USC routs UC anew

THE Cebu Landmasters proved its elimination round win over the Gaisano Capital South was not a fluke after scoring another rout, 116-84, in their semifinal encounter of the Enervon-Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. Partners Cup 2013 at the Cebu Coliseum yesterday.

The Cebu Landmasters-University of San Carlos banked on a strong first quarter en route to its 32-point winning margin.

PNG kicks off today in Manila

MANILA—Athletes from 17 regions throughout the country will pit skills against members of the national pool as the 2013 Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission (POC-PSC) National Games kicks off today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

A total of 6,000 including 600 elite athletes have so far registered to see action in 41 sports disciplines of the 10-day competition held here for the last time in 1994.

Pestaño: Manny Pacquiao, a man of many talents

ACCORDING to Wikipedia ,Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is the first eight-division world champion in boxing. He is also one of the richest men in the Philippines and the second highest paid athlete in the world with earnings of $63 million in 2012.

He was named “Fighter of the Decade” by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).

Villaflor: These Malditas aren’t that bad, you know

AS I am writing this column, the Philippine Women’s National Team, or the Malditas, are squaring off with erstwhile tormentors Thailand for a berth in the 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualification.

3rd Hunat run to separate local, foreign elite runners

TO encourage more local elite runners to join, organizers of the Hunat Sugbu Tres: Dagan Para ni Maning has put up a different category for foreign elite runners in the men’s and women’s 21K.

The event, sponsored by Cebu Parklane International Hotel, will be held on June 23 at the Ayala Terraces Cebu. It also features a 5K, 10K and 21K divisions.

Pagara sees KO win

WHEN two hard-hitters share the same ring there’s only one way out – a knockout.

“Everything will unfold on Saturday and I assure you somebody is going to get knocked out,” Jason Pagara said yesterday in the final press conference of Pinoy Pride XX – “Laban kung Laban” boxing show.

Cebu to host Asean U16 club competition

CEBU will host the four-month long Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) - Frenz Under-15 Asean Champions Trophy this Saturday at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Just a few weeks after hosting an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) interclub competition, Cebu was nominated by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) to host this league-style club completion for the 15-Under age group sanctioned by the Asean Football Federation body.

Espina, Garcia take lead

THE tandem of Edwin Espina and Tony Garcia set the early pace in first day of The View Invitational 2013, the annual member-guest tournament of Alta Vista Golf and Country Club.

Espina and Garcia combined for 78 points in the two-man team event using the Modified Stableford Scoring System. Espina fired a six-under-par 42 points while Garcia made an even-par 36.

Phoenix, Talisay in finals

PHOENIX FC and Talisay Razkals set up an exciting finals in the 13-Under division after winning their semifinal matches in the 13th Cebu Interclub Football Club yesterday at the Aboitiz Sports Field.

Phoenix booted out Sacred Heart School- Ateneo de Cebu, 2-0, while the Talisay Razkals upset Group A leader Don Bosco Technology Center-Bro Nationals, 3-0.

Perea belittles Jaca

JOSE Emilio Perea expects his title fight with former world title contender Jimrex Jaca to be a tough battle on Saturday night. But it’ll be a war that he is certain will go his way.

Dynamo FC stuns USC-BED in 11-Under final

DYNAMO FC got past the University of San Carlos - Basic Education Department (USC-BED) in a penalty shootout, 2-1, to bag the 11-under title in the 13th Cebu Interclub Football Cup yesterday at the Aboitiz Sports Field.

Shawn Philip Canlas scored the first goal for Dynamo FC before Juan Pablo Fernan of USC-BED equalized.

Pages: Basti Lacson and the Strait of Gibraltar

BASED on estimates, the number of people who’ve reached the summit of Mt. Everest is 3,425.

If you think this number is very small compared to the world’s population of seven billion, consider this: An estimated 625 people have ever swum from Europe to Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar.

Limpag: Malditas face Thailand in historic match

ONE of the biggest matches in Philippine football will happen today, in faraway Bangladesh. No, it doesn’t involve the Azkals, but the Malditas, the Philippine women’s national team that is seeking a berth in the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Cup.

Not much has been written about the team, a fact that fiery coach Ernie Nierras is using as a challenge.

The View Invitational kicks off today

IF THERE is one thing that the players and visitors immediately notice when they go to Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in Pardo, Cebu City, it is the spectacular view from the clubhouse and the golf course.

Today, the club hosts The View Invitational 2013, which is AVGCC’s annual member-guest tournament.

Velez wins gold in PNG gymnastics

THE University of the Visayas’s (UV) Karen Sthea Velez captured the gold medal in the hoops event of the seniors’ rythmic gymnastics competition of the Philippine National Games (PNG) in Manila.

However, Velez shares the limelight with AJ Sirios of Muntinlupa, who came up with the same points as Velez.

Pagara is ‘mediocre’

THERE is no denying that Jason Pagara is currently the best Filipino at light welterweight. He is ranked fourth in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and is just a few steps away from a shot at the coveted gold.

GM Bitoon scores second win over Prasad

CEBUANO GM Richard Bitoon picked up his second victory after beating GM Subramanian Arun Prasad of India in their Round 3 encounter in the $100,000 Manny Pacquiao Cup-Asian Continental Open and Women's Chess Championships held at the Midas Hotel in Pasay City.

Quijano: Is Jason Pagara ready to step up?

CIRCA 2005-2006, when Manny Pacquiao was on a meteoric rise to the top of the fistic world, Philippine boxing aggressively pushed for the development of new faces, new talents. Among those who benefitted from that impetus were boxers Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista and AJ Bazooka Banal.

During that time they represented some of the new faces; the next generation eager to step up and follow in Pacquaio’s footsteps.

CFA hangs after draw with BFA in Suzuki

CEBU Football Association’s chances still hanging in the balance after a 1-1 draw against Baguio Benguet Football Association yesterday in the Philippine Football Federation Suzuki National Cup in Dumaguete City.

Although Baguio started out aggressively, CFA was quick to attack in the 8th minute through Agapito Baclaan, who pushed the ball into the net.

Grandson also rises in eskrima universe

THAD Kholenn Cañete, the grandson of Doce Pares Supreme Grandmaster Diony Cañete, ODL, earned his rightful place in the eskrima lore during a stiff blackbelt examinations at the Doce Pares World Headquarters over the weekend.

“It did not come easy for him to take the blackbelt testing. The Masters and GMs made sure he did not get the belt because he is a Cañete. It was a stringent written and practical examination. He earned it with an overall score of 9.4,” said Doce Pares officer King Cortel.

Espinosa, Pantino win

CEBU’s Hannah Espinosa reigned in the Girls’ 18-and-under division of the Palawan Pawnshop Age-Group Tennis Circuit after beating Elgy Dasian, 6-1, 6-0, yesterday at the Consolacion Tennis Courts.

Another Cebuano, Arthur Pantino, scored a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Clyde Laquio for the Boys 14-Under crown.

USC Ladies rule

UNIVERSITY of San Carlos (USC) Ladies Team collared the women’s open title after they silenced Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), 4-0, in the final game of the 13th Cebu Football Interclub at the Aboitiz Sports Field yesterday.

Maritoni Trebol scored a long strike from a free kick in the 10th minute for the team’s first goal. Ten minutes later, the opposing team took heavily the consequences of an own goal, which doubled the lead, 2-0.

Lenders reign over Landmasters

THE defending champions Prime Asia Lending showed no rust coming from a 10-day rest as they cracked whips on the Cebu Landmasters to score the first semifinal win, 73-57, in the Enervon-Cesafi Partners’ Cup 2013 tournament held at the Cebu Coliseum yesterday.

The victory was also coach Felix “Donbel” Belano’s 11th straight win. The team remains unbeaten in this pre-season tournament.

Chieffy boosts Erco

CHIEFFY Caligdong showed up with his golden boot to tow Erco FC to an easy, 6-2, win over the Hijos Del Pueblo in Group B action of the 13th Cebu Interclub Football Cup men’s open division at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Corteza tops China Open, earns $40,000

FILIPINO master Lee Van Corteza extended the Pinoys’ reign by winning the World Pool Association (WPA)-organized 2013 China Open 9-ball tournament in Shanghai last Sunday.

Corteza defeated veteran Fu Che Wei of Chinese-Taipei 11-6 to win the richest WPA tournament. The 34-year-old Davao native succeeded the title from compatriot Dennis Orcollo, who was eliminated during the Round of 16 by Wei, 11-8.

Bitoon starts strong in Pacquiao Chess Cup

CEBUANO Grandmaster Richard Bitoon joined five other Filipino masters who trail the early leaders by half a point after Round 2 of the Manny Pacquiao Cup–Asian Continental Open and Women’s Chess Championships at the Midas Hotel in Pasay City,

Lancers start strong

CEBU is off to a hot start in the National Finals of the Coca Cola PBA Youngstars after winning its first two games.

Cebu, represented by the Lancers, defeated first-timers Cagayan de Oro, 40-31, in the opening day at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao last Sunday, while they won by default against San Juan yesterday.

Deftac Cebu wins 10 medals

DEFTAC Cebu had a fruitful stint at the 2013 Pan Asian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Gi and No Gi International at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City over the weekend.

Deftac Cebu snagged five gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes in the annual meet of BJJ practitioners in Asia.

Pages: Samsam, Dennis preview the NBA’s final four

WHEN the NBA season started last Oct. 30, there stood 30 teams. Today, there are only Memphis, Miami, Indiana and San Antonio.

Of the “Final Four,” my good friend Dennis Que is most impressed with the Memphis Grizzlies. Weeks back, he picked Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers (East) and San Antonio Spurs-Oklahoma City Thunder (West); he got three out of four right.

Mendoza: Amazing sweet sweep ignites Alaska upgrade

IF you were not amazed, didn’t ooze with praise, over the way Alaska defeated Barangay Ginebra, I surmise you must be a zombie, maybe?

Alaska scored a so-called sweet sweep over Ginebra, completing a rare 3-0 victory in the best-of-five title playoffs for the Cebuana Lhuillier-PBA Commissioner’s Cup.