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The Lasallian community is joining hands to help one of their own, Lim Eng Beng, after the former King Archer was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. A mixed volleyball tournament is being planned after the Lenten break between several members of the three-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women's volleyball champion Lady Spikers and the La Salle men's basketball team. Lady Spikers' Abi Maraño, Melissa Gohing, Ara Galang, Michelle Gumabao, Mika Reyes and Rochelle Sison, and the Green Archers' Jeric Teng, Arnold Van Opstal, Norbert Torres, Almond Vosotros, Yutien Andrada, Jason Perkins and Thomas Torres are the players who will be competing in the fundraising event. Henry Atayde, La Salle’s representative to the UAAP board, said this is just one of the many ways the La Salle community is helping raise the P3 million Lim needed for his liver transplant. "For a guy who never drank alcohol, the La Salle community is very concerned abou...

Brunei could face suspension and a heavy fine from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after its unexpected withdrawal from the AFC Challenge Cup Group E qualifiers, which opened Friday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said the Asean Football Federation (AFF), of which the Philippines is also a member, already has a rule on how to handle teams that back out at the last minute. "I’m not sure if a similar situation occurred in an AFC tournament before, but I’m sure the AFC would give sanctions and fine Brunei," said Araneta after watching Turkmenistan’s 7-0 demolition of Cambodia in the opening of the Group E qualifiers on Friday. "The AFF has already set some rules that if a team that has already confirmed participation in a tournament but pulls out at the last minute, will be given a minimum fine of $10,000. Brunei’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports issued a sta...

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) will hold a month-long search for players who will comprise the national under-23 training pool. PFF President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said that since the U23 Suzuki National Cup began in 2011, the tournament has served as a key tool for promoting and developing football in the country. "Through the U23 Suzuki National Cup, we get to see the future of Philippine football. With the Philippines’ pleasing performance in the recent (Asean Football Federation) Suzuki Cup, we are indeed optimistic that football will continue to flourish in the country," said Araneta. Araneta said the third edition of the PFF U23 Suzuki National Cup opens next month with the Luzon teams facing off at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, from April 8 to 13. The Visayas teams will converge fn San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, wfrom April 15 to 20, hile Davao City will bhostthe Mindanao leg from April 22 to 27. The top two teams a...

Philippine national men's football team manager Dan Palami and coach Michael Weiss believe the Azkals are a more mature and cohesive unit this time around than the squad that competed in the 2012 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup main draw. Palami said that the Azkals no longer need motivation since they know what should be done. "They (Azkals) know where the team wants to go. We are on the same page on the significance of the tournament. We've taken it several steps at a time." He added that the Philippines' strong performance in the 2012 Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup and the AFC Challenge Cup is an indication of the Azkals' willingness to secure one of the remaining 12 spots in the AFC Asian Cup, which Australia will be hosting in 2015. "The players are motivated and everybody knows what’s at stake," said Palami, a few days before the Azkals again try to qualify for the Challenge Cup's 2014 edition in the ...

San Miguel is on a roll, with the Beermen cruising to their fifth straight win with an 80-55 crushing of the Saigon Heat on Sunday in the fourth Asean Basketball League at the Tan Binh Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Chris Banchero scored 20 points while imports Brian Williams and Justin Williams combined for 26 rebounds to spearhead the Beermen’s 39-19 edge in the battle of the boards. It was Banchero's second 20-point game in San Miguel's five-game winning run as the do-it-all guard posted an average of 19 markers per outing. Brian Williams added 16 points while Justin Williams, who also had a team-high four block shots and four steals, contributed 11 more for the 8-3 Beermen, who are now a full game behind defending champion Indonesia Warriors (9-3). The Beermenhaves have not lost since absorbing an 82-76 setback against the Westports Malaysia Dragons on February 16. It was also the fourth straight game that the Beermen had held an opponent to und...

The coaching staff and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) have released the final roster of the Philippine Azkals for the 2013 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup qualifiers, which open on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. It will be a veteran-filled line-up led by brothers James and Phil Younghusband, and Emelio "Chieffy" Caligdong. Marwin Angeles, Misagh Bahadoran, Dennis Cagara, Jeffrey Christiaens, Jason de Jong, Neil Etheridge, Robert Gier, Chris Greatwich, brothers Angel and Juan Luis Guirado, Jerry Lucena, Carl de Murga, Paul Mulders, Roland Muller, Javier Patiño, Jose Elmer Porteria, Patrick Reichelt, Ed Sacapaño, Stephan Schrock and Matthew Uy are the other members of the team. The Philippines opens its Challenge Cup qualifiers campaign against Brunei on March 22, will face Cambodia on March 24 and will meet Turkmenistan on March 26 for its final match. The Azkals' games are scheduled at 7:30 p.m.

World Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach is ready to put his foot down and tell Manny Pacquiao to finally hang up his gloves this year if he ever sees anything wrong in the eight-time world champion's training camp. Roach was quoted on BleacherReport.com as saying that Pacquiao would watch his prized fighter's training more closely this time. "I will make sure that everything is in place. If something is not in place, I will cancel that [a fifth with Juan Manuel Marquez] fight and he will retire," said Roach. The Hall of Fame trainer even hinted that Pacquiao might fight only once this year after dropping and losing his two fights in 2012—the first a controversial one to Timothy Bradley and the second a sixth-round knockout to Marquez—and the Filipino southpaw needs a redemption of sorts to get his sting back on the ring. "Either we fight a young stud [Brandon Rios type of guys] or we fight a rematch with Marquez [right away]. I think the rematch...