Palayan City sweeps pool play in President's Cup first leg

Renz Palma for Palayan City

Palayan City secures passage into the knockout rounds of the first leg of the 2020 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup powered by TM, as pool play continues inside the INSPIRE Sports Academy bubble in Calamba today.

The Capitals swept Pool C after defeating Bicol-Paxful 3x3 Pro in six minutes and twenty seconds, 21-15.

Clark Derige scored six points to lead Palayan City, with JP Sarao adding six markers. The latter scored all of them in a key stretch in the last six minutes, allowing the Capitals to break away from Bicol and erect a 19-14 lead.

Mon Mabayo scored inside to reduce the deficit to 20-15, but Derige clinch the win with his own short stab to clinch the matchup with 3:40 left.

Earlier on Wednesday, they pulled off the upset against Big Boss Cement-Porac.

Renz Palma still believes they have much room for improvement. "Ang mindset lang namin is aayusin pa namin yung dapat ayusin."

In Pool D, Bacolod-Master Sardines nipped Petra Cement Roxas-ZN Rockies, 21-17. Bacolod's win allows Nueva Ecija a free pass to the knockout rounds and a potential sister team matchup.

In Pool B, Pasig-Sta. Lucia defeated Pagadian-Rocky Sports MLV to send them into the knockout rounds, 21-13. Pasig's win also secures idle Butuan-Uling Roasters a berth into the next round.

Heavy favorites Family's Brand Sardines-Zamboanga City Chooks defeated Zamboanga Peninsula Valientes-MLV, 21-14.

Zamboanga City impresses in early President's Cup first leg action

Troy Rike was the man for Zamboanga City against the Zamboanga Peninsula

Powered by the national team pool, Family's Brand Sardines-Zamboanga City Chooks kicked off their President's Cup campaign strong, defeating Zamboanga Peninsula Valientes-MLV, 21-14 in just under six and half minutes.

Troy Rike ensured the victory for ZC against ZP, nailing three two-pointers in a span of two minutes, including the game-clinching basket with 3:44 remaining.

The Wake Forest and National University alumnus shared after the win, "We are holding ourselves to a high standard. We don't want to drop any games and we don't want to take the easy route."

ZP did secure a win to kick off the first leg, defeating Sarangani Marlins, 21-19 in just over nine minutes. Rudy Lingganay led the Valientes with seven points.

In the other early matches, Palayan City kicked off Pool C action with a 21-15 win over Big Boss Cement-Porac, 21-15. John Paul Sarao topped the Capitals with six markers.

Uling Roasters-Butuan City needed just over seven and a half minutes to dispatch Pagadian City-Rocky Sports, 21-12 in Pool B, while Gab Banal's ten points for Nueva Ecija matched Petra Cement-Roxas City's total team output to secure the win for the Rice Vanguards in just over seven minutes, 21-10, for Pool D.

Group Stage matches are still ongoing, with the knockout playoffs set for a 5pm start today.

UP Men's Basketball seals partnership with TopBreed

UPMBT x TopBreed

The Men's Basketball program of the University of the Philippines chalked up an additional partnership this past week, entering into another agreement with the Universal Robina Corporation.

The new partnership involves the brand TopBreed Dog Meal, which is part of URC's Agro-Industrial Group. TopBreed is tailored to satisfy nutritional and health needs of canines, allowing for their general well-being and attaining optimum performance. Among the products under its banner are ShamPooch shampoo and TopB+ vitamins. It is also considered as the leading brand of Philippine-made dog food in the country.

A long-time backer of the Fighting Maroons, URC already has a partnership with the UPMBT through its premium farm products unit, Robina Farms.

To celebrate the new partnership, a memorandum of agreement signing was held, involving URC-AIG officials Vincent Henry Go (managing director), Jonathan Diño (marketing director), and Julie Ann Climacosa (category manager). Representing the UP MBT are manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, head coach Bo Perasol, and nowheretogobutUP Foundation founder Renan Dalisay.

Go shares, "We are beyond proud to once again be part of the huge crowd of Isko and Iska supporting and rooting for the UP Fighting Maroons. We treasure this partnership with the UPMBT and the whole UP community as we share the same values of integrity, passion for excellence, innovation, and loyalty. Our parallel journeys have shown these values in action."

He adds, "TopBreed, just like the Fighting Maroons, has the same ‘never say die’ spirit, rising from the bottom to be one of the most recognized and respected teams today. This achievement mirrors how TopBreed went against internationally-known giant brands and won the hearts of Filipino furparents nationwide."

Perasol expressed gratitude for the continuing support of the Gokongwei Group of Companies for the program. He says, "We cannot thank them enough. They have been here for us even during our dark years and up to now that we are still facing this pandemic. Their help will really give us a great boost in the upcoming season." He also adds, "Like TopBreed, we were underdogs in our respective fields, but we have both risen to the challenge. We look forward to getting back on the court to give the best that we can for them and for the UP community."

Uvero echoed Perasol's sentiments, adding "We are truly grateful to URC AIG and another one of their brands - TopBreed - for continuing its support to the team despite the business difficulties in these pandemic times."

Go sees opportunities for the brand with the team. "This partnership is far from the ordinary. This time, we can see the other side of the Fighting Maroons---as furbuddies or furparents. We have must-watch features on the players and coaches with their dogs. We can also catch them on an online pupper meet and greet where we can get to know them more," he says.

Diño adds, "TopBreed and UPMBT will also partner in delivering top care to campus dogs through a project called UP Doggo Day. This partnership has much in store for the whole UPMBT crowd."

ONE Championship reveals six-fight card for October 30 event

Eduard Folayang has a scheduled fight this month.

ONE Championship has shed some light on their upcoming schedule, formalizing their mixed martial event at the end of the month.

To be hosted at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, ONE: Inside the Matrix, will take place on October 30, with six matches on the card, including four title fights and the involvement of a Filipino fighter.

Serving as the main event is current two-division champion Aung La N Sang defending his ONE Middleweight title against the undefeated Reinier de Ridder.

Hometown bet Christian Lee will defend his ONE Lightweight title against the undefeated Iuri Lapicus, while Martin Nguyen will defend his ONE Featherweight title against former Thanh Le.

Capping the title fights is a rematch, with Tiffany Teo seeking revenge against Xiong Jin Nan for the ONE Women's Strawweight title. Teo and "The Panda" faced off back in January 2018 to determine the first women's strawweight champion, with the Chinese claiming victory over the Singaporean in Jakarta.

Our very own Eduard Folayang seeks to get himself back into the title scene with a win against Antonio Caruso, while completing the card as the opening fight is Ritu Phogat against Nou Srey Pov.

ONE: Inside the Matrix seeks to continue to gains from ONE: Reign of Dynasties last October 9, which was the first pilot production by the outfit in partnership with the Singapore government. The country has implemented measures to mitigate the presence of COVID-19, and such measures will also be in place for this event.

Like recent ONE Championship events, it is a closed-door activity, with only the athletes, officials, and crew allowed inside SIS.

Make sure to check out ONE Sports on its social media platforms for details on the telecast of ONE: Inside the Matrix.

President's Cup gets IATF clearance

 

The INSPIRE Academy where Chooks 3x3 basketball will be played.

The Philippines will be witness to competitive 3x3 basketball this month, as the Inter-Agency Task Force has granted a provisionary license to Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3.

The license allows the league to finally proceed with the President's Cup powered by TM at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

"We are grateful for the Inter-Agency Task Force composed of the Games and Amusements Board, Department of Health, and Philippine Sports Commission for giving us the clearance to hold our bubble," expressed league owner Ronald Mascariñas. "We would also like to thank Senator Bong Go for helping endorse our request to return to action."

He adds, "All of us are excited to get the ball rolling for our season."

With the license now secured for the competition, which covers from October 16-31, the league now proceeds with the next steps towards the resumption of competition.

Teams will now wrap up their practices at the UP Epsilon Chi Center this week, with the accompanying RT-PCR testing.

They would then go into pre-bubble home quarantine from October 8-13, then go through another round of RT-PCR testing on October 14-15 before entering the bubble inside the INSPIRE Academy campus in Calamba.

Practices will start on October 16-18, followed by a preseason tournament on the 19th.

The President's Cup will have four legs: October 21, 23, 25, and 27, with the Grand Finals to take place on the 30th.

The bubble will then be emptied out on October 31, followed by a 14-day home quarantine.

The presence of sports, Mascariñas believes, will help bring joy back to Filipino fans.

"Everyone is affected by this pandemic and in our small way, we aim to give hope through the sport of 3x3 basketball," he expressed.

The President's Cup powered by TM will feature twelve teams, including national team pool members Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike, and Leonard Santillan, who comprise Zamboanga City-Chooks. Their participation in the tourney is to aid them in their preparations for the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament next year, where a slot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is at stake.

Serving as their competition in the tournament are: Butuan City-Uling Roasters, Bacolod-Masters Sardines, Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, Palayan City Capitals, Zamboanga Peninsula Valientes-MLV, Porac Big Boss Cement MSC, Bicol 3x3 Pro, Pasig-Sta. Lucia Realtors, Sarangani Marlins, Pagadian City Rocky Sports, and Petra Cement.

Alex Eala set for French Open as second seed

Alex Eala. Photo c/o Rafa Nadal Academy

The French Open is about to get its Filipino flavor starting Sunday, as Alex Eala gets ready to participate in the junior girls' tournament.

She made her debut in the 2018 edition, falling short of making the main draw through qualifying.

This time around, she touts her recent success that she can capitalize against the opposition. Even with the cancellation of the Juniors Tournaments in Wimbledon and the US Open due to the pandemic, Alex managed to rise through the ranks, from 247th in 2018 to ending 2019 in thirteenth, to her current status as fourth-ranked ITF Juniors Girls player in the world.

She even made history by becoming the first Filipina to win a Grand Slam event, joining forces with Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho to capture the girls' doubles event of the 2020 Australian Open back in January.

At fifteen years of age, Alex is currently the youngest among the top fifty junior netters in the world. She continues to hone her craft in Mallorca, where she is a scholar of the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Even before her move to Spain, Eala has been supported by Globe Telecom, serving as a Globe Ambassadress for the last seven years.

Tabbed as the second seed at Roland Garros, she is set to open her campaign against Natalia Szabanin.

UCFC snaps up two new sponsors for PFL stint

The UCFC away kit

On Thursday, United City Football Club announced its latest partners for their upcoming Philippines Football League campaign, namely the Manila Regenerative Center (MARC) and Integrated Market Services Asia Philippines Inc. (IMS Asia).

Upon securing their partnerships, UCFC co-founder and CEO Eric M. Gottschalk shares, "We are proud to announce these two grounds- breaking partnerships for our Club, not only because they come at a time of massive challenges to the global economy but also because we were able to attract local brands that have never before supported Philippines football."

He adds, "Tapping into the medical category during this pandemic seems like a logical choice for football partnerships but we also believe that the Club will tremendously benefit from the medical support and services provided to the team – and especially during these times, the welfare of the players and staff is absolutely key."

Tabbed as one of the forerunners in cutting-edge technology with regards to regenerative medicine, anti-aging, and sports injuries, MARC is based inside the Centuria Medical Center in Makati. The facility especially touts its stem cell treatment capabilities.

General Manager Mario Victor A. Bataclan shares, "We are honored to be part of the fast-growing Philippine football scene and be associated with the efforts of the Philippine Football Federation in developing the sports in the country." He adds, "United City Football Club is a team rich with heritage of triumphs and victories in the Philippines and ASEAN region and we at MARC will be cheering and rally behind the team in its quest to defend their national championship title."

IMS Asia is the exclusive distributor of Midas Magnesium in the Philippines. Midas Magnesium is a set of health care products that utilizes the healing powers of magnesium to address a variety of ailments.

IMS Asia Commercial Head Nina F. Oronan announces, "Midas Magnesium is excited to render support and partnership to United City Football Club for the upcoming Philippines Football League." She adds, "Together with IMS Asia, an innovative and value driven company in the business of healthcare and consumer distribution, Midas Magnesium products and health kits consist Magnesium roll-on’s, sprays and WariActiv Vapocoolant, which are perfect for body pain relief. We hope Midas Magnesium’s products will contribute to an optimal performance of the team and pave the way for a victory for UCFC."

The two join Monte Sportswear as UCFC's partners this season, with MARC's logo emblazoned on the front of the shirt and MIDAS Magnesium's logo located on the shorts.