After World Cup, Volcanoes target 2016 Olympics

The Philippine Volcanoes begin their ambitious quest for a slot in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics by competing in the four-leg Asian Men’s Sevens Series, which is also a qualifying event for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

The series kicks off in Kuala Lumpur on August 31 and September 1 and will proceed to Bangkok (September 21 and 22), Mumbai (October 12 and 13), and Singapore (November 2 and 3).

Volcanoes team manager Matt Cullen said that besides trying to keep the Philippines’ No. 3 ranking in Asia, they are also aiming to make it to Incheon and win a medal.

“If we qualify and win a medal in the Asian Games then we can get a shot of earning an Olympic qualifying berth,” said Cullen.

Japan is No. 1 in Asia, followed by Hong Kong. The Philippines—after the significant gains in last month’s World Cup in Moscow— is now third, ahead of South Korea and China.

Cullen said the reintroduction of rugby sevens in the Rio Games will benefit the Volcanoes.

“It will definitely help boost our development program here. Our main focus is the Olympics. The team already played in the last World Cup and we have three years to prepare for this,” said Cullen.

“We’re right back at the bottom. We’re starting again from scratch but we will work hard to earn that Olympic qualifying berth,” Cullen added.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bishop Hagemoen challenges pilgrims to be Prophets of the New Millennium

Image
SASKATOON — As Catholic youth gear up for the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, Bishop Mark Hagemoen urged those who participated in the Mount Carmel Pilgrimage Site to embrace their role as prophets of the new millennium. On the Day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel feast, hundreds of pilgrims gathered at the Mount Carmel Pilgrimage site on Sunday, July 16, to participate in the annual liturgical services, and the day commenced with the recitation of the rosary and Marian hymns, culminating in a concelebrated mass led by Bishop Hagemoen. Bishop Mark Hagemoen During his homily, Bishop Hagemoen echoed the words of Pope Francis, calling on the pilgrims to embrace their prophetic calling and spread God's word to all. He emphasized that each individual, through baptism, has received the gift of Messianic prophecy, becoming a prophet themselves. "The pope says, ‘Each of us, brothers and sisters, is a prophet. In fact, with baptism, let us all receive the gift of the Messian
Read more

Papal visit hopes to repair relationship with Indigenous Peoples

Image
SASKATOON — The Vatican has released the official itinerary of Pope Francis with the pontiff heading straight to Edmonton to make his first visit to Canada to meet with Indigenous Peoples, especially residential school survivors. The Holy Father will leave Rome on July 24, Thursday, at 9:00 a.m. local time and will arrive at the Edmonton International Airport for the official welcome at 11:20 a.m. the same day. Rome is eight hours ahead of Alberta, which follows mountain daylight time. The theme of the papal visit is “Walking Together” which will focus on reconciliation and healing the strained relationship between the Catholic church and Indigenous Peoples, especially the survivors of the abuses caused by attending the Canadian residential school system. Pope Francis’ six-day trip is a combination of public and private events and meetings, especially with Indigenous Peoples. The visit comes after a few months when a historic meeting between First Nations, Inuit and Métis delegates in
Read more

A letter to Tatay

SASKATOON—My father died in February 2018, more than a month after our last vacation in the Philippines where we get to spend Christmas and New Year with our family and friends. I have no idea that would be the last time we would see Tatay alive, the last time he would see my family and spend time with two (Macky and Nathan) of his more than 10 grandchildren, and the last time I would speak to him in person and my last time to mano before heading to the airport the early morning of Jan. 9, 2018. He died while we were back on Saipan, thousands of kilometres away east of the Philippines; while I was busy covering House and Senate sessions at the CNMI Legislature or busy hounding the governor about a local or federal issue, and while I was working on an island surrounded by the ocean in the Western Pacific. I haven't mentioned this to anyone—and I'm not sure if Nanay or my sister who was then taking care of him remembers this—but I got furious at him when we talked on the ph
Read more