Strong Group Athletics continued its impressive start in the 43rd William Jones Cup, defeating the Brisbane South Basketball League (BSBL) Guardians of Australia 91-67 for its second win on Sunday, July 14, at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City.SGA cruised to a 2-0 win-loss card while keeping the Australians winless at 0-2.American import Chris McCullough once again led Strong Group pouring in 23 points and hauled down seven rebounds as the team remained on track in breaking a five-year title drought in the tournament.McCullough previously scored 15 points in Strong Group’s massive 107-49 victory over United Arab Emirates (UAE) on opening day last Saturday, July 13.Also standing out for the Philippines were Gilas naturalized big man Ange Kouame chipping in 16 markers, 10 boards and one steal while Tajuan Agee contributed 14 points, four rebounds and two steals.Meanwhile, Jesse Ghee paced the Australian team with his own double-double 19 points and 10 rebounds while Atem Bior scored with 14 markers.Strong Group will aim for its third win when it battles Ukraine on Monday, July 15.

Eliza Yulo, youngest of the famed artistic gymnast siblings, snared three more gold medals to hike her total to five at the 64th Palarong Pambansa secondary girls artistic gymnastics at the Cebu Institute of Technology - University (CIT-U) on Sunday, July 14.Prior to this tournament, the younger sister of world champion and Olympian Carlos Yulo already won two golds from the individual and team all-around categories.Yulo dominated the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise events while also bagging a silver medal at the vault where she notched 11.650 points.The 14-year-old scored a quick gold in uneven bars with a 9.85 score over NCR teammate Amara Zoe Lagdameo and Western Visayas’ Sarah Lee Thompson.Yulo then bounced back from an iffy performance in the balance beam bagging a golden 12.05 result ahead of CALABARZON’s Jewel Rich Dagohoy and Central Luzon’s Tallula Adrienne Rose Nadres.The US-trained gymnast achieved a 10.900 mark in floor exercise, enough for a double gold tie with NCR teammate Cielo Esliza.Yulo and Esliza won a gold medal each.“I am so happy and surprised because this is only my first Palaro in the secondary level,” Yulo told Rappler after the event.“My US training helped a lot. I cleaned up a lot of my movements and skills,” she added.Despite missing the clean gold sweep, a five-gold haul is still no small feat even for an athlete of Yulo’s caliber, especially considering that she still has four years of Palaro eligibility in the secondary level.As of July 15, 9:45 am, the National Capital Region is now leading the medal scoreboard of the 2024 Palarong Pambansa with a total of 170 medals, followed by CALABARZON (Region IV-A) with 116 medals and Western Visayas (Region VI) claiming the third spot with an overall 99 medals.

Asia Paraase from Central Visayas delivered another spectacular performance after securing her second gold medal at the Palarong Pambansa 2024 on Sunday, July 14, at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) oval.Paraase clinched victory in the secondary girls’ 1,500 meter run, setting a new personal best of 4 minutes and 50 seconds, surpassing her previous record of 4:56 set at the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) 2024.The 17-year-old student athlete from Lapu-Lapu City first made headlines last Thursday, July 11, when she earned the inaugural gold medal of the ongoing games by topping the 3,000-meter run.“I am very happy that I succeeded in this Palarong Pambansa and won the 1,500 meter run,” said Paraase told Manila Times in an interview after the competition.The young athlete was overwhelmed with joy, discovering at the last minute that her entire family had come to watch her final race.“I am happy that they are happy. I was able to achieve my goal,” said the incoming Grade 12 student at Pajo National High School.Meanwhile, Paraase also revealed that universities in the National Capital Region have offered her scholarships, but she plans to finish her senior high in Lapu-Lapu before deciding on her next step.

The country’s top sports official graced the Forum of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) on Tuesday, July 16, prior to the kickoff of the Paris Olympics.Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino appeared in the session at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Complex to deliver an update of the compact Philippine contingent.Tolentino started off the forum by expressing that the Filipino athletes are of high morals and are already at the peak of their training despite some of them previously nursed injuries from their preceding tournaments prior to qualifying in the Paris Games.Weightlifters John Ceniza faced a neck injury while Vanessa Sarno suffered pain in her shoulder and thighs. Tolentino assured they are training well and are in good condition.“They are good. Actually, before I left Metz I provided them with supplements. A year's supply of whey protein supplements,” he added.With the Paris Games set to start in a few days, Tolentino informed the media that the athletes will be entering the Athletes’ Village starting July 22, with the gymnastics and boxing team already allowed to proceed by July 20 while some will be extending their stay in the Metz training camp, such as athletics, as their competition won’t start until August 03.The POC president also announced, through the Office of the President, that they will be handing out additional allowances to those who participated in the Metz.“100 Euro per day. So, it is a big help for all the athletes and the coaches and officials during Metz,” Tolentino shared.This year also marks a historic milestone with the Philippines celebrating its centennial anniversary of competing in the Summer Olympics. From the first Filipino athlete stepping to the Olympic arena and waving the Philippine flag in Paris to a larger Filipino delegation returning to the French capital to raise the flag on the world stage once again.The Philippine delegation surpassed the 19 athletes who participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 with 22 contenders competing in this year’s Summer Olympics.The largest number of participants ever recorded was in 1972 with 53 athletes all in which came home empty-handed. Tolentino is positive that this year’s contingent are capable of bringing home medals to the country. He is hopeful that the Filipino contingent will deliver a worthwhile output and will surpass the Tokyo Olympics.Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz made history as the first and only Philippine athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. The country’s other medals, all in boxing, were a silver courtesy of Nesthy Petecio, a silver medal by Carlo Paalam, and a bronze medal by Eumir Marcial.“We will deliver, we will surpass the Tokyo records. With this template, with this preparation, we will definitely surpass the Tokyo Olympics record,” Tolentino said.The 2024 Paris Olympics begin on July 26, Friday, with Tokyo Olympics silver medalists Nethy Petecio and Carlo Paalam as the Philippines’ flag-bearers. 

After a failed attempt some 30 years ago, the province of Agusan del Sur has been named as the host of the Palarong Pambansa 2026.The development was announced following the passing of the Palarong Pambansa flag on to next year’s host.After nearly 60 years, Ilocos Norte is set to host the Palarong Pambansa once again in 2025. Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Garcia passed on the Palarong Pambansa flag to Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc during the grand closing ceremony at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).Earlier this year, Agusan del Sur submitted its bid to host the event, showcasing the D.O. Plaza Memorial Sports Complex, which boasts of world-class sporting facilities.The highlight of the sports complex is its 3,000-seat grandstand, rubberized track, football field with artificial grass, Olympic-sized swimming pool, air-conditioned courts for volleyball and basketball, and other amenities.Additional facilities include a 24-room hotel located within the main grandstand and a tennis court.The other Mindanao bidders who submitted their proposal to the Palarong Pambansa Board were the provinces of Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga City.The last time Mindanao hosted the Palarong Pambansa was in 2019 in Davao City.

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. 

Kiyomi Watanabe is set to make her mark again in the world stage as she will be competing for Team Philippines in women’s judo of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 for the second straight time.It has been three years since the Philippines fielded the Olympics with a female judoka to represent the nation in judo. And though Watanabe’s campaign did not get as far as she had hoped, she earned the distinction as the first Filipina Olympian in the sport since the country participated in Olympic Judo competitions since 1964.Three years later, that remains to be the case as Watanabe is the lone female in the country’s elite line of judokas in the Olympics which includes John Baylon (1998 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona), Jerry Dino (1998 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona), Benjie McMurray (1988 Seoul), Tomohiko Hoshina (2012 London), and Kodo Nakano (2016 Rio).The 27-year-old had a forgettable outing in her Olympic debut in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games after absorbing defeat in the opening round via an ippon to Spain’s Cristina Cabaña.Despite the heartbreaking loss, Watanabe booked her return trip to the Olympics.Watanabe, who won four gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games and a silver medal in the Asian games, secured her seat after earning one of the two continental quotas allocated for Asia in the -63 kilogram class of the women’s category through her world ranking, No. 92.In her return to the Olympics, the Filipino-Japanese vowed to do better by hurdling the first round in the weight division consisting of 28 entries.Watanabe is set to begin her stint on July 30. 

Central Visayas collected 16 gold medals in the final day of the 2024 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games weightlifting competition at the Gogon Elementary School on Wednesday, July 24.Bohol Institute of Technology’s June Michael Jaluag registered a total of 216 kilograms – 85 kg in the snatch and 105kg in the clean and jerk – to secure three gold medals in the men’s 94kg category.Czar Angelo Bangoy of Holy Trinity College in General Santos City (SOCCSKSARGEN) took the silver medals in snatch (70kg), clean and jerk (100kg), and total (170kg) while Jhon Benedict Jacob of Naga College Foundation (Region V) settled for the bronze medals in snatch (50kg), clean and jerk (75kg), and total (125kg).Rising Boholana lifter Samantha Nicole Podot pocketed three gold medals in the women’s weightlifting -77kg category.The 19-year-old Podot lifted a tournament-best 55 kilograms in the snatch and 65 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 120 kilograms that earned her a golden treble.Podot, a first year BS Medical Technology student of Holy Name University (HNU) in her hometown of Tagbilaran City, trains alongside Vanessa Sarno, one of the country’s representatives to the most anticipated Paris Olympics set to kick off on July 26.Other weightlifting gold miners from Central Visayas include Justine Luke Loreto (men’s 54kg), Julia Xeanne Quano (girls 49kg), Daisymae Zerna (girls 53kg), and Rhea Marie Magparo (girls 57kg).Meanwhile, Bicol Region produced nine gold medals coming from Naga College Foundation students Mateo Noel Falcon (boys 68kg), Venn Emil Quiros (boys 73kg), and Aljo Augie Bibe (boys 54kg).With about a day left in the 2024 PRISAA Games, Central Visayas and Bicol Region have the most number of golds and total medals collected in the senior and youth division, respectively.Region VII has so far won 66 gold, 33 silver, and 34 bronze medals in the senior level, a total of 133 medals.Cordillera Administrative Region has the second most gold medals won with 33, plus 23 silvers and 31 bronzes, followed by Western Visayas (Region VI) with a 24-23-19 medal tally.Also reaching double digit numbers in gold medals are SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) and CALABARZON (Region IV-A) with 23 each, Ilocos Region (Region I) with 14, as well as the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) and Negros Island Region with 11 apiece.In the youth division, Bicol Region (Region V) has 52 golds, 39 silvers, and 38 bronzes, totaling 129.Western Visayas is second with 38 gold, 42 silver, and 30 bronze medals, while Calabarzon is not too far behind with a 33-21-20 medal haul.Central Luzon (Region III) has 25 golds, Central Visayas has 11, and Northern Mindanao (Region X) has 10.The PRISAA National Games will have its closing ceremony on Friday.

As Typhoon Carina pummeled the Philippines, causing a lot of difficulties for the Filipinos who were left stranded in the floods, a glimmer of hope from heroes both outside and inside the game tried their best to uplift the diminished morale of their fellow kababayan.Some well-known esports and gaming personalities have allocated their time and effort to offer a helping hand to their countrymen who are in dire need.Content creator Elyson Caranza, also known as GHOST Wrecker, and his team traveled across the floods of Araneta Village in Malabon to offer their support. They brought four boats that can transfer eight individuals. They also sought help from the community if they could provide ropes.Wrecker then posted on his social media page hoping that more volunteers can offer their services.“Sino pa may kilalang pwede mag rescue diyan? May apat na bangka pa ako dito, at saka lifevest 20pcs. Pahinga ko lang team ko. Need lang more rescuers along Malabon,” posted Wrecker on his Facebook page.Meanwhile, Aurora’s Royal Duo of Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario have received donations from the community.Wise then posted a photo of the total collection amount they received while also giving instructions to those who are willing to support their cause. Together with V33nus, Wise was able to prepare relief goods to be delivered to the communities affected by the super typhoon.Gamer and streamer Setsuna “Akosi Dogie” Ignacio offered support for those who are impacted by the flood crisis by announcing on his social media page that he is prepared to send donations based on the outcome of his live stream session."Mga guys mamayang live ko, kung magkano na talo ko, ganun halaga ibibigay natin sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo at kung magkano napanalo ko ayun din ibibigay natin na tulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo. INGAT PO KAYO AT MAG DASAL PO MGA KABABAYAN," as stated on his Facebook post.On the other hand, it is not only players and gaming personalities who had their say in the current crisis. Team Secret has reminded the community of the emergency protocols by posting photos of phone numbers coming from government agencies on their social media sites.Secret has also emphasized that animal lives are just as important as the humans, advising the community to be responsible in taking care of their pets as the heavy downpour and floods can be a struggle for animals who could be abandoned in the middle of the calamity as well.In times of catastrophe, the Bayanihan spirit remains alive in the hearts of Filipinos and with the efforts of these notable people in the world of gaming, perhaps others as well would feel inspired to aid the victims of Typhoon Carina. 

Filipino Olympian and boxers Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial earned byes for the first round of their respective events as the brackets for the Paris Olympics boxing competitions were determined on Thursday, July 25.Marcial (men’s 80kg) and Paalam (men’s 57kg) advanced to the round of 16 as they both begin their golden quests on Wednesday, July 31.Paalam, who moved up in weight after bagging silver in the men’s 52kg category in Tokyo, will go against Ireland’s Jude Gallagher, a gold medalist in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.On the other hand, Marcial tangles with Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev, who earned a bronze medal in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.The draw has also put Marcial for a potential rematch with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak three years after the Filipino obtained bronze following a split decision loss in their semifinal bout in Tokyo.Debuting in the Games, Hergie Bacyadan, meanwhile, got dealt a tough hand as she faces a tall order in the women’s 75kg after being drawn with top seed Li Qian of China for their round of 16 duel on Wednesday, July 31.Li boasts of impressive credentials, winning an Olympic bronze in Rio de Janeiro and silver in Tokyo on top of gold medals in the Women’s World Boxing Championships, Asian Games, and Asian Amateur Boxing Championships.Meanwhile, Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg) and Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg) begin their respective campaigns in round of 32.Villegas will be the first Philippine boxer in action as she fights Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki on Monday, July 29, before Petecio opens her bid of improving the silver she won in Tokyo against India’s Jaismine Lamboria on Tuesday, July 30.The boxing competition runs until August 10.\

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.

Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist is coming to the French capital, not as an athlete, but as a member of the International Weightlifting Federation Athletes’ Commission.Her arrival to the Games was confirmed by the Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Dicky Bachmann on Tuesday, July 30.“She is arriving either on August 3 or August 4,” said Bachmann in a text message, adding that Diaz’s arrival would be a great source of inspiration for other Filipino athletes who are still vying for the Olympic medal, including her fellow weightlifters Elreen Ando, John Ceniza and Vanessa Sarno.“Her presence will definitely add much-needed inspiration to all our athletes competing in the Summer Games,” added Bachmann.The Zamboanga native Diaz, who captured the country’s first Olympic gold medal during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, remains a towering figure in Philippine sports as her feat became a shining moment for the nation.Marking a new chapter in her journey to develop future champions, Diaz inaugurated her weightlifting academy, HD Weightlifting Academy, in Jalajala, Rizal on July 26, the third-year anniversary of her golden conquest in the Tokyo games.

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.

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. 

Filipino hurdlers John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman were unable to book an outright semifinals ticket and were relegated to repechage following the result of their respective events in the 2024 Paris Olympics athletics competitions at the Stade De Paris on Sunday, August 4.Cabang Tolentino marked his Summer Games debut after clocking in a time of 13.66 seconds, placing him sixth in the Heat 1 of the men’s 110 meters hurdles. Overall, he finished No. 32 among 39 hurdlers with Grant Holloway of the United States topping the race with his time of 13.01 seconds, showing readiness for his redemption campaign after nabbing silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.Meanwhile, Hoffman, a first-time Olympian as well, was also dropped in the repechage round of the women’s 400 meters hurdles after finishing 37th overall out of 40 participants with a time of 57.84 seconds, two seconds slower than the national record of 55.72 seconds she set in April.Only the top three racers in each five heats and the next three fastest advanced to the semifinals, with Tokyo Games bronze medalist Femke Bol of the Netherlands registering 53.38 seconds to lead the pack.Hoffman returns to action on Monday, August 5, for the repechage, while Tolentino will get one last shot at the semifinals which will be held on Tuesday, August 6.

Filipina-American hurdler Lauren Hoffman is out of contention after she failed to advance in the semifinals of the women’s 400 meters at the Stade de France in Paris held on Monday, August 5.Hoffman placed seventh and last in Heat 3 of the repechage round, clocking in a time of 58.28 seconds.Qualifying from the third repechage heat were France's Shana Grebo (54.91s) and Ukraine's Anna Ryzhykova (54.95s).The first-time Olympian was relegated to repechage after failing to qualify during the first round of the competition. Hoffman registered 57.84 seconds, finishing 37th overall among 39 participants.Another Filipino track athlete, John Cabang Tolentino, will also compete in the repechage of the men's 110 meter hurdles after a sixth-place finish in the heats on Sunday, August 4.

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.

Filipina boxer Aira Villegas wraps up her maiden appearance in the 2024 Paris Games after bagging bronze in the women’s 50kg semifinals at the Roland Garros Stadium on Wednesday, August 7 (Manila time).Villegas fell prey at the hands of more seasoned and third-seeded rival Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey, absorbing a unanimous decision loss. The Filipina made a valiant effort, landing significant punches but the formidable Turkish boxer proved to be too much for Villegas, setting the pace early enough to sweep the judges’ score cards, 30-27, 30-26, 30-27, 30-27, 30-26.This is the Philippines’ third medal in the ongoing Paris Games following gymnast Carlos Yulo’s double gold medal in men’s gymnastics. Villegas exceeded expectations in her Summer Games debut, becoming the Philippines’ second female boxer to win an Olympic medal after teammate Nesthy Petecio. Petecio, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, is the last fighter in the contention for the Philippines, with Eumir Marcial and Hergie Bacyadan losing their opening bouts and Carlos Paalam exiting in the quarterfinals.Petecio assumes the responsibility of winning the Philippines’ first-ever Olympics gold in the sport as she battles Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the women’s 57kg semifinals on Thursday, August 8 (Manila time).

Petro Gazz finally ended their three-game losing skid with a quick sweep of Choco Mucho to end their first round campaign in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference.The Angels end their campaign on a high note after defeating the Flying Titans through a straight-set win, 25-18, 25-21, 25-18, placing them fourth in Pool B and will face the top three teams from Pool A in the crossover second round.Petro Gazz’s Cuban import, Wilma Salas, paced the scoring for the Angels with 18 points and 18 excellent receptions, while Brooke Van Sickle supported Salas with 17 and two digs.Veteran playmaker Chie Saet also made sure the embattled Angels got their act together just in the nick of time, finishing with four markers and 15 excellent sets and seven digs, while Myla Pablo delivered 11.On the other hand, Choco Mucho’s Dindin Santiago-Manabat had a double-digit scoring output with 13 attacks, while Greek reinforcement Zoi Faki was only limited to three points.Choco Mucho ended their first round with a 1-4 record as the fifth-seed with its lone win over hapless ZUS Coffee. They will face a similar path of the Angels in the next round.