MANILA Chooks TM will be competing at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Montreal Masters later this week.
MANILA Chooks TM will be competing at the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3×3 World Tour Montreal Masters happening from Sept. 4-5.
The tournament is the second that the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 team will see action in this year after the Doha Masters in March.
For the Montreal event, the Manila squad — composed this time around of Mac Tallo, Zach Huang, Dennis Santos, and newcomer Mark Yee, and reserve Chico Lanete — is seeded 11th in a field of 12 teams, but it remains upbeat of its chances and doing well.
“The team is hungry to redeem itself,” said Chooks-to-Go President Ronald Mascariñas in a statement, of the squad handled by decorated collegiate coach Aldin Ayo.
“There have been a lot of challenges faced by the team brought about by the current pandemic, but we are confident that frequent participation in the FIBA 3×3 pro circuit will only make the team stronger,” he added.
Mr. Ayo, for his part, said the team has been working together for three months now and “the chemistry should also be there.”
The FIBA 3×3 World Tour Montreal Masters offers a $110,000 prize pool, $40,000 going to the champion.
World number two Riga of Latvia leads the field along with no. 4 Ub of Serbia, no. 7 Amsterdam of the Netherlands, no. 8 Antwerp of Belgium, and no. 10 Edmonton of Canada.
Others competing are Princeton of the United States, Switzerland’s Lausanne, Lithuania’s Raudondvaris, Canada’s Old Montreal, US’ Omaha, and one more team that will qualify through a Quest event.
The pools will be determined during the technical meeting on Sept. 3.
Manila Chooks TM is set to undergo RT-PCR testing on Tuesday and will leave the country the following day. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
TEAM Lakay fighter Jenelyn Olsim girds for her next challenge on Sept. 3 after emerging victorious in her last ONE Championship fight just this Friday. — ONE CHAMPIONSHIP
FOLLOWING her victory at ONE Championship’s “Battleground III” event on Friday, Team Lakay fighter Jenelyn Olsim is girding for her next challenge later this week.
Ms. Olsim, 24, was a unanimous decision winner over Vietnamese-American Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen at the event broadcast from the Singapore Indoor Stadium to book a spot in the ONE world atomweight grand prix alternate bout on Sept. 3.
She will take on Thai-American Grace Cleveland in the fight, which is part of the historic all-female card “ONE: Empower.”
Despite the short turnaround in between fights, Benguet native Ms. Olsim (5-2) expressed her excitement over her upcoming showdown with Ms. Cleveland (5-0), taking cue from her solid showing in her last fight. “I’m more motivated now after my win over Nguyen. Now, we’re preparing for the fight on Sept. 3,” said Ms. Olsim in the post-fight press conference where she was joined by Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao.
Against Ms. Nguyen, the Filipino fighter showed her striking skills throughout the three-round contest, but also proved to be adept on the ground.
Ms. Olsim, a natural strawweight, adjusted well when the fight was taken to the ground by her opponent, showcasing her improved grappling skills while attempting near-submissions along the way. In the end, all judges scored the fight in her favor.
It was the second victory for Ms. Olsim on the main card of ONE Championship, but first in the atomweight division. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
TURIN, Italy — Lackluster Juventus began life without Cristiano Ronaldo by suffering a suprising 1-0 defeat at home to promoted Empoli in Serie A on Saturday.
Juve, who this week agreed a deal with Manchester United to sell Ronaldo to the Premier League club, looked shorn of ideas up front in the Portuguese forward’s absence.
Other than some fierce Federico Chiesa strikes from range, the hosts did not threaten to score in the first half as Empoli edged into a surprise lead when captain Leonardo Mancuso swept the ball home at the far post in the 21st minute.
After the break, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri introduced Álvaro Morata, Dejan Kulusevski and new signing Manuel Locatelli from the bench, but even with all that firepower on the pitch, they created few openings of note.
Empoli saw out their first win back in the Italian top flight in relative comfort, leaving Juve on one point from their opening two matches of the season.
“It’s a difficult moment,” Allegri told DAZN. “We need to grow, we have to face our problems together.
“There have been too many players who have done things poorly who don’t usually drop to that standard.”
Having started the season with a 2-2 draw at Udinese, Juve, even without Ronaldo, were widely expected to have too much for their newly-promoted opponents.
Chiesa, who came in for Ronaldo, almost broke the deadlock early on from distance, but his arrowing effort was brilliantly saved by Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
That was as good as it got in the first half for Juve, with the visitors breaking well and creating the opening for Mancuso, who reacted quickest to the loose ball in the area to fire home.
Juve supporters let their feelings be known as attack after attack broke down, with Paulo Dybala especially guilty of some wayward passing.
The home side threw everything at their opponents late on, but apart from Locatelli’s dragged effort wide, an equalizer never looked likely, with that Ronaldo-shaped hole a tough one to fill.
Juve failed to win their first two league matches at the start of a season for just the third time in their last 52 top-flight campaigns. — Reuters
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, — George Russell turbocharged his hopes of becoming Lewis Hamilton’s next Mercedes team mate with a stunning second place for Williams in a wet qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday.
The performance put former champions Williams, who have been uncompetitive for years and this month scored their first points in Formula One since 2019, on the front row for the first time since 2017.
Russell was even heading for an astonishing pole until Red Bull’s Max Verstappen pipped him at the end.
The Briton was 0.013 of a second quicker than seven-times world champion Hamilton with Valtteri Bottas, whose place the Briton could take next season, qualifying only eighth before a five-place grid penalty.
Russell’s team boss Jost Capito was quick to see the significance.
“We would love to keep him of course, but this result today, if (Mercedes boss) Toto hasn’t got the decision done yet I think this puts him even more to Mercedes,” he said.
“He’s just a talent. He deserves to be in the car that is capable of winning the championship and we fully support him in that,” he told Sky Sports ontelevision.
Wolff said Mercedes already knew full well what Russell could do.
“I think by now we know where we stand and we know what we have, what he can do,” said the Austrian, who promised an announcement soon. “Today is another confirmation.”
Russell, who is managed by Mercedes, stood in for Hamilton in Bahrain at the end of last year when he also qualified second. He felt the hard work was paying off.
“I don’t know what to say. I thought I would have been doing a good job to get out of Q1 (the first phase) how we got on yesterday,” he said. “The car was feeling great, I had so much confidence.”
Williams called the shots right tactically, Russell and team mate Nicholas Latifi going bold on intermediates in the first phase and then Russell putting everything on one lap in the final crash-hit phase.
“We had nothing to lose, we were in Q3, which is not the norm for us, and we just had to go for it. We saved the full maximum engine mode for the last lap and decided to just go for it,” he said. — Reuters
NEW YORK — Players’ mental health is in focus as the US Open kicks offon Monday, after four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka led the charge for her fellow athletes this year.
The 23-year-old withdrew from the French Open after being fined and threatened with expulsion for refusing to attend media conferences, which she said had an adverse impact on her mental health, and disclosed she had suffered from depression for years.
The incident led Roland-Garros organizers to concede that the sport’s governing bodies needed to do better and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) this week announced a mental health initiative for players in partnership with the Mount Sinai Health System.
“Sports psychology has always been in the realm of, ‘how do we optimize on the court?’ but there’s so many reasons for why athletes are impacted after competition,” Shannon O’Neill, PhD, a psychologist at Mount Sinai West, told Reuters.
“Really promoting a well-rounded person who is multifaceted, not just an athlete… I think is really critical in the therapeutic process.”
A broader conversation on mental health in sport has unfolded since Roland-Garros, with four-time Rio Olympic champion Simone Biles withdrawing from several gymnastics events at the Tokyo Games, citing the need to focus on her mental health and drawing worldwide support.
At Flushing Meadows this week, world number two Aryna Sabalenka told reporters working with a psychologist had paid dividends on and off the court.
She previously credited therapy with helping her handle the pressure of Wimbledon, where she reached the semifinal in the best major performance of her career.
“Knowing that I have someone who’s going to help me whenever I need it… it’s definitely help,” she said. “One time at night, I couldn’t sleep because I was overthinking about everything. I just call her and I spoke with her… After that, I felt much better.”
Moving swiftly to give athletes more support is imperative for sport’s governing bodies, Bob Dorfman, the creative director at Baker Street Advertising, told Reuters, with the issue still top of mind.
“The mental health of athletes had never really been a major concern until Naomi Osaka bravely made it public, and Simone Biles courageously kept it front and center,” he said. “It’s admirable that the US Open is putting forward initiatives in this regard, but it can’t be mere lip service or temporary.
“Action must be sincere, ongoing and well-funded. Anything less will ring phony.”
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), for its part, joined forces with seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams, partnering with mental health services company BetterHelp for a $2-million “free therapy giveaway.”
“We need to create an accepting and open environment to seek professional mental health therapy,” said Williams. — Reuters
BRYSON DeChambeau carded back-to-back eagles on Saturday during a frenzied third round and is tied with Patrick Cantlay for the lead at 21-under 195 heading into the final round of the BMW Championship at Owings Mills, MD.
DeChambeau parlayed the two eagles while shooting six-under 30 on the front nine before finishing at five-under 67. Cantlay played steadier golf at Caves Valley while shooting 66.
South Korea’s Sungjae Im is three shots back after a 66. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (65), Spain’s Sergio Garcia (67), Mexico’s Abraham Ancer (66) and Sam Burns (65) are tied for fourth at 17-under 199.
Spain’s Jon Rahm slipped from a tie for second after two rounds to eighth place. He’s five shots back after a 70.
The tournament is the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The top 30 players in FedEx Cup points following the BMW will qualify for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta.
DeChambeau’s consecutive eagles came on the par-5, No. 4 and the par-4, No. 5. He knocked in a 25-foot putt on No. 4 and was even better when he drilled a 53-foot putt on No. 5.
DeChambeau was 7-under for the day after a birdie on No. 11. But things disintegrated rapidly as he bogeyed No. 12 and posted a double-bogey 5 on No. 13.
After a birdie on 14, he bogeyed No. 15 before making another birdie on 16. He shot pars on the final two holes to complete the chaotic round.
Cantlay registered an eagle on the par-5 No. 2 and knocked in five birdies. Four of the birdies came on the back nine, including three in a row at 11, 12 and 13. He added another at 16 and appeared destined to finish the round in the lead.
But Cantlay bogeyed the par-4 18th to end up in a share with DeChambeau. Im connected on seven birdies against one bogey in a strong third-round performance.
South African Louis Oosthuizen shot a round-low 64 on Saturday, but he is well off the pace at 7-under 209.
McIlroy (seven birdies) and Burns (eight birdies, one bogey) were among five players who shot 65. — Reuters
When 15-year veteran Jared Dudley announced his transfer to the Mavericks as assistant coach, not a free quarters were caught by surprise. He had made no secret of his desire to latch on to the Lakers for yet one go-round; his diminished on-court role notwithstanding, he sincerely believed he played a crucial role to their success. Unfortunately, the front office appeared to have other plans for each of the three remaining roster spots, none involving his return. And so he got the next best thing: a gig in the sidelines alongside former purple and gold deputy Jason Kidd even if it meant effectively hanging up his laces.
Significantly, top dog LeBron James was among those who expressed disappointment at the turn of events. The four-time Most Valuable Player awardee let loose a four-letter word in his tweet, adding, “Excuse my language, but this one hurt!! For many reasons that you wouldn’t understand.” Evidently, even fellow All-Star Anthony Davis lobbied for him, to no avail. “Obviously, LeBron and A.D. wanted me back, but we just couldn’t convince them” — them being, based on news, Vice-President for Operations Rob Pelinka and Senior Adviser Kurt Rambis.
At first glance, logic seemed to be behind the decision. Nine players on the Lakers’ roster are in their thirties, and front office honchos have every reason to complete it with players younger than Dudley, who just turned 36. So guess what they now plan to do? If reports are true, they’ll be spreading the welcome mat for — drumroll — Rajon Rondo, who’s younger than the departed glue guy James and Davis wanted back by all of seven months. Forget that their Russell Westbrook, their biggest off-season acquisition, figures to hog minutes at the point.
What, then, will Rondo’s primary purpose be for the Lakers? Remember, he just finished a campaign with the Clippers that saw him riding pine. Heck, so unwanted was he that he got dumped at the first opportunity. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies saw him as mere trade filler; they couldn’t even be bothered to subject him to a physical examination. Which is why buyout negotiations are under way, and why Pelinka’s angling to sign him. What the difference will be between Dudley and him insofar as the locker room is concerned, only time will tell.
That said, this much is clear: There’s a lot to cut through for the Lakers even before they get to start. Dudley’s efforts behind the scenes proved invaluable in the two years he counted the Staples Center as his home; just ask former teammates, newly minted Wizard Kyle Kuzma included. Instead of a proper sendoff, however, he got the cold shoulder. So much for the realities of business in the National Basketball Association.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
Globe, Sen. Villanueva make digital learning more accessible with GoLearn
A gap in access is a gap in learning. With this in mind, Globe joined hands to give educators, parents, and students access to highly engaging programs and affordable digital solutions so there will be no reason for learning to stop.
To make the education stakeholders feel more optimistic for this school year, Globe has launched GoLearn, the unified, company-wide platform aimed at helping the country achieve 21st Century Learning. Through the initiative, Globe is looking forward to creating a better tomorrow for the sector.
GoLearn is a valuable platform for everyone who aspires to further enrich their education as it opens up doors for a brighter future. It promotes continuous learning and further bridges the digital gaps in the education landscape in the country via access to connectivity solutions, learning platforms, and solutions.
“It is our commitment in Globe to work with the whole education sector to bring forth everyone’s aspiration for better education, ensuring that learning never stops for all, wherever they are, regardless of their status. This is the heart of GoLearn – Globe’s unified initiative to bring together products, programs, services, and solutions that will empower the whole learning ecosystem,” said KD Dizon, Globe Head of Small, Medium Business Group.
Supporting Globe in this undertaking is Sen. Joel “Tesdaman” Villanueva, Chairman of the Philippine Senate Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development; and the Higher and Technical and Vocational Education Committees, and Digital Learning Advocate. A son of two former public school teachers, he is also a staunch advocate of continuous learning and has paved the way for accessible education for all.
Sen. Joel “Tesdaman” Villanueva, Chairman of the Philippine Senate Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development; and the Higher and Technical and Vocational Education Committees, and Digital Learning Advocate; Tonisito C. Umali, Undersecretary of Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and School Sports of the Department of Education; and Ai de la Cruz, host (Bottom L-R) – KD Dizon, Globe Head of Small, Medium Business Group; and Segment Head for One Globe Education, Mark Abalos
Villanueva mentioned a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on possible learning loss due to school closure and remote learning. The impact on the kids may be long term which can affect their competitiveness and work performance in the near future.
“We advocate digital learning and we partner with Globe for the fulfillment of this advocacy,” Villanueva said. “That’s why importante ang mga ginagawa o gagawin pa nating mga interventions para hindi tuluyang bumaba ang kaalaman ng mga kabataan. Makakatulong dito ng malaki ang initiative ng Globe to ensure na tuloy-tuloy ang learning ng mga bata. GoLearn is a digital solution to widen the access to training. With GoLearn, learning is at your fingertips kaya very convenient.”
“Napakahirap po ng ating kinakaharap ngayon ngunit ito po ay magiging hindi gaano kahirap dahil po sa ating partner. Napakalaki po ng tulong ng Globe sa pagbibigay ng connectivity, mga learning platforms, at mga learning management systems na pwede po nating gamitin to supplement what we are already doing. Kaya atin pong pinapasalamatan ang Globe,” said Undersecretary of Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and School Sports of the Department of Education, Tonisito C. Umali.
GoLearn is supported by the different groups inside Globe:
Globe Enterprise provides students from low-income households with access to new normal education through the enhanced Phinma Education data plan.
Globe Small and Medium Enterprise assist institutions with digital transformation to enhance teachers’ teaching abilities and support the learning competencies of students. This is done through its E-Skwela Webinars and Online Training Program which are meant to enlighten the education sector on the vast benefits that digitalization brings towards continuous growth of quality education.
Globe At Home gives its subscribers learning vouchers through the Globe At Home app.
Globe Prepaid, through Virtual Hangouts, has scheduled a series of activities or interactive experiences for students to enable meaningful connections and renew school friendships.
TM has a FunAral E-Campus to be rolled out in different TM Campus Connect partners and national school organizations intended to immerse the students in a fun and engaging virtual learning experience.
Educational apps and learning activities and resources are also made available for Globe customers
Globe also leads the way in creating a safer online environment with programs that promote cybersecurity and safety, responsible digital citizenship, and mental wellness.
“We hope you’re as excited as us to really raise the quality of education in the country together,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO on how the company places priority on the enablement of online learning. “With the launch of GoLearn, know that the entire One Globe group is with you to continue to provide affordable connectivity, accessible platforms, and safer learning environment for all.”
“The Ayala Group gives its full support to Globe’s GoLearn program as it provides enabling solutions that propel the education sector to progressive digital learning,” said Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation.
Globe is a strong advocate of quality education which is one of the 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that the company has committed to support. In line with the new normal, Globe is pushing for digital learning by providing connectivity to learners and teachers.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
The Philippines reported 17,447 coronavirus infections on Friday — the second-highest daily tally since the pandemic started last year — amid a fresh surge spurred by a more contagious Delta variant, according to the Department of Health (DoH).
This brought the total to 1.91 million, while deaths rose to 32,841 after 113 more patients died, it said in a bulletin. Recoveries increased by 6,771 to 1.74 million, it added.
The percentage of people who tested positive for the virus had also risen to a record 26.1%.
There were 142,531 active cases, 96.2% of which were mild, 1.1% did not show symptoms, 1.1% were severe, 0.96% were moderate and 0.6% were critical.
DoH said 186 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 186 of which were tagged as recoveries, while 47 recoveries were reclassified as deaths. One laboratory failed to submit data on Aug. 25.
The agency on Thursday said infections were likely to rise in the coming weeks despite a two-week strict lockdown imposed in the capital region that ended on Aug. 20.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center will expand operations in the Visayas and Mindanao after it was given P295.7 million this year to strengthen the country’s monitoring of infectious diseases.
“Our regional offices are having a hard time sending samples here in Manila due to challenges in logistics,” Health spokesperson Maria Rosario C. Singh-Vergeire told an online news briefing.
“By strengthening the country’s biosurveillance capacity, we hope to prevent future outbreaks of diseases in the Philippines,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said in a separate statement. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago
Senator Franklin M. Drilon cited several warning signs of potential anomaly, corruption or fraud in the procurement of several medical supplies by the Budget department.
“I am worried there are so many red flags in the procurement of several medical items,” the senator said in a statement on Friday. “These warning signs indicate possible anomaly, corruption or fraud.”
“Red flags are all over. We should not ignore these red flags,” he added.
Mr. Drilon cited as anomalous the choice of contractors of questionable qualifications with one contractor earning P284.9 million in 2020, from zero income in 2019, supposedly after bagging P8.68 billion worth of government contracts.
“Indeed, business is booming for these contractors,” he said. He added that the Budget department appears to have given them “the sure ticket to wealth.”
The opposition senator questioned why Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. bagged P8.68 billion worth of contracts. Incorporated only in September 2019, the company has paid-up capital of only P625,000, “obviously insufficient to assume huge risk for the delivery of P8.68 billion worth of procurement.”
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson during Friday’s hearing asked former Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao what type of due diligence was done before the agency awarded billions of funds to Pharmally.
Mr. Lao said they did not have a copy of Pharmally’s general information sheet so they did not have an idea about bogus addresses that the company allegedly used in its registration documents.
Drilon said that contrary to the law’s clear requirement that negotiated procurement can only be entered into with people who have the technical, legal and financial capabilities, the government entered into contracts with companies of questionable qualifications. — A.N.O. Tan
Senators on Friday criticized President Rodrigo R. Duterte for his lack of respect for a co-equal government branch.
The President earlier said people should not believe congressional investigations, days after the Senate grilled Health officials at a hearing for alleged misuse of pandemic funds.
Mr. Duterte said these inquiries lead to nowhere.
“A little respect, Mr. President,” Senator Richard, who heads the blue ribbon committee, said at the opening of the body’s third hearing on the Health department’s expenses.
“Maybe he forgot, or he’s misinformed,” Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said in a Viber group message. “I will send him the Senate report on the committee of the whole investigation on PhilHealth,” he added.
Mr. Sotto said most of Mr. Duterte’s appointed officers have pending cases and had been removed because of the Senate investigation.
“There are many laws, lucrative to the people, that we have passed because of the inquiries and investigations we performed,” Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said in a separate statement in Filipino.
Under the law, Congress holds investigations in aid of legislation. It can recommend the prosecution of officials and measures to prevent corruption.
Mr. Duterte’s rants against the Senate is the latest of his attempts to defend Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III from corruption allegations. The President has said he would not fire his Health chief.
Meanwhile, Mr. Duque said P311 million had been allotted for 5% of about 488,000 health workers for their special risk allowance. The rest would likely be given their allowance within the next two months.
During a Senate hearing on Friday, Senator Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan said 95% of the workers had served without receiving their allowance, but Mr. Duque said they could not release the funds without first validating the list.
He said he had sent the second list of 17,000 beneficiaries to the Budget department, while a third batch of 80,000 workers would get their allowance once validated by the agency. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has urged Congress to pass a measure that will cut the 20% documentary stamp tax to 10% to ensure efficient use of charity funds.
About 62% of its charity fund this year has so far been used to pay for documentary stamp taxes, PCSO Legislative Liaison Officer Gay Nadine P. Alvor told lawmakers at a House of Representatives hearing on Friday.
The House ways and means committee said it would endorse a tax cut on lotto tickets in a bicameral committee once the Senate approves the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act.
The bill, which the House approved on third and final reading on Sept. 9, 2019 is still pending at a Senate committee.
The bill only recommends the removal of documentary stamp tax imposed on nonmonetary transactions. — Russell Louis C. Ku
