Home Blog Page 984

PHL football team eyes Asean Championship semis

Philippine men’s football team coach Albert Capellas with the Mitsubishi Electric Cup trophy in Makati City.

WITH the shiny trophy up for grabs in the coming Asean Championship-Mitsubishi Electric Cup on display, Philippine officials expressed confidence with the men’s team’s chances in the region’s showpiece.

“I think with the team we have now and potentially with a few additional players, we have a good chance of going far in the tournament,” said Philippine Football Federation director of national teams Freddy Gonzalez during the Trophy Tour at Glorietta Activity Center.

“We can challenge any team in the region so I think it’s just all about now making sure all the players are healthy coming into the tournament and really focused on each match.”

The trophy is in Manila as part of the drum beating for the Asean tournament that will run from Dec. 8 through Jan. 5. The Pinoy booters are bunched with Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and Laos in Group B with the aim of making the semifinals again after failing to get past the group play the last two editions.

“I know if we’ll reach our level, if we perform, if our commitment in every game is there, I have a very good confidence we’ll achieve nice things,” Philippine coach Albert Capellas said.

Mr. Capellas, players Patrick Deyto and Simone Rota, Azkals legends Aly Borromeo and Misagh Bahadoran, PFF President John Gutierrez and Mr. Gonzalez were the special guests in the main program of the Trophy Tour event.

Prior to the trophy display in Makati, a football clinic was held at Tuloy sa Don Bosco Alabang in the morning. — Olmin Leyba

Pagdanganan shares 11th place at LPGA Lotte Championship

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN narrowly missed a Top 10 finish in the Lotte Championship as her closing two-under 70 and 279 total was good for joint 11th in the final standings Saturday in Oahu, Hawaii.

After pumping life back in her bid with a sizzling 67 in the third round, Ms. Pagdanganan set out for a strong finish but could only muster a pair of birdies in a bogey-free round at the Hoakalei Country Club.

The two-time Olympian fell short of joining the group of 10th placers by just one shot. Still, Ms. Pagdanganan enjoyed her second-best finish of 2024, next only to her seventh place in the Mizuho Americas Open in May and earned $52,713 (around P3.08 million).

The ICTSI-backed Pinay was nine strokes adrift of Korea’s A Lim Kim, who completed a wire-to-wire triumph at 270 after a 68 in the final round.

Filipina Clariss Guce, meanwhile, carded a 77 to end in a tie for 64th at six-over 294. Guce netted $7,049  (around P412,000).

Over at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico, Rico Hoey shot a 69 on moving day but still dropped to 21st at 10-under 206 at El Cardonal at Diamante.

Mr. Hoey, who was among the first-round leaders, notched three birdies in the first four holes but lost steam and mixed three and three bogeys the rest of the way.

He trails the trio of American Justin Lower (63) and Carson Young (67) and Colombian Nico Echavarria (68), who hold pole position at 200, going to the last 18 holes. — Olmin Leyba

Lady Bulldogs book a finals return trip in Shakey’s Super League

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

Games on Nov. 16
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
3:30 p.m. – UE vs UP (classification 7th to 8th)
6 p.m. – Ateneo vs CSB (classification 5th to 6th)

BACK-TO-BACK champion National University (NU) ended Far Eastern University’s (FEU) unbeaten run with a masterclass, 25-16, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, to book a finals return trip in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship over the weekend at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Reigning MVP Alyssa Solomon stamped her class with 17 points, including 11 in the clinching fourth set as the Lady Bulldogs arranged a dream match-up with UAAP rival De La Salle University after its win over University of Santo Tomas in the other semifinal pairing.

NU and La Salle met twice in the last three UAAP finals as they took turns in claiming the titles before staking the prestigious pre-season tourney crown this time around in a best-of-three series starting on Nov. 22 at the same venue.

The Lady Bulldogs will have some score to settle against the Lady Spikers, who snapped their 28-game winning streak in a stellar two-year SSL run so far back in the prelims.

Ms. Solomon had 13 hits and four blocks while UAAP MVP Bella Belen and seasoned spiker Vange Alinsug complemented her with 15 points each.

Ms. Alinsug scored 12 points but no other players finished in double digits for the Lady Tamaraws, who swept their first seven games before meeting their match in the mighty Lady Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, Geezel Tsunashima (11) and Lyann de Guzman (10) joined hands as Ateneo drubbed University of the East, 25-21, 25-17, 25-22, to set a fifth-place battle against NCAA champion College of St. Benilde, which beat UP in the other pairing, 25-19, 25-14, 25-20. — John Bryan Ulanday

Down 12 in 4th, Cavaliers rally past Nets for 11-0 start

EVAN MOBLEY collected 23 points and 16 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers, who trailed by 12 entering the fourth quarter, extended their season-opening winning streak to 11 with a 105-100 victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.

Cleveland became the first team to open 11-0 since the Golden State Warriors won their first 24 in 2015-16 en route to a 73-9 finish. The Cavaliers earned their fourth single-digit victory, facing their stiffest challenge to date after blowing a 15-point lead in the first half.

Mitchell hit four 3s and scored 15 as the Cavaliers were 12-of-16 shooting from the floor (75 percent) and held a 34-28 lead through the opening quarter. Mobley’s turnaround hook shot gave Cleveland its first double-digit lead at 47-37 with 7:12 left in the half, and Garland’s transition 3 upped the lead to 52-37 less than a minute later.

Donovan Mitchell added 22 and Darius Garland contributed 20 as Cleveland outscored the Nets 35-18 in the fourth quarter and scored 26 of their 56 points in the paint in the final period. The Cavaliers shot 54.1 percent overall from the field and made 14 of 18 shots (77.8 percent) in the final 12 minutes.

Cameron Johnson paced the Nets with 23 points while Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas added 22 apiece for Brooklyn, which took the Boston Celtics to overtime on Friday.

Brooklyn held an 82-70 lead into the fourth and a 96-89 lead with 4:23 left on a 3 by Johnson following an offensive rebound by Nic Claxton. The Cavs then outscored the Nets 16-5 the rest of the way.

The Cavaliers took their first lead since halftime on two Garland free throws with 2:31 left, and answered two free throws by Schroder with a tough runner by Garland in the lane with 84 seconds left.

After Thomas sank an 11-footer with 65 seconds left, Ty Jerome hit a short jumper with 46.2 seconds left and Schroder missed a contested 3 with 29.8 seconds left. Mitchell hit two free throws to seal the win.

Cleveland took a 52-37 lead on Garland’s 3-pointer with 6:30 remaining but the Nets ended the first half with a 17-5 run to get within 57-55. Brooklyn scored the first 12 points of the third and outscored the Cavaliers 27-13 in the quarter before wilting down the stretch. — Reuters

Atlanta shocks favorites Miami to reach MLS semis

LIONEL MESSI’S first trip to the Major League Soccer (MLS) postseason ended abruptly on Saturday, as midfielder Bartosz Slisz headed in the game-winner for Atlanta United in a staggering, 3-2 upset over Inter Miami in Round One.

Forward Jamal Thiare got Atlanta on the board in the 19th minute and struck again two minutes later, before Slisz put them over the top in the 76th minute to set up a meeting in the semifinal stage against Orlando City SC.

Miami were overwhelming favorites to win it all after producing a league record 74 points in the regular season but could not keep the momentum after Matias Rojas’ close-range goal in the 17th minute and Messi’s score in the 65th minute.

“There’s some fairy dust in our locker room,” said Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who held his ground against Miami’s unrelenting offense. “On to the next one.”

A sea of pink-clad Miami fans held their breath as Thiare hit the woodwork in the 15th minute and Atlanta applied the pressure out of the gate.

Guzan made a diving leap to stop Messi’s powerful shot from the center of the box in the 17th minute but could not recover in time to stop Rojas’ follow-up from close range, as Miami drew first blood.

Gauff wins first WTA Finals trophy

RIYADH — American Coco Gauff had a bitterly disappointing summer but on Saturday the youngster was able to celebrate lifting her first WTA Finals trophy, regaining her confidence after a string of frustrating defeats to end her year on a high note.

The 20-year-old showed her mettle against China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the Riyadh finale, coming back from a set down and holding her nerve through a gritty three-hour and four-minute affair to win 3-6 6-4 7-6(2).

The first WTA Finals title for Gauff was made sweeter after a mid-year derailment when attempts to rebuild her serve led to repeated frustrations on the tour and a coaching shake-up.

“It’s been a long season,” Gauff said with the gleaming silver trophy in her hand in Riyadh, thanking her family and team for sticking with her through the ups and the downs.

Gauff’s year had started on the right track as she won in Auckland and reached the semifinals at the Australian Open. But the season began to crumble with a fourth-round defeat at Wimbledon and third-round exit at the Paris Games.

She was unable to reset for her US Open title defense after shock early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati and left New York after a dreadful fourth-round defeat by Emma Navarro, when she was plagued by 19 double faults.

Gauff split from coach Brad Gilbert and flipped the script weeks later, however, winning her second WTA 1000 title last month at the China Open before reaching the Wuhan Open semis.

It was clear she had got back to top form in Riyadh as she beat her key antagonist, Poland’s world number two Iga Swiatek, in the group stage and battled past the top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to reach the championship match.

“I know (I) tend to focus on ‘doubters/haters’ but this one is really for all of my supporters! Ya’ll held it down for me win or lose!” Gauff wrote in a post on X after clinching the title.

“I know some of you are a little bit petty like me so it does feel nice to silence them for a bit.”

The youngest player to win the season-ending WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova two decades ago, Gauff leaves the first professional women’s tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia more than $4.8 million richer and with a WTA title at every level.

“Safe to say I beat the bad season allegations,” wrote Gauff. — Reuters

Angry Giannis

Giannis Antetokounmpo once again vented his frustrations in the aftermath of the Bucks’ loss to the Knicks the other day. He had reason to be angry, to be sure; after having come off what seemed to be a statement victory against the admittedly overmatched Jazz, the green and cream started — and stayed — flat at the Garden for yet another disappointing outcome. The 22-point setback in which they failed to claim a single quarter put them at an atrocious 2-7 for the season, second-worst thus far in the so-called Leastern Conference.

To argue that Antetokounmpo has had far better post-match pressers than that which followed the Bucks’ poor showing would be to understate the obvious. He was most definitely in a foul mood; in fact, he even called out a scribe who caught his attention while he was in the midst of replying to a query. “Did we compete today? No,” he contended. “If you don’t compete your ass off, you’re not going to win the game.” And the numbers underscore his point: the Knicks had seven more rebounds, six more steals, and five less turnovers en route to the blowout.

It bears noting that Bucks head coach Doc Rivers hasn’t looked fazed by the turn of events. Their travails notwithstanding, he has all but guaranteed that they would make the playoffs. That said, there can be no discounting the tumult that has visited — and threatened to remain in — the locker room. And when Antetokounmpo is disgruntled, it pays to consider changes to the status quo if for nothing else than to appease him. Which is why the front office has begun making calls around the National Basketball Association to gauge interest in trade deals that can improve the roster for immediate impact.

Exploration is all well and good under any circumstance, and especially in times of duress; after all, no limits can be imposed on excellence. Unfortunately, the Bucks are skirting the second apron, and thus cannot green-light any accord in contravention of salary cap rules. Given the extremely limited options, they are faced with little choice but to make the best of what they have. Needless to say, everything depends on a happy Antetokounmpo. And for as long as he’s not, they have no chance of success.

 

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.

Thai ex-central bank governors warn of interference in selection

THE LOGO of Thailand’s central bank is seen at the Bank of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand, April 26, 2016. — REUTERS FILE PHOTO

BANGKOK — More than 800 leading Thai economists, including four former governors of the Bank of Thailand (BoT), warned on Saturday of political interference in selecting the central bank’s board chairman, saying it could damage long-term economic stability.

The government’s nomination of former Finance Minister Kittirat na Ranong, a ruling party loyalist and staunch critic of BoT Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, has sparked concerns over the central bank’s independence.

Since taking office last year, the Pheu Thai-led government, now under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has been at loggerheads with the BoT, pressuring the central bank to cut interest rates in the Southeast Asian nation and raise its inflation target.

The BoT unexpectedly cut rates last month for the first time since 2020.

Should the BoT “carry out the wishes of the political group, then it would tarnish the credibility of the central bank, which must maintain a strong economic stability for the country in the long term,” the 830 economists said in a statement.

The group has previously expressed concern over having a candidate with close political connections who they say has shown an intention to interfere in BoT monetary policy decisions.

Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub declined to comment on the statement. Kittirat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The independent committee selecting the board chairman meets on Monday after delaying its decision this week, saying it needed more time to “consider all aspects of information” amid the tension between the central bank and the government.

The board chairman is not involved in rate decisions but heads the panel that chooses policy committee members. The chair will also be involved in selecting the next BoT governor when Mr. Sethaput’s term ends in September 2025.

There are two other candidates for the role — a former permanent secretary of energy and a former university dean — who were nominated by BoT. Thai law allows the government to nominate one candidate for every two central bank nominees.

Once the seven-member selection committee picks a chairman, its decision requires the approval of the finance minister, the cabinet and Thailand’s king. — Reuters

Thousands protest over handling of Spanish flood disaster

AN AERIAL VIEW of damaged vehicles as people walk past in the aftermath of the flooding caused by heavy rains in Massanassa, Valencia, Spain, Nov. 8, 2024. — REUTERS

VALENCIA — Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia on Saturday over regional authorities’ handling of devastating floods that killed more than 220 people in one of Europe’s worst natural disasters for decades.

In the latest demonstration over the floods, protesters filled the centre of Valencia demanding the resignation of regional government leader Carlos Mazon and chanting “Killers!”

“Our hands are stained with mud, yours with blood,” read one banner. Some demonstrators dumped dirty boots outside the government building while others plastered it with mud.

Residents in stricken areas accuse Mazon of issuing an alert too late, at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29, well after water was already pouring into many nearby towns and villages.

The Valencian leader has said he would have issued an earlier alarm earlier if authorities had been notified of the seriousness of the situation by an official water monitoring body. Mazon did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

“We want to show our indignation and anger over the poor management of this disaster which has affected so many people,” said Anna Oliver, president of Accio Cultural del Pais Valenciano, one of about 30 groups that organized the protest.

Though the demonstration was largely peaceful, police charged stone-throwing protesters at one point and objects hurled at the city council building caused minor damage.

Following days of storm warnings from the national weather service from Oct. 25 onward, some municipalities and local bodies raised the alarm much earlier than the regional government.

For example, Valencia University told its staff on Oct. 28 not to come to work. Several town halls suspended activities, shut down public facilities and told people to stay home.

Weather service AEMET raised its threat level for heavy rains in the area to a red alert at 7:36 a.m. on Oct. 29.

Nearly 80 people are still missing in what is the most deadly deluge in a single European country since floods in Portugal in 1967 killed around 500. — Reuters

China, Indonesia enhance ties with key deals on lithium, green energy, tourism

PIXABAY

BEIJING — China and Indonesia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in key sectors, including lithium, new energy vehicles, green energy and tourism, according to a joint statement released on Saturday.

The statement followed a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who is visiting China through November 10, the first country he has visited since taking office last month.

Prabowo, who won Indonesia’s presidential election in February, also chose China as the first country to visit as president elect, underscoring Jakarta’s commitment to strengthening its strategic ties with Beijing.

“China and Indonesia will work together to cultivate new drivers of global development, exploring cooperation potential in areas such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics, while seizing opportunities in digital economy and green development sectors,” the statement said.

Both nations also plan to collaborate more closely in the mining sector, leveraging their respective resource endowments and production capacities.

In efforts to revive and surpass pre-pandemic tourism levels, the two countries will introduce new visa measures, including multi-entry long-term visas, and encourage more direct flights and destinations based on demand.

During Prabowo’s visit, both sides signed several cooperation deals, including in housing and the export of fresh coconuts from Indonesia to China. — Reuters

Greece’s mussel harvest wiped out by warming seas

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

THERMAIC GULF  — When Anastasios Zakalkas pulled up the ropes of his mussel farm in the Aegean Sea last month, the devastation was clear: the lines were not heaving with molluscs as they should be at harvest time but were instead filled with cracked, empty shells.

It is the second time in three years that record sea temperatures have hit the mussel harvest in northern Greece, where farmers said they saw a 90% drop in the 2024 catch. Next year will be a dud too, Zakalkas said, because all the seed for the coming season also perished.

“The destruction we suffered (for next year) was 100%,” 35-year-old Zakalkas said aboard his fishing boat on a balmy morning in late October. “We don’t know how we’ll make a living in the new year. Our main and only job is mussels,” he said.

Like other Mediterranean countries, Greece is particularly susceptible to climate change, which this year led to months of above-average temperatures, punishing drought and wildfires. Crops, including chestnuts, apples and cherries have been hit. Scientists say extreme weather linked to global warming could spell bad news for its aquaculture sector too.

A series of heatwaves hit Greece in July, sending sea temperatures in the Thermaic Gulf, its main mussel producing area, above 30 degrees Celsius (86°F) for days — too hot for mussels to survive.

Greece last saw mass mussel deaths in 2021 but scientists forecast that it would not be repeated for another 10 years, said Kostas Koukaras, a biologist who studies marine ecosystems.

“This shows, even to those most sceptical, that the climate crisis is here,” he said.

As world leaders prepare to meet in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku for this month’s United Nations  climate summit Conference of the Parties (COP29) — dubbed the “climate finance COP” — Koukaras said governments should help producers deal with climate-related costs.

“We’re very close to the collapse of mussel farming in Greece, so the state needs to support these people,” he said.

Greece’s aquaculture production was worth over 619 million euros in 2021, the third in Europe after France and Spain, according to the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO). It is among Europe’s main producers of the Mediterranean mussel and exports nearly all of the 20,000 tons farmed annually by small family businesses.

Spain has also seen mussel deaths, although Koukaras said Greece’s sector was hit hardest because nearly all its farms are concentrated in the same region.

For the 100 or so mussel farming families in Zakalkas’ small town of Kymina, the future looks dim. They are seeking state compensation to pay off debts, while others are looking for work in factories, he said.

“We’re afraid,” said Sotiris Tsaros, another mussel farmer. “If this happens again next year, we’ll all leave and everything I’ve done as a farmer for the last 30 years will be gone.” — Reuters

DoTr prioritizes safety and digitalization in the railway sector

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Hands off my tags! Michael Gaida from Pixabay

by Almira Louise S. Martinez, Reporter

The safety of workers and digitalization training are top priorities in advancing the country’s railway services, according to the Department of Transportation (DoTr). 

With technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), DoTr Undersecretary Anneli R. Lontoc said the Philippine Railway Institute (PRI) recently started using new technologies to help enhance safety training.  

“That is the latest we are including in our training curriculum – the digitalization,” she said at the 2nd Philippine Railway Conference. 

Ms. Lontoc added that the department has purchased additional equipment and looks forward to developing the role of virtual reality (VR) in safety training. 

“The digitalization of PRI’s training modules is a clear manifestation of leveling up to global standards,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said. 

PRI has produced 3,300 trained personnel out of 3,700 rail workers, making it a steady supplier of skilled operators. 

 

Occupational safety and health policy 

Although the DoTr embraces modern technologies, Mr. Bautista also emphasized the importance of safety and security of workers. 

“The attention to safety and security should not diminish as we promote digitalization and operations at training,” he said. “Training rail workers is just one side, the flip side is taking care of them.” 

The DoTr commits to creating an occupational safety and health (OSH) policy for the railway sector to promote workers’ welfare. 

“This policy will mandate the protection and benefits of rail workers to incentivize them to do their best at all times and ensure the safety and security of all passengers,” Mr. Bautista said. 

Through these initiatives, he added that the department pushes for a ‘renaissance’ in the country’s rail industry. 

“We can reclaim the glory of Philippine railways through modern and eco-friendly trains, comfortable and efficient rides.”