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It will be Group I or bust for the Philippine Davis Cup team when it plays in the second round of its Group II tie in the Asia Oceania zone in April this year. The Philippines previously played in Group I for two years, from 2010 to 2011, after being promoted in 2009 following a 4-1 win over New Zealand in the Asia Oceania Group II final. The Pinoy Davis Cuppers stayed in Group I after posting a 3-2 win over South Korea in 2010 but were relegated to Group II in 2011 after a 3-2 loss to Chinese Taipei in the relegation playoff. The Philippines moved to the second round of the Asia Oceania Group II tie after a 3-1 win over Sri Lanka early this month. They will play either Pakistan or Vietnam in the next tie where the country has the chance to host the matches set from April 4 to 6. And Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) Chairman Jean Henri Lhuillier is optimistic about the possibility of the team returning to Group I this year. “We’re all excited this year. There

Wikipedia Lone Filipino bet Michael Christian Martinez is using the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to gain more experience in the hopes of earning a podium finish when PyeongChang, South Korea hosts the next edition of the quadrennial Games. Martinez qualified for the Sochi Games after placing seventh in the senior division of the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. He is the first Filipino figure skater to compete in the men’s singles, which start on Sunday. “There’s little pressure since my goal is to reach the top 24 and reach the qualifying round. It will be a big accomplishment for me if I made it to the final round,” said Martinez. The 17-year-old Paranaque-based skater admitted that he still lacks the experience that would earn him a possible bronze medal in the Winter Games. “I’m not expecting to win a medal in this Olympics and I’m aiming for a medal in 2018 since my years of training are shorter compared to the other skaters. I think my Boston t

Cebuana Lhuillier President Jean Henri Lhuillier (center) said his company  will continue supporting women's softball.  Winning the bronze medal will be the realistic goal of the Philippine national women’s softball team when it competes in the 2014 Asian Games set from September 19 to October 4 in Incheon, South Korea. The Blu Girls’ fourth-place finish in last year’s 14th Asian Women’s Softball Championships had Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil) President Jean Henri Lhuillier optimistic that the feat is possible. “Finishing fourth in the Asian championships is already a big accomplishment for the team because we have tough competition here in Asia. You’ve got Japan, China, and Chinese Taipei. And they are very strong teams,” said Lhuillier. “Hopefully we can dislodge one of those teams in the Asian Games to clinch bronze. The realistic goal is a bronze medal. And that is something that we are really aiming for.” Two Filipino-Americ

(This was an unpublished article I wrote before the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.) World champions Rubilen Amit and Josie Gabuco will try to rally the entire Philippine delegation to the 27th Myanmar Southeast Asian Games from December 11 to 22 to boost the country’s morale which is reeling from successive disasters. Amit and Gabuco said they will do everything that they can to win the gold in their respective events and serve as a fitting follow-up to Manny Pacquiao’s recent lopsided victory over Brandon Rios. “Kung ang mga kababayan natin i-cheer ako sa bawat laban ko, this time tulungan tayo para i-boost ang morale ng mga kababayan natin,” said Amit during Wednesday night’s athletes send-off party in Dasmarinas Village Makati City. Amit, the reigning Yalin Women’s World 10-Ball champion, will be targeting the women’s 9-ball and 10-ball gold medals together with teammate Iris Ranola. “Maganda ang sinabi ni Kuya Manny [Pacquiao] na alay niya ang kaniyang panalo par

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has yet to finalize the hiring of the country’s national men’s football team new coach but has accepted the invitation of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) for the two sides to play an international friendly match. The Azkals will be facing Azerbaijan’s national team on March 5, Saturday, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The friendly is part of the Azkals’ preparation for this year’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup in the Maldives. The Philippine Azkals are currently at 127th in the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) world rankings while Azerbaijan is at 94th place. The PFF has named former US team captain Tom Dooley as the Azkals’ new coach but the US National Soccer Hall of Famer has yet to sign the contract and oversee the training of the Philippine men’s squad. The PFF and AFFA are now working to finalize the details of the match including the venue and ti