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Members of the Purefoods TJ Titans are shown after ruling the PBA 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
NLEX’S 48-YEAR-OLD TAULAVA Pro league’s oldest active cager to play final season
By Argie Candare
ASI Taulava returns to the NLEX Road Warriors as he is set to play his fi nal Philippine Basketball Association conference in the Governors’ Cup.
The Road Warriors reactivated the services of the veteran center for the coming import-laden tourney, which will will serve as a send-off for the 48-year-old cager.
The Fil-Tongan Taulava will become the oldest active player in the league and second oldest in history behind basketball icon Robert Jaworski, who played until he was 51 years old.
He last appeared with the Road Warriors during their bubble campaign, where he pinched in 4.33 points, 2 rebounds and 0.67 assists in limited (nine) minutes per game in three outings.
It will also mark the 22nd season for the slotman after starting his career as a direct hire of the Mobiline Phone Pals in 1999, before playing for the Coca-Cola Tigers, Meralco Bolts and Air21 Express.
The 6’9” banger will finish his career as a one-time champion (2003), 2003 MVP, 17-time AllStar, 2014 Comeback Player of the Year, Member of the 5,000 point club and 2,000 offensive rebound club. He was also included on PBA’s 40 Greatest Players.
Meanwhile, the PBA 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo crowned a new leg champion in the Purefoods TJ Titans, who thwarted the Meralco Bolts, 21-16, in Sunday’s finale at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Pao Javelona took charge with a gamehigh 10 points for the Titans, who took the most opportunity in their breakthrough appearance in the championship round of the three-a-side tournament. The 6-foot guard out of National University sparked a closing 6-1 spurt by Purefoods, including three in a row that allowed the team to break free from a tight contest and finally take control, 18-15. Big man Jun Bonsubre, a replacement for the injured Val Acuna, then capped the run with a long two to clinch the Leg 4 title and the top purse of P100,000. “Gusto talaga naming manalo,” said Javelona, a free agent picked by Phoenix in the 2016 draft. “Kahit anong mangyari sa
Turn to C2 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021 C1 Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor
Asi Taulava
FEU standout stays perfect in PH National Juniors Chess
MHAGE Gerriahlou Sebastian edged Jarel Renz Lacambra to lead the way in the girls’ section of the Philippine National Juniors Chess Championships at the PACE center in North Ave., Quezon City over the weekend.
Sebastian, 15, remained perfect with five points after waylaying Precious Eve Ferrer, Ma. Elayza Villa, Divine Grace Luna and Lexie Grace Hernandez one after the other.
The Far Eastern University standout will have her hands full though against closest pursuer Ruelle Canino, a 13-yearold phenom from Cagayan de Oro, when they face each other in the sixth round.
The prodigious Canino smashed Grace Hernandez to improve to four points, a point off the pace in this event supported by Philippine Sports Commission chair William Ramirez, NCFP president Butch Pichay, Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino and Chess Movement, Inc. chair Dr. Ariel Potot.
In the premier open division, FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri and Adrian Othniel Yulo trounced Khent Darylle Delig and Christian Marcelo Olaybal, respectively, to seize joint leadership four points each.
Interestingly, Nouri, 15, owns the better tiebreak after he beat Yulo the round before.
Half a point behind with 3.5 points was Ronald Canino, who halved the point with Jarvey Labanda. The winners in this meet backed by will be the country’s representatives to the Asian and World Championships, according to NCFP chief executive officer Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales.
The Apprentice: ONE Championship bags 2 awards at Asian Creative 2021
SINGAPORE—ONE Championship™ (ONE) today announced that its highly acclaimed non-scripted reality television program, “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition,” won two major categories at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021.
Presented across two nights of virtual ceremonies, the Academy recognized Asia’s best TV programs and streaming content.
(See related ONE Championship on C2)
The Asian Academy Creative Awards are the Asia-Pacific region’s most prestigious honors for creative excellence. They were established to serve the creative industries as the pinnacle of achievement in content creation and media production, recognizing excellence in craft and technical disciplines across various platforms, including television, digital, streaming, and emerging technologies.
“Season 1 of ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ is a massive runaway success, and now to be recognized as one of the best television programs this year in Asia is truly an honor,” said Chatri Sityodtong, Founder and CEO of Group ONE. “I would like to thank AAA for the honor, and of course, our official production partner, Refinery Media and its Founder, Karen Seah, for the creativity and excellence in bringing our vision for ‘The Apprentice’ to life.”
PUBG Mobile-Arcane collab gets rave reviews
PINOY gamers are among the first to experience Arcane in PUBG MOBILE in Asia and key opinion leaders are giving rave reviews in Version 1.7 update.
Unique Mode
“I didn’t expect this from the collab,” said PUBG MOBILE player and KOL John Vincent Almodal, popularly known as “Vigor” in the game streaming Facebook community.
Vigor shared that the uniqueness of the mode of PUBG MOBILE x Arcane collab (Version 1.7 update) makes him want to play the game more.
The brand new mode brings an interaction of two worlds—the mysterious Mirror Island appear in PUBG Mobile, which is the projected space of Arcane’s world. When players land on the Mirror Island, they can become Arcane characters and unlock different gaming experiences using gameplay skills featured in League of Legends.
LOL Champions
Another KOL, Zen Aragon or ZenPro, who is a well-known game streamer on FB and a popular PUBG Mobile player, said that the Version 1.7 update is “the best collab ever.”
“Being a Champion delays your death,” quipped ZenPro. In this game, when you enter the exciting Mirror Island, you will gain abilities and become champions like Jinx, Vi, Jayce, or Caitlyn. You can also make use of brand new weapons and skills to fight against other players. Once you are eliminated, you will be forcibly ejected and restored to a normal state.
In addition, outfit suits of the characters and other themed items can also be redeemed through event missions. This gives players the chance to play these champions permanently in a battle royale game.
“From someone who does not play multiplayer online battle arena games, I really enjoyed playing PUBG MOBILE, especially with Arcane characters. I think the collaboration is great for some MOBA fans that are playing PUBG MOBILE since they can play as some of their favourite heroes from LOL,” added Vigor.
New Carry Feature
“The new carry feature is a chokeslam to all who wish to block—the best!,” shared ZenPro. With Version 1.7 Update, you can now carry knocked down players on your back, and move them to another location. If you are carrying your fallen teammates, your movement speed is reduced, and it is unable to carry out such behaviours as gun shooting, melee combat, picking up, getting on the car, using medkits, and others.
PUBG MOBILE provides new, interesting, and engaging content to its players, through partnerships with key entertainment properties in movies and gaming as well as collaborations with musicians, celebrities and more.
“Can’t wait to see a PUBG MOBILE and BTS collab in the near future!,” quipped Vigor.
PH Olympians honor BAVI with Arête Award
BOUNTY Agro Ventures Incorporated, the company behind Chooks-to-Go, was honored by the Philippine Olympians Association with the Arête Award.
For the past year, BAVI honored the country’s past Olympians by giving them livelihood in the form of Chooks-to-Go stores. And it did not go unnoticed by the POA.
On Friday, POA president Akiko Thompson-Guevara, secretary-general Gerardo Rosario, and advisor to the board former senator Freddie Webb went to the home of BAVI president Ronald Mascariñas in Calauan, Laguna to bestow the prestigious award.
“Kami ay pinagpala na nakarating kaming tatlo sapagkat ito’y ang oportunidad namin na makilala si Sir Ronald at mapaabot namin sa kanya ang aming pasasalamat,” said Webb, a member of the 1972 men’s basketball team that competed in the Munich Olympics. “Ang mga Olympians po ay tumatanda na hindi na nakikilala. Tumatanda na lang at nakakalimutan.”
“It’s common to see support for Olympians at the peak of their careers but the company just quietly stepped in and provided a means of livelihood for these sports heroes past their glory days,” added Thompson-Guevara, who swam for the country in the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympics. “For us, that is just like wow, who does that?”
Some of the benificiaries of BAVI’s drive were Leopoldo Serantes; brothers Roel and Onyok Velasco; and Teófilo Yldefonso.
Serantes was given a P100,000 allowance per month by BAVI. Though the 1988 Olympics bronze medalist met his demise last September 1, BAVI continued to give his family what was due to their patriarch while also assisting in his funeral services.
The Velasco brothers were given their own Chooks-to-Go stores while Yldefonso’s family were given monthly supplies of chicken which they can either use or re-sell.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Eumir Marcial was also given his own Chooksto-Go store while gaining the company’s support for his professional career.
Chooks-to-Go also partnered with the Special Olympics Asia Pacific, carrying out a campaign to benefit people with intellectual disabilities through sports fests and training sessions.
“When the board got together to decide who will take the Arete awards for the year, when the word of livelihood came about, it was not a tough decision for us to award Bounty Agro Ventures Inc,” said Rosario, a swimmer for the Philippine team that competed in the 1972 and 1976 Games. “It was a decision that was approved by all the board members.”
