CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) --  Filipino American Erik Spoelstra, the most eligible  and winningest coach in the current NBA season, had confirmed 24-year-old Nikki Sapp, a Miami native and a former Heat dancer, has been a companion but would not confirm if he found a girlfriend.

The 42-year-old coach of the defending champion Miami Heat, which has yet to snap its 23-game wining streak since Feb. 1, could only say Ms. Sapp may have accompanied him “to our charity fundraiser, but other than that he is not commenting.”

According to the Miami Herald, “the famously private coach recently stepped out with his girlfriend for the first time.

MANILA -- Out of nine Filipino women aspirants in the Yalin Women's World 10-Ball Championship two remain in the field.  The former World Champion Rubilen Amit and 13-year old prodigy Cheska Centeno meet today for the championship title. Both made it through the tough round robin stage of the event.

Amit dropped her match yesterday to Taiwan's Y.T. Chan 6-4 on TV which forced her to settle for a non-top seeded spot which means she will not earn a bye her first round. Chan edged her out in the rankings by just one game. It was the only match Amit lost thus far in the event.

CHICAGO (jGLi) – Promoters of the cancelled soccer game between the Philippines’ Azkals and U.S. Virgin Islands at the Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana last Friday (Aug. 17) are going to refund fans, who bought tickets for the game.

A recorded message at Kuntz Stadium said buyers, who bought tickets at the game between Azkals and U.S. Virgin Islands’ The Dashing Eagles, should get refunds of their tickets from retailers.

WHEATON, Illinois (jGLi) – Host Chicago Inferno of the United Soccer League’s (USL) Premiere Development League is off to a successful 2012 season debut by beating the visiting Philippine team, Azkals (mga asong kalsada or street dogs), 3-1, before a predominantly Filipino American crowd of about a thousand in an “international friendly” game at its home court at the Joe Bean Stadium in Chicago’s suburban Wheaton College Saturday (Aug. 11).

The Inferno, one of the only two Great Lakes Division teams under the USL Premiere Development League’s Central Conference, only needed the spectacular efforts of midfielder Drew Jeske, who scored a pair of goals in the 14th and 24th minutes of the first half. The other team in the Great Lakes Division is Chicago Fire Premier.

CHICAGO (jGLi) – Right hander Rizza Bernardino pitched a dominating five-inning complete game and willed her Asia-Pacific team to win the first ever Big League Softball World Series title for girls for the Philippines last Wednesday (Aug. 8) at Vandenberg Park, Kalamazoo, Michigan in a nationally televised game on ESPN3.

Bernardino gave up two earned runs on five hits as her team routed the West Chester, California, 14-2, in a shocking comeback.

The game was supposed to be played for seven innings but under the rules, if one team is ahead by 10 runs at the end of the fifth inning, the mercy rule is applied.

CHICAGO (jGLi) – If Miami Heat keeps on winning, it will not be surprising that Coach Erik Spoelstra will be including the Philippines in taking the Larry O’Brien Trophy as part of his victory lap.

Tim Donovan, spokesman of the Miami Heat, confirmed that the trophy Mr. Spoelstra is taking to the Philippines is the real McCoy, not just a replica.

Before winning the NBA championship less than two months ago, Mr. Spoelstra drew up a plan that would motivate his players to win the Larry O’Brien trophy.

FLUSHING, New York --  Finally! The Magician will weave his magic for the very first time in a world competition for straight pool. 14.1 fans will be going crazy to see Efren showing his cue ball mastery in the ultimate game of patterns and control. Reyes can be seen at the Predator 72nd World Tournament starting on July 29th - August 3rd, 2012 at Carom Cafe in New York City.  Dragon Promotions in conjunction with Dr. Michael Fedak is bringing the greatest straight pool players in the world to the greatest 14.1 event existing.

"Efren is a legendary talent and he represents a nation that has risen to the very top of the pool world. His presence at the tournament raises the temperature of the competition, the enthusiasm of the fans, and enhances its stature as a true world class tournament," said Dr. Fedak, the World Tournament's main benefactor.

CHICAGO (jGLi) – Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto on Tuesday (July3) told Robert “Bob” Arum, Chairman and CEO of Top Rank, that she did not find any “criminal activity” after she reviewed the controversial welterweight boxing match between Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American boxer Timothy Bradley at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada last June 9th.

In a letter to Mr. Arum, furnished this reporter by Attorney General Masto’s spokesperson, Jennifer Lopez, Masto said, “{U]nless evidence of criminal activity is forthcoming, this matter will be considered closed.”

CHICAGO (jGLi) – Filipino American NBA Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday, June 28, “It’s an honor for me to be recognized by the House of Representatives in the Philippines” after becoming only the first Asian American coach to win the NBA championship last week (June 21).

In an email to this reporter, Tim Donovan, vice president for sports media of Miami Heat, quoted Spoelstra as adding, “I’ve truly had fulfilling trips the last three years working with Filipino families and youth during my off-season visits to the Philippines. It is so rewarding to be able to give back through the game of basketball that has given so much to me.”

NEW JERSEY -- Two middle school students from New Jersey won second place at the 2012 National School Scrabble Championship (NSSC) held in Orlando, Florida, April 13-14, at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. 

The pair, Filipino American 8th grader Nicholas Vasquez and 6th grader Thomas Draper, of Millburn, NJ -- known as the Da Talisman Honchos -- came behind Andy Hoang and Erik Salgado, both 8th graders from Cary, North Carolina.

Beijing, CHINA -- Ma Andrea Victoria Unson of the Philippines put up a steady performance under a windy condition to win the women's title of the 2011 Fangshan Changyang China Amateur Golf Championship yesterday at the Beijing California County Golf Club.

China's Wang Ziyi showed she was the title contender after hitting four birdies in the front nine but succumbed to the 16 Filipino hitting a double on Hole 14, and finished second with one stroke back for an even-par, three round total of 216 shots.

It was a sweet revenge for Andrea after she lost to Wang in the HSBC junior tournament in January.

MANILA (July 17) -- Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero asked the Senate on July 15 to look into bitter rivalry among the country’s top sports officials which could doom the chances of the country’s athletes in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos this December.

“Our athletes have become unwilling spectators to this sad spectacle. It is now time to act on the issues that have prejudiced the country’s preparations for the Laos Games,” the 39-year old lawmaker said.

WASHINGTON, DC (June 21) -- Two Filipino professional golfers were honored last week by the Philippine Ambassador Willy C. Gaa.  Jennifer Rosales and Dorothy Delasin beamed with pride following awarding ceremonies for the "Golden Cultural Heritage Award at the sidelines of the McDonald's LPGA Championship.

DARWIN (May 25) -- Twenty-two Filipino athletes that participated in the Arafura Games 2009, now recognised as a leading international sporting competition for the developing athletes of the Asia Pacific region, won three gold, four silver and 15 bronze medals in various sports categories.

Derrick Rose became the third Bulls player to win the Rookie of the Year award, outright Michael Jordan in 1984-85 and Elton Brand shared the award in '99-00. He received 111 first-place votes and 574 points from a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters throughout United States and Canada; runner-up O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies received five first-place votes and 127 points.

CHICAGO (Apr. 18) -- NBA playoff-bound Filipino American Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra can no longer hide his feelings. He said Filipinos can play in the NBA.

His stock in assessing the ability of Filipino players rose last week when he guided the lowly regarded Miami Heat to the NBA playoffs.

LOS ANGELES (Apr. 15) -- New Filipino international singing sensation Charice Pempengco sang the U.S. National Anthem at the opening day of the Major League Baseball season April 13 at the Dodgers Stadium at Chavez Ravine amid 55,000 fans in attendance.

While Charice sang, a 150-member of the Armed Services unfurled a U.S. flag covering the entire 100,000 square feet of bermuda-grass baseball field. To add spiff to the Dodgers opening day match with the Giants, a plane flew over the stadium releasing blue-and-white confetti that reached the stands.

NEW YORK (April 8) -- Confronting chess contenders in a simultaneous chess exhibition, NY State Chess Master Vitaliano "Nonoy" Rafael coasted easily within three hours to force each challenger into a loss. One time varsity chess team member of the Mapua Institute of Technology managed to forge a draw in a Chess Challenge event held at the Philippine Center recently.

ORLANDO (March 30) -- If there was any doubt Tiger Woods would be the Masters favorite, he dispelled it Sunday with another dramatic victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

In just his third start back from left knee surgery, Woods ignored camera flashes from the party on the other side of the pond at the par-4 18th, read his birdie putt perfectly in the semi-darkness and ran in a 15-footer for his sixth victory at Bay Hill.

NEW YORK -- In a battle of the mind and endurance, FIDE Chess Master Rico Salimbagat, outmaneuvered tournament newcomer Ryan Magat during a 5-minute “sudden-death” match to break a three-way tie and win the 2009 Winter Chess Fest top prize.

Salimbagat endured six rounds of intense play with three players tied for first place receiving the same number of points.

The event, which attracted more than 30 chess players from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, was held on March 14 at the NYU School of Medicine in Manhattan. The top-seeded former Philippine Army top player was awarded with a Championship Trophy and a $400 cash prize.  The feat is also his first competition for the year.