Gilas girls earn Division A promotion after whipping Lebanon

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Gilas Pilipinas girls celebrate after beating Lebanon in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup final and earning a Division A promotion.–Photo from Fiba

On the eve of Gilas Pilipinas’ most important game, coach Julie Amos vowed that her charges intend to do better.

The young Nationals made good on that promise on Sunday afternoon, dismantling Lebanon, 95-64, to rule and complete its redemption story in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup.

Alyssa Rodriguez shot the lights out in the finalé at Futian Sports Park in Shenzen, China, hitting six triples on the way to finishing 22 team-best points.

READ: Gilas girls enter Fiba U18 Asia Cup Finals, move closer to promotion

Alicia Villanueva chipped in 15 points, Naomi Panganiban, 13 while Sophia Canindo and Ava Fajardo 10 each in the repeat win over the Lebanese—a side Gilas beat by a big margin during the group phase.

The triumph completes the Filipinos’ atonement arc after falling short of a Division A promotion in Bangalore, India, nearly two years ago.

Gilas can now compete in the main tournament where Asia’s traditional powerhouses compete. Australia and China are set to dispute the crown tonight at Longhua Cultural and Sports Center, which is 40 minutes away from where the Filipinos stamped their class.

READ: Gilas girls crush Maldives by 123 points in Fiba U18 Asia Cup Division B

The Nationals kicked things up a notch in the second quarter, outscoring the enemy 33-9 for a pace that pretty much held up until the final buzzer.

Gilas enjoyed leads as big as 41 points with each of Amos’ players—from Gabriella Ramos, Jolzyne Impreso, Aubrey Lapasaran, Ashlyn Abong, Tiffany Reyes, Margarette Duenas, to Venice Quinte—all making contributions to the effort.

Reem el Ghali had 31 points, while Maygen Naassan added 19 for the Lebanese who settled for 2nd place.

Meanwhile, Samoa defeated Iran, 64-59, to salvage a 3rd-place finish in the earlier contest.



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Jesse Rodriguez KOs Juan Estrada to win WBC super fly belt

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Jesse Rodriguez of the United States reacts after knocking out Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico in the seventh round of their WBC world and Ring Magazine super flyweight title bout at Footprint Center on June 29, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Kelsey Grant/Getty Images/AFP

Unbeaten American Jesse Rodriguez knocked out Mexico’s Juan Francisco Estrada at the end of the seventh round on Saturday to take the World Boxing Council super flyweight title.

The 24-year-old US southpaw Rodriguez, knocked down by Estrada for the first time in round six, answered late in the seventh with a devastating left to the body that crumpled Estrada and left him writhing on the canvas before referee Chris Flores counted him out.

“I got him with a good body shot,” Rodriguez said. “I saw the way he was rolling on the floor. I knew that was it.”

READ: Juan Estrada eyes title unification vs Jerwin Ancajas

Rodriguez improved to 20-0 with his 13th knockout victory while Estrada, 34, fell to 44-4 with the loss at Phoenix, Arizona.

“I’ve not felt a punch like that since my amateur days,” Estrada said through a translator of the knockout blow.

Rodriguez, a former flyweight and super flyweight champion, gave up his title at 112 pounds to move up to the 115-pound division and challenge Estrada.

“It was a tough fight,” Rodriguez said. “I got dropped for the first time. That was crazy. I just got caught with a punch and the next thing you know I was on the floor.

“I know it was bad, but I’ve always pictured myself in a fight like this and in the ring with a legend and to take his best, it makes it that much more better.”

Estrada entered on an eight-fight win streak, his most recent bout coming in December 2022 when he won the superfly crown with a majority decision over Nicaragua’s Roman Gonzalez.

The dethroned champion called for a rematch, which is in his contract.

READ: Juan Estrada edges ‘Chocolatito’ in their third title fight

“I know the mistake I made in there and I want the rematch. What I need to do in the next fight is box a little bit more,” Estrada said.

“He’s a great fighter. I didn’t underestimate him. I made some errors in this fight and I want to put them right in the second one.

“There’s no doubt we’ll win that rematch.”

Rodriguez caught Estrada with a hard right to the jaw in the first round and countered the champion’s body punches in the second to set the early pace.

Rodriguez stunned Estrada in the third round with a right hook to the jaw and in the fourth round knocked the champion to the canvas with a left uppercut followed by a straight left hand.

“He didn’t really know what to do when I was on the outside. I just stuck to the game plan and it worked out,” Rodriguez said.

‘Now I know’

A punishing left uppercut by Rodriguez staggered Estrada with a minute remaining in the fifth but the Mexican stayed on his feet to the end of the round despite a flurry of punches by the challenger.

Estrada answered with a hard right hand to the chest of Rodriguez in the early seconds of round six that planted the American on his rear as the crowd roared.

“I got a little careless. That’s why I got dropped,” Rodriguez said. “I always wondered what it felt like. Now I know. I don’t want it to happen again.”

Rodriguez would like to unify the 115-pound titles.



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“Definitely. It’s something I’ve seen other fighters do and just to see them with all the belts, it’s motivating,” he said.

“It’s on to bigger things from here… I am taking over this division.”

Dan Ige puts up valiant effort with just hours notice at UFC 303

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Dan Ige, left, punches Diego Lopes during a 165-pound catchweight mixed martial arts bout at UFC 303, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Las Vegas. Ige replaced Brian Ortega, who withdrew from the bout due to illness. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

LAS VEGAS — An illness forced Brian Ortega to withdraw Saturday hours before his scheduled fight with Diego Lopes in the co-main event at UFC 303, and Dan Ige was called in as a replacement and narrowly lost by decision.

All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor Lopes (25-6).

“I’ve said before whoever, wherever, I’ll fight anybody,” Lopes, a Brazilian, said through an interpreter.

READ: Alex Pereira keeps title with TKO win over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303

Ige (18-8) received a loud ovation from the crowd after his loss for his willingness to step in on short notice.

“I was like, ‘Man, this an opportunity to become a legend,’” Ige said. “This is a story I will tell my grandkids. I’d love to (have won), but man I couldn’t be happier.”

UFC President Dana White said before the bout that it likely would have been called off if Ige hadn’t been available.

“There would have been no other options,” White said.

The match is the warm-up bout to the main event between light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka.

White said Ortega was running a fever and wasn’t ready to go on. Ige, who is from Honolulu but trains in Las Vegas, already was in town preparing for another fight.

READ: Conor McGregor forced to withdraw from UFC 303 due to broken toe

“It’s all about opportunity,” White said. “He jumped at it. Who’s hotter than Lopes right now?”

White joked that Ige likely was sitting on his couch about to order the pay-per-view when he got the call.

Jeff Mullen, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, told ESPN that because Ige fought Feb. 10 in Las Vegas, that made the process smoother to get him approved.



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“We already had his medicals and all his requirements completed,” Mullen said. “It was a perfectly approved matchup. I checked with the attorneys to make sure everything was in order.”

The Ortega-Lopes fight itself was a replacement for a previously scheduled bout. Jamahal Hill had to ask out of his match against Carlos Ulberg because a knee injury in training.

Alex Pereira keeps title with TKO of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303

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Alex Pereira of Brazil stands over Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic during a light heavyweight championship bout during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ian Maule/Getty Images/AFP

LAS VEGAS — Alex Pereira delivered a vicious left kick to Jiri Prochazka’s head and then pounded the top-ranked challenger 13 seconds into the second round to retain his light heavyweight championship Saturday night in UFC 303.

Pereira (11-2) now has beaten Prochazka (30-5-1) twice since November to end any doubts about who reigns in that weight class.

Most of the drama at UFC 303 occurred outside the octagon in the weekend and even the hours leading up to the event.

READ: UFC 300: Alex Pereira retains title, knocks out Jamahal Hill

Officials had to act quickly after a late change was needed in the co-main event when an illness forced Brian Ortega to drop out. Dan Ige already was in Las Vegas training for another fight and wound up taking on Diego Lopes in the lightweight fight.

All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor Lopes (25-6) of Brazil. Ige (18-8), who is from Honolulu but lives in Las Vegas, was cheered loudly for showing up with little notice.

The UFC also scrambled to pair Pereira and Prochazka after scheduled headliner Conor McGregor’s broken toe forced him to withdraw. They were given about two weeks to prepare after Pereira had his Australia vacation disrupted and Prochazka was interrupted while at a three-day meditation retreat.

Even without McGregor, this fight could have been the richest in UFC history. A packed crowd of 18,881 that included New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, sitting next to former Green Bay Packers teammate Marcedes Lewis, watched. Lewis now plays tight end for the Chicago Bears.

Pereira and Prochazka engaged in a lengthy stare-down that carried through Bruce Buffer’s fighter introductions and referee Herb Dean’s instructions.

READ: UFC 295: Pereira is light heavyweight champ, Aspinall wins interim heavyweight title

Both fighters spent the opening round feeling each other out, but there was a strong hint of what was to come as it ended. Pereira knocked down Prochazka with a left hand, but it occurred after the bell.

Then Pereira finished the job to open the second round.

The bout was a rematch from Nov. 11 at New York’s Madison Square Garden when Pereira won the championship with a technical knockout at 4:08 of the second round to claim the vacated light heavyweight champion.



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Then Pereira cemented his hold on the belt by beating previous title holder Jamahal Hill with a first-round stoppage in UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas. On the same card, Prochazka recorded a second-round TKO of Aleksandar Rakic to put himself in position for the earlier-than-expected rematch.

Mayra Bueno Silva (10-4-1) suffered a gash so big in her bantamweight fight that the ring doctor called the fight at 1:58 of the second round in favor of Macy Chiasson (11-3). Blood poured down Silva’s face, who asked to continue.

Gilas Pilipinas fightback falls short vs Poland ahead of OQT

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee defends Poland’s Jeremy Sochan during a tune-up game. Photo from Wojciech Figurski / Polish Basketball Federation

Gilas Pilipinas’ comeback machine faded anew on Sunday morning (Manila time) in its third and final friendly geared toward the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The Nationals fell to world No. 15 Poland, 82-80, at Sosnowiec Arena, unable to pocket a win in Europe right before plunging into the all-important OQT in Riga, Latvia, that will send one team into the Paris Summer Olympic Games late next month.

Justin Brownlee was the tip of the Gilas spear once again, finishing with 30 points. Dwight Ramos chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds after turning in just four in the loss against EuroBasket-bound Turkey two nights ago.

READ: Moral wins don’t count for Gilas Pilipinas in OQT buildup

Looking dead in the water with about three minutes left in the final period, the Filipinos went on a cutthroat run behind Ramos to pull within five, 82-77.

Gilas had 1:43 left to make something. But a Chris Newsome freebie and a late CJ Perez basket were the only plays the Nationals could pull off in that stretch.

June Mar Fajardo added 10 points, while Kai Sotto 8 and 11 boards in the stand that had the Philippines going 1-2 (win-loss) in its preparatory games for the OQT.

The Philippines looked sharp and poised for a commendable outing right off the jump thanks to a balanced attack from Brownlee, Ramos, Fajardo, and Kai Sotto, even putting together a nine-point edge in the opening frame.

But second-period miscues that cost Gilas several good looks and sent the Jeremy Sochan-led Poles to the charity stripe one too many times proved to be the swing the hosts needed to create a gulf that the Nationals would fall short of closing.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas loses to Turkey in tune-up ahead of OQT

Michał Sokołowski and Aleksander Balcerowski led the way for the White and Red with 21 and 10 points, respectively. Sochan, who is plying his trade in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs, added eight points.

The Poles are also priming for the other OQT that will be held in Valencia, Spain. There, they will be battling against Finland and the Bahamas for a chance to take on the winners from the other bracket featuring Lebanon, Angola, and traditional powerhouse Spain.

Gilas’ lone win in its three-game series of friendlies came against the visiting Taiwan Mustangs last Sunday.

The 11-man Philippine squad will play Latvia and then Georgia in Group A of the Riga OQT that gets going at midnight of July 2 (Manila time).

Both Latvia and Georgia have wrapped up their test games as well. The World No. 6 OQT hosts wound up with a 1-1 card winning against Egypt and then losing to Finland. The Georgians, meanwhile, stumbled against Italy and Cameroon before finally prevailing against Egypt.

The Scores:

Poland: Sokołowski 21, Balcerowski 10, Pluta 8, Sochan 8, Ponitka 7, Zyskowski 6, Milicici 5, Dziewa 5, Michalak 5, Nizioł 5, Mazurczak 2, Żołnierewicz 0.

The Philippines: Brownlee 30, Ramos 16, Fajardo 10, Sotto 8, Newsome 6, Aguliar 4, Tamayo 4, Perez 2, Oftana 0, Quiambao 0.



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Quarterscores 16-23, 41-38, 58-56, 82-80.

Filipino artists make plans to restore Pancho Villa grave

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National artist for sculpture Frederic Caedo (left) and portrait artist Rudy Aquino begin work on Pancho Villa’s grave in Manila. Photos courtesy of Rudy Aquino.

Pancho Villa was the biggest sports celebrity of his time, but the illustrious memory of that greatness is slowly getting eroded by the neglected state of the legendary Filipino boxer’s grave.

Filipino artists Rudy Aquino and Frederic Caedo took notice of Villa’s almost-forgotten resting place at Manila North Cemetery and will embark on restoring the damaged bust of the boxing hero.

“I decided to visit Villa’s graveyard after seeing its miserable state in social media,’’ said Aquino, a former personal portrait artist for boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

A Philippine News Agency post tugged at Aquino’s heartstrings as it showed photos of the defaced final resting place of the first Filipino world boxing champion.

A wash basin, dirty kitchen utensils and an old helmet were just part of the pile of trash that collected around the gravesite, part of which is likewise occupied by informal settlers.

“I politely asked them (informal settlers) to remove their extension kitchen and other trash,’’ said Aquino, who was assisted by the occupants themselves in tidying up Villa’s burial ground.

Fame came to Villa, also known as Francisco Guilledo, after knocking out Jimmy Wilde of Wales in the seventh round of their flyweight bout in New York on June 18, 1923, as he became the first Filipino world boxing champ.

Death by tooth

“The Brown Bomber,” as Villa was popularly called in the United States, defended his title in Brooklyn in May 1924 and in Manila in May 1925.

Villa lost a bout in California on July 4, 1925 after he got tormented by an aching tooth. That turned out to be his last fight. The bum tooth led to infections causing his death 10 days later at the age of 23. He was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.

Villa’s name is still clearly etched below his bust with gloves on the left side and an angel figure behind it holding a belt declaring him as the world flyweight champion.

Requiring proper conservation and restoration, the bust has a broken jaw and a missing left ear and suffers from a bad paint job. Aquino will collaborate with Caedo, a national artist for sculpture, for the complete makeover.

“There are cleaning techniques to remove surface dirt, old paints, grime and stone corrosion to reveal the original surface,’’ said Aquino, who had done numerous portraits of Pacquiao, especially during the prime of the eight-division world champion.

“However, we can only do simple retouching,’’ he added.

Aquino intends to reach out to Villa’s family in the US and ask permission for the restoration. He also plans to seek authorization from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the National Historical Commission, the Manila City government and the North Cemetery management.



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“We need to upgrade the bust to metal pouring or a mix of metal and granite,’’ said Aquino.

A door opens for Marinduque gal

On: By: admin


Jamie Solina during the PVL Rookie Draft combine.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

The inaugural PVL Rookie Draft, as expected, attracted some of the best talents from the UAAP and NCAA.

But lurking alongside those familiar names from prestigious universities in the country’s capital are unheralded players looking to pursue their dreams of breaking through in the league.

One of those aspirants is Jamie Solina, a 23-year-old setter out of Marinduque State University, who took the first step to reaching her goal through the Rookie Draft Combine held recently to allow teams to see what the 47-strong pool has to offer.

But Solina, who has drastically less experience than the others from her class, knows how slim her chance can be.

“When I passed my requirements [for the Draft], I said to myself ‘no expectations,’” Solina said in Filipino. “Because we all know that the other applicants will be from the UAAP and NCAA so when I saw that I was among those accepted, it was an answered prayer.”

“I didn’t expect that the list of accepted applicants will be posted [online] and I was shocked at the other names with me on the list so I started doubting my decision to continue because the others are way stronger,” she added.

And Solina, who unsurprisingly looks up to Jia de Guzman, wasn’t wrong about that with the names in the hat filled with stalwarts from formidable collegiate programs to national team members.

Those applying to be playmakers include Arellano’s Donnalyn Paralejas, Adamson’s Nikka Yandoc and Angelica Alcantara, Filipino-Canadian Nathali Ramacula, who also plays as a libero from Red River College Polytechnic, and one of the strongest bets Julia Coronel from La Salle and Alas Pilipinas.

Solina actually spent a lot of her childhood in Manila, transferring to different cities before an unexpected problem forced her family to move to Marinduque.

But her love for the sport remained the same as she continued playing and returned to Manila to finish her senior high school before the pandemic prevented her from trying out for a UAAP or NCAA school and she had to go back to the province.

But Solina pushed through, bringing with her to Manila the support of her kababayans (provincemates), coaches and teammates and dedication to improve herself.

Solina DIY-ed a bulk of that self-improvement, training herself by doing drills she learned as a senior high school student and adding to that by asking for more advanced workout programs from former teammates still in Manila.



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“They told me to continue pursuing the Draft because this is an opportunity that I have been waiting for a long time … and no matter what happens they still have my back,” said Solina. “Me being a fan of professional volleyball players has helped [motivate] me to try and join the PVL Draft.”

Gilas girls set up final vs Lebanon, shot at Group A spot

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Gilas Pilipinas girls’ Ava Fajardo during a Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B game against Samoa. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas girls set up final vs Lebanon—and a shot at Group A spot Gilas Pilipinas moved to the doorstep of promotion in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup on Saturday following a 71-47 rout of Samoa.

And with the way the young Nationals performed, coach Julie Amos couldn’t ask for more.

“[That] was a game to remember—the team showed so much character until the end of the buzzer. Everyone was into it,” the national mentor messaged the Inquirer on the heels of the rout at Futian Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, that had the Philippines reaching the you-or-me finalé of the tournament.

Amos knows the zest and poise her charges showed in the semifinal are just what they need when they battle Lebanon 2 p.m. on Sunday for a passage to the continental showcase’s topflight division.

The Philippines showed it could smoothen the creases in its game quickly and find another gear for a strong finishing kick in that conquest of Samoa.

After a lethargic second period, the Gilas girls cranked things up in the final half, scoring nearly thrice as much as the enemy in the final period, 22-8.

Ava Fajardo, an integral cog of Gilas’ U16 campaign last year, was at the forefront of the Philippines attack with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

“[W]e had a great mentality and I think that’s what came out in the game, everyone went in, and we all made the most of our minutes, all of our work was out on the floor in that game,” she said.

Naomi Panganiban added 12 points, five rebounds and four steals while birthday girl Sophia Canindo and Alicia Villanueva chipped in 11 points each in a collective effort that had Amos singing praises.

Saturday’s win eased the heartaches off a botched bid in India two years ago, when the Philippines—which dismantled opponents left and right early in the tournament—faltered late against eventual champion Malaysia and missed out on a chance to join continental powerhouses China, Australia and Japan in Division A.

But Amos also knows that this year’s run is far from done.

“We hope to continue doing the work as a team,” the longtime member of the Gilas women coaching staff said. “[W]e’ll prepare even harder. The mission is not done yet.”

Men’s team update

There is reason to hope that the mission will be successful: The Filipinos dismantled Lebanon in the group stage, 89-63, behind Panganiban’s 25 points.

Over at the other side of the globe, the men’s team took on World No. 15 Poland hoping to apply the finishing touches on its preparations for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT). The Nationals, who refused to feel good after a narrow loss to higher-ranked Turkiye last Friday, played against a Polish side also plotting and priming for the OQT.

The White and Red, led by San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, are bunched in Group B of the other OQT that will be played in Valencia, Spain.

Meanwhile, the Latvians finally tasted defeat in their own series of test games, stumbling against Finland, 90-84, going 1-1 ahead of hosting Gilas on their home turf this July 2.



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Georgia, on the other hand, finally tabbed its first win in its string of friendlies after crushing Egypt, 78-46. The Crusaders, who wrapped their preps with a 1-3 win-loss record, are also slotted with Gilas in Group A of the Riga OQT.

Gilas Girls enter Fiba U18 Asia Cup Finals, closer to promotion

On: By: admin


Gilas Pilipinas girls’ Ava Fajardo during a Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B game against Samoa. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas bucked a wobbly second quarter and then played full of zest the rest of the way to dismantle Samoa, 71-47, in the Final Four of the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B on Saturday.

The Young Nationals regained their bearings in the third period and held the Samoans just eight points in the final period of the clash at Futian Sports Park in Shenzen, China to inch closer to a promotion to the tournament’s top-flight division.

Ava Fajardo, one of the noteworthy players from the Gilas Girls program pipeline from last year, delivered 19 points to lead all of the Filipinos in a victory that exorcised the demons of two years ago.

READ: Gilas girls crush Maldives by 123 points in Fiba U18 Asia Cup

The Philippines faltered against Malaysia in overtime in the same phase during the Bangalore, India edition of the showcase in 2022, eventually settling for a third-place finish and falling short of a Division A ticket after crushing left and right early into the tournament.

The Philippines enjoyed leads as big as 26 points and was in control of the contest save for the first 2:12 of the opening frame, where the Filipinos were trying to rediscover their groove after a two-day break.

Naomi Panganiban added 12 points, while Sophia Canindo and Alicia Villanueva chipped in 11 each for the Julie Amos squad that will now face the winner of the other semifinal duel featuring Lebanon and Iran.

READ: Gilas girls return to work, shoot for promotion in China

The Philippines picked apart Lebanon, 89-63, in their previous encounter in the group phase last Tuesday.

Iran, meanwhile, was the finest squad of Group A, sweeping its way into the semifinal phase.

The Lebanese and Iranians tangle as of this writing at the same venue.



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Mylaani Sione led the way for the Samoans with 18 points. Kira-May Filemu added 12 points, but was the only other player to finish for the squad, which will be relegated to the battle for 3rd place.

NBA’s Warriors blocking Wiggins from playing in Paris Olympics

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FILE – Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins works against the Orlando Magic during the second half of an NBA basketball game, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/John Raoux, FILE)

TORONTO — Canadian Olympic basketball team general manager Rowan Barrett said Friday that Golden State is blocking Andrew Wiggins from competing in Paris, while the Warriors countered it was a mutual decision between the team and Wiggins.

Wiggins was among the 20 players who received invitations to camp to determine the Olympic team.

“For us, Andrew was fine,” Barrett said. “We were talking to him consistently, he’s been training for weeks and weeks getting ready for this. And then I got a call from Golden State a day or two before camp saying that they’re holding him out.

READ; Warriors unsure if Andrew Wiggins, out for personal reasons, will return

“So, from what I see, this is not an Andrew decision, this is from the team. And so, he won’t be with us.”

The Warriors told The Associated Press on Friday night that it was a mutual decision between the team and Wiggins.

The 10-year NBA veteran last played for Canada in an Olympic qualifying tournament in 2021.

“I’m disappointed for him,” Barrett said. “He’s gone through a lot the last couple of years and then, obviously, his mother was an Olympian and this is something he’s looking forward to and working toward and really on the uphill climb it seemed like in everything.



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