Rugby: Philippine RFU Team beat India, promoted to Asian Div I

by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Philippine Star

Something great happened this weekend, an event that would make Filipinos very proud… if they only knew about it. The Philippines, the newest addition and lowest-ranked team in Division 2 of the Asian 5 Nations (A5N) Rugby, destroyed powerhouse Thailand in the semis and home favorite India in the final to win the Division 2 Championship.

Our team, nicknamed the Philippine Volcanoes, is unbeaten in three years in the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU), having seized the Division 4 Championship in 2008, the Division 3 Championship in 2009, and now Division 2. With this win, they charge into Division 1 of the A5N in 2011, making this the longest promotion streak in ARFU history.

Read Full Story >>>

Manny Pacquiao named fighter of the year by US writers

Five-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao has been named fighter of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Philippines star Pacquiao’s year featured a spectacular second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton and a brutal 12th-round stoppage of Miguel Cotto.

“Tonight I overflow with joy and gratitude. I am thankful that I decided to get into boxing,” said Pacquiao. His coach Freddie Roach was named trainer of the year.

It was the fourth time Roach, who also trains British boxer Amir Khan, had won the award. Pacquiao was picking up the boxer of the year title for the third time.

“I confronted poverty by trusting God and dreaming big,” said Pacquiao, a newly elected congressman in the Philippines.

Tennis: Pinoy partner fall in French Open

by Marc Anthony Reyes, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Francis Casey Alcantara and Fil-American Raymond Sarmiento bowed out in the boys’ doubles second round of the French Open.

The 18-year-old Alcantara and Sarmiento were eliminated by Spain’s Carlos Boluda-Purkiss and Italy’s Alessandro Collela, 7-6 (4), 6-3, who advanced against German second seeds Peter Heller and Kevin Krawietz in the quarterfinals.

The Germans earlier hacked out a 6-1, 6-1 over French Lucas Szewczyk and Thomas Szewcyk.

Alcantara and Sarmiento, who teamed up to win in the Grade 1 Mitsubishi Lancer Open last March, groped for form in the red clay courts.

The other Filipino bet, Jeson Patrombon, was eliminated in the second round of the singles Tuesday by Duilio Beretta of Peru, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-2. Sarmiento bowed out in the singles in the first round.

Tennis: Fil-Am Barte and partner Burdette roll through doubles title

by Will Seaton, Stanford Daily

Image Copyright by Stanford Daily

Lindsay Burdette can’t be stopped this postseason, putting up another remarkable run to become NCAA doubles champion with longtime partner Hilary Barte, and upset the nation’s No. 1 team from Tennessee 7-5, 4-6, 6-0.

“I have known deep down that Hilary and I were the best team together,” Lindsay Burdette said. “That showed me that it was the right thing and it just made me work that much harder so that we can be together.”

The No. 2 team in the country all season, Burdette and Barte have really proved their dominance. With an overall record of 36-6, the team is Stanford’s first NCAA doubles champions since Alice Barnes and Erin Burdette — Lindsay’s older sister — defeated Amber Liu and Ann Yelsey in 2005 in an all-Stanford final.

Their run to the final was a fairly routine affair. They recorded four wins before the final match, all in straight sets. In fact, their most dominant match came in the semifinals over No. 4 Andrea Remynse and Yasmin Schnack of UCLA, as they won 6-0, 6-1

>>Read Full Story>>