The Philippine women’s softball team—the Blu Girls—are eyeing nothing less than gold as they prepare to defend their title at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December in Thailand.After softball’s two-edition absence from the SEA Games, head coach Ana Santiago said the team’s hunger for victory remains undiminished. “Nothing less than gold ang goal natin,” Santiago declared, recalling the Blu Girls’ last gold win at home in 2019.A dominant force since 1979, the Blu Girls have collected 11 SEA Games golds and are returning as favorites. Team captain Charlotte Sales and power hitter Roma Cruz, both SEA Games debutantes, expressed confidence in the squad’s readiness, especially after a productive training camp in Taiwan.“Malaking bagay ‘yung training camp namin. Nakatulong sa teamwork, communication, and ‘yung samahan,” Sales shared.Cruz, who smashed five homers at the Asian Cup in China last July, is determined to prove herself on the SEA Games stage. “Gusto ko ipakita na kaya ko makipagsabayan,” she said.While the Blu Girls topped Indonesia for gold in 2019, Santiago sees Singapore as this year’s biggest threat, citing their extensive preparations in Australia, Japan, and Taiwan.The Philippines opens against Singapore on December 15, then faces Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia before the gold medal game on December 20.Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines president John Henry Lhuillier’s marching order is clear: go for double gold in both women’s and men’s softball. “That’s the goal,”  Santiago affirmed.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is pushing a landmark plan to open government-run golf courses to children aged 15 and below—completely free of charge.Initiated by PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio, the proposal would give youth access to select courses, including Camp John Hay in Baguio and Intramuros Golf Club in Manila, starting at noon daily, seven days a week. The plan, now with the Office of the President, awaits approval as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. consults with golf industry stakeholders.While some military-run courses may resist concerns about income and congestion, Gregorio believes the long-term benefits for grassroots golf outweigh the drawbacks. “If we want golf to grow, we have to let more Filipino kids touch a golf club—not just the ones who can afford it,” he said.With golf’s high costs limiting access, the PSC hopes the initiative will spark broader participation, open doors to scholarships, and develop future champions from all backgrounds.

The Philippine Sports Commission has begun the preparations for the 11th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games scheduled in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on December 1 to 5.The tournament aims to foster excellence and camaraderie in sports among young people in the sub-region.PSC commissioner Walter Torres on Thursday, July 18, assured the successful production of the games, which features athletics, archery, badminton, karate, swimming, sepak takraw, pencak silat, and e-sports.City Tourism Department (CTD) chief Demetrio Alvior Jr. said representatives from BIMP-EAGA visited the country last May to discuss the friendship games, as there are specific requirements that need to be met, particularly because most of the attendees will be Muslims.One of the requirements is halal certification, which Puerto Princesa City and Palawan currently do not have. However, according to Alvior, they are already taking measures to address this issue before the friendship games.“The only challenging part for us is accommodating those coming from Muslim countries since we don’t have a large halal restaurant here. However, we already have strategies in place to address this,”said Alvior.The CTD chief also mentioned that the federation handling the event initially wanted all food to be halal and uniformly served to all Muslim delegates, regardless of the hotel they are staying.“This is a significant and somewhat delicate event, but it is also a test to see if we are serious about advancing in sports. We need to participate in these major events to identify what we still lack and what needs improvement,” he added.Puerto Princesa City will host the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games for the second time. The first was in 2003.Brunei Darussalam’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan played host in the last edition of the games.

The Nxled Chameleons rose past the Galeries Tower Highrisers in a five-set marathon to take the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference opener on Tuesday, July 16, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.The Chameleons overwhelmed Highrisers with 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-12 victory led by their American import, Meegan Hart, with 19 points on 12 attacks and seven blocks, while locals May Luna and Chiara Pementilla contributed 17 and 14 markers, respectively.“It was great, we got a win so it is always great but I am feeling really welcomed in the Philippines. So far, the experience has been awesome. I am really excited to be here with the team and win a lot of games,” Hart told reporters during the postgame press conference.Meanwhile, France Ronquillo paced the Highrisers with 17 points while Thai import Sutadta Chuewulim had 14 points and eight receptions. Middle blockers Roselle Baliton and Andrea Marzan scored 12 markers each.Nxled will have the chance to make it two wins in a row against Cherry Tiggo on Saturday, July 20, while Galeries can bounce back against PLDT at the same game date.

Karl Benedict Wood stepped up in a big way for the Philippine U-20 team as it withstand North America, 82-73, in the Pilipinas Super League (PSL) Global Championships on Tuesday, July 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.Wood exploded with 28 points as the Davao-NTB Wolves led opening-day in the PSL Global Challenge. Peter Adabo added 13 markers, Keith Marquez scored 12 while Most Valuable Player John Eimrod Rodulfa bucked an eight turnover night with 10 points.Joining the Philippines as opening day winner in the U-20 is Thailand’s Trail International School who brutally topscored over UK-Kampi Basketball, 106-72.Japher Kurihara and Don Wayde Basadre each tallied 27 points, with the former adding seven assists to spearhead Thailand’s explosive debut in the Pilipinas Super League’s flagship event.

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.

The Philippine Sports Commission has begun the preparations for the 11th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games scheduled in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on December 1 to 5.The tournament aims to foster excellence and camaraderie in sports among young people in the sub-region.PSC commissioner Walter Torres on Thursday, July 18, assured the successful production of the games, which features athletics, archery, badminton, karate, swimming, sepak takraw, pencak silat, and e-sports.City Tourism Department (CTD) chief Demetrio Alvior Jr. said representatives from BIMP-EAGA visited the country last May to discuss the friendship games, as there are specific requirements that need to be met, particularly because most of the attendees will be Muslims.One of the requirements is halal certification, which Puerto Princesa City and Palawan currently do not have. However, according to Alvior, they are already taking measures to address this issue before the friendship games.“The only challenging part for us is accommodating those coming from Muslim countries since we don’t have a large halal restaurant here. However, we already have strategies in place to address this,”said Alvior.The CTD chief also mentioned that the federation handling the event initially wanted all food to be halal and uniformly served to all Muslim delegates, regardless of the hotel they are staying.“This is a significant and somewhat delicate event, but it is also a test to see if we are serious about advancing in sports. We need to participate in these major events to identify what we still lack and what needs improvement,” he added.Puerto Princesa City will host the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games for the second time. The first was in 2003.Brunei Darussalam’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan played host in the last edition of the games.

University of the East high school fencers nabbed three golds for the Philippines in the Thailand Fencing Festival Minime and Veterans Championships 2024 held over the weekend at Diamond Hall in Zeer Rangsit, Thailand.Willa Galvez, who represented Canlas Fencing, captured two gold medals after dominating top seed Hei Shun Keung of Hong Kong, 15-8, in the finals of the Under-14 girl’s foil last Saturday, July 20.It was Galvez’s second gold medal in the same category in an international meet just seven months after her breakthrough victory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The incoming Grade 8 student also added gold on Sunday, July 21, the Under-14 girl’s epee with a nail-biting 15-13 win against Pawichaya Thongngaram of Thailand in the finals – her first epee gold on foreign soil after settling with a silver in Kuala Lumpur last year.On the other hand, Yuan Canlas bagged the gold medal in Under-12 girl’s epee on the final day of competition Monday, July 22, after beating Lena Xia of Singapore 10-5 in the finals.Canlas also earned two bronze medals (U-14 and U-12 foil) in the three-day tournament.The competition followed a tough training camp where Galvez and other Filipino fencers participated last week in Taiwan – a big help she said as it boosted her confidence after a weeklong process with some of the world-class fencers like former Olympian Ziemek Wojciechowski of Great Britain.“I am happy to win. It was perfect timing that after the Taiwan training camp we joined a tournament in Thailand. It gave me confidence and at the same time I was able to apply the lessons. I am grateful and thankful to all the UE and CF coaches led by coach Amat Canlans,” Galvez told Manila Bulletin in an interview.

Spain-based Filipino athlete John Cabang Tolentino has been breaking records for the Philippines as he takes the road to Paris one hurdle at a time.The 22-year old hurdler will compete in the men's 110m hurdles event of the Summer Games - his first-ever Olympics. He will join fellow hurdler Lauren Hoffman and pole vaulter EJ Obiena to be one of the three Philippine representatives in athletics that will compete in Paris.In the Philippine Athletics Championships held last May in Pasig, Tolentino set the national record for 110m hurdles at 13:37. Prior to this, he won the bronze in the Asian Indoor Championships in February where he clocked in 7.64 in the 60m hurdles, which also broke the national record. Tolentino also won the bronze medal with a result of 13.85 in the same event during the 2023 Southeast Asian Games that was held in Cambodia.Currently ranked 36th in the world, Tolentino will face a tough competition in the Summer Games as Tokyo gold medalist and 2023 World Championship silver medalist Hansle Parchment of Jamaica will once again compete in the 110m hurdles. Also, Tokyo silver medalist and three-time world champion Grant Holloway of Team USA will also compete in the 110 hurdles.Parchment won the gold in Tokyo as he clocked in 13.04, while Holloway settled for silver with 13.09. in the 2023 World Championships, Holloway had it at 12.96, while Parchment registered 13.07.The 22-year-old Filipino was ranked No.29 out of the 40 athletes when the Philippines Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) officially announced his qualification for the Olympics.Before this, Cabang started representing and playing for the Philippines in 2022. It was then during the Asian Championships of the following year when he made his mark as he finished fourth after clocking in at 13.56.Earlier this year, Cabang reset his personal and the Philippine record of the 110m hurdles during the National Championships in Pasig at 13.37. He also won gold during the meet.That is why for Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) Secretary General Jasper Tanhueco, Tabang, as well Hoffman and PH’s pole vault bet EJ Obiena, is in a good position to bring home Olympic gold.

It took Akari import Oly Okaro just two matches to etch her name in the record books of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).The American import showcased her scoring prowess in the Chargers’ last two games, dropping a couple of 30-point outings to power their reverse sweep victories against fancied rivals, Choco Mucho and Petro Gazz, to keep their tight grip on the top spot in Pool B.The 28-year-old opposite hitter’s 38-point explosion in the hard-earned triumph against the Flying Titans duplicated the league’s fifth-highest single-game scoring output set by Creamline’s Tots Carlos in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference in March.Okaro’s strong and remarkable offensive front earned her the conference’s second PVL Press Corps Player of the Week award presented by Pilipinas Live for the period of 23 to 27 July.Her brilliance outclassed Cignal’s MJ Perez, Capital1’s Marina Tushova, and Choco Mucho’s Royse Tubino as she received the unanimous vote from online, broadsheet, and tabloid reporters covering the professional volleyball league.

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.

Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan won the country’s first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women’s individual saber event at the Grand Palais on Monday, July 29.Five-time Olympian Kharlan reached the semifinals by defeating Japan’s Fukushima Shihomi (15:9), Azerbaijan’s Anna Bashta (15:6), and Hungary’s Anna Marton (15:7), but she lost to top seed Sarah Balzer (7:15) of France in the semifinals.Kharlan overturned a six-point deficit to beat South Korea’s Sebin Choi, 15-14, to earn a bronze medal.The Ukrainian fencer was disqualified from last year's world championships, a key Olympic qualifier, for refusing to shake the hand of a Russian opponent Anna Smirnova after winning their bout.Amid a mounting backlash, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stepped in to hand Harlan a “unique exception”, a guaranteed spot at the Games. The fencing’s governing body overturned a two-month ban it had imposed along with the disqualification and made handshakes optional soon after.Kharlan has now earned a total of five Olympic medals in both team and individual events, but her latest medal is nothing like the others.“I brought a medal to my country, and it is the first one, and it is going to be a good start for our athletes who are here because it is really tough to compete when your country is at war,” Kharlan said post match.“Every medal is like gold. I don’t care that it is bronze. It is gold.”

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.

Hergie Bacyadan bravely took the challenge but ultimately succumbed to top seed Li Qian of China in the Round of 16 of the women’s 75kg at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, July 31, at North Paris Arena.The 34-year-old Chinese, a two-time Olympic medalist, scored long jabs and quick combinations in taking unanimous 5-0 decision against the 29-year-old Filipina, who was making her Olympic debut.The Igorot boxer tried to match up with the more seasoned Chinese boxer in the opening round, but Li was able to impose her will against the debutant, earning the nod from all five judges.Bacyadan, a first-time Olympian, would connect combination shots against Li in the third round, also putting the Chinese bet on the ropes, but it proved too late as the latter secured the victory with a dominant performance.The loss of Bacyadan came just hours after Olympic medal bet Eumir Marcial bombed out in the men’s light-heavyweight class.

Carlos Yulo ranked 12th in the all-around finals of the men’s artistic gymnastics to cap off the first of his three medal events in the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Bercy Arena in France on Thursday, August 1 (Manila time).The 24-year-old gymnast, who is a three-time all-around gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games, failed to land a podium finish by placing 12th out of 24 qualifiers with a total score of 83.032.Still, it was a remarkable performance for Yulo as he reached his first individual all-around finals of the Olympics – a far reach from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games where he finished the all-around qualification at 47th place.Yulo showed significant improvements in the different apparatuses, highlighting his improvement from just being a floor exercise world champion in 2019.Yulo netted his highest score in vault with 14.766 points, then garnered 14.500 points in parallel bars and 14.333 points in floor exercise to bounce back from an unfavorable start that saw him fall during his pommel horse routine.Oka Shinnosuke of Japan bagged the gold medal with a total of 86.832.The 2020 Tokyo gold medalist Zhang Boheng of China failed to defend his crown, finishing second with 86.599 points.Zhang’s teammate, Xiao Ruoteng snatched the bronze medal with a close score of 86.364.Yulo will look to bring his upgraded routines, but with cleaner execution, in the apparatus finals of the floor exercise and the vault medal rounds on August 3 and 4, respectively.

Filipina rower Joanie Delcago raced for the last time in the 2024 Paris Olympics.Delcago concluded her Paris Olympic campaign after finishing second in the women’s single sculls Final D after clocking in 7:43.83 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Friday, August 02.Overall, Delgaco winded up 20th, a respectable finish in what already is a historic outing in her first Olympic stint.The 26-year-old, who is the first Filipina rower to compete in the Olympics, qualified in the quarterfinals after toppling the repechage heat with 7:55:00. 

Carlos Edriel Yulo has truly become the Philippines “Golden Boy” after capturing not just one but two golds in the grandest stage of sports.Yulo won his first Olympic gold medal in the men’s artistics gymnastic’s floor exercise last Saturday, July 3.He became the first male Filipino athlete to bring home an Olympic gold for the country and the second overall after Hidilyn Diaz got the first one in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.During the finals of the floor exercise, Yulo scored 15.000 points to dethrone Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat, who eventually got the silver medal by tallying 14.966 points while top qualifier Jake Jarman of Great Britain bagged bronze with 14.933 points. Just 24 hours after clinching his first gold medal in Paris, Yulo got another one by topping the vault finals. He scored a massive 15.433 in his first vault followed by 14.800 in his second to have an impressive average of 15.116.The other two podium finishers in the vault were former world champion and Tokyo silver medalist Artur Davytan of Armenia who bagged another silver with his 14.966 performance, and Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth brought the bronze with an average of 14.949 points. With two golds from Caloy Yulo and an assured of at least bronze for boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, the Philippines has already matched its four-medal haul in Tokyo - the biggest in Philippine Olympic history.The Philippine Centennial delegation can still overcome the feat as EJ Obiena entered in the men’s pole vault while the other athletics representative Lauren Hoffman (women’s 400m hurdles) and John Cabang Tolentino (men’s 100m hurdle) were relegated to the repechage round. Golfer Bianca Pagdanganan will start her quest for a medal on August 7 while weightlifters John Ceniza, Eireen Ando and Vanessa Sarno will also have their opportunity this week.Having two golds already, assured of another two medals, and six more athletes having a chance to bag more, this can truly be called the golden era of the Philippine delegation in the Olympics while celebrating the 100 years of participating in the Summer Games.

Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena pulls through a shaky start as he continues his hunt for the Philippines’ first Olympic athletics medal in 88 years.The world’s second-best pole vaulter advanced to the men’s pole vault finals after reaching the Top 12 of the qualifiers on Saturday, August 3 (Manila time) at the Stade de France in Paris. Obiena nearly saw his dreams and years of hard work go down the drain after a seemingly uncharacteristic performance in his first two attempts. He surprisingly fumbled both of his opening jumps in the 5.60 meters bar.The University of Santo Tomas product held his nerve and decided to disregard his third try in the 5.60m level and opted to raise the bar to 5.70m. Obiena hurdled the height in a single attempt to stave off elimination.Obiena rediscovered his form and easily surpassed 5.75 meters to finish seventh overall and claim his place in the 12-man finale headlined by reigning Olympic champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden.The 28-year-old Obiena seeks to bounce back from his 11th-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics as he competes in the final set on August 6 (Manila time).The Philippines last bagged an athletics medal in the Olympics in 1936 when Miguel White finished with a bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter hurdles held in Berlin.

Alas Pilipinas captured a bronze medal finish after a strong showing against Indonesia to cap off the first leg Southeast Asian (SEA) V.League on Sunday, August 4, at the Vinh Phuc Hall in Vietnam.Alas won 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, in 4 sets.The win prompted the Filipinas to their first tournament podium finish since back-to-back bronze finishes in its inaugural legs of the four-team meet in 2019, when it was still called the ASEAN Grand Prix. They also had endured winless campaigns in 2022 and 2023.National University standout Alyssa Solomon capped her national team comeback with a team-best 16 points on 14 kills, an attack, and an ace. Eya Laure and Sisi Rondina provided stability, contributing 13 markers apiece while Premier Volleyball League’s (PVL) top pick Thea Gagate chipped in 10 to aid the team. On the other hand, Arsela Nuari Purnama paced the Indonesian team, churning out 22 points from 19 attacks, two aces, and block, while Megawati Petiwi backed her up with 18 in the losing effort.Powerhouse Thailand and host Vietnam will dispute the gold medal, while Alas Pilipinas eyes another podium finish in the second leg of the tournament in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from August 9 to 11. 

The Philippine bet Ernest John “EJ” Obiena came so close to ending the country’s 88-year Olympic medal drought in athletics as he placed fourth at the Paris Olympics men’s pole vault at the Stade de France early Tuesday, August 6 (Manila time).The world No. 2 and acclaimed as one of the Philippines’ strongest medal hopefuls, Obiena, who owns the Asian record of 6.0 meter clearance, failed to clear 5.95 meter height in the 12-man final and lost the bronze to Emmanouil Karalis of Greece.Like Obiena, Karalis, ranked world No. 8 in the sport, also cleared 5.90m but nipped the Filipino for the last podium spot due to fewer attempts.