Debut of Nike: Rise tomorrow

The much-anticipated Nike: Rise reality sports documentary will be telecast tomorrow night, 6pm on TV5.

The first episode sees Chot Reyes meeting the 24 kids selected from the tryouts that took place across the country, with NBA star Paul George dropping by to kick off the training at the House of Rise in Mandaluyong City.

It also serves as a means to share the background of some of these kids, a background filled with non-believers in their skill and talent. Some have their own kind of warts. In addition, they didn't exactly have the perfect kind of training that other athletes have secured, and as such, they will be coming in raw.

George will assist Reyes in teaching the kids during this episode. He is familiar with having to deal with a meteoric rise, from being an unknown and mysterious entity to becoming the Most Improved Player to becoming a superstar. His story is also about determination, as he still continues to comeback stronger from his injury.


The trailer for the first episode can be seen below.

Pinoys set for FIBA U18 3x3

The 2015 FIBA Under-18 3x3 World Championships will kick off tomorrow in Debrecen, Hungary; with the Philippines seeking to make an impact in the global scene in this novel version of the sport of basketball.

The Pinoy quartet of Kobe Paras (LA Cathedral HS), Mike Nieto (Ateneo de Manila University), Ricci Rivero (La Salle-Greenhills), and Richard Escoto (Far Eastern University) are seeded into Group A, alongside hosts Hungary, Kazakhstan, Russia, Poland, and Uruguay. Accompanying the players are LSGH head coach John Flores and Philippine basketball legend Benjie Paras, with SBP legal consultant Atty. Edgar Francisco set to join them later on. Francisco will be attending the FIBA 3x3 World Congress that will be held at Kossuth Square.

Their pool schedule is as follows (Manila time):

June 4 vs Poland 10:50pm
June 5 vs Hungary 1:20am
June 5 vs Kazakhstan 11:10pm
June 6 vs Russia 1:40am
June 6 vs Uruguay 8:10pm

Here are the other groups:

Pool B: Andorra, Egypt, Germany, Guatemala, Lithuania, Romania
Pool C: Brazil, Estonia, France, New Zealand, Turkey, Vietnam
Pool D: Argentina, Georgia, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Spain, United States

There is also a women's version ongoing.

Pool A: Hungary, Spain, Israel, Venezuela, Germany, Slovakia
Pool B: Poland, China, New Zealand, France, Estonia, Guam
Pool C: United States, Italy, Egypt, Switzerland, Romania, Andorra
Pool D: Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, Czech Republic, Turkey, Indonesia

Side events include a shootout (Qualifiers: June 6 2:10am; Final: June 8, 1:10am), a women's skills competition (Qualifiers: June 5, 11:40pm; Knockout Rounds: June 6, 9pm), and a slam dunk contest (Qualifiers: June 6, 11pm; Semifinal and Final: June 8, 2:10am). Many people remember Kobe's efforts in the previous edition.



Escoto and Nieto will represent the country in the shootout category.

***

In local 3x3-related news, qualifiers for the SBP-Talk 'N Text U18 Tatluhan National Championships are ongoing in 16 municipalities, with the capper to be held at Robinson's Place Ermita on June 21. The champion earns a slot in the 3-team Filipino delegation for the Asia-Pacific FIBA 3x3 World Masters set to take place at the same venue this coming August, joining two PBA selections.

The Philippines seeks to recreate the magic made by the Manila West team of Terrence Romeo, Rey Guevarra, KG Canaleta and Aldrech Ramos, who topped the Manila leg and made it to the FIBA 3x3 World Masters in Japan.

The SBP sees the continued participation of the country in the 3x3 championships as a "high point" for its centerpiece grassroots development program. It already has yielded immediate success, and it is to culminate in the hosting of the World Tour Finals in 2017.

Philippine women's basketball team tryouts slated

Tryouts are already underway for the senior women's national basketball team.

Under the auspices of the newly-minted head coach Patrick Aquino, the tryouts are being held at the 3rd floor of the SGS Building (1335 Araneta Ave., Brgy. Sto. Domingo, QC), with the initial schedule being from 5-7pm on February 4, 7, 9-11.

Those who were part of the national pool under the leadership of Haydee Ong are already automatically included in the current iteration.

Interested parties can contact 0917-8686234 for more details.

Aquino, who is also the mentor for the National University women's team, plans on trimming down the initial pool to just twenty players before making the final cut of twelve ladies for the SEABA and SEA Games later this year. To prepare for these two tournaments, the team will have some tuneup matches in Thailand in late March to early April.

FIBA executives to come in the Philippines for FIBA World Cup inspection

A three-man FIBA Evaluation Commission will be coming to the Philippines to check on the country's capability to host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Sports Director Lubo Kotleba, Director-General for media and marketing Frank Leenders, and Events Director Predrag Bogosavljev will be arriving to the country to represent FIBA in determining the readiness to host the World Cup, according to SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios. FIBA Secretary-General Patrick Baumann will arrive on Thursday to join the commission.

They will have a busy schedule to attend to in their brief stay, which will include inspections at venues across the country. They are going to check out the Philippine Arena, SMART-Araneta Coliseum, and the Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday, an itinerary that will include watching the PBA Commissioner's Cup match between Ginebra and Meralco. Wednesday will be devoted to a trip to Cebu, where the SM Group is planning on putting up a sports facility within the next two years.

In between those visits will be meetings with prospective hotel locations (EDSA Shangri-La, Sofitel, Solaire), as well as with local executives and SBP officials. Tourism Secretary Alberto del Rosario himself will be meeting with Baumann upon his arrival.

The Philippines is competing with China, Turkey, Qatar, and Franco-German collaboration for the right to host the World Cup, last held in Spain last year. It had hosted the competition in its previous iteration (as the FIBA World Championships) back in 1978, with the Araneta Coliseum and Rizal Memorial Coliseum as the venues. Yugoslavia won the tourney against the Soviet Union, 82-81, in a final that needed overtime.

The final bids for the 2019 FIBA World Cup hosting rights will be submitted by April 30, with the FIBA Central Board tasked to deliberate on each bid until a winner emerges after their June meeting.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas charts new direction for Philippine basketball

Philippine basketball takes a new direction after Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan held a board meeting on Tuesday at the PLDT office in Makati.

After seeing the Philippines participate in its first-ever FIBA U-17 World Cup and return to the world basketball stage for the first time in forty years in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, MVP has opted to conduct a "participative and consultative approach" in the selection process for its future national teams.

The SBP has established selection committees that will look into the process of naming coaches and players for the upcoming basketball competitions next year. These committees will then submit its "short list" of candidates to the SBP Executive Committee, composed of the NSA's chairman, president (MVP), vice chairman, vice president, and executive director (Sonny Barrios), which will then submit for ultimate final approval with the SBP Board of Trustees.

The Philippines is set to enter at least nine international tournaments next year, including the 28th SEA Games in Singapore and the 28th FIBA-Asia men's championships in China, which happens to be regional qualifier for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

For the top regional and global competitions like FIBA-Asia, Asian Games and the World Cup, the selection committee will be composed of SBP Board Members from the PBA, the PBA D-League, and the SBP. While for the sub-regional competitions like the SEA Games and SEABA, the selection committee will be composed of SBP Board Members from the different collegiate leagues (UAAP, NCAA, CESAFI, NAASCU) and the SBP.

MVP then briefed the federation on details regarding the Philippines' initial hosting bid for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. FIBA is expected to release an initial list of candidates by the end of November.

Also thoroughly discussed in the meeting is the expanded grassroots development program, in which Pangilinan outlined his plan of an "all-encompassing overall nationwide program" for the next two years. He already has urged the regional SBP leaders to undertake a more active role in adapting the program in their respective regions.

Some established age-group tournaments have already been tapped for SBP grassroots program, with the ongoing Philippine Collegiate Champions League of Rey Gamboa and Joe Lipa, as well as the Seaoil-National Basketball Training Center of Eric Altamirano and the Milo-BEST Center of Nic Jorge.

SBP also intends to adapt the FIBA 3x3 format as a means to promote the sport nationwide. They are also looking at establishing a SBP Referees National Accreditation Commission and a SBP coaching program.

Takayama, Lubas lead Team Philippines in WPT-Solar Sports Nations Challenge

Mike Takayama

The Filipino contingent for the inaugural National Challenge, presented by Solar Sports, has been finally revealed.

Reigning Asian Poker Tour (APT) champion Mike Takayama and Gerardo "Jay" Lubas will lead the squad that is skippered by Wally Sombrero.

The former billiards pro Takayama is considered as the hottest tournament player in the country, and has already netted the 2014 APT Macau Six-Max tournament.

The imposing Lubas is best remembered as the two-day overall chip leader in the 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event. He also finished second, behind Takayama, in the 2014 APT Manila Main Event.

The other members of Team Philippines are online phenom Mark Benasa, 2012 Philippine Poker Tour Player of the Year Martin Corpus, APT Head-Hunter titlist Jay Tolon, APT Cebu Heads-Up king Stephen Gaw, and the three Rivera brothers (Czardy, Marc, and Euryd).

Sombrero referred to this group as a "good mix," although it is missing a couple of well-known names in poker circles, as both Neil Arce and Vic de Guzman have begged off due to commitment issues. In the latter's case, he also serves as part of the organizing committee.

Teams from China, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia are expected to oppose the Filipinos, with the possibility that Australia, the United States, and Vietnam might field their own respective squads to contest in the team event.

The Nations Challenge kicks off the WPT National-Philippines this Saturday at the Grand Ballroom of the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City. It coincides with the Solaire Cares charity tournament, with local celebrities and international pros like Lacey Jones participating to raise funds for charity.

Wally Sombero to lead Filipino contingent in WPT Nations Challenge

Wally Sombrero ready to lead the Filipinos
in the WPT Nations Challenge

Retired Philippine National Police Chief Superintendent Col. Wally Sombrero has been tasked to lead the Filipino contingent in the first-ever Nations Challenge.

Sombrero is considered as the Godfather of Asian poker, and was the consensus pick to lead because of his enormous contributions to the sport, as well as his skills on the table.

He is credited with bringing poker to Asia, organizing the first poker tournament in the continent back in 2006, with the unbridled support of World Series of Poker founder Jack Binion and poker legend Doyle Brunson. He also helped establish the poker department within the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), from which the private sector can own and operate their own poker room (once a license has been secured).

Nicknamed "The Dream," Sombrero also lobbied for the game to be part of the sports under the umbrella of the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA).

In a phone interview, he was very glad that his "dream of making the game a sport is now being realized, sharing that "The Nations Challenge now makes it like the Olympics."

He also acknowledged the efforts of Solaire Poker Room owner Mike Kim in bringing a world-class poker event to the country, noting that he shares his dream of bringing "poker to the next level in the Philippines."

Although the identities of the other nine members of Team Philippines have yet to be revealed, it is highly likely that former Asian Poker Tour champions Neil Arce and Vic de Guzman will be included, alongside two-time national winner Kent del Rosario, Mark Benasa, and the Rivera brothers.

China, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia are among those who will be a threat to the Philippines in securing the inaugural title, with organizers revealing the possibility of countries like Australia, Vietnam, and even the United States forming their own squad.

The Nations Challenge serves as the first of nineteen events for the World Poker Tour National Philippines, which kicks off on October 18 at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City. Lasting eleven days, it is the biggest event on the WPT calendar, with the highly anticipated Main Event to take place starting October 23.

Manila West drawn into Pool B of FIBA 3x3 World Tour

Manila West head coaches: John Flores on the left,
Eric Altamirano on the right

The path towards the knockout rounds in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour have been determined, with Manila West having to deal with Sao Paolo and Bucharest in Pool B.

The Pinoys will have to finish in the top two of their Pool to advance into the knockout rounds.

The quartet of KG Canaleta, Rey Guevarra, Aldrech Ramos, and Terrence Romeo defeated reiging world champions Doha, 21-17,  in the final of the Manila Masters to earn their berth in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Eric Altamirano and John Flores will be handling coaching duties, while SBP executive director Sonny Barrios will be leading the Filipino delegation.

Altamirano admitted that the team needs to reacquaint themselves with each other, as he only managed to meet up with them just this week. He also acknowledged the need to "get used to the rules again," suggesting some practice games may be arranged with the other competitors.

Comprising the other teams in the FIBA 3x3 finals are:

Pool A: Denver (US), Santos (Brazil), and Novi Sad (Serbia)
Pool C: Kranj (Slovenia), Jakarta (Indonesia), and Wukesong (China)
Pool D: Saskatoon (Canada), Trbovlje (Slovenia), and Kobe (Japan)

TV5 to air 17th Asian Games starting September 19

TV5 will have coverage for the upcoming 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, kicking it off with the Opening Ceremonies at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium on September 19.

The Opening Ceremonies will be a hodgepodge of the K-Pop phenomenon, with the likes of JYJ, EXO, CNBlue and PSY performing, adhering to the message: "4.5 Billion Asians' dream, Asia as One."

150 Filipinos will be participating in 28 sports disciplines at the quadrennial meet, led of course, by the Gilas Pilipinas men's basketball team. Other prominent athletes competing include Marestella Torres (athletics - long jump), Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jesse Lacuna (swimming), Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting), and the Philippine Volcanoes (rugby).

Sports5's coverage of the event will involve the trio of Dennis Principe, Atty. Charlie Cuna and Patricia Bermudez-Hizon providing updates involving our athletes in Incheon. Telecast of the different events will be on TV5, AksyonTV, HYPER, SMART's Viewstream and Cignal's PPV channels.

NBA Store in the Philippines to open later this year

On Wednesday, the NBA announced that the Philippines will be the first ASEAN member to have a NBA Store.

Set to open later this year, the NBA Store will be the definitive place to purchase authentic NBA merchandise from all 30 teams. There will also be autographed memorabilia for exclusive products only available at the NBA Store Philippines. Also, official NBA outfitter adidas will have its products also on display inside.

NBA Asia Senior VP and Managing Director Scott Levy says that "the passion and excitement of NBA fans in the Philippines have helped us deliver so many dedicated Filipino NBA destinations across TV, social and digital media, events and the NBA Cafe. He adds, "It is only natural that the Philippines should also have the first NBA Store in Southeast Asia.  This will present yet another opportunity for our fans to get closer to the game, and proudly display their loyalties to their favorite teams and the players."

To celebrate the announcement, there will be a series of activities that will take place today and tomorrow at the Glorietta Main Activity Center in Makati. Among the many things to happen during the event include meet-and-greet opportunities, NBA giveaways, hip-hop dance workshops, and a NBA 2K14 face-off between celebrities and gamers. NBA merchandise will also be in display for the fans, as a possible preview on what to expect inside the store.

Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews, Avery Johnson, the Laker Girls, and Denver Nuggets' mascot Rocky the Mountain Lion will also be present and interact with the fans.

Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews, and Avery Johnson to visit Yolanda-affected Northern Cebu

Later today, Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews of the Portland Trailblazers, as well as current NBA analyst Avery Johnson will be heading to Northern Cebu to visit communities affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

This is a reaffirmation of the NBA's commitment to help families in the affected areas rebuild their lives, with the assistance of World Vision Philippines.

NBA Philippines' Country Manager Carlo Singson hopes that the visit to Northern Cebu helps uplift the spirits of the residents as they continue their road to recovery. He also reiterated the support towards efforts in the rehab process, with over $2.2 million in donations coming from the league, the players and the teams. Just this past August, WNBA Legend Allison Feaster and current Houston Rockets player development coach Derrick Alston visited the country as part of the Sports Diplomacy initiative of the United States Embassy, and among the activities that took place during the visit was visiting Leyte and Cebu to donate books and basketballs, as well as participate in school construction and tree planting.

World Vision Development Foundation Executive Director Josaias T. dela Cruz expressed the organization's gratefulness for the continued support of the NBA to World Vision's efforts in emergency response, adding that they "are happy to host" the visit of Lopez, Matthews, and Johnson, noting that the community partners, most especially the children, will be delighted to meet them.

For more details on the NBA's efforts relating to Yolanda, you can check this link for more details or to contribute.

Cebuana Lhuillier supports Gilas Pilipinas

The Philippines' largest microfinancial company and official remittance partner for Gilas Pilipinas made its presence felt at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

In a tie-up with Small World Financial, for every remittance that is coursed from their 38 branches in Spain, the sender received premium Team Gilas items, i.e. limited edition Team Gilas jackets, fans, and clappers that were used to cheer the Philippines on during the games.

Cebuana Lhullier President and CEO, Jean Henri Lhullier, says, "The Philippines has been the powerhouse in basketball in Asia. We have a rich history of basketball supremacy, and we have produced the best basketball players in the region. And we cannot deny the love and passion that Filipinos have over the sport."

He adds, "Team Gilas embodies the Filipinos’ resilience and never-ending hope for the better – the same traits that drive overseas Filipino workers to strive hard in order to give their families back in the Philippines a better life. That is what we in Cebuana Lhuillier would like to strengthen through our international remittance service; because their hard work means their families’ survival."

Cebuana Lhullier has been a major supporter in the sport of basketball, having been part of the history of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (Cebu Gems), as well as being the main backer for the national team in the SEA Games and SEABA in 2003, and in the 2004 Jones Cup. They currently have a PBA D-League franchise (Cebuana Lhullier Gems) that is currently helmed by Boycie Zamar.

Batang Gilas clashes with international teams at the FIBA U-17 Championship

TV5 is to telecast the matches of the Philippines Under-17 men's basketball team at the FIBA Under-17 World Championships in Dubai LIVE later this week.

Helmed by Jamike Jarin, the team dubbed as "Batang Gilas" qualified for Dubai by finishing in second place at the FIBA-Asia U-16 championships that was held in Tehran last year. He has vowed that the team will show "Puso" as they attempt to make an impact in their upcoming matches.

Jarin, knowing that coming into the tournament as the smallest team, intends to make the game faster, quicker and then force the opposition to shoot from the outside.

Leading the way in the squad are the Ateneo High School trio of twins Matt and Mike Nieto, and Jolo Mendoza. Alongside them are Diego Dario and Paul Desiderio of the UP Maroons, as well as Arnie Padilla and Richard Escoto of Far Eastern University.

Completing the 12-man roster are Carlo Abadeza, Michael Louise Dela Cruz, Lorenzo Navarro, Jose Go IV, and Emmanuel Panlilio.

Here are scheduled preliminary matches for the Philippines:

August 8 vs Angola (4:45 pm local time)
August 9 vs Greece (7:45 pm local time)
August 11 vs United States (7:45 pm local time)

TV5 also revealed that they will also have coverage of the Round of 16 on August 12 (8-10pm), the Quarterfinals on August 14 (8-10pm), the Semifinals on August 15 (8-10pm), and the Finals on August 16 (5-7pm).

Wesley Johnson, Raptors Dance Pak also to arrive for NBA 3X Philippines

The cast of visitors for NBA 3X just grew larger, over the weekend, with the official announcement that Wesley Johnson and the Raptors Dance Pak will be joining DeMar DeRozan this upcoming weekend, July 4-6, at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Johnson, the 4th overall pick of the 2010 Draft, can't wait to get to Manila to meet the Filipino NBA fans, who he views as among the most passionate in the world. Having spent the past season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he averaged over 9 points and 4 rebounds last season, he is excited to be representing the team at the upcoming NBA 3X Philippines event. Wesley is aware that the Lakers is among the most popular teams in the country, although he would be an unrestricted free agent by the time he arrives in the country.

Johnson and DeRozan will make appearances and interact with fans via clinics and community events alongside the NBA 3X event itself, which is presented by Sprite. In addition to the 3X event, there will be entertainment c/o musical performances, as well as NBA merchandise giveaways, via slam dunk contests, 3-point shootouts, skills challenges, basketball clinics, and autograph sessions.

The 3X proper will have eight divisions for both men and women, including a Celebrity Division that will involve well-known local entertainment personalities. Registration for the events is still ongoing, but it is on a first-come. first-serve basis. The previous iteration last year saw over 170 teams participate.

Along with presenting partner Sprite, official partners of NBA 3X Philippines 2014 include adidas, Smart Communications and PLDT, KFC and Phoenix Petroleum, with Acer and Spalding serving as supporting partners. Official NBA broadcasters are ABS-CBN Sports + Action and Basketball TV. For more details and inquiries, check out their Facebook page.

The Philippines' FIBA U-16's achievement

from the FIBA-Asia website. Photographer is Milad Payami

The Philippines just made history earlier tonight, in spite of their defeat.

Our Under-16 team battled, fought and willed their way against the formidable Chinese, who have never been defeated in their previous 25 games. Sure, they became victim number 26, and China remains the king of the Under-16 in the region, but they managed to do something that has never been done before.

They lost by just 7 points, 85-78.

China has dominated the U-16s, dusting off scores like 109-29 in 2009, 100-19 in 2011 and 100-48 in 2013. This is the first time in the tournament's history that they beat someone in single digits. All 25 wins previously were of double figures.

2009:

Prelims:

80 over Saudi Arabia
73 over Jordan
74 over India

2nd round:

47 vs Chinese-Taipei
70 vs Korea
50 vs Japan

Knockout:

19 vs Philippines
35 vs Korea

2011:

Prelims:

37 vs India
31 vs Chinese-Taipei
61 vs Malaysia

2nd Round:

43 vs Iraq
46 vs Lebanon
31 vs Korea

Knockout:

81 vs Saudi Arabia
39 vs Japan
40 vs Korea

2013:

Prelims:

34 vs Syria
52 vs Hong Kong
49 vs Bahrain

2nd Round:

67 vs Malaysia
26 vs Iran
12 vs Korea

Knockout:

27 vs Kazakhstan
21 vs Japan
7 vs Philippines


Regardless of their result in the final, they officially have secured a spot in the 2014 FIBA U-17 World Cup that is to take place in Dubai (with Japan securing the third and final Asian berth). Oddly enough, no team from the West Asian region made it save for the hosts UAE. Another milestone for Philippine basketball and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Kudos to these group of youngsters, who will follow the footsteps of their elders as they move forward and challenge the best of the rest of the world.

4 - Diego Dario (UPIS)
5 - Matt Nieto (Ateneo de Manila HS)
6 - Enzo Navarro (San Sebastian College-Recoletos HS)
7 - Matt Nieto (Ateneo de Manila HS)
8 - Mikel Panlilio (Beacon)
9 - Arnie Padilla (Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu)
10 - Jolo Mendoza (Ateneo de Manila HS)
11 - Paul Desiderio (UP)
12 - Jolo Go (Hope Christian HS)
13 - Carlo Abadeza (LSGH)
14 - Richard Escoto (FEU-D)
15 - Mike dela Cruz (LSGH)

Head coach: Jamike Jarin

P.S. Interesting set of U-16 alums

This is the 2009 team:

4 Kiefer Ravena
5 Von Pessumal
6 Jeron Teng
7 Dan Sara
8 Kevin Ferrer
9 Joshua Alolino
10 Paolo Romero
11 Cedrick Labing-isa
12 Jeff Javillonar
13 Nestor Bantayan Jr.
14 Michael Pate
15 Mike Tolomia

This is the 2011 team:

4 Jay Alejandro
5 Jay Javelosa
6 Isaac Go
7 Tomas Ramos
8 Prince Rivero
9 Hubert Cani
10 Joshua Dalafu
11 Jess Diputado
12 Joshua Caracut
13 Kyles Lao
14 Henry Asilum
15 Jordan Heading

The 2013 UFL Cup Tournament Format

Here is the groundwork for the format on how the 2013 UFL Cup works:

1. Draw to be made to determine the 7 groups that the 28 teams will be subdivided into.

For reference, here is how they are tiered:

Tier I: Stallion FC, Global FC, Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, Kaya FC, Pachanga Diliman FC, Green Archers United FC, PSG FC (a.k.a Pasargad)
Tier II: Nomads FC, Philippine Army FC, Philippine Air Force FC, Team Socceroo FC, Union Internacional-Manila, Forza FC, Agila FC
Tier III: Laos FC, Philippine Navy FC, Cimarron FC, Manila All-Japan FC, Dolphins United FC, Cebu Queen City United FC, Ceres-La Salle FC
Tier IV: Blue Guards FC, Bright Star FC, General Trias International FC, Manila Hurricanes FC, Manila Jeepney FC, Manila Tala FC, Mendiola FC 1991

2. Once the groupings are determined, the order of fixtures within the group will be determined. That will done also via draw.

The group stage will be a single round robin, with the top two teams of each group and the two best 3rd-place teams among the seven groups will advance as the 16 teams to the Knockout Stage.

3. The Round of 16 seedings have already been determined as follows:

1 = Group A 1st placer
2 = Group C 1st placer
3 = Group E 1st placer
4 = Group G 1st placer
5 = Group B 1st placer
6 = Group D 1st placer
7 = Group F 1st placer
8 = Group G 2nd placer
9 = Group E 2nd placer
10 = Group C 2nd placer
11 = Group A 2nd placer
12 = Group F 2nd placer
13 = Group D 2nd placer
14 = Group B 2nd placer
15 = Top 3rd placer
16 = 2nd-best 3rd placer

With that as a guide, here is the knockout stage bracket to determine who will be the UFL Cup champions:

Now all we need is for the games to be played.

UFL Cup Draw to take place today

The 2013-14 United Football League Season will be one step closer to being ready, as the scheduled UFL Cup Draw is set to take place on this afternoon at Taguig.

27 teams are looking to attempt to prevent Ernie Nierras and Stallion FC from retaining their title, which is expected to commence in mid-October. Included in those 27 teams are guest teams who are not yet officially part of either Div I or II of the UFL, like the reigning PFF-SMART Club National champions Ceres-La Salle, returning surprise team General Trias International FC and newcomers Manila Jeepney FC.

The competition has two phases: the Group Stage and the Knockout rounds. The Group Stage will have the 28 participating teams sorted into seven groups of four teams, with a single round robin matches to take place. The teams have been tiered into four levels, based on their finish in the United Football League last season.

The top two teams of each group, and the two best third place teams of the Group Stage will then tangle in a single elimination knockout phase to eventually determine who will be hoisting the UFL Cup crown.

The 28 participating teams in their respective tiers are as follows:

Tier I: Stallion FC, Global FC, Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, Kaya FC, Pachanga Diliman FC, Green Archers United FC, PSG FC (a.k.a Pasargad)

Tier II: Nomads FC, Philippine Army FC, Philippine Air Force FC, Team Socceroo FC, Union Internacional-Manila, Forza FC, Agila FC

Tier III: Laos FC, Philippine Navy FC, Cimarron FC, Manila All-Japan FC, Dolphins United FC, Cebu Queen City United FC, Ceres-La Salle FC

Tier IV: Blue Guards FC, Bright Star FC, General Trias International FC, Manila Hurricanes FC, Manila Jeepney FC, Manila Tala FC, Mendiola FC 1991

Malditas called up for Manila Camp portion of AFF

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF), through head coach Ernie Nierras, revealed the identities of the 24 young women called up to participate the Manila-based camp of the Philippine Senior Women's National Team, more recognizably known as the Malditas. The camp is the final phase of preparation for the 2013 AFF Women's Championship that is scheduled to take place in Yangon, Myanmar from September 9-22.

The team includes ten players culled from the lineup that participated in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers in Bangladesh earlier this year, including skipper Marielle Benitez and Heather Cooke as well as the three ladies who were the final cuts for the said qualifiers in Isa Mondero, Raylene Larot and Chalise Baysa.

According to Nierras, he is using this tournament as part of the Under-19 team's preparations for next year's AFC U-19.

Almost the entire team is already here in Manila and they are already deep into their two-a-day training. They will also have scheduled friendlies, including one against the Pinay Futbol League All-Stars on September 1 at the Emperador Stadium, which serves as a donation drive for the victims of Maring.

The list of participants for Manila camp of the AFF Women's Championships are as follows:

Marielle Benitez
Samantha Nierras
Patrice Impelido
Natasha Alquiros
Isa Mondero
Christina De Los Reyes
Inna Palacios
Heather Cooke
Maria Louisa Park
Joana Houplin
Camille Wilson
Olivia Schmitt
Dominique Oro
Sunshine Soriano
Amanda Empleo
Sydney Pagador
Kristyn Alonzo
Patricia Dull
Chalise Baysa
Claire Lim
Jillian Jamero
Niki Regalado
Raylene Larot
Natalie Sanderson

UK Training for Philippine U-11 set

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) on Friday announced that they have entered into an agreement with the British Council as well as the British Embassy that would send the Philippine U-11 football team to the British Isles for an innovative educational and sports training program.

This particular program, which will be from August 24 to September 14, aims to fill the need of long-term training that would help them prepare for the qualifying tournaments of the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup as well as the 2024 Olympics. Said training will be conducted at Loughborough University in Leiscestershire. The institution is among the world's best, as arguably it might have the greatest concentration of high performance sporting facilities in the United Kingdom, which is renowned mainly for its sports education, as well as world-class facilities, coaches and players.

In selecting the current composition of the U-11 team, the PFF, through its team of national coaches, picked out the outstanding participants from the Kasibulan Grassroots Program from all over the country. The program, which has the support of the Department of Education (DepEd) and is principally sponsored by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Asian Football Development Project, is the chief grassroots program of the federation, seeking out and developing football talent from the ages of 6-12 years old. From this program, regional "Festivals of Football" were conducted all over the country.

Accompanying the 22 players are five coaches and PFF staff, including their head coach Ely Fabroada. They are scheduled to play matches against their English counterparts, as well as get the chance to be able to watch a Barclays English Premier League match as well as the World Cup Qualifier match between England and Moldova that is to take place at the new Wembley Stadium in early September.

The program is supported by ABS-CBN Studio 23, Mitre, SM West Avenue Theatre Inc, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Voyage Film Studios and Spears Sports Activation. A film documentary about this endeavor, entitled Football Dreams, under the stewardship of Clodualdo del Mundo and Baby Ruth Villarama and produced by Albert Almendralejo is also in the works.

The 22 players are noted below:

Mark Alanquihan (Miputab Elementary School in Dipolog)
Amir Andre Amaikurut (Ateneo de Davao)
Josh Asignar (Don Bosco Technology Center in Cebu)
Yuan Reña (Don Bosco Technology Center in Cebu)
Tristan Enad (Don Bosco Technology Center in Cebu)
Charles Unabia (Don Bosco Technology Center in Cebu)
Chevey Celeste (Tandang Sora Elementary School in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental)
Shemrei Marobillo (Ramon Magsaysay Elementary in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental)
Joie Gaid Jr. (Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon via Cagayan de Oro)
Greg Naquines (Abbon Orchard in Alwana, Cagayan de Oro)
Jan Karl Soloma (Casa Bambino in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo)
Jil Pillora (Central Philippines University in Iloilo)
Agiel John Rojo (Koronodal Central Elementary School in South Cotobato)
Drexler Valencia (West City Elementary School in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental)
Ildefonse Escobin (Lumban Academy in Laguna)
Robert Orr (La Salle Greenhills in NCR)
Michael Osorio (PAREF-Southridge in NCR)
Jacob Pedernal (Ateneo de Manila in NCR)
Jose Dante Guitierrez (Don Bosco-Makati in NCR)
Nicolai Art San Jose (Halang Elementary School in Calamba, Laguna)
Shane Clemente (Acacia Elementary School in Malabon in NCR)
Vin Joel Dela Cruz (Don Bosco-Mandaluyong in NCR)

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