China broke our hearts again

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

POWERFUL China first broke our hearts when it cockily occupied some of the Spratly Islands off Zambales province which we maintain are ours. Then China, a perennial topnotch in the Asian Games, beat us anew in the world of sports by winning the bid to host the FIBA World Cup in 2019 breaking the hearts of Filipino basketball fans (including this writer) particularly our basketball leaders spearheaded by business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan.

In fact, besides our sports leaders who personally went to Tokyo in this affair, former national coach Chot Reyes, our boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Paquiao and even Fil-Am actor-director Lou Diamond Philips showed up to convince the FIBA Central Board members that we’re eager and serious to host the prestigious World Cup. But FIBA decided China has the better facilities in eight cities (Beijing, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Sozhou, Wuhan, Posham and Dongguan) ready to host the hostilities while PH could only cite the Smart Araneta Coliseum of Quezon City, Mall of Asia of Pasay, Philippine Arena of Bulacan and one to be constructed in Cebu City.

Yes, it was really PH setback beating other two of eight bidders France and Canada. Our loss was our second for the right to host a big FIBA sanctioned international joust -the first was in 2012, held also in Japan, when Lebanon nosed out PH for the FIBA Asia Cup bid. Our country luckily got the nod from FIBA Central Board when the war-torn Lebanon abruptly withdrew the hosting due to its domestic crisis.

Losing the bid narrowed our Gilas national squad’s chances to play in the event itself since our nationals will now have to go through qualifying events to make the 32-country slot. Had PH won, it would have been seeded directly into the main-draw. But now our Gilas have to play the qualifying series scheme beginning in 2017 with each nation in the world in their regional meet first and up to their continent tilt and eventually to the world. Hopefully PH which has already has basketball a part of its culture fabric, can qualify for the world after the Asia tilt. Let’s wait and see.

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Those who watched the much-publicized international boxing match dubbed as “Duel in Dubai 2” (Pinoy Pride 32) on TV held at World Trade Center that featured the Pagara brothers Albert and Jason, saw how the two siblings turned the game into a mismatch. The slow-moving Jason escaped an unimpressive eight round technical decision over the hasty Mexican Ramiro Alcaraz due to accidental butt. His brother scored a first round knockout over the patsy Mexican Jesus Rios and successfully defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) Inter-Continental super bantamweight crown.

Obviously many Filipino spectators were not so pleased with the results. They said it was a mismatched, and I share that observation. The two Mexicans with not-so-good-records were not warriors, at all. The Jimrex Jaca-Pablo Lupo Montiel encounter was not shown on TV but reports reached me that the Cebu City based Jaca (whom I first met in Texas and also in Cebu City) survived a fifth round knockdown and won in eight rounds against the Mexican. Their next fight will be in U.S. and with WBO light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes at the helm. I hope I can watch them there.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. 1 PETER: 17-18

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