ACTION in athletics, boxing, and volleyball heats up on Monday, Oct. 23, in the 2023 ROTC Games National Championships in various Metro Manila venues.

Four gold medals are at stake at the Philsports Track Oval in Pasig City as cadet-athletes compete in the men’s and women’s 200 meters, as well as men’s and women’s 4x100m relay.

Heats in the said four events are scheduled to start at 7 a.m., with the finals happening at 3 p.m.

Elimination bouts in boxing also fire off starting at 2 p.m. at the Dacudao Court inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, even as volleyball hostilities start at 9 a.m. at the Technological State University Gym in Manila.

Raising the curtain in volleyball is Adamson University against Tanauan Institute, followed by Jose Rizal Memorial State University against Tarlac State University.

Guimaras State University and the University of Cagayan Valley follow suit, before the Northern Iloilo State University-Rizal Technological University tussle.

Capping off the day’s matches is the duel between the University of Negros Occidental Recoletos against TSU and Adamson over JRMSU.

Weigh-in and weapons check, as well as pairing and matching are set for arnis at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, even as the drawing of lots and solidarity meetings are scheduled for kickboxing and esports.

The weeklong tournament formally opened on Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Cuneta Astrodome presided over by Sen. Francis Tolentino and other government agency officials like Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richard Bachmann.

“I am excited to see so many talented athletes from all corners of our nation, competing with the same spirit of unity that binds our diverse archipelago together,” said Bachmann. (ai/mnm)

The CSB Lady Blazers

Image Courtesy of: V-League

The Lady Blazers displayed dominance against the Lady Warriors, edging closer to securing a spot in the V-League finals with a commanding performance.

The College of Saint Benilde showcased its defensive prowess as it conquered the University of the East with set scores of 25-22, 25-13, 25-12 in the best-of-three semifinal series hosted at the Paco Arena in Manila on Wednesday.

In a decisive closing run, the Lady Blazers secured the victory with an impressive 8-0 streak. This remarkable streak was punctuated by a sequence of three consecutive hits by Zam Nolasco, including two consecutive kill blocks. Nolasco delivered an outstanding performance, contributing six blocks and six successful attacks to the team’s triumph.

Jade Gentapa led CSB with 15 points, achieved through 12 successful attacks, two of which played a pivotal role in their strong finish.

During the eliminations, CSB faced a tough challenge from UE, narrowly winning with set scores of 23-25, 25-22, 29-27, 25-18 on September 10. However, in this semifinal encounter, they managed to contain the league’s top scorer, Caseiy Dongallo, limiting her to just nine points.

Khy Cepeda and Riza Nogales also contributed six points each for the Recto-based squad.

(ai/mnm)