instrumental in putting the Bright Stars together to form the South Sudan men’s national basketball team.He also said that South Sudan has some of the tallest people in the world. Height usually is always might in the game of basketball as it gives a huge advantage.However, the country lacks resources to even have an indoor basketball court.

Team USA has dominated their Olympic opponents both in the men’s and women’s divisionThe Americans led by NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant defeated Serbia 110-84 in their opening game of their group stage.LeBron James tallied 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Durant scored the game high 23 points coming off a perfect field goal from the first half of play.On the other hand, Nikola Jokic paced the Serbian team with 20 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.The win placed Team USA on top of Group C after one set of games. Their next opponent will be the uprising and first time Olympian South Sudan team on July 31.

In a battle of two teams with contrasting playstyles, TNT Tropang Giga prevailed against Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, 88-82 on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.TNT emerged victorious behind the near triple-double performance of import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who contributed 32 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists.Hollis-Jefferson's performance was highlighted by his three-pointer and a breakaway dunk from a steal in the homestretch of the game to help TNT bounce back from their sorry loss from their last game against Converge and regained the lead in Group A with a 3-1 record.Jayson Castro and Poy Erram joined RHJ in a 10-0 run that pushed the Tropang Giga to an 88-80 lead, after finding themselves trailing by two points going to the final four minutes of play.Using TNT’s signature threes to its advantage, Rondae knocked down one from beyond the arc to recapture the lead, 81-80, then stole Magnolia’s defensive identity when he closed the game with a winning fast break slam after deflecting the pass of Glenn Robinson III with 31.4 seconds remaining.

Magnolia recovered from a disappointing start to dominate Game 4 of their quarter final series against Rain or Shine on Tuesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium to force a knockout game on Saturday, October 5.The Hotshots relied on their four-point shooting to extend their campaign in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup as they recorded a 129-100 win after.Paul Lee, in the most opportune time played his best game of the series to lead the team in saving their tournament lives. The ‘Leethal weapon” produced 25 points highlighted by a 3-of-4 four-pointers.Jabari Bird as usual delivered a quiet but effective offensive prowess for Magnolia as he led them in scoring with 30 markers.Jerrick Ahanmisi also helped in the scoring parade by contributing 14, including two 4-pointers to move out of a tie with Blackwater’s import George King (17) as the No. 1 in most four-pointers made in the PBA. His two conversions gave him the 18th and 19th of his career.Veterans Mark Barroca and Ian Sangalang also produced double-digit scoring for the Hotshots as they contributed 10 apiece. Calvin Abueva, Aris Dionisio and Rome Dela Rosa also helped in their offensive thrust as they tallied nine markers each.

Tachiana Mangin became the first Filipina world champion after dominating the 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea.The 16-year-old Filipina jin conquered local bet Kim Hyang-gi in the final of the women’s 49-kilogram category. Mangin secured the gold after three rounds of sparring via a 14-8, 3-4, 7-6 decision.Mangin is the first Filipino female world titlist of the tournament and the second Filipino athlete since Alex Borromeo triumphed in the 47-kilogram class in the first edition of the competition in 1996 held in Barcelona, Spain. 

TNT narrowly defeated Rain or Shine, 81-79, to have a commanding 3-1 lead in their PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup semi-finals series.Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made the final basket of the game with a slam dunk with 37.3 seconds remaining on the game clock.Hollis-Jefferson also led TNT with his 23 points, 19 rebounds, five assists, five steals, and five blocks.

Seasoned players Mike Phillips of De La Salle University Green Archers and Camille Clarin of National University Bulldogs both delivered outstanding performances for their teams in the final stretch of eliminations in the UAAP Season 87 basketball tournaments.As both teams continued to compete for their respective titles, Phillips and Clarin contributed crucial assistance for their respective teams, which resulted in them being awarded as the Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) UAAP Players of the Week award for the period of November 3–10.After a fiercely contested poll, Phillips defeated Mo Konateh of FEU, AJ Fransman of Adamson, and Nic Cabañero of UST to win the weekly prize.With an average of 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks during DLSU's 2-0 week, the 6-foot-8 forward was the most popular pick among reporters in the men's tournament.In a hard-fought 58-53 victory over FEU, Phillips filled the void left by reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao on a rare off night. He finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, five steals, and two blocks.“I’m just so happy with my role that coach [Topex Robinson] gave me," said Phillips, who scored 11 of his 17 points in the final quarter against the Tamaraws."I just try to be one of the leaders on the defense and the energy, and a lot of times I still struggle with my offensive end, and sometimes too much energy, and it’s not channeled the right way, but that’s why I trust in my teammates,” he added.

Carl Hilario emerged as the most decorated para swimmer after winning all three of his events on the second day of the Para Swimming competition in the 8th Philippine National Para Games on Tuesday, November 12, at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool in Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.The 18-year-old PNPG rookie from Aklan gained his first gold medal in the men’s 100 meter freestyle S14 on Monday, November 11, finishing with 1:04.55.He went on to win two gold medals the following day in the men’s 200-meter freestyle S14 with a record of 2:31.80 and the men’s 100-meter butterfly S14 with 1:21.31.

The PLDT High Speed ​​Hitters finally grabbed their second straight win against the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 27-25, 25-22, 25-23, in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference held on Tuesday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.PLDT defeated the Galeries in three straight sets where the Filipino-Canadian spiker Savi Davison led the game and exploded 28 points, five of which she fired in the High Speed Hitters’ 10-2 finishing kick in the third set to snatch the victory, followed by former De La Salle Lady Spiker Erika Santos with 14 points.During her first game a week ago, she finished with a team-high 19 points, along with nine excellent receptions in PLDT’s four-set win over Nxled.“I think in my second game, I was a little bit more comfortable with how I moved around. I felt that I almost regained the trust of my teammates after coming back after missing the last conference. That felt really good, and I just feel better all around. I’m kind of just getting back to the groove of things. I honestly had no idea that I had that many points, but I’m just glad how it all transpired,” said Davison in an interview.

Nesthy Petecio, a two-time Olympic medallist, received a promotion from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) after winning a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics.The Filipina pugilist was promoted from Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) to the next higher rank of Petty Officer First Class (PO1).PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L Gavan conducted the ceremony at the National Headquarters, Port Area, Manila, on Monday, December 2.

The NorthPort Batang Pier won their third straight victory in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup after overcoming Magnolia Hotshots, 107-103, on Wednesday, December 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.NorthPort relied on their defense to get the win. The Batang Piers tallied 15 steals and seven blocks, and also forced 24 opponent's turnovers.Import Kadeem Jack led NP with his double-double output of 30 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with two steals and two blocks.Arvin Tolentino and Joshua Munzon logged in 27 and 25 a piece to lead the local unit.Tolentino got four rebounds, one steal and a block. He also drew fouls from opponents 11 times, while Munzon added nine boards, three assists, and five steals to his name.

The Rice Vanguards seem very determined to bring back the championship in Nueva Ecija after failing to do so in the past two seasons.In their latest move, NERV signed the Marcelino twins who incidentally were part of the Zamboanga Master Sardines that they beat in the 2022 MBPL finals.On their Facebook page, the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards welcomed former MVP Jaycee Marcelino and his twin brother, Jayvee, to their turf.The team expects the relentless twins to bring their explosiveness, dynamics, and domination to Nueva Ecija.

The Galeries Tower Highrisers finally enter the win column in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference by beating the Capital1 Solar Spikers in a 26-24, 25-14, 25-23 sweep on Saturday, December 7, at the Minglanilla Sports Complex in Cebu.Julia Coronel, the No. 3 overall pick in the inaugural draft, had her best game so far in the pro league as she produced nine points, highlighted by five service aces, including four straight at the start of Set 2. She also had 10 excellent sets.Jewel Encarnacion, another Galeries rookie, put up a solid outing with 10 attack points to go with back-to-back 10-point showings from mainstay spikers Ysa Jimenez and Andrea Marzan.Meanwhile, Leila Cruz, Coronel's former La Salle teammate, put up 14 markers and five digs that went for naught as Capital1 absorbed its fourth loss in five games.The former DLSU captain finally won a game after failing to do so in their first four games. The win also broke the 10-game slump of the Solar Spikers since April.In their Saturday match, Coronel brought out her effort in the young career that she has.

Gymnasts and siblings Karl and Elaiza Yulo were among those who were recognized in the recently concluded 4th Siklab Youth Sports Awards held last Thursday, December 5 in Taguig City.Gymnast Karl Eldrew was among the Youth Heroes awardees, while Elaiza received the Super Kids award.Eldrew recently won four gold medals in the 3rd JRC Artistic Gymnastics Stars Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, while Elaiza has also been making her own name in gymnastics and now a recipient of the Milo Emerging Athlete Award and Most Bemedalled Women's Artistic Gymnastics Athlete in Palarong Pambansa. Eldrew and Elaiza will also be mentored by their brother Carlos Yulo's former coach, Munehiro Kugimiya.

Few months before the start of the 87th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women's volleyball tournament, Dr. Obet Vital filed his resignation as the head coach of UE women's volleyball team last Tuesday, December 10. Although for Dr. Vital, it was a tough decision he made, but there are things beyond their  control. According to the chief tactician of the Recto-based volleyball squad, there were differences in vision, particularly regarding the program of development, especially in grassroots initiatives, and the long-term direction of the team. Also, the approach is not maintained and no longer aligned. 

Filipino cue artist Jefrey Roda secured the championship in the 3rd Universal Chinese Taipei Open and the World Nineball Tour (WNT) ranking event title against Ko Pin Yi of Taipei in the finals.In the finals, Roda was down 8-11 to Ko Pin Yi but won the next five racks to seal the win 13-11.It was Roda's first WNT ranking title. He first defeated Johann Chua in the quarterfinal round, 11-3,and dominated Spain's Francis Sanchez Ruiz in the semis, 11-2.In his social media post, Roda expressed his gratitude to those who supported and believed in his skills and ability to win the competition and to become champion.