PSL: F2, Foton start title series

by Kristel Satumbaga
August 10, 2016
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Games Today
(The Arena, San Juan)
4 p.m. – RC Cola vs Petron (3rd Place)
6 p.m. – F2 Logistics vs Foton (Game 1)

F2 Logistics and Foton look to get closer to their ultimate dream as they start their best-of-three series for the
Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference crown at The Arena in San Juan.

They clash at 6 p.m. with one team aiming to survive the final test of their quest to complete a near-perfect campaign
and the other eyeing another improbable run to the championship.

Both teams reached the finals after emerging as the two best teams in the second round while beating their
opponents in convincing fashion during last week’s knockout semifinals.

Foton earned the finals berth after beating RC Cola-Army, 21-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21, while F2 ended the All-Filipino
title reign of Petron, 25-18, 25-15, 25-13.

While F2 enters the series as the favorite with a roster boasting of Aby Marano, Cha Cruz, Mika Reyes, Kim Fajardo,
Paneng Mercado, and Ara Galang, it is out to bounce back from a 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-19 loss to Foton last July
31 for it only defeat of the conference.

Foton, which only went placed fourth after the first round, won all three games in the succeeding phase before
moving to the final phase of its  bid to capture its second PSL crown.

The Tornadoes, champions of last year’s Grand Prix, will be led by Jaja Santiago, Cherry Rondina, Ejay Laure, and
Angeli Araneta.

“I think we’re peaking at the right time. We just need to sustain this kind of energy all the way to finals. It will all boil
down to maturity,” said Foton Coach Vilet Ponce De Leon.

RC Cola and Petron dispute third place in the first game at 4 p.m.

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/psl-f2-foton-start-title-series/#jLI8SpdDrIWkkHt0.99

US gymnasts, swimmers all golden again
by AP
August 10, 2016
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Rio De Janeiro — Good old Michael Phelps, golden again.

For teenagers Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles, their star turns in the Summer Olympics might be just beginning.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/11_phelps-677x1024.jpg

Michael Phelps is still awesome as earned his 20th career gold medal.
(AP / mb.com.ph)
From the pool to the gymnastics floor, Team USA had nice day at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Not all the American stars were winners Tuesday, though. Serena Williams lost on the tennis court and the U.S.
women’s soccer team gave up a late goal and ended up in a draw with Colombia.

But a new generation of U.S. athletes is ready to take up the banner of Olympic standard-bearer from Phelps, a
grizzled veteran at 31.

Phelps earned his 20th career gold medal after taking the 200-meter butterfly. He erased the bad memories from his
loss in the same race in London to South African Chad le Clos.

Phelps got off to a rousing start at the Rio Games by leading his 4×100 freestyle team to the gold medal on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Phelps’ face bared a familiar scowl as he walked out on to the deck. He held off Japan’s Masato Sakai
by four-hundredths of a second, with Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi taking the bronze.

His 21st gold came later Tuesday night after swimming the anchor leg on the 4×200-meter relay.

Ledecky strode atop the medal podium again with a bright smile after taking gold for winning the 200-meter freestyle.
Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden claimed the silver and Emma McKeon of Australia took the bronze.

Ledecky, just 19, won her second gold. At this pace, she could challenge Phelps’ medal haul someday.

At the other end of Olympic Park, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team captured a second straight gold with a high-
flying and dominating performance.

The triumph was never in doubt, their score of 184.897 at the Rio Games was more than eight points clear of the
field. The day was capped by the 19-year-old Biles, a fan favorite, whose boundary-pushing floor exercise showed
just how far ahead they are of everyone else.

Biles, Lauren Hernandez, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman also gave retiring national team
coordinator Martha Karolyi a fitting send off with powerful performances on all the apparatuses.

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/us-gymnasts-swimmers-all-golden-again/#1g0pxRgrcxlpzYCR.99

Diaz encourages PH bets to keep fighting
August 9, 2016
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Rio De Janeiro – Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who just ended a 20-year medal drought for the Philippines in the
Olympics, rallied behind the Filipino athletes who are still in contention in the Summer Games here.

Diaz said the battle is not over yet with seven more athletes seeing action in the coming days, and hoped that any
one among them could still deliver a medal and give the Philippines its best finish in the Olympics since 1932.

In that Olympics 84 years ago in Los Angeles, the Philippines won three bronze medals courtesy of Simeon Toribio in
men’s high jump, Jose Villanueva in men’s boxing (bantamweight) and Teofilo Yldefonso in men’s 200, breaststroke.

No other time after that did the Philippines win more than one medal in an Olympics.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Hidilyn-147x300.jpg

Hidilyn Diaz
Diaz, who won the silver medal in the women’s 53 kg class, became the first female athlete from the Philippines to
win an Olympic medal.

The three-time Olympian from Zamboanga City also gave the country its first Olympic medal in weightlifting, and its
first since boxer Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco won the silver medal in Atlanta in 1996.

She called on those still in the running to continue the fight.

“Don’t give up. Continue the fight and give your best,” said Diaz, now the newest toast of Philippine sports, which has
long been searching for a new hero in the mold of Manny Pacquiao.

Diaz’ victory last Sunday should help boost the sport of weightlifting in the Philippines. It’s a sport that’s suited for
Filipinos, especially in the lower or smaller weight classes.

“It’s not important if this is your first time in the Olympics or your second or third because once you are here, you
must give your best,” said Diaz.

“I hope we can still win here,” said Diaz, who called on Filipino sports fans to continue supporting the others who are
still in the medal hunt.

They are Fil-Japanese judoka Kodo Nakano who vies in the men’s 81 kg division Tuesday morning here, then
swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi in the women’s 100m freestyle on Wednesday, golfer Miguel Tabuena from Aug. 11 to 14,
marathoner Mary Joy Tabal on Aug. 14, Eric Cray in the men’s 400m hurdles on Aug. 15, long jumper Marestella
Torres-Sunang on Aug, 16 and Kirstie Elaine Alora in the women’s +67 kg of taekwondo on Aug. 20.

Already out of contention are Ian Lariba of table tennis, Jessie Khing Lacuna of swimming, Nestor Colonia of
weightlifting and Charly Suarez and Rogen Ladon of boxing.

Diaz will be the first to fly out of Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 12 together with Colonia so she could attend the fiesta in her
hometown in Zamboanga on Aug. 13 while Lariba, Lacuna and Alkhaldi will leave on Aug. 15. The boxers will fly
home the day after.

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/diaz-encourages-ph-bets-to-keep-fighting/#SJF5VoZRXyKAJg66.99

Diaz lifts PH to new heights
by Ding Marcelo
August 9, 2016
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Hidilyn Diaz was already shedding tears of joy knowing that she had the bronze medal secured in the women’s
weightlifting 53 kg. division during the last moments of competition at the Riocentro Pavillion on Sunday. But what
followed next was short of surreal as a Chinese lifter bound for a gold medal finish failed on her three attempts at the
clean and jerk. That took her out of the medal race and turned Diaz’s bronze into a silver medal.

Near pandemonium broke out among the small crowd of Filipino supporters. They hugged each other, some cried as
Diaz pulled off what will be regarded as one of the biggest surprises in the history of Philippine sports.

When the dust settled, Diaz had made history by becoming the first Filipino female athlete to win an Olympic medal
and the first weightlifter, male or female, to turn the trick.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/8_diaz2.jpg
PINAY MIGHT – Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz exudes grit and confidence as she clears her attempt in the women’s 53-kg.
event on her way to a silver-medal finish in the 2016 Rio Olympics, August 7. The 25-year-old Zamboanga native
ended a 20-year medal drought for the Philippines, while becoming the first Filipina and first weightlifter to win an
Olympic medal, and the first non-boxer to achieve a podium finish in the Games since 1936.
(AFP / mb.com.ph)

She also ended a 20-year medal drought for the country where, in post-war Olympics, all four medals came from
boxing.

Among the first to congratulate her was President Duterte.

“The Philippines and the President is honored and proud of Hidilyn Diaz’s silver medal win at the Rio Olympics,”
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“We extend our sincerest congratulations and celebrate the end of the medal drought. Truly change has come,”
Abella added.

Her feat will not go unrewarded. No less than P5 million will be hers for winning the silver and most likely, millions
more when all the pledges are counted.

Diaz lifted a total of 200 kilos, 112 kilos in the clean and jerk and 88 kilos in the snatch. That was supposed to be
good for just a bronze.
But China’s Li Yajun, nearly sure of a gold after breaking the Olympic mark in the snatch, wanted to go the extra mile
and tried to lift 126 kilos in the clean and jerk for an Olympic record. She failed in all three attempts, giving her a zero
in the category and Diaz moved to second.

“I was surprised why the South Koreans were celebrating when everybody thought they were fourth. It turned out that
they had won the bronze. Taipei took the gold instead of the silver and us, the silver instead of the bronze,” said Diaz.

The gold went to Shu-Ching of Chinese Taipei who lifted a total of 212 kgs. or 12 kgs. ahead of Diaz, while the
bronze medal was won by Yoon Jun Hee of South Korea who lifted 199 kilos.

“Thank God, I won,” said Diaz after the event. “That’s all I wanted — a bronze medal. But God gave me the silver
medal,” she said.

Diaz became the fifth athlete to win an Olympic medal since 1964 and the third to take a silver. The two others were
boxers – Anthony Villanueva in 1964 in Tokyo and Mansueto Velasco in 1996 in Atlanta.

She also put herself in a rarefied group as she became just the 10th Olympic medalist in Philippine history since the
country started competing in this quadrennial event nearly a century ago.

It’s been a long journey for the 25-year-old from Zamboanga City whose trek to stardom had been a combination of
heartaches and joy.

While some athletes had rejoiced in having gone to one Olympics, making it the pinnacle of their sporting lives, Diaz
was competing in her third in Rio.

But her first two were big disappointments. She was a raw 17-year-old when she competed as a wildcard and
youngest lifter in Beijing in 2008 and finished 10th out of 12 competitors. In 2012 during the London Olympics, she
did not finish after failing in the clean and jerk. The highlight of London was her carrying the Philippine flag at the
opening ceremony.

And in Rio, the focus was on the boxers, who were designated as the country’s medal hopes.

But one of the two boxers in the team, Charly Suarez, fell by the wayside on his opening match last Saturday. Two
other athletes were also soundly eliminated on the first day of competition for the Philippine team when Ian Lariba lost
in table tennis and Jessie Lacuna was near to last among swimmers in the 400m freestyle event.

It was under this dark mood that Diaz went to the competition hall.

But she was upbeat, almost confident that she would win a medal.

“I expected to win the bronze going to this competition,” she said. But when the medal turned to silver, she said she
was shocked.

“Na-shock ako nung sinabi sa akin na na-zero yung China (and I won the silver,” she said.

The turning point in Diaz’s career maybe the decision of her coach Elbert Atilano to make her compete in the 53 kilos
division instead of 58 kilos which she was in Beijing  and London.
Since sliding down, Diaz had won several competitions, among them a gold medal in the Asian Championships in
Phuket, Thailand last year and three bronzes in the world championships in Houston that earned her the Rio berth.

 Lost in the wild celebration from Diaz’s achievement was the failure of the other weightlifter in the Philippine team,
Nestor Colonia, to make the grade in the men’s 56 kg. competition.

Colonia, competing after Diaz, had no total lift under his belt and his performance was designated as DNF or did not
finish.

But former weightlifting association president Monico Puentevella had kind words for the Colonia who is competing in
his first Olympics, saying there is the Russia Olympics to look forward to in 2020.

Puentevella had predicted Diaz’s breakthrough moment, saying it had its beginnings not in Beijing or London but last
year when Diaz won three gold medals in the Asian Championships.

“I am not part of the official delegation, but I came here to watch Hidilyn because I knew she would win a medal,”
Puentevella said yesterday by phone.

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/diaz-lifts-ph-to-new-heights/#Juq6axYzdPHYb3DU.99

KASADO SA NOV. 5!
By Boyet JadulcoAugust 11, 2016
1343

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 FI
GHT! — Si Sen. Manny Pacquiao sa Senado nang bumisita si Top Rank boss Bob Arum.
Plantsado na ang laban ni Pacquiao kay Jessie Vargas sa Nov. 5. (Wendell Alinea)
Kinumpirma ni boxing icon at Sen. Manny Pacquiao na kasado na ang comeback fight
niya laban kay reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight titleholder Jessie
Vargas sa November 5 sa Las Vegas.

Nabuo ang desisyon ni Pacquiao matapos ang dalawang oras na meeting kay Top Rank
big boss Bob Arum sa Shangri-La Makati Martes ng gabi.

“Yes, the fight is on. I have agreed to a Nov. 5 fight with reigning WBO welterweight 
champion Jessie Vargas,” lahad ni Pacquiao.

Kasama sa miting ang Canadian adviser ni Pacquiao na si Michael Koncz at misis ng

Fighting Senator na si Jinkee.
Kagagaling lang ni Vargas sa TKO win kay American Sadam Ali noong March 5.
Tanging mantas sa 28 professional fights nito ay mula kay Tim Bradley noong June 27,
2015.

Sinabi ni Koncz na ang press tour ng Pacquiao-Vargas fight ay sa Sept. 8-10 sa Los
Angeles.

“Promotion of the fight will be held only in Los Angeles. After that, Senator Paquiao
and his team will go back home to attend to his Senate duties,” wika ni Koncz.

Muling magkikita sina Pacquiao at Arum para magpirmahan ng kontrata.

Excited na si Pacquiao sa pagbabalik sa lona.

“Boxing is my passion. I miss what I’d been doing inside the gym and atop the ring,”
aniya, kasabay ng pangakong hindi maaapektuhan ng laban ang trabaho niya sa
Senado.

“My entire training camp will be held here in the Philippines so I can attend to my

legislative works. This is my campaign promise and I’m determined to keep it,” dagdag
ni Pacquiao. “Boxing is my main source of income. I can’t rely on my salary as public
official. I’m helping the family of my wife and my own family as well. Many people also
come to me to ask for help and I just couldn’t ignore them.”

RED SPIKERS SINIPA NG LADY TAMS

By Elech DawaAugust 11, 2016
160

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Nakabalik ang FEU Lady Tamaraws mula sa mabagal na umpisa para walisin ang last
three sets at kalusin ang San Beda Red Spikers 23-25, 25-6, 25-11, 25-14 para
umabante sa quarterfinals ng Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference sa
The Arena sa San Juan kahapon.

Inulan ng errors sa first set, nag-regroup ang Lady Tams at hinigpitan ang net at floor
defense kasabay ng pag-aalsa sa opensa nina Toni Rose Basas, Bernadeth Pons at Mary
Joy Palma para suwagin ang ikalawang sunod na panalo sa Group B.

Sinamahan ng FEU sa next round ang UP at UST, pareho ring winalis ang first two
games sa midseason conference ng liga na inisponsoran ng Shakey’s.

Nabaon ang Red Spikers sa 0-3, kasama ang St. Benilde ay out na sa quarters race.

Tanging ang top three teams sa two-group, five-squad tourney ang aabante sa quarters
bitbit ang kani-kanilang eliminations records.

“We’re happy we made it to the quarters, that’s our first goal,” bulalas ni FEU coach
Shaq delos Santos.

Pinamunuan ng 19 points ni Basas ang Lady Tams, tumapos si Pons ng 14 at may 13 si

Palma.

Off the bench, namigay si Kyle Negrita ng 41 excellent sets.

Sa Spikers Turf Season 2 Collegiate Conference, naligtasan ng UST ang San Beda 25-
14, 24-26, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13 para makapuwersa ng three-way tie sa Group B lead.

Sa isa pang laro ay pinayuko ng FEU ang St. Benilde 25-17, 26-28, 25-15, 25-21 sa
Group A.
HERO’S WELCOME KAY HIDILYN NGAYON
By Ramil CruzAugust 11, 2016
415

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Nag-goodbye na si 31st Summer Olympics women’s weightlifting 53-kilogram silver -
medalist Hidilyn ‘Hidi’ Diaz sa kapwa Filipino Olympians Martes ng gabi (Miyerkules sa
Maynila), saka sumakay ng Emirates pa-Pilipinas.

Lalakad siya sa red carpet nang mala-prinsesa pagtapak niya sa Manila airport.

Bumahagi pa ang 25-year-old Zamboanga City native sa thanksgiving dinner ng

Philippine contingent bago inihatid kasama si weightlifter Nestor Colonia at coach -
Alfonso Aldanete sa Rio airport para sa 25-hour flight pa-Manila via Dubai.

Bilang parangal kay Diaz, nilatagan siya sa dinner ng Brazilian steak, salad at wine ni

Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Jose Burgos.

Ang silver ni Diaz ang una ng bansa makalipas ang 20 taon at unang medalya ng isang
Pinay sa loob ng 58 taon sa quadrennial games o pagkaraang magpadala ang bansa ng
mga babaing atleta sa 1958 Melbourne Olympics.

Napaiyak si Diaz pagkapaalam sa teammates na kasama niya sa Rio mula pa noong

Hulyo 23.

“Excited na ako umuwi pero malungkot din ako kasi iiwan ko na kayo. Napamahal na
ako sa lahat ng kasama ko dito,” mangiyak-ngiyak na wika ni Diaz, gusto na ring makita
ang mga magulang na sina Eduardo at Emelita.

Ang mga magulang ni Diaz ay papupuntahin sa Manila mula sa Zamboanga.

Mula NAIA Terminal 3, tutuloy si Diaz sa sa isang hotel kung at doon na sila magkikita
ng mga magulang na manggagaling ng Zamboanga, kasama ang dalawa pang kaanak.
Mag-o-overnight sila sa Resorts World.

Isang press conference ang plano sa ala-sais ng gabi sa hotel.

Pa-Zamboanga na sila kinabukasan sakay ng private plane ni sports patron Manny V. 
Pangilinan. Balak ni Diaz na samahan ang pamilya at maki-fiesta sa kanilang bahay sa
Brgy. Mambang, Zamboanga City buong Linggo.

“Good luck sa inyo. Kaya n’yo ‘yan,” panapos ni Diaz sa naiwang mga kasamahan na
sasabak pa sa Rio.

E-Painters timbog kay Durham

By Ramil CruzAugust 11, 2016
697

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Malakas na trinumpeta ni Meralco import Allen Durham ang pagbabalik-pamatay na
porma kagabi, bumuga ng 32 points at 12 rebounds at binisig ang dominasyon ng Bolts
sa Rain or Shine 109-102, sa Oppo PBA Governors’ Cup sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.

May five assists, two steals at two blocks pa ang dating Grace Bible College standout,
NBA D-League, French league veteran at 2014 Barako Bull reinforcement sa 41-minute
job para kalsuhan ang back-to-back defeats ng Meralco.

Nakipagpalitan din ng pwesto ang Bolts sa Elasto Painters sa pagsakop na sa fifth spot

sa 3-2, win-loss record. Nahulog ang RoS sa sixth sa 2-2 sa pagkalagot ng kambal na
ragasa.

Nasorpresa ang E-Painters na agad nabaon sa 16-0, sa first period tungo sa third 

quarter 26-point deficit, 93-67, sa jumpshot ni Kelly Nabong 1:34 sa clock. Kinapos na
ang rally ng Painters sa endgame.

“It was really the first quarter that set the tone,” suma ni Bolts coach Norman Black. “It
also helped a great deal that Allen played a great game today.”