HAD it rough in group play in the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup in China where it finished winless in Group D, Gilas Pilipinas now looks to catch a break in the classification round beginning with Tunisia today.

THE Philippine men’s national football team got tripped in the opener of its campaign in the second round of joint qualification for the World Cup 2022 and Asian Cup 2023, losing to Syria, 5-2, in a home game on Thursday at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City.

AFTER a very long time, an all-Filipino world boxing title fight happens on Philippine soil as Samuel Salva and Pedro Taduran dispute the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight crown on Saturday.

THE DEFENDING champions San Beda Red Lions seek to keep their unblemished record intact and sweep the first round of the eliminations of National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 when they take on the streaking Mapua Cardinals in league action today (Sept. 6) at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Dwight Howard’s conference call yesterday didn’t last long. In fact, it cost scribes only a quarter of an hour to sit through, and even less to consider his statements. If nothing else, he was consistent in his message: Whatever excess baggage he may have brought with him to Los Angeles, he’s looking to the future with eyes wide open and prepared to do whatever he can to help the Lakers win. And, taken in the context of all the workout and training videos of him surfacing on social media since he signed a non-guaranteed contract two weeks ago, his pronouncements come across as genuine and heartfelt.

GILAS PILIPINAS’ woes in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup continued on Wednesday as it bowed to Angola, 84-81, in overtime in its final game in group play at the Foshan International Sports and Cultural Arena in China.

THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons got their UAAP Season 82 campaign on a winning start, defeating the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 61-55, on opening day on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

THE Philippine men’s national football team begins its journey for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in a home game today against Syria in Bacolod City.

THE Philippines got its first qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena made the cut in a qualifying tournament in Chiara, Italy, on Wednesday (Manila time).

STILL BASKING in the glory of its Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference redemption, F2 Logistics puts its preparation for a back-to-back championship in the Invitational Conference on the shelf for the meantime as it set to throw entire support to the national team’s build-up for the 30^th Southeast Asian Games.

Was it the time control? I don’t think so. There was no extra time given after the first 40 moves, after which instead of an increment they only had a time delay, 30 seconds allowance before your clock starts -- if you execute your move before the 30 seconds is exhausted this is not added to your time. This rule does not give the players enough thinking time come the endgame, and the players HAD to go into the endgame as no draw offers were allowed. This caused many players to blunder, a prime example being Wesley So losing to Nepomniachtchi despite being the aggressor in the middlegame and early endgame. As the game wore on and they reached the 100^th move Wesley was just exhausted from continuously needing to make his move before 30 seconds and collapsed.

Heading into the United States Open, longtime habitues of the sport wondered whether they would finally get to see a match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at Flushing Meadows. For all the protracted success of the two living legends, they hadn’t yet met under the klieg lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium -- not at any stage, and certainly not for the title. Because of one reason or another (but mostly due to fellow Big Three stalwart Novak Djokovic), they hadn’t yet gone head to head in the last tournament on the Grand Slam rota.