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| SV Ball Park in New Manila, Quezon City with Call Of Duty Warzone Mobile art (Image Source: PhilStar Life/Call Of Duty Warzone Mobile Philippines) |
Activision has made an exciting move with its latest Call of Duty (COD) Warzone Mobile campaign, seamlessly integrating the world of basketball to create real connections within the community. By combining the strategic elements of basketball with the intense gameplay of Warzone Mobile, Activision highlights how teamwork and quick thinking dominate in both arenas. In a creative collaboration with renowned muralist, illustrator and devoted COD fan Jappy Agoncillo, Activision has transformed a basketball court at SV Ball Park in New Manila, Quezon City into a vibrant, Warzone-themed masterpiece. This unique project not only showcases Agoncillo’s artistic talent but also underscores the synergy between the worlds of basketball and gaming.
Filipinos’ passion for basketball is well-known, with the sport deeply ingrained in the nation’s culture. This collaboration taps into that love, creating a space where fans of both basketball and Call of Duty can come together. Watch how PBA Moto Club, Eric "Eruption" Tai, Jappy Agoncillo, and Honeycomb Arts brought this project to life in a special feature at https://www.facebook.com/share/v/JXjoWbregRmpH6EM/. For a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the CODWZM Basketball Court Takeover, check out the video at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=955172179686089.
Basketball and Call of Duty Warzone enthusiasts are invited to experience this one-of-a-kind court which will be open to the public every Fridays to Sundays at 1:00-5:00 pm until July 1, 2024 to ensure better accommodation and avoid overlapping with regular league games. Visitors can enjoy the artwork, play basketball, and immerse themselves in the dynamic atmosphere that brings Warzone Mobile’s intensity to life. Don’t miss out on this exciting blend of art, sports, and gaming. Swing by SV Ball Park and be part of the action!
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Hong Kong To Host FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2024 Finale
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| (Image Source: Manila Standard/FIBA 3x3) |
FIBA 3×3 has officially announced that the grand finale of its World Tour 2024 will be held in Hong Kong, China for the first time ever on November 23-24, 2024 where the world’s best 3×3 men’s teams will battle it out for the World Tour title. A regular host of major basketball events, the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final in Hong Kong, China will culminate an action-packed World Tour season and showcase the world’s best 3×3 players. The FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final is the ultimate World Tour stop as it features the best teams and serves as the last stop of the season.
The top 11 teams in the season standings will automatically qualify for the Hong Kong Final. Meanwhile, the 12th-ranked team, the host team (Hong Kong, China), and the team with the most combined Challenger and World Tour wins (excluding those already qualified) will battle for the remaining spot in a play-in event. “The 13th edition of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final in Hong Kong, China is a testament to the city’s growing importance in the 3×3 community and its ability to host world-class sporting events. After the success of our World Tour events here in the past two years and the recent FIBA 3×3 Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament, it was a natural step to bring our biggest pro tour event to this vibrant city," said FIBA 3x3 Managing Director Alex Sanchez.
FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final Organizing Committee CEO Kenny Wong highlighted the city’s readiness and enthusiasm for hosting the event, stating, “Hong Kong, China is thrilled to welcome the world’s best 3×3 teams and their fans to our city. With its iconic backdrop and passionate basketball community, we are set to provide a spectacular setting for the pinnacle of the 3×3 season.” This year’s World Tour features 17 stops around the globe with Ub Huishan NE (SRB) aiming to defend their title as the two-time reigning champions. The season kicked off last April 27-28, 2024 in Utsunomiya, Japan. The next stops include Marseille (May 31-June 1), Ulaanbaatar (June 8-9), Chengdu (June 22-23), Edmonton (July 6-7), Almaty (July 13-14), Lausanne (August 16-17), Debrecen (August 31-September 1), Shanghai (September 21-22), Wuxi (October 6-7), Amsterdam (October 12-13), Macau (October 19-20), Abu Dhabi (October 26-27), Manama (November 1-2), Neom (November 7-9), and Shenzhen (November 16-17) before making its last stop in Hong Kong.
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Smart, POC Strengthen Partnership For Paris 2024 Olympic Games
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| PLDT and Smart Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino (Image Source: Manila Standard/Smart Communications Inc.) |
PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) recently signed a partnership agreement with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to strengthen the telco’s support for the Philippine delegation to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. “As a longtime partner of the POC in supporting the growth and development of sports in the country and enabling our athletes, we are proud to have the opportunity to be part of the journey of Team Pilipinas and support them whole-heartedly as they carry the flag to represent our archipelago among the world’s best in Paris,” said PLDT and Smart Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP).
Under this partnership, Smart will give Php5M to support the Philippine delegation as they train for and compete in the prestigious sporting event. As the official telco partner of the POC, Smart will also provide connectivity via Smart GigaRoam to the athletes, coaching staff, and officials. Smart is also an official broadcaster of the Paris Olympics, bringing Filipino fans closer to the world’s most prestigious sporting event. “We are grateful to have the support of Smart at this very important stage of our Filipino athletes’ lives. We are hopeful that our national athletes can make our country proud in the Olympics this year,” said POC President Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino. Among the national athletes bound for the Paris Olympics so far are Smart ambassadors EJ Obiena (pole vault), Carlos Yulo (gymnastics), and MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF)-backed boxers Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, Eumir Marcial, weightlifters John Ceniza, Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando, gymnast Aleah Finnegan, and the first Filipina rowing Olympian Joanie Delgaco. “We’re hoping to confirm more names in our delegation as the Olympic Games draw nearer,” added Tolentino.
Supportive of sports development, PLDT and Smart, together with the MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF), have launched many initiatives to help discover, develop, and train Filipino athletes and teams from the grassroots to collegiate, amateur, and professional levels. Pangilinan, who is also Chairman of MVPSF and a key figure in Philippine sports, has always believed in the unifying power of sports, saying, “Our regional loyalties dissolve when we watch our athletes play. We carry our greatest faith in our strongest hearts when we cheer for our national athletes as the Filipino identity transforms us into a single team —Team Pilipinas.” From basketball to badminton to weightlifting to eSports and many others, the MVPSF and Pangilinan-led companies have been investing in and empowering 19 National Sports Agencies (NSAs), backing hundreds of athletes, and contributing to nation-building through sports development, fueling the Filipino dream of producing another Olympic gold medal for the Philippines.
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All Elite Wrestling Partners With Arlington, Texas For Path To All In Summer Series
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| (Image Source: All Elite Wrestling) |
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and the City of Arlington in Texas, U.S.A. announced a historic partnership that will feature the former hosting a summer series of events on the Path To All In from the world class eSports Stadium beginning July 20, 2024. eSports Stadium Arlington is set to be a hub of cutting-edge wrestling action, hosting a multitude of AEW and Ring of Honor (ROH) events throughout July and August. The lineup includes AEW Collision, Battle of the Belts and the highly anticipated ROH: Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view (PPV) event on July 26, 2024.
The Path To All In dates at eSports Stadium Arlington are as follows with additional ROH dates to be announced in the near future:
• July 20, 2024 (Saturday) – AEW Collision
• July 26, 2024 (Friday) – ROH: Death Before Dishonor
• July 27, 2024 (Saturday) – AEW Collision
• August 1, 2024 (Thursday) – AEW Collision (Taped to air on August 3, 2024)
• August 10, 2024 (Saturday) – AEW Collision
• August 17, 2024 (Saturday) – AEW Collision
Tickets for the Path To All In summer series will go on sale starting June 6, 2024 (Thursday) at 10:00 am CT via ETix.com and AEWTix.com. Fans interested in exclusive pre-sale opportunities can register to become an AEW Insider by visiting allelitewrestling.com/aew-insider. eSports Stadium Arlington is the largest dedicated eSports stadium in North America, making Arlington a global destination for competitive sporting and gaming events.
“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Arlington for AEW’s first-ever events at eSports Stadium. This AEW summer series will add to the rich legacy of major professional wrestling events held in the great state of Texas and serve as the ultimate springboard for AEW: All In London on August 25 at Wembley Stadium. This partnership would not have been possible without the tireless support of Matt Wilson, Justin Grimsley, the Arlington Sports Commission and City of Arlington teams and of course, our incredibly passionate fanbase throughout Texas," said AEW President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan. “We are honored to team with Tony Khan and All Elite Wrestling for this incredible opportunity. The ability to host TNT’s wildly popular AEW Collision program is another milestone achievement to bring worldwide events to Arlington and shine a global weekly spotlight on our beautiful city," said Arlington Sports Commission Executive Director Matt Wilson.
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BRAVE CF 82 Breaks Viewership Records On BRAVE TV
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| BRAVE CF Bantamweight World Champion Nkosi Nbedele raising the flag of his home country of South Africa after defending his title against Jose 'Shorty' Torres in the final of their epic trilogy fight in front of his hometown breathren at the end of BRAVE CF 82 (Image Source: BRAVE Combat Federation) |
BRAVE Combat Federation’s second event of the year, BRAVE CF 82, is in the books. Headlined by the historic Bantamweight title fight between Nkosi Ndebele and Jose ‘Shorty’ Torres, the event proved to be a huge success across the board and has broken multiple viewership records on BRAVE TV (BRAVECFTV.COM).
BRAVE CF 82 emerged as the most-watched fight night of 2024 on BRAVE TV, surpassing BRAVE CF 81 held in Slovenia in April. The event saw a significant increase in subscribers from the African continent, with South Africa ranking among the top five nations with the most new subscribers. This surge highlights the nation’s support for Ndebele who successfully defended his Bantamweight World title by defeating Torres in the first-ever trilogy in BRAVE CF history. With this victory, Nkosi became the first African MMA World champion to defend his title on African soil. The event also became the most-watched on BRAVE TV since BRAVE CF 69, held in Serbia in February 2023 which featured the Lightweight World title fight between Abdisalam Kubanychbek and Kamil Magomedov.
In addition to breaking viewership records, BRAVE CF 82 set a record for combat sports attendance in Mauritius with fans packing the Cote d’Or venue to witness the live action. BRAVE CF 82 underscores the vast potential of African MMA, something that BRAVE CF has been dedicated to developing since its inception in 2016. To date, BRAVE CF remains the only international MMA organization to host events in Africa and has showcased more than 75 fighters from 13 African countries, including BRAVE CF Bantamweight world champion Nkosi Ndebele.
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UP Fighting Maroons Give Back To Indigenous Communities In Butuan
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| UP Fighting Maroons men's basketball team distributing school supplies to students of Mahayahay Elementary School during its visit to Butuan City (Image Source: Manila Standard/University Of The Philippines Men’s Basketball Team) |
On May 14, 2024, University of the Philippines (UP) president Atty. Angelo “Jijil” Jimenez unveiled the higher educational institution's new motto, adding “Service” to the current values each Iskolar ng Bayan is expected to live up to – Honor and Excellence. “Honor and Excellence has long been the motto of our beloved University. But let us not forget the root of our very existence – that is, to serve. That is why we should always remember to live by our new motto ‘Honor and Excellence in the Service of the Nation’. It’s our reason for being,” said Jimenez, born with roots from the Manobo Tribe in Butuan City. And that is what the UP Men’s Basketball Team did during their weekend trip to Butuan City last May 18 and 19.
Through the initiative of UP President Jimenez and the Office of the University President, the UP Fighting Maroons, in partnership with the UP Alumni Association, One Meralco Foundation, More Power, and Chooks to Go, turned over television sets, school supplies, and machineries that will benefit the students and teachers at Mahayahay Elementary School and nearby community. “Siyempre nakakataba ng puso and natutuwa kami na nakatulong kami sa kanila, kahit sa maliit na paraan lang ba. Nagpapasalamat kami kay President Jijil na in-involve niya ang team dito. Sana hindi ito ang last time na makasama kami sa ganitong projects niya,” said Butuan City native and Fighting Maroons player JD Cagulangan.
The Fighting Maroons then took part in a tree planting activity in the said community. The Diliman-based squad flew to Butuan City to play against Cebu’s University of San Carlos Warriors in an invitational game in celebration of the city's Balangay Festival 2024 at the Fr. Saturnino Urios University Gym. The Fighting Maroons eventually bested the CESAFI 2023 bronze medalists, 90-49, in Cagulangan’s homecoming game.
