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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

Topex Robinson

New coach will take over Lyceum Pirates hoop program

A NEW coach will soon take over the Lyceum of the Philippines University’s basketball program.

School officials will decide in the coming days, following the appointment of Topex Robinson as head coach of the Phoenix Super LPG Fuelmasters last Friday.

Assistant coach Jeff Perlas would most likely take over as the next head coach and probably as Director of Basketball Operations of the Lyceum System. “Wala pang appointment pero it will be one of his staff. Coach Topex will continue to be LPU’s consultant,” said LPU athletic director Hercules Callanta.

League rules in the Philippine Basketball Association prohibit head coaches from moonlighting as a coach for any other team out of the organization.

“They will have a meeting Topex and the officials of the school. Nagulat din kami sa pangyayari,” said Perlas.

Perlas has been Robinson’s deputy over the last five years.

The other deputies in the Pirates Waterson, Modafferi prevail at UFC Fight Night squad include Rommel Adducul, Gilbert Malabanan, Ricky Reyes and Kevin Lacap. “We are still waiting for the management’s decision regarding this matter but if everything will fall into place I might be elevated to handle the team. Again no final decision yet but I’m ready,” said Perlas.

It was announced last Friday that Robinson will take over the post of Louie Alas, who was earlier suspended from his job at the Phoenix Super LPG Fuelmaster for 15 days.

Robinson was initially named to take over in an interim capacity, and as team officials anticipate the restart of games in the Philippine Basketball Association. Peter Atencio

POC charter change talks to continue after election

By Peter Atencio

TALKS on changes in the Philippine Olympic Committee constitution and bylaws will continue after the Nov. 27 elections.

POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said after the executive board convened in a virtual meeting over the weekend that no more amendments were discussed.

Discussions on the amendments was deferred during the meeting which instead focused on the creation of the election committee.

Members of the executive board are keen on using the current charter of the POC.

There were many proposals that have been discussed over the past months.

And the first to be approved is the age limit of 78 that will be imposed for leaders of national sports associations who are running for elective positions.

Another proposal that is being reviewed is that board members who are elected will be limited to just two straight terms.

After that, anyone running for a post can do so after a four-year Olympic cycle.

The alterations in the charter will take effect after the November polls.

The POC election committee is to be composed of Atty. Teodoro Kalaw IV as chairman, with former International Olympic Committee representative Frank Elizalde and the chairman of the House Committee on Youth and Sports Eric Martinez.

The filing of the certificate of candidacy will be from Oct. 1 to 30 with the campaign period set to start on Nov. 1.

Osaka wants to continue campaign for racial justice

Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts in the third set during her Women’s Singles  nal match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. AFP NEW YORK, United States—Naomi Osaka said she wants to be known for more than just tennis, suggesting she will keep campaigning for racial justice after winning her third Grand Slam at the US Open Saturday (Sunday Philippine time).

Osaka, of Japanese and Haitian heritage, wore different masks honoring victims of systemic racism and police brutality in the United States in each of the tournament’s seven rounds.

The 22-year-old said thinking time during the coronavirus lockdown, which coincided with protests across the United States over the police killing of black man George Floyd, had led to her political awakening.

“I would definitely say it’s been an important few months,” Osaka told reporters after coming from a set down to beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“For me, my life was always go-go tennis-wise, especially after the previous US Open that I won (in 2018). It definitely accelerated things, and I’ve never had a chance to slow down.

“The quarantine definitely gave me a chance to think a lot about things – what I want to accomplish, what I want people to remember me by. I came into this tournament, or these two tournaments, with that mindset.”

Osaka first took an activist stance at the Western & Southern Open, a US Open tuneup event, when she threatened not to play her semi-final match in protest at the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.

She said she was “sick to her stomach” and “exhausted” by repeated violence against black people by US police.

Her decision prompted the WTA and ATP to postpone all semi-final matches by a day, inspiring Osaka to change her mind and make herself available for the final.

Osaka’s move came after the Milwaukee Bucks led a historic boycott over the shooting, forcing the NBA to halt its playoff schedule and prompting a wave of walkouts across multiple sports.

She walked onto the court for her first match at the US Open wearing a mask bearing the name Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was killed when police shot her in her own apartment in March.

Osaka then donned face coverings honoring Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Philando Castile.

In Saturday’s final she honored Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old African-American boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in Cleveland, Ohio in 2014.

Boyfriend’s books

During the tournament Osaka received video messages from Arbery’s father and Martin’s mother thanking her for her bringing worldwide attention to their stories.

She said Saturday that she would like to meet relatives of the victims. AFP

BYE BYE HARDEN.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) tries to guard Los Angeles Lakers counterpart LeBron James (23) during Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playo s at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex. The Lakers eliminated the Rockets to advance to the NBA Western Conference Finals. AFP

Guermalis introduced to running in high school

FOR the Guermali brothers Said and Yacine, running was not among their hobbies back in the high school.

Playing basketball and tennis was their passion.

Said—whose father is of Morrocan descent and is into running—discovered his passion for the sport after he was asked to try running back in Portland, Oregon in his sophomore year. “My coaches asked me to jump in. And I just jumped in for fun,” said the 23-year-old Said when he recalled how he got into running.

Said and the 21-year-old Yacine, who are into middle and long distance running, recently talked about their love for running during Noli Eala’s Power @ Play podcast last Saturday. “And I guess Yacine just jumped in after that,” added Said.

The Guermalis will soon train with the Philippine athletics team, and they specialize in middle and long distance running.

Officials of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association will be preparing them for their first international meet next year.

Patafa chief Philip Ella Juico said time is on their side. They have plenty of time after setting their sights on 2021 Vietnam SEA Games, the 2022 Asian Games in Giangzhao, the 2023 Sea Games in Phnom Penh and finally the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Their father, Adam, is upbeat about their capabilities. “Adam considers it a great honor for the Guermalis to compete for the Philippines. He hopes his sons can train in Baguio,” said Juico.

The two were supposed to join the Philippine team during the 30th Southeast Asian Games. But, they were sidelined by injuries a few weeks before the Games.

The Guermalis have successfully joined events in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m distances.

Juico believes that the Guermalis will do well in the Vietnam SEA Games, with a 1-2 finish in the 1500-meters.

The existing SEA Games record in the 1500 is 4:06:53, and Said’s personal best time is 3:54:26, which je achieved in Port

land on May 16, 2016. Peter Atencio

By Reuel Vidal

UFC veterans Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson and Roxanne “Happy Warrior” Modafferi posted hard-earned decision victories at UFC Fight Night at UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday morning.

Waterson trailed early but rallied in the latter rounds to eke out a split decision victory over Angela Hill.

Modafferi, on the other hand, earned a 29-28 result on all three judges to gain a unanimous decision victory over Andrea Lee. Modafferi relied on her strong grappling game to take down Lee several times through their threeround fight to earn the convincing victory.

Despite the close decision Waterson said she had no doubt of the victory after rallying late and controlling the fight starting in the third round. “I was confident but you know, we talk about this the whole time leading up to the fight, you never want to leave it to the judges. I got another split decision. That doesn’t leave a good feeling in your stomach, you know,” Waterson said.

Waterson showed up during the post-fight press conference with bruises all over her face and big welts just above her left eye and on the left side of her lip. She was all smiles during the interview saying she didn’t mind getting beat up as long as she won.

“It’s the new eye shadow color. Black on purple. Every time you take damage and get a victory, it doesn’t hurt. So I’m happy to come home with the victory,” she said.

Waterson trailed early but dug deep into her reserve to rally late in the fight to pull out the hard-earned victory. Starting in the third Waterson consistently moved just outside the reach of Hill’s power shots while connecting on her own strikes from long range.

“I think for me, honestly, it was just adjustment within a couple of inches. You know just being a little further back in reserve. Trying to fight on the outskirts versus biting down, sitting in a little bit deeper and intruding on her space. Just deciding, ‘alright let’s to go forward,’ ” said Waterson who was clearly in her element in the latter rounds. She even managed to smile during the exchanges while taking damage.

“It’s a fight. This is what we love to do. I think everybody has that within themselves. It’s like fight or flight. I always remember being in the sport of karate and getting kicked in the face, seeing the blood come down my face and not wanting to retreat and actually wanting to move forward. Sometimes, you just have to get hit to feel that way. ‘Alright, let’s go. This is a fight,’ ” said Waterson.

“After the third round I feel the tide has changed. I felt like I was the aggressor. I was the one in her face, pushing the pace and landing the hard shots.”