Sports Eye
Sta. Barbara’s top sportsmen: Velasco and Marlou
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
BEING a public servant of the town of Sta. Barbara, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco regularly meets with us, the local media people. Another of the town’s famous personalities, PBA superstar Marlou Aquino, is also used to facing the press. But to meet these two energetic and athletic personalities in one occasion is very rare. And luckily for us, that took place last Tuesday morning during the opening of the 1st Mayor’s Cup Basketball Tournament 2009 held at the town’s Orbos gym.
Initiated and organized by the sports-minded Velasco and the Sangguniang Bayan headed by veem Ruben Jose, the tourney was organized to improve camaraderie among the townspeople, amity instead of animosity, and a healthy body and mind. According to the mayor, he also plans to organize other sports activities but didn’t say what the other sports are. I believe one of these would be cycling as he has previously supported a biking event.
Aquino, the guest speaker for the occasion, said he could not ignore and turn down the invitation of Velasco whom he credited for initiating the cagefest. The 6’9″ center of Sta. Lucia Realty, who was born and raised in Barangay Tuliao in Sta. Barbara, also said he’s very grateful to his town mates for their support, especially for religiously watching his team’s every game on TV. And I must mention that he delivered his speech in Pangasinan.
I had a brief chitchat with him after his speech and photo ops with his fans. I asked him how much longer he plans to stay with his team and about his future plans. The bearded Aquino said his contract with Sta. Lucia expires next year and he is hoping it will be extended. In case it isn’t, he said he intends to look for another squad to accommodate him. He is confident that even at his 36 years of age, he could still provide the services to any team that could lead to a championship, just as he had dome for Sta. Lucia. He also mentioned that his NBA idol is the Lakers icon pivotman Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
(I gave his uncle in Hawaii, Mariano Soriano (mother side), a buzz. After a kamustahan blues, Mariano, a former stalwart of the now defunct Madis Appliances team and my ex-team mate during my stint in Guam, said he will have a reunion with his friends and immediate kinfolk in June next year. Mariano, nicknamed Nano or Nomi, was one of the three people who kindly accommodated me during my one week stay in Hawaii last month).
It was a very successful opening for the basketball event with the team of Gatpuno Velasco called VictoRey starting the first salvo against the Market quintet. Unfortunately, it was an early debacle for VictoRey, losing by eight points, 59-51. There are 19 teams participating and the hoopfest could last up to four months, according to municipal administrator Albertini de Guzman.
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It’s sad to know that my two friends, Bonuan Gueset chairman Angel Gumarang and former UPang coach Jorge Ceralde, who are cousins almost had a scuffle during the Inter-Color Basketball Tournament final match held last June 28.
Like what I said many years ago, ball games, especially basketball, makes friends and also enemies that is if you don’t know how to handle your composure. What happened to them also happened to me in 1980. The fiasco reached all the way to the court but in the end cooler heads prevailed and the case was resolved in good faith. I hope the same will happen between Kap Gumarang and to brothers Jorge and Gerard.
Let me borrow the words of Yahweh in one of his ten commandments: “Love your enemy as you love thyself.”
Many say that’s hard to do, especially if you’re the aggrieved party. But it’s really easy if you will really want do it and obey the words of God. The Good Book also says: “Be humble and you will be exalted.” God forgives. Amen.
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