THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) puts the spotlight on obstacle course racing (OCR) — now a competitive sport being played globally — in a dedicated episode of Rise Up, Shape Up streamed on Dec. 11.

The special webisode titled “No Obstacle is Unbeatable,” will be headlined by coaches and sports development specialists to expound on obstacle course racing as a competitive sport and deepen our insights on how sports can help people overcome life’s obstacles.

“Competing means you have to beat and win over opponents. It is a lesson that we can apply to real-world obstacles. We need to overcome and survive obstacles in life to come out strong and win in life,” PSC Women in Sports over-sight Commissioner Celia Kiram said.

The value of sports goes beyond making athletes and sports enthusiasts stronger in body, it also applies to the mind and spirit.

“We needed sports to show us how we can be strong physically, mentally, and emotionally to conquer hurdles and problems,” Ms. Kiram pointed out, who will also share a brief and interesting trivia on OCR in “K-Isport” segment.

Coach Patricia Puzon currently serves as the founding director and coach of MAC’s CrankIt Tennis Academy (MCTA) in Australia will open the episode on Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m.

Ms. Puzon will be joined by Karen Tanchanco-Caballero, President of the Pilipinas Sepak Takraw Federation, Inc. and the Deputy Secretary-General of the POC; Nerza del Rosario-Manalastas, former Philippine Dragonboat na-tional team co-captain; Marry Ann Crisostomo, FEU wellness and recreation specialist; and Dr. Ligaya Gina Sarmiento, Director of the Sports Development and Management Office of Tarlac State University

MUNICH — Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League following a 3-0 defeat at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, failing to make it past the group stage of the competition for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

First-half goals from Thomas Mueller and Leroy Sane put the Germans, who won all six matches to top Group E, firmly in the driving seat before Jamal Musiala tapped in the third just past the hour.

Barcelona had advanced to at least the round of 16 every time they competed in the Champions League since 2001 but will continue in the second tier Europa League after ending up third in the group. Benfica qualified as group runners-up with a win over bottom club Dynamo Kyiv.

Barça, who made not a single chance in the second half and scored just twice in six group games, has lost their last two matches in all competitions following new coach Xavi’s first defeat in charge of the side by Real Betis on Saturday.

“Bayern was better, superior,” Xavi said. “This is the harsh reality we have to face. I have told players that this is a turning-point. Today, a new era begins and we have to take Barça where it deserves, which is not the Europa League.

“I am frustrated because this is our reality. We start from scratch and we have to get Barça back to fighting for the Champions League. I now feel responsible. Now, we have to go out and win the Europa League.”

Despite having secured top spot in the group, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann fielded his strongest possible team, refusing to rest top players after they beat Borussia Dortmund (3-2) in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

The German champions had been struggling defensively, keeping just one clean sheet in their last eight matches prior to Wednesday.

Jordi Alba tested Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer with a long-range effort in the seventh minute and Ousmane Dembele fired over the bar as the Spaniards initially pressed high. But that was all that was to come from the Barça attack for the rest of the game as the Germans gradually took control.

A scintillating Mueller run down the left caught Barça napping but his cutback came just too late for Robert Lewandowski who failed to tap in from a meter.

The roles were reversed with Lewandowski chipping the ball into the box and Mueller heading in his 50th Champions League goal in the 34th minute, becoming only the eighth player in Champions League history to reach that mark.

Bayern scored again before the break with a Sane missile from 25 meters out. Barcelona, who needed a win to advance, failed to carve out a chance in the second half before Musiala’s 62nd minute tap-in sealed their exit. — Reuters

DONOVAN Mitchell scored 36 points as the Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to five games with a 136-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

Bojan Bogdanović added 21 points, Jordan Clarkson fired in 18 off the bench and Rudy Gobert contributed a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Mitchell has scored 30-plus points in four straight games, tying his longest such streak.

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Anthony Edwards scored 18 and Patrick Beverley chipped in 16.

The Jazz outscored the Timberwolves 76-45 in the second half to hand Minnesota its fourth loss in a row. Utah drained 25 of 54 3-point attempts, led by Clarkson (six treys), Mitchell (five) and Bogdanović (four).

The Jazz seized control in the third quarter after a tight first half.

Mike Conley broke a 65-65 tie with a 3-pointer, sparking a 14-2 Utah run. The Jazz closed the quarter strong for a 95-81 lead heading into the final period.

Towns powered the Timberwolves back within eight after the Jazz took their largest lead, 97-81. But Utah responded with an 8-1 run to go ahead 107-92.

Minnesota took a time out at that point, but it just got worse for the home team as Utah exploded for a 14-0 run to turn it into a rout.

The Jazz held a one-point lead after a back-and-forth first quarter and then again at half time. But there were some wide momentum swings getting to that 60-59 lead at the break.

Clarkson hit two 3-pointers during a 10-3 push for the Jazz, which put them up 49-39.

The Timberwolves then took advantage of a four-minute drought for Utah. Edwards drained a pair of deep shots and Naz Reid scored four as Minnesota cranked out a 12-0 run to regain the lead, 51-49.

Bogdanović then went on a personal 7-0 run to put Utah back up by four. After Minnesota responded with a 6-1 spurt, Mitchell hit a shot with 13.4 remaining to end a wild quarter.

Jazz backup center Hassan Whiteside missed his second straight game with a glute contusion. — Reuters

OTTAWA/BEIJING — Canada joined Australia, Britain and the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Wednesday, with China calling the boycotts “political posturing” and a smear campaign.

The United States was the first to announce the boycott this week, saying on Monday its government officials would not attend February’s Beijing Olympics because of China’s human rights “atrocities,” weeks after talks aimed at easing tense relations between the world’s two largest economies.

China on Tuesday said the United States would “pay a price” for its decision and warned of countermeasures but gave no details. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sought to play down the growing diplomatic boycott.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Beijing would be aware of long-standing Western concerns about human rights in China. “(So) it shouldn’t be a surprise that we decided not to send diplomatic representation.”

Trudeau’s decision seems sure to add tension to a relationship already strained over the detention of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on a US warrant.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada accused Trudeau of making false claims.

“Based on ideological biases as well as lies and rumors, Canada and a handful of Western countries have been flagrantly engaged in political maneuvering, with the attempt to disrupt the smooth progress of Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Their clumsy performance can hardly find any support and is doomed to fail,” the spokesperson said in a written statement.

IOC President Thomas Bach said the Committee had always been concerned with the participation of the athletes in the Olympic Games.

So “we welcome the support for their Olympic teams all these governments have been emphasising,” he told a video news conference. “This is giving the athletes certainty and this is what the IOC is about.”

The chairman of the athletes’ committee of Beijing 2022 said the Games were a stage for athletes, not a runway for politics, according to the Xinhua news agency.

“The politicization of sport and the use of the Olympic Games as a vehicle for political purposes by individual politicians would undoubtedly breach (the) Olympic Charter,” said Yang Yang, China’s first Winter Olympics gold med-alist.

BRITAIN, AUSTRALIA BOYCOTT

Asked earlier in parliament if his country would follow Washington’s lead, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, no ministers are expected to attend and no officials.”

“I do not think that sporting boycotts are sensible and that remains the policy of the government,” he added, indicating British athletes will still compete.

China said it had not invited British officials.

“Making an issue out of the presence of government officials at the Beijing Winter Olympics is in essence a political smearing campaign,” a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia’s decision came because of its struggles to reopen diplomatic channels with China to discuss alleged human rights abuses in the far western region of Xinjiang and Beijing’s moves against Australian imports.

China has denied any wrongdoing in Xinjiang and said allegations are fabricated.

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Australian politicians were engaged in “political posturing.”

“Whether they come or not, nobody cares,” he added.

The Australian Olympic Committee said the boycott would have no impact on athletes’ preparations for the Games, which run from Feb. 4 to 20, adding that “diplomatic options” were a matter for governments.

For the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), a diplomatic boycott recognized the distinction between government and athlete participation while providing a platform to shine a light on China issues.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee remain concerned about the issues in China but understand the Games will create an important platform to draw attention to them,” said the COC in a statement.

Other US allies have been slow to commit to joining the boycott, though Japan is considering not sending cabinet members to the Games, the Sankei Shimbun daily said on Wednesday, citing unidentified government sources.

“Countries’ decisions to boycott the Olympics, that’s their decision that they have to make for themselves,” said White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre. “It’s up to them (other countries) to decide how they’re going to move forward, and if they’re going to boycott or not.”

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.’s administration cited what the United States calls genocide against minority Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region. China denies all rights abuses.

The United States is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and is preparing to bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. — Reuters