FILIPINAS GIVE SWISS TOUGH FIGHT IN DEBUT

395 athletes to Hangzhou Asiad–Tolentino

THE country will field 395 athletes to the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games in September, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino announced on Friday. The number reached 400 but was later trimmed down after a series of deliberations by the POC and the national sports associations,” said Tolentino after the POC General Assembly at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant.

Tolentino said the athletes will compete in 37 of the 40 sports in the ultra-modern city of Hangzhou from September 24 to October 8.

The Philippines aims to match or surpass the four gold medals won in the last edition in Jakarta and Palembang five years ago—Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo in weightlifting, Margielyn Didal in skateboarding and Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go in women’s individual and team golf. The country also clinches two silvers and 15 bronzes.

Tolentino said Kayla Sanchez, who formerly competed for Canada, is favored to medal in five events in swimming.

Tolentino also added Philippine

Skating Union president Nikki Cheng as a deputy chef de missions to the Asian Games because she speaks fluent Chinese. She joins chef de mission Richard Gomez and deputy Karen Caballero.

Her expertise in communicating in the Chinese language will really help us there,” Tolentino said.

The International Jet Sports Boating Association, meanwhile, was accepted as the POC’s 55th regular voting member and the Cheerleading Association of the Philippines as the ninth associated member.

Manila Chooks! eyes Shanghai Masters slot

MANILA Chooks! marks its return to the pro circuit as it joins the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023 Huishan Wuxi Challenger this weekend in China.

L eading the team in the Level 9 tournament set at the Wuxi Sunac Taihu Show Theatre on Saturday and Sunday is the Philippines’ No. 1 ranked 3x3 player Mac Tallo, along with Dennis Santos (No. 4), Paul Desiderio (No. 8) and returning import Marcus Hammonds.

Hammonds first joined the Chooks! stable when he represented Cebu Chooks! at the Riyadh Masters last season. The American comes in as a late replacement for Sierra Leonean reinforcement Tosh Sesay, who is yet to secure his visa.

Head trainer Chico Lanete and his charges left for China Friday.

We’ve started our shooting session with coach Renren [Ritualo] early this month and a Serbian strength and conditioning coach will join the team as well,” Chooks-to-Go

President Ronald Mascariñas said.

Manila Chooks! needs more international exposure, build chemistry, and gain more confidence

PHL swim team off to Fukuoka worlds

THE six-member team led by two-time Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi left Manila on Thursday for the 17th World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.

The 30-year-old US-educated Alkhaldi qualified for the world championships set July 23 to 30 along with Southeast Asian Games record-holder Xiandi Chua, Thanya Dela Cruz, Jerard Jacinto and USbased Jarod Hatch.

DUNEDIN, New Zealand—Ramona Bachmann drilled her penalty kick into the left side of the net moments before halftime to set up Switzerland’s 2-0 win over Philippines on Friday in the Women’s World Cup opener for both teams.

Switzerland’s Seraina Piubel added a second-half goal, scoring on the rebound from a missed shot by Coumba Sow that ricocheted off Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.

The Group A encounter was the first game inside Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium, the tournament’s only indoor venue. The crowd’s cheers echoed around the walls of the roughly half-full stadium, with an attendance of 13,711 in a venue that can fit over 30,000.

Philippines forward Katrina Guillou appeared to score a goal in the 15th minute, but it was waived off by an offside call.

Sw itzerland dominated offensively, outshooting the Philippines 17-3, but the Filipinas’ defense hung on. McDaniel held her own, making several key first-half saves—only allowing Bachmann’s late penalty.

O fficials made the key penalty call against the Philippines in the waning moments of the first half, drawing a chorus of boos from Philippines fans.

Switzerland’s Sow slid for the ball in the Philippines’ penalty area and, as she went down, she was kicked by Jessika Cowart.

By Josef Ramos

McDaniel went the wrong way on Bachmann’s penalty.

Actually I was really calm, to be honest,” Bachman said. “I’ve been training on it a lot. I feel quite confident in them.”

W ith the victory, Switzerland moved into a tie for first place in Group A with New Zealand, and improved its chances of moving on to the round of 16.

EUMIR FELIX MARCIAL has committed to the national boxing team to the Hangzhou 20th Asian Game as he rekindles his Olympic gold medal dream in Paris next year.

He [Marcial] already committed to play in the Asian Games after his fight bout in August,” Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) secretary-general Marcus Jarwin Manalo.Manalo told BusinessMirror on Friday during the Philippine Olympic Committee General Assembly at the East Ocean Restaurant in Parañaque City.

The Philippines played gamely in their Women’s World Cup debut but face a hard climb to get into the knock-out stage of the tournament. Together, they made it really difficult to find solutions to get in front of the goal, so, yeah, it was a tough game. We knew that we had to be patient,” Swiss defender