Smart Gilas Pilipinas defeats Iran-B, 79-67; RP enters semis (Stankovic Cup 2010)

Smart Gilas Pilipinas defeats Iran-B, 79-67; RP enters semis (Stankovic Cup 2010)

| Sports | 2 comments »

source: fibaasia.net

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Having played wait and watch for 30 minutes, Rajko Toroman unleashed a brisk spree of Filipino offense and the South East Asian nation forced their way into the semifinals with a 79-67 win against a profligate Iran on Friday.

The encounter was even keeled for most the duration with Philippines taking a marginal 51-49 lead into the fourth quarter.

This was when Rajko’s boys made their move.

JV Casio scored 12 of his 14 points and Chris Tiu nine of his 15 in the fourth quarter as Iran turned the ball over seven times in ten minutes.

Asghar Kardoust had a game-high 24 points – 12 of them in the fourth quarter – but Iran failed to put the men behind to support him.

Kardoust also pulled down 11 rebounds, as Safa Ali Kamalian, the assistant coach of Iran’s main team which is preparing for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, nodded his head in appreciation of the center’s efforts.

“We did nothing special (in the fourth quarter),” said Rajkov.

“It was just that we started to click together better as a team. And our shot started going in,” added the Serbian who had steered Iran to the top of the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship – and resultantly into the 2008 Beijing Olympics – said.

“Playing against them (Iran) is always special for me,” said Rajkov.

“Winning against any team from Iran is more special.”

Marnel Baracel was Philippines’ highest scorer with 18 points, and Taulava 10.

“He’s yet to coming together,” Rajkov said of Taulava. “But he is picking up.”

“Given time, he’ll start playing better in our system,”

Going into the fourth quarter 51-49 marginally ahead, Philippines went on an 8-0 run in an all-round scoring show. And when Casio fired in a brand long-ranger they opened out a 10-point lead, their biggest till that point in time.

Kardoust closed in the gap with a powerful drive-in followed by a three-point play, but Philippines this time unleashed a 9-0 run to close down Iran’s chances.

Philippines await the winners of the Lebanon-Kazakhstan quarterfinal.

CLICK HERE FOR FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup (Free Live Streaming)

The Scores:

Philippines 79 - Baracael 18, Tiu 15, Lassiter 14, Casio 14, Taulava 10, Ababou 6, Aguilar 2, Barroca 0, Ballesteros 0.

Iran B 67 - Kardoust 24, Davarpan 12, Atashi 11, Baheran 9, Nabipoor 5, Aslani 4, Hassan 2, Ebrahimi 0, Arghavan 0, Zareei 0.

Quarters: 17-22, 31-34, 51-49, 79-67

Game Stats (Philippines):
total FG - 27/61 (44%)
2pts FG - 19/38 (50%)
3pts FG - 8/23 (35%)
FT - 17/21 (81%) (Casio 9/9)
Rebs - 26 (Tiu 7, Lassiter 6, Taulava 5, Baracael 5)
Assists - 15 (Casio 5, Barroca 4, Tiu 4)
Blk - 1
TO - 15
Stls - 7
(click here) Game Statistics and Detailed scores (PDF file)

*Photo Credit: FIBA ASIA | FibaAsia.net











*Photo Credit: FIBA ASIA | FibaAsia.net

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TeamPilipinas.info: Smart Gilas

09/08/2010 PHI/JOR - Philippines pull the rug from under Turkey-bound Jordan’s feet BEIRUT, Lebanon (3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup): With their PBA ‘import’ playing his role rather well, Philippines played well within themselves and earned a 75-71 win over defending champions Jordan in a Group ‘B’ game on Monday. Philippines, thus won their second game for the second successive night, and are now 2-1. Jordan, who are using this event as a part of their preparations for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, have suffered their second successive loss. Asi Taulava, brought into the line-up for this competition “to add size”, returned a double-double – a dozen rebounds with a Baker’s Dozen points – to lead the Philippines charge. “He (Taulava) has definitely added size. He’s responded well to the team not too bad. I think we can look at using him in the long term too,” Philippines coach Toroman Rajkov said. Marnel Baracel was the SEABA nation’s leading scorer with a 16-point haul. Chris Tiu scored 13, and Mark Barocca returned an incredible 80% on the paint (4/5) in his 12 points. Rasheim Wright, yet to gain full match fitness began to find his touch – something that pleased Jordan coach Mario Palma for the long term – and had a game-high 17 points. “It’s alright. Am getting to feel better,” Wright said. Sam Daghles had 15 points and Ayman Idais had 11. The two Zaids in the Jordanian line-up – Abbas and Al-Khas both pulled down 11 rebounds each. “Such defeats don’t really matter. What we have to introspect is, if we did what we expected to do right,” Palma said. “I think our outside shooting has been very bad so far,” Palma said. Jordan converted a mere five attempts in three-pointers out of the 28 times they tried from the perimeter. For Game Statistics and Detailed scores click here

TeamPilipinas.info: Smart Gilas

Smart Gilas Pilipinas win over World Championship-bound Jordan NT (Stankovic Cup 2010)

8/10/2010 | Smart Gilas, Stankovic Cup 2010 | 176 comments »

source: fibaasia.net

BEIRUT, Lebanon - With their PBA reinforcement playing his role rather well, Philippines (now 2 wins and 1 loss) played well within themselves and earned a 75-71 win over defending champions Jordan (0 wins - 2 losses) in a Group ‘B’ game on Monday.

*Photo Credit: FIBA ASIA | FibaAsia.net *Photo Credit: FIBA ASIA | FibaAsia.net SMART GILAS LATEST UPDATES: www.smartgilas.com www.smartgilas.net www.twitter.com/SmartGilas

The Boxing Truth - Don't Chase A Name, Chase A Fight Mr. Katsidis

The Boxing Truth - Don't Chase A Name, Chase A Fight Mr. Katsidis

by Ricardo Lois

Aug 10, 2010 -

There are reports, rumors, and buzz indicating that promising Filipino prospect Mercito Gesta is hunting a fight with Australian banger Michael Katsidis. Currently Katsidis is doing everything within his power to catch fading Mexican ring general Juan Manuel Marquez inside of a ring. Realistically Marquez - in the final moments of a top notch career - is unlikely to agree to a fight with the exciting, but relatively unknown Katsidis. Marquez wants to cash out his seventeen year career with one more marquee fight against unlikely opponent Manny Pacquiao, or recognizable names such as Ricky Hatton, or Erik Morales that bring in million dollar paydays and possible pay per view events. If Katsidis cannot corner Marquez with the assistance of the World Boxing Organization, (Katsidis is the interim champion to Marquez’s lightweight title), he will be left without a fight partner for the immediate future. Gesta’s management told BoxingScene that they feel their young fighter is ready to take on the more experienced Katsidis and from this writer’s perspective it would be a highly entertaining fight. Last seen on Telemundo, the 22 year old Gesta was stopping Oscar Meza by technical knock-out and displaying nice hand-speed, aggression, boxing abilities, and power. Common sense would indicate that Katsidis might steam roll Gesta, much like he did against Kevin Mitchell earlier this year in the United Kingdom, but Gesta’s skill set could make the fight interesting and I am sure many a hardcore fan would appreciate the bout on HBO Boxing’s After Dark series during 2011. We will have to wait while Katsidis targets Marquez, but the Australian’s disappointment in not landing Marquez could be a treat for fight fans if he tangles with Gesta.

Nietes wants to join Elorde, Villa as longest-reigning Pinoy champs - Pinoy Boxing Republic - GMANews.TV Sports

Nietes wants to join Elorde, Villa as longest-reigning Pinoy champs - Pinoy Boxing Republic - GMANews.TV Sports

Rey Joble, GMANews.TV August 9, 2010 16:03:55

Donnie Nietes isn't thinking of becoming the next best pound-for-pound fighter. He is not seeking to win seven world championships, just like boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Instead, the pride of Bacolod City wants to join the elite cast of legendary Filipino boxers, who reigned supreme in their respective divisions for a long period of time. "Donnie wants to achieve what the great Flash Elorde and the legendary Pancho Villa have accomplished," said Nietes' trainer Edmund Villamor. "He wants to become a reigning champion for a long period of time." Elorde was the longest-reigning Filipino champion, holding the World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight championship for seven years and three months (March 16, 1960-June 15, 1967). Jesus "The Hawaiian Punch" Salud came in next, being the holder of the World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight title for six years and 11 months. Villa, who died at an early age of 24, held the world championship for four years in a total of 106 bouts, including 92 wins from 1920 to 1925. For the 28-year-old Nietes, the 105-lb, minimum weight division is his comfortable weight class, and he showed that when he dominated his past 13 rivals capped by his unanimous decision win over Pornsawan Porpramook nearly three years ago for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimum weight crown. To date, Nietes, who worked as a janitor at the Ala Boxing Gym before getting his big break seven years ago, is the third Filipino world boxing champion. The other two are Pacquiao and world women's boxing champion Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton. Nietes was able to defend his title three times, including a sensational 10th round technical knockout victory over Jesus Silvestre early this year at the Astrodome in Pasay City. His next title defense, a 12-round championship bout against Mario Rodriguez on August 14, will be held at the Polideportivo Centenario, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Nietes is pumped up and focused. He has sparred for a total of 300 rounds and has started his training for several months now. "We trained in Cebu. We ran through an uphill route there, so my conditioning is good. I don't think I will peak too soon because I'm currently winding up my training routine now," Nietes told GMANews.TV. Nietes to wind up training at Wild Card gym The Wild Card gym in Los Angeles, California, a training venue for champions like Pacquiao and Julaton, will also be made available for Nietes in his preparation against Rodriguez. "Coach Freddie Roach has been helpful to us Filipinos and he has helped Filipino boxers fighting in world championships," said Nietes, who has a total of 26 wins, including 15 knockouts, one loss and three draws. From Los Angeles, Nietes and his camp will travel to Mexico. Mexico has produced world-class boxers and champions the previous years. The former Spanish colony is also a danger zone for those Pinoy pugs competing there, most of them having little success. But not Nietes, who's been successful in his two trips here, winning his bouts over Manuel Vargas and Erik Ramirez, respectively, and doing a great job silencing the Mexican crowd. "I’m used to it. We're no stranger fighting in Mexico, so I know what to do come fight time against Rodriguez," said Nietes. JVP, GMANews.TV

DONAIRE-MONTIEL TITLE FIGHT MAY END UP ON CHAVEZ-COTTO CARD

DONAIRE-MONTIEL TITLE FIGHT MAY END UP ON CHAVEZ-COTTO CARD

By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Tue, 03 Aug 2010 
 


 Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire’s wish to get a crack at WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando “Cochilito” Montiel may be fulfilled based on Top Rank promoter Bob Arum’s plans.

Arum told us that he is “figuring where to put it and one of the possibilities is the Julio Cesar Chavez-Miguel Cotto fight, to make that (Donaire-Montiel) a co-feature on the card. Arum said the fight date is December 4 and it would “probably be in Las Vegas.” Donaire who has been chasing the big names in boxing has made it clear he would no longer fight as a super flyweight because of his having to struggle to make the weight and said he wants to move up to bantamweight or even super bantamweight to win a second world title. Donaire is the current WBA super flyweight interim champion and has indicated if he can’t get a title shot at Montiel he would be willing to move up to super bantam to challenge WBO champion Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. Meantime American trainer Rick Stehely who steered Manny Pacquiao to his first world title – the WBC flyweight championship which Pacquiao won by a stunning eighth round knockout over Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul in December 1998, believes Donaire can follow Pacquiao’s footsteps and win “maybe five or six world titles” in different weight divisions. Stehely had predicted before Pacquiao won the flyweight title that he would keep growing and win four world titles but he noted he won seven and maybe can win an eighth. The trainer was totally impressed with Donaire telling us “I think he is absolutely sensational. This guy’s got skills beyond skills. I mean he’s really, really good.” Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.

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TeamPilipinas.info: Jundel Mazon wins 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool title with amazing comeback

TeamPilipinas.info: Jundel Mazon wins 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool title with amazing comeback

By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Sun, 01 Aug 2010
Jundel Mazon, one of the lesser lights in the star-studded Philippine pool line-up emerged as the newest sensation from the country which is regarded as the epicenter of pool by winning the first ever 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool 10-Ball Championships at Mal Taman Anggrek in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

Mazon who scored a come-from-behind victory over fancied Darren Appleton of Britain in the semi finals did one better in the finals against hometown favorite Irsal Nasution who, cheered on by a capacity crowd, raced to a 5-1 lead in the race to ten and looked set to carve his name in the record books. But Mazon, who is in his mid-thirties, had other ideas and playing aggressively and banking on his exquisite safety shots began to put the pressure on the comparatively experienced Nasution. Nasution took early control of the match capitalizing on a missed bank shot on the green 6 ball from Mazon to go ahead in the 3rd rack 2-1 before the Indonesian giant-killer who looked sharper and calmer stepped up his game en route to rattle off four racks in a row for what appeared to the hometown fans as an overwhelming 5-1 advantage. At that point nobody really gave Mazon a chance but like he proved in the semifinals the unheralded Filipino proved his ability at playing under pressure and slowly but surely clawed back into the match while Nasution, short on experience in fierce international competition saw his game suddenly fall apart. The Indonesian’s solid, aggressive play in the early stages of the match was replaced by uncharacteristically weak safeties and poor pocketing. While Nasution’s game unraveled, Mazon in contrast picked up his rhythm and string together an amazing run of eight straight racks to overtake Nasution en route to a classic 10-5 triumph to pocket the top prize of US $40,000 while the hometown boy Nasution earned $10,000. In a post match interview Mazon said “I could not have hoped for a better result. For sure, it was a difficult uphill battle but I was able to regain my composure in the middle stages of the match. From there, I was on a roll and it was then that I knew I had a chance. So I just kept on pushing until the very end. After this extremely grueling competition, I plan on going home, probably relax for a month or two before going overseas again to compete in the 2010 US Open championship.” The two relatively unknown players surprised everyone with their incredible play all throughout the four day tournament organized by ESPN STAR Sports. The Filipino defeated a number of pool heavyweights such as England’s Darren Appleton, 8 – 6 in the semifinals and Japan’s top-seed Naoyuki Oi, 8 – 6 in the quarters to barge into the final round. Not to be outdone, Nasution, also took down a number of top cue masters on his road to the finals with victories versus 2004 WPA World 9 ball Champion Alex Pagulayan, 8 – 4, former double world Champion Ronato Alcano, 8 – 5, and 2007 Guinness 9ball Tour Grand Champion Chang-Jung Lin to book his finals encounter with the Filipino. Pool patrons Aristeo “Putch” Puyat and Perry Mariano both expressed their joy that despite the loss of the big name stars such as Alcano, Orcollo and Pagulayan among others a lesser known Filipino came through to reinforce the Philippines claim as the dominant force in world pool. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.

SYLVESTER LOPEZ RETAINS WBC INT’L TITLE IN TERRIFIC FIGHT CARD

SYLVESTER LOPEZ RETAINS WBC INT’L TITLE IN TERRIFIC FIGHT CARD

By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Sun, 01 Aug 2010
 


 The brightest prospect of promoter Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde, WBC International super flyweight champion Sylvester Lopez retained his title with a smashing 2nd round TKO over tough Wandee Singwancha of Thailand in a terrific, action-packed triple title championship card at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City on Saturday.

Wandee, the former WBC interim light flyweight champion appeared to be getting the better of the exchanges in the opening round with some solid body shots before Lopez dropped the Thai challenger with a cracking counter-left hook seconds before the bell sounded. Sensing he had Wandee in trouble Lopez caught the Thai with another perfect combination to drop him again in round two even as Wandee tried to retaliate by throwing a couple of blows to the body but a perfect right by Lopez dropped the game Thai for the second time and American referee Gene Del Bianco had no hesitation in calling a halt at 2:10 of the second round as Wandee was in no position to continue. In a post-fight interview with Dennis Principe and Rey Danseco of the TV panel that covered the fights to be telecast on Monday at 3:00 p.m. over Solar Sports, Lopez said that at the beginning he studied his opponent and when he dropped his hands he caught him. At the same time Lopez conceded that Wandee was “strong but even when he connected with body shots I didn’t think about his power but how I could hit him.” The champion said he didn’t rush after Wandee in the second round but “waited for the right time to catch him and end the fight.” Although there were reports that Lopez had a little difficulty in making the 115 pound limit he said “I trained well and I was in great condition so making the weight wasn’t really a problem.” With the impressive win Lopez improved to 14-2-1 with 10 knockouts while Wandee dropped to 63-12-1 with 15 knockouts. Lopez who won the title with an 8th round TKO over Korean champion Jong Nam Park on April 5, 2009 successfully defended the title also at the Ynares Sports Arena with 5th round TKO over Japan’s Katsumi Makiyama on November 28, 2009. Wandee who lost in almost identical fashion to Marvin Sonsona on May 28, 2009 but since then won six fights in a row, the last three by TKO. In another cracking fight Ryan Bito won the WBC International flyweight championship with a 10th round TKO over another tough and rugged Thai Sooksan Caichan Saenmuangloie in an absolute war which was close all the way up to the end. Under the open scoring system two of the three judges had Bito ahead 37 while the third judge had it tied at the end of the fourth round. Bito resorted to throwing punches in flurries both to the body and the head but Sooksan absorbed every punch that landed but continued to push forward continuously working to the body and occasionally catching Bito with shots that jarred his head back. In a see saw battle after eight rounds one judge had Bito in front 77-75 while the two other judges had it even ay 76-76 reflecting the closeness of a fight that thrilled fight fans, including former world bantamweight title challenger, Commonwealth champion and Australian champion for a record 18 years Paul Ferreri who once beat Rolando Navarette in a ten round bout in Cebu and top Australian promoter and award winning TV boxing host Peter Maniatis. Bito who stole some rounds by his flurries in the final seconds suddenly exploded in the tenth round and caught Sooksan with a series of vicious punches to the body and head sending the Thai reeling back across the ring and as Bito went after him with a flurry of at least 12 unanswered punches to the head, the Thai looked helpless and referee Gene Del Bianco very correctly called a halt to prevent the Thai from getting unnecessarily hurt. However, in contrast, referee Virgilio Garcia delayed in calling a halt in the preceding title fight in which WBC International light flyweight champion Jonathan Tachuning wore down Warlito Parrenas with a relentless body attack and dropped him with a devastating combination in the seventh round and although Parrenas beat the count it was obvious he was in no position to continue and was unable to even comprehend the instructions of Garcia who inexplicably let the fight continue only to see Tachuning batter the hapless Parrenas for a few more seconds before deciding to stop the bout at 1:59 of the seventh round. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.

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Django elected to BCA Hall of Fame | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

Django elected to BCA Hall of Fame | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 07/30/2010 2:58 PM | Updated as of 07/30/2010 2:58 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Francisco “Django” Bustamante, whose World 9-Ball feat in Qatar this year completed his status as among best in the world, was elected for induction to the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Hall of Fame by the United States Billiard Media Association.
According to Inside Pool Magazine.com, Bustamante will be formally inducted to the BCA Hall of Fame on October 21 in conjunction with the US Open 9-Ball Championship.
Also elected for induction with Bustmante are Americans Terry Bell and Larry Hubbart, who were cited for Meritorious Service for founding the American Poolplayers Association league system in 1979.
Bustamante, the pride of Puyat Sports, was actually shocked upon hearing the news.
“Really? I’m still young!” said the Filipino billiards legend. “Two things that I always dreamed of were to be world champion and to be in the Hall of Fame. This year, both dreams came true. We all dream to be in the BCA Hall of Fame so I am very happy today. We are heroes in the Philippines but for the American people to recognize me like this makes me very proud.”
Bustamante is the second Filipino to make it into the BCA Hall of Fame after Efren “Bata” Reyes, who was inducted in 2003.
The Tarlac-born Bustamante has been playing since the age of 10, and has won titles such as the Munich Masters, the German 9-ball Championship, and the Japan 9-ball Championship, making him one of pool's greatest international stars. – by Marlon Bernardino

Alcano, Orcollo rip Indon rivals | Manila Bulletin

Alcano, Orcollo rip Indon rivals | Manila Bulletin

Guinness World Series of Pool

July 29, 2010, 6:04pm

Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano opened up the double elimination stages with a convincing win over Indonesia’s William Tanizar, 6-3, to jump start his title bid in the 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool 10-Ball Challenge crown at the Mal Tama Aggrek in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Not to be outdone, former world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo and Carlo Biado also crushed their Indonesian counterparts with scores of 6-0 and 6-2, respectively.

Raring to redeem himself after a heartbreaking fifth place performance last July at the 2010 World 9-Ball Championships, Alcano wasted no time in building an early 3-0 lead as he pounced on the early 1-ball corner pocket miss of his visibly nervous opponent at the first rack which was then followed by routine run-outs in the 2nd and 3rd racks.

However, two scratches off the break in the 4th and 5th racks allowed Tanizar the opportunity to catch up and knot the score at 3-all.

Not wanting to give his Indonesian rival any more chance to further boost his confidence, Alcano regained composure and made up for his earlier miscue by stepping up his game and score three straight table runs to notch the win in the 9th rack.

REYES, BUSTAMANTE OPEN DEFENSE OF WORLD CUP OF POOL VS THAILAND

REYES, BUSTAMANTE OPEN DEFENSE OF WORLD CUP OF POOL VS THAILAND

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 29 Jul 2010

Defending PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool champions Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante open the defense of their coveted title against the comparatively unknown Thai duo of Nitiwat Kanjanasri and Surathep Phoochalam at the Midtown Wing of Robinsons Place in Ermita, Manila on September 7.The Philippines “B” team consisting of World Pool Masters champion Dennis Orcollo and 2007 World Pool Championship runner-up Roberto Gomez will face the Croatian pair of the up-and-coming Carlo Dalmatin and experienced Philipp Stojanovic.

Matchroom Sports executive Like Riches said they were delighted to announce the choice of the Midtown Wing of Robinsons Place whichn was originally built in the 1980s. Robinsons houses more than 330 local shops, dining outlets and entertainment facilities and the Midtown Wing, built in mid-2008, makes it the largest Robinson's Mall in the Philippines.

Riches informed us that for the tournament which opens on September 7, Matchroom Sport will be installing an arena with several hundred seats and there will be balcony space for hundreds more. All the action will be covered by Solar Sports for live coverage across the Philippines.

Reyes and Bustamante who won the inaugural staging of the World Cup of Pool before a noisy pro-Filipino crowd in Cardiff in 2006 when they whipped temperamental American Earl Strickland and Rodney “The Rocket” Morris 13-5 came from behind in an epic battle last year to beat the German tandem of Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann and will certainly be the sentimental favorites again this year especially after Bustamante proved he still had the touch by winning the US Open.

But the USA who were champions in 2008 is determined to make its mark with a tandem of Rodney Morris and veteran Johnny Archer although they will be tested right away when they face the Swedish duo of Marcus Chamat and Thomas Mehtala in a tough opener , while the highly fancied English pair of Karl Boyes and Daryl Peach will be optimistic as they face off against unheralded Qatar pair of Mohammad Al Bin Ali and Bashar Hussain.

Last year’s finalists Germany will also fancy their chances as they meet Hong Kong, a team they beat 8-0 in the first round last year. The German team made up of Ralf “The Kaiser” Souquet and Oliver Ortmann will go up against comparatively unheralded Lee Chenman and Kenny Kwok.

Featuring 32 two-player teams representing 31 countries, the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool takes place from 7th to 12th September and features a $250,000 prize fund with $60,000 going to the winning pair.

First round matches are a race to eight and commence on Tuesday 7th September at midday, concluding on Thursday around 18.00, when the second round gets underway. 

Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.

FARENAS TO GET TITLE SHOT AT IBF FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION SALIDO

FARENAS TO GET TITLE SHOT AT IBF FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION SALIDO

By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Wed, 28 Jul 2010 Hard-hitting Filipino southpaw Michael Farenas is to get a title shot at IBF featherweight champion Orlando “Asis” Salido of Mexico sometime in September.

Former two-division world champion Gerry Penalosa informed us that his protégé Farenas is “set to fight Orlando Salido for the IBF championship by September.” The 29 year old Salido won the title by a split decision over Cristobal Cruz in a rematch on May 15, 2010 after having lost in their first encounter for the vacant title also by a split decision on October 23, 2008. Since winning the title Salido scored a 3rd round TKO victory over Leonard Resendiz and followed it up with a 5th round knockout of Victor Rodriguez on July 31, 2009. The 26 year old Farenas is coming off a 2nd round stoppage of tough Indonesian Simon Butar Butar on July 23, 2010 following a disappointing eight round unanimous decision loss to Marlon Aguilar of May 8, 2010. Last March 13 Farenas figured in a two round no decision against Joe Morales when a cut caused by an accidental clash of heads forced the ringside physician to ask the referee to stop the fight. The talented Farenas has had a somewhat checkered career winning some big fights against worthy opponents abroad but quickly disposing of Thai patsies before hometown crowds which has somehow taken the luster out of his career. Salido has a record of 34-10-2 with 22 knockouts while Farenas has a record of 27-3-3 with 24 knockouts.

RP cue masters face strong players in Guinness Series | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

RP cue masters face strong players in Guinness Series | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

RP cue masters face strong players in Guinness Series

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 07/27/2010 8:51 PM | Updated as of 07/27/2010 9:13 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s best cue artists led by World No. 2 Lee Vann Corteza and 2004 World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA) champion Alex Pagulayan will face top names of the sport in the 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool starting July 29.
The series, which held qualification matches in 13 cities within Indonesia, is entering the Grand Finals stage at the Mall Taman Anggrek, Jakarta.
A stellar list of pool talents from across the globe including current World No. 1 Mika Immonen of Finland, Ralf Souquet of Germany, Thorsten ‘The Hitman’ Hohmann of Germany, Shane Van Boening and Stevie Moore of the US, and current Darren Appleton of Great Britain, will participate in the series.
Among the Filipinos joining Corteza and Pagulayan include Dennis Orcollo, Ronato Alcano, Antonio Lining, Jundel Mazon, and Victor Arpilleda.
Indonesian cue masters will also fight for hometown pride and the $95,000 in prize money at stake.
Harvey Davis, vice-president for ESPN STAR Sports Event Management, said: “We are delighted to partner with Guinness again for this event and we’re committed to offer our expertise to showcase the best cue sport action and ensure that the event will be held at the highest international standards for the competitors and spectators.”
The 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool – 10-Ball Challenge is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union.
The event will run until August 1. -- by Marlon Bernardino

Be it in Vegas or Mexico : Pacquiao ready to face Margarito - Pinoy Boxing Republic - GMANews.TV Sports

Be it in Vegas or Mexico : Pacquiao ready to face Margarito - Pinoy Boxing Republic - GMANews.TV Sports

The feeling is mutual as far as Antonio Margarito is concerned. With a November 13 showdown with Manny Pacquiao looming in the horizon, the 32-year old Mexican can’t help himself but be thrilled by the prospect of meeting inside the ring the man considered today as the best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound. “I’d love to get that fight. I think everyone’s talking about it," said the `Tijuana Tornado’, a former two-time world champion. Pacquiao also expressed his willingness to face Margarito in a possible title bout, believing the Mexican is the best available option for him after Floyd Mayweather Jr. refused to sign the contract to face the Filipino ring icon in what many sees as possibly the richest boxing duel in history. Now it’s Margarito who stands to benefit from it, just a year after falling from boxing grace following the discovery of a hardened substance in his knuckle pad shortly before his January 2009 title match with Sugar Shane Mosley. In the aftermath of the controversy, Margarito was slapped a one-year suspension by the California State Athletic Commission, prohibiting him from fighting in the U.S. Although the ban had already elapsed, Margarito has yet to secure a license to fight in America, and his chance to secure one rests the decision of where the fight will be held. In the event he failed to obtain a license, Top Rank Promotions’ Bob Arum has already expressed his intention of bringing the fight in Mexico. The 31-year old Pacquiao, the fighting Congressman from the Philippines, doesn’t see any problem facing Margarito in front of an expected rowdy crowd, mentioning that it will be his first time to fight in Mexico. At 5-foot-11, Margarito will also be the biggest opponent ever for Pacquiao, who stands 5-foot-6. The Mexican also has a reach of 73. Owing to the size disparity, negotiations are now being made to have the match be made at a catch weight of 150 pounds and the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight belt at stake. - RCJ, GMANews.TV

PHILIPPINE BOXING: HOW IT CAN FLOURISH AFTER PACQUIAO RETIRES

July 25th, 2010 | by Carl Guevara

His legacy has already been established. He is already considered to be one of the greatest fighter who ever lived. With or without fighting his greatest rival, his legacy has already been cemented. If we talk about boxing here in the Philippines, the Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is a Demigod. Time stops, crime rates go down to zero, and even the Abu Sayyaf from Mindanao brings fighting to a standstill whenever he fights. Countless accolades have been bestowed upon him, locally and internationally. He has placed our country on the map once more because of his accomplishments. He has already achieved more than any man could ever dream of. You name it, he’s got it. What more could he ask for? Personally, I think there’s still one more thing left that he MUST do before hanging up those gloves.

Every Filipino loves his rags-to-riches story. For everyone who dreams of becoming successful, he’s their inspiration. But in a couple of years from now, Manny Pacquiao, the Pound-for-Pound King and Fighter of the Decade, will retire from boxing. That fact is quite inevitable given that he’s turning 32 this year and there are no more big fights ahead of him. He may stay a little longer, but I believe he won’t allow himself to fight just for the sake of money. He wants to walk away from the sport as the best. His accomplishments will never be duplicated nor be surpassed. Maybe in a couple of decades from now, someone can at least try, but that will be a long shot.

Given these facts, we can now ask, what’s left for Philippine boxing? Is there anyone that could fill that outrageous hole once Pacquiao retires? As of now, I believe there is no one. That’s why I feel the one thing that Pacquiao MUST still do is ensure that our country will be continue to be represented in world-class fights. As of this writing, we only have three world champions in Manny Pacquiao [WBO welterweight champion], Donnie “Ahas” Nietes [WBO Strawweight champion] and Nonito Donaire Jr. [WBA super flyweight champion]. There are a lot of promising stars from our country, like the cousins Eden and Marvin Sonsona, as well as Bernabe Concepcion, that need to be developed and trained properly. This is the one last thing that Manny Pacquiao must do in the sport of boxing.

Given his influence in the sport, Pacquiao must first look for great trainers. If he needs to support them financially, so be it. Secondly, try not to rush his fighters, as was the case with Bernabe Concepcion’s title challenge against Juan Manuel Lopez. Give proper training and support to all aspiring Filipino boxers and maximize their experiences before having them engage in title shots. Third, give them maximum international exposure. I know it will be hard on him financially, but there may be no better person that can do it except him.

These are some of the things I believe Pacquiao must contribute before retiring from the sport that has brought him fame and fortune. It’s a sacrifice on his part, but I think this will be his greatest contribution to Philippine boxing and will leave him a more meaningful and lasting legacy.

For questions or anything you want to discuss, you can write me atcguevara@fighthype.com. You can also follow me and my articles atwww.fighthype.com and of course here at filipino.fighthype.com.

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CASIMERO FADES IN CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS, LOSES INTERIM TITLE BY SPLIT DECISION

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 25 Jul 2010



Promising 20 year old Johnreil Casimero faded in the championship rounds and lost his WBO light flyweight Interim title to Ramon Garcia Hirales in Sinaloa, Mexico on Sunday, Manila Time. 


Casimero who was undefeated in 14 fights with 8 knockouts suffered his first setback in defending the interim title he won with an impressive 11th round TKO over highly fancied Cesar Cancilla of Colombia on December 19, 2009.

Casimero started strong and went after Garcia to take the early rounds but he quickly began to fade in the later stages of the fight and Garcia, the brother of former IBF minimum weight champion Raul “Rayito” Garcia who won the title with a somewhat controversial split decision over Florante Condes in La Paz, Mexico on June 14, 2008, turned the tide in his favor.

Journalist and broadcaster Dennis Principe who covered the fight which was telecast on a delayed basis by GMA 7 said “it was a fair decision although the fight was close.”

He also told us that referee Samuel Viruet who was the third man in the ring when Z “The Dream” Gorres lost his chance to win the WBO super flyweight title from Fernando Montiel in Cebu in February 2007 in a hugely controversial decision did a fair job. Principe said there were a couple of clashes of heads but they were clearly accidental and no damage was done to Casimero.

Ramon Garcia Hirales upped his record to 13-1-1 with 8 knockouts. The 27 year old had evarloer won the vacant WBC International title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Varela on May 20, 2009 and scored a 6th round TKO over Luis Alberto Zarraga on August 29, 2009.

In his last fight Garcia Hirales won by a 2nd round TKO over Michael Arango on February 13, 2010.

In the undercard veteran Federico Catubay who has an unimpressive record of 25-16-3 with 13 knockouts and has lost 8 of his fights also by knockouts gave young super flyweight Rodrigo Guerrero (13-2-1, 9 KO’s) who is coming off a gallant effort against WBC/WBA super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan who is also the IBO bantamweight champion, all he could handle but the Filipino still came up short.

Catubay who is known for his ugly wild-swinging style lost a 12 round unanimous decision to Juan Alberto Rosas at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues in an IBF super flyweight eliminator on November 13, 2009 inexplicably figured in another IBF super flyweight title eliminator against Guerrero. 

Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.

Fil-Brits to promote football, education

Fil-Brits to promote football, education By Joey Villar (The Philippine Star) Updated July 25, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (4)

MANILA, Philippines -  Filipino-Britons Phil and James Younghusband are throwing their full support to 1GOAL: Education for All  a campaign by the 2010 FIFA World Cup using football to help over 72 million children around the world, including six million Filipinos, get a chance to have an education.
“I’d been wanting to support a charity for some time. I think this is it for me,” said Phil Younghusband in yesterday’s Youth League organized by the Muntinlupa Parañaque Las Piñas Football Association coinciding with the launch of the 1GOAL program at the Alabang Country Club grounds.
“1GOAL is a football campaign ideal for me and my brother (James). We want to promote football as well as education because sports is a great way to have an education through scholarships,” Phil added.
The Younghusbands and the MPLFA headed by RP women’s team manager Cathy Rivilla are promoting the program together with VSO Bahaginan, an organization committed to fighting poverty through a wide range of volunteering development programs.
“We organize the MPLFA Youth League on a regular basis because we believe that is an effective method to develop the skills of each player,” said Rivilla.
“Along the way, we also hope to build the spirit of sharing teamwork among players in the hope that they can see beyond themselves,” she added.
The Younghusbands are so dedicated in encouraging Filipinos to embrace football that they put up The Younghusband Football Academy (TYFA), which is under the MPLFA.
“I guess this is our calling,” said Younghusband.

Davadilla, Marcelo lead Asiad passers

Phil. Daily Inquirer

First Posted 03:34:08 24/07/2010

Filed Under: Cycling,Other Sports

 

Two-time tour champion Warren Davadilla and veteran Arnold Marcelo sparkled on the second day of the Koten Unification Races National Cycling Tryouts as they ruled their respective events at the Amoranto Velodrome in Quezon City.

Davadilla, winner of the 1998 and 2005 Tours, topped the men’s points race by tallying 40 points to beat Tomas Martinez, while Marcelo weathered Jan Paul Morales’ late surge to claim top honors in the Keirin race.

Ronnel Hualda reigned sup-reme in the men’s sprint, after beating Ronnel Calla in three races.

The victories were enough for Davadilla, Marcelo and Hualda to clinch berths to the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

For his second-place finish, Martinez also made the squad that already includes early qualifiers Nilo Estayo, Reinhard Gorantes, George Oconer, Reinhard Gorantes, Lloyd Lucien Reynante, Mark Julius Bonzo and John Mier.

Estayo, Gorrantes and Oconer will vie in the men’s Olympic sprint, while Gorantes, Reynante, Bonzo and Mier will be the country’s entries in the 4-km individual time trial and men’s team pursuit.

April Effinger, Marites Bitbit and Annalisa Dysangco, who also qualified in the 500m ITT Monday, added the 3-km individual pursuit and points race to their Asian Games program by also finishing 1-2-3 yesterday.

The selection competition resumes Friday at Subic Bay, where the road race individual time trial, Massed Start Race and the cross country mountain bike events will be held.