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sports The Manila Times SATURDAY S eptember 18, 2010


Orcollo, 9-4, to reach the quarterfinals of the 10th Annual Predator International 10-Ball Championship being held at the SM North EDSA The Block in Quezon City.


Rockets to limit Yao’s playing time – report


THE National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Houston Rockets will limit Yao Ming to 24 minutes a game this sea- son as they seek to keep the towering Chinese star healthy, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday. Rockets Vice President and athletic trainer Keith Jones told the newspa- per that the plan had been put in place on the advice of Yao’s doctor and would be strictly followed. “Twenty-four is his number all


year,” Jones said, noting that the 24 minutes wasn’t intended to be an average per game. Therefore if Yao plays 22 minutes in one game that wouldn’t make him available for 26 in the next contest. The Chronicle reported that the plan has the backing of Houston General Manager Daryl Morey and coach Rick Adelman.


That reduces the prospect of a management tussle over Yao’s play- ing time such as the one in Chicago last season, when Bulls Vice Presi- dent John Paxson and former coach Vinny del Negro came to blows over


limiting Joakim Noah’s playing time. Jones said he expected Yao him- self to be the plan’s biggest critic. “Yao is his own worst enemy,” Jones said. “He feels good and wants to go. We will be fighting him every day. I know we will. He’s going to feel good. He’s going to want to do more. He’s going to question us. He’s going to question the doctor. That’s Yao. He’s a competitor.” But Jones said the Rockets want to keep Yao healthy for the whole season, and hopefully the playoffs. He has missed all or part of the past five seasons to bone-related injuries, sitting out last season after under- going surgery on his broken foot. “We’re just trying to reduce the stress,” Jones said.


Houston begins training camp on September 25. They will travel to China in mid-October for two preseason games against New Jersey. In seven seasons in the NBA, Yao


has averaged 19.1 points and 9.3 rebounds. He was the Rockets No. 1 overall draft pick in 2002.


AFP


‘Bata’ enters 10-Ball quarterfinals L


BY EMIL C. NOGUERA REPORTER


EGENDARY cue master Efren “Bata” Reyes ousted compatriot and 2009 tournament champion Dennis


The 56-year-old Reyes showed a lot of poise and precision shots to halt the amazing run of Orcollo. “I’m just too lucky with my


shots. But it’s still a long run, I need to concentrate in my next game,” Reyes said in Filipino. The former world 9-Ball cham- pion tagged as “The Magician” advanced in the knockout stage by trouncing Jason Klatt of Canada in the final stage of the loser’s bracket.


Reyes will face 2006 Doha Asian Games silver medallist Jeffrey de Luna, a 9-7 winner over 2004 World 9-Ball champion Alex Pagulayan. “We need to be consistent be- cause all players here are doing well. There no need to relax and be complacent,” added Reyes. Southeast Asian Games veteran


Warren Kiamco also secured his slot in the quarterfinals after top- pling countryman Ramil Gallego,


Lu takes lead at Yeangder TPC


TAIWAN’S veteran Lu Wen-teh proved Thursday he can still compete at the highest level after taking a first-day lead at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) with a five-under-par 67. The 47-year-old rolled back the years at Taipei’s


Linkou International Golf Club with a near flawless round which included six birdies. It handed him a one-shot lead over Philippines’


Artemio Murakami, Thailand’s Tannin Kwanchai, Japan’s Kawane Takafumi, Malaysia’s Iain Steel and Australia’s David Gleeson who share second on 68. Lu, who teed off in the back-nine, pared his opening


four holes before dropping a shot on the 14th hole. He recovered brilliantly, reeling in three successive birdies starting from the par- four 15th to reach the turn in 34. The evergreen Taiwanese player continued his charge with another three birdies in his first four holes after the turn to take a first round lead at the $300,000 Asian Tour event. “I’m very pleased with how I’ve played today. It’s good to


know that I can still play so well even at this age,” laughed Lu, a five-time Asian Tour winner. “My tee shots were good and I’ve no complaints with


my putting too. Everything went well for me and I look forward to another day out in the golf course again tomorrow,” he said.


AFP NCFP TO SHOULDER ITS RUSSIA OLYMPIAD EXPENSES


THE National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) will purse the participation of the national squad in the upcoming 39th World Chess Ol- ympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. NCFP President Prospero Pichay said he would make an appeal to Phil- ippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richie Garcia to reconsider his decision on the P1-million finan-


Derek Jeter displays flair for the dramatic


NEW York Yankees captain Derek Jeter is already a star, but it seems he has talent suitable for Broadway as well as the Bronx. Jeter delivered a show-stopping


portrayal of a batter hit by a pitch as the Yankees battled the Rays on Wednesday night. Howling in pain Jeter even called for the team trainer to take a look at his left arm, then headed to first base on the umpire’s instructions. Eagle-eyed Tampa Bay fans,


however, chanted “Jeter Cheater!” as their suspicions that the ball thrown by Chad Qualls hit Jeter’s bat, not Jeter’s arm, were borne out by video replays. Major League Baseball


doesn’t use instant replay in such a situation. Jeter was honest, and cheerfully


unrepentant, after the contest. Asked where the ball hit,


Jeter said “The bat. It’s part of the game.” The theatrics from Jeter, often hailed as a model of sportsmanship in a steroid-tainted era, seemed to delight as many as they dismayed. “What can you do? My job is to get on base, [The umpire] said it hit me, so I’m not going to argue with him,” Jeter said. “I’ve been hit before when they said it hit the bat. It goes both ways,” he added. The Rays and Yankees play four more games in New York next week.


cial request of the association. The Sports commission has turned down the application of NCFP since the association has an unliquidated cash advances amount- ing to P5 million. The PSC is im- plementing a “no liquidation, no financial assistance” policy. For now, the NCFP will shoulder the airfare, allowance and accom-


modation of the RP team composed of Grandmasters Wesley So, Darwin Laylo, Eugene Torre and John Paul Gomez, and International Master Richard Bitoon. “We’ll send the team. This is the strongest team that we have right now,” said Pichay.


The national team is scheduled to leave on Sunday for the September 21


to October 3 Olympiad. They are eye- ing to improve their 46th place finish two years ago in Dresden, Germany. “No need to worry. Our athletes are still in high spirit, we are here to support them and extend whatever assistance they need. I will talk to chairman Garcia regarding this mat- ter next week,” said Pichay.


EMIL C. NOGUERA Blazers post 70-64 victory over Altas


THE College of St. Benilde Blazers proved to be the better team as they escaped with a 70-64 triumph over University of Perpetual Help Altas in a nonbearing game Friday of the 86th National Collegiate Athletic As- sociation (NCAA) basketball tourna- ment at The Arena in San Juan City. Carlo Lastimosa, a nephew of former Philippine Basketball Asso- ciation standout Jojo, finished with 15 points, while Timothy McCoy added 14 and 13 from Mark de Guzman to secure the Blazers’ fifth win in 15 matches.


Jet Vidal scored a game-high 20 points for the Altas, who remain


winless in 14 games, their worst performance in the league in as many decades.


In the high school competition, reigning champion San Beda Col- lege Red Cubs leaned on Baser Amer’s 12 points, 17 assists, 3 steals and 8 rebounds to rout Arellano University Baby Chiefs, 89-53. With the victory, the Red Cubs gained a playoff for one of the two twice-to-beat advantage with 12-2 slate.


The St. Benilde Baby Blazers rallied in the pivotal period to get away with a 75-72 win over the Perpetual Help Altalettes in the other juniors match.


Meanwhile, defending champion San Beda smashed St. Benilde, 3-1, to complete a first-round sweep in the men’s division of the 86th NCAA table tennis tournament at The Arena in San Juan City. Japeth Adas and Nico Cruz won their respective singles matches to make up for the stinging loss by the duo of Louie Ramos and Julius Vista in the doubles category. Cruz won over Edward Ramos,


11-3, 11-5, 11-4, while Adasa wal- loped Elmer Flores, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 and then Adasa won again in the reverse singles for Red Lions’ eight- straight victory.


FRANK CALAPRE Nadal wraps up end-of-year world top spot


RAFAEL NADAL will finish as the world’s No. 1 for the second time in three years, the ATP announced on Thursday, just three days after the Spaniard won the US Open to com- plete a career Grand Slam. The 24-year-old is the ninth


player in the history of the world rankings to finish on top of the pile at least twice. He and Roger Federer are the


only players since 2000 to clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking in the week after the US Open. Federer did it in 2004 and 2006.


“It has been an incredible sea- son—one of my best ever, if not the best,” said Nadal.


“Winning the US Open together


with Roland Garros and Wimble- don, as well as the three back-to- back Masters in Europe, was not


easy. I worked very hard to get back to the top and it feels really good to know I will end the year as No.1.” On Monday, Nadal became the


seventh man in history to achieve a career Grand Slam as he earned his first US Open title.


He is also the first player to win three straight Grand Slam titles in the same year since Rod Laver won all four in 1969.


AFP


■ Lu Wen-teh AFP PHOTO


RP Davis Cuppers lose first match


9-6, in the other Last 16 game. Kiamco will next meet American


Rodney Morris who scored a heart- stopping 9-8 victory over John Morra of Canada.


The other Last 16 pairing are former double world champion Ronnie Alcano and Carlo Biado; Roberto Gomez and Elvis Calasang; 2009 World 10-Ball titlist Mika Immonen of Finland and Antonio Lining; and Jundel Mazon and Lee Vann Corteza.


THE Philippines surrendered its first singles match in the Asia-Oceania Davis Cup Group I relegation tie af- ter Filipino-American Treat Conrad Huey soaked up a heart-breaking 7- 6 (8), 2-6, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (4), to South Korean Yong Kyu Lim in Changwon, South Korea. The 24-year-old Huey had sev- eral attempts to extend the match into deciding set but much younger Korean opponent went with smashing kills and powerful serves to pull of the win in three hours and 50 minutes. “Treat lost a marathon match. The crucial set was the third set with Huey leading 6-4 in the tiebreak before losing. In the fourth set, he was also up a break before the Korean broke back in the eighth game,” said Philippine Lawn Tennis Association Vice President and RP Davis Cup team coordinator Randy Villanueva. The victory enabled South Korea to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medallist Cecil Ma- miit was playing Suk Young Jeong in the second singles game as of press time. Veteran netters Johnny Arcilla and Elbert Anasta are nominated in dou- bles slated on Saturday against Hyun Joon Kim and Jae Min Seol. Mamiit and Huey, however, are expected to play in the pivotal doubles match to keep their cam- paign alive.


Both teams are allowed to change their nominations one hour before the game. “We’re still optimistic of our


chances. These [RP players] guys have the guts and courage to fight until the end,” added Villanueva. EMIL C. NOGUERA


Go defends 16th Asian Games recommendation


PHILIPPINE Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) President Go Teng Kok admitted that only one of the eight athletes he recom- mended for inclusion in the Philip- pine athletics delegation in the com- ing 16th Asian Games slated No- vember in Guangzhou, China is ca- pable of bringing home a medal. “To tell you honestly, only long jumper Maristela Torres has the brightest chance of winning the gold medal,” the controversial Patafa head said during yesterday’s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura. “However, I had to fight for the


seven of my athletes because they earned the right to see action in the Asian Games on the strength of the criteria set by the Philippine Olym- pic Committee [POC] itself,” Go said in answer to questions posed by media men in the forum, sponsored by Mang Inasal, Philippine Long Dis- tance Telephone Co. and FILA. The POC had set the gold medal fin- ish in the 2009 Southeast Asian Games as the standard to make it to the Asiad. “What would my athletes tell me if I had not fought for their inclusion?” Go asked as he lambasted members of the POC working group, which was tasked to oversee the selection of mem- bers of the national contingent. The group has initially approved


only two track and field athletes to join the Asiad.


“None of those composing the


working group represents a Na- tional Sports Association [NSA] that is why they are in no position to decide on the membership of the national delegation,” Go said refer- ring to Joey Romasanta, the POC


spokesman, his assistant Clarito Samson, Mauricio “Moying” Marte- lino and Chippy Espiritu. “All of these men do not have the technical know-how to determine who among athletes of the different NSAs can best represent the country in the Games,” Go stressed, adding, “ Samson, as a former newsman might be good in writing. Martelino is a known organization man. But to make them decide on the composi- tion of the delegation, I don’t think they are the best persons to have been tasked with the job.” Romasanta, besides heading the


working group is also the RP con- tingent’s chef de mission. “But that’s beside the point. As I told them when they met me to de- fend my recommendation, my ath- letes met the criteria that they them- selves set. How come they will be left out when all of them, except one, won a gold medal each in Laos,” he said. Go said that it was on the strength of this argument that Romasanta’s group eventually approved the inclu- sion of hammer thrower Arniel Ferrera, steeplechaser Rene Herrera, marathoners Eduardo Buenavista and Jho-Ann Banayag and javelin throw- ers Danilo Frenido and Rosie Villarito. Go also said that the discrepan- cies in the working group’s decisions do not apply only on his athletes, but on several other NSAs. “The group has approved recom- mendations of many NSAs even it those named did not win gold medals in SEA Games. There are cases also where SEA Games gold medallists were left out. If that is not discrimination, those concerned do not know what is,” Go lamented.


Roach picks Tapia as Pacquiao’s chief sparmate Powerade acquires Laure


JUNIOR middleweight boxer Glen Tapia is being consid- ered by trainer Freddie Roach to be Manny Pacquiao’s chief sparring partner for his preparation for his fight against Mexican Antonio Margarito on November 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. The boxing site philboxing.com described Tapia as a 20-year- old Domonican-American who had stints as sparring partner of world champions Joshua Clottey and Yuri Foreman. “I feel excited,” said Tapia, who has 7-0 win-loss card with 5 knockouts.


“It’s a great opportunity for me to not only see


how one of the greatest boxers of all time trains and fights, but to be there and actually experience it for myself. It’s truly an honor to go to the Philippines. I can’t wait to see the cul- ture, their way of life and interact with their wonderful peo- ple,” he added. Tapia is expected to fly to Baguio with the rest of team


AFP


Pacquiao on Friday. He will be Pacquiao’s primary sparring mate until mid-October before he flew back to the US. JOSEF T. RAMOS


■ Manny Pacquiao FILE PHOTO


EDDIE G. ALINEA


POWERADE Tigers head coach Bo Perasol confirmed on Friday that the team has already acquired the services of veteran Eddie Laure and a 2011 first round draft rights from the Rain or Shine Elasto Paintmasters. The Elasto Paintmasters, on the other hand, welcomed into its stable 6’5” power forward Larry Rodriguez from the Tigers that would further beef up their frontliners af- ter drafting Doug Kramer, Paolo Bugia, John Ferriols, Jay- R Reyes and Jerby Cruz. “It is now time to prepare for the future and it is re- ally good that we secured their [Rain or Shine] draft right for next year,” said Perasol, noting that Laure will also provide leadership to the team along with fellow vet- eran Dennis Espino.


The absence of Paul Asi Taulava, which is being


wooed to play for Smart Gilas Pilipinas in November, is a huge gap to be filled by the 6’3” forward Laure. JOSEF T. RAMOS


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