BARCELONA — Double NBA champion Pau Gasol says he is not ready to return to playing and is focusing on recovering from injury after Spanish media reported he is set to return to boyhood club Barcelona.

THE National Basketball Association (NBA) and Smart Communications last week relaunched the league’s website here aimed at providing content that suits local fans’ taste.

THE Ronda Pilipinas on Saturday held a tribute ride that started and ended at the Tarlac Recreational Park in San Jose, Tarlac for its late chairman Moe Chulani.

For all the narratives about how the Australian Open women’s singles title was up for grabs, it could not have been but Naomi Osaka’s to lose from the outset. For other supposed contenders casting a moist eye on the hardware, it certainly didn’t help that safety protocols wreaked havoc on practice schedules. Forced quarantines threw off the conditioning of hopefuls who had the misfortune of having flown in to the continent on chartered planes with passengers stricken by the novel coronavirus. That said, she was always the conservative choice, and not simply because of a successful run to the championship at the United States Open.

MELBOURNE — Naomi Osaka ended Serena Williams’ bid for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title in a storm of power hitting on Thursday, humbling the American great (6-3, 6-4) to reach her second Australian Open final.

The country is targeting to have 560 athletes competing in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam later this year.

MELBOURNE, Feb. 18 (Reuters) — Jennifer Brady ensured there would be an American in the Australian Open final after Serena Williams’ exit by downing Karolína Muchová (6-4, 3-6, 6-4) in the semifinals on Thursday.

DESPITE their acquisition of All-Star forward Calvin Abueva in a surprise trade early this week, the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok are still out to strengthen their frontcourt further by way of the rookie draft.

REIGNING Brave Combat Federation (CF) Fighter of the Year Rolando “Dy Incredible” Dy of the Philippines is set to return to action in March against Kyrgyzstan’s Abdisalam Kubanychbek in a lightweight title eliminator.

FILIPINO pole-vaulter and Tokyo Olympics-bound EJ Obeina won a bronze medal in the 2021 Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland, on Thursday (Manila time) to end his indoor season campaign.

DONOVAN Mitchell had 24 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals, and the Utah Jazz captured their ninth consecutive victory, a 114-96 decision over the host Los Angeles (LA) Clippers on Wednesday.

GOALS from Mehdi Taremi and Moussa Marega propelled Porto to their first-ever victory over Juventus in the Champions League after they secured a 2-1 win over the Italian champions in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.