Tag: Philippines

Jordan Clarkson to play with Philippines national team this month

NBA guard Jordan Clarkson is flying to Manila with his mother Janie, brother Bear and a trainer from his Utah Jazz team to play two games for Gilas in the FIBA World Cup Asia fourth qualifying window this month. Although the Philippines is automatically qualified to play in the World Cup as lead host, bringing in Clarkson for the window is a key step towards building a competitive lineup for the 32-nation conclave on Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 next year.

“Clarkson is definitely coming,” said …

“Clarkson is definitely coming,” said Gilas head coach Chot Reyes who celebrated his birthday yesterday. “From what I know, he has an urgent appointment in the US on Aug. 15 so will leave for Manila the next day to arrive here on Aug. 18.” Reyes plans to call his first practice on Aug. 15. Gilas will play Lebanon in Beirut on Aug. 25 and Saudi Arabia at the MOA Arena on Aug. 29.

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, …

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, freshly named to the All-Rookie First Team last month, is expanding his profile internationally as he moves into his second NBA season. In a recent phone interview, Green told me he is joining the East Asia Super League — which will feature teams from greater China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines — as an ambassador and investor. Retired NBAers Baron Davis, Metta Sandiford-Artest and Shane Battier hold similar roles with the fledgling league.

Green already had a significant …

Green already had a significant standing in the region. That only figures to expand now through his association with the EASL, which is scheduled to unveil its new format in October featuring eight teams in Asia’s first interleague competition sanctioned by FIBA, basketball’s world governing body. “I just want to put the Asian basketball community on the map,” Green said, expressing hope that he can be “an inspiration for the next generation of hoopers in Asia.” “Especially in the Philippines,” Green added, “because I have background there.”

The NBA has seen a spike in viewership …

The NBA has seen a spike in viewership in Brazil, Australia and the Philippines, demonstrating that the league’s efforts to grow the game outside of North America is bearing fruit. In Brazil, National Basketball Association games this season are drawing a 16% larger average audience compared to last season, rising to fourth among countries outside the United States in largest total audience, the league said.

Australia has seen a 35% larger average …

Australia has seen a 35% larger average audience compared to last season, including a 27% jump in viewership for the NBA’s Christmas day suite of games. The league’s opening night roster featured eight Australian players including veteran guard Patty Mills and rising star Josh Giddey, who are driving interest in their home country. The NBA has also enjoyed growth in viewership and on social media in the Philippines. The NBA’s Facebook page has more than 8.5 million followers from the Philippines, the No. 1 country outside the United States.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz was completely overcome with emotion after winning Philippines first-ever Olympic gold

Philippines has gone gold for the first time ever!

It took nearly 100 years for the Philippines to win its first-ever Olympic gold medal, and they have Hidilyn Diaz to thank for it.

On Monday, during the Tokyo Olympics women’s 55kg weightlifting event, Diaz brought home the gold for the Philippines after her third attempt at lifting 127kg, nearly 280 pounds. In the same event, Diaz — in her fourth Olympics — also set an Olympic record for lifting a combined weight total of 224kg.

It’s a wonderful moment of human emotion, made even sweeter because the Philippines have been attending every summer Olympics — minus their boycott of Moscow in 1980 — since 1924 and had yet to win gold, until now.

What a stunning performance from Diaz, and what a moment! We’ve seen some great gold-medal winning reactions from athletes in the last few days, and Diaz’s is yet another tear-jerker to add to the list.

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Earthquake leads to fisherman’s surprising catch of opah

A fisherman caught 143-pound opah in the Philippines, and a fisheries expert believes a 6.6 magnitude quake in the country led to the catch.

A fisherman made a surprising catch of a 143-pound opah off Tubabao Island in the Philippines on Tuesday just hours after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the central Philippines. A fisheries expert believes the quake led to the catch.

The opah, a fish that lives in deep water from 165 to 1,640 feet, was probably “spooked” by the earthquake shockwaves causing it to surface in the shallow waters around the island in Oras, or so the fisheries expert strongly believes, according to Philippine News Agency.

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“This was quite a revelation, seeing this magnificent fish,” Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director Juan Albaladejo told PNA. “We know that it is quite abundant in our eastern seaboard, usually schooling with highly migratory tuna species but rarely seen.”

The colorful fish, also known as a moonfish, was caught with hook and line by Armando Amos, who sold the fish at a local market for approximately $250.

According to NOAA Fisheries, little research on the basic biology and ecology of the opah has been conducted, despite its value to commercial and recreational fishermen. Most opah are caught in longline fisheries and average about 100 pounds with a diameter of 3 feet.

Photos courtesy of Ranilo Ebron.

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