Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox (List price   3  months 12 Bulletins)  and thank you for choosing CamposolToday.com to publicise your organisation’s info or event Camposol Today is a website set up by Murcia Today specifically for residents of the urbanisation in Southwest Murcia providing news and information on what’s happening in the local area which is the largest English-speaking expat area in the Region of Murcia When submitting text to be included on Camposol Today please abide by the following guidelines so we can upload your article as swiftly as possible: Send an email to editor@camposoltoday.com or contact@murciatoday.com Attach the information in a Word Document or Google Doc Also attach a photo to illustrate your article SAN Miguel made it known it hasn't let go of first-round pick Avan Nava and disclosed it has a pending offer that has yet to be signed by the Fil-Canadian rookie SMB team manager Gee Abanilla said the 24-year-old Nava isn't a free agent yet since the Beermen submitted a tender offer to the Commissioner's Office to keep their rights on the player they drafted at No Abanilla said it was the camp of Nava declined what initially was a two-year offer from the Beermen "Negotiations dragged because of their non-conformity with our offer," said Abanilla Avan had practiced with the Beermen the past two weeks but asked permission if he could seek out a roster spot with other teams Since Monday, Nava has been practicing with TNT. San Miguel management further disclosed it is still willing to give Nava the chance despite the rookie falling short of expectations "Still they won't agree on our offer and we would have signed him anyway," said Abanilla Unrestricted free agent Kris Rosales (with rights to salary) has since been signed by San Miguel, although Abanilla said the door remains open to Avan But now with the new PBA season almost less than two weeks away San Miguel has given the Nava camp an ultimatum on a new offer of a season-long contract But we'll make room for him if he decides to sign," said Abanilla the San Miguel official said the team is keeping its rights on the player even if he doesn't sign the offer "An ultimatum was given to Avan and now the ball is in their hands," Abanilla said We submitted our offer to the PBA even if he didn't sign It's just to comply with what was required," he said Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph Spin.ph has been granted the NPC Seal of Registration in recognition of the successful registration of its DPO and DPS We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on Spin.ph. By continued use, you agree to our privacy policy and accept our use of such cookies. Find out more here {{gallery.imageDetails.images.0.description}} EVERYTHING now depends on Kyt Jimenez San Miguel management said the sophomore guard has already sought its blessings on the possibility of him playing for the Zamboanga Valientes starting in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship Team manager Gee Abanilla told Spin.ph that Jimenez was courteous enough to ask for permission from the organization well aware he still has a live contract with the team that runs until the end of December this year kinausap niya naman kami and nagpaalam siya ng maayos,” said Abanilla prior to the Beermen’s departure for Japan for their East Asia Super League (EASL) game against the Hiroshima Dragonflies Jimenez, the No. 76 pick of San Miguel in the Season 48 draft, has been relegated to the Unrestricted Free Agent (with rights to salary) list by the team prior to the start of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup He has since verbally agreed to play for the Valientes but no contract has yet been signed with team owner Junnie Navarro “Ang alam ko may inaayos pa sila sa kontrata niya,” according to Abanilla Jimenez’s remaining contract with San Miguel will already be considered null and void Hind ka naman puwedeng double contract,” according to Abanilla Jimenez played a total of three games in his last active stint with San Miguel in the Governors’ Cup The Beermen missed out on a finals stint in the season-opening conference losing to Barangay Ginebra Kings in six games of their semifinals series Abanilla is an attractive and characterful town its compact nature making it the perfect destination for a morning visit followed by a good lunch and an optional walk in the countryside afterwards Those who prefer to participate in guided visits can join in with one of the cultural tours of the town centre organised by the tourist information office throughout the year although these are generally run in Spanish The tourist office can organise tours in English by prior arrangment for groups This short walking tour takes in the most important monuments in the town and allows time to stop off and enjoy a coffee or purchase local products en-route The first stop off-point should be the local tourist office and information about where to eat and walking routes for the afternoon gathered if required The tourist office is located on Calle Pío XII (tel 968 684 075 / 680 204 720) and is open Monday to Friday from 9.15am to 1pm (October to June) or from 8.15am to 2pm (July to September).  Those who prefer to plan in advance may find it interesting to read the history of Abanilla as it helps to clarify the historical detail behind the monuments of the urban area (click History of Abanilla) and you’ll find more detailed information about each of the locations mentioned below by clicking the links provided This building was the headquarters of the administrative and business operations of the military-religious Order of Calatrava which effectively “owned“ Abanilla and it was here that the members of the Order received their “diezmo” taxes from the local population These taxes were usually paid as a proportion – and quite a large proportion – of the production on the agricultural land around Abanilla and therefore space had to be provided to store large quantities of cereals fruit and many other items of food and drink being another name by which the building is known It was also the home of the “Comendador” who oversaw operations of the Order in Abanilla The stone coat of arms of the Requena/Cabrera family above the main door is one of the largest in the Region of Murcia, (measuring 315 by 85 cm) and features the goat (“cabra”) associated with the lineage. Click for more information about Casa Cabrera Iglesia Parroquíal de San José The Iglesia Parroquial de San José (1712) is opposite the Casa Cabrera and is a typical Baroque church of the period In 2012 minor restoration work was carried out to mark the third centenary of the building following major restoration after the civil conflict in Spain which lasted from 1931 to 1939 during which the church was stripped of almost all its archives ornaments and items of worship: in 1964 the ceiling required considerable repairs and re-decoration leaving the original (and the burial stones it contained) concealed in all but one of the side chapels and in the main entry porch Some of these gravestones marked the last resting places of the Cabrera family who were descendants of Ramón de Rocafull the cousin of King Jaime I “el Conquistador” who quelled the Moorish rebellions following the Reconquist when the armies of Castile y León and Aragon ousted the Moors who had occupied southern and central Spain for 500 years It was the Rocafull family who eventually ceded Abanilla to the Orden de Calatrava and the cross of the Order is featured in the decoration both inside the church The colourful altar screen includes representations of San José with the young Jesus and the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcíon Similar in design to the altar screen of the church of San Miguel in Murcia the central panels are supported by cherubim and Solomonic columns suggesting that it may also be the work of Jacinto Perales and his brother Antonio A side chapel is home to the silver reliquary containing pieces of the lignum crucis ceded to the municipality in 1943 after the original reliquery disappeared at the start of the Spanish Civil War The Cross of Abanilla is synonymous with the identity of the town and references to it can be seen everywhere The main fiesta in Abanilla are linked to the veneration of the cross, and the reliquery is carried in Romería at the beginning of May every year. Click for more information about San José Abanilla return to the town hall and continue up Calle Mayor to the Plaza de las Cortes in which a magnificent tiled fountain can be seen showing idealistic representations of rural bliss and the agricultural heritage of the municipality including the May Romería with the Cross of Abanilla and those with the energy can climb up to the highest viewing point above town and the Lugar Alto (which means high point) formerly the site of the Moorish fortifications which once offered shelter to the farming community and today is the home of the imposing figure of the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús take a look at the houses near to the top of the hill; these are cut into the hillside and are typical of the cave houses found in southern Spain Lugar Alto is certainly the place to come for superb views of the town below and to gain a feel for the sierras and areas surrounding it, before descending down some fairly steep steps to the town below and a well-earned coffee and cake. Click here: Lugar Alto Don´t forget to purchase locally produced olive oil and bread baked in a wood-fired oven at one of the panaderías which still make their bread using traditional wood ovens; the big giveaway is the stack of wood outside of the building Click here for further information about the Abanilla municipality, including its natural attractions: Abanilla IS volatile Kelly Nabong worth the gamble for San Miguel The San Miguel team manager said the San Miguel organization is willing to give the 6-foot-6 bruiser a chance to prove his worth after acquiring him in a trade with GlobalPort for Gabby Espinas and a 2020 second-round draft pick Abanilla said the Beermen are well aware of the Fil-American's colorful history in six years in the PBA which included a fistfight with Marc Pingris and a shouting match with Jimmy Alapag that led to his exit from Meralco But the SMB official said they won't pre-judge the enigmatic big man “I would like to think that we are one of the teams which do not judge people unless we have a direct experience on the subject We always believe that there is always good in anyone despite a troubled past and we believe in giving people chances to better themselves with the proper guidance and understanding,” he said has experienced a resurgence in his career first at Meralco and later at GlobalPort where he averaged 7.3 points and 2.5 assists in his 27.7 minutes of action in the Commissioner’s Cup prior to the trade But with the big games came the troubling incidents which included a scuffle with Rain or Shine's Maverick Ahanmisi and a shouting match with Phoenix coach Louie Alas bringing in Nabong also entails danger to the outstanding chemistry of the Beermen which insiders believe is among the keys to the team's success But Abanilla would like to see Nabong in another light Kelly is a fierce competitor who doesn’t like to be mediocre but has built a not-so-good reputation in the PBA,” he said we cannot discount the fact that he has talent and could fulfill a role for our team.” Nabong will have to find a way to co-exist with four-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo and top rookie pick Christian Standhardinger “We are hoping that he could find a home in SMB and personally I am hoping that he could showcase what good basketball is really all about but whatever he does with that chance is really up to him,” the amiable executive said The River Chícamo in Abanilla is one of the best known beauty spots in the landscape of Murcia and is of special interest not only to walkers but also to naturalists and geologists A short 3-kilometre route takes walkers back into geological history as it features deposits left by a previous river between 7 and 10 million years ago when what is now the north-east of Murcia was on the Mediterranean coast This is the first part of the PR-MU 74 . Click wikilocks Ten million years ago the area now occupied by the Region of Murcia was part of a strait which joined the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean and to the north of Macisvenda was a steep-sided body of land from which various streams and torrents flowed into the sea whenever it rained These water courses left large quantities of sediment below The larger rocks and stones in this sediment accumulated close to the shore where they underwent erosion both by the waves and by marine organisms including date mussels (Lithophaga) and demo-sponges (Clionia) smaller debris was washed further into the sea and accumulated on top of seabed mud and each solid rib of the delta was covered alternately in hardcore rocks (following periods of heavy rain) and fine sand (in times of calmer climatic conditions) At this point in the history of the Earth the climate in Murcia was warm and coastal and the sediment in the deltas was home to colonies of coral which were occasionally buried under new waves of debris showered on them after heavy rain The recommended route follows the course of the Chícamo downstream from its source and begins in an area where the vegetation is dominated by palm trees the water flowing from various springs where it accumulates between the porous layers of rock above and the impermeable layers beneath This system of springs is referred to by geologists as the Chícamo aquifer sub-system: it covers an area of around 25 square kilometres and is part of the Quibas network of aquifers (243 square kilometres) the landscape changes and there are red Triassic rocks all of which are among the minerals still quarried in Abanilla There are also dolomites and yesos forming a Keuper rockscape: these were formed over 200 million years ago when continental sediment was deposited into large saltwater lagoons Further downstream it is possible to see Tortonian formations on top of the Keuper complete with holes created mostly by bivalve molluscs and date mussels but also by oysters and barnacles: this is visible evidence that between 10 and 7 million years ago the rock face in Abanilla was in fact the Mediterranean coast Here the light yellow and grey layers of sediment relate to the periods of clam climate in which the ribs of the delta were covered in sand But the most iconic landscape associated with the Chícamo is a little further along the route consisting of a narrow gorge which has been eroded into a vast conglomerate rock formation At some points the gorge is only two metres wide but almost 40 metres deep and even in periods of prolonged drought there is always water in the river: on a warm day it is hard not to be tempted into taking a dip in one of the pools which form along the way In this area it is also possible to see different layers of deposit which were left by episodes of heavy rain some of them jutting out over the softer rock of the layer below and the small coral reefs provide evidence of the warm coastal climate millions of years ago These reefs did not grow to the height of those which can be seen in Fortuna (at Cortado de las Peñas) and Molina de Segura (at Comala and El Rellano) on account of them periodically being buried between fresh layers of deposit after more episodes of heavy rain Along this stretch of the Chícamo geologists will also spot several fault lines some of which offered a natural advantage to the erosive force of the water as it made its way downstream These faults are responsible for some of the 90-degree meanders in the course of the river and at the same time walkers can see rock folds where water and calcium carbonate drip out and form travertines Downstream from the gorge the sedimentary rock gives way to reddish sandstone and this is a sign that we are at the outer limits of the prehistoric delta formation Slowly these in turn are replaced by yellow and grey marl formed from the seabed mud and close to the Macisvenda road are more marl and sandstone formations which originated in swamps As walkers make their way back up to the road to Abanilla it is not hard for them to imagine the prehistoric landscape of ten million years ago: to the south the mountains of Abanilla which at that time would have formed an island to the north the Sierra del Cantón (the mainland) and in between the two a sea channel into which the delta which is now the Chícamo would have flowed forming part of the “Sea of Fortuna” Over time large amounts of marl were deposited into this sea before being eroded and it was this which gave rise to the “badlands” landscape of the area The source of the River Chícamo is close to the village of Macisvenda and is best reached on foot from the A-9 road between Abanilla and Macisvenda: cars should be left either at the hamlet of Chícamo or in La Umbría La Umbria is reached from Abanilla by taking the road towards El Partidor and El Tollé and following a signposted turning to the right after approximately 8 kilometres Leave the car in the village and walk to the point where the road crosses the river bed The route itself is marked in the style of the many “PR” walks in the Region of Murcia For further information about Abanilla, visit or contact the tourist information office or click for further information about what to see in Abanilla, for tourist information and agenda Although there are a number of different fiestas in Abanilla throughout the year by far and away the most important are those which take place at the beginning of May While the religious element of these fiestas focuses on the reliquery of the lignum crucis, the Santísima Cruz, which is also the patrona of Abanilla there is a second element to these celebrations in which the well-worn topic of " Moors and Christians" surfaces the two kábildes and mesnadas (groups of Moors and Christians) celebrating the historical past of their municipality to enjoy a series of sociable acts together Two different bodies organize these fiestas: La Federación de Asociaciones de Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos "Santa Cruz" de Abanilla which takes care of all the details relating to the parade and Moors and Christians element and the Hermandad de la Santa Cruz which organizes the religious acts; the romería of the 3rd May The principal acts take place between the last week of April and the first week of May the main acts of each being the grand parade of the Moors and Christians on the 1st May and Romería of the 3rd May in which the cross of Abanilla is carried to the church of Mahoya In the weeks prior to the main religious celebrations between the 1st and 3rd of May these groups select the individuals who will carry out the main acts of the fiestas the individuals who will carry the cross in procession etc and further strengthen the communal society bonds within their groups with “half year fiestas” which take place in November a sociable event involving entertainment and shared meal 5am Pasacalles with drum through the streets 6am Diana floreada wake-up call through the streets with the band Unión Musical Santa Cruz collecting pages and captains to take them to the church 7.30am Holy mass in the Iglesia de san José the Romería to the Ermita de Mahoya takes place at about 8am accompanied by the Unión Musical Santa Cruz and hundreds of townspeople The Romería begins with a noisy musket salute from the arcabuceros They continue to fire at fixed points along the route which makes progress of the procession slow This romería only covers a distance of around 2km but takes over 3 hours due to the quantity of people who attend and the process of firing off muskets in honour of the patrona en-route On arrival at the hermitage the Santa Cruz is formally presented to the waiting crowds from beneath a canopy on the side of the hermitage Following this the captains undertake the flag waving ceremony which consists of waving the flag half to the right followed by two complete passes to both the left and the right a child pulls a cord which opens the pomegranate also releasing a shower of water which bathes the cross mass is celebrated in the hermitage and the townspeople disperse to enjoy family picnics in the park area surrounding the hermitage stopping off at the Ermita de Santa Ana where the flag waving takes place once again Click for more information about the Abanilla municipality The “lavadero” of Abanilla is one of the last public wash-houses to be in full working order in the Region of Murcia and although it is used by only a few of the locals is clearly an anachronism various of the residents continue to fight to keep open The water arrives at the wash-house from a thermal spring not far outside the town – it is worth remembering that the thermal spa of Fortuna is only a few kilometres away and always flows into the large communal wash-basin at a temperature of approximately 20ºC Having served its purpose in the wash-house it then flows out and is re-used for irrigation in the surrounding countryside Clothes are washed at the downstream end of the basin before rinsing takes place at the top in order to ensure that the rinsing water does not contain suds when the public washing area was moved from the fountain in Calle Mayor and has since been modified on various occasions but it is currently clear that the surfaces and wash-boards are far more recent and the attractive decorative ceramic tiling those who regularly use the facility are worried that they may be the last generation to do so and are lobbying for more repairs and improvements in order to ensure that it remains as a part of daily life rather than becoming redundant The wash-house of Abanilla can be visited at any time and those who are using it are mostly keen to answer questions and explain that although they own washing machines they prefer to carry out this chore by hand maintaining that it is an important part of the town’s social life The only problem for unaccompanied visitors might be how to find the wash-house: it is tucked away behind the church of San José, and access is via a little passageway to the right-hand side of the main façade of the church (click for map location) A ramp exists to make access easier for those of limited mobility The wash house is usually included in the free guided tours of the historical locations within the town run by the tourist office It's a fascinating place for visitors to see as there are so few of these buildings still operational now that washing machines have replaced the cumbersome task of hand-washing clothes and bedding by hand in a public wash-house Click here to read the background historical information about the development of Abanilla Click here for more information about the places to visit and agenda of activities in Abanilla By far the most important fiestas in the calendar of the municipality of Abanilla are those devoted to the Moros y Cristianos festival, a recreation of the Reconquista in Abanilla, and the patron of the town, the Santa Cruz (or Holy Cross). These take place every year between 20th April and the first week of May with the two most popular events being the Grand Moros y Cristianos parade on the national holiday of 1st May and the Romería de la Santa Cruz on 3rd May In the grand parade the number of people playing an active role reaches 1,500 around a quarter of the entire population of Abanilla while the Romería is among the best attended in southern Spain Throughout the fiestas the balconies of homes in the town are adorned with the standards of the various groups of Moors and Christians taking part and the colourful costumes are an important part of the numerous parades On the day of the Romería the atmosphere is enlivened by the scent of gunpowder as arquebuses and other antique-style weapons are fired in the streets and wine and music are also very much in evidence on a day of celebration as the procession makes its way to the little church of Mahoya where it is said that the Holy Cross first appeared in Abanilla Another important date in the calendar of Abanilla is the first week of August when the International Folklore Festival takes place The date varies each year although generally co-incides with the first weekend of the month Fiestas in outlying districts of Abanilla; Various patron saint’s festivities in the numerous outlying districts The Semana Santa (Easter Week) celebrations in Abanilla include processions on Palm Sunday and the Procesión del Resucitado and the Virgen Gloriosa on Easter Sunday morning Click for more information about visiting Abanilla, along with agenda In late 1994 a group of walkers in the Sierra de Quibas in the north–west of the municipality of Abanilla stumbled across a collection of fossilized bones in one of the many small quarries which are dotted around the countryside and not long afterwards researchers from the University and National Museum of Valencia established that this was in fact the location of a paleontological treasure trove It is now known that the site is around 1.3 million years old and provides information regarding the fauna of the southern Iberian Peninsula between times related to the sites of Venta Micena in Granada (which dates back to 2 million years ago) and Cueva Victoria in Cartagena (1 to 1.2 million years ago) Fossil evidence from this period is relatively rare but to date remains have been found at the Quibas site of as many as 60 taxons This latter category includes many goats and a forerunner of the musk ox and there are even bones belonging to the Barbary macaque which still lives on the Rock of Gibraltar There are hopes that future digs may yet unearth fossilized early human remains following the claims that human bones have been found at Cueva Victoria This has led to the postulation of the theory that Homo habilis first reached Europe by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar from Africa and the archaeologists at Quibas are optimistic that more evidence to support this idea may emerge in the not too distant future The paleontological site of Quibas is on the south-eastern slopes of the eastern tip of the Sierra de Quibas around 5 kilometres from the village of Barinas members of the public are not advised to visit on their own and secondly because once there they are unlikely to recognize the significance of what they see without the guidance of an expert a small display of some of the items unearthed can be opened by tourist office staff for the benefit of groups of visitors and this also includes recreations of some of the species to which the fossils found belonged There are plans for organized visits to the actual site itself in the Sierra de Quibas in the future See feed box below for any scheduled what's on events Click here for the full history of Abanilla Click here for more information about visiting Abanilla, and for forthcoming events. The much-anticipated rigodon of coaches of San Miguel Corp.-owned teams is underway with Gee Abanilla taking over from Olsen Racela as coach of Petron where he will be joined by a whole new team of assistant coaches and team manager who was replaced as La Salle coach last month will have newly minted ABL champion coach Leo Austria of San Miguel and Koy Banal The only holdover from Racela's staff will be former pro Biboy Ravanes The shuffle was announced during a meeting called by top SMC officials on Tuesday at the company headquarters where all the coaches of the three teams under its umbrella were present Named Petron team manager is Siot Tanquingcen who won championships as a coach of Ginebra and was also a former coach of the flagship franchise of the SMC group has been named the franchise's alternate board member - the same post to be held by current Ginebra manager Samboy Lim League chairman Robert Non is now Ginebra's team manager and representative to the board former Indonesia Warriors coach Todd Purves is set to return to the country in two weeks time to take on a consultant role at Petron He was in the country for four days last week and sources said he has already agreen terms with the SMC group has been moved to San Mig as one of Tim Cone's assistants Ginebra will also have two new faces in its coaching staff in former Petron champion coach Ato Agustin and George Gallent Gallent played for Ginebra head coach Al Chua during his days in the amateur leagues Spin.ph had earlier reported that University of the East coach Boycie Zamar and Alaska assistant coach Louie Alas have been offered assistant coaching positions at Barangay Ginebra Ginebra has also lost Juno Sauler and Allan Caidic who are now working full time at La Salle as coach and assistant big boss and top De La Salle patron Eduardo 'Danding' Cojuangco was left so exasperated after the Green Archers finished the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup with three ugly losses that he immediately dropped the ax on head coach Gee Abanilla De La Salle's buildup for the coming UAAP season was going so smoothly that pundits were quick to install the Green Archers as one of the pre-tournament favorites it all fell apart for the team and its coach First came a 53-60 loss in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup to the long-suffering University of the East Red Warriors Next was another 70-78 setback to injury-hit archrival Ateneo which showed up with only 10 players but had King Eagle Kiefer Ravena at his very best Compounding the Green Archers' woes was an ugly loss in the knockout rounds of the preseason tournament to NCAA champion San Beda which stared at a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter only to see crack guard Baser Amer lead the Red Lions to a rousing 66-63 victory Abanilla's departure came as a complete shock not only to the players and the La Salle community but to the man tasked to take over the position a longtime assistant coach with the team who admitted he didn't expect the job to land on his lap said the coaching change was made after Petron where Abanilla holds a concurrent role as an assistant coach requested Abanilla to go full-time with the PBA ballclub as the ""Boosters undergo a re-organization within the team."" La Salle’s representative to the UAAP board said Petron has long been in talks with La Salle on Abanilla being recalled to work full-time for Petron Eventually it was decided that Abanilla will be allowed to finish the Filoil tournament before handing over the reigns to Sauler there were discussions with Petron since the first week of May Ricky prevailed upon Petron management to have coach Gee finish the Filoil tournament first,” said Atayde Another source from DLSU who declined to be named said San Miguel Corp big boss Eduardo 'Danding' Cojuangco Jr wanted someone to coach the Archers full-time La Salle's statement was followed by a swift Petron denial that Abanilla is in line to replace Olsen Racela as the Boosters' head coach That only meant that a Petron ""re-organization"" may be afoot but Abanilla won't play so big a role in the team as to require his full has told Spin.ph shortly after assuming the position that he has no plan to quit his job as an assistant coach at Barangay Ginebra meaning he will be playing a dual role just like Abanilla now that he is at the helm of the Archers Insiders reveal a disappointed Cojuangco made the decision after the Archers' three losses in the Filoil tournament had been very hands-on with the affairs of the Green Archers since returning to the role as the team's top backer last season Cojuangco had overseen the Archers' major buildup since last season going as far as joining the Archers in a trip to Bacolod to land point guard sensation Kib Montalbo He was also instrumental in bringing in Jeron Teng last season as well as Southwestern University's Ben Mbala during the offseason To see the Green Archers' buildup fall apart barely three weeks to the season left Cojuangco no choice but to drop the ax on Abanilla who played for the Green Archers in the nineties has long been part of the school's basketball program He had handled La Salle's women's team and had been an assistant to Franz Pumaren and was in fact on the short list when the Archers appointed Abanilla to replace Dindo Pumaren last season And since he was a part of Abanilla's staff since last year Sauler is in the best position to give the Archers a seamless transition so close to the season under the circumstances this early there are talks that the La Salle shake-up may go beyond Sauler with the job eventually going to one familiar face at La Salle who also happens to be one of Danding's most trusted men in basketball The multi-titled Uichico quit San Miguel last year after falling out of favor with the basketball organization which is now being run by people handpicked by Ramon S He has since found a new home with the rival MVP group where he is now an assistant to Ryan Gregorio at Meralco and to Chot Reyes in the Gilas Pilipinas national team who was spotted recently watching one Filoil game while seated next to Cojuangco may end up making a college basketball comeback at La Salle once he finishes his commitments with Gilas who has not handled a major basketball program but gained both respect and recognition at Ginebra for quietly doing his work as part of the backroom staff he excels in studying video and breaking down plays of opposing teams - the same roles which Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and Alaska champion coach Luigi Trillo played before assuming head-coaching jobs Now it's up to him on whether he becomes a stop-gap measure or a big part of La Salle for the long term SAN Miguel Beer team manager Gee Abanilla said they are still hopeful that top import prospect Arinze Onuaku could suit up with the Beermen in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup which opens next week at the Mall of Asia Arena On a day when Onuaku's local agent released a statement about the SMB deal 'falling through,' Abanilla said he believed the wide-bodied import is a perfect fit for the team owing to his size “Under negotiation pa rin hanggang ngayon though marami kaming options pero type namin siya (Onuaku) saka gusto ng mga coaches 'yun eh,” Abanilla told Spin.ph on Tuesday Onuaku is awaiting a possible NBA call-up following his impressive showing at the recent NBA D-League Showcase the Arinze buy-out (with his D-League team Canton Charge) was being processed but due to his spectacular performance at the NBA D-League Showcase NBA teams have expressed interest and he can have a possible call-up,” Reyes posted on her Twitter account on Tuesday Onuaku also played overseas in Lithuania and in China where he averaged 28.6 points and 14.8 rebounds for the Chongqing Flying Dragons Abanilla said he doesn’t want to distract coach Leo Austria and his staff since they are focused on their preparation for Wednesday’s do-or-die Game Seven against Alaska in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals ayaw naming i-pre-empt ang lahat but w’ere having some discussions That’s our priority and we want to keep our focus on Game Seven but we’re prepared for any situation,” he added COACH Gee Abanilla hopes Saturday’s Game Three loss would be enough to jolt Petron and make the team realize that Rain or Shine is capable of beating the Boosters on any given night It’s also a reminder that the Elasto Painters are the defending PBA Governors Cup defending champions and won’t go down without a fight And so the Boosters will try go for it again and finish the best-of-five semifinal series on Monday when they tangle with the Elasto Painters in Game Four at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum Coming off an 87-92 loss that snapped the team’s 11-game winning streak Petron is eyeing a return trip to the Finals after two years in the 7:15 p.m But Abanilla knows the task won’t be easy considering the physicality and resilience the Elasto Painters showed the last time “Talagang ini-expect na namin yan (physicality) because they (E-Painters) will try to do something on their situation,” said Abanilla who once served as Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao’s assistant during their time with Red Bull several years back Abanilla said the Boosters need to develop their killer instinct and play with a greater sense of urgency “Every time you’re in this kind of level you need to have a certain kind of sense of urgency And that’s what we need to work on,” said the rookie mentor “We want to create an identity for ourselves whether we’re up or we’re down we’re slowly trying to build this culture and hopefully we can regroup as we face them again on Monday,” Abanilla added Rain or Shine finally got the first step after securing a first win in the series and avoid being swept unceremoniously in the series And the next goal is to win again and make a series out of it “We’re just trying to prolong the series and make a series out of it we have a serious attempt at the Finals,” said Guiao who didn’t coach Rain or Shine until the start of the second quarter of Game Three after being stuck in heavy traffic from Pampanga The Elasto Painters coach is also hopeful his gunners led by Jeff Chan and import Arizona Reid along with big men JR Quinahan and Beau Belga could knock down their outside shots to give them a fighting chance in the series There will never be easy games,” said the fiery Rain or Shine mentor We want to make it hard for them (Boosters) to win We know we won’t win against them easy so we just want to reciprocate that also,” he added Chan rediscovered his shooting touch after struggling for the most part of the conference firing 18 points spiked by four three-point shots in leading the Elasto Painters LA SALLE coach Gee Abanilla blamed the Green Archers' end game collapse in the showdown with Ateneo on lack of maturity with 2:20 minutes left to play in the regulation the Taft-based dribblers committed turnovers that gave the Eagles the chance to pull away down the stretch and score a 61-71 win at the MOA Arena "In the last 2:20 minutes we couldn't execute We were making mistakes and that's what we have to work on especially in the end game." We actually gave the ball to them," he added The La Salle mentor also stressed that lack of maturity was also a factor in their defeat "Lumalaban kami but in the end game we lack the maturity," he said we were not able to stop their easy points." Abanilla said that they're a work in progress "We're slowly learning and I hope makuha nila agad yun But the positive side is that maganda ang come back namin Up next for the Archers are the University of Santo Tomas Tigers on Saturday we have to understand that we have the chance to improve La Salle fell to the fourth spot at 2-2 in a tie with National U GEE Abanilla marks his first PBA semifinal stint as a coach by pitting wits against no less than his former mentor Top seed Petron goes up against defending Governors Cup champion Rain or Shine in a best-of-five semifinal series whose main sub plot revolves around the coaching match-up between Abanilla and Yeng Guiao The two won championships together with Barako Bull in the past until eventually parting ways when Abanilla became one of the deputies in the stable of the San Miguel Group of Companies prior to his appointment as head coach of the Boosters at the start of the conference they’ll try to win a title at the expense of each other The respect for Guiao will always be there who nonetheless feels excited to go up against the fiery Rain or Shine coach “Going up against this guy in the semifinals is a challenge You don’t know what to expect,” said Abanilla shortly after Petron ousted seventh-seed Barangay Ginebra in their quarterfinal playoff that made the semifinals showdown with Rain or Shine possible The former De La Salle guard admitted having learned a lot from Guiao during his long stint as main assistant of the multi-titled coach with whom he kept his friendship despite the two of them now belonging to different ballclubs “It’s really hard to quantify kung ano `yung natutunan ko (kay coach Yeng) I know for a fact that his leadership skill is very high Petron’s win snapped Rain or Shine’s streak after a 2-0 start But Abanilla said that would hardly matter now “It really has less meaning now because this is the playoff we just have to be prepared for what they’ll gonna do,” said the Petron coach SINGAPORE — A pair of limited edition Nike sneakers could prove to be a critical piece of evidence as the Spanish Civil Guard - a national police force - continue to probe their suspect in the killing of Singaporean Audrey Fang.  after being arrested in connection with the death of fellow Singaporean Audrey Fang who was on a solo trip to Spain, left her belongings in her hotel and was never heard from again.  Her body was found a day later with 30 stab wounds near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla A preliminary autopsy report found that knife wounds and head trauma were the cause of her death reported Spanish media outlet La Verdad de Murcia Her suspected killer, named as Mitchell Ong by the newspaper, was arrested in Alicante on April 16. He appeared in court last Friday.  On Tuesday (April 23), La Verdad reported that detectives have honed in on the €935 (S$1,350) limited edition Nike sneakers that were found in Ong's hotel room when he was arrested in Alicante Cash in the form of €3,760 and S$1,000 were also found in the room and seized the soles of the shoes match the footprints found at the crime scene The Spanish Civil Guard have since sent a sample of the soil embedded in the soles for a laboratory analysis to determine if it matches the soil found on Ms Fang's body They are also looking to compare that sample with the sandstone found in the Abanilla area.  The sneakers are of particular importance to police due to their exclusivity - it retails for €935 on luxury clothing website Farfetch, and are European size 48.5 That size corresponds with Ong's build and 1.88m height Court documents seen by La Verdad have also detailed other evidence building against Ong A judge in the Magistrates' Court of Cieza noted what the suspect wore on the evening of April 9 when Ms Fang was last seen and when he returned a few hours later.  Closed-circuit television cameras at the hotel where Ong was staying captured the 43-year-old leaving at around 5.45pm while dressed in a hoodie and black pants.  He returned to the hotel in the early hours of April 10 at around 2.06am, wearing jeans and a blue sweater. Ong, who got married in 2012 and owned several businesses in Singapore was due to meet his Ukrainian girlfriend at the same hotel the following day Spanish police have proven that both Ms Fang's and Ong's mobile phones were together in Abanilla on the day she died according to local newspaper Levante El Mercantil Valenciano.  It added that she was not sexually assaulted and that the two had known each other for many years.  The judge said it is inferred “without a doubt” that both Singaporeans were in the same area and in the same time slot on the day the crime was committed based on data provided by mobile phone operators in Abanilla and he will remain in jail as he is considered to be a flight risk and due to the seriousness of the offence The judge noted that Ong is a Singaporean with no roots in Spain and has "sufficient economic capacity” to leave the country Both the prosecutor’s office and the Spanish lawyer hired by Ms Fang's family, Manuel Martínez have demanded Ong's remand be extended.  The report by Levante El Mercantil Valenciano said there might have been an "economic motive" for the killing adding that Ms Fang had reportedly transferred money to an unidentified third person.  Sources also told La Verdad of an "economic motive" corroborating Levante El Mercantil Valenciano's report while adding that she had participated in a type of investment fund.  it is not ruled out that the murder was committed over a sentimental issue While their lawyer in Spain has said that Ong's trial could take a year or more the family of Ms Fang are hoping to get more answers over her killing opened up about their shock upon learning of her killing "We're just very sad and horrified that she was taken in such a horrible way," said her brother Benjamin Fang Ms Fang was an architect who worked in a design services company while keeping her late mother's floral business alive.  She had dreamt of retiring early and moving to Bali with her cousin to live in a home she would personally design and can only be repatriated when an English death certificate and embalming certificate have been issued That is expected to happen sometime this week Mr Fang said he had never heard of Ong and did not know what kind of relationship his sister had with the suspect Ong's Instagram profile depicts him as a frequent gym user with a penchant for global raves "It's still quite ambiguous to us," he added. "In the meantime we're going to ask more friends and family if they've seen this person if anybody knows anything about this guy." CNA Todayonline.com and Today Online domains and apps are now part of 'Channelnewsasia.com' domain We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with TODAY to be fast Upgraded but still having issues? Contact us PETRON’s first encounter with co-leader Ginebra in the PLDT myDSL-Philippine Cup on Wednesday presents an interesting matchup between two of the biggest players in the league but Boosters coach Gee Abanilla stressed that that is not all there is to it “That’s (game) gonna be exciting It’s gonna be a good match-up between us and Ginebra because you’ve got the two tallest guys matching up in the PBA,” he said about the much-anticipated Greg Slaughter-Junemar Fajardo duel But Abanilla noted that Boosters were outrebounded by the smaller E-Painters in a 95-99 loss and Petron also gave 22 second-chance points to Rain or Shine - something which he said they cannot allow against a taller and more athletic frontline of Ginebra Abanilla is hoping to get better numbers from backup big men Doug Kramer and even Yousef Taha who returned from a five-game absence due to an MCL sprain on Saturday so the Boosters can better match up against Ginebra 'Twin Towers' Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar “We just have to work on certain things again make ourselves better and it’s just a process we have to be playing our best to beat other teams like Ginebra,” noted the former La Salle head coach Fajardo has recorded career-best numbers of 15.5 points which Abanilla said is a result of the 6’10” big man’s hard work “He’s (Fajardo) really consistent and I’m really happy about it pini-physical siya eh but he’ll be learning that later on,” Abanilla told Spin.ph of his prized center out of the University of Cebu The Gin Kings have won their last four games the most recent a 96-89 victory over the Alaska Aces for their seventh win in eight starts Aguilar is averaging career-numbers of 19.7 points 9.1 rebounds and a league-best 4.0 blocks per contest this season while the 6’11” rookie Slaughter averages 15.0 points AFTER Petron Blaze’s ugly start the last time Boosters coach Gee Abanilla vows to come out with a stronger effort to regain control of the PBA Governors Cup title series when they clash with San Mig Coffee in Game Five on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum The Boosters managed to crawl back from a 28-point first half deficit to take the lead for a time in the final period suffering an 86-88 decision against the Mixers in Game Four Friday night The win allowed San Mig to tie the series at 2-2 reducing the Finals to a best-of-three affair “Credit San Mig for coming out really strong We’ll be well prepared on what might transpire we’ll be heads up,” said a determined Abanilla who is out to end Petron’s two-year title drought said they just can’t allow another slow start or San Mig will gain the confidence to take control of the series “I don’t want anything haunting me This (Game Four) is a game we have to learn we can’t allow them (Mixers) to get a big lead and second we have to take care of business right from the start and finish it all the way,” explained the Boosters rookie coach Mixers coach Tim Cone said they can’t look back and dwell on their near monumental collapse in Game Four We can’t get frustrated,” said Cone who admitted he was drained coaching the Mixers during their bad second half defensive effort who provides the team’s energy on the defensive end said they can’t afford to play complacent basketball at this stage of the tournament “Maganda yung depensa namin sa first and second quarter pero sa fourth nagising kami na Finals na ito di naman ito elims,” explained the 6-foot-5 Pingris who finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds GEE Abanilla is very much aware of the odds stacked against his La Salle Archers when they take on arch-rival Ateneo at the start of the Final Four on Saturday Ateneo has beaten La Salle in 11 of their last 12 meetings in the UAAP basketball tournament That included a sweep of their two meetings this year in Abanilla's first season as Archers coach no fourth-seeded team has ever reached the finals since the Final Four format was instituted in the country's premier college league in 1994 the Archers will have to win not just once but twice against an Ateneo team that has put together one of the most dominant reigns in the league “We need all the advantage we can get,” said Abanilla in what could be the understatement of the season counting a 69-66 win over Far Eastern University in a do-or-die game last Wednesday have given the Archers the needed momentum going into their match against the Eagles I think I’m happy with how we are playing We are peaking at the right time,” said Abanilla The Green Archers are also hoping Ateneo would come out sluggish and rusty after a two-week break the long layoff of Ateneo will do well for us,” Abanilla said Third-seed National University is more or less in the same boat having lost both meetings to second-seed University of Santo Tomas this season hopes to ride the momentum of four successive victories at the end of the elimination round - the last a win over FEU that guaranteed the Bulldogs' first appearance in the Final Four in 11 years If Altamirano is also in search of motivation was the last team to win a championship as a third seed back in Pido Jarencio's first season as coach in 2006 “It’s a clean sheet,” said NU star and this year’s MVP Bobby Ray Parks We have to prepare hard especially with a team who beat us twice.” SAN Miguel will be missing the services of power forward Vic Manuel for at least two months as he undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery The 36-year-old ‘Muscle Man’ is set to undergo a procedure to clean his knee of any meniscal fragments San Miguel team manager Gee Abanilla said the operation is upon the recommendation of renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr The San Miguel official added the procedure is needed as soon as possible after pain and tightness on the knee persisted even after rehabilitation but still produces pain and tightness on his knees,” said Abanilla Manuel could be back in action as early as six weeks “Hopefully,” according to Abanilla The 6-4 Manuel won his first PBA championship with the Beermen in the Philippine Cup and played in 46 games for the season The Beermen also elegated Jeepy Faundo to the injured/ reserve list SAN Miguel rookie Kyt Jimenez could be out for more than a month following a freak accident suffered just before the Beermen kicked off their title-retention campaign in the PBA Philippine Cup Team manager Gee Abanilla disclosed Jimenez suffered a huge cut on his right forearm when he slipped after emerging from the bathtub following an ice bath at home two weeks ago The laceration was so huge it needed 19 stitches to close “Tingin ko at least two months ito. Medyo fresh pa, e,” said Abanilla on Friday shortly after San Miguel won its first game of the conference against Rain or Shine Jimenez a fifth-round pick in the last draft at No was at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and watched the game on the sidelines while wearing a protective cast on his right arm He was trying to look for a leverage when he was falling kaya lang nag-lean siya sa glass window nila,” Abanilla recalled of the incident “Pumasok yung arm niya sa basag na glass window He sustained a big laceration in his forearm which needed a specialist to put it all back.” A part of the stitches were already removed but the injured arm still needs treatment in the coming weeks or so “I pray that he could be back sooner but he needs to really concentrate on his rehab and the doctors’ advice,” Abanilla added The injury was the second major one for Jimenez in his young pro career During the Commissioner’s Cup, he suffered a fracture on his right eye socket following an accidental elbow from Meralco veteran Cliff Hodge during his PBA debut game If there's any consolation for Jimenez the rookie was already a winner in his first conference in the league after San Miguel beat out Magnolia for the Philippine Cup title San Miguel team manager Gee Abanilla confirmed the development after the PBA posted the official line-ups for the upcoming conference with Gallent as head coach Abanilla said Austria spoke with management recently on his intention to take a temporary leave from coaching “Coach Leo met with management a few days ago and informed us that he wishes to take a coaching sabbatical for personal reasons starting the Governors’ Cup We respect his decision and we understand his situation as we fully support whatever he needs,” said Abanilla in a statement he will remain with the team as a consultant and we have elevated Coach Jorge Gallent as the Head Coach Coach Jorge will take over bringing with him PBA head coaching experience and an exciting future for the franchise,” said Abanilla rest assured that we will continue to WORK TOGETHER and strive for a successful campaign in the Governor’s Cup onwards,” said Abanilla Austria takes a leave after guiding the Beermen to nine championships in his eight-year tenure with the ballclub His most recent championship was in the 2022 Philippine Cup last October in a series victory over TNT Austria coached the Beermen in the Commissioner’s Cup but missed games as he entered the league’s health protocols winning six straight games before Austria returned to the sidelines in Game Two of their semifinal series against Bay Area PETRON coach Gee Abanilla hopes the Boosters can learn to adjust to the calls of the referees in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals against San Mig Coffee “I’m still hopeful we could adjust to the calls of the referees in this series And we shouldn’t be affected by it,” Abanilla said after the Boosters lost to the Mixers in Game Two on Sunday that reduced the series into a virtual best-of-five affair The usually mild-mannered Abanilla failed to hide his displeasure over some calls made in Game Two where the Boosters were called for 33 fouls as opposed to only 19 to the Mixers that resulted in 24 more free-throw attempts (55-31) for the winners but I have to make people know that we are not approving of that.” who fouled out with over three minutes to go in the game “I just know the game was disrespected (Sunday night),” said the brother of NBA veteran Paul Millsap Abanilla is now seeking clarification from the technical committee on the way the referees call fouls “How can we teach something we don’t know All I want is that knowledge from them what is a foul And then maybe I could translate it in practice and teach the plaeyrs the correct way how to react.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page a 6-foot-9 center who was once a collegiate star may soon realize his potential after he was traded to the GlobalPort Batang Pier from the San Miguel Beermen “We’re hoping he’ll get those minutes from GlobalPort,” San Miguel Beer team manager Gee Abanilla told InterAksyon “We wish AVO the best of luck.” was relegated to being a bench warmer for San Miguel as he struggled to secure regular minutes in a team that has a loaded big man rotation comprised of three-time MVP June Mar Fajardo any player who isn’t given much playing time or a lot of times didn’t play at all will lose his confidence,” Abanilla added It was the Batang Pier who sought for Van Opstal’s services according to Abanilla: “They asked for AVO They’re looking for a big player that could help them in their campaign.” the Beermen got another swingman who can provide spark off the bench Pessumal will be a good addition as we have a lot of creators in our team and his addition means we’re going to have a floor spacer as he is a shooter The trade is a win-win situation for both teams,” Abanilla said.