THE ERA
Sports
"SBP to assess February FIBA window amid COVID-19 surge"
LORENZO MARCO IBANEZ
INQUIRER SPORTS
With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging sporting events once again, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is prepping up the assessment to determine if the February window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers can break pandemic barriers.
Ryan Gregorio, the special assistant to SBP President Al Panlilio, said on Friday that they "are closely monitoring the situation and hopefully the COVID situation will stabilize, with adherence to the IATF's guidelines on international sporting events."
Originally scheduled as the November 2021 window, but was shelved due to the pandemic, the SBP was tasked to organize the Group A February Qualifiers-New Zealand, South Korea, the Philippines, and India-in a bubble set-up at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
However, that could be placed on hiatus again as Metro Manila was reverted back to Alert Level 3 until January 15, 2022, while tallying 13,643 of the Philippines' 21,819 new cases on Friday.
Regardless of the situation, the SBP hopes that as long as they "are adhering to the government's guidelines, the show must go on."
GMA NEWS
TEAM KALOY STORMED SOCIAL MEDIA WITH CARTER DUNK
LORENZO MARCO IBANEZ
A group of hoopers from Bohol attempted NBA great Vince Carter's 2000 Sydney Olympics' "Drunk of Death."
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They were identified as Team Kaloy, a team composed of Jay Carlo Davalan Damolo, Francis Neri Ugay, John Paul Ugay, Gabriel Rendzo Bacarro, James Walter Felisilda, and Raymond Bayotlang. They said in GMA News Online Interview that they "decided to video Carter's dunk just to kill time during pandemic lockdowns and boredom days."
Their low-rim dunk videos have garnered multiple attentions and have made waves online.
Damolo said that he and his friends "learned the moves by watching Youtube videos and thought of attempting Carter's dunk contest just to boom viewers."
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He added that he also "looked for techniques uploaded by pro dunkers, then imitated what they did.
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Garnered at 800,000 views on their Youtube channel, Team Kaloy hoped that they "can gain more subscribers to collaborate with other vloggers like Mav's Phenomenal.
GMA NEWS
“PHLPOST HONORS PAENG NEPOMUCENO WITH COMMEMORATIVE STAMP”
LORENZO MARCO IBANEZ
The PHLPost head office in Lawton, Manila was in full breeze as they honored Paeng Nepomuceno with a commemorative stamp launched on Saturday, November 13.
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The 64-year-old World Bowling Hall of Famer, who bagged multiple bacons in different bowling events worldwide, were among many Filipinos who contributed in different aspects for the Philippines.
According to Postmaster General and CEO Normal Fulgencio, Filipino legends were “part of Philpost’s 75th anniversary since the country’s first stamp was issued, and the 254th Philippine postal anniversary.”
Meanwhile, billiards icon Efren “Bata” Reyes and Asia’s first chess grandmaster Eugene Torre, who clinched multiple championships in billiards and chess, respectively, were also mentioned in the commemorative stamp. Among those legends were Filipino-American basketball player Jordan Clarkson, who is currently playing in the NBA for the Utah Jazz, international theater actress and singer Lea Salonga, Jollibee fast food chain owner Tony Tan Caktiong, Cebu pride international fashion designer Monique Lhuillier, multi-awarded furniture designer and manufacturer Kenneth Cobonpue, the Filipino engineer behind computer design with fewer chips, Diosdado Banatao, and world-renowned Filipino-American fashion designer Josie Natori.
Photo Credits l ABS-CBN News
“MARCIAL EYES PARIS OLYMPICS CAMPAIGN WITHOUT PRO CAREER CONFLICT”
LORENZO MARCO IBANEZ
After his impressive Tokyo Olympics stint, Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial sets his sights on clinching gold in the Boxing Games in 2024.
Through the support of the Association of the Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP), Marcial sees “no conflict in pro boxing while aiming for SEA Games, Asian Games, World Championships, and Olympics golds.”
Aside from ABAP, also in his Paris line-up of support are promoters, Sean Gibbons, and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who, as a current senator, announced his “final bell” on September 29, 2021.
Before being honored in a PhilPost commemorative stamp, Marcial, 25, signed with MP Promotions in July 2020 and punched a unanimous decision victory over Andrew Whitfield of USA in December 2020.
Even in his Olympics debut, he jabbed two wins via stoppages before bowing down to Ukrainian powerhouse Oleksandr Khyzhniak via semis split decision.
Through a “hundred percent” support from various personalities and fellow athletes, Eumir Marcial will surely land punches to storm the 2nd Olympics gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Photo Credits l ABS-CBN News
“VALDEZ-MORADO TANDEM
OUT OF PH POOL”
LORENZO MARCO IBANEZ
The country’s star spiker Alyssa Valdez and red-hot setter Jia Morado have been excluded from the Philippine national team, its volleyball consultant Jorge Souza de Brito said during the PSA Forum.
The Brazilian Olympic volleyball champion and mentor added that he needed “some fresh blood, younger, and taller players.”
Last week, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) announced the formation of the men’s and two women’s squads, including Team Choco Mucho composed of the 24-woman pool headed by Dindin Santiago-Manabat, MJ Phillips, Kalei Mau, Rhea Dimaculangan, and Majoy Baron, for the next month’s Asian Club Volleyball Championship in Thailand, but was under hot waters in social media for Valdez and Morado’s exclusion, who is just 28, and 26 years old, respectively, but skipped the tryouts over health and safety concerns last April.
Souza de Brito said he scouted players for the national team based on performances at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and the recently concluded Premier Volleyball League Open Conference, and he thinks he “made the best decision for the volleyball team.”