Yao Ming To Retire?

Say it ain't so, Yao!

After 9 seasons and 8 NBA All Star appearances, the man who singlehandedly brought the NBA to China may be hanging up his laces.

Yao Ming, after a series of season ending injuries, an expired contract and an NBA lockout, is said to have finally decided to send his retirement papers to the NBA front office.

More on this story here. 

Gilas Lands In Group Of Death in FIBA Asia Tournament!

For Smart Gilas, every game will be a fight to the finish.

That's because every opponent Gilas will face in Group D is a legitimate contender for the crown, from multi-titled China (which will be led by NBA player Yi Jianlian) to the very physical UAE team and even bruising Bahrain.

Douthit To Join SEAG Team?

If Coach Norman Black had his wish, he would.

Black has been in talks with SBP officials about the possibility of Marcus Douthit joining the SEAG team composed mostly of the country's top collegiate players.

But Douthit is not the only Gilas member being eyed as Gilas members Chris Tiu, Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter are also in the training pool, together with college standouts RR Garica, Garvo Lanete, Rome de la Rosa, Calvin Abueva and Pamboy Raymundo.


More on this story here.

Guirado Being Eyed By Asian Clubs!

Angel Guirado are making Asian club teams sit up and pay attention.

Guirado's scintillating performance against Sri Lanka showcased exactly how high a level of football he is playing...and several football clubs around the region are now considering him as a possible reinforcement.

Guirado already has offers from several UFL teams but has held off in making a decision because he wanted to keep his options open. More than the money, Guirado wants to play in a high level league where he can continue improving.

More on this story here.

The Philippines Fields Second Team In The ABL!

It seems like San Miguel isn't content with having 3 PBA teams. Now, they're invading the Asean Basketball League as well.

SMC Chairman Ramon Ang announced the entry of San Miguel in the regional league as the second Filipino team, following the footsteps of Mikee Romero's Philippine Patriots. He also announced the hiring of PBA legend Bobby Parks as the team's coach.

Ang doesn't see the Patriots as potential rivals though, preferring to see it as a collaboration in saving costs and maximizing visibility for both brands.

ABL officials are currently in talks with a team from Vietnam and a possible second team from Thailand to boost the field to 8 teams.

More on this story here.

Treat Huey To Join Davis Cup Team?

There is still a slim chance that he might. And that would be tremendous news for the Philippines.

But it all depends on how far Huey reaches in the ATP Hall Of Fame Championships. Winning games in the tournament may mean Huey has to skip the Davis Cup match against New Zealand but the long term benefits far outweighs this.

Donaire To Lose WBC Crown?

If he doesn't fight in the next two months, that may very well be the case.

WBC rules stipulate that their champions must defend their title every 4 months. If they have not done so after 6 months, they will be stripped of their title.

Mamiit and Philippine Davis Cupper Face Tough Kiwis!

A win means staying in the Asia-Oceania Zone Group I. A loss means being relegated to Group II. It's a series we need to win.

But veterans Cecil Mamiit and Johnny Arcilla know that the road to staying put is a tough one as they face a much younger and higher ranked New Zealand team.

Schrock, Borromeo Banned From Kuwait Match!

The Asian Football Confederation competition committee lowered the boom on the Azkals yesterday as they officially announced the one-game bans levied on Stephan Schrock and Ally Borromeo.

Schrock and Borromeo incurred to 2 yellow cards each in the very physical Philippines-Sri Lanka series and will miss the Kuwait match on July 23.

Wushu Champ Treated Like Crap By Philippine Federation!

A former champion who earned gold medals for the Philippines is being treated by crap by the federation who reaped most from his efforts. What else is new?

Rene Catalan, a former wushu champion who brought 7 medals to the Philippines, including golds in the 2005 SEA Game and 2006 Asian Games, has been denied his retirement benefits and incentives by the Wushu Federation of the Philippines.

What Went Right For The Azkals?

Everyone is still riding high on the euphoria of the Azkals' 4-0 victory over Sri Lanka's Brave Reds. In fact, the Azkals that showed up for yesterday's game seemed totally different from the ones that played 5 days ago.

It's time to break down what went right for the Azkals in this game.

Azkals Win 4-0 Over Sri Lanka!

It was an unbelievable performance from the Azkals as they added 2 more goals in the second half, one from a breakaway by Angel Guirado and another from a penalty kick by Phil Younghusband.

But more than that, it was the crisp passing from the midfield and the tenacious defense that was the biggest difference in this match.

The Azkals have now rewritten history, becoming the first Philippine team to qualify for the second round of the World Cup Qualifiers.

Next up, Kuwait.

Azkals 2, Sri Lanka 0: Halftime!

This is an entirely different Azkals team from the one we saw a couple of days ago.

Right from the first minute, the Azkals were aggressive, speedy and highly technical in their attack against Sri Lanka.

They rained shot attempts on the Brave Reds, which was fitting as the rain poured down.

Chieffy Caligdong showed impeccable footwork as he wheeled in the box to boot in a goal from a Phil Youghusband header.

Phil Younghusband then pounced on a defensive mistake by the Sri Lanka defense to fake the Brave Reds goalie out of his shoes and boot in a controversial goal. Controversial by virtue of a linesman raising a flag to signal a fould on Younghusband but being overruled by the ref and assistant ref.

It should be an interesting second half for the Azkals.

Phil Younghusband Scores! Azkals 2, Sri Lanka 0!

Phil Younghusband capitalizes on a Sri Lankan mistake and scores a controversial goal!

Caligdong Scores! Azkals 1, Sri Lanka 0!

Chieffy Caligdong with a magnificent shot of the post to score one for the Philippines in the 20th minute! Phil Younghusband with the assist!

30 Minutes Before Kick-Off!

We've got 30 minutes left before the Azkals continue on their quest to rewrite history.

For the Azkals to emerge victorious, here are 3 crucial things that must happen:
Guirado, Phil Younghusband and Schrock must dominate up front. The trio must become a cohesive offensive force that should force the Sri Lankan defense to errors and gambles. An early goal can mean a more desperate Brave Reds team and more chances for the Azkals to capitalize.