The 12-member Philippine kickboxing team went ahead of the other teams to Hanoi, Vietnam for the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Mixed martial artists Honorio Banario banners the squad, along with defending champions Jean Claude Saclag (men’s 63.5 kilogram lowkick) and Gina Iniong (women’s 60kg lowkick).

Iniong will also compete in the women’s Vovinam with 2019 SEA Games silver medalists Jenelyn Olsim and Zephanua Ngaya, while Danny Kingan, Carlo Buminaang, and Renato Cha Jr. will represent the country in the men’s Vovinam.

Jomar Balangui and Renalyn Dacquiel aim to improve their silver-medal finish during the 2019’s edition of the biennial meet.

The PH trained for three months in La Trinidad, Benguel.

Meanwhile, the men’s beach handball team headed by Head Coach Jana Franquelli will aim to level up their podium finish behind Vietnam and Thailand three years ago in the Manila SEA Games from May 6-11, 2022.

The PH national rowing team is set to fly to Hanoi on Friday while the other SEA Games-bound teams are scheduled to depart next week. – gb 

In an announcement on Monday, May 2, PATAFA said Knott’s non-participation which ended her bid for another title  is “due to a torn plantar fasciitis which will require rest.”

The national athlete holds a record in the 200-meter event with 23.07 seconds in the 2019 games, and another in the 100-meter dash at 11.27 seconds surpassing a 35-year record held previously by the legendary Lydia de Vega.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Filipino-American Yacine Guermali, who is a redshirt junior at Gonzaga University and was a member of the West Coast Conference 1st Team All-WCC, will not participate in the biennial event “due to academics.” 

Yacine, who currently holds the 1,500-meter Philippine record turning in a 3:43.59 in the Portland Distance Carnival Competition, was a 2019 and 2021 NCAA West Region Preliminary Qualifier and was scheduled to compete in the 1,500 and 5,000-meter events.

PATAFA said Yacine’s older brother, Said, who is set to compete in the 800-meter event will miss Hanoi games “due to plantar fasciitis.” AG-gb 

Sotto announced via Instagram that he has declared for the 2022 NBA Draft on Apr. 28. In the post, he thanked the Adelaide 36ers for the opportunity they gave him as well as several people who supported and are close to the 7-foot-3 cager.

“I have declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. Please pray for and support me during my quest to fulfill my ultimate dream,” Sotto posted on social media.

SPORTS UPDATE: Kai Sotto declares for 2022 NBA Draft, thanks Adelaide 36ers for National Basketball League (NBL) stint. | (: Kai Sotto/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/kXERzSlMMd

— PTVph (@PTVph) April 28, 2022

One group that is backing the dream of Sotto is Smart Communications Inc. They are rallying behind their brand ambassador’s bid to become the first homegrown Filipino to be drafted into the NBA on June 23, 2022.

“As a basketball-loving country, it has always been a dream for Filipinos to see a homegrown player set foot on the NBA hardcourt. Today, we have come closer to realizing this as Kai aims to show the world what Filipino basketball players are made of: talent, skill, determination, and above all, PUSO,” PLDT and Smart President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio said.

Panlilio is also the President of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and MVP Sports Foundation. He is also the Chairman of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 local organizing committee.

“As an advocate of Philippine sports and basketball, it is an honor for us at Smart to be part of Kai’s journey. From his varsity days in Ateneo and when he suited up for Batang Gilas in 2017 up to this point, we have always known that Kai’s NBA dream has always been bigger than himself, and we fully support his bid to fulfill it and inspire our nation,” Panlilio added.

Sotto, who has always been open about his NBA dream, has spent the past year at the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia playing center for the Adelaide 36ers. (PR) – bny

“Terrorism has no place in sports” this was the statement of Philippine Sports Commission Chairperson William Butch Ramirez regarding the recent bus bombing in Maguindanao that hurt four sepak takraw athletes and their coach.

“The PSC strongly condemns this act of terrorism. There is no justification for purposely causing pain on any person, especially ones which could possibly become fatal like this bombing,” he said.

“This cowardly act aimed to terrorize the public included athletes among its victims whose budding athletic future are unfairly dimmed by this horrible atrocity,” he added.

The sepak takraw squad is set to join the qualifying event for the ASEAN School Games in Dipolog City, but the chance to wear the Philippine tricolors internationally was cut off before they even began their fight.

According to reports, the bus bombing happened while the entire kick volleyball team had a stopover for breakfast together with the passengers, driver, and conductor.

The injured sepak takraw squad is now in a stable condition as the police responded quickly to the incident which happened a few kilometers away from the Philippine National Police headquarters in the Bangsamoro Region. – ag

Brooklyn, one of the favorites to possibly win the 2021-22 NBA title, led by 15 points in the third quarter before Jason Tatum went to work.

The three-time NBA All-Star finished with 29 points, five assists, and three rebounds to lead the way for Boston.

Kevin Durant, who has been struggling in the series, led the way for the Nets with 39 points. However, the effort was not enough to help Brooklyn stave off elimination.

Meanwhile, Boston will face the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls series.

The Bucks hold a 3-1 series lead over the Bulls. Game 4 of the first-round series is set for Thursday, Apr. 28 at 7:30 a.m. (Manila time). – ML – bny

PARIS — French incumbent President Emmanuel Macron won the 2022 French presidential runoff with 57.6 percent of the votes, according to the preliminary exit poll released Sunday evening by French television BFMTV.

Macron’s rival, far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen gained 42.4 percent of the votes. – gb

Olympian Mary Joy Tabal and husband LTJG Hector Dan Jimenez will be welcoming a new family member soon.

In a Facebook post, the 32-year-old Filipino marathoner revealed on Easter Sunday that she is pregnant and that they will be welcoming their first child in early October.

“Dearest Family and Friends! We’re absolutely ecstatic to let you all know that an enlightened soul has blessed Dan and I, and will be joining us in early October,” Tabal posted on her Facebook. “PS, already informed PATAFA and PSC about my situation and hopefully to get back to training and competitions end of the year and 2023. I may skip SEAGAMES and other competitions for now but in full time with this angel,” she added.

The couple got married last Jan. 8, 2022, in Cebu, a date that went as scheduled despite the changes made to the Vietnam SEA Games.

“We did plan to wed after the SEA Games. When it was postponed, Dan and I continued to talk about it – especially because he wanted to have a baby,” Tabal was quoted as saying to PTV in September last year.

Although Tabal mentioned she still wanted to participate in future competitions, all that has now been put on hold at least until the end of the year. – GB

The PH spikers play another tuneup on Tuesday, Apr. 19, against a top-caliber Brazilian club that head coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito has yet to name. It will be the second of at least five high-level matches on tap to prepare the PH team for the SEA Games which take place less than a month from now.

“We always add something new each time we go into practice. I can see the improvement day by day, so when we play the next match, we’ll become better,’’ de Brito said after concluding a pair of workouts on Day 3 of the team’s two-week training camp at Sportville.

Middle blockers Jaja Santiago and Dell Palomata were bunched with open spikers Alyssa Valdez and Ces Molina, opposite spiker Mylene Paat, setter Iris Tolenada and libero Dawn Macandili, as they worked on the defensive pattern instilled by the coaching staff.

The other group focused on ball control and receiving with open spiker Jema Galanza, opposite spiker Kat Tolentino, setter Kyle Negrito and libero Kath Arado teaming up with middle blockers Aby Marano, Majoy Baron and Ria Meneses.

“We did tactics in the morning and put all the guys together in the afternoon, but we used only five players on each side,’’ de Brito, who was competently assisted by coaches Odjie Mamon, Grace Antigua, Raffy Mosuela, Tina Salak and therapist Grace Gomez, added.

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation under its president Ramon “Tats” Suzara formed the national women’s squad seeking a podium finish in the Vietnam SEA Games that will be held from May 12 to May 23. (PNVF) – bny

No less than Hidilyn Diaz, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist, fully supported Obiena. She said that her fellow Tokyo Olympian pole vaulter is the “story of every Filipino athlete who fights to bring home pride and glory to the country.”

“I’m very happy to see EJ as our flag bearer for Team Philippines,” Diaz said.

Diaz will also defend her weightlifting gold medal after the games were postponed last year.

“I’m happy for him and the rest of the Philippine delegation. I will support him,” the 31-year-old said.

Diaz and Obiena could have held the country’s colors together in the parade of nations. However, the SEA Games allows only one athlete for the honor.

“There could only be one flag-bearer for each country. We nominated Hidilyn and EJ, but it was turned down,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.

“Like Hidilyn, EJ has all the qualifications to be our flag bearer,” he added.

“It’s an honor,” Obiena said. “I was heading home after training here in Formia [Italy] when I received the message.”

As flag bearer, a big responsibility comes with the honor. But Obiena said he’s ready for the challenge.

“All I can do for now is to train harder and be better, and smarter,” the 26-year-old Obiena said. “I really want to defend my SEA Games title.”

The hosts programmed 40 sports with the Philippines competing in 39 of them.

“We are fielding a fighting team,” Tolentino said.

Team Philippines will fly to Vietnam in batches with the main bulk set to leave on May 10, two days before the opening ceremony. The Hanoi SEA Games wrap up on Mat 23. (PR) – bny

After a two-year break, top shuttlers from all over Asia will join the competition to earn points to raise their Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking.

The winner of the competition is expected to earn 12,000 points for their BWF ranking.

This is the third time the country will host the Asia Championships after their first and second hosting last 1961 and 2001.

Before the pandemic, the country also hosted Badminton Asia Team Championships last February 2020 at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex– Report from Khay Asuncuon/ML-ag