RP coach Reyes, PBA cagers conduct GenVel’s basketball clinic

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

AFTER successfully staging a bicycle road race last year, retired PNP Deputy Director General Reynaldo V. Velasco threw in his support to his second favorite sport, basketball.

GenVel, as he is fondly known, sponsored a basketball clinic at his hometown Sta. Barbara   last March 24 which was personally conducted by national coach Chot Reyes, a close friend and fellow Atenean of the former NCRPO chief.

The clinic, held from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Don Daniel Maramba National High School gym, was participated in by almost 100 basketball dribblers with four PBA and ex-Ateneo players Enrico Villanueva, Richard “Rich” Alvarez, Larry Fonacier, Magnum Membrere, all from PBA’s Red Bull team, and Ateneo Eagles GM Arben Santos assisting the national mentor.

I was there (basketball, being my third favorite sport next to cycling and boxing) and watched the half day affair purposely to augment my knowledge in this sport. And luckily I met my Guam mate Alvarez, the tall and lanky guy who briefly studied at Ocean View High School in Guam.

GUAM BOYS—PBA’s Red Bull team power forward  Richard
“Rich” Alvarez and Sports Eye columnist Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.
share a light moment during the basketball clinic.

During my long chitchat with the six-foot-four Red Bull forward Rich, I learned that he was born in Yokosuka, Japan. His mother, Marivic Ordiales, and father, Rudy, hail from Cavite City.

The bachelor Rich, 26, a graduate of psychology and communications at Ateneo, also said that he likes the Philippines very much, and despite being an American citizen, he loves to stay here with all the beautiful women.

Meanwhile, during the press conference for the event, Reyes praised this big province for producing a lot of national players, then, now and probably tomorrow.

He named the active cagers playing now at the PBA like Marlou Aquino and Christian Calaguio of the host town, Danny Ildefonso of Urdaneta City, Lorde Tugade of  Alaminos City, Patrick Fran of Agno, Marck  Caguioa of San Carlos City and Marc Pingris of Pozorrubio. But he forgot to mention Renren Ritualo, townmate of Pingris and son of ex-Great Taste team center Floreindo during the early days of PBA.

According to GenVel, he first invited Aquino and Calaguio being his town mates and also Aquino as an Atenean. Unluckily, Aquino and Calaguio did not make it due to their intensive trainings with their respective teams.

Reyes also said that despite the defunct MBA discovering Pingris, it was the PBA that developed the six-foot-six Filipino-French Purefoods team pivotman who helped his squad win the championship and catapulted   him as the MVP of the Finals last year.

I also I saw two lanky youthful six-foot-five cagers, potential athletes ika nga, who attended the affair. The two, Marion Magat, 17, and Vince Tinte, 16, are from barangays Poblacion and Banaoang, respectively, of the host town.

But of the two, Villanueva said he was impressed by the moves of Magat and believe it will be easy to train him further.

According to them, they were just recently pulled out from their schools in Sta. Barbara by Danny Ildefonso to continue and finish their education, up to college, in Manila.

Nakapanghihinayang ika nga dahi kung tutuosin I believe what the schools in Manila can offer, the schools here in Dagupan City – especially UL, LNU and Upang – can also give.

Wake up my friend, Mr. Jay Ronquillo, you are from that place and you don’t know what’s happening in your own backyard. You missed two future and potential PBL or PBA players.

I think the two will go places. Perhaps they will be the next Aquino and Calaguio.

I hope I’m not wrong.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/)

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