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[av_heading heading=’ BUZZER BEATER | Ilonggos, Negresenses lead PBA All-Star Visayas in Cebu ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Sunday, April 30, 2017
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RUMOR OR FACT: Is it true that Goldwin Monteverde is headed towards the National University Bullpups, weeks after tendering his resignation as Adamson University Baby Falcons head coach.
While coaching the NCRAA team in the 2017 Palarong Pambansa in San Jose, Antique, Monteverde was also active in recruiting new players with some Bullpups coaching staff.
The arrival of Monteverde (if ever it is true) will be a huge boost for the Bullpups team, which was stunned by the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 79 juniors basketball tournament.
Monteverde, who also handles the varsity team of Chiang Kai Shek College, nearly led the Baby Falcons to the UAAP crown if not for their forfeited wins due to eligibility issues surrounding their star guard Encho Serrano.
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Filipino boxer Ronnie Baldonado made a successful debut outside of the country when he scored a first round knockout win over Chinese fighter Ma Yi Ming at the National Olympic Sports Center Gym in Beijing, China.
With the victory, the Carmen, Cotabato del Sur-native Baldonado captured the World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim Oriental flyweight championship, his first professional belt in his career.
Baldonado, who is one of the promising boxers under the stable of Manny Pacquiao, immediately made his presence felt with consecutive punches until the referee decided to end the match with the Chinese boxer not responding with punches.
“I am glad that all my hardwork has finally paid off,” said Baldonado, who has an unblemished 9-0-1 win-loss-draw ring record in his two year boxing career. “I just want to thank my trainer for helping me prepare for this match.”
As for Ma, this marks the second time in his boxing career that he has been stopped right in the opening round by a Filipino fight after being beaten by Randy Petalcorin two years ago, also in China.
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After the Mindanao and Luzon legs, the 2017 PBA All-Star Week is headed to Cebu today for the Visayas tilt with Gilas Pilipinas facing the Visayas-PBA All-Star team, led by Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ three-point snipers James Yap and Jeffrei Chan.
The Escalante, Negros Occidental-native Yap will be suiting up for his 14th PBA All-Star festivities, while the Bacolod City-native Chan will be appearing in the blitz game for the fifth time.
Also in the team to be handled by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings mentor Tim Cone are Ilonggos Jericho Cruz of the Painters and Ronald Tubid of San Miguel Beermen.
Completing the team are Cebuanos June Mar Fajardo, Dondon Hontiveros and Aldrech Ramos, Joe Devance, Chris Ross, Chris Ellis and Asi Taulava, who is appearing for the 15th time.
The Gilas Pilipinas team that will face the Visayas-PBA are Jayson Castro, Jiovani Jalalon, Roger Pogoy, Allein Maliksi, Rey Mark Belo, Jeth Troy Rosario, Calvin Abueva, Raymond Almazan, Japeth Aguilar, Von Pessumal and Bacolodnon LA Revilla.
PBA Commissioner Andres Narvasa said that bringing these All-Star festivities to different parts of the country is the PBA’s way to let the fans in the provinces see the best and the brightest play against each other.
“This will be fun. I encourage the fans to come and watch the PBA All-Star Games. This is one way of saying thank you to all our followers for their support through the years,” Narvasa said.
During the Mindanao leg last Wednesday at Cagayan de Oro City, the Gilas versus PBA-Mindanao match ended in a 114-all draw, while Gilas defeated PBA-Luzon All-Star,122-111, in the Luzon leg at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City last Friday./PN
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