Sports5 gets Olympic rights

It’s official. Sports5 has been awarded the  broadcast rights  to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro,  Brazil.

Also included are  the  2014 Youth  Summer Olympics  in Nanjing, China, and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in  Sochi, Russia, which is less than a month away.

Sports5 is the  sports   arm of the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned TV5  network.

One  of the country’s foremost  sports patrons,  MVP was reportedly so excited   about  the  newest   and most prestigious    sporting acquisition,  he beat  everyone to the draw  with  the  announcement of the  good   news in  his  Twitter account.

MVP’s TV5 also  beat ABS-CBN,  the only   other  Filipino television  network bidding  for the Rio Olympic rights.

The  newest  Olympic network has no  time  to lose since the Sochi  Winter Olympics  opens  on Feb. 7  and will be aired at midnight.

A total of  98 medals  are at  stake in  seven sports.

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“While our country  is tropical and  it doesn’t snow here,  there are three  Filipinos  representing the Philippines in Sochi,”  Paul Mata  of Sports5 informed us.

“Two of them are  Fil-foreigners  and one is homegrown.”

Seventeen-year-old   figure skater  Michael Christian Martinez, who hails from Muntinlupa, will be the first homegrown Filipino to compete in the Winter  Olympics, Mata said.

Martinez learned to skate in the SM skating rinks.

More than two years ago when he was  preparing   for a prestigious international skating competition,  I saw him  do his act at the SM Mall of Asia   ice  skating rink.

He was only  14-years-old then, but several people saw great potential in the tall,  lanky  and graceful skater.

Right now,  Martinez is in Russia training and acclimatizing to  the  harsh Russian winter.

Also participating  in the Sochi Olympics are Fil-Canadian long  track  speed  skater Gilmore  Junio  and  Fil-American  short track speed  skater JR Celski who was in the last  Winter Olympics.

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“Celski  is  considered   one  of the faces  of  the US Olympic team in this Winter Games.  He recently topped  the US qualifiers,”  Mata reported.

“His return  to the  Olympics is an inspiring  saga  of the triumph  of the  human spirit. Four years  ago  just  before  the start  of the  2010  Vancouver Winter Olympics,  the Fil-American suffered an injury  and  was advised   to  skip his event if he did  not want  to aggravate   the injury. Ignoring his doctors,  Celski still  competed and took the  bronze.”

This time everyone  is expecting him  to  win the gold.


Tags: UAAP Season 76, volleyball, softball, UST Tigresses, Adamson Lady Falcons

Adamson fuels softball streak; UST ends volley skid

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines – University of Santo Tomas scrambled past University of the East, 25-19, 25-14, 23-25, 25-22, to end a four-game skid in UAAP Season 76 women’s volleyball at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan Saturday.

Alex Cabanos, who took over the setting chores after Loren Lantin sprained her ankle in the opening set, closed out the match with a drop shot.

The Tigresses pulled away from a 16-16 deadlock to inch closer to match point but the Lady Warriors threatened to turn things around at 22-24.

UST  improved to 3-5 for sixth place while UE remained winless in eight games.

In men’s action, Ateneo dealt defending champion National U its first loss of the season, 25-21, 26-24, 25-23, while De La Salle  opened its second round bid with a 25-18, 25-17, 25-22 win over University of the Philippines.

In softball action at Rizal Memorial Stadium, Adamson blasted UP, 5-0, as the Lady Falcons extended its unbeaten streak to  eight matches this season and 42-0 since Season 73.

ST also turned back UE, 4-3, for its fifth straight win and a 6-1 record, good for solo second place.

UE dropped to 3-7.

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