Sports Eye
First time this year
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
“THERE’S always a first time in life” is an old adage that no one would dare to contradict because of its logic. First time to happen in our life is the very unforgettable, whether dire or good, NBA’s Miami Heat back-to-back championship since the team entered the league in 1988.
Thanks to Fil-Am coach Erik Spoelstra, and of course, to his players led by Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen. But what happened to the Miami Heat was the opposite to world lawn tennis superstar Rafael Nadal of Spain in this year’s Wimbledon. Nadal, who just celebrated his 27th birthday last June 3, won the French Open two weeks ago but was unexpectedly and surprisingly booted out by 135th world ranked Steve Darcis of Belgium last Monday in Wimbledon.
It was the first time it happened to him, succumbing in the first round in any Wimby tourney, considered as the oldest and the most prestigious lawn tennis tilt in the world. His conquest in the French Open this year was his eighth and the only fellow (so far) to do it since the French Open was born. It was his 12th grand slam overall title.
Our national football team “Azkals” won an exhibition match in Hong Kong at Mong Kok stadium recently. It was the Filipinos’ first victory against the former British colony. But after our nationals won the game (1-0), the friendly match produced an ugly controversy with the Filipino players and Filipino spectators were subjected to racial slur by an unruly home crowd.
The Hong Kong team fans called their Filipino counterparts “slaves”, threw bottles at them and booed during the playing of our national anthem. Bad, bad, bad.
Discrimination should not be tolerated. What started as a friendly match turned to be a fiendish duel. I watched that game on a delayed telecast and observed it as one of the finest performances of the Azkals abroad led by Fil-Brit James Younghusband who scored the only goal of the competition. Hopefully the Azkals will get even better in the days ahead and develop into a world-class squad. I said it before and I will say it again that football was our number one sport during the 1950s, and we’re getting there.
Here at home, it’s sad to know that the 2013 Jimmy Fernandez Cup that started last January was unexpectedly discontinued in March. For the first time after successful three seasons, the cagefest has been suspended.
According to my source who asked not to be named said the (temporary) suspension of the tourney is probably due to the sudden demise of the league’s treasurer Seato Gonimil and the league could be facing financial constraints. UPang-PHINMA Flames head coach Jay Ronquillo said the chances of the tourney pushing through is now dimmed because the UCAAP (Universities, Colleges Athletic Association of Pangasinan) tourney (see related story on this page) is tentatively scheduled to start on July 31.
And in case the organizers still want to continue, that could only happen next year. The league was named in honor of Mayor-elect Belen Fernandez’s father.
For the first time, an NBA pre-season game will be held here in the Philippines on October 10 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City featuring this year’s Eastern Conference finalists Indiana Pacers led by Paul George and Roy Hibbert against the Houston Rockets spearheaded by James Harden. I guess that will be a sell-out crowd.
And in boxing, new Filipino WBO mini-flyweight champion Merlito Sabillo Jr. is set to defend his world crown for the first time against Colombian Jorle Estrada on July 13, also at the Mall of Asia. Filipino world number one contender Milan Melindo is finally getting his break by challenging Brian Viloria’ tormentor Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada for the WBA/WBO unified flyweight crowns to be staged in Macau on July 27. And revered fighter Manny Pacquiao will fight for the first time in Macau on November 24 this year against another Mexican ring warrior and former WBA lightweight champion, Brandon Rios. Pacquiao wants to stop paying huge taxes every time he fights in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hopefully he will win this time. But if he loses again, I guess it’s time for him to hang his gloves. “Enough is enough,” as the saying goes.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: I am the Lord and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me. That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things. ISAIAH 45: 5-7
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