Two-time Olympian and pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena insisted that the Philippines should not wait until the end of his career to find his heir apparent.Returning to top form is still the top priority, but Obiena is pouring his time and efforts by advocating for increased interest in his sport, aiming to share his expertise to children who want to follow in his footsteps.With the positive response of Filipino youth in sports especially after the Paris Olympics, the world No. 3 pole vaulter said the nation’s sports authorities responsible for grassroots developments should take advantage of this and make its move to make sports accessible.

The Philippines had trouble-free opening round victories after it blanked both Aruba in the men’s division and Malawi in the women’s side via 4-0 scores in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad at the BOK Sports Hall in Budapest, Hungary on Wednesday, September 11.Olympiad debutants International Master Daniel Quizon and Ruelle Canino pulled off impressive results with Quizon humbling FIDE Master Juan Pablo De Mey in 35 moves of a Sicilian Dragon on top board and Canino swatting Anne Simwabe on board four in an English Opening with a 35-move win as well.Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda commanded the tournament by delivering the first triumph for the country in this Olympiad edition by defeating Tupokiwe Msukwa in 35 moves of an English on board three.Grandmaster John Paul Gomez, WGM Janelle Mae Frayna, WIM Shania Mae Mendoza, and IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia, Canino, and then Quizon one by one posted victories by swooping down their helpless foes. Despite having trouble with his opponent, IM Paulo Bersamina capped the momentous day by overcoming Ilya Stetsenko on board two, completing the great start for the Philippine team coached by GMs Eugene Torre and Jayson Gonzales.The Filipino woodpushers are expected to field the same set of rosters in the second round of the 11-round tournament in their bid to stay on track for a potential top 20, possibly better, finish.

The Philippines delivered another mixed bag of results in the seventh round of the 45th FIDE in Budapest, Hungary.Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna and defending woman national champion Ruelle Canino snared a ticket back to the medal race after pacing the Filipina team for a 2.5-1.5 upset over the fancied 26th-seeded Argentina. Frayna outlasted Woman International Master Maria Jose Campos with Catalan’s Defense English opening in 62 moves, while Canino defeated WGM Claudia Amura in 39 moves of a King’s English Variation of the English Opening.WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda finished an 80-move draw with Anapaola Borda Rodas, while Woman Fide Master committed an error in a 46-move match against WGM Candela Francisco.The Filipina woodpushers ascended back to 22nd spot of the 183-nation event.Grandmaster Julio Catalino Sadorra, meanwhile, forced a draw with super Grandmaster Ante Brkic in 31 moves of Ruy López: Morphy Defense.Sadorra’s draw prevented the men’s team from being swept by the 27th seed Croatia after International Master Paulo Bersamin and Grandmasters Daniel Quizon and John Paul Gomez bowing out to their Croatian rivals. Newly minted GM Quizon fell to GM Sasa Martinovic in 46 moves, while Gomez faltered to Hrvoje Stevic and Bersamina was shut in 60 moves.The Filipino team slipped to 49th place among 197 teams going into the last four rounds of the competition. 

The National University Lady Bulldogs crumbled the hopes of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses of retaining their crown with a 75-69 win in the UAAP Season 86 women’s basketball Finals at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, September 21. The Growling Tigresses made an effort to rally past NU in the third quarter with seven points, 68-61, anchored from three straight three-pointers courtesy of Karylle Sierba, Eka Soriano, and Kent Pastrana. Determined to duplicate their win in Game 3, the Tigresses hauled a 14-point deficit led by rookie Gin Relliquette, who basketed a three-pointer to make it 71-64. However, the Lady Bulldogs weathered the late comeback of the Tigresses as they recreated a 9-point separation off Cielo Pagdugagan’s layup at the 2:22 mark, 75-64, to seal NU’s victory.

The Indiana Pacers put a blemish on the NBA defending champions’ record this season when they defeated the Boston Celtics in overtime, 135-132.It seems like the Pacers will go all the way in regulation when they have erected a 24-point lead in the third quarter, but the Celtics made a surge in the fourth period and forced the game into OT.The breakdown of the Pacers in the fourth quarter just mirrored Indiana's campaign in the new season, starting with 2-3 records. But it looked like they found their groove once again in the extra minutes of play to defeat their Eastern Conference rival.Pascal Siakam hit a fadeaway to tie the game late in overtime and followed it up with a three-pointer that eventually sealed the game.Siakam finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, while Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 30 markers, along with 11 boards, and four dimes.Obi Toppin also helped the Pacers’ campaign with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Tyrese Haliburton added 17 markers, six boards, and 12 dimes.Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum top scored the game with 37 points with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Jalen Brown and Derrick White added 25 and 23, respectively.

The NLEX Road Warriors dominated the Terrafirma Dyip, 104-85, to earn their second win in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday, December 3, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.From the get go until the very end, NLEX never let go of the lead that even reached the high of 25.Robert Bolick led the Road Warriors with his 32 points, five assists, and four rebounds on 78.6 (11/14) percent shooting from the field, 2-of-2 from the four-point line, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.Import Mike Watkins backed-up Bolick with his monster double-double of 26 markers and 30 boards, to go along with four blocks and three dishes.Two more players scored in double digits with Xyrus Torres contributing 15, and Anthony Semerad adding 13.NLEX also dominated the paint, 52-34, which became a big factor in getting their second straight win after losing their opening game of the mid-season conference.Coach Jong Uichico’s wards might have won the game but the nine-time PBA champion mentor was not completely satisfied with the results as they played an opponent who played all-Filipino in the entire second half.

Jamie Danielle Nirza clinched gold in the advanced women’s individual kata at the 2024 Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines – East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games on Wednesday, December 5, at the NCCC Mall in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.The 18-year-old Nirza, who is representing Philippines Team A, exhibited her outstanding skills to earn 36.5 total points, defeating Malaysia’ A Anisa Aira Nur who logged 36.2 for silver medal.Malaysia B’s Ameera Liew and Brunei’s Nasir Abdul completed the podium to bag the bronze medal.

Evan Nelle has been traded from the Phoenix Fuelmasters to the NLEX Road Warriors. TNLEX welcomed the guard on their official Facebook Page, highlighting the contributions he is expected to bring to the team for the upcoming season. "A floor general who thrives under pressure, sees every play before it unfolds, and keeps the offense rolling, you’re built for the road ahead," they wrote. NLEX receive:- Evan NellePhoenix receive:- Sidney OnwubereNelle averaged 8.08 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 4.5 per game in the PBA Commissioner's Cup. The Fuel Masters reached the quarterfinals but were eliminated by the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, which eventually won the conference title. Jimmy Alapag, the current head coach of NLEX, had already made key moves to strengthen the core as the Road Warriors aim to contend for a title. He and Nelle are already familiar with each other, as he personally trained Nelle in California before the PBA Season 49 Draft, where Evan was selected as the No. 14 pick. Alapag was still the developmental coach of the Sacramento Kings at that time. 

Jamie Malonzo is heading back to Japan after signing with Earthfriends Tokyo Z for the 2026-27 season, the team announced in an Instagram post."Earth Friends Tokyo Z would like to inform you that we have reached a basic agreement with Jamie Malonzo for the 2026-2027 season," the club wrote.Malonzo left Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in 2025 to pursue a professional basketball career abroad and signed with Kyoto Hannaryz last season. However, he was later waived by the team.He played only five games in the organization before being released, averaging 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game during his stint.

They may not have gotten the result they dreamed of, but Sisi Rondina and Alas Pilipinas beach volleyball gave the Philippines something far bigger—a reason to be proud.For Rondina, simply stepping onto the international stage was already a dream fulfilled.Representing the country at that level is an opportunity few athletes get to experience, and the Filipina star understands exactly what it means to carry the Philippine flag in competition against the best.But dreams are rarely measured by one result.Sometimes, they are measured by the courage to show up, the battles fought, and the lessons carried home.And that is exactly what Alas Pilipinas now has.A journey worth rememberingThe campaign may not have ended the way the team hoped, but every match gave the Filipinas another opportunity to test themselves, learn and grow.They leave the competition carrying more than memories.They leave with experience.They leave with lessons.And most importantly, they leave with an even stronger hunger for what comes next.For a team continuing to make its mark in international beach volleyball, every high-pressure match is another building block toward a bigger future.The disappointment may sting now.But it does not erase what they accomplished.The dream continuesThere will be another tournament. Another court. Another opportunity to wear the national colors.And when that moment comes, Rondina and her teammates will bring everything they learned from this journey with them.Because this was never simply about winning one match or one tournament.It was about fighting for the flag.It was about carrying the Philippines with pride.And it was about proving that Alas Pilipinas belongs on the international stage.So, kudos, mga Alas. 🇵🇭🔥You fought.You battled.You represented.And you gave Filipinos another reason to believe.This may not be the ending you wanted.But it is definitely NOT the end of the dream.The dream continues. 🇵🇭🔥

Young Filipina golfing star Rianne Malixi won the US Girls’ Junior Championship at the El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 20 (Sunday, July 21st in Manila).Just a year after finishing as the runner-up, the Filipina golfer defeated Asterisk Talley in the final.Malixi claimed victory in record-setting fashion, with her 8-and-7 win over the American marking the largest winning margin in the tournament's history. At 17, Malixi redeemed herself from last year's narrow one-hole loss to Filipino-American Kiara Romero, becoming the second golfer representing the Philippines to win the championship, following Princess Superal’s 2014 achievement.“I’m getting pretty emotional right now because I know how much hard work I’ve put in over the past years,” said a teary-eyed Malixi in an interview with Rappler. “I’m not the only one who made a lot of sacrifices. I’d like to credit my family, especially my dad.”Malixi dominated the first half of the 36-hole match, taking a commanding 6-up lead by the 18th hole with nine birdies. Although Talley cut the deficit to 5-up by the 24th hole, Malixi sealed her victory by birdying the 25th and 27th holes and parring the 29th, which Talley bogeyed, clinching the title with seven holes remaining. Malixi finished with 14 birdies and no bogeys.Her triumph over Talley earned Malixi a spot in the 2025 US Women’s Open, where Japan’s Yuka Saso, who won the major for the Philippines in 2021, will defend her title. Malixi plans to attend Duke University in 2025. (PB)

The Philippine Basketball Association announced the new format for the upcoming Governor’s Cup for PBA Season 49 which is set to kick off on August 18.PBA commissioner Willie Marcial had long revealed that the league is adopting a format where the 12 teams are divided into two groups for the elimination round.The Top 4 finishers of each group will advance to the crossover finals quarterfinals, slated to be a best-of-five series. The semifinals and finals of the season-opening conference would be in a best-of-seven series.Teams, however, are still only allowed to tap imports no taller than 6-foot-6.With PBA finally unveiling the groupings for the new tournament format, Group A will be led by the most-recent Philippine Cup champion Meralco and defending Governor’s Cup winners TNT Tropang Giga along with Magnolia, NorthPort, Converge, and Terrafirma.On the other hand, Group B will be spearheaded by Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel. NLEX, Rain or Shine, Phoenix and Blackwater are joining them as well.The change of the conference format was made as part of the league’s effort to garner fans’ interest and enthusiasm as they try to spice things up ahead of its 50th season.

UAAP Season 86 Champion National University and Far Eastern University fight for the second Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals crown in a best-of-three title series starting Monday, July 15, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.The Lady Bulldogs claimed a 25-19, 25-28, 25-21 victory in their knockout semifinals match, displaying their championship poise in the third set when the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Lady Knights threatened to come back from a nine-point deficit.The reigning UAAP champions now have a 4-0 record in the tournament.“We are happy that we won and will play in the championship. Everybody played their roles but we still need connection in our plays especially with the new players, “ NU coach Norman Miguel said in an interview with ABS-CBN.Two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player Bella Belen paced her team with 18 points off 14 kills, three aces and a kill block while Arah Panique delivered nine markers.On the other hand, the FEU Lady Tamaraws booked their spot in the semifinal berths after overwhelming NCAA three-peat champion De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde with a 25-16, 25-16, 25-16 triumph.Gerz Petallo led her pack with 14 points off nine attacks, four aces, and a block to set a Finals date against their Season 86 Final Four tormentors.“It is an opportunity again to go against NU because during UAAP semifinals, we were like up to the challenge because we were like the dark horse in the roster. It is very unexpected but we overcame the challenges and we worked hard to achieve this feat. So, see you, NU,” Petallo told Inquirer.net in an interview.With the win, DLS-CSB has been relegated to the bronze-medal match, which is a repeat of NCAA Season 99’s women’s volleyball finals. 

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.

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.

Filipino-American gymnast Aleah Finnegan will proudly carry the Philippine colors when she makes her Olympic debut in the Paris Games.Finnegan is one of the four gymnasts who will represent the country in the Summer Games. She will join fellow Fil-Ams Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar in the women’s artistic gymnastics events while Carlos Yulo will represent the flag in the men’s division. They hope to bring the Philippines’ first Olympic medal for the sport.The LSU (Louisiana State University) legend came from a family of gymnasts. Her sister Sarah was an alternate for the US Team back in the 2012 Olympics while her other sister Hannah represented the Philippines in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.Aleah also represented the US Team in the 2019 Pan American Games where she won a gold medal.Who is Alean Finnegan?Finnegan might have a lot of success in the gymnastics world but there were obstacles that she also faced along the way.She underwent surgery for a navicular bone injury in 2020 after the Tokyo Olympics original schedule was postponed. She eventually tried to compete for a slot in the Olympics trials but was not selected. The Fil-Am gymnast also retired from elite gymnastics in 2021, and decided to continue her career in LSU.Then, opportunities knock upon her door and it opens a lot of success for her.When she switched federations in 2022 and decided to represent the Philippines, she immediately earned success and made an impact by winning a gold medal in the team event and vault of the Southeast Asian Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam.Then in 2023, Finnegan competed in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships where she finished 32nd in the the women’s all-around event which allowed her to be eligible for a slot to the Olympics making her the first Filipina gymnast to qualify in the Paris Games.

The Philippine Men’s Under-19 National Football Team’s hope of advancing to the semifinals was diminished after Cambodia drubbed the former, 0-1, in the last Group A playing day of the 2024 ASEAN Under-19 Boys Championship Tuesday night, July 23, held at Gelora 10 November Stadium in Surabaya, Indonesia.The Philippines tallied a 1-3 win-loss record after the young Filipino booters secured a 2-0 victory against Timor-Leste on Saturday, July 20. Their win was fuelled by their superb composure and excellent game management following their 6-0 defeat to hometown bet, Indonesia, during the tournament’s opener.But their celebration was short-lived as they bowed to Cambodia in the final game, placing them at the rear of the Group A ranking.Meanwhile, Indonesia notched a 6-2 victory over Timor-Leste as they won Group A of the ASEAN U19 Boys Championship.The 2024 ASEAN U-19 Boys Championship is the 19th edition of the ASEAN U19 Boys Championship, organized by ASEAN Football Federation. 

The 37th Thai King’s Cup Sepaktakraw World Championship will lose some of its lustre as Indonesia and Philippines, semifinalists in the regu event at the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) Sepaktakraw World Cup last May, have officially withdrawn from the tournament. ISTAF secretary-general Abdul Halim Kader announced that the Indonesian Sepaktakraw Association withdrew from the King’s Cup to focus on the 21st National Sports Week in the republic from September 8 to 20.However, the Philippine Sepaktakraw Association did not provide any reason for their withdrawal by the final registration deadline on July 14.

Swimmer Kayla Sanchez’s quest for a medal in the women’s 100 meter freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics came to an end when she failed to advance in the semifinals.Sanchez clocked 54.21 seconds in the second semifinal on Tuesday, July 30, (early Wednesday in Manila) at the Paris La Defense Arena, good for seventh in her group and 15th overall.Earlier in the day, the 23-year-old Filipina made her Olympic debut for the Philippines by delivering an impressive performance after finishing fourth-place in the heats.She registered 53.67 seconds, setting a new national record for the Philippines in the women’s 100m freestyle.Unfortunately, Sanchez missed the top-eight cutoff for the final and became the eighth member of the 22-strong Team Philippines to get eliminated.Gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, fencer Samantha Catantan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, rower Joanie Degalco, and boxer Eumir Marcial all bowed out of medal contention in their respective events.

Cebuano weightlifters Elreen Ando and John Ceniza will begin their quest for Olympic gold next week, but this early, the acting mayor of Cebu City has promised to give them a huge bonus if they win medals in Paris.Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia is committed to award Ando and Ceniza 1 million each from his personal funds if they can clinch gold medals in weightlifting.