Tag: feeling

Carlo Paalam ‘feeling better’ ahead of Paris Olympics

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FILE–The Philippines’ Carlo Paalam and Britain’s Galal Yafai fight during their men’s fly (48-52kg) boxing final bout during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on August 7, 2021. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / POOL / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines—Coming off an injury, Carlo Paalam is “feeling better” ahead of the Paris Olympics.

“Right now, it’s feeling better because I can really move it now,” said Paalam in Filipino, pertaining to his shoulder.

“Unlike before when it’s hard for me just even to change my clothes, now, by God’s grace, I’m adjusting with the help of my PTs (physical therapists) and coaches.”

READ: Paalam, Petecio relish being PH flag bearers for Paris Olympics

Paalam injured his shoulder last March which forced him to withdraw in the Round of 16 of the World Qualification Tournament.

The 25-year-old Paalam returned to action in June in the second World Boxing Olympic Qualification where he earned his ticket to the Paris Games following a unanimous decision win over India’s Sachin Sachin in the semifinal of the men’s 57kg division.

Although, Paalam is still not 100 percent, the injury doesn’t seem to be much of a concern for him as he goes for an Olympic gold three years after claiming silver at the Tokyo Olympics.

READ: Carlo Paalam hurries to be 100 percent battle-ready for Paris Olympics

“There’s some parts where it hurts sometimes but it’s very minimal,” he said.

“Sometimes I don’t feel it but I just enjoy it. This is a fight and I can manage it.”

Paalam is one of five Filipino boxers who will be competing at the Paris Games. Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial, who won silver and bronze medals in Tokyo, Hergie Bacyadan and Aira Villegas complete the Philippine boxing team in Paris.



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Bolts will now know feeling of playing as the hunted

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Meralco Bolts. Photo: PBA Images

Now that the long chase for a first-ever PBA championship has finally been fulfilled, the Meralco Bolts will come into the next season with a different role.

From hunters, the Bolts acknowledged that they’ll go into the league’s 49th season as the hunted.

“The next conference will test us as we will have a bull’s-eye on our chest,” coach Luigi Trillo said when asked by the Inquirer of the Bolts’ outlook going into the season-opening Governors’ Cup in August.

Meralco pulled off one of the most memorable title runs in recent history, defying previous heartbreaks to defeat San Miguel Beer and win the prestigious Philippine Cup title with Sunday’s 80-78 Game 6 win at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Under the combined stewardship of Trillo and active consultant Nenad Vucinic, the Bolts overcame the danger of missing a playoff berth to becoming just the third team outside of the Beermen, Barangay Ginebra and TNT Tropang Giga to win a title since the 2014-15 season.

During that span, San Miguel won 10 titles, Ginebra claimed seven and TNT bagged three. Two teams had one each in Rain or Shine (2016 Commissioner’s Cup) and Magnolia (2018 Governors’ Cup).

San Miguel, Ginebra and Magnolia, which in the same period has appeared in five Finals only to fall short four times, are seen as among those figuring prominently in the title picture next season, while TNT will be aiming to get itself in the discussion after an otherwise underwhelming 2023-24 campaign that saw two quarterfinal exits.

Meanwhile, the Bolts have started savoring their well-deserved break, though the offseason is also a time to address the need to pick well in the July Rookie Draft and getting a dependable import.

The 2024-25 season will open in August with the Governors’ Cup, which will see teams tap imports that are 6-foot-6 and below coupled with a format that divides the 12 teams into two groups.

Return of AD?

Trillo bared that Meralco is looking at bringing back Allen Durham, who won three Best Imports awards after powering the Bolts to Finals appearances in the 2016, 2018 and 2019 Governors’ Cup but has been playing the past few seasons in Japan’s B.League.

Initial talks have been “good,” said Trillo, but Durham, who last played for the Ryukyu Golden Kings, is also attracting offers from other B.League teams.

“I’ve spoken with coach Nenad and [Meralco team manager and brother Paolo Trillo] and [we] would love to have AD join us. We have to come to terms with his agent,” said Trillo.

If negotiations with Durham don’t pan out, the Bolts may look at potential reinforcements elsewhere like in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Regardless of who they eventually sign, the Bolts hope that he turns out to be the guy who could put them in a position to once again march back into center court and lift another trophy.



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“We have to really lock in and have a good two weeks of preseason training before we get on the court again,” Trillo said.

Joel Embiid says he’s feeling well, on track for Paris Olympics

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FILE–Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers said he is ready to play for Team USA in the Paris Olympics. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP

DALLAS — Joel Embiid was at the NBA Finals, and said his next stop is the Paris Olympics.

The Philadelphia 76ers center, who missed more than half of the regular season and then was hobbled in the playoffs because of a knee injury, said in a televised interview that his recovery is going well and he believes he’ll be ready to play for the U.S. at the Paris Games starting next month.

“I’m doing great. Just getting ready for the Olympics,” Embiid said in an appearance on ABC’s pregame show before Game 4 between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. “It’s going to be big for me because I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.”

READ: NBA: 76ers waste another season of Joel Embiid’s prime

Embiid’s health has been one of the questions surrounding the U.S. roster since it was revealed earlier this spring. He’s one of three centers on the roster, along with Miami’s Bam Adebayo and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis.

Other injury questions in recent weeks have revolved around the status of Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, both of whom were either hobbled or sidelined during the playoffs. The Pacers expect that Haliburton — who dealt with a hamstring problem — will be ready for the start of USA camp in Las Vegas on July 5; Leonard missed 12 of the Clippers’ final 14 games this season with right knee inflammation.

READ: Joel Embiid decides to play for USA—not France—in Paris Olympics

Embiid had options on which team to play for this summer. He could have played for France, and even his native Cameroon — which still has a chance to qualify for the 12-team field. But in October, he chose to play for the U.S., in part because his son is American.

“For the past few years, every decision I’ve made has been based on just family,” Embiid said last year when revealing his decision. “My family, my son, and having the chance to represent a country like the U.S., with my son being born here … I love my home country, but I really wanted to play in the Olympics.”



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