Epic Final Four duels loom: Beermen, Gin Kings face off; TnT eyes 2-0

source: ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

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MANILA, Philippines – The Final Four protagonists shake off the holiday stupor in a pair of expected epic matches marking the resumption of the PBA Philippine Cup with Talk n Text battling B-MEG Derby Ace and San Miguel Beer colliding with Barangay Ginebra at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.

The Texters beat the Llamados, 98-91, in Game One of their showdown but TnT coach Chot Reyes said they’re practically starting all over again because of the nine-day break.

The resumption of play will be marked by the unveiling of the “Big Cube” at the Big Dome.

The Big Cube is a giant four-screen high definition LED Cube the Araneta Coliseum management has procured from Florida. It’s said to be the biggest in the world and, at 10mm pitch, clearer than the one being used in the Dallas Cowboys football stadium.

Action on the floor could only be fierce and furious with the Texters, the Llamados, the Beermen and the Kings all out to crank up their playoff runs.

“We really want to start the New Year right. In fact, we’re not counting Game One anymore. We consider Game Two at the start of the series. We want to come out strong,” said Reyes.

“It’s 2011. We put behind us whatever happened in 2010. Our thinking is that we’re starting from scratch and we’ll try to establish momentum,” Reyes added.

The Llamados have also put behind them their Game One loss and they’re aching to plunge back into action.

“We had a chance to win in the end (in Game One). It showed we can beat Talk n Text,” said Derby Ace coach Jorge Gallent.

“We just have to play our game, play our roles and stop their key player. We do that and we have a good chance to win,” added Gallent, optimistic of their chance against the elimination-round topnotchers.

The opener of the San Miguel-Ginebra series could really be a battle as indicated by their two down-to-the-wire elimination-round meetings won by the Beermen via one-point victories.

“I think we can really compete with them,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico, notwithstanding injuries to key players Eric Menk and Jayjay Helterbrand.

Providing subplots to both series are the duel between neophyte coaches versus veteran bench tacticians.

Uichico and Reyes have won 13 championships between them while Gallent and Ato Agustin are both seeking a Cinderella finish.

Reyes and his troops are out to put pressure on Derby Ace, looking for a 2-0 lead in the series they are favored to win as playoff top seeds.

“They’ve been saying we’re the favorites but I’ve been long enough in this league to know predictions do not count. Anything can happen on the floor,” said Reyes.

The Texters hardly took a rest during the break in preparation for today’s game.

They’re determined to stay sharp, come out strong and reestablish momentum that could bring them back to the all-Filipino finals. The Texters are out to reclaim the crown they last won in 2009.
 

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Roach to Pacquiao: Don’t take Shane lightly

Source: ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

MANILA, Philippines – The biggest mistake Manny Pacquiao can commit against “Sugar” Shane Mosley is to underestimate the former world champion.

This is why Pacquiao’s boxing trainer, Freddie Roach, keeps convincing his fighter not to take Mosley, a 5-time world champion, lightly.

“I just need to get Manny to stop listening to those people who see that this will be an easy fight. That's the worst thing in the world that they could tell him,” Roach told 8 Countnews.com's Brad Cooney.

The boxing trainer, who molded the Filipino champion from a one-dimensional boxer to a complete fighter, said there’s no easy fight at Pacquiao’s level.

“You're the best fighter in the world. If Shane wins against Manny, those last two fights will go away,” said Roach, referring to Mosley’s previous fights.

Last May, Mosley shocked the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. with two vicious shots to the head in the second round of their welterweight fight.

Mayweather, however, battled on in the remaining rounds to beat him by points.

Four months later, Mosley fought Sergio Mora, the first champion of NBC’s boxing reality show “The Contender.” The fight ended in a controversial split draw.

Roach said Mosley could hurt Pacquiao, like what he did against Mayweather, which is why the trainer said the Filipino needs to be in tip-top shape for their May 7 fight.

“We need to be ready for something like that. We're not going to underestimate him [Mosley], we're gonna be in great shape, we expect him to be in his best,” said Roach.

The boxing coach said that just like Pacquiao, Mosley has speed and power. He added that “Sugar” is a much better boxer than Antonio Margarito.

“Mosley actually is the better puncher and quicker, of course… this is the first guy Manny's gonna fight that has fast hands, he throws a little bit angle. We should come up with a better game plan, beating him to the punch,” said Roach.

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Asian football observer sees promise in RP soccer

Source: GMANEWS.TV






MANILA, Philippines – Philippine football has a lot of things going for it, which, if properly harnessed and handled, can enable the sport to take off in the country in the next few years, according to Brendon John Menton, Vision Asia coordinator of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

"We see a lot of positive elements in your football. All it needs is to come up with a organized development plan then put it into action. That’s what we’re here for," Menton said on Tuesday at the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Shakey’s United Nations Avenue branch in Manila.

Joining Menton in the session was Philippine Football Federation (PFF) secretary general Pablito Araneta.

Menton heads a five-man team that has been in Manila since Saturday to evaluate the needs of local soccer. The team will then come up with a strategic development plan in a month’s time to help upgrade the standards of the sport here.

"We are basically targeting five areas that we feel should be addressed first – administration, clubs and competitions, coaches and referees, and youth and grassroots sports development," Menton said.

He added that after their visit, they will return to the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to draw up a "football blueprint" for the Philippines that will be "practical, doable, and attainable."

"We in Vision Asia will not just come up with a plan," he said. "We will be actively involved with the PFF in implementing the program that we think will suit your country best. It may take three years, five years, but we intend to provide all the support needed in helping Philippine football get to where we want it to be."

AFC’s Vision Asia is a brainchild of AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam. It is geared towards following the direction of the International Football Federation (FIFA), the world governing body for the sport, in making clubs the centerpiece of promoting and popularizing the sport.

"I am pleased to note that there are embryonic clubs already set up," Menton said. "This is what FIFA wants – making clubs the center and catalyst of development. We in Vision Asia will help Philippine football to reach that goal."

Menton said he and his team witnessed the opening of the Filipino Premier League last Sunday, noting that this was one of the "positive things that we saw."

He cited the example of India, one of the earliest Asian countries to enroll in the program, which has now has a full-pledged national league with competitive clubs. 

"We helped India in setting up the league, which is now very successful," Menton said. "We hope we can do the same in your country."

For his part, Araneta said that having the Vision Asia people to help the federation "will enable us to set the proper direction for football in the country."

"We can now expect some concrete things to happen with the help of the AFC," Araneta said.

Aside from Manila, the Vision Asia team was set to fly to Cebu late on Tuesday to also evaluate football needs at the provincial level. The contingent will fly back to Kuala Lumpur late Friday. 

"Football development may appear slow," Menton said. "But we should not be upset about its progress. Because we believe, once the proper elements are there, then much can be attained." 

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Iraq set to defend the Asia Cup title in Qatar

Source: GMANEWS.TV






BAGHDAD — Iraq was the feel good story of the last Asian Cup, winning an unlikely title to give its war-weary residents something to celebrate. Four years later, it comes in as defending champion aiming to prove that title was no fluke.

Since its historic victory, Iraq football has fallen victim to political infighting that got the national federation suspended by FIFA from world football and inconsistent form from the team, which has slipped from 58th to 101st in the world rankings.

But with the arrival of coach Wolfgang Sidka in August, the team appears to have found some of the magic that contributed to its amazing run in 2007. It has won eight matches since September, including wins over fellow Asian Cup contenders Saudi Arabia and it reached the Gulf Cup semifinals — where it lost on penalties to Kuwait — after beating Bahrain.

"Our ambition is to be the champions again," Iraq captain Younis Mahmoud said. "Through winning the cup, we did what America and the government couldn't do, which was to unite the country."

Team manager Abdul-Khaliq Masoud said the squad is in a tough group, but is confident of advancing to the knockout stage.

"Our expectations are high because we have a team of talented, experienced players," Masoud said. "We know that our group is very difficult, but we have full trust in our team and think we can win the crown again."

Sidka, who has previously coached the Bahrain national side and a Qatar club team, is cautiously optimistic about Iraq's chances. It is drawn in a relatively tough group that includes archrival Iran along with North Korea and United Arab Emirates.

"First, we have the match with Iran and that's our neighbors and our rivals," Sidka said in an interview on the Asian Football Confederation website. "We'll try to reach the quarterfinals and then we will see."

For many football fans, Iraq's surprising run in 2007 remains one of the great Cinderella stories of that year.

After beating Australia in the group stage, Iraq beat South Korea in a semifinal shootout and then edged three-time champion Saudi Arabia in the final. The team's first continental victory set off a frenzy of national pride, prompting wild dancing in the streets and bringing the deeply divided nation together at a time of some of the worst sectarian fighting in centuries raged between Sunni and Shiite militias across the country.

The streets of Iraq are more peaceful now but political tensions have spilled over to the football boardrooms. Two coaches were fired after the team failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and the team was banned by FIFA for five months in 2009-2010 after Iraq's Olympic committee disbanded the country's football federation for alleged financial and administrative irregularities.

Since the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq's Shiite-dominated government has wanted to purge football — the most popular sport in Iraq — of any officials with alleged ties to the deposed Sunni-dominated regime of Saddam Hussein.

In July, men in military-style uniforms raided the football federation's offices carrying arrest warrants for several of its officials, including the Sunni president Hussein Saeed. The government denied any responsibility for the raid.

A few weeks later, a scheduled poll to elect new leadership of the Iraqi Football Association was canceled when a Sunni faction supporting the incumbent president met in Irbil, claiming it was too dangerous to travel to Baghdad, where backers of Shiite challenger Falah Hassan had gathered.

The team avoided a second suspension after FIFA gave both groups a year to settle their differences and elect a new board.

Najih Hamoud, the deputy president of the IFA, insisted the leadership row has not affected the team's performance.

"The problems had no affect on the team," Hamoud said. "They focused on training and playing teams from Palestine, Syria and the Gulf." 

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China gets shot at redemption at Asian Cup

Source: GMANEWS.TV


BEIJING — China's much-maligned footballers get a shot at redemption at the Asian Cup after being drawn into a group that offers a decent chance of qualification into the knock-out round.

China is in Group A with host Qatar, traditional Central Asian power Uzbekistan, and Gulf stalwart Kuwait, all teams ranked beneath the underperforming Asian giant.

A smooth qualifying campaign that included a 6-1 thumping of Vietnam and back-to-back wins over Lebanon should further boost China's confidence. Wins over Macedonia, Latvia and Estonia in recent friendlies hasn't hurt confidence, either.

China's improved performance is credited in part to coach Gao Hongbao, who has brought a steadying influence to the team in the almost two years since his appointment.

China has climbed from 93 to 87 in the FIFA world rankings in 12 months, reversing a steady slide in previous years that included its failure to qualify for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. The decline had prompted much angst among the country's sporting authorities and top government leaders more used to reaping sporting glory, including dominating the gold medal tally at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Gao has a young squad in Qatar, with an average age of just 23 and no player over 30. Schalke 04 midfielder Hao Junmin is the only squad member who doesn't play in the domestic league.

Perhaps wary of past stumbles, Gao is being careful not to burden his players with ambitious expectations.

"It's enough just for them to perform to the best of their ability," Gao told reporters a recent training camp.

Fans won't see many familiar faces in the lineup, with captain Du Wei and Qu Bo the only veterans of the 2002 World Cup — China's sole appearance in football's marquee competition. Veteran goal scorers Shao Jiayi, Zeng Zhi, and Li Weifeng are all being left at home, although Gao isn't ruling out their future return to the national team.

"The Asian Cup is just a stage in our work. If we need them in future, then we'll call them back," Gao said.

While the squad has little experience in major international competitions, they can hardly do worse than recent Chinese teams.

Along with its World Cup troubles, China crashed out of the group round of the 2007 Asian Cup. Hosts China also failed to make it out of their group in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was dismissed from the knock-out round of last month's Asian Games by ultimate champion Japan.

That's a far cry from 2004, when China was runnerup to Japan in the Asian Cup it hosted. It has never won the continental tournament.

China football failures mostly come down a lack of school and community teams and the country's overwhelming reliance on elite sports academies to train players from a young age.

While the state system has brought success in technical sports such as gymnastics, it seems poorly suited for football, where star players may not begin to show their true potential until their teens.

Chaos and corruption in the domestic league hasn't helped, although a thorough effort to root out the bad apples seems now to be gaining traction. 

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Patriots' defeat angers Romero

Source: MB.COM.PH

MANILA, Philippines — Mikee Romero, co-owner of the AirAsia-Philippine Patriots, on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the team’s poor performance that resulted in a heart-breaking 83-76 double overtime loss to the Chang Thailand Slammers in the AirAsia SEAN Basketball League (ABL) Season 2 last Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand.

“I’m so dismayed with the way they played last Sunday. We were outplayed, outhustled and outrebounded,” said Romero, team co-owner with businessman Tony Boy Cojuangco. “We are known for our never-say-die attitude but last Sunday, they showed none of it.”

Romero, whose Harbour Centre team established a record of seven straight PBL championships, also noted that while other teams, especially Thailand, are playing with a sense of urgency, the PH Patriots appeared to be losing their intensity.

“We can’t retain our championship if we continue to play this kind of basketball. We are carrying the country’s flag in this tournament, this is not an ordinary tournament because the country’s honor is at stake in this tournament,” Romero said. “They have to play with lots of passion and pride if we have to keep the crown.”

Save for Egay Billones who tallied 23 points, Romero criticized the locals for playing mediocre basketball.

“I don’t want to question their heart but the way they played, it seems they lack the character that I want for a team,” Romero said. “We sorely missed the presence of our original enforcer Jerwin Gaco.”

Gaco, who played a key role in the team’s first championship, is now playing for B-Meg Derby Ace in the PBA.

With the loss, the PH Patriots blew away the opportunity to secure the homecourt advantage in the finals as they dropped to 8-5, two games behind the Slammers, who improved to 10-3.

Even if the Slammers lose their last two games and the Patriots win their remaining two games, there’s no way the defending champions can snare the homecourt edge.

The Slammers have a 2-1 advantage over the PH Patriots in their head-to-head duel this elims.

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Pacquiao named WBC's Fighter of the Decade

Source: MB.COM.PH

MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao was voted by the World Boxing Council (WBC) as its Fighter of the Decade (2001-2010), WBC’s long time chief Jose Sulaiman announced from the governing body’s headquarters in Mexico City.

Pacquiao beat out Oscar De La Hoya and a few other marquee names for the coveted award.

Although Pacquiao held numerous titles in other sanctioning bodies during the last 10 years, the 32-year old Filipino pound-for-pound king also won several championships under the WBC banner.

Pacquiao briefly held the WBC super-featherweight and lightweight titles and just recently annexed the super-welterweight title to his growing collection after also winning titles at flyweight (WBC), super-bantam (International Boxing Federation), feather (The Ring magazine), super-lightweight (International Boxing Organization) and welter (World Boxing Organization).

The WBC Fighter of the Decade award will only add more luster to Pacquiao’s already proud name, having been given the same accolade by the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring magazine for the same feat.

Pacquiao is currently out of the country with his family and is slated to return to the ring on May 7 against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

A huge favorite against Mosley, Pacquiao plans to embark on an eight-week training camp for what he has described as “a very tough fight” considering Mosley’s durability and vast experience.

Trainer Freddie Roach said he is willing to camp out in Baguio City once again for four weeks and spend the next four at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

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LeBron scores 38 to lead Heat over Bobcats

Source: ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – LeBron James scored 38 points and Dwyane Wade added 31 to power Miami past Charlotte 96-82, giving the Heat their 11th NBA road victory in a row.

James made 15-of-26 shots from the field and grabbed nine rebounds while Wade hit 12-of-20 shots and added 11 rebounds as the Heat improved to 27-9 with their 18th victory in the past 19 games.

Before a rare sellout game in Charlotte, James said the Heat call themselves "the Heatles" because of the star power of James, Wade and Chris Bosh and the huge crowds they attract around the league.

"The Heatles - off of the Beatles," James said. "Every time we take our show on the road, we bring a great crowd out."

After a disappointing 9-8 start, the superstar trio have come together to become the formidable force fans expected.

"We didn't know what each other was thinking. Now we're on the same page," Wade said. "Us not being able to play together is not a conversation anymore. I think we do a good job of playing off each other.

"This is what we envisioned and it's starting to come true."

Charlotte missed 18 shots in a row over the second and third quarters and struggled without injured forward Gerald Wallace, center Nazr Mohammed and big man DeSagana Diop, diagnosed Monday as lost for the season with an Achilles tendon rupture.

James scored 26 points in the second half, sinking four shots in a row to give Miami a 78-59 lead entering the fourth quarter.

After a 10-2 Bobcats run, James hit a 3-pointer, made a steal and slammed in a reverse dunk to seal the victory.

"We're having a blast," James said. "We're having a good time. We're playing good basketball."

Paul Silas, who was the first NBA coach of James when both were with the Cleveland Cavaliers, fell to 2-2 since replacing fired coach Larry Brown in guiding the Bobcats.

"When Wade is going and LeBron is going, you have to call it a day," Silas said.

James said Silas was responsible for him "learning how to be a professional on and off the court" in his first two NBA seasons.

Stephen Jackson scored 22 points to lead the Bobcats, who fell to 11-21, while D.J. Augustin added 16. Bosh added 11 points for Miami.

"What can you do?" Jackson said. "You have to give props when props are due and they are great - two of the best players in the game and they played like it."

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Pierce pours in 23 to power Celtics over Timberwolves

Source: ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

BOSTON, Massachusetts – Paul Pierce scored 23 points and Ray Allen added 20 to lift Boston over Minnesota 96-93 on Monday, the Celtics rallying in the fourth quarter to extend their mastery over the Timberwolves.

Glen Davis added 17 points while Rajon Rondo added 16 assists for the Celtics, who have not lost to Minnesota since former T-Wolves star Kevin Garnett was traded from the T-Wolves to Boston in July of 2007.

Michael Beasley scored 19 points, including the last eight for the Timberwolves, but his desperation tying 3-point shot bounced off the backboard at the final buzzer.

Rondo had lofted in a scoop shot to put Boston ahead 94-93 with one minute remaining and Minnesota's Kevin Love, who scored 12 points and grabbed 24 rebounds, misfired on a jump shot.

Boston's Nate Robinson sank two free throws in the last seconds to create the final margin.

The Celtics improved to 26-7, the best record in the Eastern Conference and second only to San Antonio in the NBA, while Minnesota slid to 9-26, fourth-worst in the NBA.

The Timberwolves led by 10 points in the third quarter but slipped to their eighth defeat this season in games where they have held a double-digit lead.

"It's really frustrating," Love said. "It's tough losing games in the manner that we have. We show that we can play with everybody. It's just not being able to close out the games."

The Timberwolves failed again in part because Pierce scored 11 Boston points in a row in the third quarter to halve Minnesota's lead to five points.

"I thought Paul in the first half tried way too hard to get everybody involved," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I told Paul, 'You don't need to be the playmaker. We need you to score.'"

Garnett missed his third game in a row for Boston with a calf injury.

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FIFA stands by decision on Martinez's ouster

Source: ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

MANILA, Philippines -- The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (also known as the International Federation of Association Football or FIFA) has stood by its decision to recognize Mariano Araneta as the new Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president.

This stand was taken after FIFA Chairman of the Association Committee and Vice President Geoff Thompson analyzed the report submitted by FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) delegates who were sent to the Philippines to investigate the PFF leadership squabble involving its former President Jose Mari Martinez.

“After having thoroughly analysed the report of the said FIFA/AFC delegation, we kindly inform you that the Chairman of the Association Committee is still of the legal opinion that the removal of Mr. Martinez and the election of Mr. Araneta was in line with the relevant PFF statutes,” said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke in his letter addressed to PFF General Secretary Ramon Manuel.

Martinez earlier questioned FIFA’s decision, citing that his impeachment was not included in the agenda of the PFF's 7th Ordinary Congress, which saw his ouster on Nov. 27, 2010.

However, FIFA said: “All stakeholders agreed on the same set of statutes adopted by the PFF congress in 2007 as well as on the same national laws applicable to the present case and that the video which was submitted by the PFF administration to FIFA and AFC containing the facts happened during the second part of the PFF was not contested.”

“Moreover, the Chairman of the Association Committee took into consideration that the decision taken by the PFF congress were neither challenged at the arbitration court nor the competent local court by any PFF member or by Mr. Martinez within due time,” FIFA added.

The PFF Congress voted to remove and replace Martinez for alleged “unauthorized disbursement of PFF funds, falsification of public documents, and failure to return missing funds before a set deadline.”

The resolution to have Martinez removed was voted by 26 of the 33 total PFF congress members.

The congress elected Araneta to replace Martinez.

Martinez claimed, in a statement, that most of the members who voted against him should have not been given the chance to elect a new PFF president.

"Those who voted are not members of good standing as all their documents (SEC registration) are either incomplete, non existent plus whose status are in arrears,” he said.

Martinez threatened to file a case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn FIFA's decision.

He is also seeking a temporary restraining order from a Pasig City court to prevent Araneta from taking over the PFF presidency.

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JONG's TARGET DECISIVE 7TH GAME

Source: PBA.COM.PH

BARANGAY Ginebra has one simple approach in its coming PBA Philippine Cup semifinals encounter
against sister-team San Miguel.

The longer it takes the best-of-seven series, the better.

And if that means dragging the mighty Beermen to a decisive Game 7, so be it.

“I hope it goes the distance, go to a Game 7,” said Jong Uichico, the unassuming, soft-spoken
mentor of the Kings.

“If we manage to force a Game 7 it would give us a 50-50 chance of winning.”

Both teams are coming off the holiday break when they take to the floor of the Araneta Coliseum on
Jan. 5 for the opener of their semifinals series.

But while the Beermen had been idle since Dec. 19 when they formally slammed the door on the Air21
Express, 97-75, the Kings had to survive two knockout games against the Alaska Aces in a four-day
span to make it deep into the playoffs of the season-opening tournament.

Getting a combined 49 points from guards Mark Caguioa, Willie Miller and Mike Cortez, the Kings
mangled the Aces, 94-76, to forge a winner-take-all match in their best-of-three quarterfinals
series.

And working double time on Christmas Day, the league’s most popular ballclub needed to rally back
from as much as a 20-point first half deficit and frustrate the Aces, 79-70, for the right to face
the second-seeded Beermen in the Final Four.

While they may have lost their two head-to-head duels with San Miguel in the eliminations – both
by a single margin (69-68, 79-78) - it doesn’t deter Uichico from believing Ginebra can be capable
of pulling the rug from under the bigger and stronger Beermen.

And all the Kings need is to haul the Beermen to a winner-take-all.

“We can get lucky in one game,” he said.

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PBA: Express to decide on Guiao's future

Source: GMANEWS.TV


Multi-titled coach Yeng Guiao and Air21 management will meet on Thursday and discuss the team’s direction for the two import-flavored conferences.

But first things first. The Express will need to sign up the five-time Philippine Basketball Association champion coach to a contract renewal before planning the team’s immediate future. Guiao’s contract expired Dec. 31, 2010. 


“May appointment na ako to meet the Air21 bosses," Guiao told GMANews.TV in a telephone interview. “First things first, kailangan ayusin muna nila yung contract ko. Of course, I have been thinking on whether they're still interested in my services or not, considering that my contract has already expired and there were no offers given to me until recently when I got this appointment to meet with management."

The former national team head coach will sit down with the team’s board representative Johan Ramos. Earlier, Air21 team manager Allan Gregorio made a recommendation to Ramos for the contract extension of Guiao at least until the rest of the season.

The Express failed to advance past the quarterfinal round and wound up seventh in the ongoing Philippine Cup.

“If you’re going to ask me, it’s not fair if we evaluate coach Yeng after only one conference, considering the ins and outs of players on the team. I think we should give him a contract extension of at least until the rest of the season. But my opinion is not the personal stand of Air21," said Gregorio, who joined the Express before the start of the 36th season along with Ramos.

Both team executives were appointed to their new positions after Lito Alvarez, the team’s former board representative and team manager, assumed a position in government.

Alvarez is now the Bureau of Customs commissioner.

Gatumbato might stay with the Express 

One player who has caught the fancy of everyone in the Express camp is Lou Gatumbato.

Once an undrafted rookie in the PBA, the former College of St. Benilde star proved to all and sundry he deserves a shot in the big league. He joined the Express in the latter stretch of the Philippine Cup to replace the injured Marcy Arellano, but his presence wasn't enough to help his team get past powerhouse San Miguel Beer in the quarterfinal round.

But Guiao expects Air21 management to give Gatumbato a contract extension.

“Lou did well for us and we have plans of renewing his contract. But we’re still looking for two more players who can fill up both our point guard position and our frontline," said Guiao, who added that a quick big man is needed to help out Rabeh Al-Hussaini, JR Quiñahan, Nonoy Baclao and Carlo Sharma

“Kailangan kasi namin ng malaki na medyo mabilis sa mga match-ups, lalo na sa coming conferences na may mga imports," he explained.

The Second Conference will feature imports not taller than 6-foot-4.

Guiao added that the Express’ wing positions, manned by Ronjay Buenafe and Wesley Gonzales, remain pretty solid, especially with the expected return to action of Ronnie Matias, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the latter stage of the Philippine Cup elims

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Mosley wants to shock the world, says trainer

Source: GMANEWS.TV


To those who may not be fretting at all about the Manny Pacquiao-Sugar Shane Mosley fight, Naazim Richardson said they may be in for the biggest surprise of their lives.

He opines that although nearing 40 this year and looking average in his last two fights, Mosley has what it takes to pull off a stunning upset against the world’s top fighter today when they square off in the ring at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada five months from now.

Richardson, the soft-spoken and well-respected trainer of Mosley, said the 39-year-old native of Pomona, California is definitely not going to let this big opportunity pass by without giving Pacquiao a good fight — a good fight which Mosley can translate into a shocking win.

“Shane’s got a chance to shock the world," said Richardson in an interview with the Examiner. 

“You don’t get these opportunities. Very seldom do you get these opportunities. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Shane has to rise to the occasion."

Mosley edged long-time Pacquiao nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez and reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Andre Berto in the Pacquiao sweepstakes.

Mosley was personally handpicked by the Filipino ring icon and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

It didn’t come as a surprise then that Pacquiao, 32, was readily installed as a heavy favorite in their welterweight fight. The pound-for-pound king was even picked at 9-1 odds.

But Richardson believes the underdog tag will work wonders for Mosley, a three-time champion, who is looking to give Pacquiao his first loss in the last six years.

“I look forward to the confrontation between those two, because you’ve got two outstanding fighters and two outstanding fighting spirits in Shane Mosley and Pacquiao," he said.

“I believe they are both committed to the project and committed to the sport. So, I think this is going to be a barnburner. I feel sorry for those who write it off thinking Shane is done. Then they’ve got to go back and see the replay."

Following his impressive stand against Antonio Margarito in a fight where Richardson caught the Mexican loaded with an illegal substance in his handwraps, Mosley looked mortal in his two fights last year against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sergio Mora.

Although Mosley staggered Mayweather early in their non-title bout in Las Vegas, he lost the match by a lopsided 12-round decision.

Against Mora, a former world champion but obviously just an average fighter, Mosley was forced to a split draw.

But Richardson, a native of Philadelphia who also trains Bernard Hopkins, said all Mora did during the fight was to run and survive.

“The Mora fight was the kind of fight where Shane didn’t look good. Like Bernard (Hopkins) with Roy Jones, you can’t look good when a guy is not trying to fight you," he stressed.

While they are considering other places to serve as training camp, Richardson said training will most likely be held at the Big Bear in California.

Wherever it will be, Mosley’s trainer stressed that the American fighter is going to train doubly hard than he ever used to. 

“In camp Shane is a dedicated athlete," said Richardson, a devout Muslim. “But older athletes have to fight differently because you don’t have the same reflexes that you did when you were 20 years old. There are adjustments that Shane must do to move on with his career." 

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Nadal, Federer rejoin in battle for supremacy

Source: ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

SYDNEY - One of sport's great and enduring rivalries resumes with the battle for supremacy between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer dominating the new tennis season.

The 2011 campaign got underway this week in Australia, India, Qatar and New Zealand with the first Grand Slam of the season starting in Melbourne on January 17.

Nadal is unchallengeable at the top of the ATP rankings, some 3,305 points clear of Federer, after a superb 2010 season when he took the world number one spot and the French Open and Wimbledon titles from the Swiss star.

By picking up his first US Open title along the way Nadal achieved a career grand slam of winning all the majors by the age of 24.

The Spaniard goes into the new year having won nine major titles and trailing Federer's all-time record of 16.

The pair have faced each other 22 times since 2004 on the tour with Nadal prevailing on 14 occasions.

Nadal modestly plays down the constant debate about who is better although victory in the lucrative UAE exhibition tournament at the weekend has already given the Spaniard an early edge over his rival.

"I think the talk about if I am better or worse than Roger is stupid, because the titles say he's much better than me," Nadal said as the two prepare to clash this week in Qatar.

"So that's true at that moment. I think that will be true all my life."

But such is Nadal's ascendancy at such a young age and five years younger than Federer, that his rate of progress suggests he could surpass the Swiss master by career's end.

"For me, every day and every season start, and I'm going to work to be ready and be competitive to try to be in the top positions to compete to keep winning titles," Nadal said.

"But the pressure for me is going to be the same.

"I try to play well, try to compete against everybody, and try to be in the final rounds."

Federer, who was world number one for 285 weeks before being usurped by Nadal last June, believes his end-of-season ATP World Tour Finals triumph against Nadal will provide him with the springboard to return to the top in 2011.

"I won five titles, won a slam, last year. That obviously makes me be very positive for this year. I believe I can have another great season in 2011," he said.

"I think the men's game is at an absolute high, and having had me and Rafa both making career Grand Slams already at a young age I think is great for the game," he said.

Federer is looking forward to defending the only grand slam title he still holds, the Australian Open.

"I like the pressure of being defending champion. The memories for me back in Australia are very emotional, very nice. I love playing there," he said.

While Nadal and Federer dominate, Serbia's third-ranked Novak Djokovic and Britain's number four Andy Murray, will look to make an impact at the slams.

Djokovic lost to Nadal in last year' US Open final, while Murray fell to Federer in the Australian Open decider.

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki heads into 2011 as the top-ranked woman, yet without a grand slam title.

Wozniacki won five WTA titles to finish the year-end number one, but is expected to be challenged by three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters and 13-time grand slam champion Serena Williams this year.

Williams will not be defending her Australian title after a second operation on her foot, which she cut on broken glass in a Munich restaurant in July.

Williams sealed her fifth Australian Open title last January, beating Belgium's Justine Henin in the final.

Former world number one Henin has not played competitively since injuring her right elbow in her fourth round loss to countrywoman Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon last June.

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So returns to The Netherland chess tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Wesley Barbasa So will return to 64-square board action as the much-awaited Tata Steel Chess, formerly known as “Corus International Chess”, gets underway January 14 to 31 at the De Moriaan Community Centre in Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands.

"I hope to earn ELO rating points," said So, world's junior rank No. 3 with an ELO FIDE rating of 2673, about The Netherlands chess tournament.

So, ranked No. 64 chess player in the world, according to the January 1 (World Chess Federation) FIDE quarterly ratings, will compete in the much-stronger category-17 Group B where the average rating is ELO 2657.

"I know most of the players in Group B. They are all good and talented," added So, who topped Group C two years ago with a 13-round total of 9.5 points on 7 wins, 5 draws and 1 loss.

Long-time chess patron Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., main backer of So, also the president and chairman of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines said he is very confident that his ward will perform well in this tough annual event.

So is seeded 7th this year in the 14-player field where GM David Navara (CZE/2722), GM Laurant Fressinet (FRA/2718), GM Radek Wojtaszek (POL/2711) are the top participants.

Meanwhile, the other Group B participants are:

• GM Le Quang Liem (VIE/2694);
• GM Zahar Efimenko (UKR/2683);
• GM Gabriel Sargissian (ARM/2677);
• GM Luke McShane (ENG/2657);
• GM Surya Ganguly (IND/2650);
• GM Li Chao (CHN/2633);
• GM Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR/2633);
• GM Vlad Tkachiev (FRA/2632);
• GM Friso Nijboer (NLD/2582); and
• GM Wouter Spoelman (NLD/2538).

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Pierce scores 30 as Celtics beat Raptors 93-79

Source: GMANEWS.TV

TORONTO —Paul Pierce scored 30 points and Ray Allen had 23 as the Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 93-79 on Sunday.

Glenn Davis added 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as Boston won for the 10th time in 11 meetings with Toronto.

Pierce hit 10 of 15 shots, seven of eight free throws and grabbing seven rebounds to help Boston snap a two-game losing streak.

DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, Joey Dorsey had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Amir Johnson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost 11 of their past 14.

Hawks 107, Clippers 98

In Los Angeles, Joe Johnson scored 11 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and Josh Smith added 22 as Atlanta rallied for the win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Johnson, who returned to the lineup on Dec. 17 after missing nine games following right elbow surgery, was 7 for 20 from the field after going 18 of 51 over his previous three games.

Clippers rookie Blake Griffin scored 19 of his 31 points in the first half and pulled down 15 rebounds for his 27th double-double and 21st in a row. Baron Davis had 15 points and five assists.

Knicks 98, Pacers 92

In New York, Amare Stoudemire scored 26 points, including six of New York’s last seven points, and Danilo Gallinari had 19 to lead New York over Indiana.

Danny Granger had 25 points and 17 rebounds, and Darren Collison had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Pacers, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games.

Mavericks 104, Cavaliers 95

In Cleveland, Shawn Marion scored 22 points and DeShawn Stevenson added 21 to help Dallas end a three-game losing streak.

The Mavericks, playing without starting forwards Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler, used a balanced attack. Jason Terry scored 18 points, Tyson Chandler added 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Jason Kidd had 10 points and eight assists.

Antawn Jamison led Cleveland with a season-high 35 points, and Ramon Sessions added 19.

Grizzlies 104, Lakers 85

In Los Angeles, Rudy Gay scored 27 points, and Zach Randolph added 21 points and eight rebounds as Memphis pulled away in the second half.

O.J. Mayo scored 15 points for the Grizzlies, who bounced back from two losses to wrap up their three-game road trip with a stunningly easy blowout of the two-time defending champions.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points for the Lakers, who have lost three of their last four home games—all three by at least 16 points—and four of six overall.

Trail Blazers 100, Rockets 85

In Portland, Oregon, LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Nicolas Batum added a season-high 21 points as Portland won its eighth straight home game.

Patrick Mills had a career-high 14 points, five assists and five steals for Portland. Wesley Matthews added 14 and Marcus Camby had 13 rebounds and season-high eight assists.

Kevin Martin had 15 points to lead the Rockets, who were held well below their season average of 106 points per game. Courtney Lee added 12 points. Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks and Chase Budinger each had 10.

Kings 94, Suns 89

In Sacramento, California, DeMarcus Cousins scored 13 of his career-high 28 points in the fourth quarter as Sacramento closed with a 19-2 run.

Francisco Garcia had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Omri Casspi added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings. Carl Landry had 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Steve Nash had 20 points and 12 assists for the Suns, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Vince Carter had 17 points and Marcin Gortat added 16. 

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Kobe joins Lakers’ latest blame game

Source: YAHOO SPORTS

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Kobe Bryant(notes) pouted and cursed. He picked up a string of technicals, even wasting an ejection in one of these embarrassments just to make his bleeping point. He froze out reporters for a few days, then celebrated Christmas by calling out his teammates after LeBron James(notes) had run over them. These Los Angeles Lakers were too complacent, he said. They didn’t work hard enough. He vowed to kick them in practice. Toughen them until they’d awoken from their winter slumber.

After the Lakers’ malaise had stretched some 1,200 miles to the southeast and into a third game, Bryant found a new target for his ire. The San Antonio Spurs had flattened the champs, just like the Milwaukee Bucks andMiami Heat had before them, and on this night Bryant pointed blame where blame was most deserved.

At himself.

“I couldn’t put the ball in the basket and it snowballed from there,” Bryant said in front of his locker late Tuesday. “It’s my responsibility to make them.”

Some of Bryant’s teammates will laugh at that, as will more than a few of his former ones. Kobe had missed 13 consecutive shots in the Lakers’ 97-82 loss to the Spurs, misfiring on 19 of his 27 total attempts for the evening, and he was clear on this point: He wasn’t taking blame for taking too many shots. He was mad only because he missed them.

This is the tightrope the Lakers forever walk with Kobe, and the fall becomes more dangerous with each year he ages. He’d come into this game seething, determined to let his fire spread throughout the Lakers, and yet as he missed one numbing shot after another, he instead snuffed out what little life they had. In losing, Kobe had proven the one point he may never be ready to accept.

More than ever, he needs his teammates.

Bryant remains a transcendent talent, the game’s greatest competitor, and he can still carry these Lakers through games, even weeks. But he can’t lift them to a championship alone, and the most satisfying night of his career should have taught him that. In Game 7 of last season’s NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, he nearly shot the Lakers out of a 16th title. So determined to win the game on his own, he nearly lost it. Not untilDerek Fisher(notes) barked at him, did he finally take his finger off the trigger.

In the rush to push Bryant onto Michael Jordan’s pedestal, it was overlooked how close Bryant had come to staining his legacy with the selfish superstar stigma he’s worked so hard to erase. In truth, Kobe is more stubborn than selfish. It’s served him well for much of his career, but it will also work against him as he gets older, and it worked against him in the Lakers’ latest loss.

Bryant came out firing to set the tone, but even his coach and occasional enabler, Phil Jackson, admitted it eventually became “time to slow down a little bit and get everybody involved.” With Pau Gasol(notes),Andrew Bynum(notes) and Lamar Odom(notes), the Lakers owned a significant size advantage over these Spurs, only they never worked hard to establish it. Afterward, the Lakers offered their usual veiled criticism whenever Bryant goes off the deep end.

“We need to really stay inside the system, attack teams and use the mismatches to our advantage,” Bynum said.

“We didn’t play a smart game, put it that way,” Gasol said. “ …We have to recognize what’s going on and understand what our strengths are against certain opponents, and try to exploit them.”

“It can’t be an individual effort from nobody,” Gasol added. “It has to be altogether on a string, like a family.”

It doesn’t help Bryant that a few of his family members – Odom, Gasol and Bynum – can float for stretches while their crazy uncle, Ron Artest(notes), has been known to completely disappear into abyss. All of them can use a good thump upside their head from time to time. Among these Lakers, only Fisher has the combination of backbone and cache to stand up to Bryant, and yet his own struggles have hurt the team this season.

Still, in today’s NBA, the elite teams are too stacked and too strong defensively for Kobe to ignore the talent surrounding him. The Celtics are considerably deeper than a year ago and LeBron took less money to form his own super team in Miami withDwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes). Out West, the Dallas Mavericks are bigger and stronger, and the Spurs have run out to the league’s best record with their deepest roster in years.

The Lakers can still beat them all, and that’s why they aren’t panicking. They played harder than in their previous two losses, but scouts will tell you they still look uninterested. That won’t last all season. Fans can light up the phone lines for L.A.’s talk shows, but deep down even they know each year in Lakerland is marked by four seasons: Kobe’s Mad at His Teammates; Kobe’s Shooting Too Much; Kobe Leads the Victory Parade; Kobe Receives His Championship Ring.

This season can still follow that form, but only if the Lakers come together as a unit. There’s strength in numbers, and all Kobe had to do to see that is look on the other side of the court. The Spurs beat him after two of their three stars holstered their own errant shots. Manu Ginobili(notes) and Tim Duncan(notes) combined for just 11 points as the Spurs were carried by Tony Parker(notes) and role players like DeJuan Blair(notes), a 6-foot-5 center no one thought could match up with the Lakers giants, and Gary Neal(notes), a rookie who found his way onto the roster only after he convinced his wife to postpone their honeymoon to allow him to play on San Antonio’s summer league team.

If anything, Duncan will have a chance to contend for his fifth title at age 35 because he learned long ago to trust the Blairs and Neals. That’s made the Spurs’ decision to transition their offense into the hands of Ginobili and Parker all the more easy.

Kobe will never share Duncan’s unselfishness, and that’s fine. It’s far easier for a big man to conform than a cold-blooded scorer. Duncan and Bryant also were raised different in the league. When Duncan arrived, the Spurs’ All-Star center, David Robinson, made room for him, showed him how to defer. Kobe and Shaq came to the Lakers at the same time, and Shaq made Kobe fight for everything he got until the Lakers finally exiled their center.

But Bryant, too, will eventually have to show more faith in Gasol and the rest of his teammates if he wants to keep winning for the duration of his contract. Not that anyone expects him to change anytime soon.

For much of the night, the Spurs had pushed Bryant where they wanted, sending him into the arms and chests of second and third defenders. Bryant wouldn’t give the Spurs’ defense credit. No, he sniffed. He had simply missed shots he usually makes.

“I just have to put the ball in the damn hole,” Bryant said. “It’s my responsibility, it’s my job.”

For better or worse, Kobe will continue to fire away. His responsibility, his job. Sooner or later, it will again become the Lakers’ problem.

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