Tag: mma betting

Klay Thompson heading to Mavs; George joining 76ers

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Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors celebrates a three point shot during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on February 15, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  (Getty Images via AFP)

NEW YORK – Paul George is joining the Philadelphia 76ers and Klay Thompson is heading to the Dallas Mavericks, multiple US reports said Monday as NBA free-agency got into full swing.

Thompson is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in basketball history, forming a potent back-court partnership alongside Stephen Curry and featuring prominently in the Warriors’ NBA championship-winning seasons in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

Thompson, whose exit from the Golden State Warriors was confirmed on Sunday, has agreed terms on a three-year $50 million contract with Dallas, ESPN reported.

Nine-time All-Star George is joining the Sixers on a four-year deal worth $212 million while

The two deals bolster the Sixers’ and Mavs’ championship aspirations, with George set to form a big three alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and Thompson linking up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas.

George, 34, has averaged 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals a game over 867 career contests in 14 seasons for Indiana, Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers, who he left behind last weekend after five seasons.

NBA clubs have a signing moratorium on finalizing all contracts until Saturday, so it’s left to media reports to chart the moves that cannot yet become official.

George’s coming to terms was reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Athletic and ESPN through unnamed sources.

The 76ers have not advanced beyond the Eastern Conference semi-finals since 2001 but might have their best chance with George joining All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and Cameroonian star center Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player.

Multiple reports on Monday also had Maxey signing a five-year maximum contract extension worth $204 million. Maxey averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists for the Sixers last season.

George declined a $48.8 million deal for next season with the Clippers to test his value on the free agency market.

The 76ers also reportedly have struck a two-year deal worth just over $10 million with center Andre Drummond, a 12-year NBA veteran and five-seasons league rebounding leader.

Tobias Harris, a forward who played the past six seasons in Philadelphia, is reportedly off to the Detroit Pistons on a two-year deal worth $52 million.



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Center Isaiah Hartenstein, according to multiple reports, will leave New York for a three-year deal worth $87 million with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who also reportedly struck deals with reserves Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe.

New rower Paraon fast making inroads

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Kristine Paraon hopes she will have her turn rowing in the Olympics someday. —JUNE NAVARRO

Reaping accolades in international rowing is fast turning into a habit for newbie Kristine Paraon.

In less than three years when she began gripping a pair of oars, Paraon has already stacked one side of her room with an assortment of medals, including two from the world championships.

The 21-year-old discovery from Zamboanga City will add another hardware on her wall of fame back home from the just-concluded 2024 Southeast Asian Rowing Federation Championships in Hai Pong, Vietnam.

“There’s no dream that can be [made] real without hard work,’’ Paraon told the Inquirer after a surprising come-from-behind, gold-medal performance in the women’s single sculls of the biggest rowing event of the region.

Paraon fiercely chased down Vietnam’s Thi Thu Hang Tran in the 250 meters to rule the 2,000-m race in eight minutes and 53.71 seconds.

Paraon eventually finished five seconds ahead of Tran and 41 ticks away from bronze medalist Purwanti Dewi of Indonesia in a preview of next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

“My goal as an elite rower is to break my best time every time I go out there on the water. I also want to encourage more kids to try my sport,’’ said Paraon, whose achievements didn’t go unnoticed after receiving a plaque during the 2024 Women In Sports Awards of the Philippine Sports Commission.

She was a gold and silver medalist during the 2023 world indoor championships and claimed another silver in the Asian Rowing Junior and U23 Championships last year.

Paraon likewise bagged two bronzes in the 2023 Thailand Asia Cup and in another continental-level meet in Korea early this year.

“You should see the video where she chased the leader in the last 250 meters. We’re proud of her,’’ said Philippine Rowing Association president Patrick Gregorio, who attended the SEARF Congress during the meet.

Rowers Rynjie Peñaredondo, Van Maxilom, RJ Acosta and Athens Tolentino also reached the podium with a silver by clocking 6:53.41 in the U23 event while the quartet of Carmela Erquiaga, Julia Letrondo, Aba Abalos and Car Ultra timed 9:22.61 for second place in the U19 race.

Tokyo Olympian Cris Nievarez similarly got a silver in the men’s single sculls and Marco Reyes teamed up with Renoir Reyes in copping a bronze in the junior men’s doubles sculls.

Tammy Sha and Feiza Lenton placed second in the lightweight women’s double sculls while other medalists were Math Jugadora and Marco Reyes (bronze, U19 men’s pair) and Aba Abalos and Car Ultra (bronze, U23 women’s doubles sculls).

Team Philippines wrapped up its campaign in Vietnam with a third-place output in the women’s quadruple sculls courtesy of Tammy Sha, Feiza Lenton, Amelyn Pagulayan and Kristian Paraon and another bronze from Khayzie Caviltes and Ayonna Huerto in the U19 women’s pair.

One more world-caliber race has been scheduled for Paraon before the year ends, which she considers another step to her ultimate goal of rowing in the Olympics.

“It’s the dream of every athlete. But with patience, determination and training, it’s not impossible,’’ said Paraon, emboldened by the Paris Olympics qualification of Joanie Delgaco as the first female Filipino rower in the Games.



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“Ate Joanie is my inspiration,’’ added Paraon. INQ

Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas Pilipinas reaches optimal OQT form

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee during a game against Chinese Taipei in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Gilas Pilipinas’ schedule the past week has been nothing short of frantic, traveling across the Middle East, Europe, and then deep into the Baltics—taking narrow tuneup losses flush on the chin in between.

And yet, the Nationals went straight to practice right after they arrived in Latvia on Sunday (early Monday morning in Manila), putting aside exhaustion and a 10-hour road trip as it continued to prime and plot for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

“This is not supposed to be a fun trip. It’s supposed to be the hardest thing that we will ever do in our basketball lives,” national coach Tim Cone told the Inquirer. “It’s been hectic for us.”

“Hopefully, now that we’re here in Riga, things will normalize for us in the next couple of days and we can catch our breath and focus on the tournament,” he added.

The Filipinos will have at least about three full days to acclimatize in the Latvian capital. By then, the 11-man crew led by Justin Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo and Dwight Ramos will be going through the proverbial eye of the needle once more on July 4.

Gilas Pilipinas will battle host and World No. 6 Latvia and, after just 20 hours, will return to action against No. 23-ranked Georgia in the group phase of one of the four OQTs that will complete the field in the Summer Olympic Games in Paris set later this month.

Punishing schedule

The schedule may seem punishing on paper, but Cone and his charges can draw much from their last seven grueling days, where they traveled to Turkiye and Poland for its test games.

Using that experience, Gilas can also manufacture optimism for the tall tasks against the Latvians and Georgians who will be fielding NBA players in the short meet.

The Philippines, despite having only 11 players, went 1-2 in their test games, winning against club team Taiwan Mustangs (74-64) at home, and then fading late against World No. 24 Turkiye in Istanbul (84-73) and No. 15 Poland in Sosnowiec (82-80).

“I’ve been pleased with our progress in the games. We’re proving to ourselves that we can play with these guys,” Cone said of the Europeans.

“But we can’t be satisfied with ‘getting close,’” he added. “We need to get over the hump and that means more attention to detail.”

Long a student of the game, Cone knows that Gilas can still unlock another dimension of its game just before the OQT tips off.



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“The guys are pushing and I love it. But we still need more.” INQ

Spain rallies to thrash Georgia, reach Euro 2024 quarterfinal

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Spain’s midfielder #08 Fabian Ruiz celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Spain and Georgia at the Cologne Stadium in Cologne on June 30, 2024. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo all scored as Spain came from behind to beat surprise packages Georgia 4-1 at Euro 2024 on Sunday and set up a blockbuster quarterfinal against hosts Germany.

Robin Le Normand’s own goal gave Georgia a shock lead in the 18th minute of this last-16 tie to send their noisy supporters wild in Cologne.

It was the first goal Spain had conceded at the competition but they came back to equalise six minutes before the interval courtesy of Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

READ: Ronaldo still Portugal’s main man despite slow start to Euro 2024

Ruiz then headed home in the 51st minute and Williams ran through for the third before substitute Olmo made sure of the win as La Roja stayed on track to become European champions for the fourth time.

“There are things we need to improve and at some points in the game we were not forceful enough, but in general terms we were superior,” said Rodri.

Spain now takes on Germany in the last eight in Stuttgart on Friday in a repeat of the Euro 2008 final, which they won 1-0 to begin their golden era of dominance in international football.

“Germany might be playing at home but we are not afraid. We are here to win, not just to play well or give off a good image,” Rodri added.

Luis de la Fuente’s team is looking to bring back the glory days and they were expected to brush Georgia aside here.

READ: Spain advances to knockout round at Euro 2024, beating Italy

They would have ultimately won by a far greater margin had they converted more of their chances, with 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal squandering several opportunities in his attempt to become the youngest ever goal-scorer at the Euros.

Georgia is ranked 74th in the world, 66 places below Spain. Willy Sagnol’s team lost twice to Spain in qualifying, going down 7-1 at home and 3-1 away.

Yet they still qualified for a first major tournament and then made it to the knockout stages with a stunning 2-0 win over Portugal. They now go home with their heads held high despite eventually crumbling here.

“I am not saying we are disappointed but we are a bit sad because we lost,” Sagnol said.

“I am sure in some days we will realize exactly what we have done and the happiness will come back very quickly.”

They have a lively attacking partnership between Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze that is a danger for any opponent, and Giorgi Mamardashvili has been one of the best goalkeepers at the tournament.

Audacious

Mamardashvili had already saved from Pedri and kept out Dani Carvajal’s glancing header before Georgia went ahead.

The move started with a fine piece of play by Kvaratskhelia on the left, as he picked out a pass for Mikautadze, who then released Otar Kakabadze on the right wing.

Kakabadze’s cross into the box was a horrible one for Le Normand, who had Kvaratskhelia arriving behind him and could not stop the ball rebounding off him and into the net for the eighth own goal of Euro 2024.

Spain was now vulnerable to the counterattack, which is Georgia’s strength, but the men in red continued to dominate the game and kept testing Mamardashvili.

The Valencia shot-stopper made several more interventions in an increasingly wild encounter before the equalizer came, Rodri controlling a Williams pass at the edge of the box and stroking the ball into the corner.

It felt as if that might be that for Georgia, but they remained audacious on the break, with Kvaratskhelia almost scoring from inside his own half at the beginning of the second period, his shot going just wide with goalkeeper Unai Simon out of position.

Spain went ahead shortly after, as Yamal crossed from the right for Ruiz to head in his second goal of the tournament.

Yamal didn’t just miss chances of his own, as he also forced an own goal which was disallowed for offside before Georgia fell apart defensively under increasingly heavy rain.

Ruiz released Williams, who ran from inside his own half, skipped past Giorgi Gvelesiani into the box and fired into the roof of the net to make it 3-1 on 75 minutes.



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A delightful control and finish from the edge of the box by Olmo completed the scoring with seven minutes left.

Raptors, Quickley agree on 5-year, $175M contract

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Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on February 28, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP

The Toronto Raptors and point guard Immanuel Quickley intend to agree on a five-year NBA contract that could be worth up to $175 million, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Friday.

Final terms were still be worked out, though the basic parameters of the agreement are done, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the discussions were not to be revealed publicly.

ESPN first reported the agreement, which cannot be executed until the offseason moratorium is lifted by the league on July 6.

READ: NBA: Raptors, Scottie Barnes agree on $225M extension

It is the second massive deal that the Raptors have essentially struck in recent days, the other being the max extension to Scottie Barnes — one that will be worth at least $225 million and could reach $270 million over five seasons.

And the agreement with Quickley makes clear that he’s another significant part of Toronto’s rebuilding plan.

Quickley was traded to Toronto in late December as part of the move that also brought RJ Barrett to the Raptors and sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks. Quickley started all 38 of his appearances with the Raptors, averaging 18.6 points and 6.8 assists in those games.

Quickley scored 25 or more points 11 times last season; 10 of them came after he was traded to Toronto. He had six or more assists on 24 occasions; 22 of those came after the trade.

Later Friday, the Raptors announced they have exercised the $23 million team option on the contract of wing Bruce Brown for the coming season. Brown averaged 10.8 points this past season.



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Carlos Alcaraz begins Wimbledon title defense

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Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz attends a training session ahead of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Carlos Alcaraz begins the defense of his Wimbledon title on Monday as two-time champion Andy Murray decides whether or not to call a halt to his All England Club singles career.

Alcaraz, still only 21, is chasing his fourth Grand Slam title and hopes to become just the sixth man after Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

“I know that there’s going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I’m ready to do it,” said the third-seeded Spaniard.

READ: Rare talent Carlos Alcaraz on way to ’30 Grand Slams’

Alcaraz faces 21-year-old Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal who had never won a Grand Slam qualifying match let alone a main draw tie before last week.

Lajal, the son of a motocross rider, has just two wins on the ATP tour in his career but if his playing statistics don’t stand out, then his dreadlocked, blond hair style certainly turns heads.

“I’ve had them for a very long time. It has kind of become a big part of me and my image. A lot of people know me just from my dreads. I think it’s cool,” said the world number 269.

This time last year, Lajal was losing a first round match at a second-tier Challenger event in the US and earning a paltry $780.

For making the first round at Wimbledon he is guaranteed $75,000.

READ: Carlos Alcaraz plays down chasing ‘impossible’ Nadal, Djokovic records

World number one Jannik Sinner, a semifinalist in 2023, starts against Yannick Hanfmann, the German world number 110.

Hanfmann has been defeated in the first round in both of his main draw appearances at Wimbledon.

Sinner got the better of him in their only meeting at the US Open in 2023 where the German won just five games in their first-round clash.

The 22-year-old Sinner won a maiden Slam at the Australian Open and then deposed Djokovic as world number one, becoming the first Italian man to reach such heights.

Sinner arrives in London having captured his first grass-court title in Halle.

‘Feel that buzz’

Meanwhile, 2013 and 2016 champion Murray will reveal later Monday if he will play singles at his farewell Wimbledon.

The former world number one underwent surgery to remove a cyst on his spine last week and admitted he still hasn’t fully recovered feeling in his leg as a result.

“It’s kind of like if you sleep on your arm funny, you wake up and you’ve got a dead arm,” said the 37-year-old.

READ: Andy Murray faces agonizing decision over Wimbledon farewell

Murray, whose 2013 triumph ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon, is due to face Czech world number 38 Tomas Machac on Tuesday.

If he can’t make that date, he still hopes to play doubles with brother Jamie before bringing the curtain down on his Wimbledon career which began 19 years ago.

“I’m hoping maybe for a bit of closure. I just want the opportunity to play one more time out there hopefully on Centre Court and feel that buzz,” he said.

Elsewhere on opening day, women’s second seed and US Open champion Coco Gauff takes on American compatriot Caroline Dolehide.

Gauff famously made the last 16 in 2019 as a 15-year-old qualifier, defeating Venus Williams in the opening round.

However, in 2023, she was dumped out in the first round by Sofia Kenin.

‘Need luck’

World number three Aryna Sabalenka, a two-time semi-finalist, starts against American qualifier Emina Bektas, the world number 107.

Australian Open champion Sabalenka said she was not 100% fit after suffering a shoulder injury that she described as “a rare one.”

Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka tackles Diane Parry of France in her first appearance at Wimbledon since 2019.

Osaka, who only returned to the tour at the start of the year afer maternity leave, is ranked at 113 and required a wild card to play at Wimbledon.

At the recent French Open, she gave world number one Iga Swiatek a mighty scare, holding a match point in their second-round clash before the Pole prevailed.



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“People tell me I have the game for grass. I just need some luck,” said the Japanese star.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone sets 400m hurdles world record

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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone poses for a photo after winning the women’s 400-meter hurdles final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

EUGENE, Oregon — For the better part of two years, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone all but disappeared from the 400-meter hurdles course.

Turns out, she wasn’t hiding or looking for something else to do. Just getting better at what she does best.

The 24-year-old Olympic champion lowered the world record for the fifth time Sunday, closing out U.S. Olympic trials with 10 leaps over the barriers, then an all-out sprint toward the finish line in 50.65 seconds. She broke her last record by .03 seconds.

READ: Sydney McLaughlin dominates 400m, breaks world record

This one came on the last day of trials at Hayward Field. Her first record came back in 2021 — also on the last day of trials and also at Hayward Field.

In fact, this marked the fourth of her five world records she’s set on the track at the University of Oregon, which has hosted the lion’s share of American track’s greatest moments over the past quarter century.

To say she expected this, though, would not be the case.

“Just shock. Honestly shock,” said McLaughlin-Levrone, who covered her mouth in amazement when she crossed and saw the time. “I know when it first came up it said, ‘50.67.’ I was like, ‘There’s just no way.’”

Then, the clock adjusted down two ticks.

“I wasn’t expecting that time,” she said.

READ: Sydney McLaughlin breaks own 400m hurdles record

Counting the two preliminary rounds at trials this week, this was only McLaughlin-Levrone’s fourth 400-meter hurdles race of the season. Unlike other times when she’s taken the track, there wasn’t a huge amount of buzz about her mark of 50.68 — set at world championships in 2022, also here at Hayward — going down this time.

A closer look shows this was all simply part of the plan.

She spent her time working on the shorter hurdles, along with 200- and 400-meter sprints, both of which she had hinted might be in her future as her main event. Really, what all those races were doing were making her better at her main job. All of them are good for speed. The short hurdles helped her master the difficult art of jumping off either foot.

“She ran in Atlanta, and she was having problems attacking the hurdles and getting her steps together” because of all her newfound speed, hurdling great Edwin Moses said of McLaughlin-Levrone’s first 400-hurdles race of 2024. “I told her I’d had similar problems and that her brain just had to catch up with her physicality.”

It did, and in an event that used to be decided by steps or slivers, McLaughlin-Levrone’s victory came by 1.99 seconds over Anna Cockrell and 2.12 over Jasmine Jones.

“She’s really fast and she’s really strong, it’s hard to put it any other way,” Cockrell said.

The latest record doesn’t so much reset the storyline for the Olympics — McLaughlin-Levrone would’ve been the big-time favorite either way — as it forces track to once again rethink what’s possible.

Now, instead of a much-anticipated showdown with Femke Bol of the Netherlands, the conversation will turn to when the 50-second mark might come tumbling down in this race. Maybe as soon as Aug. 8, which is the date of the Olympic final in Paris.

“It could happen,” Moses said. “She might need a couple more races, but that’s about it.”

It’s been a remarkable journey that has happened remarkably fast.

From 2003-19, the world record in this event stayed stuck at 52.34. American Dalilah Muhammad broke it twice in 2019 — the second time at world championships in a race that demoralized McLaughlin-Levrone and sparked her move over to coach Bobby Kersee.

Kersee changed everything for her. One of the biggest adjustments was dropping her to 14 strides between the early hurdles. It was a game-changer that has put her in a class by herself but also forced her to rework her takeoffs, which is where the work on the short hurdles has helped.

“I’ve said it before, (she) just ran a world record and it’s like we’re not even shocked at this point,” said Muhammad, the 2016 Olympic champion who finished sixth Sunday. “She’s just an amazing talent, a generational talent for sure. I didn’t know I’m the only one to beat her, so kudos to me.”

In addition to leaving trials with the world record in hurdles, she’s also the world leader this year in the flat 400.

McLaughlin-Levrone ran 48.75 in New York at the start of June — just more speed work, but also a daunting sign for any country that hopes to challenge the U.S. in the 4×400 relay come Paris.

McLaughlin-Levrone started running all those 400s and 200s shortly after the close of world championships in 2022 in Eugene, the time she lowered the world record to 50.68.

At the time, she hinted that all those races might be the future for her. Not until a few weeks ago did she say she was going back to her first love.



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Then, on a calm night in Oregon, she pulled down the curtain on the 2024 Olympic trials, and threw a little jolt into track at the same time: All those other races weren’t just for kicks.

“The 400 hurdles is a mixture of all of it,” she said. “It’s the short hurdles combined with the 4, combined with the 2. You need that endurance, that speed and that technicality. So those were definitely just building blocks along the way to get us through.”

PVL team that drafts Roma Mae gets a determined, title-hungry libero

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Roma Mae Doromal–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

As former Ateneo skipper and libero Roma Mae Doromal makes the jump to the pros by joining the PVL Draft, she’s making it clear that she just wants to achieve something in the pro league that has eluded her in the UAAP.

“I never experienced [winning] a championship,” Doromal said in Filipino as she and 46 others in the aspirants pool await their respective fates in the July 8 Draft. “I am really hopeful that in the PVL [when I am drafted] I can do something about it.”

In her three years with the Blue Eagles, Doromal only reached the Final Four once and capped off her UAAP stint just short of the semifinals of Season 86.

Under coach Sergio Veloso, the 5-foot-4 skipper helped Ateneo finish fifth with a 5-9 record, but what she learned from the Brazilian mentor will be her main weapon if she gets picked in the historic, first-ever Draft.

“I feel like other than the skills I’ve accumulated, my leadership inside the court [is my biggest takeaway from Ateneo],” Doromal said. “This time, I want to, even as a rookie, lead the team that I will go to.

Showing loyalty

“Coach Sergio has helped me to really become a leader, so for sure, I will be able to bring that as well as the skills in terms of technicalities.”

The 23-year-old defensive stalwart showed her loyalty to her alma mater after staying for one last run with the Blue Eagles even after already finishing her communications degree last year, where Ateneo ended up sixth with a 4-10 record to miss the Final Four for the first time in 15 years.

Now, despite being among the young bloods trying her luck in the pros, Doromal wants to apply everything she’s learned as a UAAP star and help the team that will take a chance on her on Monday where former La Salle star Thea Gagate will be made the first-ever No. 1 pick by rebuilding Zus Coffee under Jerry Yee.

And her sister, Galeries Tower mainstay Roma Joy, will be guiding her as she embarks on this journey.

“She told me to just enjoy the journey,” the younger Doromal said. “It’s actually scary feeling, a lot of emotions, but at the same time even if I am scared, I will continue fighting and let things happen as long as I give my best.” INQ



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Gilas girls enter topflight Fiba company after China romp

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The Gilas girls, with program director Pat Aquino (second from right), erupt in celebration as the final buzzer sounds. —FIBA ASIA PHOTO

The Gilas Pilipinas crew crushed one foe after another on its way to the Fiba U18 Asia Cup for Women’s finale, but on the eve of its most important game, national coach Julie Amos assured everyone that this band of hard-fighting girls still has another gear in it.

And they did just that on Sunday, ripping Lebanon to shreds, 95-64, at Futian Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, to complete a riveting quest that not only secured a Division A promotion but also completed the program’s redemption story.

Alyssa Rodriguez starred for the young Nationals with 22 points built on six triples. Alicia Villanueva, Naomi Panganiban, Sophia Canindo and Ava Fajardo also came through with twin-digit scores as the young Filipinos repeated over the Lebanese after dismantling them in the group phase.

“Now the seniors, U-18, and U-16 programs are all in Division A. We know there’s a lot more to work on. We celebrate now [but] prepare for the future,” Amos told the Inquirer shortly after the triumph.

“We are so happy for the girls and the program. With the support of the [Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas], especially executive director Erika Dy and president Al Panlilio, we wouldn’t have made this happen,” assistant coach and women’s program director Pat Aquino said in a separate message.

Breaking away

The Nationals got to work in the second period, scoring 33 while limiting the enemy to just nine points. That cutthroat trend carried over to the second half, as the Gilas girls played commendable team basketball with Gabriella Ramos, Jolzyne Impreso, Aubrey Lapasaran, Ashlyn Abong, Tiffany Reyes, Margarette Duenas and Venice Quinte all contributing.

The triumph atoned for the Filipinos’ botched attempt two years ago in Bangalore, India, where the National Five ran into Malaysia in the semifinals, eventually falling short of tabbing a promotion.

The Gilas girls can now compete in the main tournament where Asia’s traditional powerhouses are at. Australia and China are battling for the Division A crown at Longhua Cultural and Sports Center as of press time.

“We’ve had an amazing run from the Seaba to the Asia Cup. We hope that we continue to give honor to our country and kababayans,” Aquino said. INQ



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Teofimo Lopez dominates Steve Claggett to retain WBO title

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Teofimo Lopez tags Steve Claggett with a hard right during their WBO junior welterweight world title fight in Miami, Florida. Mikey Williams/Top Rank

American Teofimo Lopez retained his World Boxing Organization junior welterweight title on Saturday with a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Steve Claggett.

Judges gave Lopez a 12-round triumph by lopsided scores of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.

Lopez improved to 21-1 and took his fifth consecutive victory since losing a 2021 showdown for multiple world lightweight titles to Australian George Kambosos.

READ: Teofimo Lopez announces retirement after winning light welterweight title

Claggett fell to 38-8 with two drawn after dropping his first world title bout to snap a nine-fight win streak.

Lopez defended for a second time the crown he won by defeating Scotland’s Josh Taylor last June by unanimous decision in New York. He also beat countryman Jamaine Ortiz in February by unanimous decision in Las Vegas.

Lopez, 26, says he is looking to an eventual move from 140 pounds to the 147-pound welterweight division.

Claggett, 35, stayed in front of Lopez and traded punches with the larger champion through the early rounds, pressing the attack and smothering Lopez to set the pace.

READ: Teofimo Lopez handles Josh Taylor to win light welterweight title

Lopez answered with body blows and uppercuts, matching the Canadian’s output and creating space for harder punches by rounds three and four, which Lopez dominated thanks to rocking uppercuts and quick flurries.

Lopez kept Claggett more at bay by the fifth round but the challenger stayed toe-to-toe and exchanged punches round after round.

Two powerful Lopez right uppercuts stunned Claggett in the eighth round and Lopez bloodied the Canadian’s nose in the 11th round, staying in command to the finish.



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