Category: Sports

UniPin, the leading digital entertainment enabler in Southeast Asia is a pioneer when it comes to elevating the esports scene for women to a higher level. UniPin has been facilitating gamers in the Southeast Asia region for easier top-up access and hosting several successful female-only tournaments in various Southeast Asian countries. This time, UniPin with the support from Domino’s Pizza Malaysia is hosting another ladies’ tournament for the third time in Malaysia and Singapore, after the first one in 2021.

As the fastest rising demographic in Asia’s growing gaming markets, female gamers are transforming Asia’s gaming landscape with ever greater influence on gaming trends and impact on revenue. A recently published report from Niko Partners shows that 95% Asian female gamers mainly focus on mobile games. In response to the rising trend and suggested data, UniPin has been focusing on doing mobile games tournaments in the SEA region, with no exception to female-only tournaments.

Source: Nam News Network

World No. 2 Brazil battles No. 4 Italy as the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) starts on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City. No less than First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos will make the ceremonial serve before the 3 p.m. encounter between three-time Olympic gold medalist Brazil and reigning FIVB world champion Italy. ‘Everyone is excited with the VNL men’s competition and we’re expecting more fans to march to the MOA Arena to witness thrilling world-class and high flying international men’s volleyball action,’ said Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara in a statement on Monday. Brazil beat Italy in the finals of the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) and Rio de Janeiro (2016). Italy has won four World Championship titles and seven European Championship titles. Meanwhile, crowd favorite Japan, ranked No. 7 in the world, and No. 25 China complete the opening-day double header at 7 p.m. This is the second consecutive year that the PNVF is hosting the VNL, the sport’s most prestigious competition organized by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the Volleyball World. Also expected to attend the opening ceremony are Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson Richard Bachmann and Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto Rubiano. World No. 1 Poland faces No. 9 Slovenia at 7 p.m. right after the match between No. 12 The Netherlands and No. 15 Canada at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Suzara said the Philippine leg serves as the final and critical stage of the VNL’s preliminary round that will determine the top eight squads which will advance to the final stage from July 19 to 24 in Poland. PLDT, Rebisco, Akari, PSC, Ganten, Gerflor, Mikasa, Mizuno, Senoh and Stake.com are the major sponsors of the event also supported by Fitbar, Instax Fujifilm, Fitness First, Pasay City, Taguig City, Diamond Hotel, Maynilad, Peugeot, SM MOA Arena, The Look and The Moment Group with Cignal, Inquirer Group, RMN, DOOH, One Sports, One Sports+ and Mega Mobile as media partners. Fans can buy their tickets at Ticketnet. An exclusive VNL shirt will also be given to every purchase of Patron Front Row and VIP On Court tickets. More information are available @volleyball_philippines on Facebook and Instagram for more information and updates.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Vietnam’s No. 1 player Tran Quyet Chien on July 2 won the Three-Cushion World Cup – Porto 2023 in Portugal after defeating Egypt’s Sameh Sidhom in the final.

After facing several challenges posed by the Egyptian opponent in the opening minutes, he swiftly showed his talent by taking a lead of 22-12.

Chien remained his good form in the next 13 moves and won the game with a final score of 50-30.

This is the second time the Vietnamese player has won the Three-Cushion World Cup. Previously, he secured the world title when Vietnam hosted the tournament in 2018.

This championship brought Chien 16,000 Euros (over 17,400 USD) while runner-up Sidhome got 10,000 Euros. Two third prize winners Chiem Hong Thai of Vietnam and Jeremy Bury of France received 6000 Euros each./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Fresh off an eight-medal stint in the Nonghyup Bank Korea Cup two days ago, the national soft tennis team will resume practice at the Felicisimo Ampon Tennis Court inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila on Monday. National player Dheo Talatayod said in an interview on Saturday that they have to be well-prepared for the tough 19th Asian Games, slated in Hangzhou, China from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. The soft tennis competition will be held at the Olympic Tennis Center on Oct. 3-7. “We’ll be back in training,” Talatayod said. The Philippines brought home three bronze medals, including one from the mixed doubles pair of Talatayod and Bien Zoleta, in the main draw of the June 14-21 tournament held at the Yeolwoomul Tennis Center indoor hard courts in Incheon City. The other two came from men’s singles (Joseph Arcilla) and men’s team events (Talatayod, Arcilla, Samuel Nuguit, and Ryan Carpio). In the Challenge Round, the Filipinos secured gold medals in men’s singles (Nuguit), women’s singles (Christy Sañosa), mixed doubles (Virvienica Bejosano and Cambodian John Mada), and women’s team (Zoleta, Princess Catindig, Sañosa, Bejosano, Bea Ebriega), while Catindig got a bronze medal in the mixed doubles with Polish Franciszek Sliwa. In the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games in May, the Philippines claimed three gold medals, courtesy of Arcilla (men’s singles), Zoleta and Catindig (women’s doubles), and the women’s team of Catindig, Bejosano, Fatima Amirul, and Zoleta siblings Bien and Bambi). The squad also added one silver from Bambi Zoleta (women’s singles) and one bronze from the men’s team (Arcilla, Talatayod, Mark Anthony Alcoseba, Nuguit, Adjuthor Moralde, and George Patrick Mendoza). The impressive showing in Cambodia was also aided by a technical exchange program with the Korea Soft Tennis Association, where they trained with the Korea Daegu Bank team at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center and in Korea for more training sessions. “I’m happy that I was able to achieve my goal of a podium finish at the Korea Cup because I will also compete in the mixed doubles event in the Asian Games,” said Bien Zoleta, a seasoned tennis player before shifting to soft tennis. “It’s my first time to play in the mixed doubles and I won the bronze medal in the Korea Cup, which is like a test event prior to the Asian Games. Most of the players who joined the Korea Cup will also compete in the Asian Games.” At the 18th Asiad in Indonesia in 2018, South Korea (men’s singles and men’s team) and Japan (women’s singles and women’s team) collected two gold medals each while Chinese-Taipei (mixed doubles) had one. The Philippines’ best result was the quartefinal stint of the Arcilla-led men’s team, which lost to Chinese-Taipei. The 19th Asiad was originally scheduled in Sept. 2022 but was reset due to Covid-19 concerns. Coach Divina Escala said the team plans to join a tournament and attend a training camp in Sunchang, South Korea if they will be granted financial support by the Philippine Sports Commission. “June and July is back to strength and conditioning, and endurance phase to prepare their physical condition to a higher phase of August training camp and last tournament before their Asian Games campaign,” said Escala, who is assisted by Michael John Enriquez and Josephine Paguyo.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) will celebrate Olympic Day on Friday with a traditional run at the University of the Philippines (UP) Track and Field Oval in Quezon City. A ceremonial turnover of cash incentives from the POC to the medalists of the recent Cambodia Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) will also be held during the celebration. POC president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino will lead the ceremony held annually to commemorate the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by Baron Pierre de Coubertin on June 23, 1894. Joining Tolentino are members of the Philippine Olympian Association led by its president Akiko Thomson and Stephen Fernandez, as well as representatives from the Special Olympics Philippines. A 15-minute zumba program by the Special Olympics athletes and a ceremonial walk and run around the new oval will also be held during the Olympic Day celebration. Tolentino will proceed with the ceremonial turnover of checks to medalist athletes –representing individual, doubles and team sports. The Philippines took home 58 gold, 86 silver, and 116 bronze medals to finish fifth in the 32nd SEA Games held in Cambodia. UP College of Human Kinetics Dean Francis Carlos ‘Kiko’ Diaz and POC deputy secretary-general Karen Tanchanco-Cabellero will close the ceremony

Source: Philippines News Agency

A Filipino player has been listed in Japan’s pool for the FIBA World Cup. Six-foot-nine center Matthew Aquino made the Japanese squad’s training roster for the tournament that the country will co-host with the Philippines and Indonesia. The son of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) star Marlou Aquino has Japanese lineage through his grandmother from his mother’s side. As he obtained a Japanese passport before he reached 16, Matthew has been categorized as a local. Aquino, who plays for Shinshu in the Japan B.League, debuted for the “Akatsuki Five” last year in a 76-71 win against Chinese Taipei in the World Cup Qualifiers. Before joining the B.League, Aquino first played professional basketball in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, suiting up for Bacoor City along with his dad and Pasig the season after. Meanwhile, as anticipated, National Basketball Association players Yuta Watanabe and Rui Hachimura made Japan’s World Cup pool and are expected to crack the final 12-man roster. Former San Miguel import Nick Fazekas also made the pool with Yuya Nagayoshi, Yuki Togashi, Yudai Baba, Koya Kawamata, Soichiro Inoue, Makoto Hiejima, Yutaro Suda, Shuta Hara, Kai Toews, Keisei Tominaga, Aki Chambers, Tenketsu Harimoto, Hugh Watanabe, Yuki Kawamura, Luke Evans, Seiya Ando, Josh Hawkinson, Hirotaka Yoshii, Yudai Nishida, Ren Kanechika, and Akira Jacobs completing the extended roster. Japan is placed in Group E, arguably the “group of death”, with Germany, Finland and Australia for the first round of the World Cup final. The games will be played at the Okinawa Arena.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Vietnamese players won one gold medal and six bronzes at the 2023 Southeast Asia (SEA) Youth Table Tennis Championship held in Brunei from June 13-18.

Beating his Singaporean rival in the U17 men’s singles final, Nguyen Hoang Lam brought home the gold medal.

In addition, Vietnamese players bagged six bronze medals in the categories of U19 men’s team, U19 women’s team, U19 women’s duo, U17 men’s singles, U19 mix and U15 men’s singles.

Vietnam’s youth table tennis team competed in the 2023 SEA Youth Table Tennis Championship with 18 players, including Huu Huy, Duy Phong, Manh Cuong, Thanh Phu, Mai Phuong, Thu Cuc, Ngoc Quyen, Bao Linh, Hoang Lam, Quang Truong, Hanh Ngan, Dieu Linh, Manh Luong, Thai Bao, Tri Hoang, Phuong Linh, Bao Han, and Nhu Quynh.

The most recent time Vietnam’s youth table tennis team secured a gold medal in the SEA Youth Table Tennis Championship was in 2008. After 15 years, Vietnam’s youth table tennis has once again achieved this success, thanks to the remarkable performance and significant contributions of Hoang Lam. This victory holds great professional value and encouragement for Vietnamese young players./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency