NEWS

World Cup-bound Malditas lauded

January 31, 2022 1:00 p.m.

PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) are celebrating the incredible win of the Philippine Women’s National Football Team (PWNFT), booking a World Cup berth for the first time ever.

The team defeated Chinese Taipei 4-3 on penalties in a nail-biting quarterfinals game in Pune, India last night. This earned them a slot in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 slated to take place in Australia.

“Our Women’s National Football Team demonstrated their resilience, skills, and unyielding spirit in the fight to qualify for the World Cup 2023. Congratulations as well to Philippine Football Federation President Nonong Araneta and Secretary General Ed Gastanes for their important role in this achievement and their leadership in developing this sport for Filipinos. This is proof that if we give our athletes the support and training that they need, we can help them reach their goals. We are extremely proud to be part of their journey as they make herstory and bring gloryto the country,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications President and CEO. Panlilio is also the President of the MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF) and the First Vice President of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The Philippines will face South Korea next for the AFC Asian Women’s Cup semifinals on February 3.

Helping PH football

PLDT and Smart, through MVPSF, have been supporting the PFF through its various programs. Following the breakthrough win of the Philippine Azkals in 2010, the MVP Group decided to invest in football across the country through the PFF-SMART National Club Championships 2011-2015. The foundation then began its support to the PFF’s Women’s National Team program when the organization decided to invest in Talent Identification of heritage Filipinas playing in the U.S., the FIFA Women’s World #1 ranked country.

In addition, MVPSF has been actively promoting football at the grassroots level, running leagues for U7, U9, and developing young talents with U11, U13 regional/provincial cluster festivals for both boys and girls.

MVPSF also supports the PFF Coaches’ Education initiatives, including the PFF-MVPSF National Coaches’ Convention, to update the local instructors and trainers with the latest trends, as well as Technical and Tactical discussions with FIFA and World Football experts who share their knowledge and best practices.

“We will continue to support the national team as they prepare for the World Cup in 2023. We will also develop the potential of our athletes who are training under PFF. We hope that this history-making feat of the Women’s National Football Team will inspire more Filipinas to get into the sport,” said Jude Turcuato, FVP and Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart, and Executive Director at MVPSF.

This program is part of the PLDT Group’s overall support for sports and Filipino athletes, and underscores the company’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal # 3: Good Health and Well-being.

NEWS

Satisfy your cravings with these best-selling Nanyang drinks

September 15, 2023 3:30 p.m.

Nanyang isn’t only known for its Laksa Prawn, Cheesy Chicken Chop Noodles and Singapore’s best selling Hainanese Chicken Rice and Kopi.

It also has several best-selling drinks to whet your appetite and satisfy your sweet tooth, such as Iced Teh Melaka, Kopi Jelly Milk Tea, Milo Dinosaur and Kopi O.

Head over to your nearest Nanyang branches nationwide.

NEWS

USA back on top; Germany takes Top 3 spot in FIBA World Ranking

September 15, 2023 1:28 p.m.

MIES (Switzerland) – The recent completion of the prestigious FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has produced some eye-catching positive climbs in the latest FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike.

USA reclaim pole position with 786.6 points after benefiting from their consistency at major tournaments over the last three summers. Finishing in fourth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup where they outperformed former number one nation Spain, their run to the Semi-Finals came off the back of winning an Olympic title at Tokyo in 2021 and also taking bronze at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022.

Recently crowned FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 champions Germany have another slice of history to enjoy as they step into the top three of the rankings for the very first time after moving up a massive eight places and onto 759.7 points. Their stunning success made all the more incredible because of the fact they made the journey to the top step of the podium without tasting defeat.

Canada also have another reason to celebrate too, with their maiden FIBA Basketball World Cup medal fueling an even bigger rise of nine spots. They now occupy sixth position with 745.5 points.

Serbia performed in outstanding fashion to make the title game and their second-placed finish gave their fans something to be proud of. Those supporters can also now enjoy and reflect on their country being a top five nation again as they move up a place and into fifth position on 755.6 points.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the scale and impact of climbing the rankings in the upper echelon, nobody can match Latvia. They have rocketed up a staggering 22 places and into the top 10 after their heroic underdog displays which ensured they took fifth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. They now sit in 8th position on 743.7 points.

There were many other teams who impressed at the flagship event, including Brazil who recorded three wins in five games and moves up a place into 12th in the rankings on 660.5 points. The Americas region can also boast a nice move upwards of five places into 16th for Puerto Rico on 611.1 points, while Dominican Republic rise six spots into 18th place on 561.9 points.

There were also notable improvements for Georgia who move up 10 positions and into 23rd on 465.9 points, Japan jump 11 spots to 26th on 432.2 points and Lebanon claim an uplift of 16 places into 28th on 423.3.

One nation that truly made everyone sit up and take notice at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 were first-timers South Sudan. They made history by beating China to claim a first win at the event, then pushing on to beat the Philippines and Angola. This has resulted in a sensational climb of 32 spots in the rankings. They now find themselves in 31st place with 375.5 points.

For more information about the method used in the calculation of the FIBA World Ranking Men, please refer to the “How It Works” section.

Click here to view the full FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike.