Sports Eye

By November 12, 2012Opinion, Sports Eye

Attempted cheating in ping-pong

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

STILL ON THE UCAAP basketball tournament brouhaha over rules. This corner wrote about the contentious issue three weeks ago, specifically on the clarification and counter-clarification of basketball archrival coaches UL’s Renato “Jack” Vidal and LNU’s Angelito C. Gumarang. It was never solved by the two heads of the tournament, Seato Gonimil and Philamer Celi. The unresolved issue destroyed the league and eventually left the tourney unfinished and has left the basketball fans guessing until now as to who-is-really-who in Dagupan City’s college basketball kingship. What a shame.

What is happening in Dagupan City’s tertiary basketball is also happening in college table tennis, or better known as ping-pong. This I learned from the well-known Pangasinan table tennis coach Benjo Terante and validated by co-mentor Willy Camero during my chitchat with them at the NRSCC last Tuesday, the first day of hostilities of the PRISAA Region 1 Games. The two said there was an attempt by a certain coach Victor of Pangasinan 2 to field in an ineligible player for Single B category named Daner de Leon to enhance the capability of the team for the PRISAA region one meet despite his non-participation during the Division Meet held last September 21. Eventually, the ploy failed to materialize when the five-man ‘board of jury’ of tennis games clearly found out about the attempt which could spoil the beautiful annual regional games and in the end could provoke a monster controversy. “Pinipilit nila na maluklok yung tao na hindi naman sumali nuong Division Meet and that’s very unfair,” said Terante. “Kapag tinanggap siya and sooner or later nalaman ito ng ibang katunggali ay siguradong magkakaraon ng gulo sa palaro at mamamanchahan tayo, sira ang ating image,” Terante averred.

I doff my hat to Terante and Camero and the board of jury of the ping-pong games for being honest and impartial. Yes, this illegal and unethical practice by some should not be tolerated because this is divisive and destructive. It’s time that this tendency of some of our countrymen to cheat in games be stopped. Maybe you still remember the 1992 World Little League Baseball Championship held in Long Beach, California. We won the title but our players cheated about their age and eventually the organizers took back the title from the Philippine team when the violation was verified. The age cheating was exposed by then PDI sports columnist/reporter and now PUNCH columnist Al S. Mendoza. Keep in mind what the Greek great philosopher once said, “No man is to be reverenced more than the truth.” Amen.

CONGRATULATIONS

My belated congratulations to the Pantal SK team for winning the 2012 Dagupan City SK Inter-Barangay Basketball Championship last October 27, beating Binloc, 97-93, in the third and final game of the best-of-three series. Congrats also to the NABRO (National Basketball Referees Organization) Pangasinan chapter who officiated the three-month long skirmishes headed by commissioner Jon Cansino and his men spearheaded by Jorge Ceralde, Armie Guarin, Abet Rodriguez, Joe Munoz, Edwin Sandoval, Jun Valerio, Tenong Gallardo and Eran dela Cruz. And 3 cheers to LNU Dukes head coach Angelito C. Gumarang for steering the Dukes anew in bagging the gold medal in the PRISAA Region 1Basketball Championship held in Lingayen. The Dukes won the gold in a convincing fashion, clobbering the La Union quintet, 98-50 and plastered Laoag City, 81-51. The Dukes will represent our region in the coming National PRISAA Collegiate Games scheduled on Feb. 10-16, to be hosted again by Lingayen. Mabuhay po kayong lahat and keep up always the good and fair play.

Belated congrats also to the 23 Pangasinan cyclists that passed the two-day qualifying race of 2013 Ronda Pilipinas held last October 27-28 in Tarlac City. The grueling event was won by 2009 Padyak Pinoy winner Joel Calderon of Guimba, Nueva Ecija. The best that a Pangasinense finished was ninth overall won by Mark Julius Bonzo of Sual. Mabuhay din po kayo.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:And we know that the Son of God has come and was given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 JOHN 10: 20

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