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Category: Pinoy Sports Pulse

  • Filipino-American Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe stages free youth camp in PH, visits Rizal Memorial

    Filipino-American Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe stages free youth camp in PH, visits Rizal Memorial

     

    New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has finally made his first visit to the Philippines, giving back to the Filipino baseball community and acknowledging the history found at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

     

    Initially a personal trip for a family member’s wedding, Volpe’s visit became even more significant after he staged a baseball youth camp at the Felino Marcelino Sr. Baseball Stadium, where he taught aspiring Filipino baseball players free of charge.

     

    Volpe’s mother, Isabelle, was born and raised in the Philippines before marrying his Italian father, Michael.

     

    The young Yankees star gave his reason for staging the free camp was to teach the next generation of baseball players to work harder for their dreams.

     

    “My whole childhood, there was a lot of support and a lot of my family around, so you get exposed to that. But now to be here, from all the stories they tell and where they grew up, to actually see it and be in it, it’s really special,” Volpe said.

     

    “It really puts everything in perspective. I always say I was just like them, I had a dream, and I had people to look up to. I just want to have fun, keep playing, and work really, really hard. I’m sure you can accomplish everything you want to do,” he added.

     

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    Volpe was helped by his Filipino family members and hinted at conducting more in the future.

     

    “My ninangs helped a lot, but it’s definitely special to do something like this. We’re already talking about doing this as much as we can,” he said.

     

    While in the Philippines, the Gold Glove winner also visited the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, where baseball legend and fellow Yankee Babe Ruth once played.

     

    Volpe will stay in the country until January 7, before going back to New York in time for Spring Training preparations with the Yankees.

     

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  • Alex Eala to compete in Kooyong Classic, ASB Classic before Australian Open

    Alex Eala to compete in Kooyong Classic, ASB Classic before Australian Open

    Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is set to begin her 2026 season with a series of high‑profile events as part of her build‑up to the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. 

     

    The 20‑year‑old will compete in the Kooyong Classic, an esteemed exhibition event in Australia, as well as the ASB Classic in New Zealand in early January.

     

    Eala’s participation in these tournaments marks a continuation of her rise on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour.

     

    The Kooyong Classic, held from January 13 to 15 at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, will give her competitive match play against seasoned professionals in the lead‑up to Melbourne Park.

     

    Before heading to Melbourne, Eala will open her season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, a WTA 250 event scheduled from January 5 to 11. 

     

    In 2025, she became the highest‑ranked Filipino player in WTA history, cracking the Top 50 and turning heads with notable performances at several tour stops. 

     

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    The ASB Classic will provide Eala with valuable opportunities to fine‑tune her game under pressure. As a WTA 250 event, it features a mix of established veterans and rising stars, giving the Filipina ace a diverse set of challenges on the hard courts of Auckland. 

     

    Success here could set a positive tone for her Australian Open campaign, where she aims to improve on previous Grand Slam outings.

     

    Following the ASB Classic, Eala’s itinerary takes her to Melbourne for the Kooyong Classic. Unlike a traditional tour event, Kooyong functions as an exhibition that still offers competitive play against seasoned professionals and former top‑ranked players.

     

    For a young competitor like Eala, the event provides both a high‑quality match experience and the chance to adapt to Australian conditions ahead of Slams.

     

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  • Manila to host first-ever SEA Plus Youth Games in 2028 — POC

    Manila to host first-ever SEA Plus Youth Games in 2028 — POC

    The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is laying the groundwork for what it hopes will become a long-term pipeline for Southeast Asia’s next generation of elite athletes, with plans to stage the inaugural Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games (SEA Plus YG) in Manila in 2028.

     

    Designed as a high-level developmental meet, the proposed multi-sport event aims to bridge the gap between grassroots competition and major international tournaments such as the Asian Youth Games (AYG) and the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). 

     

    The SEA Plus YG will feature athletes aged 17 and under and is set to be held at least a year before the AYG, ensuring regional athletes gain meaningful exposure and competitive experience ahead of continental and global stages.

     

    POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino has taken the lead in conceptualizing and organizing the Games and will serve as its founding president. 

     

    The initiative has already gained strong regional backing, with nine of the 11 National Olympic Committee (NOC) presidents from Southeast Asia—Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Timor Leste—signaling their support for the new competition.

     

    “The SEA Plus YG is Southeast Asia’s answer to molding athletes at the grassroots level, make them competitive at the AYG level and able and capable of winning medals at the YOG,” Tolentino said.

     

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    “Ultimately, the end goal is for these young athletes to have those strong foundations to contend at the Summer and Winter Olympics,” he added.

     

    Beyond regional approval, the concept has also earned the endorsement of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Tolentino revealed that the OCA committed its full support during a meeting with founding members, attended by OCA Director General Dr. Husain AHZ Al-Musallam of Kuwait. The SEA Plus YG is planned as a biennial event to align with the AYG cycle, which is regarded as Asia’s second-largest multi-sport competition after the Asian Games.

     

    The proposed program structure reflects the Games’ developmental focus: two mandatory sports, up to 12 Olympic sports, a maximum of five Asian non-Olympic sports, and one traditional sport featuring up to six medal events. The “Plus” element of the Games refers to the inclusion of at least one invited Asian NOC from outside Southeast Asia in every edition, a move aimed at raising competition levels and broadening cultural exchange.

     

    “The SEA Plus YG is an elite-level, developmental and culturally unifying multi-sport event as we have stated in the games’ charter,” said Tolentino, who was cited by fellow NOC heads as the driving force who “initiated, guided and established the creation of SEA Plus YG.”

     

    If realized as planned, the Manila-hosted inaugural edition in 2028 could position the Philippines at the center of a new regional effort to systematically prepare young athletes for Asia’s biggest stages—and eventually, the Olympic Games.

     

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