Sports

SUBANG -- John Derrick Farr and Leah Belgira settled for sixth-place finishes in their respective divisions of the mountain bike cycling’s downhill event on Monday, as host Indonesia swept the gold medals in the 2018 Asian Games. Farr, 22, finished eight seconds slower than gold medal winner Khoiful Mukhib, who finished in two minutes and 16.687 seconds. Belgira, who like Farr is 22 and making her Asian Games debut, was 22 seconds off another local bet, Tiara Andini Prastika (2:33.056). PhilCycling’s MTB commission chairman, Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez, acknowledged that the Indonesians exploited their home-court advantage. Organizers allowed only one track walk and a tight three-hour practice ride for all foreign riders on the eve of the competitions, while the Indonesians, as hosts, had the luxury of making the course their home for the last three months. “Had we ridden the course several times, we could have done better, if not vied for the podium,” … [Read more...] about News Asian Games: Pinoy cyclists settle for 6th place in mountain bike

MANILA -- Having to lose a world title is devastating. But having to lose four more fights after that is even more painful. Good thing Honorio Banario kept on fighting and strung together five successive wins. He will be going after win number six when he tackles rising Singaporean fighter Amir Khan on September 8 in Shanghai. “I have always believed in myself, but I was surprised to have done what I did,” Banario said, referring to his win streak. “With the help of my teammates, and the support of my friends and my family, I continued with my career and it was a good decision.” Banario will battle Khan in the co-main event of ONE: Beyond the Horizon at the Baoshan Arena in Shanghai, China.  MMA: Honorio Banario looks for early finish vs Singaporean opponent If he convincingly beats Khan, Banario might find himself locked to a lightweight title match against two-division champion Martin Nguyen. “Right now, I’m just motivated to keep on … [Read more...] about News MMA: Banario glad he continued career despite slump

Allen Durham lamented Meralco’s inconsistencies in defense during their fourth-quarter meltdown that led to their 92-90 defeat to an all-Filipino TNT squad on Sunday. The Bolts were still up, 81-74, with under five minutes to go but they failed to hang on this lead after Jayson Castro, Roger Pogoy and Terrence Romeo rallied the KaTropa to victory. "If you gonna be a championship team, you gotta find a way to win that type of game," the two-time best import told the league website. "There's just no excuses for the loss tonight." Durham had a near triple double of 27 points, 22 rebounds and eight assists, but those weren’t enough to salvage the win for Meralco. The same thing almost happened during their tight win against Columbian Dyip. The Bolts had to fight their way out of a 14-point deficit to squeeze out a 109-106 win against the Dyip. "We were not decisive about anything that we did tonight (vs TNT). We were like too hesitant on anything and our defense was too soft," … [Read more...] about News PBA: That’s not championship defense, says Durham after Meralco’s loss to TNT

JAKARTA -- The University of the East on Monday strongly denied that it barred cyclist Marella Salamat from competing in the 2018 Asian Games here. PhilCycling president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Sunday that Salamat “was not permitted by by the Dean of Dentistry of UE to represent flag and country.” It was a disappointing decision, as Salamat had medal potential in the Asiad. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Ricky Vargas was similarly dismayed, especially as they had made three appeals on Salamat’s behalf. “I don’t know for what reason. This was all told to me today, and that is very disappointing, really disappointing. UE should teach more about flag and country. They should teach more about that,” Vargas had said. FULL STORY: PH cycling head rants, as medal prospect barred from joining Asian Games In a statement addressed to Vargas, UE president Ester A. Garcia denied the claim that the university prevented … [Read more...] about News UE denies preventing cyclist Salamat from competing in Asian Games

JAKARTA -- Aby Maraño’s smile ahead of their match against Thailand on Sunday could have lit up the entire volleyball arena at the Gelora Bung Karno complex. The former De La Salle University team captain, who now skippers the women’s national volleyball team, had plenty of reason to be happy. For one, the Philippines was finally playing a volleyball game in the Asian Games -- after 36 years of not sending a team to the continental showcase. For another, Maraño got to once again share the court with her volleyball idol, Pleumjit Thinkaow, the middle blocker who is also the captain of the Thailand team. They posed for a photo with game officials before the match, with Maraño grinning from ear-to-ear. Thailand went on to win the match, 25-22, 25-12, 25-15, but the Filipinas drew solace from their superb start in the opening frame when they ran up to a 9-2 lead against the Southeast Asian champions. LOOK: PH volleybelles pose with Jordan Clarkson Later in the … [Read more...] about News Idol and friend: What Tyang Aby has learned from Thai star