Around 10,000 athletes, coaches and officials across 17 regions take the spotlight on Monday, July 22, when the 2024 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games kicks off in various venues in Legazpi City.Student-athletes from 400 private schools around the country are expected to showcase their vigor and competence in 27 games composed of eight team sports, 14 individual and dual sports, and five Cultural & Academic Events in the week-long tournament in Albay.A junior year IT student from University of Cebu defied wet surfaces and gloomy weather as he clinched the first-ever gold of the tournament at Bicol University Complex.Mark Mahinay topped the men’s 5,000 meters registering a fast time of 15 minutes and 22.9 seconds to easily beat teammate Franklin Lee (15:53.4) and Ken Jay Moreto (15:55.7) of Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN).The 22-year-old was thrilled for his latest success as he has been longing to become a part of the national team in the future.“I am very happy that I achieved the target time. I am glad that I still performed well despite the heavy rain,” Mahinay said.“I hope I can get in the national team in the future,” he added. “Competitions like this are a good experience for athletes like me who want to improve.”Next off for the Cebuano trackster are 800 meters and 1,500 meters on Thursday, July 25, and Friday, July 26.

Philippine gymnastics’ golden boy Carlos Yulo was predicted to win medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.The International Gymnast Online - an e-zine and kwon as the leading source of gymnastic news wrote in their July 21 preview of the men’s apparatuses that Yulo will land a gold medal in the men’s floor exercises over defending Olympic champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel.

As the PBA nears its 50th Season, the league targets to become the best sports entertainment not only in the country but also in Asia.Asia's first play-for-pay league is the most followed sport in the land, and the PBA wants to keep that status, and now looks forward to improving the brand by making the games more exciting and giving in-venue fans an experience that they will never forget.The PBA wants the crowd to be back in the playing venue even though the league is still the most dominant when it comes to TV ratings.In the recently-concluded annual planning session of the PBA board of governors, they established pillars on how to attain their goal of showcasing the league to global fans and make it as the No. 1 basketball entertainment league in Asia.However, chairman Ricky Vargas said that “the challenge is how to execute it.”The ideas include improving the quality and competitiveness of play, re-establishing the league as the source of best talent for the national team and net exporter of players in Asia. They also want to focus on fan engagement by investing in supplementary business like the construction of an own arena and expanding in CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs.In addition to making the game more exciting, PBA will introduce a new set of rules in the coming season highlighted by the implementation of the “four-point shot” from beyond a 27-foot arc.Newly-elected vice chairman Alfranchis Chua said in Filipino, “We have done this in the All-Star Game. With this rule, the zone defense will be lessened, man-to-man will be seen more and the game will be faster.”The PBA will continue to support the national team program and will embrace the thought that a strong Gilas team will be beneficial to the league and vice versa.They will also have programs for the fans where they can mingle, interact and engage with their favorite players. Chua said, “Like those in the upper box, they paid a pricey ticket when they entered the venue and all they got to do was wave to the player. I will tell the coaches that they allow players to go near the fans.” 

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) has decided to postpone the three games scheduled on July 26, 2024 at the Olivarez College Gymnasium in Parañaque as Metro Manila and nearby areas are still reeling from the ravage of Super Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon.In a post shared by the MPBL Communication thru their social media account, they said that the health and safety of the teams, working staff, and fans are of utmost importance to the league.The new date of the postponed games will be announced in due course.Toda Aksyon Party Lost was supposed to battle Bicolandia Dragon at 4 p.m. game, to be followed by South Cotabato Warriors versus Quezon Huskers in the 6 p.m. schedule while host Parañaque Patriots was scheduled in the main event at 8 p.m. against the Abra Weavers.The main game is supposed to feature the return of Mark Yee in Parañaque (who started the season with the Patriot), but now as a Weaver for the first time.

Philippine gymnastics golden boy Carlos Edriel Yulo has booked a ticket to three Olympic events on his turf - all-around, floor exercise, and vault during the men’s artistic gymnastics qualification held at the Bercy Arena in Paris.The 24-year-old Yulo placed second in  the floor exercise with a score of 14.766, then sixth in the vault with a mark of 14.683 and performed in all events to get the 9th spot for the all-around with a score 83.631.On the other hand, Caloy failed to advance in the parallel bars - an apparatus where he won silver in the 2021 World Championships and gold in the 2022 Asian Championship. He scored 14.533 after his routine with a difficulty of 6.000. In the rings he scored 13.000, and 13.466 in the horizontal bar but not enough to advance to the finals. He also failed to advance in the pommel horse - the one they called his “kryptonite” with the score of 13.066.The single events target was to make it to top eight, and be part of the overall top 24 gymnasts for the all-around event. As Yulo qualified for three finals events, he surpassed his 2020 Olympics stint with one finals appearance in the vault. This time, he has three chances to get a medal for the men’s artistics gymnastics.Carlos Edriel will have his first shot at gold on July 31 at 11:30 p.m. PHT, with the individual all-around event. The floor exercise final will commence on August 3 at 9:30 PM PHT, while the vault final is set on August 4 at 10:24 PM PHT.

Team USA dominated the South Sudan Bright Stars 103-86 in the group phase of the Olympics men’s basketball on Wednesday, July 31 at the Pierre Mauro Stadium in Paris, France.There was no repeat of their pre-Olympic game where South Sudan almost made an upset against the Americans as the game ended at 101-100. Team USA had to overcome a 16-point deficit, with LeBron James scoring the game winning lay-up.The Americans showed their might this time as they started the game with a 6-0 run and never looked back until the end to secure their quarterfinals ticket in the Paris Games.Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo led the Americans in scoring with 18 points, 14 of which came from the first half of play. He also grabbed seven rebounds, swatted two shots, dished off one assist and tallied one steal.Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker and Derick While all finished in double figures in scoring too.It was also the return of Jayson Tatum in the starting line-up after not playing a single minute in their opening game against Serbia.On the other hand, Noni Omot led South Sudan with 24 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals while Carlik Jones added 18 markers, seven dimes, three boards and one steal.Team USA will still be facing Puerto Rico on August 3 to cap off their group stage assignment while the Bright Stars will face Serbia in a must win situation to advance to the next round.

Philippine Sports Commission president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino is still optimistic that the Philippine delegation in the Paris Olympics can still bring home a medal.Tolentino said, “Full speed ahead. The campaign for medals, especially gold, is hot on track.”Even though the Philippine team suffered defeats after defeats, Tolentino is still hoping that they can still end the Paris Games campaign on a high note.Tolentino also said that even though the losses hurt, this is not yet the end of the journey.The PSC chief says he is also saddened by the boxing loss that Eumir Marcial suffered. Marcial is the one being eyed to bring home a medal but failed to do so. Despite that, Tolentino said that it’s not the end for him.“I know how painful it is for Eumir to bear the loss. We feel his disappointment and frustration, but it’s not the end for him.”Tolentino added that the light heavyweight division is not for Marcial as it is far from his original weight class in the middleweight division where he won bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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. 

Paris Olympics organizers are now in hot water after accusations of boxers being members of the LGBTQIA+ community competing in women’s competitions have surfaced online.Algerian boxer Imane Khalif, who is biologically female, won against her Italian opponent Angela Carini in the women’s 66kg category Thursday night, Manila time. Carini abandoned her match 46 seconds into the bout, giving Khalif the win.Khelif has found herself in the middle of the storm, not just for a swift victory over Carini, but for a controversy that questioned her eligibility to compete in the women’s division as she failed a “sex test” last year.In the match, Carini was seen getting emotional after she threw in the towel just 46 seconds into the fight. The Italian with her tears flowing claimed that she could not continue anymore after being hit with powerful blows that she has never experienced before.The Algerian was previously ousted from the world championships after failing a testosterone test. She has now faced a bunch of backlash. Even the social media world has erupted because of the issue though they have been divided with their opinions. Some supported Khelif like former Arsenal star Ismael Bennacer and said that she was receiving “unjustified hatred” while others vocally criticized the Algerian like notable figures J.K. Rowling and UK’s ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss.  

Team Philippines’ John Cabang Tolentino capped off his Paris 2024 medal bid after withdrawing from the competition due to an injury. He was set to compete in the repechage round of the men’s 110 meter hurdles race at Stade de France set on Tuesday, August 6.The Filipino hurdler publicly apologized on social media saying he won’t be able to compete due to an undisclosed injury.

After achieving a historic win for the Philippines. The Filipino-Britain bronze medalist Jake Jarman expressed his desire to represent the Philippines in the 2028 L.A Olympics. Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) president Cynthia Carrion confirmed in an interview. According to Carrion, it is going to be easy for Jarman because he already has his Philippine passport.They will also seek permission from the International Gymnast Federation if Jarman receives a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from FIG. 

The host country France is heading back to the Olympics men’s basketball gold medal game after narrowly defeating Germany in their semi-final battle, 73-69.Germany started out strong to take a 10-point lead in the first canto of play but France tied the game heading to halftime. Les Bleus built a 13-point lead of its own with less than seven minutes in the fourth and final period. Germany cut the deficit into two in the final minute but France held on to the lead until the final buzzer.Guerschon Yabusele led France with 17 points. Victor Wembanyama had 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting, while Rudy Gobert went scoreless in just five minutes of action.Dennis Schröder scored a game-high 18 points for Germany and Franz Wagner chipped in with 10.France now awaits the winner of the USA-Serbia match-up to know whom they will face in the finals of the tournament.In France men’s basketball Olympic history, they have three silver medals in their bags - all three coming at the hands of Team USA and the latest was in 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This is the French’s 4th gold medal match appearance in Olympic basketball.This year's gold medal game will be held at 3:30 a.m on August 11, Sunday (PH time).Meanwhile, Germany will be battling for their first Olympic men’s basketball medal against the loser of the USA-Serbia match-up for the bronze medal at 5:00 p.m on August 10, Saturday (PH time).

The Philippine Team, including the two-time gold medalist Carlos Yulo, that competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be back in the country on August 13. 

Stephen Curry waxed hot in the Olympics men’s basketball tournament finals tallying 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from behind the arc to lead Team USA in capturing the gold medal.The Americans became the Olympic champions for the fifth consecutive time after weathering the 26-point effort of France’s 20-year-old phenom Victor Wembanyama to grind out a 98-87 over the host team on Sunday early morning (PH time) at the Bercy Arena in Paris.Curry’s 24-point explosion included the four 3-pointers he made in the final 2:43 of play with one sealing the game with 1:19 remaining. It put the Americans up by 93-84. He also put the final nail in the coffin by draining one more with 30 seconds left - with his signature “night night” move where he puts his hands on the side of his face.

Algerian Olympic Champion and boxing gold medalist  Imane Khelif including teenage gymnastics gold medalist Kaylia Nemour and bronze medalist Djamel Sedjati were welcomed with cheers at Algiers Airport on Monday. Khelif, who won the women’s 66kg boxing event once said that she had to win for her country’s women, has become center of a gender controversy during the Paris Olympics. 

Filipino Olympic golfer Dottie Ardina took to social media to recall and speak up about the uniform issues and equipment during the Paris Olympics. This, after a video of her raising concerns about the lack of proper uniforms and gears for the Philippine golfers during the Olympic stage became trending and center of controversy. Ardina says that the video was posted by her mother where she aired her frustrations over the lack of proper uniforms and equipment at the Games. She alleged that their official competition shirts from the Philippine Olympic Committee did not arrive and also, the alternatives provided for them did not comply with the rules of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).“Several boxes of apparel containing competition gear were sent through courier directly to Paris. However, the French customs held the package carrying the competition gear and despite the best efforts made by the officials, the gear was not released in time,” POC said in a statement.Ardina took it upon herself to buy the required apparel for her and her teammate Bianca Pagdanganan. The golf duo ended up using their own plain shirts, and Ardina shared patches with her teammate to match their outfits as best as they could.Despite the incident, Ardina says she has no intention to cause any trouble and told her story in the hope that future athletes will get the gear they need and is required of them - on time and in the proper configurations - in the 2028 LA Olympics. 

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala to forge ahead to the quarterfinal round of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W100 Cary Tennis Classic in North Carolina after outplaying Oksana Selekmeteva of Russia on Thursday, August 15 (Philippine time).The 19-year-old pulled off a 7-6(5), 7-6(4) triumph over her former doubles partner Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia. The world No. 147 Eala seemed on her way to a straight-set victory in the Round of 16 when she eked a 4-1 lead in the second set against Selekhmeteva, who partnered with the Filipina during their girls doubles title romp in the 2021 French Open.Selekhmeteva previously held a 3-0 advantage over Eala in their singles head-to-head matchups. The Filipina will attempt to secure a semifinal berth when she faces the winner of the match between second seed Renata Zarazua of Mexico and Sijia Wei of China.

Rain or Shine head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao is elated after the Philippine Supreme Court approved his petition for mandamus calling on the country’s gambling regulators to distribute funds to the country’s sports commission.At the heels of the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association or PSA Forum in Manila, the former Pampanga solon, who is once again leading tactics for the Elasto Painters in the PBA, says he is expecting that the move will generate much-needed funding for the country’s sports programs.

Billiards legend and "The Magician" Efren "Bata" Reyes celebrated his 70th birthday last  Monday. The Filipino athletes who attended his birthday paid tribute to Reyes and gave congratulatory and inspirational messages. Among those who gave messages and congratulations was two-time WPA Women's World 10-Ball Championship queen (2009 & 2013) Rubilen Amit.Amit is one of the closest athletes to Reyes and he inspired Reyes in the world  of billiards. Reyes has won more than 100 international titles and is the first billiards player in the world to win two WPA World Championships in different pool disciplines.Reyes also became a Champion in the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in 1999 in Cardiff, Wales and became a world champion again when he won the WPA World 8-Ball Championship in 2004 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Reyes also won big in the U.S Open 9-Ball Championship, four-time All Japan Championship winner, seven-time WPA Asian 9-Ball Tour champion and carved a record as a 14-time Derby City Classic ruler.Reyes also won six gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in 1987, 1991, and 1999 respectively.