Inside the bubble
SMART CLARK GIGA CITY, Pampanga, Philippines — Each game day here has been a challenge for Beau Belga, not only on the court, but also while preparing his hairdo.
From a simple man-bun to pony tails and braids to cute pigtails, the burly Rain or Shine forward has sported different styles that have become a trending topic online.
For Belga, it’s his way of lightening things up for his fellow players inside the bubble and the fans watching from their homes amid the pandemic.
“Iniisip ko lang din makapagpasaya ng mga tao,” smiled Belga, who spends around 15 minutes to dress his hair with the help of a member of the TV5 crew.
Belga, who has grown his hair for 18 months, had 20 points and 10 rebounds in Rain or Shine’s thrilling overtime win over Ginebra last Tuesday.
Rain or Shine is at 4-1. So, it has to be Belga’s hair.
“Di pa naman naji-jinx. So, tuloy-tuloy lang,” he said.
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As the Philippine Cup heats up on its third week, online viewership has gone up, with nearly 180,000 fans on hand to watch the Rain or Shine-Ginebra match via One Sports Facebook live.
It surpassed the 120,000 viewers for the much-awaited return of Phoenix star Calvin Abueva from a 16-month suspension last Monday.
Expect the numbers to grow even more as the teams gear up for the playoffs.
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The postponed matches of Blackwater along with the suspended Northport-TNT Tropang Giga battle last Sunday will be added to the game schedule starting Nov. 5, according to Commissioner Willie Marcial.
“Magtri-triple header kami para makahabol,” said Marcial.
Also anticipated to be tweaked are team activities in Quest Hotel.