Fed Ex revives premier bike tour

Airfreight 2100 Inc., the official licensee of Federal Express in the Philippines has set a P300 million five-year project to breathe new life to the defunct Marlboro Tour, the nationwide summer cycling spectacle, now to be called Fed Ex Express Tour.

Expected to fire off with the four-day tour of Calabarzon from May 30 to June 2, the new tour will include innovations to be implemented to further build on the success of the Marlboro Tour which ran for 22 years.

Among the changes will be an increase in prize money for any rider who will meet the required speed and the time perks to be set by race manager, PCAP or the Professional Cycling Association of the Philippines.

RP team to play in Italy

The Philippine national team will play in a pair of exhibition games and in an international tournament in Italy on June 2-8. Scheduled to compete in the PBA’s Commissioner’s Cup, the Italy tour, if it pushes through, will be the only international exposure for the RP Team before the 14th Asian Games.

Named to the squad are Kenneth Duremdes of Alaska, Eric Menk of Ginebra, Noy Castillo, Andy Seigle and Boyet Fernandez of Purefoods, Danny Seigle, Danny Ildefonso, Olsen Racela and Dondon Hontiveros of San Miguel, Shell’s Chris Jackson, Sta. Lucia’s Dennis Espino, Coca Cola’s Jeffrey Cariaso and Rudy Hatfield, Talk ‘N Text Asi Taulava and Red Bull’s Mick Pinnisi.

Turmoil rocks PSC anew

As if Philippine sports hasn’t had enough problems, internal bickerings among the board members of the top sports body is again on the forefront.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain and three other commissioners signed a petition addressed to the office of the President seeking the ouster of Commissioner Cynthia Carrion, a former classmate of President Gloria Arroyo in Assumption.

Buhain and company charged Carrion with throwing her weight around the PSC, pre-empting major announcements by either the President or the PSC chair regarding sports concerns and policies, illegal hiring of personnel under her office and a penchant for dropping the name of the Chief Executive.

In February, Rep. Monico Puentevella, Chairman of the Committee on Youth and Sports and a former PSC Commissioner filed a resolution signed by 20 congressmen urging the President to remove Carrion from the PSC. In addition Puentevella wrote a personal letter to Malacanang reminding the Chief Executive to boot out the lone lady commissioner citing alleged improprieties.

Carrion, on her part, denies the allegations and pointed to Puentevella as the instigator of the mess. PSC insiders meanwhile say that the ongoing rift is irreparable and puts the President on the spot.

China’s Yao Ming impresses NBA scouts

Displaying the finesse and strong shooting touch absent in most big men and running the court in smooth, fluid motion, 7-5 Chinese behemoth Yao Ming stirs admiration during an hour-long workout in Chicago for NBA talent scouts on May 1.

Slated to be the top pick in next month’s NBA draft, Yao will join compatriots Wang Zhizhi of Dallas and Denver’s Menqke Bateer in the world’s most prestigious basketball league.

Yao, Wang and Menk are three of the members of the highly-talented Chinese Basketball Team that will see action in the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea on September 28-October 14.

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