Latest news with #PhilippineSportsCommission
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
NCAA to hold games in Rizal Memorial Coliseum for Season 101
The historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum will be among the venues of games for NCAA Season 101. The Philippine Sports Commission first announced the development on Monday. NCAA Season 101 Management Committee chair Melchor Divina of Mapua University also confirmed the development to GMA News Online, although he said the league has have yet to determine what games will be held there. According to the PSC, the NCAA last played in the said venue in 2005. The sports body also said that weightlifting, gymnastics, and boxing are in the pipeline as demonstration sports for the upcoming season. NCAA Season 101 is scheduled to open in October. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Filipino Times
Filipina athlete wins bronze at Spartan Ultra World Championships in France
Filipina endurance star Sandi Menchi Abahan delivered a podium-worthy performance at one of the world's most grueling races—the Spartan Ultra World Championship held in Morzine, France—clinching the bronze medal in the women's Elite Open division. During the competition, athletes must conquer a 50-kilometer mountain trail laden with over 60 obstacles, including high-altitude lake crossings, steep alpine climbs, and icy white-water swims. For Abahan, the challenge was an opportunity to prove once again why she remains one of Southeast Asia's premier obstacle course racers. A native of Baguio City and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, she clocked 8 hours, 44 minutes, and 22 seconds to finish third behind hometown bet Leslie Lejeune of France (8:02:15) and Britain's Andrea Berquez (8:19:45). In the men's division, fellow Filipinos Jobert Carolino and Andrico Mahilum also took on the Spartan Ultra, finishing 24th and 33rd, respectively. The podium was swept by Europe's strongest: Italy's Luca Pescollderugg (6:25:18), Canada's Ryan Atkins (6:29:03), and Switzerland's Antoine Freymond (6:35:48). The Philippine delegation to the championship was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, which continues to back the country's rising OCR talent pool. Also part of the team were athlete Ailene Sabal and coaches Thumbie Remigio and Mohammad Sherwin Managil. Obstacle course racing has become one of the Philippines' strongest suits in international competition. The country dominated the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, sweeping all four gold medals at stake—thanks to standout performances from Mark Julius Rodelas, Precious Cabuya, and the men's and women's relay teams. Abahan's latest feat adds another milestone to the Philippines' growing reputation in the world OCR stage, proving that grit, discipline, and high-altitude heart can take Filipino athletes to the summit of global endurance sport. (Alona Cochon)
GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Additional P5K allowance for athletes among PSC's initiatives under new chair Gregorio
Newly-installed Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair Patrick 'Pato' Gregorio on Tuesday revealed that national athletes and coaches will receive an increase in their allowance as part of the sporting body's new initiatives. In the PSC general assembly held on Tuesday, Gregorio said the increase will be P5,000 across the board for national athletes and coaches starting August 2025. "'Yang sinet aside na budget na 'yan, magre-reallocate tayo but that is a very small amount sa kaligayahan, kumpiyansa, and motivation na binibigay natin sa mga atleta," Gregorio said. Aside from an increase in athletes and coaches' allowances, the PSC will also do immediate interventions such as simplification of training tracksuit procurement, installment of a new concessionaire for athletes in PSC facilities, 24/7 help desk for athletes' support, approval of the Implementing Rules and Regulation for the Philippine Sports Training Center, and streamlining of allowance disbursement. Gregorio also revealed his key priorities under his leadership: enhancing athletes' welfare, professionalizing sport governance and facilities management, and boosting sports tourism. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
02-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Pato Gregorio takes oath as PSC chairman
Newly appointed Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman John Patrick "Pato" Gregorio took his oath of office on Wednesday. Gregorio took his oath before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the PSC said. Present during the ceremony were Bases Conversion and Development Authority Chairperson Hilario Paredes and Gregorio's family. Gregorio replaced Richard "Dickie" Bachmann. In partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee, the Philippines continued to achieve success in the global sporting scene during Bachmann's term. Under Gregorio, the Philippines will also compete in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games this December and will host at least two international events: the FIVB World Championship in September and the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup in November. Gregorio previously served as chairman of the PBA during its 40th season and president of the Philippine Rowing Association. — Anna Felicia Bajo/VBL, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Filipino Times
From delivering ice to becoming a veteran triathlete: August Benedicto bags Bagong Bayani Award
Long before the finish lines, medals, and global competitions, August Benedicto's story began on a bike, not racing, but delivering blocks of ice under the heat of the Tarlac sun. With eight siblings and a family struggling to make ends meet in Paniqui, young August knew that education was a luxury he had to fight for. So he peddled through early mornings, balancing schoolbooks with sacks of ice, chasing dreams that, back then, seemed far from the Ironman banners he'd one day cross. Now 41, Benedicto has become one of the most enduring names in Philippine triathlon. At the recently concluded Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay, held under grueling 40-degree heat, the Ireland-based Filipino veteran dug deep once again, finishing second overall with a time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, and 58 seconds. His performance earned him the Bagong Bayani award, a special recognition given to elite Filipino athletes who continue to raise the flag in international endurance sports. The course, brutal by any standard, featured a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90-kilometer bike ride, and a punishing 21-kilometer run. Benedicto split 31:19 in the swim, 2:30:06 on the bike, and capped it off with a 1:33:59 run—yet another strong showing in a career that has spanned over two decades. From school to international tracks It's a journey built on quiet sacrifice. His first foray into competitive sports came at 14, when he was discovered for his raw talent in long-distance running. From school-level track meets to eventually earning a slot in the Palarong Pambansa, Benedicto made each opportunity count. He took on his first duathlon in 2003 and finished near the bottom of the pack. But the fire had been lit. By 2005, he was part of the Philippine Sports Commission's training pool and represented the country at the Southeast Asian Games in Pattaya, Thailand, clinching a bronze medal. It was there that he met British triathlete and future Ironman legend Chrissie Wellington, who encouraged him to try his hand at the sport that would later define his athletic life. He joined his first Ironman 70.3 in 2009 in Camarines Sur and finished as the fourth Filipino to complete the course. In 2012, he made history by clinching his first Filipino Elite title at Cobra Ironman 70.3, a feat he repeated in 2014, 2015, and 2016. 'I was so excited for this year's race,' Benedicto said after the event. 'Just imagine, I'm already 41 and I'm still competing with younger athletes, national team members, and elite triathletes. But I focused on my training — 10 to 15 hours a week, every week. One hour swimming, one hour running, and 100 kilometers of biking every weekend.' Sights on World Championships Dedication, it seems, is the fuel that keeps Benedicto going. He credits his wife Anna and longtime friend Cesar Manlikmot as pillars of support through the highs and lows. 'This award is for my family. For Anna. For everyone who stood by me,' he said with pride. As the finish line at Subic fades into memory, a new goal already looms: the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Mabea, Spain, this November. Benedicto is training for that with the same fire that once drove a teenage boy to deliver ice — not just to help his family, but to carve out a future no one thought possible. Also shining in Subic was Iriga City's John Patrick Ciron, who won the men's elite title with a time of 4:37:28, while Indonesia's Dea Salsabila Putri topped the women's division in 5:26:22. Erika Nicole Burgos, another Filipino standout, placed third in the women's elite category with 5:32:30, earning her a Bagong Bayani award alongside Benedicto. — Alona Cochon
