BERLIN, Germany – Just two years after being shot, Manuel Charr has ended Germany's 85-year wait for a world heavyweight champion and dedicated his victory over Alexander Ustinov to his adopted home country.

"What can I say, Germany – we are world champions," Charr roared after his unanimous decision victory in Oberhausen landed him the vacant WBA world title.

"I dedicate this title to Germany, the country which gave me a chance and built me up.

"This is my gift to you all."

Charr is Germany's first world heavyweight champion since Max Schmeling reigned from 1930-1932.

On Saturday, Charr was the clear winner after bringing Ustinov to his knees in the eighth round and the judges scored the fight 114-111, 116-111 and 115-112 to the German.

Anthony Joshua is the reigning WBA 'Super' heavyweight champion and the victory over Ustinov could open the door for Charr to a bout with the British boxer.

The win for Beirut-born Charr, who arrived in Germany as a five-year-old, completes his remarkable comeback from two setbacks which would have ended the careers of a less-determined boxer.

In September 2015, he was left fighting for his life after being shot in the stomach following an altercation at a kebab restaurant in Essen.

Charr returned to the ring just seven months later, bearing the scars of the attack on his abdomen.

Then came another setback earlier this year when both hips had to be replaced.

"In the last two years, I have experienced everything that one possibly can," said Charr.

"From being shot to having two new hips, but I gritted my teeth.

"The doctors told me, it is a medical miracle."

Charr seemed to be in trouble in the first six rounds as the 2.02 meter-tall Ustinov, who had a 22.5 kilo weight advantage, dominated the fight.

However, as the Russian tired, Charr got stronger.

In the seventh round, Charr had the Russian on the ropes and although Ustinov withstood the blows, he was forced to his knees in the eighth.

A vicious left hook cut the Russian under his left eye, but with blood streaming down his face, Ustinov was saved by the bell.

Charr finished the stronger for a deserved win, the 31st of his career

Raised in Berlin and Essen, this was Charr's second shot at a world title.

His previous attempt ended in a fourth-round defeat when he was stopped by ex-WBC champion Vitali Klitschko in 2012. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Magnolia brand is back in the PBA.

Star Hotshots announced on Monday, November 27, that they will be entering the league’s 43rd season as the Magnolia Hotshots, breaking a 10-year hiatus since the dairy giant played as the Magnolia Beverage Masters in the 2007-2008 PBA season.

Magnolia will parade the same core of players who barged into the semifinals of all the three conferences of the past PBA season.

"It's a new challenge sa amin. Tinatanggap namin itong challenge na ito and we are working hard para mag-improve lalo. The team is intact. From last season, yung 14 players, nandoon pa rin yung core. So far so good,” said Hotshots coach Chito Victolero.

(It’s a new challenge for us. We accept this challenge and we are working hard to improve. The team is intact. Last season’s core of players will be back. So far so good.)

Marc Pingris, who played for the Beverage Masters, Peter June Simon, Marc Barroca and Paul Lee are expected to provide the veteran presence for Magnolia, which have promising additions in rookies Robbie Herndon and Gwynne Capacio.

The PBA’s new season will tip-off on Dec. 17 and Magnolia will figure in another Manila Clasico clash against Barangay Ginebra on Christmas Day. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) —Gilas Pilipinas shrugged off a lethargic start to eke out a 90-83 win over Chinese Taipei and swept the initial window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Araneta Coliseum Monday, November 27.

The visiting team kept it close early in the fourth period, 72-73, following a 6-0 blitz only to run out of steam midway in the quarter as Gilas used a 13-4 run to pull away, 86-76.

Jhen Huang scored a triple with a little under 2 minutes left in the game, 79-86, before Jayson Castro-William provided the proverbial dagger with an up-and-under move with 56.4 seconds remaining, 88-79.

Castro, who scored a game-high 20 points in Philippines’ 77-71 win over Japan last Friday, November 24, paced Gilas with another 20-point outing, 15 of which coming from the second half, to go with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Reigning 4-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo bounced back from a so-so performance in Tokyo with 17 markers, 8 boards and 2 blocks. He was also pivotal in putting Chinese Taipei’s tallest man, Quincy Davis III, into early foul trouble.

Matthew Wright poured in all of his 11 points in the fourth period, highlighted by back-to-back triples that put the Filipinos up 73-66, while Andray Blatche overcame a woeful shooting night with 14 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 assists.

“Obviously we’re happy because we found a way to grind out 2 Ws despite being nowhere near a 100 percent in our game but like I told the players after the game, you play as you practice. We had a terrible practice today, including missing free throws. We couldn’t make free throws in practice and it reflected in the ballgame today, that’s a good lesson to continue reminding us,” said head coach Chot Reyes of Gilas, which shot 20 of 28 from the line.

Gilas came back from a 14-point deficit at the beginning of the first quarter, 5-19, behind an 11-0 run, 16-19, before nabbing the lead in the following period off a 10-0 spurt, 5 points coming from Kiefer Ravena, 32-27.

Davis III paced the Taiwanese with 20 points and 9 boards while Yi-Hsiang Chou added 17.

Gilas will have months to prepare for its next game against Australia on February 22, 2018 in a venue yet to be announced.

The victory was Gilas' second in a row in Group B. Taiwan slipped to 0-2.

In another Group B game, Australia beat Japan, 82-58, Monday to also collect its second win in Adelaide, Australia. The Aussies earlier beat Chinese-Taipei, 104-66, Friday, November, 24.

Scores:

Gilas (90): Castro-William 20, Fajardo 17, Pogoy 11, Wright 11, Ravena 9, Abueva 8, Blatche 6, Norwood 5, Aguilar 3

Chinese Taipei (83): Davis III 20, Y. Chou 17, Huang 16, Liu 7, Chai 6, Lee 6, Po-Chen Chou 4, Po-Hsun Chou 3, Chiang 2, Hu 0, Lu 0

Quarter scores: 18-23, 44-42, 65-64, 90-83

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP board announced Monday, November 27, the Mythical Five for the Season 80 men’s basketball tournament, with De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers hotshot Ricci Rivero being named the final member.

The human highlight reel from Taft joins fellow Archer and 2-time Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala, Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena, National University’s graduating star Jayjay Alejandro and University of the East’s Alvin Pasaol.

Due to a standing rule that allows only one foreign student – the Cameroonian Mbala - in the prestigious list, the younger Rivero jumps ahead of African studs Papi Sarr, Steve Akomo and Issa Gaye while having lower statistical points (SPs) than the three.

Despite only being included in the Mythical 5 due to a technicality, Rivero’s stats are nothing to scoff at. In 16 games (2 in the playoffs) so far this season, the 6-foot-1 sophomore has posted averages of 13.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a team-high 1.6 steals in just 25.5 minutes of action. Behind Mbala, the fan-favorite guard has emerged as the defending champions’ secondary scoring option after coming off a tumultuous first round.

Here is the complete list of the league’s MVP candidates, their respective SPs and season stats per Imperium Technology – the UAAP’s sole basis of MVP voting.

(Mythical Five members in boldface. Statistics accurate as of November 25, 2017.)

1. Ben Mbala, De La Salle University Green Archers
96.6 SPs, 24.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.2 blocks

2. Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles
66.5 SPs, 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks

3. Jayjay Alejandro, National University Bulldogs
63.9 SPs, 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.0 blocks

4. Alvin Pasaol, University of the East Red Warriors
63.4 SPs, 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.9 blocks

5. Papi Sarr, Adamson University Soaring Falcons
63.2 SPs, 13.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.3 blocks

6. Issa Gaye, National University Bulldogs
57.6 SPs, 14.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.7 blocks

7. Steve Akomo, University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers
56.8 SPs, 11.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.4 blocks

8. Ricci Rivero, De La Salle University Green Archers
56.3 SPs, 13.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks

9. Paul Desiderio, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons
54.5 SPs, 16.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks

10. Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles
49.4 SPs, 7.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.8 blocks

Rivero will now look to prove his Mythical 5 inclusion worthy as La Salle tries to avoid a Finals sweep by Ateneo in Game 2 on Wednesday, November 29 at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – With the way he is known as a premier shot blocker, June Mar Fajaro has also mastered the art of blocking the negative things people throw at him.

That’s probably the reason why “The Kraken” was locked in in Gilas‘ 90-83 win over Chinese Taipei in front of a home crowd of 11,444 at the Araneta Coliseum Monday, November 27, that marked the Philippines’ sweep of the first window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Even after an impressive 2016-2017 PBA season that saw Fajardo win two conference titles and a historic fourth consecutive MVP award, people still had doubts if the Cebuano pride can perform in the international stage the way he does in the local scene.

But after tallying 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals off the bench and basically putting Quincy Davis III into early foul trouble, Fajardo has proven that he is a legitimate threat, not just for the San Miguel Beermen but also for the national team.

Asked if his outing against the Taiwanese was a statement of sorts for his doubters, Fajardo disagreed.

“Wala akong problema, kung ano ‘yung sinasabi nila, hindi ko pinoproblema ‘yun. Basta ako, tatanggapin ko kung ano ‘yung role ko. Basta kung ano ‘yung macontribute ko sa team, gagawin ko,” said the softspoken big man.

(I don’t have any problems. Whatever they say, I don’t make those things as my problems. I will accept what role is given to me. Whatever I can contribute to the team, I will do it.)

Head coach Chot Reyes was all praises for Fajardo, who helped Philippines come back from a 5-19 hole by scoring 7 markers in the first quarter, the most points scored in the period for Gilas.

“I thought June Mar saved us. We got off to a terrible start and it was a big luxury for us to have a guy like June Mar coming off the bench,” said Reyes.

The firebrand tactician added that he initially talked to Fajardo about not starting the game and the 6-foot-10 behemoth said he was perfectly fine of being part of the second unit.

“Sinabi niya sa akin, okay lang whatever it is that we need. (He told me it is okay, whatever it is that we need of him.) Today, he showed it. Even in Japan, he had a great performance but today, he was fantastic.”

Even with back-to-back wins for the books, Fajardo is not planning on listeting to his naysayers, especially that his Beermen are trying to defend their Philippine Cup title in the forthcoming PBA season and Gilas facing powerhouse Australia in the next window of the Qualifiers on February 22, 2018.

“Motivation ko ‘yung makatulong sa team, hindi ko pinapakinggan ‘yung mga kung anong sinasabi ng iba.” (My motivation is to help the team, I don’t listen to whatever other people are saying.) – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – How does it feel to be on the outside looking in?

Football fans visiting Yekaterinburg in the Russian Urals for the 2018 World Cup will find out when they get seated in one of two temporary stands that fill empty plots of land next to the arena – originally too small to fit FIFA rules.

Openings at each goal end of the stadium's facade offer a remote view of the pitch but no protection from the sun or rain.

And those unlucky enough to only get tickets for the extensions' upper-most rows will stare out directly at the outer edge of the refurbished Yekaterinburg Arena's circular roof.

The UK's perplexed Guardian newspaper suggested the entire ensemble might have come from "outer space" while USA Today screamed that it "couldn't look any scarier."

All of which has left the construction company behind the 42-meter-tall (138-foot-tall) extensions sounding somewhat bemused.

"This is a typical solution for sport facilities built for major international competitions," Sinara-Development Director General Timur Ufimtsev told AFP.

"In addition, you can see a beautiful panoramic view of Yekaterinburg itself since the stadium is in a central part of the city."

He added that the whole seating section is protected by "tall railings" to make sure no one falls off.

The additions will make Yekaterinburg Arena into a 35,000-seater that will shrink back down in size to 23,000 once the stands are dismantled when all the tourists go home.

Cultural heritage site

The world media's skeptical gaze fell on the 60-year-old stadium once it was selected as the eastern-most venue of the 12 hosting the marquee June 14-July 15 event.

The Kremlin wanted to show off Russia's cultural diversity and settled on Yekaterinburg – the mining capital of the tsars in which the late president Boris Yeltsin built his career.

The unassuming industrial home to almost 1.5 million people has a team that played middling football in the Soviet era and most recently won promotion to the Russian Premier League in 2013.

It is safe to say that its 27,000-seat stadium suited the needs of a club that has gone through many incarnations and is currently called simply Ural.

Yet its size fell just short of FIFA's carefully spelled out "minimum capacities of 30,000" requirement for stadiums hosting group stage World Cup matches.

Four were scheduled for Yekaterinburg and Russia had a problem.

Sinara-Development said it also could not simply rebuild the entire arena because it was listed as a cultural heritage site that needed to be preserved in its original form.

Football's world governing body not only agreed but applauded the unique way Yekaterinburg worked its way out of a potential mess.

"Temporary seats are being installed in order to ensure that the renovation work would conserve the historical facade of the stadium and that maintenance costs are reduced after the World Cup," a FIFA spokesman told AFP.

The old stadium's entrance featured six columns topped by sculptures of communist factory workers and athletes.

These will stay in place for posterity's sake.

The FIFA spokesman also brushed aside any safety concerns.

"Inspection visits and detailed reports have shown that the temporary seats in the Yekaterinburg Arena fully comply with all safety and security requirements," he said.

Ufimtsev said the stadium was "90 percent ready" and would be completed by the end of the year.– Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – Archrivals Ateneo Blue Eagles and the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers continue the UAAP Season 80 men's basketball best-of-three finals series on Wednesday, November 29, 4 pm at the Araneta Coliseum. 

The Ateneo Blue Eagles are now 1-0 in the series as they defeated the Green Archers, 76-70, in game 1. The Blue Eagles will try to finish the season on Wednesday, while the Green Archers will fight to extend the series to a game 3.

Tune into Rappler Sports on Twitter for live updates of the game. 

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– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Andray Blatche has not been on his best shape, at least based on basketball standards, but Gilas coach Chot Reyes would rather have him on board than not have him at all.

The naturalized big man scored only 6 points in a 2-of-9 shooting in the Philippines’ 90-83 win over Chinese Taipei Monday, November 28, and accounted for 6 of the team’s 15 turnovers.

Blatche missed all of his 5 attempts from deep and at moments looked out of sync in Gilas’ offensive and defensive schemes. And he was the only Gilas player to have more than 2 turnovers.

But Reyes did not really make much of Blatche’s offensive woes, especially since the former NBA player made his presence felt on the defensive end with game-highs of 14 rebounds and 5 blocks.

“I think we’ve seen the worst of Andray’s games but hopefully, in the next window, he’s going to be in better basketball shape. He would play a couple months in China so that should be able to help,” said Reyes.

Blatche only joined Gilas practices last Novembver 19, 2 days before the team left for Tokyo and 6 days before the Filipinos faced the Japanese last November 24. Gilas won the game, 77-71.

“The key is to get him practicing with us for more than 5 days like what happened today. He’s not in sync with our little counters, the little things that we do. You can’t teach everything in 5 days. You might be able to teach everything but to actually practice it, run it, you can’t get it in 5 days,” said Reyes.

Gilas will face FIBA Asia giants Australia in their homecourt in the second window of the Qualifiers on February 22, 2018 and the longtime national team mentor hopes the team will play its best basketball.

“We have to get to a level where everyone is playing well, including Andray. But that is the effect of not having practice time, he’s had 5 practices with us and that’s really not enough.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Bohdana Anisova dropped a whopping 35 points to anchor the Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors in a come-from-behind 23-25, 22-25, 25-12, 25-23, 15-7 win over the Cocolife Asset Managers in the 2017 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix at the Arena in San Juan Tuesday, November 28.

Anisova, who had 29 kills, 4 aces and 2 blocks, delivered 8 points in the final set to help the Lady Realtors secure their second win in 7 outings.

The Asset Managers were within striking distance in the fifth set, 6-7, before the Lady Realtors went on a 7-1 run, 5 points coming from the Ukrainian import, to arrive at set point, 14-7. A Marisa Field block on Nene Bautista ended Sta. Lucia’ two-game skid.

Field backstopped Anisova with 20 points while Mar-Jana Philips added 13 markers.

Although it was Sta. Lucia’s imports who carried the scoring cudgels for the team, Lady Realtors head coach Jerry Yee also gave praise to his locals as crucial pieces in their win.

“’Yung mga players, gigil naman maglaro 'yan eh so kapag binigyan natin ng chance, gigil na gigil 'yung (Jonah) Sabete, 'yung (Pam) Lastimosa so good thing nandyan sila,” said Yee.

(The players are always eager to play so when we give them the chance, they deliver. Jonah Sabete and Pam Lastimosa were very eager to play, it is a good thing they are there.)

Cocolife was on the verge of closing the game in four sets after leading 22-21 but back-to-back hits from Philips gave Sta. Lucia a 23-22 lead. Shar Latai Manu-Olevao fired a kill to tie things up before Anisova provided the finishing touches with two consecutive kills.

The Lady Realtors raced to an 11-2 lead in the third set until the Asset Managers came back behind a 6-1 run, 8-12. However, Sta. Lucia unloaded a set-clinching 13-4 spurt to prevent the sweep.

Manu-Olevao paced Cocolife, which fell to 3-4, with 30 points. Taylor Fae Milton and Bautista added 13 and 11 markers, respectively, in the loss. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – “This is about gratitude, and reciprocity,” says PFF Gen Sec Ed Gastanes.

The Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) International Tournament will be a mini-tournament pitting hosts Chinese Taipei against the Philippines, Laos and Timor Leste. The Azkals square off with the Laotians at 4 pm on Friday, December 1, then two days later face off against Chinese Taipei at 7 pm. The Philippines closes out the round-robin schedule versus Timor Leste on December 5 at 4 pm. There is no time difference between the Philippines and Taipei.

All matches will be at Taipei's Municipal Stadium. I have been told that a livestream will be likely, best to follow the popular Filipino football accounts on social media.

Since the Philippines Football League will be having its semifinal stage on December 2, 3, 9, and 10, the pros on the squad can only be culled from the bottom four clubs of the PFL, namely JPV Marikina, Stallion Laguna, Davao Aguilas, and Ilocos United. Players from the top 4, namely Ceres, Meralco, Global and Kaya, are thus ruled out, with one exception, Kaya's Adam Tull. That means no Misagh Bahadoran, Iain Ramsay, Pat Deyto, Kevin Ingreso, Curt Dizon, and a bunch of others. The games are also not taking place during FIFA windows, so overseas-based players still in season, like Neil Etheridge and Daisuke Sato won't be there.

According to Gastanes, these matches were supposed to be exhibition games. Originally, we were meant to send a young squad coached by Davao mentor Marlon Maro, who led the U22 team to two wins in the SEA Games. But somewhere along the way, the games became official “A” senior matches, with FIFA ranking points implications. Without our best players from our top teams, this is a cause for concern for Azkals manager Dan Palami.

“I would have wanted to do this under more ideal conditions,” says Palami.

The event harks back to the old Long Teng Cups that the Philippines participated in. The Chinese Taipei Football Association organized them in 2010 and 2011. In both editions the host played against Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines. The Philippines finished third 2010 and second to Hong Kong in 2011. Chieffy Caligdong, with 5 goals, is the competition's all-time leading scorer.

This is also where the gratitude and reciprocity come in.

“They would invite us when we were 190th in the world. It seems right that we should accept the invitation now that we are ranked much higher,” said Gastanes.

In other words, we were given an opportunity to play better teams and improve. Now it's our term to be the strong team and help more developing sides. The hosts are ranked 135th in the world but beat Bahrain 2-1 in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier in October. They are definitely a team on the rise. They were at 192 two years ago. Laos are ranked 184 while Timor Leste is the lowest-ranked side in the tournament at 196.

A result against us would give any of these countries a decent boost in the FIFA rankings. If we stumble, then our rank of 116 could take a hit.

Since this was supposed to be a youth team, Marlon Maro was tapped as the coach. Despite the fact that it will now be technically the senior team, Maro will still take charge of the squad. One imagines that Thomas Dooley will be back in the saddle for the next AFC Asian qualifier in March against Tajikistan.

No doubt Maro will play several of his Davao Aguilas players. The Younghusband brothers will almost surely be in the starting eleven along with fellow Aguila Simone Rota. Another Davao player, Angel Guirado, is also back in the team after a lengthy absence. Guirado, 32, has scored 5 goals for the Azkals but the last was in 2012.

Other Davao players include defenders Reymart Cubon and Junell Bautista, gifted Fil-Belgian Dylan De Bruycker, James Hall, and goalie Nick O'Donnell.

Jaime and Justin Cheng, sons of Davao owner Jefferson Cheng, are also listed. The elder Cheng is serving as team manager for the squad.

Stallion is providing 5 players; central midfielder/striker Fitch Arboleda, defender Dodong Villareal, Ruben Doctora, Nate Alquiros, and forward Yannick Tuason, who returns to the Azkals after a six-year absence. Tuason last donned the national team shirt in the 2011 Challenge Cup qualifers in Myanmar. I saw him score two goals for Laguna against Global two weeks ago, so he really looks sharp. Doctora, who played against Tajikistan for the Azkals earlier this year, also returns. Alquiros, a technically skilled wide player who was in the U23 team in the 2015 SEA Games, also gets a call-up.

There are also some collegiate players, most notably Ateneo forward Jarvey Gayoso, who scored two goals and assisted on another during the SEA Games. His SEAG teammates Ian Clarino, Christian Lapas, and FEU's Arjay Joyel will also go to Taiwan. Clarino is from UP and is a very promising central defender. Lapas is fantastic on the ball while Joyel impressed many between the sticks in Malaysia, starting all four SEAG matches. Cebuano Kintaro Miyagi, who scored a hat trick in the UAAP final last year for UP, will also make the trip.

Adam Reed, also known as Adam Tull, is listed. The Kaya Makati midfielder is suspended for the rest of the PFL postseason, thus making him available. However his club says they are appealing the suspension and he may not go to Taiwan after all.

Mike Ott, playing for Thai club Ang Thong, will also be there. One can assume that with the Thai league over for the year, the younger Ott was allowed to gain more caps.

It's a bit of a surprise not to see any JPV Marikina players in the roster. One thinks centerbacks Sean Kane, Camelo Tacusalme, midfielder Koichi Belgira, and goalie Nelson Gasic might have been given a nod. No Ilocos United players either. For my money, IUFC speedster Angelo Marasigan could have been given a chance alongside either of the Uzoka brothers, Kennedy or Chima.

But the best part of this team is that we now have a bigger pool of potential Azkals. That could increase competition for spots and ratchet up the level of play, at least in theory.

The focus might be on one player: Phil Younghusband. The Philippines' all-time leading scorer is three shy of 50 international goals, a mark only 39 other footballers have reached. He might very well surpass that milestone in this tournament, especially against Timor Leste or Laos. The first 4 goals of his international career came in a 7-0 shellacking of Timor Leste in 2006. He has been coming off the bench lately for Davao so one hopes his fitness will not be a concern.

This team will be tired, after a long and grueling PFL season. Apparently there is no chance for the team to train together before departing on Wednesday. But the flag has called them once again, and hopes are high for some wins to close the year with a flouris

MANILA, Philippines – The Foton Tornadoes made quick work of the Victoria Sports-UST Golden Tigresses, 25-7, 25-22, 25-16, to finish the elimination round of the 2017 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix with only one loss at the Arena in San Juan Tuesday, November 28.

Sara Klisura and Jaja Santiago both had 13 points for the Tornadoes, which currently stand at first place with a 7-1 card.

It was a complete domination for Foton as it tallied 17 more attack points, 13 more block points and 14 more excellent digs against the Tigresses, who remained winless in 7 outings.

The Tornadoes took a 15-5 lead before the Tigresses gained life, coming close by 7 points, 16-23. However, Foton’s lead was too large to overcome as Klisura and Ivy Perez fired back-to-back hits for the sweep.

EJ Laure had 9 points in the win while CJ Rosario added 8.

The second set was tied at 21-all until the Tornadoes scored 3 straight points, 2 coming from Laure, to pull away. A Maika Ortiz kill secured the 2-0 set lead for Foton.

The win marked Foton's fourth victory coming via sweep in the tournament.

Dim Pacres topscored for the Tigresses with 8 points while Shannen Palec had 6. – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is determined to "be myself" and avoid playing "a character" should he return to the ring.

The British boxer has been out of action for two years, with a failed drugs test in June 2016 blocking his comeback to professional boxing.

Fury, who has become well known for outspoken statements on a variety of topics, is determined to clear his name.

"Of all the things I've been called – a bigot, a sexist, a homophobe – I may have been those but the one thing I'm not is a drugs cheat," the 29-year-old told IFL TV.

Fury has always insisted his positive test was due to eating uncastrated wild boar.

The British Boxing Board of Control has said the former champion, who won the IBF, WBA and WBO titles against Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, has said there is no question of Fury being granted a license to box until the issue is resolved.

Fury, who has said he had used recreational drugs to combat depression in 2016, turned up at a press conference dressed as Batman ahead of his win against Klitschko.

But he was adamant such stunts were now a thing of the past, saying: "This time I want to be myself, I don't want to play a character anymore.

"I want the public to see me, the people's champion, the happy-go-lucky Tyson Fury. Not the confident, brash character to sell tickets. If promoters can't do their job, I'm not going to help them. I'm not going to be a performing actor."

Fury added: "I feel I have a story to tell, a massive one. The stuff I've been through, depression, mental health problems. It can help and inspire others. From rags to riches to rags again.

"From 18 stone to 27. From a clean living man to drugs and alcohol and back to the heavyweight world champion again. I hope the legacy and story I leave behind will help others in the future of what to do and not to do."

Fury, undefeated in 25 bouts, has recently thrown out challenges to several boxers including Britain's current world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – UAAP Commissioner Rebo Saguisag called for "sportsmanship and positive participatory experience" in a letter he released on Wednesday, November 29, just before the tip-off of the UAAP Season 80 men's basketball finals game 2. 

This letter was addressed to everyone involved in the game, including game officials, coaches, team personnel, student-athletes, spectators and the board of athletic directors from the UAAP schools. 

Saguisag told game officials to "react swiftly" and the coaches of each team "to get directly involved" with any misconduct or unethical behavior that will happen during the upcoming game. 

To the team management – including the utility, physiotherapists, consultants and other team bench personnel – the UAAP commisioner asks them to step back from addressing the referees and leave the coaches to do their duty. 

Saguisag said to the student-athletes to "get your act together, clean up the game, and just play ball." He reminds them that as players, they are the "exceptional representatives of their team and their institutions;" therefore, they are committed to behaving properly when it is game time. 

According to a report by ABSCBN Sports, these reminders were given in response to the misconduct of 3 De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers – Aljun Melecio, Ricci Rivero and Abu Tratter– during their first finals game against the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Videos of the incidents reported here by Tiebreaker Times were reviewed by Saguisag and he wil meet with them before the start of the game Wednesday.  

Saguisag also reminded spectators to "cheer for their student-athletes" but only to an extent that is still "befitting of your prestigious institutions" and the Board of Managing Directors, Athletic Directors to hold all coaches and student-athletes "accountable for their conduct" during the game. 

Past matters

In line with past officiating matters, Saguisag released Tuesday, November 28,  a statement regarding the protests and complaints from Adamson University about their controversial semi-finals game against DLSU. 

After conducting a review of the match, Saguisag said there was insufficient evidence to prove there was partiality on the part of the referees. 

"This office cannot infer bias or partiality on the basis of errors in judgment. These must be proved with clear and convincing evidence – which, upon meticulous review of the game, are absent in the case." 

Saguisag also tackled the issue of biased officiating based on the the disparity in free throws, where 33 fouls were called against Adamson and 12 were called against La Salle. The UAAP Commissioner argues that La Salle was more focused on its "inside game and lane incursions," while Adamson was "more predisposed in its perimeter game."

"It is imperative to focus on whether or not the non-calls were actually incorrect since the disparity in non-calls could be an indication of how the teams played, i.e., one team was more focused on its inside game and lane incursions, while the other team was more predisposed in its perimeter game, among other factors,” said Saguisag in the statement. 

Saguisag added that a thorough review of the match also resulted to the identification of a number of incorrect non-calls on both teams. 

"After a thorough review, it appears that there were a number of incorrect non-calls. Particularly, there were 10 incorrect non-calls on fouls committed by La Salle. However, there were seven incorrect non-calls on fouls committed by Adamson as well."

Saguisag also reminded the public that the Office of the Commissioner "does not condone any conduct, act, or omission that would compromise the integrity of the sport," leading to the continued suspension of referees the involved in the November 18 game, Enan Alejo, Ian Borbe, and Mollie de Luna. 

"Further to their preventive suspension (provisional in nature and not based on a finding of guilt), the officials concerned have been heavily reprimanded with a warning of stiffer penalties should evidence of bad faith or malice surface even after this review. They also remain excluded from the pool of referees for the finals series to remove any cloud of doubt in the Finals." 

The Ateneo Blue Eagles and DLSU Green Archers continue their best-of-three UAAP Season 80 men's basketball finals series on with game 2 Wednesday, November 29, 4 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Trixie Antiquera dropped 30 points as the National University Lady Bulldogs flexed their muscles against the University of the East Lady Warriors, 89-61, to notch their 63rd straight win and draw first blood in the best-of-three UAAP Season 80 women’s basketball finals at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday, November 29.

Antiquera, who also had 4 rebounds and two steals, waxed hot all game long as she shot an ultra-efficient 58 percent from the field, burying 7 of her 11 attempts from downtown. She was plus-32 in less than 28 minutes of play.

It was a complete basketball obliteration for the Lady Bulldogs as Antiquera, at one period, scored as many points as the whole UE team. Antiquera drained a long two earlier in the 3rd quarter for her 27th point to give UE a 51-27 lead.

Even with the game beyond reach, the Lady Bulldogs did not let up in the payoff period as they took 36-point advantage, their biggest, following a free throw from Monique del Carmen, 76-40.

"It was a good win. Again, just happy for the girls, especially Trixie (Antiquiera). Her last playing year and having the grand time of having the 3-point [barrage]. Hindi ko naman in-eexpect, at least lumabas ngayon (I did not expect it but at least, her shots fell today),” said NU head coach Pat Aquino.

Jack Danielle Animam, who was awarded Most Valuable Player earlier in the day behind 77. 29 statistical points (SPs), had 17 rebounds, 10 points, 5 blocks, 4 assists and 2 steals for the 3-time defending champs while Ria Nabalan added 16 points, 5 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals.

Love Sto. Domingo paced the Lady Warriors with 17 points, 12 boards, 4 assists and 3 blocks. Joyce Francisco and Christine Cortizano added 12 and 11 markers, respectively, in the loss.

Joining Animam in the Mythical Five are teammates are Rhena Itesa and Nabalan, Sto. Domingo, and University of Sto. Tomas’ Jhenn Angeles.

In the initial tabulation, it was UST’s Sai Larosa who was included in the Mythical Five, finishing at 3rd place with 61 statistical points. However, after pushing and punching Sto. Domingo late in their do-or-die semi-finals game against UE earned her a disqualifying foul, thus she was ruled ineligible for the selection of any individual award.

The Scores:

NU (89): Antiquera 30, Nabalan 16, Animam 10, Camelo 8, Ano-os 8, Itesi 7, Harada 5, Cacho 3, Del Carmen 2, Sison 0, Ceno 0, Layug 0, Lopez 0, Tanesa 0.

UE (61): Sto. Domingo 17, Francisco 12, Cortizano 11, Tacula 9, Chan 6, Gayacao 4, Ramos 2, Antonio 0.

Quarter scores: 22-7, 43-21, 63-34, 89-61. 

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers defeat the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 92-83, in game 2 of the UAAP men's basketball championship playoffs Wednesday, November 22 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The Green Archers extend the best-of-three finals series to a game 3 where the archrivals will battle for the title one last time this Season 80. 

The Green Archers were able to rally back in the second half as Ben Mbala clinched the lead for DLSU (60-58) with 2:03 left in the third quarter. As the Blue Eagles continued to cool down, the defending champions managed to pull the lead away via the heroics of back-to-back MVP Mbala. 

Mbala led the Green Achers with a double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds while making two assists and 3 steals. Ricci Rivero came up big in the second half as he followed with 18 points – 12 of which were from the last two periods. Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio also put up double digits of 13 points and 12 points, respectively. 

Five Blue Eagles also managed to register double digits with Thirdy Ravena leading the Blue Eagles with 20 points, 6 boards, 4 assists and 1 steal. Aaron Black powered the 4th quarter with 11 markers out of his 15 points. Anton Asistio's first half hot shooting saw him tally a total of 13 points, while Isaac Go and Matt Nieto followed with 11 and 10  points, respectively. 

The Blue Eagles got off to a strong start, leading by as much as 21 points in the first half. Asistio waxed hot from the 3-point range drained 4-of-5 triples in the first two periods alone. 

The Green Archers had a lackluster first half as they were unable to lock down the hot shooting Blue Eagles and sharpen their offense. It was only until Rivero picked up his 4th foul of the game in the second quarter that Mbala's alley-oop jam sparked a 10-0 run for DLSU to close out the first half.

Game 3 will be on Sunday, December 3, 4 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The Scores

DLSU 92 – Mbala 20, Rivero R 18, Caracut 13, Melecio 12, Montalbo 9, Santillan 8, Rivero P 8, Tratter 4, Tero 0, Go 0, Baltazar 0.

ATENEO 83 – Ravena 20, Black 15, Asistio 13, Go 11, Nieto Ma 10, Ikeh 6, Mendoza 5, Tolentino 2, Tio 1, Verano 0, Nieto Mi 0, Mamuyac 0, Porter 0.

QUARTERS: 15-32, 42-51, 68-59, 92-83.

– Rappler.com

PARIS, France – Alfa Romeo are returning to Formula One after a 30 year absence as backers of Sauber next year, the iconic Italian marque announced on Wednesday.

The Ferrari-powered team will be known as Alfa Romeo Sauber.

Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne, CEO of the Milan-based manufacturer's company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said in a statement that Alfa was "determined to begin writing an exciting new chapter in its unique, legendary sporting history.”

Pascal Picci, Chairman of Swiss-based Sauber Holding AG, added: "We are very pleased to welcome Alfa Romeo to the Sauber F1 Team.

"Alfa Romeo has a long history of success in Grand Prix racing, and we are very proud that this internationally renowned company has chosen to work with us for its return to the pinnacle of motorsport."

Alfa Romeo won the inaugural F1 championship with Nino Farina in 1950, and followed up with legendary Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio winning the 1951 title.

They then served as engine supplier for several teams from 1961 until 1979, before returning with a works team from 1979 to 1985, when they pulled out of F1.

Sauber have yet to finalize their drivers line-up for next season, with Ferrari's junior drivers Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi believed to be in the frame to replace Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Game 2 of the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball finals between the 1-0 Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles and archrival De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers was expected to be a bloodbath. (Without the blood, of course. No need for another Matt Nieto situation.)

However, things went ugly very early for the men in green as they were beaten black and blue by the sharpshooting Eagles. For their opening salvo, Anton Asistio, Thirdy Ravena and Jolo Mendoza outscored the entire Archers squad 20-15 as Ateneo ended the 1st quarter with 32 points. At this point, newly-minted Mythical 5 members Ricci Rivero and 2-time Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala already had 2 fouls apiece to go along with a combined 4 points.

Things did not turn for the better at all for Rivero and La Salle as a whole at the 2nd quarter. Halfway through the period with the Archers in a dire 19-point hole, 51-32, the high-flyer was called for his 4th foul – one away from being disqualified. Clearly rattled, he started to openly shed tears back to the bench as Ateneo fans cheered loudly at his time of misery. Big bro Prince tried to console the younger Rivero as his team tried to stop the bleeding.

In emphatic fashion, Mbala threw down a rim-rocking alley-oop jam off an Aljun Melecio lob. Melecio then went on to score an and-one layup and three free throws off a foul from downtown. For good measure, Mbala completed the quarter-ending 10-0 run from a bruising putback. At the half, Ateneo suddenly found themselves just up by 9, 51-42, after leading by as many as 21.

Still without Rivero, Kib Montalbo and Andrei Caracut carried the load for La Salle at the start of the third, scoring in transition and from the charity stripe. About midway through the period, Coach Aldin Ayo then took the gamble and finally reinserted Rivero back into the game, much to the delight of the reawakened Archer fans. He promptly scored a routine acrobatic layup to cut Ateneo’s lead to just 4, 56-52. With “Mayhem” defense in full effect, La Salle went ahead and snatched away the lead, 60-58, their first advantage since 2-0 in the 1st. All of a sudden, it was now the defending champions who couldn’t be stopped as they scored 8 more to put them up 68-59 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Since the last tears of Rivero fell, La Salle had gone on a white-hot 36-8 run. No tears were falling now.

One quarter away from redemption and a championship, Ateneo its best to come back from an unlikely 13-point deficit. They almost did, as Aaron Black sank a trey cutting the Archers’ lead to 4, 74-70. However, Rivero and crew promptly ran back away with the game, and for good. La Salle had successfully forced a do-or-die Game 3 with a 92-83 victory.

Hanging on one last foul to give, Rivero went on to score 12 of his 18 points in the 2nd half on a 5/7 shooting clip and 2/2 from the line.

However, at least according to the man himself, Ricci Rivero never came back to the game after that 4th foul.

“[In] the 2nd half, it wasn’t me who played,” he said. “It was God. The whole time na nasa bench ako, I was praying lang na parang Siya yung gumawa ng turning point para manalo kami at makatulong ako and siguro magawa ko ‘yung gusto ni coach in a good way.” (“The whole time I was on the bench, I was just praying that He make that turning point for us to win and for me to help so I can do what coach wants in a good way.”

“I offered everything talaga kay God,” he added. “Sabi ko, kung anong mangyayari sa 2nd half or what, negative man or positive, ite-take ko siya as [a] positive thing kasi I prayed for it na God’s will ‘yung mangyari.” (“I really offered everything to God. I said, whatever happens in the 2nd half or what, whether negative or positive, I’d take it as a positive thing because I prayed for it that God’s will would happen.”)

Divine intervention aside, La Salle has officially erased Ateneo’s huge advantage and is now also one win away from repeating as champions. God willing, the promised land will surely be reached on Sunday, December 3, at the Araneta Coliseum. The only question left now is who reaches it first.

As the old Filipino proverb goes, “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.” (“God gives mercy to those who help themselves.” – Rappler.com

PFL Finals Series schedule

Saturday, December 2 – Global Cebu vs. FC Meralco Manila (Away), 7:00 pm, Rizal Memorial Stadium

Sunday, December 3 – Kaya Makati vs. Ceres Negros 4:00 pm, University of Makati

Saturday, December 9 - FC Meralco Manila vs. Global Cebu (Home), 7:00 pm, Rizal Memorial Stadium

Saturday, December 9 - Ceres Negros vs. Kaya Makati, 7:00 pm, Panaad Stadium, Bacolod City

MANILA, Philippines – After a long and grueling season, the inaugural Philippines Football League season is hurtling towards its denouement with a pair of semifinal smackdowns.

Top seeded Meralco tangles with fourth-seed Global while second seed Ceres takes on Kaya. Both ties are two-legged, aggregate-goals affairs.

Ideally the semis are home-and-away, but because of the unavailability of the Cebu City Sports Complex on both weekends, the Meralco-Global series will be played in its entirety in Manila. Despite this, the PFL says the away goals rule will still be in effect. Global is the nominal home team on December 2, Meralco the home side on the 9th.

In a two-legged contest, away goals is the tiebreaker should two sides have the same aggregate score after the final whistle of the second leg. If the sides are level also on away goals, extra time will be played and if that can't separate the teams, the dreaded penalty shootout.

The semifinal winners meet in the final match on Saturday, December 16. The venue of that game has yet to be determined. There will also be a third-place playoff.

Manila and Cebu met 4 times in the regular season with each team winning once and the other two games ending in draws. In their last game, Daniel Gadia struck in the 86th minute to give the Sparks a 2-1 victory. See that goal here.

Global could be battling some fatigue. Last Saturday they lost the Singapore Cup final in the Lion City to Albirex Niigata Singapore via a penalty shootout. Then two days later they wrapped up their regular season with a 2-0 home win against Ceres. In contrast, Manila has not played since Friday, November 24, when they drew 0-0 to Ceres in Carmona.

"On the physical and mental level of recovery the fatigue will have a certain degree of effect, and we have to capitalize on this," says Meralco coach Aris Caslib.

Caslib has a healthy squad with all of his projected starters fit. The only unavailable Spark is striker Dingdong Pusing, who was harshly red carded against Ceres and is thus suspended.

Global will also have a largely complete squad but Azkals center half Amani Aguinaldo will not participate. He is out with a long term injury. Misagh Bahadoran appears to be bouncing back well from both injury and illness.

The match up appears to be a battle of strength against strength. Meralco's three-man central defense of Milan Nikolic, Joaco Cañas and Lee Jeong Min has been a fortress all season long. They must contend with the dazzling array of weapons at Global coach Akbar Nawas' disposal. Darryl Roberts, Rufo Sanchez are the prime focus of most opposing defenders, but Meralco will ignore Pika Minegishi, Bahadoran, and Paolo Salenga at their peril. Salenga scored in the Singapore Cup final.

On the offensive end, Meralco have quality, with Curt Dizon and Tahj Minniecon both showing they are reliable scorers. The Cebu defense of Wes Dos Santos, Marco Casambre, Dennis Villanueva and Jerry Barbaso will no doubt be on their toes.

Kaya Makati and Ceres Negros will likely be a fiesty pair of games. The regular season series went the way of the Busmen, with the first match in May a 1-1 draw and Ceres sweeping the remainder of the matches, 3-1, 3-2, and 3-2.

Their game in Panaad last October 14 was especially entertaining, with 10-man Ceres getting the late winner thanks to Spanish striker Fernando Rodriguez. Watch the highlights here.

Ceres' big problem now is that Rodriguez has been lost for the season due to injury. Midfield dynamo Manny Ott is also out due to injury. The onus will thus be on Bienve Marañon, Stephan Schrock and the rest of Ceres' glittering stars to bulge the net.

Kaya, on the other hand, are undaunted by their lopsided regular season form against the Negrenses.

“In the Finals Series, (the moniker the PFL has given to the postseason), you can disregard the results in the eliminations,” says Makati coach Noel Marcaida.

“It's anyone's ball game. Kung sino mas uhaw, sila ang makakakuha ng positive result,” says the coach. (Whoever thirsts for it more will get a positive result.)

“In the playoffs you will really see which players are up for the big games.”

Makati are not yet sure if midfielders Miguel Tanton and Adam Tull can play on Sunday. Both are dealing with suspension issues that have not yet been resolved as of the writing of this article.

Kaya rely on the strike force of Senegalese Robert Lopez-Mendy and Ghanaian Jordan Mintah. But Makati also has a fantastic weapon coming of the bench, former FEU standout Eric Giganto. He could also play a role in a tight game.

All 4 teams are ready for the matches and have no shortage of motivation. Both teams know that semifinal winners will possibly get, at the very least, a playoff slot to the AFC Cup next season. Pinoy football fans can expect lots of fireworks this coming week. – Rappler.com

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.

MANILA, Philippines – It’s a foregone conclusion that the sports rivalry between Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and De La Salle University (DLSU) is one of the most heated in the country, if not the most heated.

However, late into Wednesday’s Game 2 between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and DLSU Green Archers, some fans took the tension too far. With 4:07 left in the 4th quarter, defending champion La Salle was up big, 82-70, after having successfully completed a comeback from a 21-point deficit. At this point, a number of fans completely lost control. One fan threw a bottle near the Archers’ bench while another threw a coin, as reported by Tiebreaker Times. The most prominent, however, was a middle-aged fan wearing blue clearly flipping his middle finger towards the DLSU side.

The photo of the misconduct went viral as fans lambasted the actions of the man. However, in another post by Yeyey Yatco and forwarded by Ateneo fan page Team AMDG on Twitter, the fan identified as Chot Kabigting has since apologized to both the Ateneo and La Salle fan communities in a lengthy letter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Public apology to the Ateneo and DLSU communities. <a href="https://t.co/JOguzhytEp">pic.twitter.com/JOguzhytEp</a></p>&mdash; Team AMDG (@TeamAMDG) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamAMDG/status/936199378913464321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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While Kabigting admitted and apologized for throwing the middle finger, he did stress that he was not the person who threw the bottle nor the coin, which caused veteran announcer and Ateneo alum Rolly Manlapaz to plead for order over the PA system and “get this game over with.” Kabigting said that he is “a man of peace” and not “a violent man.”

The unfortunate incident happened just mere hours after UAAP Executive Director and Commissioner Rene “Rebo” Saguisag, Jr. issued an open letter to fans, calling for "sportsmanship and positive participatory experience.”

Despite this, Twitter user @sergiewonder reminded everyone that both communities still have the highest respect for one another in a tweet that has been liked more than 15,000 times

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That’s the Ateneo community standing up to applaud La Salle for winning game 2. They started even before buzzer hit 0. DLSU offered us the same courtesy when we sang our Alma Mater song next.<br><br>Don’t let a few outliers ruin the game for you. This place is filled with good people. <a href="https://t.co/nqugpskqjz">pic.twitter.com/nqugpskqjz</a></p>&mdash; Serge Gabriel (@sergiewonder) <a href="https://twitter.com/sergiewonder/status/935834000563699712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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With the winner-take-all Game 3 set on Sunday, December 3, again at the Araneta Coliseum, both schools will get the chance to clear up their reputations and formally end the season on a high note. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria has joined the immortals of Philippine basketball, installing himself as one of the best tacticians in the history of the PBA.

Austria, who steered the Beermen to the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cup championships last season and fell just a title short of a rare grand slam, was awarded the Coach of the Year for the third straight year during the PBA Press Corps (PBAPC) Annual Awards Night at the Gloria Maris Restaurant Thursday, November 30.

The 59-year-old mentor was the first coach in the 25 years of the PBAPC to win the award in three successive seasons, earning him the right to keep the original Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan trophy, which is named after the late legendary coach.

A Coach of the Year winner keeps the original trophy for one season and turns it over when a new winner is named. Coaches are given replicas of the Dalupan trophy as mementoes of their achievement. 

If a coach wins the award 3 years in a row, the PBAPC will turn over to him for keeps the original Dalupan trophy, made of hardwood and crafted over two decades ago.

Austria is the first man to achieve that.

Despite the honor, Austria gave the credit back to his players.

“In the last three years, I think I did well in the team. It inspires me more dahil nakikita ko kung ano ‘yung pinagtrabahuhan ko. I’m happy dahil ang mga players ko nagrerespond sa mga ginagawa namin, dahil dito, attributed sa kanila ito dahil wala ako dito kung hindi sila nagpeperform ng maganda,” said Austria.

(In the last three years, I think I did well in the team. It inspired me more because I see the results of what I work hard for. I’m happy because the players respond with what we do. This award is also attributed to them because I will be not here if my players did not perform well.)

It was a big night for the San Miguel Corporation as head honcho Ramon S. Ang was hailed as the Danny Floro Executive of the Year following the Beermen’s championships in the first two conferences and Barangay Ginebra’s successful title-retention campaign in the Governors’ Cup.

The 35-year-old Kelly Williams of the TNT KaTropa was recognized as the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year, an award named after the PBA great who bounced back from a career-threateting injury to win an MVP award, while San Miguel’s Chris Ross was awarded the Mighty Sports Defensive Player of the Year.

Globalport Batangpier’s Terrence Romeo took home the Scoring Champion plum for the third straight year after averaging 23.1 points this season while Ginebra’s LA Tenorio was given the Order of Merit award for winning 4 Player of the Week citations this season, the most among all PBA players. Magnolia Hotshots’ Jio Jalalon was Mr. Quality Minutes.

KaTropa’s Rogey Pogoy, Phoenix Fuel Masters’ Matthew Wright, Kia Picanto’s Reden Celda, Ginebra’s Kevin Ferrer and Jalalon were chosen as the Press Corps’ All-Rookie Team.

Also given awards was the All-Interview Team, composed of Ginebra coach Tim Cone, Tenorio, Rain or Shine Elastopainters’ Beau Belga, Hotshots’ Marc Pingris, KaTropa’s Jayson Castro and Meralco Bolts’ Ranidel de Ocampo.

Ross and teammate Alex Cabagnot and Tenorio, who won the Finals MVP in past three conferences, were also recognized. – Rappler.com