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China signals it would cooperate with Trump gov’t

BEIJING — Confronted by the challenge of a Donald Trump-led White House, China is signaling it’s ready to work with the new administration and has already taken a handful of policy steps that may help fend off criticism over access to its markets.

The official Xinhua News Agency congratulated Mr. Trump on his inauguration and said it hoped for “win-win” cooperation between the two nations. An editorial run by state-backed newspaper China Daily took a similar tone, saying the world’s two largest economies should work together toward “an updated, more desirable version of globalization.”

That follows tangible measures last week, such as a plan to relax restrictions on foreign investment in long-closed areas of the economy including banking, securities, futures, mutual funds and insurance. A senior official last week said China is prepared to enhance cooperation with other countries to protect intellectual property rights, a bug-bear of US and European firms who have complained their technologies are copied and brands faked.

Ning Jizhe, China’s statistics chief and deputy head of the top economic planning body, used his Friday briefing on 2016 economic data to congratulate Mr. Trump and say he hoped the new president keeps moving Sino-American cooperation forward. The Ministry of Commerce last week said it’s willing to work with the new US administration to help promote healthy trade development and economic ties, echoing President Xi Jinping’s speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos that warned against trade wars and protectionism.

Mr. Xi’s aim wasn’t to publicly debate Mr. Trump but to talk about how to solve common global problems, Zhang Jun, an economic affairs official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Monday at a briefing in Beijing. China and the rest of the world are concerned Mr. Trump will pursue protectionism, as are many of the Americans protesting his policies, Mr. Zhang said.

But it’s not all olive branch. Xinhua’s article congratulating Mr. Trump also laid out the areas China regards as off limits: “China’s resolve to safeguard its defining core interests in Taiwan and the South China Sea islands has always been strong,” it said.

Mr. Xi has a strong domestic imperative not to appear weak before a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress late this year, when several top leaders are due to be replaced. Policy makers also have pledged more focus on ensuring financial stability.

Mr. Trump opened his presidency with an “America first” appeal, saying the US will “bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth.”

“For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military,” he said.

He didn’t mention China by name in his inaugural address, in contrast to his campaign rhetoric in which he accused it of raping America and cheating on trade.

Mr. Trump has already walked back from some criticisms and so far hasn’t followed up on his pledge to label China a currency manipulator on his first day in office. His pick for Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, agreed during a Senate confirmation hearing that China has shifted recently from efforts to weaken the yuan. He did say, however, he is willing to apply the manipulator label if warranted.

China doesn’t want a trade war with the US, said Chen Wenling, chief economist at the Beijing-based China Center for International Economic Exchanges, a think tank led by retired senior officials. But China isn’t afraid of a trade war and will not give in or compromise should the US wage one, she added.

“A trade war is a lose-lose for both sides, but the US will be harder hit,” she said.

China will take a positive approach to its relationship with the US, said Paul Haenle, a China adviser to President George W. Bush who’s now director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing. “The question is, can they do that quickly enough and effectively enough to avoid the negative dynamics of a looming trade war?” — Bloomberg

Japan’s PM says will keep seeking Trump’s understanding on TPP

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he believed US President Donald Trump understood the value of free trade and that he would keep pitching a multinational trade pact that Mr. Trump’s administration has vowed to exit.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) and Finance Minister Taro Aso (L) attend the House of Representatives plenary session at the Diet in Tokyo on January 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI

“I believe President Trump understands the importance of free and fair trade, so I’d like to pursue his understanding on the strategic and economic importance of the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) trade pact,” Mr. Abe told a session of parliament’s lower house.

Mr. Abe also said he wanted to strengthen the US-Japan security alliance, based on mutual trust with Mr. Trump.

“When we met last time, I believed him to be trustworthy, this belief has not changed today,” Mr. Abe added, referring to his November meeting with then president-elect Mr. Trump.

Mr. Abe also said Tokyo wanted to explain how its companies have contributed to the US economy, a stance the Japanese government has adopted to try to fend off threats of a “border tax” on imports into the United States.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said separately that Tokyo would closely monitor any impact of the new US administration’s policies on its companies and that he wanted to deepen economic ties between the two countries.

Mr. Trump took office as the 45th President of the US on Friday and pledged to end what he called an “American carnage” of rusted factories and crime in an inaugural address that was a populist and nationalist rallying cry.

The new Trump administration said on Friday its trade strategy to protect American jobs would start with withdrawal from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact.

The trade deal, which the United States signed but has not ratified, was a pillar of former President Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia, and Mr. Abe has touted it as an engine of economic reform, as well as a counter-weight to a rising China. — Reuters

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) and Finance Minister Taro Aso (L) attend the House of Representatives plenary session at the Diet in Tokyo on Jan. 23. — AFP

Cavs woes

The Cavaliers had all the reason in the world to think they would be prevailing the other day. It wasn’t merely that they sported the second-best home record in the National Basketball Association. More importantly, it was because they faced competition significantly weakened by the absence of two starters. Sure, the Spurs were the Spurs, dangerous regardless of circumstance. On the other hand, they were the defending champions; they had the rings, and they relished proving why against the established elite.

To the delight of the 20,562 at the Q, things began according to plan. The Cavaliers blitzed the Spurs from the get-go, exhibiting exemplary effort to build a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter. For the season, they had hitherto done the same in 14 other occasions; in all those times, they emerged with the victory. Then again, none of the 14 triumphs came against opposition coached by Gregg Popovich and spearheaded by Kawhi Leonard. And none had them showing their Hyde side so quickly after seemingly stamping their class; it took them just three minutes and change to give up their entire 11-point advantage.

From then on, the Cavaliers did battle against both the Spurs and themselves. Inconsistency plagued them until late into the fourth period, when a combination of solid defense, a spectacular turn by top dog LeBron James, and sheer good fortune allowed them to force overtime from six markers down with a little over two minutes left on the clock. As the final score indicated, however, all they managed to do was delay the inevitable. All told, their offense was so-so; they hit 54.5% of their 22 charities, and they posted 25 dimes (on 45 field goals) vis-à-vis 18 turnovers. Most tellingly, their defense was porous, with Leonard managing to put up a career-high 41, including 18 in the last 17 minutes of play.

Clearly, the Cavaliers have much to do before they can be deemed fit to defend the Larry O’Brien Trophy. True, they had the same win-loss slate at the same point last year. And, true, half the 2016-2017 campaign is still to be negotiated. That said, they realize the need to live up to expectations borne of past accomplishment. They’re not supposed to bow to the Warriors by 35. They’re not supposed to have problems against the depleted Spurs. And, above all else, they’re not supposed to botch plays they’ve long memorized, and coming out of a timeout to boot.

For all the Cavaliers’ woes, they remain the beasts in the East and the safest bets to claim a spot in the Finals, if for no other reason than because they have James on their roster. Of course, simply showing up for the title series isn’t the goal. Winning it is, and if there’s anything the last week underscored, it’s that they have a long, long way to go before they can even be mentioned in the same sentence as the best of the West.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.

PSEi surges above 7,300 ahead of GDP report

THE MAIN INDEX bounced back to the 7,300 level on Monday as investors looked forward to the Philippines’ economic growth report amid uncertainties due to the leadership change in the United States.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rallied, gaining 141.69 points or 1.95% to 7,374.35 on Monday, while the broader all shares index surged 60.51 points or 1.38% to 4,426.14.

“After a relatively peaceful inauguration last week, investors resumed to bargain hunting on the assumption the Philippines would be one least vulnerable economies relative to all the global geopolitical uncertainties,” Luis A. Limlingan, managing director of Regina Capital Development Corp., said via text.

Investors are particularly optimistic about the Philippine economy’s expansion ahead of the release of the gross domestic product (GDP) data for the fourth quarter and the whole of last year, Joylin F. Telagen, analyst at I.B. Gimenez Securities, Inc., noted separately.

Most sectoral counters registered more than 1% in gains during the session. Holdings firms led other sectors after rising by 166.51 points or 2.26% to reach 7,526.72.

The services subindex, meanwhile, surged by 22.19 points or 1.57% to 1,427.60; financials by 25.84 points or 1.49% to 1,751.33; property by 49.79 points or 1.49% to 3,383.36; and industrials by 160.79 points or 1.46% to 11,174.45.

The mining and oil sector, on the other hand, bucked the uptrend after retreating by 33.24 points or 0.27% to 12,215.03.

The overall performance of the local market reflected US stocks which advanced following Mr. Trump’s inauguration as the 45th US president, Ms. Telagen said.

“China also avoided additional headwinds by reporting fourth-quarter GDP at 6.8% through robust monetary and fiscal stimulus,” Mr. Limlingan noted.

Going forward, the market will remain watchful of Mr. Trump’s policy announcements and key economic data from the world’s largest economy, Ms. Telagen said.

In Monday’s trading, for instance, some investors decided to wait on the sidelines longer. Value turnover dropped to P5.61 billion from P5.69 billion after 1.22 billion issues changed hands.

Foreign investors also sold more shares than what they bought, registering net sales of P142.77 million, a reversal of the P120.95 million in net inflows booked last Friday. Advancers led decliners, 108 to 79, while 45 stocks were unchanged.

“Locally, however, the Philippine GDP will be something to look forward to at the end of the week,” Ms. Telagen added, noting the PSEi may break 7,400 and retest 7,500 on expectations of favorable numbers.

“Investors are positioning ahead of larger economic data coming out during the week,” Mr. Limlingan noted, citing the release of the GDP and durable goods reports from the US in addition to the Philippines’ national accounts. — Keith Richard D. Mariano

Lakers suffer historic rout in Mavericks blowout

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers crashed to the heaviest defeat in the iconic NBA franchise’s history on Sunday, slumping to a humiliating 122-73 loss on the road against the Dallas Mavericks.

DALLAS, TX – JANUARY 22: Luke Walton of the Los Angeles Lakers during play against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 22, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP
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The Lakers, who are in the midst of a rebuilding phase this season after two disastrous seasons, hit rock bottom in Dallas after a nightmarish first half that saw them trailing by 34 points at the break.

Lakers coach Luke Walton offered no excuses after a loss he described as “embarrassing.”

“We didn’t show up to play, honestly, which is frustrating,” Walton told a press conference.

“And honestly it’s embarrassing — for us as a team, for us as an organization, for our Lakers fans that are so good to us.”

Walton, however, declined to be drawn on how he planned to respond to the rout.

“We have teaching points, but what I say to them behind those doors, that is between us,” Walton said. “I think they understand and would agree and would feel inside the same way that I feel.”

At one stage Dallas’s lead jumped up to 53 points as the Lakers collapsed.

“They were just picking us apart,” Lakers guard Nick Young said. “We didn’t fight back.”

Lakers youngster Julius Randle was even more blunt: “They kicked our butts today.”

The Mavericks, who are 15-29, snapped a two-game losing streak with the win as the Lakers fell to 16-32.

The Lakers problems were laid bare in ugly statistics — making just 13 of 37 from the floor in the first half, with nine turnovers.

“You’ve got to point to our defense. In that second quarter, I thought we did a great job defensively, setting the tone and setting the tempo,” said Mavs guard Deron Williams, who finished with 13 points.

“It created a lot of offense off the turnovers, and then just getting out and running. They only had 11 points in that quarter, so our defense got us going.”

The Lakers are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history with 16 championships but their fortunes have dipped in recent years.

The last of their NBA Finals triumphs came in 2010 while last season they finished with a 17-65 record — the worst in franchise history. — AFP

Luke Walton of the Los Angeles Lakers — AFP

Hudson Swafford claims first PGA Tour victory in 93rd start

LOS ANGELES — Hudson Swafford finally joined the winner’s circle Sunday, firing a five-under-par 67 for a one-stroke victory at the PGA Tour’s CareerBuilder Challenge.

The 29-year-old American birdied three of his last four holes to claim his maiden USPGA Tour win in his 93rd Tour start.”

He compiled a 20-under 268 total to finish one stroke ahead of Canada’s Adam Hadwin, who closed with a 70, one day after storming to a 13-under 59 in the third round at the La Quinta Country Club near Palm Springs, California.

Bud Cauley and Brian Harman both shot 69s and finished in a tie for third at 18-under 270.

Swafford is in his fourth year on the Tour and had never finished higher than a tie for eighth. In five previous starts this season his best finish was a tie for 13th at last week’s Sony Open.

Beginning the day two shots off the lead, Swafford got off to a rocky start with a bogey at the par-four No. 1 before stringing together five straight pars.

Swafford then caught fire with a burst of three straight birdies to close out his front nine.

On the par-four seventh, he hit his approach to five feet from the hole then easily made the short birdie putt.

After making birdie on the par-five eighth, he drained a 14-foot putt for birdie on the par-four ninth.

The win comes with some nice perks, as Swafford is now qualified for the Masters, the Players Championship, the Dean and Deluca Invitational, the Memorial, the PGA Championship and the 2018 SBS Tournament of Champions. — AFP

Wesley So is Player of the Year

The world’s leading chess Web site ChessBase has declared GM Wesley So as the Player of the Year 2016.” There were a total of 10 nominees — aside from Wesley the other strong candidates are:

Magnus Carlsen. He is the world champion so of course he is always in the running for Player of the Year,

Sergey Karjakin (Russia). Won the Candidates tournament in March to earn the right to challenge for the world title last November. He came close to upsetting Magnus Carlsen.

Fabiano Caruana (USA). Second highest-rated player in the world behind Magnus. Won the US Championship ahead of Wesley and Nakamura, played successfully for the USA in the Baku Olympiad and won the strong Isle of Man Open together with Pavel Eljanov.

Vladimir Kramnik (Russia). Former world champion and currently 3rd highest rated player in the world. Won the gold medal for best individual performance on board 2 in the Baku Chess Olympiad.

Wesley So had a 2900+ performance in the Baku Chess Olympiad and won gold medal as the top performer on board 3. He passed the ELO 2800 mark during the year and won the two strongest tournaments in 2016, the Sinquefield Cup and the London Chess Classic. These two victories plus a 3rd and 2nd place in the Grand Tour events in Paris and Leuven catapulted him to the top place in the 2016 Grand Chess Tour ahead of chess legends Anand, Kramnik, Topalov and other elite players like Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Hikaru Nakamura, Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, etc. Apparently the way Wesley dominated the chess scene in the 2nd half of the year got him the nod as Top Player of the Year.

There were some grumblings about Wesley So’s style. The Chess24 Web site put together some not-so-fawning remarks:

Levon Aronian said that he preferred “more aggressive players” and “more blood on the board.”

Caruana: He doesn’t make any mistakes at all, and even the mistakes he makes aren’t so significant… I don’t see anything terrifying in his play as well. What he’s doing, avoiding mistakes, is not something that’s impossible to overcome.

Giri: I wonder where he stole that idea [of playing solidly and picking up points] from. He’s playing very risk-free and very, very good. I only wonder how he will create chances if the opponents also play the same way as him, but this way it worked very well.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Wesley is playing risk-free chess. His style is more of precision chess, playing what is asked for by the position. And if that is what it takes to succeed and crash the world elite, then I’m all for it. One thing though, Wesley has always impressed me for his continuous improvement — he advances rapidly for a while, plateaus for a bit, and then when you think he has become stagnant there comes another quantum leap to the next level. I do not think that we have seen the best of Wesley So yet — it is still to come!

Game of the Year: Carlsen vs Tomashevsky, Tata Steel Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016

The current world champion Magnus Carlsen is notorious for his slow starts, and it was the same story in the Tata Steel 2016 tournament. Four straight draws followed by a fighting win over Loek Van Wely in a game marked by changing fortunes. His creative juices having been stirred up Magnus then won four of his next six games and settled the issue on whether or not he will tie the record of Viswanathan Anand for total number of tournament wins in Wijk aan Zee (five).

* * *
Carlsen, Magnus (2844) — Tomashevsky, Evgeny (2728) [D02]
Tata Steel-A 78th Wijk aan Zee (6), 22.01.2016

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4!?

In recent years the London System with 1.d4, 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4 has become very popular, not the least of which is because of its adoption by Kramnik and Grischuk. There is a minimal clash of forces in the opening stages and, at the same time, a minimum exchange of pieces the effect of which is to postpone the battle to later in the game.

3…b6 4.e3 Bb7 5.h3 Be7 6.Bd3 0 — 0 7.0 — 0 c5 8.c3 Nc6 9.Nbd2 d5 10.Qe2 Bd6 11.Rfe1 Ne7

Tomashevsky was already taking a long time with his moves here. The online commentator Peter Svidler had just finished saying that “there are some situations where players go Ne7, but this isn’t one of them,” when Tomashevsky played exactly that move on the board. The next move he brings the knight to g6 and GM Hammer on Norwegian TV remarked that Magnus will never ever take on g6. It’s not going to happen. Immediately after that Magnus took on g6.These guys must know something we don’t.

12.Rad1 Ng6

I believe Tomashevsky was still looking around for a plan and unwittingly commits a mistake here. We will see why this is so after a few moves.

13.Bxg6! hxg6 14.Bxd6 Qxd6 15.Ne5!

Black’s bishop has become bad and the knight on e5 quite powerful.

15…g5!?

Tomashevsky wants to play 15…Nd7 to force off the knight on e5 but then White has 16.f4!, so first he prevents the f2 — f4 move.

16.f4!? gxf4

POSITION AFTER 16…GXF4

17.Rf1!

Totally unexpected. The knight on e5 splits the board into two and Magnus Carlsen does not waste any time to bring up his forces to attack the enemy king.

17…Nd7?!

Played after some thought. Tomashevsky saw that 17…fxe3!? 18.Rxf6! gxf6? 19.Qg4+ Kh7 (19…Kh8 Richard Palliser 20.Rf1! exd2 21.Rf4 leads to a forced mate) 20.Rf1! is forced mate. There can follow 20…fxe5 21.Rf6 exd2 22.Qh5+ Kg7 23.Qg5+ Kh7 24.Rh6# checkmate!

But there is a way out of the mess. After 17…fxe3 18.Rxf6 Black can refuse to take the rook and play 18…exd2. After the best move 19.Rf4! (Threatens Qh5 and Rh4. The more obvious 19.Qh5?! doesn’t work: 19…gxf6 20.Qg4+ Kh8 21.Qh5+ Kg7 White has to take the draw by perpetual) 19…f6 (19…g6? 20.Rdf1 Qe7 21.Qxd2 planning Rf6 and Nxg6 is hard to meet) 20.Ng6 Rfe8 21.Qh5 e5! 22.dxe5 Rxe5 (22…fxe5?? 23.Qh8#) 23.Nxe5 Qxe5 24.Qxe5 fxe5 25.Rf5 e4 26.Rxd2 White has an edge but it is still a game.

18.Qh5!

[18.Nxd7 Qxd7 19.Rxf4 is also good, restoring material parity and continuing with the attack]

18…Nf6 19.Qh4 Qd8

Trying to swap off the queens.

20.Rxf4 Ne4?

A mistake. He should have swapped pawns on d4 first before playing the knight to e4. You will see soon enough why this was mandatory.

21.Nxe4 Qxh4

Not 21…dxe4? 22.Qh5! followed by Rh4.

22.Rxh4 dxe4 23.dxc5!

The point why Black had to exchange on d4 first. Now White’s rook joins in on the action.

23…bxc5 24.Rd7 Rab8 25.b3!

Tomashevsky now cannot play …f7 — f6 because of Ng6. His f-rook has to defend f7, his b-rook the bishop, and the bishop cannot move because the a-pawn will fall. A very unpleasant situation for Black.

25…a5 26.Rc7 a4 27.bxa4 Ba8 28.a5 Rb7 29.Rxc5 Ra7 30.Nc4 1 — 0

Tomashevsky resigned after Carlsen played 30.Nc4. There are some quarters who feel that this is premature resignation but I don’t think so. Not only is he two pawns down but he has no counterplay as well. He didn’t want to give Magnus Carlsen too much fun!

If you ever wondered what Magnus Carlsen’s chess style is, this game is a good example of it. Quiet opening, develop pressure by exploiting all the hidden nuances of the position, then keep piling it up. By the time they reach the endgame Tomashevsky had lost all taste for battle.

By the way, I should mention that the following game was also a strong candidate for “Best Game of the Year.” It is really very hard to resist a queen sacrifice. We had just very recently annotated this game, so I give only the bare score now.

* * *
Caruana, Fabiano (2823) — Nakamura, Hikaru (2779) [B96]
8th London Chess Classic 2016 London (6.3), 15.12.2016

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 h6 8.Bh4 Qb6 9.a3 Be7 10.Bf2 Qc7 11.Qf3 Nbd7 12.0 — 0 — 0 b5 13.g4 g5 14.h4 gxf4 15.Be2 b4 16.axb4 Ne5 17.Qxf4 Nexg4 18.Bxg4 e5 19.Qxf6 Bxf6 20.Nd5 Qd8 21.Nf5 Rb8 22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Rxd6 Be6 24.Rhd1 0 — 0 25.h5 Qg5+ 26.Be3 Qf6 27.Nxh6+ Kh8 28.Bf5 Qe7 29.b5 Qe8 30.Nxf7+ Rxf7 31.Rxe6 Qxb5 32.Rh6+ 1 — 0

Endgame of the Year: Carlsen vs Kramnik, Norway Chess Tournament, Stavanger 2016

This was the runaway choice for best endgame and it is really good. I had already featured this game very recently. Here is the bare score.

* * *
Carlsen, Magnus (2851) — Kramnik, Vladimir (2801) [D35]
Altibox Norway Chess 2016 Stavanger (7), 27.04.2016

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Qf3 Bg6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxf6 gxf6 10.Nf3 Nd7 11.Nh4 Be7 12.Ne2 Nb6 13.Ng3 Bb4+ 14.Kd1 Na4 15.Ngf5 Kd7 16.Rb1 Ke6 17.Bd3 Rhc8 18.Ke2 Bf8 19.g4 c5 20.Ng2 cxd4 21.exd4 Bd6 22.h4 h5 23.Ng7+ Ke7 24.gxh5 Bxd3+ 25.Kxd3 Kd7 26.Ne3 Nb6 27.Ng4 Rh8 28.Rhe1 Be7 29.Nf5 Bd8 30.h6 Rc8 31.b3 Rc6 32.Nge3 Bc7 33.Rbc1 Rxc1 34.Rxc1 Bf4 35.Rc5 Ke6 36.Ng7+ Kd6 37.Ng4 Nd7 38.Rc2 f5 39.Nxf5+ Ke6 40.Ng7+ Kd6 41.Re2 Kc6 42.Re8 Rxe8 43.Nxe8 Nf8 44.Ne5+ Bxe5 45.dxe5 Kd7 46.Nf6+ Ke6 47.h5 Kxe5 48.Nd7+ Nxd7 49.h7 Nc5+ 50.Ke2 1 — 0

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Gilas pool lineup product of consultations — Reyes

ARRIVING at the 12 players to make up the additions for the national men’s basketball team pool was no easy task but the people behind the Gilas Pilipinas program managed to do so following a lot of consultations among the coaching staff. This was shared by returning coach Chot Reyes as they revealed the names of the add-ons to the group that will banner the country’s cause in international competitions.

In an announcement made last Sunday, Mr. Reyes and officials of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas unveiled the list of players added to the Gilas Pilipinas pool.

Said players were culled from the 12 competing teams in the Philippine Basketball Association — one per ball club — as agreed upon by the SBP and the PBA.

Making up the additions are June Mar Fajardo of the San Miguel Beermen, Terrence Romeo of the GlobalPort Batang Pier, Jayson Castro of the TNT KaTropa, Japeth Aguilar of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, Calvin Abueva of the Alaska Aces, Raymond Almazan of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Paul Lee of the Star Hotshots, Jonathan Grey of the Meralco Bolts, Bradwyn Guinto of the NLEX Road Warriors, Arthur Dela Cruz of the Blackwater Elite, LA Revilla of the Mahindra Floodbuster and Norbert Torres of the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters.

Said players, in turn, join forces with Gilas cadet members now seeing action in the PBA, namely, Mac Belo (Blackwater), Matthew Wright (Phoenix), Jio Jalalon (Star), Kevin Ferrer (Barangay Ginebra), Von Pessumal (GlobalPort), Ed Daquioag (Meralco), Mike Tolomia (Rain or Shine), Carl Bryan Cruz (Alaska), Russell Escoto (Mahindra), Roger Pogoy (TNT), Arnold Van Opstal (San Miguel) and Fonzo Gotladera (NLEX).

“Before the lineup was made public, we in the coaching staff really consulted among ourselves who to select,” said Mr. Reyes, who counts son Josh, former Gilas player Jimmy Alapag and PBA coach Jong Uichico as part of his coaching staff with former Gilas coach Tab Baldwin as consultant.

“It’s a very young team but balanced and versatile. It’s a mix of everything we want to see in our system,” said the returning coach even as he underscored that they may still make some tweaks in it as they see fit moving forward.

“We have a very clear picture of the kind of game that we want to play. We wanted the best players that can fit and implement that kind of game. So for now, this is the 24 players that we will work with along with Andray Blatche who is our naturalized player,” Mr. Reyes added.

PREPARING THE TEAM
Mr. Reyes went on to say that the challenge now is preparing the team for the competitions ahead, beginning with the Southeast Asia Basketball (SEABA) Championship this April which the country is hosting.

While the Philippines has had a great success in the SEABA Championship, winning it seven times already, including the last one in 2015, Mr. Reyes highlighted the need for Gilas to be at its best in the tournament as a lot hinges on it, particularly the country’s stint in the FIBA Asia Cup later this year and, hopefully, the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

“We need to win the SEABA to be able to play in FIBA Asia. We are bent on bringing the strongest team for the SEABA considering our Southeast Asian neighbors have really improved a lot. We’re focused on it and don’t want to risk our chances,” Mr. Reyes said.

For local basketball analyst Levi Verora, Jr., that Mr. Reyes and the Gilas coaching staff went the way they did with their player selection was not at all surprising.

“There was nothing really surprising about the selection. It’s all about the system and these players fit the system that they want. You have a good mix of young veterans who have Gilas experience and players to develop,” said Mr. Verora when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on the Gilas pool.

“I think the message is clear that Coach Chot is looking at the program long term. He mentioned that they are aiming to compete in the World Cup in 2019 that is why there are lot of young guys in the pool like from Phoenix Norbert Torres and Meralco’s Jonathan Grey who were part of the junior national teams in the past. Guys like Bradwyn Guinto and Art Dela Cruz, by 2019 these players will already be matured,” the analyst said.

Mr. Verora agreed that for Gilas it all starts with the SEABA Championship, necessitating the need to have best team possible.

“The thing about the SEABA is that it will not be easy for us. We have to remember that we have to win that to take us to the other tournaments. Maybe we can send half cadets and veterans depending on the availability of players so as to make sure we get everything covered and secure the title,” he said.

The SEABA Championship 2017 happens from April 23-30. The last time the Philippines hosted the regional tournament was in 2001 where it won its second consecutive title.

Three-time PBA most valuable player June Mar Fajardo of the San Miguel Beermen is once again part of the Gilas Pilipinas pool. — Alvin S. Go

Serena storms on towards crown, top world ranking

MELBOURNE — Serena Williams battled into her 11th Australian Open quarterfinal on Monday, joining sister Venus, in her unrelenting quest for a record Grand Slam title and the return of her top world ranking.

Serena Williams of the US celebrates her victory against Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova during their women’s singles fourth round match on day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / WILLIAM WEST / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE

The American powerhouse was tested by Czech 16th seed Barbora Strycova but she dug deep to win 7-5, 6-4 in hot conditions and will face Johanna Konta for a place in the last four.

Williams has made clear in Melbourne she is here for one reason only — to win — and she was in a fighting, but nervy, mood during an entertaining contest.

The 35-year old had added incentive after the shock defeat on Sunday of top seed Angelique Kerber, the woman who beat her in the final last year and then snatched her top world ranking.

Williams, seeded two, can again become world number one if she lifts the trophy this week.

“I love pressure, I deal well with pressure,” she said, when asked why she keeps coming back for more.

“I love this game and I honestly have nothing to lose. Everything is a bonus for me now.”

Williams winning the title on Saturday would rewrite history. She is not just chasing a seventh Melbourne crown, but also a 23rd Grand Slam to surpass Steffi Graf’s Open-era record.

With her sister, a potential final opponent, already safely into the last eight in the other side of the draw, Williams had to use all her experience to get past a dogged Strycova.

Despite the temperature already past 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) when they began at 11:00 a.m., Williams opted to wear knee-length black leggings and sleeves, and she made a slow start.

It was Strycova who drew first blood, breaking the first Williams serve, but with the sweat starting to drip off her she immediately broke back with a sizzling crosscourt forehand.

But Williams’ first serve was still not firing, with just 33% successful in the opening games, and the Czech took full advantage to break to love and go 2-1 in front.

It was woeful serving from both players with Williams broken again before they both began to warm to the task.

‘C’MON!’
Williams finally held serve in the fifth game but it didn’t last long when Strycova broke again to go 4-3 ahead.

Another break — an incredible sixth in eight games — put Williams level and she then held, before a defensive Strycova saved four set points in a marathon 10th game.

Williams was fired up and screaming “C’mon!” and she went 6-5 ahead before Czech, serving to stay in the set, was finally undone on the eighth set point by a lucky shot from the American that came off her racquet frame.

Strycova, at a career-high ranking of 16, is a two-time former girls champion in Melbourne but had never been past round four in the main draw.

And with her nose in front, Williams was never going to let that happen and a netted volley from the Czech gave her an early break for 2-1 in the second set.

Strycova was wilting and Williams was in control, and despite being broken when serving for the match she broke straight back to book her place in the last eight. — AFP

Serena Williams — AFP

Global FC takes on Singapore’s Tampines today

ONE of the groundbreaking football clubs in the country, Global FC looks to put another feather in its cap by making a good account of itself in its debut at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League beginning today.

Global is set to take on Tampines Rovers of Singapore at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium at 7:30 p.m. in the first of what is a three-stage path to enter the group play of Asia’s premier club football tournament.

Ended 2016 as the top team in the United Football League by winning the League and Cup titles, Global earned the nod from the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) to represent the country and play in the preliminary/playoff stage of the AFC Champions League.

Global needs to beat Tampines in their East Slot allocation match to advance to the next round.

If Global defeats visiting Tampines it then moves to the next assignment against Australian side Brisbane Roar in an away game on Jan. 31.

The playoff stage in February will be another away match for Global if ever against Shanghai Shenhua FC, which finished fourth in the Chinese Superleague.

“It’s an honor to play with a club like Global. And this is another first for us,” said Global captain Misagh Bahadoran at yesterday’s prematch press conference at Century Park Hotel.

“This is something new for us and we need to familiarize ourselves with the tournament. But we will do everything we can to get the win tomorrow (today) and advance to the next stage,” he added.

Also present at yesterday’s presscon was new Global coach Toshiaki Imai who said he is excited for the chance to coach the local club.

“I’m excited to coach Global. I just came in recently but I like what I have seen so far,” said Mr. Imai, who replaced Leigh Manson for the Global post.

This year’s edition of the Asian club tournament, which runs till November, will be its 36th edition, and 15th under the current title of AFC Champions League.

South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors won the title in 2016, beating United Arab Emirates’ Al Ain FC, 3-2, on aggregate.

The Pohang Steelers of South Korea is the most successful club in tournament history, winning it three times — 1997, 1998 and 2009 — while 10 teams have won it twice, including defending champion Jeonbuk.

Tickets for the Global-Tampines match are priced P50, P100 and P120. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Global FC captain Misagh Bahadoran (L) and new coach Toshiaki Imai pose for photo at their pre-Asian Football Confederation Champions League match press conference yesterday. — Mike Murillo

Super Bowl: It’s Falcons vs Patriots on Feb. 5

LOS ANGELES — Tom Brady led the New England Patriots into the seventh Super Bowl of his career on Sunday with a clinical 36-17 defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Atlanta Falcons routed the Green Bay Packers to reach the NFL showpiece.

Brady, 39, will now be chasing a record-equalling fifth Super Bowl crown in Houston on Feb. 5 after throwing three touchdowns for 384 yards in a convincing defeat of the Steelers at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium.

Brady’s latest Super Bowl appearances comes a fully 15 years after he led the Patriots to victory over the St. Louis Rams in the 2002 championship game.

Brady was at his deadly best on Sunday as the Bill Belichick-coached Pats outsmarted the Steelers with a series of clever plays which often left Pittsburgh’s defense chasing shadows.

After a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski opened the scoring for New England, Brady picked out wide open receiver Chris Hogan for the first touchdown with a 16-yard pass.

The Steelers responded with a five-yard touchdown run from DeAngelo Williams which reduced the deficit but Brady found Hogan once again with a clever play-fake that left the Patriots defender in acres of space to make it 17-6.

Chris Boswell and Gostkowski traded field goals to keep the score respectable but New England took full control with two quick touchdowns in the third quarter from running back LeGarrette Blount and receiver Julian Edelman which propelled the hosts into a 33-9 lead.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger endured a frustrating evening, unable to get any change out of a dominant Patriots defense until finding Cobi Hamilton with a 30-yard pass for a consolation score late in the fourth quarter.

RYAN RAMPANT AS FALCONS SOAR
Earlier Sunday, Matt Ryan led a dominant offensive display as Atlanta crushed Green Bay 44-21 in their last ever game at the Georgia Dome.

The Falcons surged into a 24-0 half-time lead after overwhelming the Packers defense with their varied running and passing game as Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was never able to get going.

“We’ve got some more business at Houston in two weeks,” Ryan said after the Falcons were presented the NFC Championship trophy.

“We showed up. We did exactly what we’ve been doing all year. It feels really good,” added Ryan, who completed 27 out of 38 pass attempts for 392 yards and four touchdowns.

Rodgers was left frustrated as the Packers squandered vital early scoring opportunities through a missed Mason Crosby field goal and a fumble from Aaron Ripkowski near the Atlanta line with a touchdown begging.

The Falcons meanwhile looked threatening whenever they ventured into Green Bay territory.

Mohamed Sanu scored the opening touchdown from a flipped shovel pass from Ryan before the Atlanta quarterback grabbed his team’s second six-pointer with a 14-yard run into the end zone.

Ryan punished a Rodgers interception with a pass to find Julio Jones from five yards, leaving the Falcons 24-0 ahead at the break.

Jones then galloped away for a 73-yard touchdown in the opening minutes of the third quarter to put Atlanta 31-0 ahead.

Further Atlanta touchdowns came from Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman and although Green Bay attempted to give the scoreline some respectability with touchdowns from Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, and Jared Cook, the result was never in doubt.

Ryan said the Falcons had been determined not to let up on Green Bay despite building their massive first half lead.

“We knew going in against Green Bay and going against Aaron (Rodgers) it’s never over,” Ryan said. “He’s such a great player. We just kept at them the entire four quarters. I’m proud of the way we competed.” — AFP

Keep saving HK, China’s coming for your best land

HONG KONG — It takes around 35 years for a median-income household to buy a 90-square meter (970-square foot) apartment in Hong Kong. So, by 2052 in other words. That makes the former British colony the world’s least affordable city, according to Oxford Economics. Now, with Chinese buyers forking out ever-higher amounts for land sold by the government and outbidding domestic stalwarts, prospective home buyers are going to have to wait a whole lot longer.

A stamp-duty hike in November to 15% for all non-first time home buyers and to as much as 30% for foreigners hasn’t dulled the market. Secondary home prices surged almost 40% between July 2012 and the end of last year, Centaline Property’s Centa-City Leading Index shows, just 1.8% shy of their September 2015 record.

Although the increased levies helped put a lid on sales volumes, there’s still more end-user demand than supply, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Patrick Wong. First-time home buyers, being exempt, remain a force while existing homeowners always seem to find ways to circumvent the rules in their hunt for yield. Hong Kong’s relatively low unemployment rate also means lots of people are willing to take the real estate plunge.

Added pressure, meanwhile, is coming from China. Mainland purchasers, keen to buy property in the city as a hedge against a weaker yuan, have long been imaginative when it comes to evading foreign-exchange curbs. Now developers are getting more aggressive.

At a time Beijing is clamping down on speculative buying, Hong Kong offers a chance to diversify. Although land is more expensive than on the mainland, funding costs are lower. The Hong Kong interbank offered rate has averaged 1.01435% this year while the People’s Bank of China benchmark lending rate for individual housing loans of up to five years is 2.75%.

Buyers from China accounted for almost half the value of all land sold by the Hong Kong government in 2016, up from 30% in 2015 and less than 5% in 2011, research from CIMB Group Holdings Bhd. show. That Chinasation of the market, as CIMB calls it, may increase prices 10% by 2019.

Some impact is already being felt. China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd. sold all 188 apartments at a project on the site of the city’s former airport on day one last week. The units were offered to Hong Kong residents only.

And while the city’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying may bemoan the large amount of parks and green spaces that could be put to better use, mainland buyers did help the government chalk up record revenue from land sales in the first nine months of the 2016 fiscal year.

With so many cash-rich companies across the border and even firms like HNA Group Co. joining the bidding party, the tensions pooling in Hong Kong real estate aren’t about to go away. All too soon, taking 35 years to buy a shoebox may seem pretty decent. — Bloomberg.

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