https://www.facebook.com/410213886196473/

Philippine Sportswriters Association, Manila (2025)

19/08/2025

THE Philippines is not only looking to put on a great show when it hosts the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, but also eyeing to give some of the world’s best teams a run for their money.

Philippine Football Federation President John Gutierrez announced during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday that everything is now rolling with 93 days to go before one of FIFA’s four major events officially kicks off at the Philsports Arena in Pasig and the Victorias City Coliseum in Negros Occidental three months from now.

“We are on time with all of the preparations. We have been closely working with FIFA. We’ve been having meetings almost every day, updates on certain developments like venues getting them up to par with FIFA standards. It’s looking good for us. We expect some chinks here and there but we’re prepared for it. The Local Organizing Committee is doing an excellent job working with FIFA to make sure we are able to host this very prestigious event,” said Gutierrez in the session held at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Isabella ‘Belay’ Fernando, head of government relations of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Local Organizing Committee, said a total of 16 countries including the Philippines have qualified, and will be competing in the Nov. 21 to Dec. 7, meet which recently got a big boost through Administrative Order No. 35 ordered by President Marcos for the creation of an Inter-Agency Task Force for the country’s hosting.

Fernando said coming over are Spain, Italy, Poland, and Portugal representing Europe, Iran, Japan, Thailand for Asia together with the Philippines, African countries Morocco and Tanzania, Canada and Panama from North America, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia from South America, and New Zealand from Oceania.

And while the host team faces a formidable cast of opposition, Gutierrez declared in the same Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app Arena Plus, the Filipina5 would not just roll over and die during the tournament.

“We’re not here just to participate. We’re here to make an impact,” said the PFF chief, mentioning, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Thailand, and even Canada as among the favorites for the crown.

“And if we look at ourselves as mediocre to this powerhouses, then what’s the point of us participating,” Gutierrez added. “Realistically, we will be very competitive.”

Coach Rafa Merino currently has a 20-women pool in his disposal led by co-captains Inday Tolentino and Isabella Flanigan, which will be cut down to 16, before 14 players will make up the final roster.

Part of the Filipina5’s training is going to Japan by mid-September for a camp, and hopefully, to find a host for the team in Europe during the FIFA window in October.

Fernando said the official draw ceremony will be held on Sept. 15 at the BGC Arts Center.

“It’s really a milestone for women’s sports that finally the World Cup for women’s futsal is here. So we’re very excited and thankful to FIFA for trusting us in hosting this event,” said Gutierrez.

19/08/2025

Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum with Philippine Football Federation

18/08/2025

THE country’s hosting of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup will be the main topic to be discussed in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, August 19, at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Appearing in the session are Philippine Football Federation President John Gutierrez, and Isabella Fernando, head of government relations of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup local organizing committee.

The Nov. 21 to Dec. 7 event will be the inaugural staging of the meet where the top 16 women’s national teams duke out in games to be played in Pasig City and Victorias City in Negros Occidental.

The session starts at 10:30 a.m.

Also invited in the weekly public sports program are some members of the Philippine delegation to the just concluded World Games in Chengdu, China led by silver medal winner Kaila Napolis of jiu-jitsu.

Presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app Arena Plus, the Forum is being livestreamed via the PSA page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation.

Long-time PSA partner Radyo Pilipinas 2 also airs the session on a delayed basis and shares it on its official page Radyo Pilipinas 2 sports.

12/08/2025

THE excitement and charm of Philippine surfing will take centerstage with the holding of the Siargao International 6000 Surfing Cup from Oct. 23 to 31 in beautiful Siargao.

It is the highest-ranking WSL (World Surf League) qualifying series ever in the Philippines, which is fast becoming a premier destination for professional surf events. It is open to global participants beyond Asia Pacific.

Top surfers (128 male and 64 female) from China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and the host country will vie in the “highly-sought-after event” that offers $50,000 to the champions.

Earlier this year, the WSL staged the World Junior Championships in La Union, and this time, an even bigger event aimed at further promoting sports tourism in the country is set to take place.

“It’s not just for the athletes but for the local communities as well,” said Presidential son and Sports Ambassador Vincent Marcos during Tuesday’s special Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Wild Flour restaurant in Makati.

“I love all sports but surfing has a very special place in my heart,” added the young Marcos, who’s into surfing himself. He said it’s a perfect chance for the Philippines to promote sports tourism and show how “world class” its surfing destinations are.

Also gracing the forum were Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio, Isabela 5th District and House Commiittee on Youth and Sports chairman Rep. Mike Dy, Aurora Quezon Lone District Rep. Rommel Angara, United Philippine Surfing Association president Dr. Raul Canlas, tournament technical director John Carby, world No. 3 and longboard champion Jay-R Esquivel and Nildie Blancada of the Siargao Surf Association.

“This hosting is part ot the sports tourism program that we are pursuing. We believe that sports tourism is an economic driver. And why surfing? Because it’s a beautiful sport,” said the PSC chairman.

“And with 7,100 islands, how can we go wrong? As long as we see the leaders really pushing, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t support it,” added Gregorio in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app Arena Plus.

“This is a top-level event. It’s world class,” said Carby, noting that Philippine surfing destinations such as Siargao, Baler and La Union are also known for their unmatched hospitality, and “that makes it very easy for the WSL to host such events.”

“There’s magic in Siargao, there’s magic in Baler, there’s magic in La Union,” said Gregorio.

12/08/2025

Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum with World Surf League Qualifying Series PH

11/08/2025

THE Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum goes to Rockwell Makati on Tuesday (Aug. 12) for a special session featuring the World Surf League Qualifying Series PH.

The event will be graced by no less than Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio along with sports ambassador Vincent Marcos.

Also gracing the 11 a.m. public sports program are no. 3 World Longboard champion Jay-R Esquivel, technical director John Carby, and Siargao Surf Association’s Nildie Blancada.

The weekly Forum is presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and ArenaPlus, the country’s 24/7 sports app.

The session is regularly livestreamed via the PSA page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation

Radyo Pilipinas 2 also airs the Forum on a delayed basis and shares it on its official page Radyo Pilipinas 2 Sports.

07/08/2025

CARLO Biado pulled off a masterstroke as he won the World Pool Championship for the second time and led Philippine aces to a roaring start to the second half of 2025.

Eight years after ruling the most prestigious 9-ball tournament on the planet, Biado reclaimed his spot at the summit with a smashing run in this year’s edition in Jeddah capped by a 15-13 dispatching of American Fedor Gorst in the thrilling finale.

The cue master known as "Black Tiger" etched his name in history as the first Filipino to win the coveted 9-ball crown twice, moving ahead of legends Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999), Ronnie Alcano (2006), and Francisco "Django" Bustamante (2010) in the all-time tally.

Biado’s feat earned him the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s nod as the top achiever for July.

It was a banner month for the country overall as boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, Strong Group Athletics, the Philippine women’s football team Filipinas, and the Philippine rugby squad Volcanoes delivered shining performances in other fronts.

Now 46, Pacquiao came out of retirement and challenged WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas. The fight ended in a majority draw, allowing the American to regain the belt but still, it left a positive impression on the Pacman’s ring return after four years of inactivity.

The SGA basketball team coached by Charles Tiu completed a clean sweep of the William Jones Cup in Taiwan, duplicating its golden shutout in 2024 and taking the distinction as the first Philippine team to grab back-to-back titles in the tournament’s 44-year history.

The Filipinas also brought out the broom in Group G of the AFC Asian Women’s Cup Qualifiers in Cambodia. They beat Saudi Arabia (3-0), host Cambodia (6-0) and Hong Kong (1-0) to qualify for the Continental meet for the third straight time and stay in the hunt for the FIFA Women’s World Cup tickets up for grabs there.

The Volcanoes declared they’re back in international 15-a-side rugby by reigning supreme in the 2025 Unions Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei. They first dethroned Singapore, 37-20, then walloped Thailand, 23-6, en route to the trophy in their comeback appearance after a six-year hiatus.

The youth brigade likewise sparkled for Philippine sports in the month.

Weightlifters bagged two gold medals, seven silvers and seven bronzes in the AWF Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, while taekwondo jins had a two-gold, five-silver, 13-bronze haul from the Asian Junior Taekwondo Championships in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

05/08/2025

THE second staging of the Galaxy Manila Marathon this coming weekend drew a huge number of 19,000 participants, making it one of the biggest running events to be held in the country this year.

International marathoner Rio de la Cruz made the disclosure five days before the international race presented by Samsung Galaxy, fires off at the SM Mall of Asia Complex on Sunday.

The event features four races at 42km, 21km, 10km, and 5km, and offers a total of P700K in cash prizes, including P100K each for the male and female champion in the premier 42km competition.

“We’re happy to announce that we already have 19,000 runners,” said de la Cruz in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“Yung ating 42k ay merong 3,000 (participants), at ito yung nakakagulat, yung ating 21k ay may 7,000 runners, making it one of the biggest 21k that we have organized. 10k is within 5,200, and yung 3k almost 4,000 runners.”

With the big number of participants, safety and security of the runners are of foremost concern for the organizers, according to Andrew Neri, managing director of Runrio Inc., who also appeared in the Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Smart/PLDT, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.

“Parang dalawang event ito in terms of numbers kasi ang average namin is around 8,000 to 10,000. E ngayon nasa 19,000. So ang ginawa namin doble din, doble yung security namin, yung doctors namin, yung ambulances namin, since for us, safety and security are top priorities,” said Neri.

Sanctioned by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and recognized as part of the World Athletics’ rankings competition, the race will showcase members of the national team such as Christine Hallasgo, Artjoy Torregosa, Richard Salano, and Arlan Arbois as well as entries from Japan, the US, Singapore, UK, Canada, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Kenya, France, Poland, Switzerland, among others.

“This race is not only important for me but also for our country dahil ito ay qualifying by our national team for the Southeast Asian Games,” said de la Cruz, president and CEO of Runrio Inc. “So karamihan po sa kanila ay tatakbo para makita nila ang kanilang performance. At kung maabot nila yung standard ng SEA Games, maaari silang makuha.”

The SEA Games is Dec. 9-20 in Thailand.

The race will run through four cities, namely Manila, Makati, Paranaque, and Pasay, while it will also take runners through some of the iconic landmarks in the country’s capital such as the Rizal Park, Intramuros, Roxas Boulevard, and the CCP Complex.

Runners for the 42k will be the first to be flagged off at 12:00 midnight, followed by the 21k at 4:00 a.m., 10k at 5:00 a.m., and the 3k at 5:30 a.m.

05/08/2025

Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum with Runrio Inc.'s Galaxy Manila Marathon

04/08/2025

THE revived Manila Marathon will be talked about in the first August session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Tuesday, August 5.

International marathoner and running events organizer Rio Dela Cruz is going to share the preparations and other details leading to the staging of the country’s biggest marathon meet this year in the weekly session starting at 10:30 a.m.

The Manila Marathon is set on August 10 at the Mall of Asia Complex.

Presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT and the country’s 24/7 sports app Arena Plus, the Forum is livestreamed via the PSA page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation

The public sports program is also aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2 and shared on its official page Radyo Pilipinas 2 Sports.

29/07/2025

DUE to the severe effects of the inclement weather the past couple of weeks, the six-stage Larga Pilipinas cycling marathon has been rescheduled to a later date.

Larga Pilipinas operations chief Snow Badua made the announcement during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The event was originally scheduled to start on Aug. 2. Instead, the race that will feature as many as 10 teams with international riders will fire off on Nov. 29.

“It’s quite unfortunate because the teams prepared hard for this. But as we speak, there are areas in Northern Luzon especially in the Cordilleras that are currently isolated because of the heavy rains,” said Badua during the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app Arena Plus.

“Heavily battered ang Northern Luzon that’s why in close coordination with the different LGUs (local government units), we needed to reset, also upon the advice by PhilCycling president Abraham Tolentino,” he added.

Badua said the weather in November in Northern Luzon should be a lot better for the races to be conducted safely and effectively.

“Palipasin na muna natin ang typhoon season. Let’s give the LGUs all the time to focus on the situation and huwag na tayo madagdag sa isipin nila,” Badua said.

Communications have been sent out to all the teams, particularly the foreign teams that were supposed to arrive Wednesday.

29/07/2025

THE Philippines Davis Cup team hopes to carry the momentum of its Group III promotion in the Asia-Ocenia zone when it returns to the court by 2026.

Team member Jed Olivarez expressed optimism the Filipinos will continue to climb in the promotional ranking of the premier international team event in men’s tennis after being relegated in the lowest tier in Group V almost a year ago.

Olivarez and the rest of the Davis Cup team returned from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from their Group IV tier where they completed a sweep of all their four matches, including a 2-0 win over Kyrgyzstan in their playoff tie.

In Group III, the Philippines is expected to face the likes of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Singapore, according to the 27-year-old player, who graced the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Winning the tie meant a promotion in Group II for the Filipinos, where they have been competing before prior to being suspended by the International Tennis Federation.

“I think we’re still expected to win that (Group III),” said Olivarez, noting the absence of Southeast Asian power Thailand and Indonesia, which are both competing in Group II. “I believe we can still win that.”

Olivarez was with Philippine Tennis Association Executive Director Tonette Mendoza in the same forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app Arena Plus.

So far, the son of current Paranaque Mayor Eric Olivarez has been a perfect 7-0 in Davis Cup competitions dating back from the team’s promotional campaign in Group V late last year.

“It’s always an honor to represent the country,” said the accountancy graduate from Western Michigan University, adding the team was inspired with the exploits of world-ranked Filipina netter Alex Eala.

“Ang laki ng honor na binibigay niya (Eala) sa bansa. And we hope na mas maging inspirasyon siya for us and other aspiring Filipino athletes.”

Aside from Olivarez, also comprising the Filipino Davis Cup team are AJ Lim, Arthur Craig Pantino, and the doubles specialists of veterans Ruben Gonzales and Francis Casey Alcantara. Coaching them are two former no. 1 Philippine tennis players in the now US-based Joseph Lizardo and Johnny Arcilla.

According to Mendoza, the same men’s team will represent the country in this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok by December.

“Yes, we have the same team in the men’s, but for the women’s we’re still trying to put them together,” said Mendoza, adding preparations for the biennial meet will start by November.

Members of both the men and women’s teams will be competing abroad also as part of their training, according to Mendoza, who hopes the 20-year-old Eala may be able to squeeze within her tight schedule playing for the country in the SEA Games.

Philippine Sportswriters Association

19/08/2025

19/08/2025

18/08/2025

12/08/2025

12/08/2025

11/08/2025

07/08/2025

05/08/2025

05/08/2025

04/08/2025

29/07/2025

29/07/2025

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category