Sports

MANILA, Philippines – University of the Philippines (UP) on Monday said Godfrey Okumu remains in charge of their women's volleyball team, dispelling rumors that he had been sacked. In a statement, the UP College of Human Kinetics said that Okumu is "still the head coach of the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons women's volleyball team." "Mr. Okumu has a live contract with the UP College of Human Kinetics and the University of the Philippines, and as such, will continue to coach, train and recruit players for the UPWVT," said the statement. READ: Okumu remains as UP women's volleyball coach Rumors circulated on Twitter that Okumu had been fired by UP following their subpar performance in the recently concluded UAAP Season 81 women's volleyball tournament. Tabbed to be a contender for the title, UP instead failed to make the Final 4 and bowed out with a 6-8 win-loss record. It was also rumored that Okumu's involvement with Motolite, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) … [Read more...] about UAAP: UP says Okumu still head coach of Lady Maroons

MANILA, Philippines – Cignal-Ateneo bucked a sluggish first half to take down Chadao-FEU, 67-60, and secure a semifinals spot in the 2019 PBA D-League on Monday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. The Blue Eagles overcame an 11-point deficit in the second quarter, coming alive in the third frame before Jolo Mendoza, Thirdy Ravena, and Ange Kouame put the finishing touches on the win. "Our mentality was to take it possession by possession," said Cignal-Ateneo lead assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga of their fightback. Kouame led Ateneo with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks, while Ravena had 10 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and a steal. Kouame and Ravena anchored Ateneo's 21-7 run bridging the second and third quarters, which turned their 11-point deficit into a 39-38 lead for the Blue Eagles. READ: High energy is key for Ginebra, says Tenorio Chadao-FEU played catch-up ball from there and managed to knock by a point with 4:32 left, but Mendoza led a 7-0 run that gave … [Read more...] about PBA D-League: Ateneo overcomes Chadao-FEU, clinches semis seat

MANILA, Philippines -- Sacked board member Joey Romasanta called Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas’ appointments on Monday as invalid and called for a general election within the next days. Vargas ordered the removal of a number of the POC board members of their positions during their General Assembly including 1st vice-president Romasanta, who is the chef de mission to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Vargas nominated POC chairman Bambol Tolentino as his replacement.  FULL STORY: Vargas makes changes to POC, citing 'loss of trust and confidence' “The appointments he announced are invalid because these have to be approved by the Executive Board,” said Romasanta in a statement.  Vargas, who took the POC presidency February last year after beating long-time head Peping Cojuangco in a re-election, announced that the new elections will be held in January 2020. But Romasanta and the banished board members wants the general elections as soon as … [Read more...] about POC feud heats up as removed members call for election

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino professional cyclist Marcelo Felipe of 7-11 CLIQQ Air 21 bagged the overall championship in the PRURide Philippines 2019 Stage Race, held from May 24-26 at Harbor Point, Subic. Felipe also won the Best Filipino Rider and King of the Mountain titles after besting over 150 riders in the three-day cycling event. He received a plaque, a token, and P120,000, while earning an additional 16 UCI points to help the qualification bid for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Joining Felipe on the podium were Brendon Davids of Australia's Oliver's Real Food Racing, and Michael Vink of Australia's St. George Continental Cycling Team, who placed second and third, respectively. Philippine Navy Standard Insurance won the overall classification race, while Go for Gold came in second and Felipe's 7-11 CLIQQ Air21 took third place. For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website. … [Read more...] about Cycling: PH’s Felipe rules 2019 PRURide

MANILA, Philippines – ONE world heavyweight champion Brandon Vera is calling on training partners who can help him prepare for his showdown against Aung La N Sang in October. Vera had challenged "The Burmese Python" shortly after Aung La successfully defended his belt last March. "If we are both healthy, we are both in shape, and we both agree – could you and I meet here in Japan in October, and I’ll challenge you for the light heavyweight belt?" Vera asked, and Aung La was quick to agree. In a video posted on his social media accounts, Vera provided an update of his training so far. "I'm not gonna be able to leave for camp like I usually do and travel the world to train," he said.  "I need to bring in training partners. So past training partners, present training partners, future training partners, people that I've trained with before and people that I have not trained with before – if you wanna come out to the Philippines, come train two or three times a … [Read more...] about ONE: Brandon Vera calls for training partners