Watching the action

By Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.

 

MY passion is to be where the action is, to be able to watch a prestigious sporting event of my top six favorite sports, namely cycling, boxing, basketball, table tennis (pingpong), volleyball and marathon.

And, if I have the time and financial means, I won’t ever miss watching the annual Le Tour de Filipinas, the yearly Milo marathon, Pista’y Dayat beach volleyball, pingpong games in the province, and basketball tilts like PRISAA, UCAAP, CHESAA, the latest of which was the two-year-old annual Governor’s Cup Inter-Town/City Basketball Tournament of Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino lll.

So far I’ve watched in person seven world boxing title fights, six of them held here in the Philippines featuring world champions Donnie Nietes and Milan Melindo, successfully defending their crowns against Mexican and South African world challengers held mostly in Cebu City Waterfront Hotel and Cebu City Coliseum. I saw, too, how the then flyweight world titlist Brian Viloria brutally knocked out Giovanni Segura in the eighth round held at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, sending the Mexican hombre to the hospital with a broken nape.

But the most prestigious of them all was the WBC (World Boxing Council) featherweight title bout between Juan Manuel Marquez and Filipino world rated contender Jimrex Jaca held on Nov. 26 in Texas. Yes, I managed to interview the world champ Marquez twice with my hermano Rolando and my primo Dago during his training and the pre-fight press conference in McAllen, Texas, and the post-battle press conference held at Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, after knocking out the Cebu City born Jaca in the ninth round of twelve. The fourth time I met the Hall of Fame candidate Marquez, a.k.a Dinamita in boxing world, was here in the Philippines during his trilogy ‘promotional tour’ with Manny “Pacman” Paquiao held at Manila Hotel in December 2012.

In local basketball, I diligently covered the two Governor’s Cup Inter-Town/City Basketball Tournaments that were well-organized by the officers and staff of the Pangasinan Sports Development and Management Council (PSDMC) chaired by Gov. Pogi and supervised by executive officer Modesto Operania and his deputy Marlon Domalanta. I guess this is one of the reasons why the sports-minded and dynamic head of our province Gov. Pogi is inclined to hold the third chapter commencing this coming October, but with a different format. I hope I’m not wrong to believe that the third tourney will be done this time via district-by-district competition. Details of this concept soon as we get the info.

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The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) regional director Dr. Edilberto R. Abalos informed me that it will hold an SBP coaches clinic and licensing program on May 8 and 9 at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen to be facilitated by well-known former PBA and national coach Jong Uichico plus two others. Abalos pointed out that the program’s purpose is to empower and equip the coaches from all over the country with the necessary tools to train the current and future coaches and players and to have them licensed by the national governing body SBP which is recognized by FIBA. Abalos also said the clinic levels will be divided into three: basic fundamentals, team concepts and advance teaching. Levels 1 and 2 clinic/licensing fee is ₱800 while the open/level 3 is ₱1,300.

See you there, guys.

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QUOTE OF HE WEEK:  For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life. PROVERBS 6: 23

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