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Convicted child rapist gets Dutch volleyball Paris Olympics spot

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FILE–Netherlands’ Steven Van de Velde (L) during the volleyball Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 final match in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 5, 2024. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)

A Dutch volleyball player convicted in 2016 of raping an underaged girl has controversially been selected to represent the Netherlands in the Olympic beach volleyball competition in Paris.

Steven van de Velde, now 29, was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting three counts of rape against a 12-year-old girl, according to British newspaper The Telegraph.

He served part of his sentence in Britain and was then transferred to the Netherlands, where he was eventually released and took up volleyball again in 2017.

“We know Steven’s history,” said Michel Everaert, general director of the Dutch volleyball federation (Nevobo), in a statement.

READ: Ex-NBA player Chase Budinger makes Paris Olympics team in beach volleyball

“He was convicted at the time according to English law and he has served his sentence,” added Everaert.

Nevobo and the Dutch Olympic Committee have consulted experts who have judged there is “zero chance” of Van de Velde reoffending.

The Telegraph cited British judge Francis Sheridan as saying when he sentenced the player: “Your hopes of representing your country now lie as a shattered dream.”

But Everaert said Van de Velde had been “fully reintegrated into the Dutch volleyball community.”

READ: VNL 2024: As Paris Olympics nears, Canada focused on improvement

“He is proving to be an exemplary professional and human being and there has been no reason to doubt him since his return.”

The association also cited the player himself as admitting he had made “the biggest mistake of my then young life”.

“I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences,” he was cited as saying.

His selection seems to have been more of a story outside the Netherlands than in the country’s own media.

The AD daily said there had been a “fuss in the foreign media” over Van de Velde.



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“I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media,” said the player quoted by his association.

Kristaps Porzingis could be sidelined until December

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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, center, raises his arm as he celebrates with teammates near the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the Celtics won the NBA championship with a Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON  — Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis will miss 5-6 months in the NBA after left ankle surgery.

The team said Thursday that Porzingis had surgery to fix a tear in the tissue that holds the ankle tendons in place. That will prevent the Latvian from competing with his home nation next month as it attempts to win one of the final four qualifying spots for the Paris Olympics.

The 7-foot-2 Porzingis injured his ankle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next two games.

READ: Latvia’s Porzingis to have surgery, out of OQT and Paris Olympics

He returned for Game 5, contributing five points and one rebound in 16 minutes as the Celtics beat Dallas 106-88 to clinch their record 18th NBA championship. Porzingis averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in 57 games for the Celtics this season.

He signed a $60 million, two-year extension with Boston after they acquired him in a trade with Washington last summer.



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Pacquiao gets new opponent for Japan exhibition fight

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Retired multiple world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao (R) of the Philippines speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Tokyo on June 10, 2024. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

Manny Pacquiao will now face a different fighter in his three-round exhibition match in Japan after the retired boxing great’s original opponent was ruled out by injury, organizers said Friday.

The 45-year-old multiple world champion from the Philippines was supposed to fight Chihiro Suzuki on July 28 in Saitama in a 68kg boxing bout of three rounds of three minutes each, with no judges’ decision.

But Suzuki was forced to withdraw after breaking his hand and will be replaced by fellow Japanese mixed martial artist Rukiya Anpo.

READ: Pacquiao set for July exhibition, in talks for title bout vs Barrios

Pacquiao said earlier this month that he was in negotiations to make a comeback to professional boxing after three years away.

He said he was in talks to face American Mario Barrios for a possible WBC welterweight world title later this year, but cautioned that it was still “far away”.

After hanging up his gloves, Pacquiao ran for the Philippines presidency but lost the May 2022 election by a huge margin.

He returned to the ring for an exhibition in Seoul in December 2022 against a South Korean YouTuber.



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Petro Gazz looking at best available players in the draft

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Petro Gazz coach Koji Tsuzurabara and head of operations Oliver Almadro during the PVL Draft Combine. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Petro Gazz is leaving no stone unturned with the opportunity to get solid acquisitions from the PVL Draft aspirants and free agents who attended the first-ever Draft Combine this week.

Head of volleyball operations Oliver Almadro said Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara took a long hard look at the 47 rookies as well as the 11 free agents to help the Angels in their ‘three-peat’ bid in the Reinforced Conference on July 16.

Although Petro Gazz is picking 10th in the first round, Tsuzurabara had perfect attendance in the two-day Draft Combine at GameVille Ball Park — even the morning session with the free agents.

LIST: Applicants for the first ever PVL Rookie Draft

Almadro said their head coach ranked the players during the combine, seeking to pick the best available in their 10th and 20th picks. 

“We’re lookin’bg at who’s the best available players in every position. We will talk about what position will be fit for our team for the next few conferences, for the next years. But Coach Koji’s happy and he’s really ranking every player, every position,” the Petro Gazz executive told reporters.

“These players are talented. Some players nga, hindi pa nakita in the UAAP. Some of them are in the NCAA, and some of them are in the provinces. It just shows that there are really, really lots of talent here in the Philippines. We just have to provide exposure for them to compete with Manila teams.”

Almadro, who coaches the University of the Philippines in the UAAP and Letran in the NCAA, said the pro teams can’t count out the NCAA players and other aspirants from provinces and even abroad. 

READ: Brooke Van Sickle puts PVL on notice with impressive Petro Gazz debut

“For the UAAP, NCAA, I guess it’s about time na magkaroon ng joint league para malaman talaga ‘yung (level of play). Sometimes, ‘yung NCAA, na-uunderrate eh. We know naman that the UAAP is at a much higher level but you cannot underestimate kasi the NCAA players, the provincial players kasi talagang the volleyball here in the country is really growing. The level’s going up,” he said.

Petro Gazz is coming off a bronze finish in the All-Filipino Conference with Brooke Van Sickle emerging as the MVP in her PVL debut.

The Angels are seeking to complete their third straight Reinforced Conference reign, two years after Lindsey Vander Weide led them to a golden repeat.



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“The coaches and the team are really excited going to this conference. We cannot count out other teams. Other teams have good imports also. They have talented players, they are intact,” Almadro said. “Malaking bagay na umabot kami ng Final Four last conference so it’s really a good challenge for us going into this conference. Sana ma-sustain namin ‘yung record or ‘yung laging nagagawa ng Petro Gazz.”

Maicah Larroza has added motivation heading into PVL Draft

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PVL Draft aspirant Maicah Larroza from La Salle during the Draft Combine. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Maicah Larroza has some extra motivation heading into the inaugural PVL Rookie Draft with her La Salle teammates Thea Gagate, Leila Cruz, and Julia Coronel among this year’s top prospects.

Gagate is set to be ZUS Coffee’s choice for the No.1 pick and Cruz and Coronel are expected to be picked, but Larroza is not taking it as a source of additional pressure, but rather as motivation.

“Of course, added motivation because they’re my teammates, I also want to play at their level,” said the versatile aspirant, who enjoyed with her batchmates in the two-day Draft Combine at GameVille Ball Park. 

LIST: Applicants for the first ever PVL Rookie Draft

“I really enjoyed this PVL Draft Combine, especially knowing that some of the players I used to compete against were there. I felt very comfortable and the process went smoothly for me.”

Larroza, a substitute wing spiker in her playing years for La Salle, is bringing all the things she learned from coach Ramil De Jesus, who fully supported their decision to enter the PVL draft.

“Coach Ramil always teaches us about discipline, determination, hard work, and perseverance. He encourages us to explore constantly and reminds us to enjoy the things we love,” she said.

READ: PVL: Petro Gazz looking at best available players in the draft

“I told my coach, ‘, I’m going to enter the draft,’ while I was still wearing my toga. We attended the thanksgiving event to say goodbye properly, and we parted ways on good terms.”

Now that she’s moving on to a new chapter of her career, Larroza offers her versatility as she can play on both ends as spiker and libero. 

“It depends on the team that picks me whether I play as an outside hitter or libero. I’ll embrace any role they give me,” Larroza said. “I can offer my teammates the assurance that they can rely on me every time I step onto the court, whether leading the offense or defense.”



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Kieffer Alas out of Gilas boys lineup for Fiba U17 World Cup

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Gilas Pilipinas Boys’ Kieffer Alas is named in the All-Star Five at the Fiba U16 Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas boys will compete in the 2024 Fiba Under-17 World Cup in Istanbul without its star guard Kieffer Alas.

In Fiba’s final roster released ahead of Saturday’s opening game day, Alas was not part of the lineup due to a knee injury he suffered in the Gilas boys’  last tune-up game against Canada.

“On initial examination by our team doctor, he had a functionally stable knee and the official result of his MRI determined Kieffer has a sprained ACL,” said head coach Josh Reyes. “His knee is swollen and he’ll be out for three weeks. We will be monitoring his situation closely.”

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba U17 World Cup

Alas, a member of the UAAP Season 86 boys’ basketball Mythical Five, will sit out the competition but fellow La Salle Zobel standout Irus Chua will still add a hue of Green and White to the roster.

“It’s a tough break for us but the rest of the team is motivated to play together. We’re praying for good results on Kieffer’s MRI but we have to move forward and quickly figure out how to play without him,” Reyes said.

READ: Kieffer Alas makes Fiba Asia U16 All-Star Five

“Kieffer was doing a great job in playmaking, rebounding, and playing defense and this is his value to the squad, more than his scoring.”

Dominic Arejola took Alas’ spot for the Gilas boys, who will play Lithuania on Saturday in their first assignment in the World Cup.

University of Santo Tomas talents Joaquin Ludovice and Kurt Velasquez were also included in the lineup.

Ludovice made noise not too long ago by cracking the NBTC 24 list, an annual ladder of the best high-school players in the country. He was listed as the 20th-best high school player.

They will be joined by 5-foot-11 athletic guard Elijah Williams, Blue Eagle star Mason Amos’ younger brother CJ and lanky 6-foot-4 wing Edryn Morales.

Also joining the pack are Davao Bulldog Bonn Daja, the tallest man in the lineup at 6-foot-6 in Paul Diao, UP Integrated School Talent Jaime Gomez de Liaño and California-bred Samuel Alegre.

Rounding out the lineup is Noah Banal, who, alongside Williams, Amos, Morales, Daja, Diao, de Liaño, and Alegre finished fourth in the U16 Asian Championship.



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Gilas is grouped in Pool A with Spain, Puerto Rico and Lithuania.

Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba U17 World Cup

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Schedule, roster for Fiba Under-17 World Basketball Cup.

Gilas Pilipinas boys team begins its campaign in the 2024 Fiba Under-17 Basketball World Cup, which will run from June 29 to July 7 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Philippines is bracketed with Lithuania, Spain and Puerto Rico in Group A.

China, USA, France, and Guinea round out Group B while Argentina, host Türkiye, New Zealand, Italy headline Group C. Egypt, Germany, Canada, Australia are slotted in Group D.

READ: Gilas boys get tough draw for 2024 Fiba U17 World Cup

The Gilas boys earned their spot in the World Cup after a semifinal stint in the Fiba U16 Asian Championship last year.

This is the Philippines’ third appearance in the U17 World Cup after Gilas’ first two campaigns in 2014 and 2018.

Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba U17 Basketball World Cup Group stage schedule

Gilas Pilipinas plays a round-robin format with teams in its group in the group phase from June 29 to July 2.

All four teams per group advance to the next round, where Groups A and B and Group C and D will face each other in a crossover format. The match-ups are based on their group phase ranking.

June 29, Saturday

  • 5:30pm – Lithuania vs Gilas Pilipinas

June 30, Sunday

  • 8:30pm – Gilas Pilipinas vs Spain

July 2, Tuesday

  • 8pm – Gilas Pilipinas vs Puerto Rico

July 3, Wednesday

July 5, Friday

July 6, Saturday

July 7, Sunday



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Philippines’ roster at Fiba U17 Basketball World Cup

  • 0 – Noah Banal
  • 1 – Joaquin Gabriel Ludovice
  • 2 – Elijah Mark Williams
  • 5 – Paul Cyron Diao
  • 6 – Irus Chua
  • 8 – Bonn Ervin Daja
  • 11 – Kurt Nathan Velasquez
  • 12 – Dominic Joaquin Arejola
  • 13 – Samuel Alegre
  • 25 – Cletz David Amos
  • 26 – Edryn Morales
  • 38 – Jaime Lorenzo Gomez de Liano

Kieffer Alas, who starred in the Gilas U16 run, was replaced due to injury.

Hawks send AJ Griffin to Rockets for 2nd round pick

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FILE– AJ Griffin #14 of the Atlanta Hawks poses for portraits during media day at PC&E Atlanta on October 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP 

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks moved back into the NBA draft on Thursday by trading forward AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the No. 44 pick before trading that pick to Miami to obtain rights to guard/forward Nikola Djurisic of Serbia.

Miami acquired the draft rights to Pelle Larsson, the No. 44 pick, from Houston and obtained cash considerations from Atlanta, the Hawks announced Thursday night.

The 6-foot-7 Djurisic averaged 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30 games with Mega (Serbia).

READ: Zaccharie Risacher chosen by Hawks with top pick in NBA Draft

The Hawks made French teen Zaccharie Risacher the No. 1 overall pick in the draft Wednesday night. It was Atlanta’s only pick in the draft before Thursday’s trade.

The trade of Griffin, a 2022 first-round pick, helps to clear playing time for Risacher, a wing.

Griffin was limited by injuries, including an ankle sprain, to 20 games this season. He averaged 8.9 points and 2.2 rebounds while playing in 72 games, including 12 starts, as a rookie in the 2022-23 season.



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Steph Curry, LeBron ‘excited’ to join forces for Paris Olympics

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FILE–LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors headline Team USA’s Paris Olympics team. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP 

NBA superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry are “excited” by the prospect of joining forces as the United States chases a fifth straight gold medal at next month’s Olympics, USA coach Steve Kerr said Thursday.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar James and Golden State Warriors ace Curry will finally line up in Team USA for the first time in Paris after facing off against each other in 52 games during a 15-year rivalry in the NBA.

USA and Golden State coach Kerr said Thursday the two basketball icons were relishing the prospect of teaming up.

READ: LeBron, Durant, Steph Curry lead Team USA for Paris Olympics

“LeBron and Steph are really excited to play together,” Kerr said. “I’ve talked to both of them about this idea of being together after going against one another with such high stakes over the years.

“They obviously fit really well together. I think the idea of Steph playing off the ball and LeBron pushing it in transition, that’s pretty intriguing.”

Curry has a 29-23 winning record against LeBron in the NBA, with a 17-11 record in playoff meetings.

Last season, the duo featured in one of the games of the year, combining for 82 points in a double-overtime thriller which saw the Lakers narrowly defeat Golden State 145-144.

READ: Team USA has to ‘come to play’ in Paris Olympics, says Carmelo

“It’s something I’ll be able to talk about with my grandkids, about being able to compete with one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” LeBron said of Curry after that instant classic.

Kerr said Curry and Lebron will aim to gel over the course of a training camp which begins in Las Vegas next week before a warm-up game against Canada on July 10.

The USA squad also has pre-Olympic games in Abu Dhabi and London before their opening group game of the Olympics against Serbia on July 28 in Lille.

“They’re really excited to compete together for the first time and to find over the course of the practices and the friendlies some of the nuances that they can really exploit and explore, to just to see where they can have an impact for each other,” Kerr said.

James and Curry are part of one of the most powerful USA teams ever to take part in the Olympics, with a roster that also includes the likes of Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid.

“Our roster is obviously laden with stars and players who have accomplished so much,” Kerr said. “And what I love about these guys is they want to accomplish more.



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“They want to win an Olympic gold medal, and that’s why they all signed up for this.”

Go For Gold Criterium Race Series 2 fires off in Cebu

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Caption: After the success of the Go For Gold Criterium Race Series 1 up North, more homegrown talents are expected to emerge in the Queen City of the South.

MANILA, Philippines–Cyclists from Visayas have a chance to showcase their strength at the Go For Gold Criterium Race Series 2, which is set to flag off Sunday at City Di Mare in Cebu City.

Months after the Series 1 race in Clark, Pampanga, promising cyclists from the Visayas take their turn in this maximum acceleration, one-day speed contest at Cebu’s newest criterium hub.

One of the goals of the Criterium Race Series, which is expected to draw 500 cyclists from different categories including the men’s and women’s elite and under-23 races, is to pave the way for discovery of more homegrown heroes in cycling.

READ: Hora rules Go For Gold Criterium Race Series 1 in Clark

“With Cebu being a hotbed of cycling and cycling talent, we expect that there will be a lot of spectators who will tune in to our event, ’’ said Go For Gold founder Jeremy Go.

“Aside from organizing safe and well-run races in order to elevate the sport of cycling in the Philippines, these races serve as talent identification.”

Marvin Mandac, a 17-year-old from Batangas, caught the eye of the Go For Gold Cycling Team during the Criterium Race Series 1 last Match after winning the juniors category.

Marco Lumanog from Pangasinan likewise attracted attention after figuring prominently in the men’s elite class.

READ: Go For Gold pulls off historic win in national cycling championships

“Not all cyclists will be given the opportunity, but this is one way to discover those talents. The best way to find them is to set up top-quality races where cyclists from far-flung areas can access and show off their skills,’’ said Go For Gold project director Ednalyn Hualda.

Entries from the junior (17-18 years old) and youth (15-16 years old) categories, the men’s 30-39 and 40-up divisions, as well as in the manager’s category will race in the out-and-back course at City Di Mare.

The men’s elite will race for 25 laps on the flat 1.1km course while the women’s elite is bound to complete 20 laps. The under-23 category should ride for 30 laps, the youth and junior divisions plus the men’s 30-39 and 40 up will race for 20 laps and the manager’s group will pedal for 15 laps.

Over P200,000 prize money is at stake, with the champion in both the premier men’s and women’s elite categories receiving P20,000 each.



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The final leg of this year’s criterium series is being penciled for either September or October in Mindanao.