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Sangley international airport to break ground in Q2

By Arjay L. Balinbin
Reporter

THE province of Cavite is targeting to break ground with its joint venture partner for the first phase of the $10-billion Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) project in the second quarter.

“It’s going to happen in the second quarter,” Cavite Governor Juanito Victor C. Remulla told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of the P486-million Sangley Airport development project of the Transportation department at the weekend. “Hopefully the consortium signs everything by this month.”

The Cavite province has awarded the four-runway airport project to businessman Lucio C. Tan’s MacroAsia Corp. and its Chinese partner China Communications Construction Co. Ltd.

The first phase of the project, which costs $4 billion, includes the construction of the Sangley connector road and bridge to connect the Kawit segment of the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx) to the international airport.

Phase 1 will involve the construction of the airport’s first runway, which can accommodate 25 million passengers yearly, helping to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

Mr. Remulla said the groundbreaking will happen right after the consortium signs the contract documents.

Mr. Tan’s MacroAsia said it received the notice of selection and award for the airport project on Feb. 14.

The Cavite provincial government targets the airport to start fully operating by 2023, with partial operations to start a year earlier. The fourth runway will be opened after six years.

The same consortium will work on the other two phases of the project, but there may be contract renegotiations, Mr. Remulla said.

The second phase, which will cost about $6 billion, involves the construction of two more runways with an annual capacity of 75 million passengers.

The last phase is the expansion to four runways to accommodate 130 million passengers yearly.

The Cavite government said the completion of the Sangley Point International Airport would pave the way for the phasing out of NAIA operations, whose area could then be redeveloped into a new city center district.

“That is a suggestion. That is a plan,” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said when asked to comment.

The consortium will have to buy from the Transportation department the existing Sangley Airport before it could start construction works for the first phase of the project.

The government should then stop operations at the existing Sangley Airport.

“The runway is sea-level; it has to be elevated by three meters. So once the consortium starts, they have to stop,” Mr. Remulla said.

Mr. Tugade said the government had spent P486 million to develop the airport, which now caters to turboprop planes for their initial cargo operations and to airline companies with flights to island destinations.

The agency said the Ongpin-led Alphaland Aviation, Inc., which flies the Balesin Island route, launched on Feb. 14 its first flight at the Sangley Airport.

It said Alphaland would also move its Manila and Clark operations to the Sangley Airport.

The department added that Cebu Pacific’s unit Cebgo will be using the airport’s hangars for its cargo operations.

Before it was repurposed for general aviation, Sangley was formerly known as Danilo Atienza Air Base. Its location on Sangley Point, a narrow peninsula that served as a naval facility during the Spanish occupation, is surrounded by navigable waters that require extensive reclamation.

Gov’t scored for lifting Kuwait deployment ban

A LABOR group criticized the government at the weekend for lifting the deployment ban for Kuwait, saying justice had yet to be served for a Filipino housemaid who died in the hands of her Kuwaiti employers last year.

In a statement, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) accused Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III of breaking his promise.

“Bello announced the lifting of the ban in his meeting with local recruitment agencies, which leaves a bad taste in our mouths,” TUCP President and Party list Rep. Raymond C. Mendoza said. “This is a disservice to our President’s advocacy for overseas Filipino workers’ rights and welfare.”

Mr. Bello on Thursday lifted the deployment ban on Kuwait after the two governments reached an agreement for better working conditions of OFWs.

Mr. Mendoza said the Labor department had placed the business interest of recruiters first, making the welfare of Filipino workers abroad an “afterthought.”

Mr. Bello earlier said the ban would only be lifted once Filipino housemaid Jeanelyn Villavande gets justice.

Among the conditions met by the Kuwaiti government was the filing of charges against Jeanelyn Villavende’s employers.

Mr. Bello first imposed a total deployment ban after the Philippine government received a “dishonest” postmortem report of Ms. Villavende’s autopsy from Kuwait authorities.

The National Bureau of Investigation earlier said an autopsy showed the Filipina had been battered and sexually abused, something that was left out in Kuwait’s initial report.

Mr. Bello later lifted the deployment ban partially, only prohibiting housemaids from working in Kuwait.

Mr. Mendoza said Labor officials would be summoned to the House of Representatives this week to explain the lifting of the ban.

In 2018, the government barred Filipinos from working in Kuwait after news of the murder of domestic helper Joanna Demafelis broke. The ban lasted four months. — Gillian M. Cortez

29 patients under COVID-19 monitoring in Western Visayas discharged after negative results

TWENTY-NINE persons under investigation (PUI) in Western Visayas tested negative for the COVID-19 and have been discharged from hospital, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development in Western Visayas (DoH-CHD 6) reported on Friday. “We will continue to monitor them in their homes, especially if they are still within the 14-day incubation period,” DoH-CHD 6 Regional Director Dr. Marlyn W. Convocar said. There are currently three PUIs in the region, all in Capiz, who were admitted last Thursday at a hospital in Roxas City. The three include a female overseas Filipino worker from Hong Kong and two Filipino-American citizens who stopped over in Taiwan, according to Regional Epidemiologist Jessie Glenn Alonsabe. Ms. Convocar said they continue to be on high alert for the coronavirus disease and called on the public to maintain health safety measures. “We should not be complacent,” she said, adding that “those who had travel history from countries with confirmed cases of COVID-2019 should voluntarily surrender themselves to their respective health centers for check-up.” Among the most popular tourist destinations in the region are Iloilo City and Boracay Island. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Jolo named MinDA priority development area

THE MINDANAO Development Authority (MinDA) has identified Jolo, the capital of Sulu province, as a priority development area after Taraka town in Lanao del Sur. “We will come up with a comprehensive proposal and present it to the President,” MinDA Chairperson Emmanuel F. Piñol said in a statement Friday. The development program will be similar to the one recently launched in Taraka, which involves the establishment of model learning centers mainly for agricultural livelihood activities. Among the key sectors eyed for Jolo are chicken and cattle farming, and solar-power energy for both electricity supply and water desalination. Sulu, a part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), is composed of composed of several islands and has been known as the stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap-for-ranson group that has in recent years allied with the extremist Islamic State.

REHABILITATION
Meanwhile, Mr. Piñol said they have also formed the Infrastructure Management Advisory Group (IMAG) that will assist in the rehabilitation plan for three villages in Jolo that were hit by a fire early this month. “I would like to emphasize that right now we are looking at this undertaking as a joint effort of the local government, military, national government, and the private sector,” he said. IMAG will be tasked to oversee the rebuilding of partially damaged houses for 2,379 affected families and determine interventions for 1,377 households that lost their properties. “This is the initial phase of consultative process prior to delivering interventions,” said Mr. Piñol following a visit to the town and a meeting with Mayor Kerkhar S. Tan last week. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nationwide round-up

Bill on foreign participation in public utilities hurdles House 1st reading

THE HOUSE of Representatives has moved one step closer to amending Commonwealth Act No. 146 or the Public Service Act by completing plenary debates on the measure last February 12 after six months of discussions. “Competition and foreign investment are inhibited because limitations that should only apply to the operation of a public utility are applied to all public services,” Albay 2nd District Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda, author of House Bill 78, said in his explanatory note on the measure that seeks to limit the definition of what is a public utility. “This situation is caused by the ambiguity in the definition of public utility that is often used interchangeably with public service under Commonwealth Act No. 146. The key to fixing this problem is to develop a clear statutory definition of public utility,” he said. Under HB 78, the definition of a public utility is limited to electricity distribution, electricity transmission, and water pipeline distribution or sewerage pipeline system.

COMPETITION
The congressman said the enactment of the proposed law would eventually benefit consumers. “This legislative reform will significantly contribute to increasing competition, as well as protecting the public interest. More competition among providers would result in lower prices and improved quality of basic services, creating a more competitive economy towards a better quality of life for all,” Mr. Salceda said. Meanwhile, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, also from Albay representing the 1st District, said he would further explain his opposition to the bill when it is up for final reading. Committee and individual amendments to the measure are due for presentation next, after which the bill will be put to a second-reading vote. Final and third-reading vote takes place after three days. The House version of the proposed New Public Service Law of the Philippines was approved in September 2017 under the 17th Congress, but the Senate counterpart failed to get approval on third reading. Under the current 18th Congress, several related bills have already been filed before the Senate. — Genshen L. Espedido

PHILSTAR

Salceda to file bill institutionalizing school feeding program

A LEGISLATOR is preparing to file a bill guaranteeing access to nutritious school meals for all kindergarten and grade school students. Under the proposed Universal Free School Meals for Children Act, the Department of Education (DepEd) will implement a school-based feeding program for a minimum of 120 days per school year, to be done five days a week with one feeding activity per school day, Albay Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda said in a statement on Friday. “The most critical part of cognitive development is childhood, and when children are hungry, we cannot expect them to develop their full intellectual potential,” he said. “That’s why we must consider child nutrition as part of our investment in education. Pointless kasing papasukin sa eskwela, damihan ang subject, tapos ‘yung bata, gutom pala (It’s pointless to send a child to school, increase the academic subjects, and it turns out the child is hungry).”

LOCALLY-SOURCED FOOD
The bill will also encourage food production in schools, and the ingredients sourced from local farmers. “In a sense, my bill also ensures a sure market for farmer produce,” Mr. Salceda said. The congressman’s proposal will also call on DepEd to tap persons trained by the Technical Education and Skills Development Academy (TESDA) on food preparation, handling, and storage. “In that way, one of its positive consequences is job creation and training on child nutrition.” The 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey of the United Nations Children’s Fund shows high undernutrition rates among Filipino children despite a decline in the rate of stunting to 30% in 2018 from 34% in 2003. “The numerical equivalent of this rate is around 650,000 children. Among them, some 300,000 are with the severest form of malnutrition and require treatment,” the bill’s explanatory note said. “These results correlate with the country’s performance in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which covered 79 countries, where Filipino students fared worst in reading comprehension and second lowest in both mathematical and scientific literacy. Underdevelopment of the brain and the body tend to result in poor performance in reading, math, science and all other education metrics,” it added. The feeding program measure will be the fourth bill in Mr. Salceda’s Comprehensive Education Reform Agenda. He has previously filed the Teacher Empowerment Act to lighten teachers’ administrative load and improve the quality of teaching, the K to 12 Reform Act to make students more job-ready, and the Meister Schools Act to close the country’s highly-technical skills gap. — Genshen L. Espedido

COVID-19 forces more sporting events to be postponed

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

CONCERNS over the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak have taken their toll on the local sporting scene with a number of scheduled events being postponed.

Citing the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19, which has already affected many countries, including the Philippines, sports stakeholders have deemed it fit to heed advisories of local health officials to defer staging events that would gather large crowds to prevent the further spread of the disease.

The Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee are one in highlighting safety and precaution amid COVID-19 and are fully supportive of the move to cancel or suspend sport activities.

“We must always put the safety of athletes, coaches, officials and spectators at the very top of our priorities.We therefore urge all National Sports Associations and other groups associated with the POC, to heed the call for prudence and await official announcements from appropriate agencies with regards this issue,” said POC president Abraham Tolentino in an official statement on the issue shared to members of media on Feb. 14.

Adding, “We also enjoin everyone to take the necessary precautions amidst this growing health concern.”

The POC statement came on the heels of the PSC’s move to postpone events it manages.

“We are taking this very seriously. We have been listening to what the World Health Organization is saying about the virus and we took that into consideration,” said PSC chairman William Ramirez.

Among PSC-managed events postponed were the National Sports Summit scheduled for later this month, the Philippine National Games in May and big seminars that would involve 40 or more participants.

It also moved to postpone the ASEAN Para Games, which was officially deferred last week after consultations between the Philippine Paralympic Committee and the ASEAN Federation.

It marked the second time that the event for differently abled athletes had been postponed.

The ASEAN Para Games, which usually happens immediately after the Southeast Asian Games, was scheduled to take place from Jan. 18 to 25 this year but was deferred to March 20 to 28 because of lack of funds on the part of the PSC, which was tasked to fund the event.

The event is being targeted to be held in May.

The Palarong Pambansa which is to be hosted by Marikina City in May, however, is still a go for now.

COLLEGIATE SPORTS
The COVID-19 has also made collegiate leagues to make changes to its calendars of events.

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) moved the opening of its marquee volleyball tournament to a still-to-be-determined date in accordance with the advice of health officials.

“The University Athletic Association of the Philippines upholds, in the highest regard, the well-being, health and safety of the League’s community — players, coaches, students, their families and fans in general,” said the league’s statement on the postponement, which was co-signed by UAAP President Emmanuel Fernandez and Executive Director Rene Saguisag, Jr.

It added, “In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the UAAP, after thorough deliberation by the Board of Trustees and the Board of Managing Directors, have come to a decision to postpone all sporting events starting Saturday, 15 February.”

The UAAP Season 82 volleyball tournament was supposed to fire off last Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Also postponed were the men’s football tournament which was set to begin on Feb. 16, softball tournament (Feb. 17), seniors baseball tournament (Feb. 19), athletics (Feb. 19–23), and judo (last week of February).

Following suit was the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which suspended indefinitely all seniors division games beginning Feb. 14, including the ongoing volleyball tournament.

HOOPS, TOO
Basketball matches scheduled for the next two weeks were also moved.

The Philippine Basketball Association is now set to open Season 45 on March 8, a week later than originally scheduled.

It also moved the opening of the PBA D-League to March 2 from Feb. 13.

The first home game of Gilas Pilipinas in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup was postponed as well.

Gilas was to meet Thailand in a Group A match on Feb. 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

World-governing body FIBA made the announcement on Friday.

The Philippines’s next game, which is an away assignment against Indonesia on Feb. 23, is being assessed by the latter as of this writing in light of the ongoing health concern.

Shelved as of the moment is the cycling event PRURide PH 2020, which was scheduled to take place from March 11–15 at Mimosa Drive, Clark, Pampanga.

Ronda Pilipinas, meanwhile, is still a go to date. The 10-stage cycling event is set to roll out on Feb. 23 in Sorsogon.

Jones works OT to out-dunk Gordon; Hield tops 3-pt contest

CHICAGO — Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. won a Slam Dunk Contest that required overtime with two extra rounds, edging Orlando Magic big man Aaron Gordon in a six-dunk display.

Jones won by a single point on his birthday Saturday night.

“It was great, a great competition,” Jones said.

Using 7-foot-5 Celtics center Tacko Fall as a prop just in front of the rim, Gordon bounced off of two feet and over Fall for a two-handed walkoff slam. It was good for only a 47, the first non-perfect mark for Gordon.

Jones ran from the opposite 3-point line and jumped from 13 feet and banged in a lefty dunk for his one-point win.

To start the first dunk off, Jones caught the ball off the side of the backboard and moved the ball from his right hand to his left and under his left leg before throwing it in.

Gordon followed with another 50, his fifth of the night, with his own rendition of the around-the-leg windmill.

Gordon’s fourth dunk of the night was a perfect score and brought the stadium to a fever pitch. He received a 50 for a wicked power dunk grabbing an assist from teammate Markelle Fultz off the side of the backboard.

Jones scored 50, taking the ball from a helper on a bounce off the backboard, under his leg and through.

Jones cleared two men who were facing the basket, took the ball back while elevating, put it under his left leg and crammed it in with an authoritative left hand.

Gordon, using Chance The Rapper to hold the ball, pulled the ball from his helper’s hands and locked down his third perfect 50 in three tries.

Gordon nailed a perfect 50 — 10s from all five judges — with the fourth and final dunk of the first round. He matched it with his second slam — plucking the ball from the hands of Chance The Rapper while jumping over him and moving from one sideline toward the other, spinning his body back to the basket in midair to finish the slam.

Jones followed up a miss and a birthday serenade from the United Center crowd to score 46 points for his first dunk. Jones positioned teammate Bam Adebayo inside the elbow and leapt over him for a slam.

His second dunk appeared to defy gravity and brought all of the judges to their feet. Jones scored 50 with a looping 360-degree dunk, passing the ball under his leg before whipping it through with his left hand.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ Pat Connaughton, not in uniform but outfitted to resemble the Woody Harrelson character in the film “White Men Can’t Jump,” brought Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich on the court.

Connaughton scored 45 for grabbing the ball from Yelich’s shoulder blades while bounding over Yelich and emphatically finishing the dunk. The crowd erupted in boos at the resulting score of 45.

On his second try, Connaughton positioned Giannis Antetokounmpo at the cargo circle in the lane. Connaughton ran full speed and grabbed the ball from Antetokounmpo, tapped the backboard and crammed home a two-handed flush for a perfect 50.

Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers went first and received 41 thanks to eights by four judges and a nine from Scottie Pippen. Howard recreated his 2008 Superman dunk with a red cape and blue undershirt with the superhero logo covered by number 24. He took a lob from Jameer Nelson, who was standing out of bounds behind the backboard, for a 49.

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield won the 3-Point Contest at NBA All-Star Saturday night by making his 54th try of the night.

Hield splashed a “moneyball” for a one-point win over Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, who won the event in 2018.

Booker had 20 points in the finals when he reached his final rack — two-point moneyballs in the corner — and canned three of his five tries to get to 26 points.

Hield and Booker tied in the first round.

The top three scorers in the eight-man field advanced: Booker, a late sub for Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Hield scored 27 total points, and Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans had 26 in Round 1.

Bertans shot first in the final round and made 4 of 5 moneyball attempts, tallying 22 points.

The rules of the contest were changed this year. Each made 3-pointer was worth one point with a few exceptions.

Two stations and 10 seconds were added to the traditional five-rack setup, with the extra shots worth three points and 6 feet behind the NBA 3-point line on the floor at 29 feet, 9 inches. Contestants also have one rack of five basketballs that count double (two points) — moneyballs — they can set either in the corner, wing or top of the key.

The five players eliminated in the first round of shooting were defending champion Joe Harris (22) of the Brooklyn Nets, hometown rep Zach LaVine (23) of the Bulls, Heat forward Duncan Robinson (19), Charlotte Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham (18) and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (15).

Adebayo defeated Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis in the 2020 All-Star Skills Challenge.

“The sky is the limit for players the way the game is going,” Adebayo said of winning the competition against a fellow big man and over a field of multiple guards.

Adebayo and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam met in the semifinals before Sabonis and Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton squared off.

Players dribble from one 3-point line to the other winding between four vertical NBA logo obstacles, stopping to fire a chest pass through a station with a round opening just large enough to fit a basketball. Once the pass is successful, players dribble back to the end they started from, make a layup and return to the opposite end of the court where the one-on-one contest ends — when one player makes a three from the top of key placards set on the floor and marked SHOOT.

Sabonis made his fourth 3-point try to make the finals. Middleton lost the ball attempting his layup but recovered in time to have a shot at the win.

The first players eliminated were 2018 Skills champ Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn Nets), Patrick Beverley (LA Clippers), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) and reigning champion Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics). — Reuters

PHL men’s team looks to put badminton lessons to good use

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

GOT to compete against quality competition at the 2020 Badminton Asia Manila Team Championships, the Philippine national men’s team is not letting the lessons it got go to waste and looks to put them to good use as it girds for more tournaments ahead.

Had their journey stopped by defending champion and top seed Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the tournament held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 14, the Filipino shuttlers said they would have wanted to go deeper but nonetheless happy with their showing and grateful for the opportunity to play in such a setup and test their skills.

The Philippines lost to Indonesia, 3-0, in the quarterfinals of the team championships which was set to conclude later yesterday.

“I’m happy that we got to play in this tournament. Our opponents here you only get to play in the Super Series which is only reserved to those in the top 32, especially Indonesia,” said Filipino singles player Lanz Safra, who was the last player to see action before the Philippines was officially eliminated.

“It was a good experience for us as we were able to expose ourselves in such a level of competition and it provided the team an opportunity to further develop our game for future competitions,” added the 18-year-old.

World number five player Anthony Ginting put the reigning champion on the board with a sweep of Ros Pedrosa, 21-10, 21-16, in the first singles match on Friday.

In the second match, the Filipino doubles tandem of Ariel Magnaye and Alvin Morada provided the challenge against Mohammad Hasan and Hendra Satiawan, leading, 7-6, early on. But the Indonesians regrouped thereafter, and took the frame at 21-16.

The Indonesians then buckled down to work and dominated the second at 21-12 for the insurmountable 2-0 advantage.

Needing to win to extend their bid, Mr. Zafra tried his best versus world seventh-ranked player and reigning Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie but the latter just would not budge on his way to the 21-11, 21-14 victory and the 3-0 win that pushed them to the semifinals.

In three games in the Badminton Asia Manila Team Championships, the Philippine men’s team finished with a 1-2 record, its lone victory a gutsy 3-2 win over Singapore on its final group game on Feb. 12.

As of this writing, disputing the finals for the men’s side is Indonesia and Malaysia while for the women’s side it is between defending champion Japan and Korea.

The Badminton Asia Manila Team Championships is organized by the Philippine Badminton Association and is backed by Smart Communications Inc., MVP Sports Foundation, Leisure and Resorts World Corporation, Cignal and TV5.

Go for Gold out to give serious challenge at LBC Ronda Pilipinas

GO FOR GOLD will try to compete against the best cyclists the country can offer as it parades the team it formed and trained for years in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race unfurling on Feb. 23 in Sorsogon and ending on March 4 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Ronnel Hualda is skippering the squad composed of Daniel Ven Carino, Jonel Carcueva, Isamel Grospe, Jr., Jericho Jay Lucero, Marc Ryan Lago, Ronnilan Quita and Rex Luis Krog, who have shown great potential in the past when the team picked them one by one.

“The guys have improved since we first took them and while our target is modest this year, I will not be surprised if we will give the favored teams serious challenge,” said Go for Gold coach and manager Eds Hualda.

Hualda said they remained focused on their goal on discovering, tapping and honing young talents who have a potential to succeed and make the national team in the future.

“That has been the goal by Go for Gold since the team was first formed. And we will never stop until we find and make them champions,” said Hualda.

Carino, Carcueva and Grospe are Go for Gold’s best hopes to contend in this decade-old race staking a whopping P1 million to the champion as the three are consistent top 10 finishers in past races.

They’ll be faced by a field headed by a Standard Insurance (Navy) squad spearheaded by former titlists Jan Paul Morales and Ronald Oranza and three more former Ronda winners Santy Barnachea of Scratch it, Mark Galedo of 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Phil, and Reimon Lapaza of Celeste Cycles-Devel Project Pro Team.

The other teams joining this 10-stage race presented by LBC and supported by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation are Bicycology (Army), Bike Xtreme, Tarlac/Central Luzon, Ilocos Sur, South Luzon/Batangas and Nueva Ecija.

Backing up the race are Versa, 8A Performance, Print2Go, Petron, Green Planet, Bike Xtreme, Standard Insurance, Spyder, CCN, Lightwater, Prolite, Guerciotti, Black Mamba, Boy Kanin, Vitamin Boost, NLEX/SCTEX, Maynilad, 3Q Sports Event Management Inc., LBC Foundation and PhilCycling.

After the 137-kilometer Stage One, Ronda will resume with a 163km Sorsogon Legazpi Stage Two on Feb. 24, 126.9km Legazpi-Naga Stage Three on Feb. 25, 212.5km Daet-Lucena Stage Four on Feb. 26, and 155.4km Lucena-Antipolo Stage Five on Feb. 27 before taking a breather the next day.

Ronda will then continue with a 128.9km Lingayen-Lingayen Stage Six on Feb. 29, 171.9km Lingayen-Nueva Ecija Stage Seven on March 1, 177.1km Nueva Ecija-Baguio Stage Eight on March 2, 176.4km Pugo, La Union-Vigan Stage Nine before closing it with a Stage 10 criterium in Vigan on March 4.

NBA All-Star MVP Award named in honor of Kobe Bryant

CHICAGO — The National Basketball Association All-Star Game MVP Award has been permanently named for the late Kobe Bryant, league Commissioner Adam Silver said on Saturday.

Bryant, an 18-time All-Star who won a record-tying four All-Star Game MVP awards, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Jan. 26. He was 41.

“His loss, together with his daughter and those other seven people on the helicopter, is unspeakable,” Silver said at a news conference before the All-Star Saturday Night event at the United Center in Chicago. “As the father of a child … that’s the unimaginable.”

The Kobe Bryant MVP Award will be presented on Sunday to the most valuable player at the end of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.

“Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game,” Silver said in a statement. “He always relished the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and perform at the highest level for millions of fans around the world.”

Bryant made his NBA All-Star Game debut in 1998 at age 19 — the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game. His 18 All-Star selections are the second most in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, at 19.

Silver said the decision to name the MVP award in honor of Bryant was made collectively by league officials and some players.

“To all of us, it seemed like the appropriate way to bring honor to him,” Silver said. — Reuters

Slam Dunk Contest

Aaron Gordon should have finally claimed the title he wanted. Scratch that. Aaron Gordon should have finally claimed the title he deserved. For all the recognition Zach LaVine received then, the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest should have been his for showmanship and flawless execution. And for all the outstanding efforts of fellow finalist Derrick Jones Jr. yesterday, he certainly proved even better. Except, that is, for three of the five judges who gave him nines for jumping over 7’5” Tacko Fall en route to an emphatic flush. The 47 he got was a point short of extending the competition, and, once again, he wound up the victim of an unmerited outcome.

Needless to say, Gordon was extremely disappointed to finish second anew. And, tellingly, so were just about all the warm bodies in the building, who had been celebrating his successful scaling of Fall as the Slam Dunk Contest decider. Even National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver recognized the feat, not just clapping, but doing so with hands over head, and in emphatic fashion. And so egregious was the faux pas that TNT’s commentators could not help but hark back to the 1988 slugfest, which Michael Jordan won at the expense of the seemingly triumphant Dominique Wilkins.

It’s too bad, really, because All-Star Saturday lived up to the hype until then. Twists and turns laced the festivities, with bigs dominating the Skills Challenge and the Three-Point Shootout being decided on the very last attempt. Given all the buildup, the Slam Dunk Contest was prepped to make the night one for the ages. Instead, it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. And it will be paraded front and center as evidence of why high fliers choose to stay away for the most part. Judging is so prone to whim and fancy that the risks far outweigh the rewards.

Heading into the All-Star Weekend, LaVine was asked why he didn’t choose to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest even though he plays for the host Bulls. He replied the only way he could: He has nothing left to prove. Significantly, it’s an answer he stuck to like a broken record yesterday. And as frustrating as it may be to fans, he’s right. He’s already a two-time champion. Imagine if he competed and lost. Or worse: Imagine if he competed and won, but on the strength of errant scoring. It’s why Jones didn’t look triumphant at all in the aftermath, and why Gordon appeared every bit cheated. In truth, everybody was.

Maybe Dwyane Wade, Chadwick Boseman, and Scottie Pippen wound up regretting their lack of appreciation for Gordon’s final slam. To be fair, they didn’t do anything wrong. As badly as they may have considered the dunk, they had every right to score it a nine. They were, after all, armed with nothing but their judgment — which had hitherto been responsible for his perfect scores. Parenthetically, Jones was likewise just handed two nines (by Candace Parker and Boseman) on an otherwise superb dunk. Which goes to show that the Slam Dunk Contest will never get to exceed itself. It will be either Jeckyll or Hyde. The sky’s literally the limit, but since coming back to earth is inevitable, sticking the landing is critical to the result.

 

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.

Nation at a Glance — (02/16/20)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

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