SPORTS WRITING

MR. REYNANTE ROXAS MALANO

Master Teacher 2
Division Coordinator in Journalism, SDO Manila
 COMPARING NEWS
and SPORTS NEWS LEADS
Conventional Newsy Leads
The San Gregorio School
Crusaders edged the Quezon National
High School Orators 65 – 63 yesterday at
the Barangay Covered Courts.
Jimbo Nagal defeated Mako Sato
last night in their fight held at Ynares
Sports Complex in Antipolo City.
Action, Significance-oriented, Sporty
Jose Garcia played the role of a savior for
San Gregorio School as he buried a hook shot at
the buzzer to lift the crusaders to a thrilling 65 –
63 conquest of the Quezon National High School
Orators last night at the Barangay San Gregorio
Covered Courts.
Jimbo Nagal proved that height and heft are
of little value when he knocked out Japanese
Mako Sato during their battle last night right at the
Ynares Sports Complex in Antipolo City and win
the World Boxing Council Straw weight title.
SPORTS STORY LEAD FOCUS:
RESULT - ORIENTED
 The standard sports story lead answers the following
series of questions in random order:
Who Won? Against whom? By what
score (or in what round / time / rank /
order)? When? Where?
 SPORTS LINGO
 Set of terminologies that could determine the quality of
the story to be written
 Some stories are considered CLOSE contests.
 Some stories are identified as BLOW OUT events.
 Each kind has a set vocabulary that can best describe
action.
 The VERB in SPORTS WRITING
defeated
For CLOSE games For BLOW OUT matches
Nipped Demolished
Edged Drubbed
Scratched past Massacred
Survived Dominated
Squeaked past Bombarded
 O sa Filipino, iwasan hanggang maaari ang
paggamit ng tinalo.

Nalusutan Dinurog
Naligtasan Binomba
Naungusan Niyanig
Pinitik Inilampaso
Kinapos Pinabagsak
 TIP in Building Sports Lingo
 Read newspapers regularly. Identify the verbs, the
adverbs and the adjectives that can be used in
writing sports news.
 Separate verbs by type of ending (close vs blowout
games) and by event (volleyball, basketball, boxing,
racing, bowling, billiards, etc.)
 Sample build up of a sports lead
IBA (RSD) – Bernard Samson buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Yellow Troggs past the
Blue Dolphins 75-72.

Better:

IBA (RSD) – Bernard Samson had never hit a game-winning shot in his six-
year basketball career --- until Sunday night.
Samson drained an awkward 3-pointer as time expired to lift the Yellow
Troggs past the Blue Dolphins 75-72.
His buzzer-beater capped Samson’s already impressive performance as
the lumbering Troggs reserve forward scored a career-high 33 points to snap
the tournament’s best win streak.
 Key Points in Sports Story Lead Writing
 The Sports Story Lead is a critical component of the story.

1.Appeal (Being catchy)

2.Clear Focus (on the game result)
3.Uses the most dramatic, yet most specific verb that best
describes the quality of action
4.Preference for the active voice to emphasize the current
situation.
5.And, it is practical to describe the winner’s actions
before the loser’s.
Exercise 1

 District 2 defeated District 4. The score was 23-25, 23-25,

26-24, 25-19, 16-14. The game was played yesterday
afternoon. It was played at the gym of the District 5.
District 5 is host to this year’s Collaboration Volleyball
tournament. By defeating District 4, the winning team
made it to the knockout semifinals. The winners will next
face the defending champions from District 9.
 POSSIBLE ANSWERS
 District 2 defeated District 4, 23-25, 23-25, 26-26, 25-19, 16-14
yesterday afternoon at the District 5 gym to advance to the
knockout semifinals where it will face the defending champions
from District 9.
 Tinalo ng District 2 and District 4 kahapon sa iskor na 23-25, 23-
25, 26-26, 25-19, 16-14 at umabante sa knockout semifinals kung
saan nila makakaharap ang defending champions from District 9.
 Better outputs
 District 2 advanced to the knockout semifinals of the Collaboration
Volleyball Tournament after defeating District 4, 23-25, 23-25, 26-
26, 25-19, 16-14 yesterday afternoon at the District 5 gym and will
next face the defending champions from District 9.

 Umabante sa semifinals ng Collaboration Volleyball Tournament ang

District 2 matapos talunin ang District 4, 23-25, 23-25, 26-26, 25-19,
16-14 kahapon sa District 5 gym.
 Best Outputs
 The Cinderella run of District 2 in the Collaboration Volleyball
Tournament continues after the White Knights scored a 23-25, 23-
25, 26-26, 25-19, 16-14 marathon win against District 4 yesterday at
the District 5 gym to clinch a spot in the semifinals against the
defending champions from District 9.
 Patuloy ang mala-Cinderellang kampanya ng District 2 sa
Collaboration Volleyball Tournament matapos ang kanilang 23-25,
23-25, 26-26, 25-19, 16-14 na panalo laban sa District 4 kahapon sa
District 5 Gymnasium at ibulsa ang puwesto sa semifinals laban sa
mga nagtatanggol na kampiyon mula sa District 5.
 Exercise 2
 Basketball Drill
W – L TEAM I II III IV F
• (0 -6) Shohoku 11 27 28 35 101
• (6 – 0) Kainan 25 23 25 29 102
• Game was played yesterday 3pm
• Barangay Cabangan Inter-Color Basketball League
• Venue is Cabangan Sports Complex
• 12 teams are entered in the tournament
• Round robin format applies
• Supply names, details of players, etc.
 Exercise 3
 Volleyball (streaks at stake)
Pre-Game RecordI II III IV
• (4 - 0) Red Rangers 25 25 25 25
• (0 - 4) Blue Wizards 23 27 27 27
• Yesterday 10am
• Smart Araneta Coliseum
• Quezon City Employees Inter-Departmental Tournament
(Women’s Division)
• 16 teams entered
• Supply names, stats of players involved