INQUIRER FILES

It’s not easy to be recognized as national volleyball champions in a country that is focused on big-name tournaments.

Imagine if you’re not even 16 yet.

But the girls of University of Santo Tomas can lay claim to that tag after bagging the inaugural National Grassroots Volleyball League (NGVL) crown with a commanding sweep of Immaculate Conception Academy of Dasmariñas, Cavite, 25-7, 28-26, 25-9, in the championship match at Filoil Centre recently.

Tournament MVP Taj Arkhea Teves finished with 22 points on 19 kills and three aces to spearhead UST’s attack while opposite hitter Khurztein Margareth Asumbra added 14 kills for 14 points.

After a lackluster first set, ICA-Dasmariñas almost found its groove in the following set, a day after pulling the rug under De La Salle-Zobel in their semifinal match.

Apple Laine Saquilayan carried the load for the Cavite side with eight points, but a series of errors late in the second set allowed UST to escape unscathed.

Despite the defeat, ICA still looked like a winner.

In fact, everyone did.

With a lot of volleyball attention drawn by the professional PVL and the bright lights of the UAAP and NCAA, it’s hard for young teenagers to have their share of the spotlight.

The NGVL, however, made sure to shine a light on the country’s young talents, and it is catching the eye of observers, who see it as a perfect stage for grassroots development.

“This is a great platform for young kids to be exposed at an early age,” said veteran coach Ryan Revita.

Revita kept an eye on the NGVL’s inaugural year, watching as young talents from far provinces eagerly showed off their talents on a national stage.

“This way will really elevate volleyball in the Philippines,” Revita added.

La Salle Zobel claimed the bronze medal with a hard-fought 19-25, 25-23, 26-24, 26-24 victory over Bacolod Tay Tung Thunderbolts.

Kylie Rianzhel Celada provided the difference, with 25 kills and four aces for 29 total points. Opposite hitter Zeianne Laborte added 17 kills for 19 points, and Best Middle Blocker awardee Ma. Alyana Dominique Valdez anchored the net with four blocks and nine points.

For the Thunderbolts, Marie Cacho finished with 15 points, while Samantha Canete and Memielle Letran added 12 and 10 respectively.

UST swept three of six individual awards—Teves taking Best Outside Hitter, Asumbra earning Best Opposite Hitter and Sab Katigbak Ambrocio named Best Setter.

La Salle Zobel’s Valdez earned Best Middle Blocker, and Bacolod Tay Tung’s Luchi Vivero walked away with Best Libero.

NGVL president Yvette Katigbak-Ambrocio had the satisfaction of watching the league fulfill its mission.

“We’d like them to be able to dream big as early as now, be able to showcase what they have and hone their skills,” she said. “And in the process make new friends.”

Manchester City beat Chelsea to win the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday but attention will quickly shift to Bournemouth and the Premier League title race with Arsenal

Marc Guehi had the honour of carrying the FA Cup onto the Manchester City team bus. That felt fitting after the defender had been forced to sit out the Carabao Cup final due to a bizarre rule cup-tying him.

The centre back spoke in the build-up to the weekend Wembley win over Chelsea about taking a back seat and learning about the mentality required to succeed in this squad. Guehi now has his first piece of City silverware.

When the Blues won the Carabao Cup against Arsenal the squad left in buoyant and celebratory mood, the upcoming international break affording the players a few days off. This time the mood was all business. There were smiles but the focus has already turned to Tuesday’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth.

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A City staff member was carrying a box of Asahi Super Dry alcohol-free beer, one of the club’s sponsors. Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden and Rodri were the City stars to stop and speak to reporters and all three know that Bournemouth are next. The celebrations will have to be put on ice.

But that didn’t stop the Blues soaking up the success with supporters on the Wembley turf, with departing duo John Stones and Bernardo Silva to the fore.

The pair toyed with the jubilant City fans as they waited to lift the cup. The two modern-day greats looked ecstatic and emotional as they stood in the Royal Box and thrust the famous old trophy into the sky.

Tijjani Reijnders was the man in possession of the trophy as City came down the famous steps and back onto the pitch, joined by Rodri to show off the silverware to a City end that was packed to the rafters.

The players gathered for the traditional photos and celebrations as silver streamers and flames shot into the air. The squad and the staff were then all called together. Rodri led the celebrations as Just the Way You Are by Milky blasted out. That has become the soundtrack of the season for City. Joy Division followed, Phil Foden aloft on Gianluigi Donnarumma’s shoulders.

The City faithful belted out ‘Johnny, Johnny Stones’ and the defender was then thrust forward with the cup. He spoke of City having given him everything in his statement when he announced his departure, he’s got one more medal for the collection. As has Bernardo Silva, who followed him to the West End swinging the silverware in the capital air with a smile as wide as the Thames.

Then came the manager, pushed forward by his players to take the acclaim from a fanbase who adore him.

It was a 20th trophy for Guardiola at City. The magic doesn’t wear off.

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Phil Foden was an unused substitute as Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final and he was asked about Pep Guardiola’s future after the game.

Phil Foden would love Pep Guardiola to stay at Manchester City for another year after the Blues boss masterminded a 20th trophy in his decade in charge.

City beat Chelsea 1-0 to claim a domestic cup double and keep alive hopes of a treble heading into the final two Premier League games of the campaign.

The Blues need a favour from either Burnley or Crystal Palace to have any chance of overhauling Arsenal but the signs are there that this City vintage can challenge the best and bring sustained silverware to the Etihad.

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But it remains to be seen whether Guardiola will be there to oversee it with a growing expectation that the Catalan will depart in the summer. The Blues boss has had ample opportunity to provide clarity but has yet to do so and while he is under contract for another 12 months, that is no guarantee of him extending his Etihad stay into an 11th year.

But Foden, who was an unused sub at Wembley, would love to see the 55-year-old stay on at City.

“To play with him now for so many years has been a blessing,” he said. “He’s certainly helped my game.

“I’m really happy that he’s still here at the moment and let’s see what happens at the end of the season. Hopefully he can be here next season.

“All I can say is it’s been a pleasure playing under him.”

Tonight in Doncaster, trainer Jamie Moore threw in the towel in the third round to prevent Dave Allen from taking any further punishment at the heavy hands of Filip Hrgovic.

Allen was a significant underdog on paper, and once the opening bell rang, events unfolded exactly as many expected, even despite a vocal home support at the Eco-Power Stadium.

Hrgovic outgunned the Brit from the off and did not relent until the towel came in, with Allen throwing wild and landing little in return. Though he looked disappointed in the moment, the hometown hero said post-fight that he trusts his trainers, Moore and Nigel Travis, implicitly.

“These two, they’ve been with me through it all. I love them to death. If Jamie and Nige say enough’s enough, enough’s enough. Thank you for looking after me. If Jamie and Nige think the stoppage is the right choice, it’s the right choice.”

Allen made no excuses for his loss, saying that Hrgovic is simply too good for him, and he thanked his fans for the support regardless.

Few will argue with Moore’s call, particularly given Hrgovic’s reputation as one of the division’s most durable heavyweights, making the chances of Allen landing one decisive shot increasingly slim. His decision, and it would not have been an easy one with the vocal crowd, allows his man to drop back down a level and fight another day.

Moore’s decision comes at a time amid ongoing debate on whether or not Ben Davison and team should have pulled Fabio Wardley out of his gruelling battle with Daniel Dubois earlier than the referee stoppage in the eleventh round. Tonight, Allen’s team wanted to leave nothing to chance.

Jasprit Bumrah (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Former India captain, 1983 World Cup winner and former selector Kris Srikkanth believes Mumbai Indians have rediscovered the high energy and dominance they are known for, even in the absence of captain Hardik Pandya. Pandya has missed Mumbai Indians’ last three matches.Sidelined with a back spasm, Pandya first missed Mumbai Indians’ home clash against Lucknow Super Giants on May 4. He then sat out the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur despite travelling with the squad. In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav led the side. Pandya also did not travel to Dharamsala for Mumbai Indians’ six-wicket win over Punjab Kings, where Jasprit Bumrah became MI’s third captain this season after Suryakumar missed the game following the birth of his child.Bumrah’s maiden outing as Mumbai Indians skipper turned into a memorable one as he guided the team to a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings.Under Bumrah’s leadership, Shardul Thakur picked up four wickets, while Deepak Chahar claimed two as Punjab Kings posted 200/8. Mumbai Indians then chased down the target in 19.5 overs, powered by Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 75 off just 33 balls.Srikkanth felt there was a fresh energy within the side.“It is a good call. I think Bumrah coming in as captain is a fantastic move,” said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.Srikkanth also felt there was a noticeable shift in the team environment in Hardik’s absence.“Definitely, definitely there is some issue. Definitely, the team’s mood was more lighter. The team suddenly looks more united overall.”“Surya too didn’t play in that match. He was not playing the match for personal reasons, he did not play the match. But whatever it is, the young side suddenly like you are saying. They come and Deepak Chahar is bowling well. That Raj Angad Bawa fellow is bowling decently. Everyone is performing. Tilak Varma performed brilliantly. Ryan Rickleton smashed and dominated with aggressive shots early on.”“Overall, like you said, the will to win, they will to succeed. Even though they were down in the dumps, they showed the will to succeed. That is the key in cricket. That energy was there,” said Srikkanth.Srikkanth added that Bumrah looked relaxed on the field and backed the bowlers with confidence.“And if you look at the bowling too, even Bumrah was smiling continuously. He was giving lots of confidence to the bowlers. And I thought Bumrah’s captaincy made a huge difference to people like Deepak Chahar. And of course Shardul Thakur, because otherwise, they bowl loose deliveries and leak runs. Today, everyone took wickets,” said Srikkanth.Mumbai Indians will next face Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20, with Pandya expected to return and lead the side again.

A three-time WWE Women’s Champion is gearing up to lace up her boots again. She recently revealed that her upcoming fight will be the last of her iconic career.

Ronda Rousey is all set to make her return to the cage for the first time in nearly a decade. She will face Gina Carano on May 16, 2026, marking her first MMA match since her consecutive losses to Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm in UFC.

The fight between Rousey and Carano will take place under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and will be the first-ever MMA event to be streamed live on Netflix.

The two women are expected to headline the show at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

During the ceremonial weigh-in, ex-WWE star Ronda Rousey was asked by Ariel Helwani if she would consider coming back after this weekend.

The Rowdy One ruled out the possibility, saying she’s planning to have more babies in the near future.

“I’m having some babies after this. I’m busy the night after the fight.”

Ex-WWE star Ronda Rousey addresses potential UFC return

Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, former WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey said she had to convince her husband, Travis Browne, ahead of her MMA return.

She also promised her spouse that this would be the last time she would step inside the cage.

“To the UFC, to fight? No. I promised my husband that this is the last one. He is the one that I have to convince to get on board with this promoter sh*t after. He’s not going for the fighting at all after this. Honestly, I want to get started having babies again right away. I want to have at least two more, if I can. I can’t be taking detours anymore. This is the peak. I can’t go higher than this. This is the dream fight and the absolute pinnacle for me. This is the perfect way to end it.”

Rousey and Browne are proud parents of two kids. The couple is planning to have more children in the future.

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