BARCELONA — Barcelona gave up more ground to Real Madrid in LaLiga's title race on Tuesday after being held to a 2-2 draw at home to third-placed Atletico Madrid as a late penalty from Saul Niguez cancelled out Lionel Messi's 700^th career goal.

WHILE there is no denying that having a sound mind to craft strategies goes a long way in succeeding in esports, still complementing it with proper physical fitness adds further dimension to one’s drive to excel in the sport.

THE COUNTRY is assured of at least two boxers competing in the rescheduled Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 but the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) is confident more could be added to that number once qualifying tournaments resume.

LONDON — Formula One starts its season in Austria this week, nearly four months later than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic and against a very different backdrop even if Lewis Hamilton’s targets remain the same.

THE SAMAHANG BASKETBOL ng Pilipinas (SBP) welcomed the rescheduling of the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament to May next year as it gives the team from the Philippines added time to prepare.

While waiting for the go-ahead for the community to resume activities amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, local football officials have started the ball rolling in preparation for a possible resumption by crafting guidelines to follow.

THE LOS ANGELES Lakers are finalizing a deal with guard JR Smith to add him to their roster for this month's season restart in Orlando, Florida., multiple outlets reported Monday.

The news that 16 of 302 players tested positive for the novel coronavirus is among the biggest pieces accompanying the National Basketball Association’s announcement of the restart of its 2019–20 campaign. Lost in the excitement of pro hoops returning to the mainstream come July 30: the fact that nearly six percent of the base got flagged. It’s a hefty number, particularly when juxtaposed with national and worldwide totals. On the other hand, the sample size is admittedly too small to make a determination one way or the other; for corrective purposes, it holds value only as a reminder of the need for the league to continue taking extraordinary precautions in ensuring the well-being of its stakeholders.

HAVE NOT FLEXED their basketball muscles as much as they wanted to for the past three and a half months because of the “forced break” brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, TNT KaTropa stalwarts Troy Rosario and Roger Pogoy said it has been tough for them but they are finding ways to make the most out of it.

NEW YORK — A pair of bogeys on the back nine and a rain delay were not enough to derail Dustin Johnson, who shot 19 under par to win the Travelers Championship by one stroke in Cromwell, Connecticut, on Sunday.

UTAH JAZZ center Rudy Gobert, the first National Basketball Association player to reportedly test positive for COVID-19 and who drew the ire of numerous people when the league initially suspended the season, says he is still not fully recovered more than three months after his original diagnosis.

THE RETURN OF ONE Championship from COVID-19 pandemic-induced break has been set for July 31, with an event titled “ONE: No Surrender” happening in Bangkok, Thailand.