Yulo, Eala lead PSA top achievers for June

Paris Olympics double-gold medalist Carlos Yulo (left) and tennis star Alexandra Eala. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan; WTA photo)

MANILA – Paris Olympics double-gold medalist Carlos Yulo and tennis star Alexandra Eala were named top achievers for June, the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) announced Thursday.

Yulo, who topped the floor exercise and vault events at the 2024 Summer Olympiad, scored 14.600 points in the men's floor exercise to win his fourth straight title at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jecheon, South Korea on June 8.

The 25-year-old Manileño also captured the bronze medals in the individual all-around (83.633), vault (14.333), and parallel bars (14.166).

Eala, on the other hand, reached the championship round of the WTA 250 Lexus Eastbourne Open in Great Britain but lost to Australian Maya Joint, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10).

The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate became the first Filipino to reach the championship round of a WTA competition, reaching a career-best of No. 56 ranking.

The PSA also cited four-division boxing champion Nonito Donaire, Jr., who made a successful comeback as the 42-year-old scored a unanimous technical decision over Chile’s Andres Campos in their World Boxing Association interim bantamweight title bout in Argentina.

Other achievers were FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri and the teams in canoe kayak dragonboat, women's ice hockey, women's volleyball, and women's Youth 3x3 basketball.

The 19-year-old Nouri won the rapid gold and the blitz silver medals in the Asian Juniors Chess Championships in Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka. John Jerish Velarde also got a podium finish in the rapid event.

The Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation team collected six gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Dragon Boat World Cup in Inner Mongolia, China.

The Philippines won its first gold medal at the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia Cup in Al-ain, United Arab Emirates via a five-game sweep.

Alas Pilipinas finished second to host Vietnam at the AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup in Hanoi to improve its bronze performance last year.

Gilas Pilipinas Women 3x3 Youth stalwarts Kacey Dela Rosa, Kristine Cayabyab, Cheska Apag and Cielo Pagdulagan ruled the six-stop FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League-Asia Pacific in Doha, Qatar to qualify for the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup 2025 in Xiong An, China in September. (PNA)

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