The Trade And Financial Tower, 7th Ave. Cor. 32nd St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA is back—officially—as a member of the national team for athletics, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced on Wednesday.

Oh, what a journey Obiena needed to trek to get his name back on the list—a world championships bronze medal, a gold at the 31st Southeast Asian Games and another bronze at the prestigious Diamond League.

All that happening in an eightmonth span beginning on January 1 when his name was stricken off the list by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA)—no thanks to a liquidation mess that necessitated the intervention of professional arbitrators to clear things up.

On Wednesday, the PATAFA’s new leadership under president Terry Capistrano, reinstated Obiena, who last May handily won the men’s pole vault gold medal, leapt to a bronze at the Silesia leg of the Diamond League and the most important of all, won the country’s first World Athletics Championships medal in Eugene, Oregon, in May.

Obiena, whose focus is breaking 6.0 meters to be one of the world’s elite, had his feet on the ground in this victory. “I am very thankful to PATAFA leadership and PSC for reinstating me back to the national team,” Obiena told BusinessMirror in a message. “Whilst I shall properly leave the past in the past; I believe the facts have spoken. The Commission on Audit has spoken. My fellow countrymen have spoken.”

Obiena added: “And my team and I have proven our dedication with my performances on the world stage and a first-ever World Championships medal.”

The 26-year-old back-to-back SEA Games gold medalist broke the Asian record twice. He did it first in Innsbruck, Austria, with a leap of 5.93 meters in September last year and again with a statement 5.94 meters in Eugene.

He has thrown his tumultuous past with his own federation out the window and is focused at returning to the Olympics in Paris 2024 as he praised the PSC for reinstating him.

“This was the right and just decision— and one in the best interests of Philippine sport[s],” he said. “It’s also a decision that is congruent with the values and principles of the Olympic Spirit.”

Capistrano and the PATAFA board formally endorsed Obiena’s return to the national team through a special board meeting last Saturday.

PATAFA executive Vice President Willie Torres transmitted the resolution, as instructed by Capistrano, to the PSC.

PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr. said Obiena will officially be on the national team roster this month.

PSC Officer in Charge and Commissioner Bong Coo welcomed the development, saying “we are thankful to the PATAFA leadership for taking this step to solidify the strength of our national athletics team.”

EJ OFFICIALLY BACK ON NATIONAL TEAM

Sports BusinessMirror

B8 | Thursday, augusT 18, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Cool Smashers change to national team jersey for AVC Cup for Women

THE Philippine National Volleyball Federation released on Wednesday the names of 14 players who will play in the the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup for Women starting Sunday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

The national women’s team is composed of players from newlycrowned Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference champion Creamline. The team opens its campaign against Vietnam on Sunday before taking a Monday off.

The Philippines resumes its bid against China on Tuesday and Iran on Wednesday before wrapping up pool play action against Korea on Thursday.

The national women’s team needs to finish in the top four in Pool A to qualify for the quarterfinals. The fifth-placed team in Pool A will finish in ninth place.

Pool B was reduced to four teams after the withdrawal of Kazahkstan on Tuesday. Japan, Thailand, ChineseTaipei and Australia make up Pool B.

Four players—Alyssa Valdez, Jia de Guzman, Jema Galanza and Risa Sato—were part of the Philippine squad that placed ninth in the last AVC Cup for Women competition in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, in 2018.

Completing the 14-women team are Ced Domingo, Jeanette Panaga, Michele Gumabao, Ella de Jesus, Pau Soriano, Kyla Atienza, Fille Cayetano, Kyle Negrito, Rose Vargas, and Tots Carlos.

Sherwin Meneses is the head coach and his assistants are Karlo Santos and Bok Morado, with strength and conditioning coach Mark Caron.

THE Creamline Cool Smashers hope to bring their championship smarts to the continental arena.

Pagaura eyes redemption in Penong 5150

FOILED at home in Bohol, Jonathan Pagaura focuses on a top podium finish in a short course race down south this time as he headlines the crack field in Penong’s 5150 Davao, which fires off September 4 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

Pagaura, a Maribojoc native, yielded the overall crown and the 2529 age group title to Lanao del Norte’s Satar Salem in Sun Life 5150 on his home turf last July but has toughened up for another stab at glory in the upcoming endurance race set over the Olympic distance of 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run.

The Omega Triathlon Team spearhead also saw action in the recent Ironman 70.3 Philippines Cebu but could only post a seventh place finish in his age division and 17th in the overall competition.

But those stints only made the former duathlete a lot tougher and ready for another shot at 5150 glory against an equally determined international field at The Wrec, Hijo Resorts Davao.

Meanwhile, 10 foreign entries, including two each from France and the United Kingdom, are in the early roster of the event organized by The Ironman Group/Sunrise Events Inc., all set for an explosive staging after being postponed twice the past two years due to pandemic.

Registration is ongoing until race week. For details, log on to penong’s.5150philippines.com or follow us on social-media accounts: Penongs5150Davao with Hashtags (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter): #Penongs5150 and #5150Davao.

Also vying in the event, held for those building up to reach Ironman level, are athletes from Australia, Singapore, the Netherlands, Greece, France, the US and Qatar.

Besides the individual competitions, other titles to be disputed are the relay all male, relay all female and relay mixed and the Sunrise Sprint featuring 750-meter swim, 20-km bike and 5-km run.

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA: This is the right and just decision—and one in the best interests of

Philippine sports.” AP

Blu Boys gear up for World Cup Japan qualifiers

THE Blu Boys take their turn make a bid for next year’s World Cup Softball in New Zealand as the team leaves for Japan at end of the month to compete in the Men’ Softball World Cup Qualifier.

“We believe we have relatively good chances of taking one of the two slots at stake as Japan will take the first seat in all probabilities, this is part of our continuous effort to develop the sport and men’s softball here,” Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines President Jean Henri Lhuillier said.

The qualifying tournament is scheduled September 3 to 9 in Shimanto in Kochi while next year’s world cup finals will be hosted by New Zealand.

The Blu Boys, aching to redeem themselves from their disappointing runner up finish in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, will be composed of eight carryovers from that team and players from University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Adamson University and Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The team is coached by former softball standout Apol Rosales.

As part of their preparation, the Blu Boys underwent a recent teambuilding at the PJLI training Center in Antipolo City and will play a series of tuneup games against teams from Dasmariñas in Cavite and Tanauan and Cuenca in Batangas.

“These will be good practice games considering our opponents will feature former national players,” Rosales said. “Our concern is we have a lot of rookies and it would have been better had we gotten international exposure prior to this.”

Manila to host EASL Final Four

MANILA will host the Final Four of the East Asia Super League (EASL) Season 1 in March, the league announced on Wednesday. The Final Four serves as the culmination of EASL’s inaugural home-and-away season. Tip off is on March 3 featuring two semifinals games, a music festival on March 4 and finally the Finals on March 5.

“We couldn’t ask for a better city to host the first EASL Final Four. I would like to thank the local government authorities, our colleagues at the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and the Filipino fans for welcoming us,” EASL CEO Matt Beyer said.

“The Final Four weekend will be unique and memorable, bigger than any event EASL has ever held, featuring a music festival and a variety of fan activations,” Beyer added.

No pre-departure or onarrival Covid testing, nor quarantine is required for fully vaccinated travelers, which meant Manila is ready for a warm-up event to the FIBA World Cup taking place in Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines beginning in August 2023.

“The decision to stage the inaugural EASL Final Four in Manila this March is a welcome development,” PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said. “The Philippines is a basketball-loving country and Filipino fans will be following the EASL games closely.”

Marcial added: “Hosting the Final Four would be an exciting prelude to the FIBA World Cup as our country opens its doors to the global basketball community next year.”

TNT already clinched one of two PBA berths to represent the country in the kick-off season on October 12 after entering the finals of the ongoing Philippine Cup.

Reigning champion Seoul SK Knights and runner-up Anyang KGC will represent the Korean Basketball League (KBL) in the meet, the P. League + of Chinese Taipei is sending the Taipei Fubon Braves, the B. League of Japan will have the Utsonomiya Brex and Ryukyu Golden Kings, and the Bay Area Dragons are competing in behalf Greater China.

“Having recently spent time in Manila for the EASL inaugural grouping ceremony, I can say with certainty that this is a great decision by EASL to host the Final Four Weekend in this magnificent city,” KBL Commissioner Kim Hee Ok said. “Manila is truly a basketball city with some of the biggest and liveliest crowds.”

At the same time, EASL also announced the Final Four Weekend for Season 2 taking place in early 2024, will be held in Okinawa, Japan.

“The prefecture of Okinawa and the OCVB couldn’t be happier to partner with EASL in the planning and promotion of the 2024 EASL Final Four. We are thrilled that Okinawa has been chosen as the destination for this global sporting event at our state-of-the-art Okinawa arena,” said Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau Chairman Yoshiro Shimoji.

DWIGHT RAMOS’S injury has healed and looks prime for games against Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

Ramos’s injury heals, looks forward to join JC, Kai in Gilas

AHEALTHY Dwight Ramos is back in harness for Gilas Pilipinas bringing with him high hopes for a squad reeling from consecutive setbacks in international play.

His reason for having a high? National Basketball Association veteran Jordan Clarkson and 7-foot-2 Kai Sotto.

“Jordan is a great player and I’m excited to play with high level guys,” Ramos told BusinessMirror on Wednesday. “And Kai? He’s also a great player with international experience.”

“Last year, I played with Kai in the Clark [Pampanga] and I’m really excited to see him play again for the country,” said the 23-year-old Filipino-American Ramos, referring to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup Qualifiers early this year.

Clarkson and Sotto are expected to arrive in the country anytime this week. They are part of a 24-member pool for two FIBA World Cup Qualifiers matches later this month.

Joining the three are Philippine Basketball Association players Calvin Oftana, Jamie Malonzo, Kevin Alas, Raymond Almazan, Allein Maliksi, Jio Jalalon, Ian Sangalang, Chris Newsome, June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, Arvin Tolentino and Robert Bolick, as well as free agent Roosevelt Adams.

Completing the team are Bobby Ray Parks, Thirdy Ravena and Kiefer Ravena and collegiate players Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao and Francis Lopez.

The team began practicing on Monday night with head coach Chot Reyes and Tim Cone at the Meralco Gym along Ortigas Avenue.

Ramos sustained a shin splints injury last month, forcing him to be sidelined during the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in Jakarta where the Philippines missed the top eight for the first time in 15 years.

Gilas flied to Beirut for a match againt Lebanon on August 25 and flies back home for a game at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City against Saudi Arabia four days later.

Ormoc lass seeks to sustain win run in Naga tennis tilt

KIMI BRODETH sets out for the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) City of Naga national age group tennis tournament upbeat but wary of her chances for another golden double with a slew of rivals out to foil her bid in the Group 1 tournament which got underway in Cebu on Wednesday.

Brodeth hopes to get past Zenna Logrono in the first round of what promises to be an uphill battle in 16-under play with Judy Ann Padilla, Joy Ansay, Kate Imalay, Angel Vosotros, Chloe Ortega, Keena Clarke and Nicole Bonza all geared up for a crack at one of the eight division titles in the penultimate leg of the four-stage Cebu swing of the circuit which wraps up in Consolacion, Laray next week.

For details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Brodeth also top-bills the 18-under category that also features Padilla, Vosotros and Tiffany Nopcos, whom the Ormoc City lass toppled in three sets to spike a two-title romp in last week’s leg of the circuit presented by Dunlop in Mandaue.

McLeen Gomera also tries to make it back-to-back in boys’ 16-under class but the Bacolod, Lanao del Norte bet faces another tough test in the premier side, headed by last week’s tormentor John David Velez, also from Ormoc City, Cyd Villamar, Hans Cabellon, Ivan Manila and Bryan Paster.

The boys’ 14- and 16-under categories drew 64-player cast each while the girls’ 12-, 14- and 16-under groups feature 32-entry list apiece, underscoring the sustained popularity of the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro to help boost the development of the sport and produce future members of the national team.

Focus will also be on Danao, Cebu’s Juvels Velos, who posted the biggest reversal last week when he upended a slew of seeded rivals to snatch the boys’ 14-under diadem, including a three-set escape over No. 1 Josh Lim in the finals of the tournament backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and Universal Tennis Rating.

Ansay, meanwhile, banners the girls’ 14-under cast that also includes Imalay, Alexa Cruspero and 12-year-old Caroliean Fiel, who also gets the top seeding in her age bracket that also features Jan Dagoon, Zita Clarke and Cruspero.