to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy… and to laugh along the way
Thailand had the homecourt advantage. Vietnam’s superstar and tournament top scorer Nguyen Xuan Son suffered a nasty broken leg just before half time. Thailand scored a questionable goal to take the lead, 2-1. It looked like the stars were aligning to favor Thailand. But no, the football gods just would not have it that way. And in the end, Vietnam’s winning goal would simply trickle in oh-so-slowly to a defenseless goal. What a roller-coaster ride this game was!
As we step into 2024, the dreams for Philippine sports are ambitious yet achievable. By investing in youth development, enhancing local leagues, and promoting diverse sports, the Philippines can cultivate a thriving sports culture that not only produces champions but also inspires and unites the nation.
From the country’s successful Olympic foray, to the victories against foreign teams in different ballgames, to individual achievements as well as local developments, the year has blessed us with numerous successes that has brought pride and honor to the land.
Kai Sotto, that gentle giant who has found himself a special spot in the Philippine National Basketball Team named Gilas, has been improving his game lately. And reports have it that he is now in the radar of NBA scouts in search for tall durable talents who can bang bodies with the big bad behemoths in the NBA.
The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 has been a fast and furious affair that has seen the best squads get waylaid to the sidelines. It has been brutal, with luck playing a key role for the surviving teams. Now down to only four, it’s the Bucks and the Hawks; while in the west, we’re down to the Thunder and the Rockets. My fearless forecast: it will be the Hawks against the Rockets for all the marbles.
The short format has been interesting but brutal for the likes of the record-setting Cleveland Cavs (21-3) and the defending champs Boston Celtics (19-4). Despite their league-leading numbers in the regular season, one miscue was all it took to take them out of contention. Gone too were some of the games biggest stars in Lebron James, Kevin Durant, NIkola Jokic and Joel Embiid. My picks to go to the semis next week: it will be the veterans from the Knicks and the Bucks in the east; while the upstarts in the Mavs and the Rockets will do battle in the west.
Color My World 