Eala overcomes Belarusian foe, barges into Dubai quarters

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

Dec 4, 2024 09:59 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Alex Eala unleashed her inner beast to overcome a second-set stumble and scored a 6-3, 7-5 win over Belarus’ Yuliya Hatouka to barge into the singles quarterfinal round of the W100 Dubai Open at the Habtoor Grand Resort Wednesday, Dec. 4. 

Alex Eala unleashed her inner beast to overcome a second-set stumble and scored a 6-3, 7-5 win over Belarus’ Yuliya Hatouka to barge into the singles quarterfinal round of the W100 Dubai Open at the Habtoor Grand Resort Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Alex Eala has a heart of a lion.

Tied at 5-all in the second frame, the 19-year-old Eala proved she has a heart of a lion, firing timely hits and a defensive masterclass to overcome Hatouka’s final salvo in their 1 hour and 40 minute Round of 16 clash.

The hard-earned win brought Eala in the quarters where she will battle much holder Japanese Kyōka Okamura, who stunned Turkish Berfu Cengiz (6-4, 6-3, 6-0) and Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic (6-3, 6-2) in her previous contests. 

On the other hand, the two-time Asiad bronze medalist whipped Russian qualifier Rada Zolotareva, 6-2, 6-3, in her first assignment in the singles division.

Fresh from leading the Nationals for a promotion in the BJK Cup last week, Eala strutted her wares anew as she immediately made her presence felt against Hatouka in the first canto.

Though it looked like the momentum was on her side, the Belarusian netter was able to level the score in the second frame after Eala squandered a 4-2 lead.

But that was Hatouka’s last run as Eala regained her composure to take the two straight sets. 

Meanwhile in the doubles category, the Asiad two-time bronze winner displayed her tenacity and chemistry with Greece’s Valentini Grammatikopoulou as they pulled off a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Russian duo Daria Kudashova and Ekaterina Shalimova.

The Filipino-Greek pair now awaits the winner between the duo of France’s Amandine Hesse and Slovenia’s Nika Radisic against the Netherlands’ Isabelle Haverlag with Russian Elena Pridankina.

Bautista dazzles in PH figure skating tilt

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

Nov 7, 2024 09:40 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Maxine Marie Bautista made heads turn asthe Philippine National Figure Skating Championships 2024 kicked off at SM Skating inside Mall of Asia in Pasay City Thursday, Nov. 7. 

Maxine Marie Bautista made heads turn as the Philippine National Figure Skating Championships 2024 kicked off at SM Skating inside Mall of Asia in Pasay City Thursday, Nov. 7.

Maxine Marie Bautista (Maxine's Facebook post)

The 23-year-old Bautista scored 50.03 points to rule the senior women's category and beat of Cathryn Limketkai (43.46) and Sofia Frank (41.53), who finished second and third, respectively, in the tournament that serves as selection of the skaters who will compete in the 2025 Asian Winter Games which is set February next year in Harbin, China.

Foreign youngsters from the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea took part as well in the competition that was organized by the Philippine Ice Skating Union (PHSU) led by President Nikki Cheng. 

Cheng expressed her hopes that by organizing a local tournament they will find other homegrown talents like Michael Martinez.

“What I really envision is, makapag-produce din tayo ng local talent natin. That's what we're really striving for,” said Cheng.

“That’s what we’re hoping to happen one day. We’re beefing up our programs and there’s a lot of kids na nakikita namin na up-and-coming,” she added. “And hopefully, one day, they'll be the ones naman na nasa international stage.”

Paolo Borromeo, the lone bet in the senior men’s division, tallied 45.56 points and earned an outright spot to the continental showpiece.

Other winners were Indonesian Muhammad Dasha Akbar (Novice Boys), Filipinos Guilana Angeli Dinopol (Novice Girls),  Brandon Baldoz (Junior Men), and South Korean Hyojin Jeon (Junior Women).

PH skating chief eyes first Filipina in Winter Olympics

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

Sep 28, 2024 10:55 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Philippine Skating Union president Nikkie Cheng is eyeing something that has never happened in the country’s sports history -- a Filipina competing in the Winter Olympics.

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Philippine Skating Union president Nikkie Cheng is eyeing something that has never happened in the country’s sports history -- a Filipina competing in the Winter Olympics.

Isabella Gamez (Ballet Photo Manila)

Cheng has already set her sights on figure skater Isabella Gamez and her Fil-Russian partner Alexander Korovin as the pair tries their luck to secure berths to the 2026 Winter Games slated in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

“Actually, we’re approaching the Asian Winter Games in February 2025 and we are also approaching the 2026 Winter Olympics,” said Cheng. 

“So, in the last few years, I have been very vocal about this. We really want the first Filipina in the Winter Olympics and we hope na yung figure skater natin na si Isabella Gamez kasama ang kanyang partner ay makalahok sa susunod na Winter Olympics,” she added.

The 25-year-old Gamez, the grandniece of former Senator and basketball player Freddie Webb, has been making waves throughout the years with Korovin since their debut in 2022.

They will shoot for that chance in the 2025 World Championships set in March and, if unsuccessful, another tournament in Germany that offers Olympic berths is also lined up later next year.

Fil-American alpine skier Asa Miller was the last to compete in the said quadrennial event when he saw action in the 2022 Beijing edition. He also competed with figure skater Michael Christian Martinez in 2018 Pyongyang. 

Also eyeing an Olympic berth is Peter Groseclose, who saw action in the Winter Youth Olympics earlier this year in short track speed skating.

“We're very happy that Peter has been performing well in the world stage and also inspiring the youth of this sport,” Cheng said. “So, siya rin ang very high chances that we will see in the next Olympics for the Winter calendar naman.

While Cheng is looking at the elite stage, she has also been very active in promoting the sport nationwide.

The country is actually hosting the Southeast Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy, which officially kicked off at the SM Skating Rink inside the Mall of Asia on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The two-day tournament features 90 skaters age 6 to 24 years old from Asian countries including Vietnam, Singapore, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and host Philippines.

The competition aims to promote and grow the sport not only in the country but also in the Southeast Asian region.

Aleah Finnegan honored with Kansas City award

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Olympic gymnast Aleah Finnegan added another feather to her cap after receiving the Sportswoman of the Year plum of the 2024 Kansas City Sports (KCS) Awards Thursday, Aug. 29 (Manila time).

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Olympic gymnast Aleah Finnegan added another feather to her cap after receiving the Sportswoman of the Year plum of the 2024 Kansas City Sports (KCS) Awards Thursday, Aug. 29 (Manila time).

Olympic gymnast Aleah Finnegan (KCSA)

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, the 21-year-old Finnegan competed in the women’s artistic gymnastics event of the 2024 Paris Games earlier this month, representing her mom Linabelle's roots, the Philippines which participated in its 100th year in the quadrennial meet.

“We're thrilled to celebrate Aleah Finnegan as our Children's Mercy Kansas City Sportswoman of the Year!” KCS wrote in its social media post. 

“A powerhouse on the mat, Aleah helped lead LSU to their first National Championship, won the 2024 NCAA floor exercise title, and represented the Philippines at the 2024 Summer Olympics,” it added.

 “Congrats, Aleah, on all your incredible achievements!”

The Pan Am and SEAG champion had historic qualification last October, which was followed by her teammates Levi Jung-Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo this year, breaking the 60-year drought of female gymnasts in the grandest sporting stage.

The Filipina trio, however, came up short in entering to the finals of their respective apparatuses.  

American footballer Travis Kelce and his coach Steve Spagnuolo of the Kansas City Chiefs, who copped their second straight Super Bowl win in the National Football League (NFL), were also honored.

Canino to compete in European chess tourneys

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

Jul 22, 2024 02:35 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The Women’s Grandmaster title journey continues for wunderkind Ruelle Canino after setting herself on board for a European trip as part of her preparations for the World Chess Olympiad in September.

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The Women’s Grandmaster title journey continues for wunderkind Ruelle Canino after setting herself on board for a European trip as part of her preparations for the World Chess Olympiad in September.

 Ruelle Canino, left,  and WGM Janelle Frayna (Distributed photo)

Canino, 16, the reigning champion of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championships, will be tested as she is expected to battle top woodpushers to boost her bid of Woman Grandmaster status.

The Far Eastern University standout will open her European campaign on Aug. 3 up to 10 in Vlissingen, Netherlands where she is scheduled to participate in the HZ University of Applied Sciences Chess Tournament.

She will then go to Germany for the Dortmund Open slated Aug. 10 to 18, followed by the Open Internacional d’escacs Santis-Ciutat de Barcelona on Aug. 23 until Sept. 1.

Canino hopes the tournaments are enough to polish her game in time for her biggest assignment -- the Chess Olympiad -- which unfolds on Sept. 10 to 23 in Budapest, Hungary.

Before that Olympiad, Canino along with her coach and National Chess Federation of the Philippines chief executive officer Jayson Gonzales will join hands with WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, who is already competing in Switzerland.

“This is in preparation for November in AIMAG and World Olympiad in September as well as for her to become a WGM,” said Gonzales, whose trip is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission and backed by the NCFP and Philippine Olympic Committee. 

The Philippine contingent will return to the country on Sept. 3 then set to leave after a few days with the male woodpushers before they fly to Budapest.

Filipina director honors PH Olympians in mini docuseries

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

Jul 16, 2024 10:27 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• As the 2024 Paris Olympics draws near, Mayuga’s love of sports led her and Malaya Creatives to create a heart-warming series that showcases the Filipino athletes’ journey on their way to qualifying to the biggest sports spectacle in the world.

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There are always captivating stories behind every journey of athletes which film director Clev Mayuga aims to capture and share to the Filipino audience.

Clev Mayuga (Clev Mayuga's Facebook post)

As the 2024 Paris Olympics draws near, Mayuga’s love of sports led her and Malaya Creatives to create a heart-warming series that showcases the Filipino athletes’ journey on their way to qualifying to the biggest sports spectacle in the world.

Titled “Puso in Paris”, the four-part documentary, created in partnership with Smart, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, is aimed at showing the process of becoming an Olympian. 

“When we were creating the idea of Puso in Paris, it was clear to me that I don't want to do the origin stories, what they went through, or what they got from it,” Mayuga told Manila Bulletin after the exclusive media screening of Puso in Paris at Smart Tower in Ayala Ave., Makati City Tuesday, July 16.

“Because I feel like people already know about it. What we want to encapsulate in Puso in Paris is what is the process or journey of being a Filipino Olympian,” the University of the Philippines Diliman alumna and mental health advocate added.

The series featured boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Hergie Bacyadan and Aira Villegas; weightlifters Elreen Ando, John Febuar Ceniza and Vanessa Sarno; gymnast Carlos Yulo; and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.

Mayuga and her team followed the athlete's journey during their respective training and competitions: in Bangkok, Thailand where Bacyadan and Paalam earned their Olympic slots, at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex where the three weightlifters train, somewhere in Manila where Yulo also hones his craft, and in Los Angeles, California in one of Obiena's competition stints. 

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Mayuga said these moments in their preparations played significant roles in the series that can help the viewers understand their hardship and sacrifices.

“I think what we got is how excited or how much the feeling of privilege of the athletes to represent the Philippines in the Olympics,” Mayuga said.

“It also shows what athletes need to achieve that level of excellence and greatness. But per episode, we looked at the story of each one and their mindset going into the Olympics,” she added. 

According to Mayuga, the feature is a way of honoring the Olympians as well and the people behind them.

“Oh, for sure. Honoring them and also showing the Filipino people that if you really give support to the athletes, like what SMART, MVPSF, POC, PSC are doing,” she added.

The series will be divided in four parts, starting with Yulo, followed by the five boxers and three lifters, with Obiena’s journey as the final episode.

Sprinters Hoffman, Frank break PH records

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Filipina sprinters Lauren Hoffman and Angel Frank broke Philippine indoor records in their respective events in the 2024 Clemson Bob Pollock Invitational in South Carolina over the weekend.

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Filipina sprinters Lauren Hoffman and Angel Frank broke Philippine indoor records in their respective events in the 2024 Clemson Bob Pollock Invitational in South Carolina over the weekend.

 Lauren Hoffman (left) and Angel Frank (Lauren Hoffman's Facebook post)

Hoffman, 24, clocked 53.91 seconds for a third-place finish in the women’s 400m category which shattered Kayla Richardson’s 54.94 mark in 2018 in Albuquerque, USA.

“My teammates and I intend to make that record even faster but I’m still gonna celebrate this achievement for now! All season long I’ll be celebrating small wins, big wins, and everything in between,” Hoffman posted on her Facebook. 

The Virginia-native sprinter was behind Maya Singletary (52.34) and Clemson’s Ken’naria Gadson (53.69) who eventually sealed first and second places, respectively.

Recently, Hoffman also set the women's 600m record in the Hokie Invitational by registering 1 minute and 30.33 seconds which was enough to smash Daniel Quintero’s (1:36.93) in a Santa Barbara tilt in 2020.

On the other hand, Frank settled for 8th place in her stint but her 23.86-second performance eclipsed Zion Corrales-Nelson's 23.90 in the 200-meter race.

Hoffman and Frank bannered the Nationals in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games last September alongside Robyn Brown and Maureen Schrijvers. 

Fil-Am Hoffman breaks 600m PH record

BY MARK REY MONTEJO

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Fil-American Lauren Hoffman opened her competition season with a bang after breaking the Philippine record in the women’s 600 meters at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia over the weekend.

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Fil-American Lauren Hoffman opened her competition season with a bang after breaking the Philippine record in the women’s 600 meters at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia over the weekend.

Lauren Hoffman (Lauren Hoffman's Facebook post)

The 24-year-old Hoffman clocked 1 minute and 30.33 seconds for the silver medal, but eclipsed the old mark of 1:36.93 set by Daniel Quintero last 2020 at a race in Santa Barbara, United States.

“Season opener! Definitely could have executed my races better but had so much fun competing again,” Hoffman wrote on social media hours after the race.

Hoffman was just a hairline behind fellow Duke Lauren Tolbert, who eventually copped the gold medal with 1:30.29.

Madison Mulder of the Netherlands bagged the bronze in 1:30.36.

Hoffman, a native of Virginia, competed at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last year where she finished fifth in the 400m hurdles.

She also teamed up with Robyn Brown, Angel Frank and Maureen Schrijvers in finishing fifth in the women’s 4x400m relay in the Asiad.