The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is waiting for a directive from the Office of the President if it could lock down its facilities in Manila and Pasig City due to the rising COVID-19 cases among its employees.
Sources said the government sports agency has already written a request to lock down the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the Philsports Arena in Pasig City after 42 new cases of coronavirus disease were reported by the government sports agency.
Last month, the PSC said 18 of its employees contracted the deadly disease, but all have already recovered.
According to the Memorandum Circular No. 85, only the Office of the President can give clearance to shut down a government facility in the event there is an overwhelming number of COVID-19 cases. (Kristel Satumbaga)
Badosa stuns world No. 1 Barty
MIAMI (AFP) – World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty crashed out of the Charleston WTA quarter-finals on Friday, beaten in straight sets by 71st-ranked Spaniard Paula Badosa.
Badosa fired seven aces ‒ three more than Barty ‒ and saved 12 of 14 break points she faced on the way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
It’s the biggest win of Badosa’s career, the Spaniard having notched her first top-20 victory when she beat fifth-seeded Belinda Bencic in the 2nd round.
In the semi-finals Badosa will face Russian Veronika Kudermetova, who defeated American Sloane Stephens in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Badosa, a former French Open junior champion, is the lowest-ranked player to beat Barty since September 2019.
In other matches, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur defeated American Coco Gauff 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) to book a semi-final meeting with Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, a 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-1 winner over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.
Imperial tops chess for-a-cause event
Candidate Master Genghis Imperial of Manila Indios Bravos beat Israel Landicho of Cavite Spartans in the race-to-12 Chess For-A-Cause tournament held Friday via the lichess.org platform.
Imperial amassed 12 points while Landicho tallied 6 points with six draws not counted to win the one-day event using the 5-minute plus 2 seconds increment time control format that coincided with the celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan.
The event was supported by the Zamboanga Sultans team owner Canadian National Master Zulfikar Sali, Dr. Joe Balinas, Engr. Antonio Balinas, Theo Panga, JC Marikina, Jimmy Reyes, Capt. Jun Isaac (ret.), Kim Zafra, IM Rony Roca, Elvira Roca and MCF woodpushers in coordination with Jolina Icao youtube channel.
No hitter for Texas Rangers pitcher
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ‒ Joe Musgrove tossed the first no-hitter in San Diego’s 53-year franchise history as the Padres blanked the Texas Rangers 3-0 on Friday night.
The 28-year-old right hander struck out 10 batters and threw 112 pitches in his second start of the Major League Baseball season.
The Padres were the only MLB team not to have recorded a no-hitter. Since joining the league as an expansion team in 1969, the Padres had gone 8,205 games without a no-hitter.
