13 MARCH 2019

14 SPORTS
Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Daily Tribune
WITH ‘ITEMIZED EXPENDITURE’
Pichay assures fund for SEAG
I think the President will sign it in a day or two
By Julius Manicad
Deputy Speaker Prospero Pichay assured that the national
government will not operate with a reenacted budget that would
drastically affect the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian
Games this November.
The lawmaker from Surigao stressed that they already reached out
to the senators and explained that they did not make amendments to
the proposed P3.75-trillion budget this year. They, instead, just itemized
the expenditures to avoid lump sum, he said.
Pichay said he believes the senators will accept their explanation
and Senate President Tito Sotto will finally affix his signature on
the General Appropriations Act before it is transmitted to President
Rodrigo Duterte for the final signing.
He said the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing
Committee has no legal personality and the POC should
be ready in case the Philippine Sports Commission will
not disburse fund to finance its projects.
By then, all government projects lined up this year — including
the midterm elections and the SEA Games — will be funded.
“I’m a hundred percent sure that we won’t be operating on a
reenacted budget,” said Pichay, dismissing fears that the deadlock
among senators and congressmen would hamper the country’s hosting
of the prestigious biennial meet.
“I’m very positive that the senators would act on it and eventually
endorse it to the President for final approval. I think the President
will sign it in a day or two.”
Also the chess federation president and member of the powerful
executive council of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Pichay
revealed that he recently sat down with POC president Ricky Vargas
to brief him about the country’s SEA Games preparation.
He said the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing
Committee has no legal personality and the POC should be ready
in case the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will not finance its
projects.
I’m very positive that the senators would act on it and
eventually endorse it to the President for final approval.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri was supposed to serve as chief organizer
after he was initially tapped by Executive Secretary Salvador
Medialdea.
But after the Marawi terror siege in 2017 the PSC, with the blessing
of President Duterte, declared that the country will not push through
with the hosting. Government, they said, was to put its resources on
the rehabilitation of the embattled city.
But a few months later, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan
Peter Cayetano volunteered to revive the hosting. He even flew to
Kuala Lumpur during the 29th SEA Games to receive the SEA Games
flag as a sign of willingness to spearhead the big task.
Cayetano’s group buckled down to work and was given a
memorandum circular by Medialdea, instructing the PSC and other
government agencies to provide support to Phisgoc for the success
of the hosting.
The Commission on Audit, however, reached out to the PSC, asking
for a memorandum of agreement or a board resolution coming from
the POC executive council to determine Phisgoc’s legal personality.
Pichay said there is none.
“I told Mr. Vargas that he should be prepared because Phisgoc
has no legal personality as far as the POC is concerned. There’s no
board resolution or MoA issued by the POC appointing it to organize
the SEA Games,” said Pichay.
Two routes
for Fed, Nadal
Federer said he was relieved not to go to a second-set
tiebreaker
INDIAN WELLS, California — World number two Rafael Nadal
raced into the third round of the ATP Indian Wells Masters as Roger
Federer made a less speedy but still successful start to his quest for
a sixth title on Sunday.
Nadal, a three-time Indian Wells winner, needed just 72 minutes
to get past overmatched Jared Donaldson, 6-1, 6-1.
Federer, who is seeking to break out of a tie with top seed Novak
Djokovic for most titles in the California desert, looked set for a
similarly easy time of it, but had to turn back a second-set challenge
from German Peter Gojowczyk in a 6-1, 7-5 win.
Fourth-seeded Federer said he was relieved not to go to a secondset
tiebreaker after falling behind 3-1 to the free-swinging German,
who is ranked 85th in the world.
The Swiss regained the break and, after saving four break points
to make it 4-4, cruised home.
“I struggled a little bit with my serving in that second set and
that gave him chances. Because he was serving better, he started to
swing more freely and then it was tough,” Federer said.
“I’m really happy I found a way in that second set.”
Federer next faces compatriot Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand
Slam champion currently unseeded as he continues his return from
injury.
DANIELLE Collins returns a shot to Naomi Osaka of Japan at the BNP Paribas Open tennis
on Monday.
AP
Ateneo wants higher perch
Ateneo is coming off a
surprisingly easy three-set win
over the Lady Maroons
By Joel Orellana
Ateneo de Manila University tries to tighten
its grip on the top spot as it squares off with
Adamson University in Season 81 University
Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday
at the FilOil Arena.
The Lady Eagles and the Lady Falcons meet
at 2 p.m. followed the clash between University
of the Philippines and National University at 4.
Unbeaten in its last four games, Ateneo is
coming off a surprisingly easy three-set win over
the Lady Maroons to take the solo top spot with
a 4-1 win-loss card.
Maddie Madayag led the Lady Eagles’
balanced scoring with 14 points against UP and
head coach Oliver Almadro said his wards are
still learning each game and trying to get better.
“I think we still have a lot to show. We will
be better every game,” said Almadro, who drew
12 and 10 points respectively from Kat Tolentino
and Ponggay Gaston, respectively.
“We have to be better because the first round
is not yet over. We have a lot to learn in the
coming games,” said the graduating Madayag.
Since dropping their opening game to De La
Salle University, the Lady Eagles have won their
last four games and Almadro credited his players
for buying to his system.
IAAF keeps Russia ban
DOHA, Qatar — The IAAF (International Amateur Athletics
Federation) said on Monday that it will maintain its ban on Russian
athletes over doping that it imposed in 2015, following a council meeting
of top officials in Qatar.
Rune Andersen, head of the doping task force for the International
Association of Athletics Federations, said two issues remained
unresolved — the examination of data received from the Moscow antidoping
laboratory and the issue of outstanding costs being sought from
Russia because of the scandal.
“Two key issues remain outstanding,” said Andersen at a press
conference in Doha. “These need to be resolved.”
He also said his task force was looking into claims that coaches from the
discredited Russian athletics regime were still involved in the sport which,
Andersen said, “run counter to assurances” received from Moscow.
Asked if this latest extension of the ban meant Russian athletes would
not be able to compete under the flag at this year’s world championships
in Doha in September and October, Andersen said there was still time
but conditions “have to be met” by Russia.
AFP
They will be facing a 1-4 Lady Falcons who
are coming off a tough 18-25, 25-17, 14-25, 25-22,
8-15 loss to Far Eastern University.
It was Adamson coach Onyok Getigan’s first
loss since replacing Air Padda at the helm.
Eli Soyud, Joy Dacoron and Bernadette Flora
combined for 38 points in their five-set loss to
the Lady Tamaraws and Getigan is again relying
on the trio to get back on track.
Meanwhile, the Lady Maroons try to
bounce back from a
humiliating three-set
loss to Ateneo last
Sunday to stay in the
top four spot as they
are currently at the
bottom four with 3-2
win-loss mark.
Tots Carlos was the
lone UP player to hit
double digits in that
loss as Isa Molde, who
was averaging 16.8
points per game prior
the match against
the Lady Eagles, was
held down to just six
markers.
They will face
the Lady Bulldogs of
coach Norman Miguel
who are also coming
off a four-set loss to
University of Santo
Tomas to drop to 1-4.
SPORTS BRIEFS
Aoki’s redemption
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will
defend his ONE Lightweight World Title
against Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki at
ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March.
The rematch between the Filipino
striker and the Japanese submission
specialist will be held at the Ryogoku
Kokugikan where Aoki gets the chance to
get back at his tormentor after working
his way back up the lightweight ladder
with three impressive wins.
BVR champions
PUERTO GALERA — Bea Tan and
Dij Rodriguez and Ranran Abdilla and
Jessie Lopez copped the women’s and
men’s titles in the BVR on Tour Amazing
Puerto Galera Dreamwave Open Sunday
at the Dreamwave White Beach here.
Representing Team Amazing Puerto
Galera, Tan and Rodriguez capped
their BVR debut as partners with a
masterful 21-15, 21-14 conquest of
Team XentroMall’s Derie Rosales and
MJ Ebro.
Abdilla and Lopez, also of Team
Amazing Puerto Galera, fashioned out a
21-17, 21-14 win over Team XentroMall’s
KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto, for a
perfect campaign.
Finishing with a 4-0 record, Tan
and Rodriguez overpowered Team
Dreamwave’s Roma Joy and Roma Mae
Doromal, 21-12, 21-13, earlier in the day.
Novis keeps run
Ma. Angelica Novis bucked a
scare from the Carvajal siblings and
annexed another two-title sweep in
the PPS-PEPP Tagum City national
age-group tennis tournament in
Davao del Norte yesterday.
Novis, 16, thwarted Juliana Carvajal’s
tough stand in the first set and went
on to post a 6-4, 6-0 win in the semis
then whipped Hanna Amazona, 6-0, 6-2,
to rule her age bracket in the Group 2
tournament presented by Dunlop.
MADDIE Madayag of Ateneo vs Tots Carlos of UP in recent action.
ROMAN PROSPERO
It’s going to be a tough one against Diego.
Wawrinka won a taut thriller against 29th-seeded Hungarian Marton
Fucsovics, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, finally sealing it on his fifth match point
after three hours and 24 minutes when Fucsovics lofted a lob long.
Nadal, playing his third tournament of a year that started with a
crushing loss to Djokovic in the Australian Open final and included
an early exit in Acapulco, converted five of his six break chances
against Donaldson and never faced a break point himself.
He next faces Diego Schwartzman, who beat Spain’s Roberto
Carballes, 6-3, 6-1. Nadal is 6-0 against the Argentine.
“Today was a very positive step for me, and the next one is going to
be against a player that we know each other very well — we practiced
a lot of times, and we played some tough matches,” Nadal said.
“It’s going to be a tough one against Diego,” he added, calling
Schwartzman “one of the best talents of the sport today.”
In other early matches, sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan
survived a scare in a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over France’s Adrian
Mannarino.
AFP
A TRIO of young fans all try to catch a ball tossed to them by Cleveland Indians first
baseman Carlos Santana during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game
against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
AP