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Nurturing the nation’s future leaders through the virtual world

Unilever’s Future Leaders’ League and Business Week go online

If 2020 taught anyone anything, it is the lesson that there is nothing in this world more constant than change and that all we can do is adapt. Students have felt this more than others, having been forced from their physical classrooms and shift to a completely new virtual learning experience online.

But things do not have to be entirely different. After all, what’s important is how such a virtual environment can engage and bring out the best in students, nurturing their best characteristics and developing them into well-adjusted, productive members of society.

And to prove that virtual experiences can both be fun and engaging, Unilever, the multinational firm behind brand names like Pond’s, Axe, and Dove, have decided to continue its Future Leaders’ League, now completely online!

Future Leaders’ League, or commonly known as FLL, offers undergraduate students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create real business impact on an actual Unilever business challenge. They will get the chance to represent the country and meet students from all over the world to exercise creativity, learn firsthand from Unilever leaders, and unleash their potential to become a future business leader.

Last February 19, 10 teams from all around the country, chosen from over a hundred applicants, competed in the Future Leaders’ League National Finals where they spent two weeks learning and preparing with a team of mentors to finetune their skills in preparation for the grand event. During that time, every finalist was introduced to everything they need from Digital Commerce to presentation skills to business acumen, all thanks to a team of highly qualified mentors.

Benjie Yap, chairman of Unilever Philippines, kicked off the National Finals with an opening remarks and an introduction of the Unilever leaders from different business functions who served as the judges. Afterwards, the 10 teams competing for the championship title for the day took the stage.

After all the teams have presented, while Unilever’s judges were deliberating the results, the participants had time to play games with the audience to test their knowledge of the event and the host brand, Pond’s. The finalists were supported by their closest friends, other FLL applicants and other Unilever employees.

To cap off the event, a surprise care package was sent for the National Finalists before the results were announced. Maia Therese Coronel, Red Nadela, and Arvin Santos of Team Pon de Manila took the stage as the National Champions, congratulated by Unilever Philippines Vice President for Beauty & Personal Care Dorothy Dee-Ching.

And though the virtual format was new to everyone involved, overall, the Future Leaders’ League was successful in providing the participants a unique and unforgettable twist. New bonds and new experiences were shared in a way that was never thought possible.

And as one event closes, another one opens. Unilever invites all penultimate students to share in another unforgettable virtual experience through Unilever Business Week, a week-long immersion into Unilever with a guaranteed two-month internship. Applications opened last February 1 at https://bit.ly/2NIwykz.

Business Week was Unilever’s student program that was executed in a virtual format last year to much success and praise from the participants. Once again, Business Week will be executed in a new-and-improved virtual format, a continuation of Unilever’s commitment that #WeAreMakers of a Better Business.

To be updated with the latest opportunities, follow the official Unilever social media pages:https://www.facebook.com/UnileverCareersPhilippines/, https://www.instagram.com/unilevercareersphl/, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/unilever/.

Europe’s virus campaign in turmoil

EUROPE’s slow vaccination push has sunk further into disarray after some of the biggest countries suspended AstraZeneca Plc’s shot to explore its effects, compounding a crisis of confidence around a promising path out of the pandemic.

Germany, France and Italy decided Monday in a coordinated step to suspend the use of the vaccine. Now the European Union’s  (EU) vaccine roll-out hangs partly on the findings by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which plans to decide on the next steps on Thursday. Concerns surrounding the shot are also likely to dominate a video conference by EU health ministers slated for later on Tuesday.

“In order to maintain trust in the vaccine, we have to give our experts in Germany and in the European Union the time to evaluate the most recent occurrence,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters in Berlin after announcing the step. “This decision is professional, not political.”

While the move is temporary and precautionary pending the EMA’s assessment, it risks further damaging the public perception of a vaccine already plagued by a flawed trial, production shortfalls and a public spat with officials in Brussels accusing the company of violating its contractual supply obligations.

The dispute contrasts with AstraZeneca’s positive run in the UK, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson is championing a rapid vaccination push and continues to deem the shot safe to use.

The drastic response to possible side-effects puts additional pressure on countries at a time parts of Europe fall back into lockdowns. Italy has reintroduced harsher measures, and parts of Germany have also seen an increase in infections, prompting some medical experts to demand a tightening of the restrictions from which Europe’s largest economy was just starting to emerge.

After Denmark became one of the first countries in the region to suspend the AstraZeneca shot, the EMA said on Mar. 11 that the number of clots in vaccinated people was no higher than the number seen in the general population — totaling 30 cases among 5 million people who had received the vaccine.

While Astra has revised its delivery schedule multiple times, it has remained an important cornerstone of the region’s early inoculation push. The company is planning to deliver 40 million doses in the first quarter down from a planned 100 million.

The EU is expecting to receive almost 400 million vaccine doses in total in the second quarter, with the biggest number coming from Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech SE. Another 640 million shots are lined up for the third quarter. The commission has committed to immunizing 70% of adults by the end of September.

“A longer review or a permanent ban would deal a more serious blow to the EU’s vaccination program,” Eurasia Group analyst Federico Santi wrote in a note. “It could mean the EU may not achieve a level of vaccinations consistent with a meaningful easing of restrictions in many member states until the end of the second quarter, rather than mid-Spring as we are currently expecting.”

Even before the suspension, the UK-based company’s shot, jointly developed with the University of Oxford, had grappled with production delays, which the company attributed in part to typical teething issues of a new product. As a result, Cambridge-based Astra will only be able to deliver about 100 million doses to the EU in the first half of the year, it said last week, about a third of the number originally planned.

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Thirty million doses are due to be delivered by the end of this quarter, with the rest coming in the next three months.

Responding to the suspensions, AstraZeneca said it’s working with national health authorities and European officials.

“Around 17 million people in the EU and UK have now received our vaccine, and the number of cases of blood clots reported in this group is lower than the hundreds of cases that would be expected among the general population,” AstraZeneca said in a statement.

The halt, which also extends to countries including Spain, stopped health workers in their tracks. It blocked 35 vaccination centers in Rome and its Lazio region, including one which Prime Minister Mario Draghi visited last week at Fiumicino airport, said health councilor Alessio D’Amato. More than 7,000 text messages were sent to people canceling their Tuesday appointments, Mr. D’Amato added.

Shortly after the governments announced the suspensions, the EMA stuck to its view that the vaccine’s benefits “in preventing Covid-19, with its associated risk of hospitalization and death, outweigh the risks of side effects.”

In the UK, Mr. Johnson also defended the vaccine. He said Monday that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is “one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world” and sees “no reason at all” to discontinue its use. The tally of people who have received their first dose has passed 26 million in the country.

Anthony Harnden, the deputy chairman of the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, told the BBC that about 3,000 blood clots a month are common in the general population of the country, and that such a diagnosis is bound to happen simultaneously with the vaccination, rather than being caused by it.

In Germany, Mr. Spahn cited seven instances of clotting in the country from a pool of more than 1.6 million people who had been given the shot.

The low number prompted Karl Lauterbach, a health expert for the ruling Social Democrats, to criticize the suspension. Instead, a review of side effects without actually halting the campaign would have been preferable, particularly as cases begin mounting again in Germany, he said on Twitter.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine is one of four that have been approved in the EU, alongside shots from Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech SE, Moderna, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson (J&J). With supplies from J&J yet to arrive and doses of Moderna limited, that means the bulk of immunizations in many countries will now be conducted with Pfizer-BioNTech. The two partners have promised to ship at least 500 million doses to the bloc this year, with an option for an additional 100 million doses. — Bloomberg

Biden’s top diplomat calls for deeper ties with Japan

TOKYO — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called for deeper economic and security ties with Japan, as he and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin seek to use their first trip abroad to strengthen Asian alliances in the face of China’s assertiveness.

Their visit to Tokyo and Seoul is the first overseas visit by top cabinet members of President Joseph R. Biden’s team and follows a virtual summit last week of the leaders the United States, Japan, Australia and India — the Quad alliance.

Issues on the agenda range from freedom of navigation in the South and East China Seas and semiconductor supply-chain security, to the North Korean nuclear threat and the military coup in Myanmar.

“We really come to reaffirm the fact that the alliance is as we’d like to say the cornerstone of our peace, security and prosperity,” Mr. Blinken said in remarks to US embassy staff in Tokyo.

“The economic relationship between the United States and Japan is, as you know very well, one of the strongest in the world,” Mr. Blinken told a group of Japanese business leaders.

He said the pandemic had exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains for critical products, including medical equipment, supplies, semiconductors.

The countries needed to work together to build secure and resilient supply chains for the future, Mr. Blinken added.

North Korea is also in sharp focus after the White House said Pyongyang had so far rebuffed efforts from the United States to engage in dialogue. North Korea warned the new US administration against “causing a stink” if it wants peace, North Korean state media reported on Tuesday.

At the opening of the meeting with the Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Mr. Blinken said he wanted to work with Japan and allies on the denuclearization of North Korea.

He also said Tokyo and Washington shared commitment to democracy, human rights and rule of law and said they are “under threat in many places, including in the region, whether it’s in Burma or whether in different ways, China.”

After the Seoul leg, Mr. Blinken will fly to Alaska, where he will be joined by the national security adviser Jake Sullivan for their first in-person talks with Chinese counterparts.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said at the start of his bilateral meeting with Austin that his visit sent a strong message “about the US commitment to this region and the robustness of the Japan-US alliance.”

Mr. Kishi said the two would discuss China’s movements in the East and South China Seas and “specific initiatives that Japan and US should work on to enhance their capabilities to deter and respond.”

In response, Mr. Austin said the alliance was “the cornerstone in addressing today’s and tomorrow’s challenges as we work together to uphold the Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”

The concept of Free and Open Indo-Pacific is a major priority for Tokyo as it seeks to curb China’s activity in the East and South China Seas.

Following bilateral meetings, both Mr. Austin and Mr. Blinken were due to meet with their counterparts for a joint session of “2+2” talks and were expected to address some other items raised during Quad such as maritime, cyber and economic security.

Analysts also expect Tokyo to seek US support for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and follow-up talks on other subjects that figured at the Quad summit, such as the commitment to boost COVID-19 vaccine supplies in Asia and climate change.

In his remarks to Tokyo-based US diplomats Mr. Blinken said the summer Games “involve planning for several different scenarios,” and added that “whenever and however, Team USA ends up competing, it will be because of you.”

The secretaries are expected to make a courtesy call on Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is set to visit the White House as the first foreign leader to meet Mr. Biden in April.

Both officials will leave Tokyo for Seoul on Wednesday and hold talks with counterparts in the South Korean capital until Thursday. — Reuters

Daytime karaoke sessions spread coronavirus in Japan

TOKYO — A rash of Japanese coronavirus clusters linked to daytime karaoke sessions by the elderly, including several linked to 93 cases in one prefecture, prompted a stern warning on Tuesday and calls for caution from authorities.

The recent clusters, which are spread across the country, come as the Tokyo metropolitan area is nearing the planned end of a state of emergency aimed at curbing the latest wave of coronavirus cases. The Olympics are set to begin in Tokyo in just over four months.

At least 215 people have recently tested positive in cases linked to daytime karaoke sessions, a pursuit especially popular with the retired and elderly, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Tuesday.

Ninety-three were in Saga prefecture in southwestern Japan, with ages ranging from the 50s to the 80s, but clusters were also found in Saitama and Chiba prefectures, still under a state of emergency set to end on Mar. 21.

Many of Japan’s karaoke establishments feature small rooms lined with sofas in which groups can sing, eat and talk in privacy for hours.

“We realize that under normal circumstances, karaoke is almost a salon for older people to talk and enjoy themselves, but in the current situation of absolutely trying to prevent infection, these (venues) are rather confined,” Mr. Nishimura said.

“In my election district there are many places like this — narrow rooms where people are packed in and singing. They have to take thorough steps including putting up acrylic panels, good ventilation and disinfecting the microphones.”

He also called on those in areas still under the state of emergency to refrain from unnecessary trips out of their homes.

Roughly 448,400 people have tested positive in Japan and about 9,000 have died since the pandemic began. — Reuters

Meralco Bolts, ROS Elasto Painters happy with their PBA rookie picks

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

ENTERING last weekend’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) rookie draft, the Meralco Bolts and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters were seeking to address some of the teams’ needs, something they felt they were able to achieve with the picks they got.

The Bolts selected former University of the East gunner and national 3×3 player Alvin Pasaol ninth overall in the draft, while the Elasto Painters went for De La Salle University big man and three-on-three baller Santi Santillan for the fifth pick.

“We are quite happy to welcome Alvin Pasaol into the Meralco Bolts team. We were hoping he might drop to us (at No. 9) and it happened,” Meralco coach Norman Black was quoted as saying by the official PBA Website following the draft.

Mr. Pasaol is expected to provide fire power to the Meralco offense much like what he did with the Red Warriors at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

“We have been a very solid basketball team defensively the past few years. Our hope is that Alvin can be a force on offense and he will give us someone who can create his own shot,” Mr. Black said.

Mr. Pasaol joins Mac Belo, formerly of Blackwater, in shoring up the offensive attack of the Bolts.

Meralco made it all the way to the semifinals of the lone PBA tournament in 2020 — the Philippine Cup — and is looking to sustain the good play it had in said competition when the league opens its new season.

“I’m excited to join the team and learn from Coach Norman Black,” said Mr. Pasaol, who is part of the team set to represent the country in the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in May.

After Mr. Pasaol, the Bolts took John Yusa and Luis Brill in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.

Mr. Black said they will look at these players in practice and see where they fit.

RAIN OR SHINE PICKS
Meanwhile, newly promoted Rain or Shine coach Chris Gavina, too, is pleased with the players they got and excited to work with them as they prepare for the next PBA season.

“When we held our annual draft meeting with the Rain or Shine bosses as well as myself and our staff, we all came to the consensus that we would target players that were not only the best available talent, but also have displayed a great deal of character, grit and toughness throughout their playing career,” Mr. Gavina said as quoted by pba.ph.

Six-foot-five Santillan, who previously paraded his wares in the local 3×3 circuit after finishing his UAAP career with La Salle, is seen providing added ceiling and tenacity to Rain or Shine’s frontcourt.

“Santi Santillan is a known bruiser with a knack for rebounding and willingness to do the little things to help his team win. He carries himself with extreme dignity and poise under fire,” said Mr. Gavina of the fifth overall pick.

Mr. Santillan joins veterans Beau Belga, Jewel Ponferada, Norbert Torres, and Mark Borboran in the big man rotation of the Elasto Painters.

Rain or Shine also selected in the second round Filipino-foreign player Franky Johnson (17th) and collegiate standouts Anton Asistio (22nd) and Andrei Caracut (23rd).

They are considered to have strong roster spot claims with their ability to create shots not only for themselves, but also for their teammates.

Rain or Shine faltered in the PBA bubble last year. Despite starting the tournament strong, it barely made it to the playoffs with a 6-5 record. It lost to eventual champions Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in the quarterfinals.

The PBA is targeting to begin its Season 46 on April 11 pending approval from the government over health and safety concerns in relation to the pandemic.

PVL starts preparing for first pro season

THE now-professional Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is currently working on the form its coming season will be having, taking into consideration what it has at its disposal and the prevailing conditions in the country.

Speaking at the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, PVL President Ricky Palou shared that their group has gotten the ball rolling in terms of preparation for the league’s first season as a professional association, targeted to begin with the Open Conference on May 8.

The league will showcase a shored-up roster of 12 competing teams, namely, BaliPure Purest Water Defenders, Banko Perlas Spikers, Chery Tiggo Crossover, Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Cignal HD Spikers, Creamline Cool Smashers, F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, Petro Gazz Angels, Philippine Army Lady Troopers, PLDT Home Fibr Hitters, Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors, and UAC Power Hitters.

The Open Conference will be held in a “bubble” setting at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, where all the participants are expected to be holed up for the duration of the tournament.

Mr. Palou said teams will be allowed 20 personnel each, including the players and coaches.

One of the key matters the PVL is currently discussing is the schedule of the games, made trickier since it involves a bigger number of teams.

“We are in the process of preparing the schedule. We’re looking at several possible setups. One is having a single round-robin and another is we’re looking at the possibility of dividing the teams into two brackets. If we go single round, it will take two months to finish and keeping everybody in the bubble presents challenges. We hope to finalize things this week,” said Mr. Palou.

The PVL official went on to say that they will try to squeeze in as many games as possible every week and have discussed the matter with their new television partners Cignal and TV5 as far as coverage is concerned.

The league is also actively communicating with the management of INSPIRE, Mr. Palou said, to ensure that everything will be up and running come tournament proper.

“We are working with the management of INSPIRE and they have assured us that they can accommodate all the teams. We are expecting that all in all, including league and game officials, between 310 to 325 people will enter the bubble,” he said.

While not giving any definite figures, Mr. Palou shared that they will spend a “substantial” amount to stage their bubble tournament.

Ten million pesos are expected to be used for the medical team and needed swab testing, while P5 million is earmarked for tournament operations like salaries of referees and table officials.

Still being awaited are the figures from INSPIRE as the bubble host.

Mr. Palou said that given how fluid the situation is with the pandemic, they are constantly in communication with all stakeholders, putting a lot of emphasis on health and safety just as he said that they are going to make the necessary adjustments as needed. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

MPL Philippines Season 7 to fire off on March 19

A NEW season of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League – Philippines is to fire off on Friday, March 19, with organizers bracing for another exciting esports action.

Now on its seventh season, MPL Philippines gathers anew the top teams and players in the country of the popular mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game to battle for supremacy.

In the about-to-start season, group stage competitors will be composed of 10 teams — eight seeded teams from the previous season and two main qualifier winners.

Said teams are divided into two groups of five teams each. They will compete in a round-robin format, with each game win helping them earn points to qualify for the playoffs.

In Group A are defending champion Bren Esports, Aura PH, Onic PH, Cignal Ultra, and Work Auster Force. Group B, meanwhile, is composed of Omega Esports, Execration, Blacklist International, Nexplay Solid, and Laus Auto Group Playbook Esports.

Opening the first week of MPL PH Season 7 is a clash between Omega Esports and team Execration, which is a rematch of their Season 6 playoff semifinal match.

Omega Esports defeated Execration, 3-1, in their best-of-5 series, something the latter hopes to redeem itself from at the onset of the new season.

The game is set at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Defending champion Bren Esports opens its season on Day Two against Onic PH.

Bren Esports had the number of Onic PH last season, taking all the matches they played, including sweeping their semifinal joust, 3-0.

The team then plays Nexplay Solid the following day.

Adding a new dimension to the latest season of the league is its partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, which has an end view of raising awareness on wildlife conservation through MPL PH’s advocacy-driven tournaments.

Through the partnership, the league also hopes to show that online games are not only for entertainment, but gamers can also be “global agents of change.”

Fans are also set to be engaged with the return of the Mythical raffle this season. Through it, fans are afforded the chance not only to show support for their favorite team but also to win exciting prizes. Entry to the Mythical Raffle will be available each game week, from group stage to playoffs for a total of 10 weeks.

MPL PH Season 7 action can be seen through the following links: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Official Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/MobileLegendsOnlinePH), Mobile Legends Esports Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MLESPORTS), Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Philippines Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mplph.official), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqmld-BIYME2i_ooRTo1EOg), MLBB eSports (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMncR-XXNXhMyJELEgCrHlg), and Official MPL-PH Website (https://ph-mpl.com/). — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Davao Occidental advances to MPBL national finals by default

THE Davao Occidental-Cocolife Tigers advanced to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Lakan Season National Finals by default on Tuesday after their opponents were rendered a no-go over health and safety protocols.

In an announcement, the MPBL said the Basilan-Jumbo Plastic Steel squad lost the opportunity to play in their South Division finals rubber match with Davao Occidental following the positive coronavirus test of some of their members in their re-swab on Monday.

Defeat by default was the decision set by the league in the event of another positive result for Basilan whose win-or-go home Game Three match with the Tigers was postponed last week, with some of its members testing positive upon their arrival in the MPBL “bubble” in Subic, Zambales, and requiring quarantine.

The league put the down the tough decision so as to stay on track of its two-week bubble calendar.

Davao Occidental will face the San Juan Go for Gold Knights in the best-of-five national finals beginning on Wednesday, March 17.

In the national finals, games will be played almost every day until the series ends, with just a one-day break after Game Two. — MASM

Suns take down Grizzlies, 122-99

DEVIN Booker recorded 27 points and five assists to help the Phoenix Suns roll to a 122-99 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

Chris Paul scored 18 points on nine-of-11 shooting and added seven assists and four steals as the Suns won for the 18th time in the past 22 games.

Deandre Ayton registered 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots for Phoenix. Jae Crowder tallied 14 points and Cameron Payne had 13.

Jonas Valančiūnas had 24 points and 17 rebounds for his 24th double-double of the season for the Grizzlies, who have lost three straight games and four of their past five. Valančiūnas made 11 of 14 field-goal attempts, and eight of his boards were on the offensive end.

Ja Morant and Grayson Allen scored 15 points apiece and Dillon Brooks had 13 for Memphis, which shot 43.7% from the field and five of 23 from 3-point range.

Phoenix shot 56.6% from the field and was 12 of 30 from behind the arc while rebounding from Saturday’s 122-111 setback against the Indiana Pacers. — Reuters

Messi double leads Barça to within four points of La Liga summit

BARCELONA — Lionel Messi celebrated his record-equalling 767th appearance for Barcelona by scoring two goals in a 4-1 La Liga victory over Huesca which helped the Catalans to move within four points of the top of the table on Monday.

Spectacular first-half strikes by Messi and Antoine Griezmann from long-range appeared to have put Barça in the driving seat with the visitors rarely threatening.

However, Barça keeper Marc-André ter Stegen was adjudged to have felled Rafa Mir on the stroke of halftime as the forward attacked a cross. He picked himself up to net the penalty and halve the deficit against the run of play.

A first goal for the club by defender Oscar Mingueza restored Barça’s two-goal cushion eight minutes after the restart as he nodded in a Messi corner.

Mir then missed a golden chance to pull one back when he contrived to head over from close range moments later, and was made to pay as Messi rounded off the win in the final minute of normal time with a deflected effort.

“I’ve always said there’s all to play for in the league title race,” Barça coach Ronaldo Koeman said.

“We’ve bounced back well after dropping points early on in the season. The side are looking good and we are confident we can fight for the trophy.

“It’s a great result to build on. We were good in the first-half and we kept our intensity up in the second, too.

“We can’t afford to drop any more points because we’ve already dropped quite a lot.”

The victory lifted Barça to 59 points in second place, four behind table-toppers Atletico Madrid.

Huesca, meanwhile, remain bottom of the table on 20 points, four from safety.

Messi equalled Xavi Hernandez’s all-time appearance record for Barcelona. — Reuters

Clippers Hyde side

When the Clippers saw fit to restart in the offseason, the mandate was clear. They had just experienced failure in the bubble, and of the type that served to further fuel their disappointment. They were supposed to be primed for greatness, with the arrival of All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George installing them as favorites to bring home the hardware. Instead, they collapsed in the worst possible way. They didn’t just give up a three-one lead in the Western Conference semifinals; they did so after holding double-digit leads in each of the potential series clinchers against the Nuggets.

The collapse, and the wave of bitterness it engendered, led to a changing of the guard. Out was erstwhile head coach Doc Rivers and in came erstwhile assistant Ty Lue, and the move bore optimism that the Clippers’ 2020-21 campaign would feature a string of successes ultimately netting them the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The seemingly defining moment spurred the Clippers to hit the ground running. Among their early strides included emphatic victories over the Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks, Blazers, and Heat, earning for them a robust 13-4 slate early on. They were crowding the top of the highly competitive West, poised to generate continuing momentum.

Now, halfway through the season, that optimism still burns, but not as brightly. In fact, it’s flickering under the strain of play so disjointed that even Leonard, not normally predisposed to airing dirty linen in public, saw fit to grouse about the situation. “It’s very concerning,” he told scribes in the aftermath of a blowout loss to the supposedly overmatched Pelicans, their seventh setback in the last 11 outings. “It’s all about consistency, from teams to players to coaches. That’s what makes a team great, players great, coaches great. A consistency of being, wanting to win, and doing pretty much the same habits of winning.”

Leonard’s right. The Clippers appeared to have the consistency he spoke of at the outset. And then they wavered. Over the last month, in particular, they’ve managed to turn a 21-8 record into a 25-15 mirage. They’re still fourth in the conference, still in possession of a healthy — on paper, at least — plus-5.4 point differential, and still deemed legitimate contenders. The flipside, of course, is that they were likewise in the same position prior to their monumental collapse in the 2020 Playoffs. Which is what the offseason shake-up should have fixed, and which, as things stand, haven’t been addressed to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Lue knows the score. He understands the pressure the Clippers are in given their talent level, all the man-hours lost due to various issues notwithstanding. “We have shown what we can do, and we can play at a high level, but we have to do it every single night. We can’t keep talking about it,” he argued. The question, though, is when. And, considering how much they need to, in Leonard’s words, develop “a consistency of being, wanting to win, and doing pretty much the same habits of winning,” the resolve has to come sooner rather than later. Else, they’ll once again get to prove that their Hyde side is a hurdle they simply cannot overcome.

 

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.

Volkswagen takes aim at Tesla with own European gigafactories

FRANKFURT – Volkswagen plans to build half a dozen battery cell plants in Europe and expand infrastructure for charging electric vehicles globally, accelerating efforts to overtake Tesla and speed up mass adoption of battery-powered cars.

The world’s No. 2 carmaker, which is in the midst of a major shift towards battery-powered cars, said on Monday it wants to have six battery cell factories operating in Europe by 2030, which it will build alone or with partners.

“Our transformation will be fast, it will be unprecedented,” Chief Executive Herbert Diess told Volkswagen’s Power Day, which also featured the CEOs of BP, Enel and Iberdrola in an effort to match some of the buzz of Tesla’s Battery Day last September.

“E-mobility has become core business for us,” he added.

Volkswagen, whose shares rose as much as 3.8%, did not specifically say how much the plan will cost. It said in December that it planned to spend 35 billion euros ($41.7 billion) on e-mobility as a whole by 2025.

The group had been a laggard on electrification until it admitted in 2015 to cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests and had to deal with new Chinese quotas for electric vehicles. It now has one of the most ambitious programmes in the industry.

Volkswagen said the European factories will have a joint production capacity of up to 240 gigawatt hours (GWh) a year, adding the first 40 GWh would come from Sweden’s Northvolt, with production starting in 2023.

As part of the deal, Volkswagen will raise its 20% stake in Northvolt and also take over the Swedish firm’s stake in a planned battery cell venture in the German city of Salzgitter, which will form the second factory from 2025.

This will be followed by a factory in Spain, France or Portugal in 2026 and a site in Poland, Slovakia or the Czech Republic by 2027. Two more plants will be set up by 2030.

While the first two factories are already reflected in Volkswagen’s financial planning, the group is currently in “deep discussions” about how the subsequent plants fitted with financial targets, board member Thomas Schmall said.

 

CHARGED UP

Volkswagen is also working on a major expansion of charging infrastructure, a lack of which is still seen as a big barrier to the mass adoption of battery-powered cars.

Via existing efforts and partnerships with oil major BP as well as top European utilities Enel and Iberdrola, Volkswagen aims to operate about 18,000 public fast-charging points in Europe by 2025.

This represents a five-fold expansion of the existing fast-charging network, Volkswagen said, adding it would invest 400 million euros in the initiative.

In North America, Volkswagen targets 3,500 fast-charging points by the end of 2021 via its Electrify America unit, while in China, the world’s largest car market, the group aims for 17,000 by 2025.

In China, where Volkswagen last year acquired 26.5% of battery maker Guoxuan High-tech Co Ltd, the carmaker now aims to sell more than 2 million electric vehicles a year by the end of the decade.

Shifting to design, Volkswagen unveiled plans to have a new unified prismatic battery cell from 2023, which will support cost cuts generated by the higher level of in-house cell production and could impact its current suppliers.

South Korean battery makers’ shares, including in LG Chem , whose unit LG Energy Solution makes batteries for Volkswagen, and SK Innovation, fell as much as 5.8% and 5.3% respectively on Tuesday after the news.

Electric vehicle makers, including Tesla, are using cylindrical battery cells, which resemble flashlight batteries and are relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

Prismatic cells, which resemble a thin hardcover book, are housed in a rectangular metal case and are more expensive. Pouch cells, another alternative, are thinner and lighter, and resemble a flexible metal mailing envelope.

“On average, we will drive down the cost of battery systems to significantly below 100 euros ($119) per kilowatt hour,” Schmall said. “This will finally make e-mobility affordable and the dominant drive technology.”

The cost of battery cells used for electric vehicles has fallen to an average of $110 per kilowatt hour, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said in December. – Reuters

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