Defending champion National University (NU) displayed its trademark dominance once again, defeating Adamson University, 69–51, for its second consecutive victory in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.Coming off a commanding 95–58 rout of the UP Fighting Maroons last weekend, the Lady Bulldogs carried that same momentum into this matchup, seizing control early and never looking back.The duo of Karl Ann Pingol and Tin Cayabyab set the tone for NU’s offensive rhythm, combining for efficient scoring that helped the team establish a 43–23 halftime advantage. The Lady Falcons, despite showing spurts of fight, struggled to recover from the early onslaught. 

The countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is on! Organizers officially unveiled the full competition schedule, setting the stage for a spectacular edition of the Games that promises to be both historic and inclusive.The Opening Ceremony will take place on July 14, 2028, with the Closing Ceremony scheduled for July 30, marking 17 action-packed days of elite competition across 49 venues. A record 11,200 athletes will compete in 51 sports, making LA28 the biggest Olympic Games in history.One of the most exciting highlights? The women’s 100-meter dash will headline Day 1, signaling a bold step toward celebrating women’s excellence in sports. “We want to start the Games with a bang—showcasing the fastest women in the world,” said Shana Ferguson, LA28 chief of sport.For the first time ever, the Olympics will feature an equal or greater number of women’s teams compared to men’s, with 50.5% of athletes being women—a groundbreaking milestone for gender equality on the world stage.In another first, athletics will span the entire Games, integrating tradition with innovation. Meanwhile, fans can look forward to the highly anticipated “Super Saturday” on July 29, which will feature 26 finals across 23 sports, including basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, golf, football, tennis, and more—promising one of the most thrilling single days in Olympic history.The LA28 Games also mark the return of baseball and softball, the long-awaited comeback of cricket after over a century, and the Olympic debuts of flag football and squash—further expanding the Olympic spirit to new audiences around the globe.As the world prepares for this monumental celebration of athleticism and unity, LA28 stands as a beacon of innovation, diversity, and inclusion—a testament to how the Olympic movement continues to evolve with the times.

Magnolia will try to break their six-year title drought by bringing in the 2017 NBA slam dunk champion Glenn Robinson III.Robinson, the son of former NBA All-Star “Big Dog” Glenn Jr., was a second-round pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2014 draft. He also suited up for the 76ers, Pacers, Pistons, Warriors, and Kings.The Hotshots are determined to win another Governor’s Cup title, which they won in 2018, led by another former NBA veteran, Romeo Travis. It was also the first and only championship title of Chito Victolero as head coach of the team.In PBA’s 48th Season, Magnolia went to the finals and tried to break their title slump in their Commissioner’s Cup campaign, but they bowed down to the San Miguel Beermen. In the Philippine Cup, the Hotshots failed to enter the Final Four after bowing to longtime rival Barangay Ginebra.The high-flying import might have all the inspiration to win it all with the Hotshots, but he has to face the veteran reinforcements Justin Brownlee, Allen Durham, Aaron Fuller, and a bunch of PBA first-timers just like him.

Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala pulled off a double title campaign at the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain on Sunday, July 21, capturing the women’s singles title less than 24 hours after claiming the women’s doubles championship.The 19-year-old displayed her prowess as she earned her fifth International tennis Federation (ITF) singles crown after walloping Andorran standout Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva in the Women’s Finals of the tourney, 6-4, 6-4.Eala advanced to the singles championship round after defeating Yulia Starodubtsewa in the quarterfinals, 7-6, 6-4, and Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez in the semifinal, 6-2, 6-1.A day before the singles championship, Eala bagged the doubles title with France partner Estelle Cascino as they outdueled the Bulgarian-Latvian duo of Lia Karatancheva and Diana Marcinkevica, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, late Saturday night, July 20.“This win means the world to me, it even made me ugly cry. I am so proud because this represents the culmination of so much hard work,” Eala wrote in an Instagram post.“Securing my biggest titles yet in both singles and doubles is a fairytale finish, and I am overwhelmed with emotion. This will always have a special place in my heart, and I leave here with a pocket full of great memories and the will to work harder.”This week marked the best week of Eala’s pro career as she achieved the rare feat of winning both the singles and doubles titles.The world No. 155 seized her first $100,000 tournament in the process. 

LeBron James was selected by his Team USA peers across all sports to be their 2024 flag bearer for the 2024 Paris Olympics.James became the first men’s player selected as a flag bearer following women’s basketball stars Dawn Staley in 2024 Athens Games and Sue Bird for the Tokyo Games in 2021.The four-time NBA champion and all-time NBA leading scorer who will make his fourth appearance in the Summer games will lead a boat of American athletes down the Seine River where the Olympic Opening Ceremony will be held.

The Samahan ng Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio might be disappointed that Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics but still optimistic that they can work on to reach the ultimate goal of making it to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.Earlier this year, Gilas head coach Tim Cone said that “The ultimate goal for the SBP is to make it to the LA Olympics, I think that’s the ultimate goal. That’s what they are looking for,”They have tried to reach the Olympic goal this year in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) held in Latvia. They upset the host team and FIBA’s No. 6 ranked team during their match-up in the group stage.Gilas was defeated by the No. 23 ranked Georgia narrowly in their next assignment ending in a three-way tie at their group but superior quotient points gave Latvia and the Philippines the advantage of moving to the next round. In the crossover Semis, the No. 37 ranked Philippines bowed down to No. 12 ranked Brazil who overcame a double-digit lead in the first half. Brazil eventually won the OQT in Latvia after defeating the host team in the finals.Panlilio might be disappointed that the nation’s pride team didn’t make it to Paris but he has seen a glimpse of hope for the team’s future endeavors especially in targeting the ultimate goal of making it to the LA Olympics. 

France prevailed in their nail-biting Olympic men’s basketball clash against Japan 94-90 in a game that went to overtime.In the closely contested ballgame, the No. 9 ranked Les Bleus was trailing by four points in the dying seconds of game until Matthew Strazel threw a desperation three-pointer that went in and was fouled by Yuki Kawamura of the ranked 26 Japan Akatsuki Five. Strazel converted the bonus free throw that tied the game at 84 and forced overtime.During the extension, Victor Wembanyama scored eight of the 10 overtime points of France to overcome his game struggles and led Les Bleus to victory.Wembanyama started the game with eight points, then had his woes for the rest of the game before overtime came. The San Antonio Spurs superstar still led the French team in scoring with 18 markers, added 11 boards, six assists, two steals and two block shots.Strazel who bailed them out with his four-point play in the regulation that forced overtime tallied 17 markers and three dimes.Meanwhile, Yuki Kawamura led the Akatsuki Five in scoring with 29 markers. He also grabbed seven rebounds, dished off six assists, and tallied one steal.Los Angeles Lakers Rui Hachimura added 24 points (7/11 on 2-point shots, 3/5 on 3-point area, and 1/2 on free throws) for the Japanese team. He also grabbed three boards in his 28 minutes of play before his ejection after receiving his second unsportsmanlike foul with 8:31 left in the fourth quarter.France now has a 2-0 slate in their group while Japan went down to 0-2.The Akatsuki Five next assignment will be on August 2 against Brazil while the host team Les Blue will face Germany on August 3 to cap off their match-ups in the Group Phase.

An Olympic boxing gold remains elusive for the Philippines as Nesthy Petecio concluded her Paris Games campaign with a bronze after a split decision loss to Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the women’s 57kg semifinal at the Roland Garros Stadium on Thursday, August 8 (Manila time).Petecio has been favored to advance to the gold medal match but appeared to lose steam against the 20-year-old opponent as Szemereta eked out a 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29 win.The Polish fighter, the youngest semifinalist in the women’s boxing event, fought back into contention in the second round after getting shut out in the first, using her reach to blunt Petecio’s combination.Szeremeta was the busier fighter in the third round, and while Petecio put together a flurry of punches towards the end, it was not enough to convince the judges who all scored in favor of her opponent.The stunning victory averted what could have been a showdown between Petecio and long-time rival Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei in the finals.Petecio was the last fighter standing for the Philippine boxing team, which was reduced to a two-bronze output after a strong performance in the Tokyo Olympics where the squad collected two silvers and a bronze.Aira Villegas was the other bronze medalist for the boxing team this year. Eumir Marcial, a bronze winner in Tokyo, and Hergie Bacyadan lost their opening bouts while Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam dropped out in the quarterfinals.Despite the loss, Petecio joined an exclusive club of Filipinos who have won multiple Olympic medals, including swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, gymnast Carlos Yulo, and became the first boxer to do so.

One of the country’s biggest collegiate leagues is making sure that esports will become a mainstay in its tournaments.University Athletic Association of the Philippines or UAAP Esports Commissioner Monique Monasterio says they are looking at “continuity” of the league after a critically-acclaimed start.“We decided on popular titles so that at least the schools wouldn't have a hard time comingup with their teams as well to be able to participate,” Monasterio told Scoreline in a phone interview.“So, we also looked at titles that are popular but would also have longevity because, as you know, with anything, there is a cost. So, we also didn't want to just come up with a title this season that wouldn't have continuity for next season,” the Commissioner explained. For the inaugural season, three major categories were selected to represent various gaming platforms: Console (NBA 2K), PC (VALORANT), and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Mobile).And while esports is considered as a demonstration sport - meaning the title won’t be part of overall championship competitions yet - the new endeavor by the league has been met with support from school administrators, students, parents, and even game developers.

Gilas Pilipinas Women failed to build their underdog tale in the FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament as Hungary roared its way to a 97-60 rout in Rwanda on Tuesday, August 20.The Filipinas were outscored by the world No. 16 in the second quarter, 28-10, to enter the half down, 51-24. Hungary later led by as many as 39 points to even its record to 1-1 while the Philippines fell to a 0-2 record.After an astounding 18-point, 21-rebound double-double performance against world No. 8 Brazil, top anchor Jack Animam was limited to six points, one rebound, and five turnovers in 23 minutes.Afril Bernardino instead took charge with 11 points, six rebounds, and four steals, while Ella Fajardo had 10. Kacey Dela Rosa added nine markers, five boards, and three rejections for Gilas Women.Meanwhile, Angela Torok paced the Hungary squad finishing a game-hig 25-point outing on a 10-of-11 clip, four assists, and three boards, while fellow wingers Debora Dubei and Reka Lelik scored 13 apiece.After a one-day break, Gilas Women will look to keep its slim hopes of advancing to the semifinals alive in their match against Senegal on Thursday, August 22.

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala tallied her first win of the US Open qualifiers in New York in a three-set victory to start her campaign.Coming off back-to-back quarterfinals appearances in two US tournaments, the 19-year-old Filipina defeated Australia’s Maddison Inglis in the first qualifying match, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.Eala’s win set her up with a tough challenge against 15th-seeded Nuria Parrizas-Diaz of Spain in the second round of the qualifiers on Thursday, August 22 (Manila time).This is Eala’s last chance this year to qualify for the first time to the main draw of a pro Grand Slam tournament.

The semifinal round of the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference initially set on Thursday, August 29, has been moved to Saturday, August 31, due to a power outage at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.The highly anticipated knockout Final Four matches, featuring unbeaten Akari facing off against No. 4 PLDT, and second-seed Cignal battling No. 3 Creamline, have been rescheduled on Saturday, August 31, at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.Due to this development, the 2024 Reinforced Conference Final will now be held on Monday, September 02, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.All tickets purchased for the original date will be automatically refunded, with the refund amount credited back to the bank, card, or e-wallet account used for the transaction.According to the league, the adverse weather conditions have led to significant damage to several Meralco power posts supplying to the PhilSports Arena, rendering the facility inoperable for the scheduled event.In a statement, the PVL sincerely apologized for any inconvenience caused by this change and expressed appreciation for the understanding and patience of all those affected.

The post-Azkals era of the Philippine men’s football team is off to a challenging start after head coach Tom Saintfiet resigned from his post on Thursday, August 29, to take on the Mali men’s team in Africa.The development came four days before the start of the 2024 Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Saintfiet, the Belgian coach who boasts nearly 30 years of coaching experience, resigned just six months after taking the Philippines gig. The Malian Football Federation announced through its social media channels that it has appointed the 51-year-old Saintfiet to lead its national team, known as “The Eagles,” ahead of the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign.

Filipina para swimmer Angel Mae Otom displayed an exceptional performance in her debut stint at the 2024 Paralympic Games after finishing 6th overall in the women’s 50-meter backstroke S5 final at the Paris La Defense Arena Wednesday midnight, September 4 (Philippine time).Otom registered a time of 44 seconds, 0.3 faster than her qualifying time in the heats, to place sixth among eight finalists as China swept the podium places.

Filipino boxer Carl Jammes “The Wonder Boy” Martin won via TKO in his debut fight in foreign soil against a Mexican boxer Anthony Salas last Saturday, September 7. He overpowered Mexican boxer Anthony Salas in less than two rounds in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. This marked also a significant milestone in his promising boxing career.Martin said that his rigorous training in the US contributed a lot to sharpen his skills and the fruit of his labor reaps. Aside from focusing on his training, he confidently believes that by the help and trust in God Almighty he will definitely win this fight. “I feel this is the right time to fight and prove myself abroad. This is the time to show that I am ready after being trained at the Knuckleheads Boxing Ranch training compound in Las Vegas, Nevada, This is what I needed as I look forward to fighting for a world title in 2025.” Martin said. Beginning in the first round, Martin targeted the body of Salas with all of his power punches until in the second round where he knocked down Salas with double punches in the head and in body until another combination attack and  left hook to the body sustained by Salas.. The referee decided then to step in and stop the fight. Currently, Martin is no. 3 in the WBO ranking with an unblemished record of 24 wins, with 18 knockouts. Martin now is one of the possible challengers for Japanese Champion Naoya “The Monster” Inoue who is the undisputed super bantamweight world champion. He is also ranked in NO. 6 in the International Boxing Federation (IBF). 

Newly-elected Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara pledged to work hard to further develop and improve the men's and women’s national team.This, as he also will now head of the organizing committee for the country’s hosting of the FIVB Men’s World Championship in September next year,  as well as continuing with his duties as  chief of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation. “We need to improve, improve, improve. I want them to go up higher in the rankings like what Gilas Pilipinas is doing,” adding that improvement should not only come from players but the coaches as well. said Suzara. As he came on board as PNVF president, the Philippine teams were ranked No.117 in the world. After nearly three years under his watch, the men’s team is now at No. 56 and the women’s team at No. 63.Suzara says he intends to look for more international exposure for the team and wants to strengthen the grassroots while looking for up-and-coming volleyball talent.“We will go back to the grassroots in Luzon Visayas and Mindanao. There’s still a lot of tall players in the provinces. I’m sure madami pa, Our national teams need 30 international matches a year.  And we will do this. Kung maaari lang na one year wala sila dito we will do that though it’s expensive,” Suzara added. 

The University of Santo Tomas blasted Mapua University for a back-to-back win in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship on Sunday, October 6, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. The Golden Tigresses swept the Lady Cardinals with a straight set 25-18, 25-17, 25-20 victory, securing them the second spot behind Pool B leader University of the East with a 3-0 record. “We enjoyed the game. We played the first set in a relaxing manner and we carefully played our game,” said Kyla Cordora who posted nine points on all kills.Xyza Gula contributed eight markers and Margaret Alta scored seven, while Jona Perdido and Regina Jurado supplemented six apiece. Bianca Plaza drove UST at match point, 24-17, before three continuous points from Mapua impeded the Tigresses’ victory. Cordora, however, prevented them any chance of a comeback, halting the Lady Cardinals’ late rally and delivering the final point.

Seasoned senior chess players Chito Garma and Efren Bagamasbad will compete for the Philippines in the 32nd FIDE World Senior Championships in Portugal next month.The two Filipinos will compete in the Porto tournament from November 16 to 29 with the goal of achieving the Grandmaster titles.Garma, a two-time Olympian, is competing in the 50-and-up group, Bagamasbad in the 65-plus category, and another member, Mario Mangubat, has also entered the 50-plus division.In their appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, October 8, Garma, Bagamasbad, and Philippine delegation member Marlon Bernardino discussed and assessed the country’s chances of contending against the world’s best senior chess players next month.“It would be nice to hear that you are a world senior champion and also a grandmaster,” said Garma in Filipino, who competed for the nation in the Chess Olympiads in Manila in 1992 and Yugoslavia in 1990.“This also serves as an inspiration to the young players because if we could do it, then they could, too,” he added.

The much-awaited Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference is scheduled to take place over six exciting months, with clubs competing for supremacy on the court in action-packed matches and intense competition.The Philsports Arena in Pasig will host the season opener on November 9, 2024, and fans are excited to see what promises to be one of the most surprising and evenly matched seasons yet.Entering the season as the squad to beat is Creamline, the current PVL powerhouse and recent Grand Slam holder. The Cool Smashers are anticipated to keep setting the bar high as their roster is mostly intact.Creamline is expected to make its first appearance on November 16 against long-time rival Petro Gazz at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.In an effort to contend with Creamline’s dominance and sustain a competitive advantage, a number of teams have made roster adjustments. 

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.