THE National Capital Region Football Association (NCRFA) over the weekend launched its Summer Youth League at the British School Manila.

AFTER successfully holding its first conference in its inaugural season, The Nationals -- the Philippines’ first and only franchise-based Esports League -- is looking to build on the gains it had as it ushered in its second conference.

GM Vugar Gashimov is an Azerbaijani player who was no. 1 player of Azerbaijan for a time and among the top players of the world circa 2008-2011. Born July 24, 1986 in Baku, Gashimov represented his country in the chess olympiads of 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 and almost single-handedly revived the Modern Benoni for Black, utilizing it even in crucial games at a time when the general consensus was that it gave too many concessions to White. What’s more, he was willing to use the original move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 move order and defend Black’s cause in the most dangerous White attacks, namely the Taimanov Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+) and the Modern Main Line (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.h3 0–0 9.Bd3).

The Bucks rightly approached Game Two of their conference semifinal-round set-to against the Celtics with confidence. It didn’t matter that they were routed in the opener, with Al Horford, in particular, looking every bit like kryptonite to the Superman that was Giannis Antetokounmpo. As far as they were concerned, they remained the series favorites for reasons beyond their reliance on the leading Most Valuable Player candidate. Above all else, they boasted of cohesion that propelled an inside-out system and made them better as a collective -- and ultimately superior to their opponents.

THE season-opening PBA Philippine Cup hits the championship phase beginning today with familiar foes San Miguel Beermen and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok getting their best-of-seven series going with Game One at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

THE ELIMINATION round of the women’s volleyball tournament of Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines goes into overdrive today with the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers and University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses disputing the second seed in a one-game playoff at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

UNDEFEATED in four matches to date in Group G of the 2019 AFC Cup, Ceres-Negros FC seeks to win its fifth straight and in the process to secure the top spot in the grouping when it plays Shan United FC in Myanmar today.

LOS ANGELES -- The NBA’s Last Two Minute report displays there were three incorrect non-calls in the final 71 seconds of Sunday’s game between the Houston Rockets and the Warriors -- all of which went in favor of Golden State.

LOS ANGELES -- Jimmy Butler scored 30 points and added 11 rebounds as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors 94-89 Monday night to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series at one win each.

BASILAN and Zamboanga, two teams from the Mindanao region, had started to build up ahead of the coming season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

IN A REGATTA dominated by unpredictable wind conditions, Captain Napoleon, sailing two-handed, mastered the conditions to win the Cruising Class in the recent Punta Fuego to Busuanga Race.

The elimination round of the women’s volleyball tournament in Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines is technical not yet over as two teams are still to dispute the second seed in a one-game playoff today. But the semifinal protagonists are already known and, boy, the Final Four of women’s play should be a good one.