LAS VEGAS, USA - Andre Berto is the fall guy for pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather's supposedly final fight, an opponent regarded as game but not having the quality to deviate from the script.

Berto is a massive underdog for Saturday's showdown against the unbeaten Mayweather, who will match the perfect 49-0 record of legendary heavyweight Rocky Marciano if - as expected - he retains his welterweight world titles in Las Vegas.

Few give Berto, a former two-time title holder, much of a chance, in what would be one of the greatest upsets in boxing history if he becomes the first man to beat Mayweather.

"I'm the best shape I've ever been in," said a relaxed-sounding Berto (30-3, 23 KOs), vowing to go after the "crafty" and defensively brilliant Mayweather.

"I'm going to bring a combination of speed and power to the table and I believe I have better athletic ability (than Mayweather's previous opponents)."

"I'm a young and hungry fighter coming in, and if I can take that (crown) away from him, that'd be huge. That's my mindset," he added.  

Berto, 32 on Monday, is only now emerging from an ugly chapter in what had been a promising career.

He tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2012, had shoulder surgery in 2013 that left him fearing for his career - "it shook up my whole world" - and is on a run of 3 defeats in his last 6 fights.

Berto says being the man to tear up the history books and prove his knockers wrong is all the inspiration he needs.

"Those critics aren't there in the ring with us, they're not in the gym," he said. "I don't get affected by the critics."

'Whole different man' 

Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) had the pick of a packed welterweight division, but he infuriated boxing fans in choosing Berto, who says he is hungrier and better than ever after those troubled 3 years inside and outside the ring.

He refuses to say what some of the personal issues were and is coy on his injury problems too, but his highly respected trainer Virgil Hunter believes Berto's losses were more to do with his health than lack of talent.

Berto, an all-action fighter with a big heart who will reportedly pocket $3 million from the bout, did not box for over a year because of his shoulder and Hunter says the comeback from that - mentally and physically - is still not quite complete.

But Berto says he will show the MGM Grand crowd - which will be fully behind him - that he is "a whole different man" compared to 2013, when he was knocked out in 12 rounds by journeyman Jesus Soto Karass.

Berto may have been born in the United States but he identifies heavily with Haiti, where his family are from, and is said to have been traumatized by the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people and shattered much of the impoverished country's ramshackle infrastructure.

Berto is believed to have lost friends and family in the quake and he put boxing to one side in the aftermath to travel to Haiti to help in the painstaking recovery.

He also founded the Berto Dynasty Foundation, whose work includes raising money for Haiti's needy.

Berto talks darkly of things in his past, without ever saying what they are.

"Where my people come from, there's a lot worse than anything in that ring," Berto says.

Mayweather has talked up Berto - likely in an attempt to generate interest in the fight - and there has been a noticeable absence of trash-talking between the pair.

"He feels like he has nothing to lose, and I think that when you got a guy that's put in that situation, it makes him work that much harder because he got a chance to be one of the top guys in the sport when I'm through," said Mayweather. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Members of Perlas Pilipinas, headed by coach Patrick Aquino and team manager Wilbert Loa of Blackwater, received a rousing welcome on their return home on Monday, September 7 from the 2015 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship in Wuhan, China.

The Philippine national women's basketball team made history by qualifying to the elite level 1 for the first time in the country's women's basketball history. They pulled off a massive upset over India, 82-76, last Friday, September 4 to earn the promotion.

(IN PHOTOS: Perlas Pilipinas defeats India in historic win)

Perlas Pilipinas, ranked 58 by FIBA, earned the shot at promotion by winning Group B of the FIBA Asia with a 4-1 record, defeating North Korea, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan after dropping their opening match to Southeast Asian Games champions Malaysia.

The Philippines will now get to compete against the best female teams in Asia, including Japan, Chinese-Taipei, China and South Korea.

The country will be entered in Group A at FIBA Asia 2017 to compete for a spot at the FIBA Women's World Cup in 2018.

(READ: Pinoy Pride as Arayi, Perlas Pilipinas wow at FIBA Asia)

Heading the Philippine delegation is Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas deputy executive director Bernie Atienza (6th from left in photo). – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The FEU Tamaraws easily took down the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 88-64, to start their UAAP Season 78 with a bang on Sunday, September 6, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Coming in this season as the favorites to win the title, the Tamaraws justified the high expectations bestowed upon them with a superb performance on both sides of the floor.

After the victory. FEU head coach Nash Racela talked about how proud he is of his boys with their performance.

“I’m proud of all of them, kasi (because) they were up to the challenge,” he said during the post-game press conference. 

“We always remind them that: pag nagkaroon kayo nang challenge mag laro sa loob (if you get the challenge to play in the game), regardless of of the length or the duration - it’s two minutes, it’s 10 minutes - you just have to do your part. Today they did.”

The Tamaraws raced off to a hot start in the first period by going on top 23-11 and never looked back. Roger Pogoy led the scoring department with 19 points off the bench, while fifth-year guard Mike Tolomia had 17 points, 8 boards, and 6 dimes.

Tamaraws star Mac Belo barely made his presence felt in the first two quarters but still wound up with 16 points. Raymar Jose also played well, putting up 16 points and 10 boards.

“We don’t play for others,” Racela said when asked if the win was a statement to the rest of the league. “Importante saamin (what’s important) is we just focus at the task at hand, kahit sino yung kalaban namin (whoever our opponent is). We were just fortunate kasi (because) today, our outside shots were coming in, especially at the start of the ball game.”

FEU attempted just 4 free throws but shot 51% from the field and 34% from downtown. They also got the job done on defense, where the Blue Eagles were limited to 30% shooting from the floor. 

But most importantly, according to Racela, was how the Tamaraws unselfishly shared the basketball.

“If you score 88 points in 40 minutes that’s good enough. I think we carried over one of our strengths from last year - today we had 17 assists. That’s always the emphasis on this team: keep on sharing the ball.”

Racela, however, was unhappy with one con on the defensive side of the floor.

“Our objective on defense was to limit the touches of Kiefer Ravena. He scored 25. He took 18 shots and 8 free throws, so I don’t think we were successful defensively, so kailangan mag trabaho pa mga to (they still need to work on that).” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo Blue Eagles’ campaign in UAAP Season 78 got off to a horrendous start after they lost to the FEU Tamaraws, 88-64, in a game where it seemed like they didn’t stand a chance from the get-go.

The Tamaraws, led by the stellar play of Mike Tolomia and RR Pogoy, raced off to a 23-11 lead after one quarter, which provided the landscape for how the rest of the contest would go.

Talking to the media after the loss, Ateneo head coach Bo Perasol says he feels the reason his team was off to a slow start was because they doubted that they could beat FEU.

“The goal was to gauge ourselves against the perceived best team… and we really felt the strength of FEU, but at the same time, I really feel that in the beginning, like we had doubts if we could beat them,” said Perasol, who’s now in his third straight year as Ateneo’s head coach. “Yun yung nakita ko na (that’s what I saw, that) we were just going through the motion.”

(READ: FEU coach Nash Racela ‘proud’ of his boys after beating Ateneo)

Outside of Kiefer Ravena who had 25 points and Gwyne Capacio who put up 14, the Blue Eagles didn’t receive much aid from the rest of the team. Von Pessumal went 3-of-12 from the field, while rookies Jerie Pingoy, Matt Nieto, and Mike Nieto all went scoreless.

“We could have done a better job. I think at the end of that, nakita duon sa depensa namin (it was evident in our defense),” said Perasol, whose Blue Eagles allowed the Tamaraws to shoot 51% from the field. 

“The way we played lackluster defense. But it’s good in a way this happened against the best team. At least, we felt the slap in the face. If there is something that we need to achieve this coming season, we need to do more… or else the stronger teams are going to play us around.”

“I need to get some production from the guards, Von, all the other yung mga fini-field ko (that I field),” he said. “Kasi hindi naman kaya mag isa ni Kiefer yan eh. Alam naman namin lahat yan.”

(Kiefer can’t do it by himself. We all know that.)

Even the team’s new import, Chibueze Ikeh, reigning UAAP Rookie of the Year Arvin Tolentino, and Hubert Cani put up just two points each. 

“We have to get some more from the others. I know for sure we will be better, but our intention is not just to be better and beat the teams we need to beat; we need to beat the teams that para umangat kami sa top ambisyon namin (so we reach our top ambition). Sadly the way we had played, I don’t think we’re going to go anywhere.”

Perasol admits to taking some of the blame for how Ateneo played, saying he felt he didn’t prepare the team well enough for FEU.

“At the end of the day, sabi ko sakanila, ako rin ang nag prepare sainyo (I told them, I was also the one who prepared you guys). I didn’t think I was able to prepare you well. We talked about this lots of times because we anticipated the adversities that are coming our way. I truly believe that we can still achieve more.”

The Blue Eagles are back in action on Saturday, September 12, when they face the Adamson Falcons. – Rappler.com

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The playoffs begin for the junior division in the men's basketball tournament of the 15^th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) with the University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters going up against the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers and the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars facing University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers.

The third-place UC Junior Webmasters will play against the sixth-ranked USPF Baby Panthers this Tuesday September 8 while the fourth-placed USJR Baby Jaguars will face seed no. 5 UV Baby Lancers on Thursday September 10.

Both UC and USJR have twice-to-beat advantage.

Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, who swept their elimination games to top the league with an 8-0 record, will wait for the top two teams of the quarterfinal round as they have earned an automatic entry into the semifinals along with the University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warriors, who finished at 2^nd with a 6-2 record after bowing to the Magis Eagles and the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildkittens.

The playoffs will determine who will earn the two remaining semifinals tickets.

The UC Junior Webmasters and the USJR Baby Jaguars have earned the twice to beat advantage for placing 3^rd and 4^th, respectively. Both teams tallied a 5-3 record but the Junior Webmasters took the 3^rd place via the “win over the other ruling” after they won over the Baby Jaguars 54-49 in their August 1 meeting.

Likewise, the UV Baby Lancers and the USPF Baby Panthers also ended their eliminations campaign with a similar win-loss record of 4-4 but by virtue of the win over the other ruling, the Baby Lancers take 5^th place after routing the Baby Panthers 87-65 on August 29.

This is the highest standing the Junior Webmasters have ever achieved, while this is the lowest for the Baby Lancers, who have always been known to be a formidable team.

Despite finishing at third place, the Junior Webmasters is facing a tall order as the Baby Panthers had demolished them 93-68 in their August 9 meeting, not to mention that the USPF Junior squad also finished third last season.

The Junior Webmasters will have to find a way to contain Ain Obenza who scored a massive 30 points during their meeting. Not only can Obenza dominate the paint, he also has displayed a touch for 3-point shooting.

Aside from Obenza, they will also have to put a press on George Cometa, Dennis Archival, who have been doing well of late, Christopher Macalam and Jaffer Hernando.

The Junior Webmasters are not without an arsenal of their own as a combination of Froilan Mangubat, Luigi Kondrad Gabisan and Jason Florence Abejo could very well send them through this round.

Both teams, however, have to work on their consistency.

The Baby Jaguars, on the other hand, have the psychological advantage of having defeated the Baby Lancers during their elimination meeting, 65-43.

However, they have to look out for Raul Jancork Cabahug who set a record with his double-double of 41 points and 22 rebounds in the Baby Lancers meeting with the CEC Dragons. Such is Cabahug's importance to the team that he is only afforded only a few minutes of rest in their games.

The Baby Jaguars could always rely on the combination of Joshua Renz Ortiz, John Kirck Gonzaga and Jude Benedict Teleron who can score not only from the inside but outside as well while Geo Ibero could serve as the one to foil Cabahug.

The winners will advance to the semifinal round which will be played in a single round robin format with the top 2 teams advancing to the Best of 3 Finals Series while the losers will play for third in a knockout game. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – PBA team Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters will be the 4th and final team to participate in the upcoming MVP Cup, Sports5 head Chot Reyes confirmed in a tweet on Monday, September 7.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you Coach Jong &amp; TNT mgt for agreeing to be d 4th team in the MVP Cup after Lebanon&#39;s late withdrawal. New sked to be released soon</p>&mdash; Chot Reyes (@coachot) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachot/status/640825928419905536">September 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Talk 'N Text, the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup champion, will join the 4-nation pocket tournament in lieu of the Lebanon national team that backed out last week due to "unexpected circumstances," according to Reyes.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lebanon NT backs out after officially confirming participation in the MVP Cup <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/smh?src=hash">#smh</a> - stay tuned for the replacement team <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/neveragainvitethem?src=hash">#neveragainvitethem</a></p>&mdash; Chot Reyes (@coachot) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachot/status/638970813073362944">September 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">To those asking, Lebanon only cited ‘unexpected circumstances’ in their letter. But don’t worry, tuloy pa rin ang MVP Cup Sept 11-13</p>&mdash; Chot Reyes (@coachot) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachot/status/638999968443817988">September 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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The 3 other participants of the MVP Cup are the Philippine national men's basketball team, the Taiwan national team and the Wellington Saints of New Zealand.

(READ AND VOTE: Build your Gilas Pilipinas dream team)

The tournament will serve as Gilas Pilipinas' final tilt ahead of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship later this month. The nationals first played in a pocket tournament in Estonia and have returned home to Manila Monday after bagging the silver medal in the William Jones Cup in Taiwan.

The former Gilas head coach noted the original September 11 to 13 schedule of the tournament will be changed. The games were initially scheduled to be played at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (READ: Gilas Pilipinas to play in MVP Cup before FIBA Asia)

Talk 'N Text will be playing with a depleted line-up as most of its team leaders are in the Gilas pool including primary guard Jayson Castro, Ranidel De Ocampo, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser as well as this year's first and second overall draft picks Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario. Kelly Williams, who was named to the pool but injured his medial collateral ligament during Gilas practice, will also be out of action for the Texters. (READ: Rosario to TNT, Alas to NLEX, Heruela to SMB headline slew of PBA trades)

There is still no clarification, according to Reyes, whether Gilas assistant coach and Texters head coach Jong Uichico will side with his pro team or the nationals.

Reyes said in response to Twitter questions that other PBA teams did not accept invitations sent to them.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Humindi sila lahat <a href="https://t.co/bLQrR1Lfyn">https://t.co/bLQrR1Lfyn</a></p>&mdash; Chot Reyes (@coachot) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachot/status/640838572409384960">September 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/I_am_r9">@I_am_r9</a> Ayaw Po nila</p>&mdash; Chot Reyes (@coachot) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachot/status/640831752416571392">September 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
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 – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - French basketball player Tony Parker became the all-time top scorer at the EuroBasket tournament on Tuesday, September 8 Manila time when he scored his 1,031st and 1,032 points on a jumpshot in the opening moments of a game against Poland. 

Parker, who plays in the National Basketball Association as a member of the San Antonio Spurs, passed the record previously held by Greece’s Nikos Galis, who competed in 6 Eurobasket tournaments from 1981-91.

Parker, 33, is playing in his eighth EuroBasket tournament. According to NBCSports.com, he got the job done in 59 games, averaging 17.5 points per contest. 

Parker’s record is likely to stand for years to come as the FIBA-sanctioned biannual European Championship is set to switch to a 4-year cycle in 2017. Parker’s France are the defending champions, having won the 2013 edition in Slovenia.

France went on to defeat Poland, 69-66, and now leads Group A with a 3-0 record. – Rappler.com

NEW YORK, USA (UPDATED) – Andy Murray crashed out in the fourth round of the US Open on Monday, September 7, making his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2010 to end his run of 18 consecutive major quarter-finals.

South African 15th seed Kevin Anderson stunned the British third seed 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/0) to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final after 7 prior fourth-round defeats.

"It was the match of my life," Anderson said. "This is a great accomplishment for me."

Not since a third-round exit in the 2010 US Open had Murray been eliminated so early at a Grand Slam tournament.

"That's obviously something that is disappointing to lose because of that. That's many years' work that's gone into building that sort of consistency. To lose that is tough," said Murray, the 2012 champion.

"Also to lose a match like that, that was over 4 hours, tough after a couple of tough matches earlier in the tournament as well, it's a hard one to lose, for sure."

Anderson, 1-5 in prior matches against Murray, fired 25 aces in ending an 0-15 career hoodoo against top-10 opponents and his fourth-round hex to book a last-8 date with Swiss fifth seed Stan Wawrinka, the reigning French Open champion.

"I'm just so excited to be through," said Anderson. "Beating a guy like Andy, I really feel like I've taken a step forward. It's amazing. I feel like it's a great accomplishment."

Wawrinka defeated US left-hander Donald Young 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, at Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

He dropped his first set of the tournament but reached an eighth quarter-final in his past nine Grand Slams, denying 68th-ranked Young his first Slam quarter-final.

Anderson is the first South African in New York's last 16 since Wayne Ferreira in 2002. 

He came in off a third career title at Winston-Salem.

With New York City FC and former England midfielder Frank Lampard watching from the player's box, Murray fell behind two sets and a break, roared back, but ultimately could not win the tension-packed encounter at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

"That court is a lot quicker than Ashe," Murray said. "I felt like I was on the back foot quite a lot. Wasn't able to play that offensively."

Murray had 49 winners and 20 unforced errors, but did not make a forehand winner until the last game of the second set. Anderson blasted 81 winners to 57 unforced errors.

Anderson ripped a forehand winner on the final point of the opening tie-break to take the set after 69 minutes, then broke Murray's first service game of the second set on the way to a 5-1 edge.

Murray broke back and held and had a break chance in the ninth game, but Anderson saved it and finally took the set on his fifth chance, ripping his 12th ace of the match up the middle.

Murray unleashed a profanity-laced tirade to himself picked up by courtside microphones, unhappy the time Anderson took for a toilet break. 

He promptly surrendered a break to open the fourth, sending Murray to his chair ranting.

"You get these grey areas all the time," Murray said between sips from his water bottle. "They just exploit them and you do nothing."

Murray dominated the third set tie-breaker and denied Anderson on two break points in the fourth game of the fourth set on the way to the last tie-breaker, in which Anderson never blinked.

Federer advances

Meanwhile, Swiss second seed Federer, seeking his sixth US Open title, dispatched US 13th seed John Isner 7-6 (7/0), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 to reach a quarter-final against French 12th seed Richard Gasquet, who ousted Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

"Of course Roger will be the favorite of the match but I will have nothing to lose," said Gasquet, who is 2-14 lifetime against the Swiss star.

Federer, trying to become at 34 the oldest US Open champion since Ken Rosewall in 1970, stretched his US Open win streak over Americans to 12 since losing to Andre Agassi in 2001.

Isner had held in 110 consecutive US Open service games since broken by Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round in 2013, but Federer ended that streak on match point to close out the victory in two hours and 39 minutes.

"John has one of the best serves in the game," Federer said. "You have just got to hang around and win your service games."

Federer also inflicted the first shutout tie-break loss upon Isner.

"I served very well, picked up his second serves," Federer said. "You've got to get a little lucky."

Wawrinka answers challenge

Young, the first player since Gilles Muller in 2008 to rally twice from two sets down in a US Open, 0-17 in such situations before this week, but he fell to 3-18 against top-10 opponents.

Wawrinka, 30, was upset by Young in a fifth-set tie-breaker at the 2011 US Open, but took the first set on a backhand return winner in the third game.

Young, 26, won the second set as the Swiss struggled with the forehand, Wawrinka smashing his racquet to the cement at one stage in frustration.

"Sometimes you don't control yourself. You need to put the pressure out," Wawrinka said. "I played really well after."

"The set was so quick. I wasn't there mentally. Calmed down a little bit. I began to be more aggressive, started moving my feet better."

Wawrinka raced ahead 5-0 in the third set and hung on to finally take the set on a running backhand winner, then opened the fourth set with a break and held to the end. – Jim Slater, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – World-rated Filipino fighter Jonathan Taconing is set to defend his WBC-affiliated Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) light flyweight championship against compatriot Jomar Fajardo on Saturday, September 12, at the Elorde Sports Complex in Parañaque City.

Taconing (21-2-1, 18 knockouts), who won the OPBF title when he routed Vergilio Silvano via 11th-round technical knockout in March 2014, is coming off an impressive 10th-round stoppage of ex-world titleholder Ramon Garcia Hirales in April.

The 28-year-old southpaw from Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, finished Hirales in decisive fashion, delivering 3 right hooks that sent his Mexican opponent reeling into the ropes. The match was stopped with just 7 seconds left.

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Taconing is currently ranked as the No.1 contender for the WBC light flyweight crown, which is now in the possession of Pedro Guevara.

Fajardo (14-8-2, 7 KOs) is 0-4-1 in his last 5 outings, and has not won a single bout since knocking out fellow Pinoy boxer Michael Borja in the second round of their March 2014 meeting.

In addition, Fajardo has fought thrice overseas this year, including a rematch with Francisco Rodriguez Jr in January after their November 2014 first encounter resulted into a split draw.

Fajardo, 23, went the distance with the former world champion again but eventually dropped a unanimous decision to Rodriguez, whom WBO light flyweight kingpin Donnie Nietes outpointed when both men crossed paths in July.

Aside from the Taconing-Fajardo duel, Johnny Elorde-promoted fight card is set to feature Juan Martin (17-1-1, 7 KOs) and Juan Miguel Elorde (18-1 9 KOs), who battle Indonesian visitors Yakobus Heluka (8-12, 1 KO) and Caem Rasmanudin (19-11-3, 10 KOs), respectively.

Mandaluyong’s Tiger City Boxing Gym will also field two of its boxers as Daffy Dempo (2-4, 2 KOs) squares off with Japanese pugilist Kenta Ide (2-1-1, 1 KO) in a 138-pound catchweight contest, while Robin Dingcong (0-3-1) faces debuting Jaime Escanaries in a 4-round bantamweight bout. – Rappler.com

KHARTOUM, Sudan – On a dirt pitch next to Khartoum airport, Sara Edward watches the players she hopes to mold into Sudan's first national women's football team hone their skills, kicking up clouds of dust.

Her 15 players have taken the name "The Challenge" because of the obstacles they face – no equipment, no funding and the suspicions of Sudan's Islamist authorities.

"We hope this team will become an international team," Edward said as she watched the women practising while jet planes screamed overhead.

"We're no worse than anyone else. We just lack opportunities," the 29-year-old said.

Darting about the pitch in her worn green jersey and shorts, giving instructions and encouragement, the diminutive Edward is the motor behind the team.

Born in Juba, she became a citizen of South Sudan when it broke away in 2011 and cannot play for The Challenge if they do win national status.

But she has still pressed on with the team, which she joined in 2001 when it was formed in Khartoum's Comboni College.

As dusk falls at the training session, temperatures hover around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

All but two of the players train in shorts and t-shirts, which Edward thinks may be partly responsible for their difficulties.

"Sudanese society says women are not supposed to wear shorts," Edward said.

"In other sports, such as volleyball, they make them wear long trousers when they play."

No shorts

In 1983, Sudan's government implemented Sharia Islamic law and when President Omar al-Bashir seized power in a 1989 Islamist-backed coup, his government vowed to continue implementing it.

Sudan's criminal code bans women from wearing "indecent" clothes with a punishment of 40 lashes or a fine.

In July, a group of 10 young Christian women from the South Kordofan region were arrested for wearing skirts and trousers.

Four were fined while one was sentenced to 20 lashes for wearing trousers to court for her sentencing, which she is appealing.

The law has never been applied to The Challenge's players but Edward suspects the government's Islamist leanings have contributed to the neglect of women's football.

In 2011, the team moved to pitches of the Sudanese Football Association, who Edward said pledged to help with training and equipment.

The Sudanese FA did not comment directly on their kits but never delivered on their promises, so the team moved on and have since been buffeted from training ground to training ground.

Edward said she approached the FA and Sports Ministry offering to change their kit to something less likely to cause offense, but to no avail.

"Until now they say: 'Inshallah (God willing) we will help,' but nothing has happened".

Hasan Abu Jabal, the Sudanese FA's executive secretary, said there are women's teams in universities and some schools and others are being formed.

"We are trying to support them to practise the sport according to rules that take into account social customs," he said.

'A sport for boys'

The Challenge has also faced difficulties with family attitudes, including the team's wiry roving midfielder Nedal Fadlalah, who joined in 2002.

Her family migrated to Khartoum from war-torn South Kordofan seeking a better life, like many of her teammates.

She played football with brothers and cousins growing up and rushed to join the team, despite opposition from relatives.

"Some members of the family opposed me playing football because I'm a girl – they thought football is a boys' sport," she said.

They relented when she insisted, the first of many challenges she has faced alongside her teammates.

"We called the team The Challenge because we are steadfast and until now we've relied on ourselves," Fadlalah said.

The team was also hit by South Sudan's secession, as five players returned to the newly independent country. 

Sudan was left with just one other over-21s women's team, based at the Ahfad University for women.

Edward has heard others are trying to form women's teams elsewhere but for the moment The Challenge plays local men's sides to hone their skills.

She wants The Challenge to represent Sudan, but failing that she has longer term plans to try to build a national women's team.

Several members of her team have trained abroad to become coaches, which they plan to put to good use.

"If I have 10 players who became coaches, in two years we could have 10 teams for women in Sudan and in two years these 10 teams could produce a national team," she said.

"And if Sudan gave us the opportunity to become the national team, no one will refuse," she added with a laugh.– Tom Little, AFP/Rappler.com

LAS VEGAS, USA – The pound-for-pound king is nearly dead – or so he says – long live the king.

If the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather, 38, keeps to his word and retires after Saturday's world title fight against the unfancied Andre Berto there is no shortage of talented fighters in the welterweight division lining up to inherit his crown.

And with Manny Pacquiao – beaten on points by Mayweather in May in a "fight of the century" that flopped – also in the twilight of his career at 36, the door is wide open for a new generation to take over the weight class, the most exciting in boxing right now.

Chief among them could of course be Berto, if he springs one of the biggest upsets in boxing history and becomes the first man to defeat Mayweather.

Experts say that is highly unlikely and instead identify the likes of Keith Thurman, Kell Brook and Danny Garcia – all unbeaten – as contenders to dominate. There is also Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan and Shawn Porter.

Fight fans were hugely disappointed that Mayweather failed to pick one of those for his supposed Swan song – tacit acknowledgement perhaps from the champion that they were too dangerous.

Timothy Bradley (32-1-1, 12 KOs)

There is a feeling that Bradley, 32, never quite gets the recognition he deserves -- and that includes from judges, who somehow figured it a draw last year against Diego Chaves, even though most observers had the American ahead. Part of the reticence is the lack of a knockout punch, hence just the 12 KOs. His last appearance, in June, was controversial, when he dominated Jessie Vargas for 12 rounds to earn a deserved unanimous decision. But he was caught in the final moments of the fight and had a blundering referee to thank for calling time early.

Kell Brook (35-0, 24 KOs)

It has been a roller-coaster year for the powerful 29-year-old Briton. He inflicted the only loss so far in Shawn Porter's career to earn a world title in the American's backyard in August last year in a surprise but deserved victory, but soon after suffered life-threatening injuries when he was stabbed in the leg during a holiday with a machete. He appears though to have recovered well, if his performances against Jo Jo Dan and Frankie Gavin are anything to go by. He will again defend his IBF title in October and has emerged as a real world-class act.

Danny Garcia (31-0, 18 KOs) 

The unbeaten American announced his arrival in the big time in 2012 when he defeated Erik Morales twice and knocked out the more fancied Amir Khan. The 27-year-old Garcia may not have the punching power or be the most thrilling boxer on the planet, but the Philadelphia-born fighter is smart and he was impressive in his most recent bout, in August, albeit against the sadly fading Paul Malignaggi after making the move up to welterweight. Possesses a lethal jab. 

Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) 

It may seem silly for a fighter aged 28, but the jury is still out on whether Khan has what it takes -- specifically, whether he has the defensive nous and the chin -- to make the transition from a very good fighter with some of the fastest hands in the business to an elite-class one. He was seemingly on a fast track to stardom but then was knocked out in the first round to the little-fancied Breidis Prescott in 2008, his first defeat, and suffered further damaging losses in 2011 and 2012 to dent the Briton's stellar reputation. Badly wanted a go at Mayweather.

Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs) 

Porter's progress hit the rocks last year when the American lost his title to Brook. The 27-year-old was competent enough against the outclassed Erick Bone in March this year, getting the KO in round five, but was excellent in June when, as the underdog, he scored a unanimous decision over the unlikeable Adrien Broner despite being knocked down at the start of the 12th. It was the first time in his career that Porter had tasted the canvas. The explosive Porter was another hoping for a shot at Mayweather, but Mayweather dodged him.  

Keith Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs)

There is a massive amount of buzz in boxing surrounding the American, 26, who has blitzed his way through the division so far. Thurman called out Mayweather after retaining his 147-pound belt in July in victory over Luis Collazo and it is a fight fans were yearning for -- but one Mayweather was never going to take because of Thurman's fast-growing reputation as the most dangerous fighter around. While Mayweather built his reputation on his defense, part of Thurman's attraction is his all-out blood-and-thunder approach. – Peter Stebbings, AFP/Rappler.com

LAS VEGAS, USA – Ask Floyd Mayweather if he would prefer to be popular or successful, he would have to say the latter.

Americans love a champion: but they don't love Mayweather, despite him boasting a perfect 48-0 record that has seen him unofficially crowned boxing's pound-for-pound king after a decade of domination in the welterweight division.

With that success – and thanks also to his business acumen – has come immense fortune: he is the world's highest-paid athlete with earnings this year of $300 million, according to Forbes.

For many people, that is where some of the problem lies: it is not that he earns bucket loads of money, it is that he flaunts it.

Follow Mayweather, 38, who says Saturday's bout against Andre Berto will be his last, on social media and you are treated to a weekly rundown of pictures of his cars. Or suitcases packed full of cash. Or his latest shoe-shopping expedition.

On September 1, he posted a black-and-white photo on Twitter of him posing with three sports cars and a private jet, and the caption: "When I'm in the air, it's private. When I'm on the ground, it's foreign."

Twitter users' comments to the photo are telling. Some are positive, many more are negative – and a few are too rude to print. 

"This man has no limits," wrote one, and another: "And when you hit women it's domestic."

That is the other reason why when Mayweather takes on the hugely unfancied Berto in Las Vegas the underdog will have the support of the MGM Grand and the pay-per-view audience at home: Mayweather has spent time in prison for one of a string of domestic violence incidents.

'An icon' 

None of the criticism appears to matter to Mayweather, a father of four who has spent most of his 19-year boxing career fending off flak, even sometimes from his own father, also called Floyd.

"Nobody's forced to watch. Watch if you want to watch. If you don't want to watch, don't watch. Write about it if you want to write about it. If you don't want to write about it, don't," he said recently. 

"I'm not saying if you write good or bad, just continue to write. Keeps me relevant."

Tellingly, some of Mayweather's most ardent supporters are from fellow boxers, who respect his supreme fitness, work ethic, athleticism and boxing brain.

"Floyd has been icon for some time now," Berto told reporters ahead of the bout, crediting Mayweather with being "crafty" in the ring, although he agrees with experts who say the world champion is showing signs of age, allowing himself to be caught more often with shots.

"He's definitely showing some slippage throughout the years," said Berto.

"But he's one of those guys who doesn't abuse his body and he's always respected the sport.

"So it's not taken too much of a toll in the ring and he's not really abused himself out of the ring."

Dodging the best? 

Ivan Goldman, a novelist and writer for the boxinginsider.com website, is not nearly so flattering, branding Mayweather "not a great role model" and "a jerk."

"But I think that he understands – and the people around him understand – that he's hit on something here by being the villain," said Goldman.

"I don't know that anyone has taken a poll, but quite a lot of people buying his fights are hoping to see him lose.

"It's almost like professional wrestling: sometimes the villains make more than the heroes."

Mayweather's critics are also damning of his overly defensive style – the last of his 26 knockouts came in 2011 – and accuse him of dodging the most dangerous opponents simply to embellish his record.

Goldman recognizes that Mayweather boasts sublime defensive skills, but that means he is no crowd-pleaser – his May defeat of Manny Pacquiao was billed as the "fight of the century" but was widely viewed as a dud.

"Floyd is a non-aggressive fighter and his fights are generally not terribly entertaining," said Goldman, adding he won't be forking out to watch the bout on pay-per-view.

"They are not terrible fights, but they are not good ones and they're not worth paying extra to see." – Peter Stebbings, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – While the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has already announced that ex-heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez will get a rematch against current division champion Fabricio Werdum, their second encounter will not take place until March 2016.

According to UFC president Dana White, Werdum is not ready to defend the gold-plated strap later this year and personally requested to delay the heavyweight championship clash against Velasquez.

“The fight won’t happen probably until March,” he said during the post-UFC 191 press conference on Sunday, September 6. “That’s when Werdum wants to fight.”

The UFC head honcho was responding to a question about former heavyweight kingpin Andrei Arlovski’s viability in the title pecking order after picking up a decision victory over another ex-champion Frank Mir. (READ: Johnson scores lopsided decision against Dodson in rematch)

“Unfortunately, this heavyweight division is tied up right now,” White stated. “We’ll see how this thing plays out and go from there.”

Werdum (20-5-1) submitted Velasquez with a third-round guillotine choke this past June to capture the UFC heavyweight belt.

Aside from winning the gold-plated strap, the 38-year-old Brazilian is also riding high on a 6-fight winning streak, including notable triumphs over Roy Nelson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Travis Browne and Mark Hunt.

In the other corner, Velasquez (13-2) bagged the heavyweight title for the second time against Junior dos Santos in December 2012 via unanimous decision and successfully defended it twice before losing the belt to Werdum.

Injuries have limited Velasquez’s activity in recent years. The showdown with Werdum was the 33-year-old Mexican-American’s first Octagon appearance since October 2013 when he scored a fifth-round stoppage of Dos Santos in a rubber match. – Rappler.com

BOCAUE, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals face Uzbekistan in a crucial 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday, September 8 at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

The Azkals, who are ranked no. 125 in the world by FIFA, will have to come up with another big upset against the 76th-ranked Uzbekistan. The Philippines is already 2-0 in qualifiers, having beaten Yemen and Bahrain in June. Uzbekistan is 1-1, with a win over Yemen and a loss to North Korea, which currently tops Group H with 9 points. A win for the Philippines will tie DPR Korea.

(READ: Azkals-Uzbekistan Preview: So much at stake)

The game begins at 8 pm. Follow the action with Rappler's updates.

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– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Mark Brana’s 3-point play in the dying seconds secured a 68-67 win for Mapua Institute of Technology against Jose Rizal University in the men's basketball tournament of NCAA Season 91 on Tuesday, September 8 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

With 5.9 ticks left, Brana completed an and-one after recovering the ball from a 3-point shot attempt by JP Nieles and putting it back in before being fouled.

The Intramuros-based Cardinals improved its win-loss record to 7-5 in the ongoing NCAA men’s senior basketball tourney and claimed the solo fifth-place spot in the standings.

However, Mapua head coach Atoy Co was not impressed with his team’s victory over the Vergel Meneses-mentored JRU.

“Lucky shot. Luckily, Brana was under the goal, and he was fouled and then made his freethrows. Lady Luck is on our side,” he quipped in the post-game interview.

MVP frontrunner Allwell Oraeme had 19 markers and 27 boards, while Brana has 12 points for the red-and-yellow troop.

Mapua created a 51-42 cushion early in the fourth period until Bernabe “Teytey” Teodoro converted 16 of his 18 baskets in the final frame and sparked a 20-8 blitz that took the lead for the Heavy Bombers, 62-59, in the last 3 minutes.

JRU managed to stay ahead with a 67-65 edge and appeared going towards the triumph with Paolo Pontejos, deflecting a triple try by Nieles before Brana accomplished his 3-point play.

With Darell Menina and CJ Isit preventing Teodoro to have the ball, Ervin Grospe’s in-and-out fadeaway became JRU’s last try to get the game-winning blow, but it was short. 

“We were just lucky. We were lucky the last shot was short,” Co said.

With the disappointing defeat to Mapua, JRU downgrades its slate to 6-6.

Scores:

Mapua (68) - Oraeme 19, Brana 12, Biteng 12, Isit 6, Nimes 6, Nieles 5, Menina 4, Serrano 2, Layug 2, Que 0, Aguirre 0. 

JRU (67) - Pontejos 21, Teodoro 18, Grospe 8, Sanchez 6, Abdul Wahab 4, Dela Paz 4, Cruz 3, Poutouochi 2, Astilla 1, Lasquety 0, Aurin 0, Dela Virgen 0.

Quarter scores: 17-13, 29-31, 49-42, 68-67.

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Arellano University strengthened its campaign to enter the final four by beating Lyceum of the Philippines University with a 97-83 shutout in the NCAA Season 91 men's basketball tournament on Tuesday, September 8 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

Jiovani Jalalon starred in Arellano’s statement-making victory over the Intramuros-based Lyceum as he amassed 19 markers.

Aside from Jalalon, 3 of his teammates made it in double figures as Dioncee Holts had 16 points, Donald Gumaru added 14 buckets and David Ortega contributed 11 baskets.

“We will continue to build up. We will use this opportunity to solidify and enhance their performance,” Arellano coach Jerry Codiñera said in the post-game interview.

Arellano’s frontline unit charred the nets from the get-go and nailed no less than 20 points in each quarter.

As every game counts in the second phase of eliminations, Codiñera stressed that he would not allow other teams at the bottom part of the standings to score an upset at Arellano’s expense.

Jose Rizal University picked up a controversial win over Arellano in double overtime on August 27, while Colegio de San Juan de Letran suffered a loss at the hands of San Sebastian College-Recoletos on August 25.

“We controlled the game from start to finish. The upset is always in the back of our minds. I cannot allow it to happen again. I always push the boys to stick to the basics,” Codiñera stated.

The Chiefs improved their win-loss record to 9-3 and claimed solo third place, while Lyceum fell to 3-10 as the Pirates were led by Wilson Baltazar, who registered 19 points.

Scores:

Arellano (97) - Jalalon 18, Holts 16, Gumaru 14, Ortega 11, Salado 9, Zamora 8, Bangga 6, Cadavis 5, Meca 4, Nicholls 4, Enriquez 2, Capara 0, Ongolo-Ongolo 0, Tano 0.

Lyceum (83) - Baltazar 19, Ayaay 16, Nguidjol 13, Marata 10, Bulawan 8, Lugo 4, Alanes 3, Malabanan 2, Soliman 2, Lacastesantos 2, Mbida 2, Elmejrab 2, Sunga 0. 

Quarter scores: 24-13, 47-32, 75-54, 97-83.

 – Rappler.com

BOCAUE, Philippines - Group H of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers was dubbed the Group of Death for a reason. On Tuesday, September 8, the Philippine Azkals discovered that reason.

The Philippine national football team was drubbed by Uzbekistan, 1-5, at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines.

As the torrential rains and intermittent lightning began to die down, the nightmare was just beginning for the Philippines. A slow roller from Uzbekistan’s captain Odil Ahmedov slipped through the rain-soaked gloves of Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge barely 45 seconds into the match, giving Uzbekistan the lead.

Uzbekistan, which is rated by FIFA 49 spots above the Philippines at 76, would tack on goals from Igor Sergeev and Sardor Rashidov before the first half ended. Still, the announced 7,500 fans sprinkled across the stadium never dampened their enthusiasm, as chants of “Pil-i-pinas” continued to ring out across the open-air venue.

The second half began as ignominiously for the Philippines as Sergeev tacked on a second goal at the ’65 mark. It wasn’t until Stephan Schrock, who came on at halftime in relief of Iain Ramsay, that the Philippines scored its first goal of the game at the ’68 mark. The score was Schrock’s fourth international goal, but the closer margin wouldn’t last. 

Ten minutes later Rashidov scored his brace to give the Uzbeks a 1-5 lead at ’79. By then, the chants became less hopeful, and some fans made their exits ahead of Bulacan traffic. 

The loss was a reality check for the Philippines, which had beaten Yemen and Bahrain in June to earn 6 points. The loss now puts the Philippines behind Uzbekistan, which beat Yemen and lost to North Korea, in goal differential. North Korea leads the group with 9 points while the Philippines and Uzbekistan have 6 each.

The Philippines will next play North Korea on October 8 in Pyongyang, followed by a rematch in Bahrain on October 13. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines - Deep into training and preparations, Gilas 3.0, the Philippine national men's basketball team is proving to be a competitive squad.

(READ AND VOTE: Build your Gilas Pilipinas dream team)

Coming at the heels of two past Gilas teams, the management, coaching staff and program have a wealth of experience to build on. Being able to play at the highest international level should only make the team better. The challenge is to be able to properly identify the right variables. The key is always to be able to play on one’s strengths in the hope that it hides the team’s weaknesses.

Coach Baldwin – outside looking in

Coach Tab Baldwin is proving to be a fresh addition to the team, he has brought “new eyes” into the process.  His choice of players reveal a commitment to an overall strategy. The composition of the team is made up of utility players who are clearly willing to fill specific roles. The result is that this Gilas 3.0 team is not as star studded as the past ones.

In a sport where height is might, Baldwin has courageously chosen to anchor this team on athleticism. Baldwin’s direction seems to point to choosing speed as the bedrock of the campaign. He has infused younger and more agile players. In the recently concluded William Jones Cup, players like Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro, Calvin Abueva, JC Intal, Gary David and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser manifest this team’s commitment to a more run and gun type of game.

Gilas rotation – faster is better

In the games where Romeo and Castro were aggressively used as point guards, the overall game of Gilas was evidently much faster. They were the central figures of the plays while setting up the offense. Both would have several touches when they move the ball around as they search for the open man. Their roles became more pivotal as they were a threat from the three point area and could readily slash to the basket.

Their wing men who play the off guard and small forward positions thrive with pass and shoot plays. They move well and can shoot. They are comfortable coming off picks to receive a pass and immediately go up for the basket. Players like Gabe Norwood, David, Marc Pingris, Intal and Dondon Hontiveros perfectly fit this role.

Lack of height however will always be a problem. In the Jones Cup this became more apparent as the team played without the 6-foot-11 Andray Blatche, their naturalized former Brooklyn Net and Washington Wizard.

However, his absence became more of a blessing as the team learned to cope and rise above the situation. They were able to leverage on their collective athleticism implementing give and gos, pass and shoots, as well as drive and drop plays surprisingly well. The confidence level continuously increased as the tournament progressed. They finished the tournament with a 6-2 record and brought home the silver medal. Even in the losses to Iran and South Korea, the height disadvantage was not as much of a problem for the shorter Gilas Pilipinas quintet.

The power forward and center position were well played by Moala Tautuaa, Aldrech Ramos, Ranidel De Ocampo, Sonny Thoss and the other players assigned this post. Although they had to play against much taller players, their relative quickness and agility plus court intelligence allowed them to out-position their taller opponents in both defense and offense.

All these variables resulted in points from fastbreaks and perimeter jump shots. There were not many “inside the paint” back to the basket plays as our power forwards were getting looks from 8 to10 feet away. Tautuaa, Asi Taulava and Troy Rosario produced offense for the team from this area. Of course the occasional shots from beyond the arc by De Ocampo, Intal, David and Hotiveros as well as Romeo and Castro were very welcome.

Defense

The youth and enthusiasm of this current crop of players made the man-zone defense a very effective option. The players’ young legs allowed them to cover their designated areas very well and effectively creating a man-to-man defensive situation that made it difficult for even bigger players to get into position. This also crowds the keyhole area forcing the opposing teams to take outside shots rather than lobbing high passes to their centers inside.

The composition of the team allowed Coach Baldwin to rotate his players without altering the basic strategies and plays. Because majority of players were quick and didn’t mind moving around, the offense seemed seamless and well-orchestrated.

(READ: Talk 'N Text to join MVP Cup in lieu of Lebanon)

Even against powerhouse Iran and the big men of Russia, there was a silent confidence that was guiding the team. The cohesiveness was beginning to show and the program emerging.

Certainly, more preparation time would have been ideal, but in less than 15 days the Gilas team will once again go after that one Olympic slot as they begin their quest in the FIBA Asia competition.

On strat… in time

A reliable source shared that Coach Baldwin keeps on reminding the players three things: Offensive rebounding, limiting bad shots, proper spacing. The message is that they need to fight for the ball in offense, box out quick, use their legs and fight for the ball.  They are being reminded to be more efficient in shot selection. Lastly, proper spacing calls for each player to play smart and for and have teamwork.

The team looks like they should be peaking at the right time. Their stint at the Jones Cup was designed to give them time to gel and for the coaching staff to further identify variables that they should be working on. It is however not an easy road. A last tuneup tournament, the MVP Cup in Manila from September 11 to 13, will give 12 men named to the final roster, a chance to implement some of the lessons learned in their short time togethr.

Gilas 3.0 will come into the FIBA Asia tournament as a wild card team.  Not dominant but not pushovers either. The possibility of gaining that Olympic slot is real. Though tough, it is achievable.

Laban Pilipinas! Puso! – Rappler.com

Mike Ochosa is President of Viva Sports Management Inc. and Philippine Habagat Baseball Club Inc. Follow him on Twitter: @mikeochosa and on his You Tube Channel: Sports Note with Coach Mike Ochosa.

MANILA, Philippines – Fil-Am Los Angeles Laker Jordan Clarkson will not don a Pilipinas jersey in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship but the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas or SBP is "hopeful" about his participation in the future.

The 23-year old guard, whose mother Annette is from Pampanga, was recently in the Philippines and participated sparingly in one of Gilas' practices as he was named to the 24-man pool. He then flew out to Taiwan to support the team during its first few games of the Jones Cup.

But Clarkson's inclusion in the final line-up became doubtful as reports surfaced he cannot miss mandatory Lakers training camp, which will coincide with the FIBA Asia. Clarkson would have only been able to play in Gilas' elimination round games but not in the playoffs should the nationals advance in the tournament that runs from September 23 to October 3.

Due to the conflict in schedule, the SBP no longer pursued his eligibility with FIBA, according to SBP executive director Sonny Barrios.

Clarkson previously expressed his intent to be part of the Gilas program until 2024 or until he's 32 years old.

The 12-man line-up was announced on Tuesday, September 8.

Read the full statement from SBP on Clarkson's situation below:

The vision of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is to form a national team that will be able to qualify for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. That goal is fueled by the incomparable and inspiring love for basketball Filipinos have. We have always wanted to give our team the best possible chance, thereby instilling national pride in the hearts of our basketball crazy fans.

We did all that we could to have Jordan Clarkson join Gilas for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship but we are saddened to report that we are not able to beat the deadline to secure the necessary clearances on time. 

Although we pushed the boundaries whenever possible, this process cannot be rushed if it were to be done properly. But we respectfully adhere to the schedules set by the Los Angeles Lakers whom SBP officials Ricky Vargas and Pato Gregorio met with to try to exhaust all possible options. SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios was also in Geneva to personally attend to the guidelines set by FIBA which also required more time.

The interest and passion of Jordan Clarkson himself with the full support of his family, to don the Gilas jersey serves as a reason for SBP to be hopeful. Though the doors on the 2015 FIBA Asia meet have been closed, the future of the national team program is encouraging with Clarkson’s desire to represent flag and country.

Finalizing the lineup for FIBA Asia was a challenge for Coach Tab Baldwin with the question on the availability of Jordan Clarkson looming. But now, the team shall move forward and put together a squad that will go into battle for national pride.

Jordan Clarkson himself realizes that his inclusion to the Philippine Team at this late hour may possibly distract the focus of the team.

The Los Angeles Lakers Management has allowed Jordan Clarkson to play for the Gilas Pilipinas Team as long as it will not conflict with the schedule of the NBA. Unfortunately, under this limitation, Jordan Clarkson can only participate in the elimination phase of the tournament. This scheduling issue is distinct only to the FIBA Asia Zone, and it does not occur in the other FIBA zones. By this token, we will ask FIBA Asia to consider holding the tournament in the same manner as FIBA Americas, Europe, Oceania and Africa do, that is avoiding scheduling conflict with the calendar of the NBA. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – There is still hope for Gary David or any player included in the initial Gilas Pilipinas pool to make it to the final 12-man line-up for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.

David's agent Danny Espiritu bared the 37-year old guard was told to continue practicing with the Philippine national men's basketball team – despite not being included in the 12-man line-up submitted to FIBA for the continental tilt – because there is still a possibility that David might be inserted into the line-up. (READ: Romeo, Abueva lead 12-man Gilas FIBA Asia line-up)

"Tinawagan din ako ni Gary David. Sinabing hindi siya kasama, pero pinapa-practice pa rin siya kasi may final meeting pa, baka magbago pa yung line-up," Espiritu told Rappler via a phone call Tuesday night, September 8.

"Sabi may chance pa rin siyang masama sa line-up kung magchi-change."

(Gary David called me. He said he was told that he's not included in the line-up, but he is being asked to continue practicing because there is still a final meeting, the line-up could change. He was told there is still a change he might be included if they change the line-up.)

David, who has been a part of Gilas since the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, was a surprising cut from the final line-up announced Tuesday. But in a conversation with Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin to David, as relayed by Espiritu, David was told he might still be included.

According to Gilas Pilipinas team manager Butch Antonio, there will be a managers' meeting on September 22, a day before the start of the FIBA Asia, wherein team managers from all participating teams will discuss possible replacements in the line-up.

"Replacements due to injuries will only be entertained; and it's subject to their approval. It's not automatic," Antonio explained.

"That's a standard for all FIBA tournaments – that there will be a managers' meeting a day or two before the tournament," he added.

The potential line-up change, however, will come at a cost of *USD 2,000 to USD 3,000 per head, according to Antonio. The deadline to submit the 12-man line-up was on Tuesday, September 8.

Teams can only pull replacements from the list of players who are included in the 24-man pool submitted a month before the tournament.

David was steady for Gilas throughout the Jones Cup and amassed 22 points to lead the team in the silver medal-clinching win over Chinese Taipei B on Sunday, September 6.

Incoming PBA rookie Troy Rosario, also handled by Espiritu, was not told to continue attending Gilas practice. This year's second overall draft pick was also cut from the final 12. Espiritu said the 23-year old forward understands and accepts the decision and will now focus on preparing for his first season with Talk 'N Text.

Other players who didn't make the final 12 are Jimmy Alapag, Aldrech Ramos, and Moala Tautuaa. 

– Rappler.com

*USD 1 = P 46.88