Year: 2010

Japan, beware of Lapu-Lapu’s sword!

Our first Filipino hero was not Emilio Aguinaldo or Jose Rizal or Manny Pacquiao. He was a Cebuano. On the morning of April 27, 1521, right here along the shores of Mactan, a tribal chieftain, armed only with primitive swords and crooked spears, bloodied and massacred Ferdinand Magellan. Lapu-Lapu won. Cebu won. The Filipinos stood victorious. This was 489 years ago.

Can we repeat the same next year? From March 4 to 6? When another group of invaders will land in Lapu-Lapu City, ready to fight with their wristbands, forehand grips and swords? Yes. This event promises to be one the biggest spectacles in Cebu in 2011. For this clash is not between two PBA teams or Palaro players or our Region VII against NCR.

It’s nation versus country. It’s us, Filipinos, against them. It’s the Davis Cup.

What is DC and who is Mr. Davis? This event using modern day swords—tennis racquets—is one of the world’s most prestigious of tournaments. Starting in 1900 when Great Britain played the U.S., the founder was Dwight Davis, an American tennis champion. But that’s not the believe-it-or-not fact about Davis. Here it is: From 1929 to 1932, he served as Governor General of the Philippines. He led our nation for three years under the U.S. presidency of Calvin Coolidge. And so Davis—and his Cup—have a special meaning for us, Filipinos.

Today, over 134 nations join. Two of these nations will clash at the Plantation Bay Resort and Spa four months from today. Japan. Philippines. This is a first. The first time that the Davis Cup—since we joined in 1926—will be held outside Manila. The privileged name who will play hosts? Cebu. The city? Named after our first hero, Lapu-Lapu.

This is fantastic. A Friday-to-Sunday, March 4 to 6, 2011 event that will pit our best against Japan’s top netters. We have Cecil Mamiit. He’s in town today. I picked him up at the airport yesterday and, together with Randy Villanueva, the Philippine Tennis Association Vice-President and Davis Cup Administrator, we drove to Plantation Bay. We climbed Marco Polo Hotel and gazed at the view. Cecil practiced with Jacob Lagman.

I first watched Cecil at the 1999 U.S. Open. Next, I saw him win the gold medal for our nation in the 2005 South East Asian Games in Manila. The theme song then was “Pinoy Ako.” He’s tenacious, fast and, like Michael Chang, never gives up. Once ranked world # 72, Cecil will be joined by another Fil-Am, Treat Huey, plus Johnny Arcilla.

Can we beat Japan? No, we have not defeated them in 15 years—the last time was when Joseph Lizardo and Robert Angelo beat the Shuzo Matsuoko-led team, 3-2. We’ve lost to Japan the last three times, including last March in a 5-0 drubbing in Osaka.

But, yes, we can beat Japan. In our recent losses, several matches have gone five sets. That’s close. And, let’s remember, when Japan last defeated us, the surface was a fast indoor court—not Cecil’s favorite.

In Lapu-Lapu City this March, it will be a slow clay-court without roofing so we can cook the Japanese alive on the tennis rectangle. History? We’ve played 26 times, with Japan winning 17. But, on the two occasions when the surface was clay—guess who won? Pinoys. Plus, there’s the crowd factor. In Davis Cup, the host nation has the advantage of a screaming, rowdy and ear-splitting audience. Mo syagit ta ug kusog!

Harry Radaza is to be thanked for this event. The new Councilor of Lapu-Lapu City is the chairman of his city’s sports and tourism committees. He’s also the chairman of the organizing group of this Davis Cup tie. His support—and, of course, that of Mayor Paz Radaza—are essential.

There’s Efren Belarmino of Plantation Bay. As Nimrod Quiñones put it in The Freeman yesterday, Efren is one of his “favorite generals” in Mactan. That’s because Efren is the general manager of Plantation Bay. The five-star luxury resort will build a brand-new clay-court and will host the Philippine players and officials.

So, fellow Cebuanos, this March… it’s Game, Set, and Match.

Marko Sarmiento, handicap 3, averages 290

Tiger Woods is Marko Sarmiento. Both have one trait in common. No, Marko is obedient while Tiger is, well, naughty—so it’s not that. They’re similar in another way: The way they obliterate that golf ball off the tee mound; each averaging 290 yards!

I asked Marko how he does it. “I guess being a skinny Asian kid in a U.S. university had something to do with it,” he said. “I didn’t want to be the shortest hitter on our team!”

Marko Sarmiento was my schoolmate at CIS. We’re both April 9 born. But that’s where the similarities end because, on the golf course, Marko—who’s played the past 20 years since he was 12—is possibly Cebu’s longest hitter.

“I come from a family of golfers from both the Garcias and Sarmientos,” he said. “Actually, we’re a big sporting family. Our conversations are always about sports! Golf is a great social sport. You’re on the course for 4 hours and we get to play with all sorts of people with different skill levels. You can’t do this with any other sport. The personalities you meet add to the game. Why is this game special? It’s the most difficult sport to master. The player with the least mistakes wins! There’s always something to work on.”

Marko’s passion for golf took him to study the game in college. “I went to Methodist Univ. in North Carolina,” he said. “I majored in Business Administration – Professional Golf Management. It’s a unique program and 10 years ago only a handful of schools offered this. Now, around 20 U.S. universities have it, including Arizona State, North Carolina State and UNLV. This course offers both a bachelor’s degree in business with the option of pursuing a profession in the golf industry. I’m lucky that my parents gave me the chance to study what I wanted to do at that time. My dad was the most excited!”

Speaking of his dad, Efren—who, to me, owns the most genuine and biggest of smiles in town—the father-and-son duo play twice weekly at the Cebu Country Club. “I also play with my brother Arlo, Jovi Neri, Kiyofumi Takahashi and my uncle Montito,” said Marko.

“Montito,” of course, is Mr. Garcia, the 8-time CCC club champion—a title Marko relishes. “That’s the title I want most. I came in 2nd before so winning it is a must.”

As to the top pro that he applauds? Marko answered: “Chad Collins, who now plays on the US PGA Tour. He was my teammate in college.” Among Filipinos, Marko respects Frankie Miñoza. “I’ve been lucky to know him since he’s good friends with my uncle Montito. He paved the way for the locals and remains one of the best Filipino pros despite turning 50 last year. He’s going to give the US Senior PGA Tour a shot.” The trait Marko admires most about Frankie? “Despite his success, he remains humble.”

While golf is Marko’s passion, his profession is as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of JEG Development Corp., the holdings company of their real estate family business. He’s also a director of their furniture export firm, Detalia Aurora, Inc.

Other sports? Marko plays softball, water sports, basketball. As to his favorite NBA team, be surprised: “I’m a big follower of the San Antonio Spurs. I know not many follow them but I’ve been a fan since the days of David Robinson, Willie Anderson, Terry Cummings, Chuck Person and Antoine Carr. A lot of friends make fun of me because they’re boring… except for Ginobili!”

Here’s another sport he follows: “Three friends and I were at UFC 100 in Vegas in July 2009,” said Marko. “The co-main event was between Brock Lesner v. Frank Mir and George St. Pierre v. Thiago Alves. I’ve been a huge MMA fan for about four years because my good friend, Jon Syjuco, got me into it. The addiction has grown since. We bumped into Dane White (UFC Pres.) in Vegas and he said that UFC is coming to the Phils. soon!”

Back to golf, I asked Marko about driving 300-plus yards. His tip: “Turning the hips is the key to distance while the arms will follow. Too many of us try to swing too hard using brute force, which normally results in paying for all your bets!”

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Categorized as Golf

Baseball? Here’s one catch I’ll never forget

The past two mornings, watching Games 3 and 4 of the World Series finale between the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers, the sight of curve balls, homeruns and base hits elicited unforgettable memories.

Twice, I watched Major League Baseball. These happened in 1993. Yes, that’s a long 17 years ago. Our entire family had the opportunity to travel in America. We visited Disneyland, gazed at the HOLLYWOOD sign perched on the hilltop, drove to San Diego to survey the Sea World whales, stared in awe of the giant Universal Studios.

Sports? Manny Pacquiao was only 15 then. He wasn’t in Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym yet—so that wasn’t part of our itinerary. In the era of Michael Jordan, no we didn’t watch No. 23—and I can’t recall why not. The sport I forced my family members to attend? Baseball.

I love baseball. In college, it was one of the favorite events. Jesse Bernad—who operates Fastball Batting Cages and who’s a skipper of the sport today—was U.P. Cebu’s top pitcher. And batter. He was the MVP of our college’s MLB-version. My other batch-mates included Jeffrey Pabriaga, Dustin Morada and Neil Ceniza. Softball was fun.

Back to our U.S. trip: We were in Los Angeles and, with my dad Bunny, I watched my first-ever Major League Baseball game. It was the L.A. Dodgers against a rookie team, the Colorado Rockies. That 1993 game was their first-ever meeting. Thanks to Google (while researching for this piece yesterday), I tracked down the date and it’s “May 21, 1993.” The Dodgers won that game, 8-0, and my dad and I watched Mike Piazza hit a homerun.

What an experience. The gigantic Dodger Stadium—today’s third-oldest MLB ballpark—happens to be, according to Wikipedia, the largest baseball park in the world (based on capacity) with 56,000 seats. That’s Baseball Story No. 1.

The second is more dramatic: As our family moved northward to San Francisco, we resided in the home of one of my mom Allen’s relatives. Lo and behold, our relatives’ children—my age—had free tickets to a baseball game. No, it wasn’t the San Francisco Giants—now leading 3-1 against the Rangers and poised to win their sixth World Series title—but it’s neighbor across the island, the Oakland Athletics.

Together with my cousins, my dad, and my brother Randy, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and hopped to the Oakland Coliseum where the Oakland A’s were to meet the defending champions, the Toronto Blue Jays.

The atmosphere was chaotic and loud. With over 30,000 boisterous fans—many shirtless, many with Budweiser beers on-hand, many chewing on hotdogs—it was a thrill. David Cone pitched for the Blue Jays. One of his teammates was Joe Carter—made famous with this “Golden Moment” homerun just months earlier to win the World Series for the Jays.

Mark McGwire, nicknamed “Big Mac,” (and who homered 70 times in 1998), was the most revered A’s player then. (Prior to his admission of performance-enhancing drugs.) Sadly, he was absent that day. But Rickey Henderson—who holds the all-time “stolen bases” record—played for Oakland.

My group sat at the back of the home plate. We had a close look at the batters. Now, here’s my believe-it-or-not moment: It happened in the fourth inning. I don’t recall who was batting but, when the ball struck his wooden bat, it floated on-air and hovered back—towards our direction. One… two… three seconds later… the baseball swooped downwards—right towards us.

Bang! It hit the seat fronting us! I jumped down—as did a few others—everybody scrambling for the ball. We bumped shoulders. Hands jostled. Finally, after the scuffle, my hands gripped the white leather. I clasped it hard. Yes! With hundreds of eyes staring at our direction, I lifted the prized catch onto the California clouds.

It was a moment I’ll forever cherish. A sport I’ll always follow. As George Will once said, “Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.”

Good luck, Manny! And, goodbye

Exactly 14 mornings from today, Filipinos will congregate. We’ll devour 3,654,985 lechons. We’ll gulp barrels and truckloads and pitchers of San Mig Light. We’ll hold reunions with neighbors and barkadas. We’ll gather around our Samsung flat screen TV sets or troop to the SM City Cinemas—all with clenched-fists, ready to stand and scream, “Yes! I’m proud to be Filipino!”

Dear readers… That’s the good news. Here’s the bad: Let’s savor the moment. This is Manny’s last fight.

Is it? Yes, I believe so. Had he lost in Congress last May 10 like he did in his first round of politics against the “heavyweight” Darlene Antonino-Custodio, he’d fight more fights. Had he not annihilated everybody in sight and climbed the Mt. Everest of Boxing—and be declared the sport’s No.1—he’d fight more. And is he not turning 32 years old this Dec. 17?

Yes he is. Here’s one more yes: Manny is retiring on Nov. 14. What more is there for him to accomplish? He’s now a Congressman—and a Senator come 2013. He’ll win his eighth weight division—a feat so outlandish that I don’t think any human being has done it before. He has four children—possibly more—named Jimuel, Michael, Princess and Queen Elizabeth. He is King; the most famous Pinoy in this planet of 6.7 billion inhabitants—more popular than P-Noy, GMA, Lea S., and, yes, Charice. In world rankings, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index, we’re ranked 134th out of 178 countries—a black-eye of an embarrassment—yet Pacman soars as our lone Philippine Eagle. He’s today’s Jose Rizal.

Manny has billions. No exaggeration there. Granted that, for each fight, he grosses $15,000,000—even if his net pay check is half or $7.5 million—that’s still P350,000,000. For one 12-round fight that he often reduces to seven rounds and 21 minutes of punching. Manny has all the money you and I will ever need—for a dozen lifetimes.

Why fight more? What’s the incentive? None. Why do you think Manny’s training for this fight is his worst? That’s because his mind, his heart, his lungs, and even his feet are elsewhere. “He has a foot problem,” said Freddie Roach in an Associated Press story. “And that’s because he wears dress shoes too much.” That’s laughable. But true. And dangerous for our man. That’s what politics does. It corrupts even the feet.

“I know his mind is off the fight,” added Roach. “I know his mind is somewhere else, and that’s because of politics. If there are no more challenges out there after this fight, this could be it… He loves his other job, and he might be done with this one.” This “other job,” of course, is basketball. The dribbling called politics.

If, indeed, come two Sundays from now, we’ll see The End of The Manny Pacquiao True Story Movie, it will be sad. We’d have lost our inspiration. We’d have more traffic on fight-day mornings. (The good news: the 10:45 a.m. Redemptorist Church mass will once again be filled with churchgoers.)

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao’s life story is better than any movie Steven Spielberg or Marilou Diaz-Abaya can concoct. It’s more unbelievable than James Bond’s—with more savory “girls escapades.” His dropping out of high school and leaving home at the age of 14 because Nanay Dionisia, who had five other children, could not support Manny. His rough beginnings as a construction worker and kargador. His start as a professional boxer at the age of 16 (height: 4-foot-11) and weighing only 106 pounds. His knockout losses against Rustico Torrecampo in 1996 and Medgoen Singrurat in 1999. His defining moment when he stunned Marco Antonio Barrera. His Phil Jackson-like coach in Freddie Roach. His winning his last 12 fights up until today—against sure-Hall of Famers like Morales, De La Hoya, Marquez…

Manny has done more in his 31 years of breathing air than we can ever achieve in 31 lifetimes. Will he win come Nov. 13? On his attempt for a 13th straight victory? Won’t this “13” be “Unlucky 13” for PacMan? In his last stand, one will be the last man standing. He’s Filipino.

Many Manny photos

With POC Chairman Monico Puentevella (blue barong) and, to the right, Raffy Osumo

Team PACQUIAO vs. SAC (Sportswriters Association of Cebu)

Handing Manny the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Cebu Sports Awards

In one of our several basketball games, that’s me (#9) guarding Manny

With Michael Aldeguer (center) and (from left) Jun Migallen, John, Manny, Atty. Jingo Quijano and Raffy Osumo

At the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug

With Gerry Peñalosa and Jingo Quijano at the Marriot

With Noel Villaflor, Girlie Garces of SMC, Jingo and Raffy

At the Cebu Coliseum weeks before fighting Marco Antonio Barrera

With Noel, Jonas Panerio of CDN, and POC Chairman Monico

Michael Aldeguer: ‘AJ Banal in toughest fight’

Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera are performing tomorrow at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. Yes, we are proud that they’re Pinoy, but, no, they’re not in “Pinoy Pride.” That’s this Saturday. And, instead of a duet, it’s a duel. It’s the duel between AJ Banal and Luis Perez. It’s the concert of boxers: there’s U.S.-based welterweight Mark Melligen, the undefeated Jason Pagara, Larry “Bon Jovi” Canillas, and the popular Jun Intor.

First, let’s talk about Melligen. “Mark has always been talented, even in his amateur days as a member of the RP team when he won silver in the SEA Games,” said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer. “In 2007, he came to ALA and was part of the program. We felt that he had to be in the U.S. to maximize his potential because of his weight division.

Thanks to the help of Las Vegas-based Tony Martin, Melligen trained at Mayweather’s gym. “He had the chance to spar with Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Marcus Maidana and Devon Alexander,” said Aldeguer. “Mark learned a lot from Floyd who has become his good friend. When he came back, his game was in a different level. Learning from one of the best is a whole new experience for Mark; he patterns his counter-punching style and calculated approach to Mayweather’s.”

Bladimir Hernandez. That’s Melligen’s opponent. Who is this Mexican nicknamed “The Blade?” “He’s a knockout artist with a record of 18 wins and 16 KOs with 14 of his opponents not going past the third round. He also has six first-round KOs,” said Mr. Aldeguer. “When we informed the Top Rank executives about Bladimir Hernandez as Mark’s opponent on Oct. 30, they showed concern and sent us as a video. If you look at Hernandez’s credentials, he’s dangerous–and Mark knows that.”

The main bout, of course, stars Alex John Banal. “AJ has worked so hard on his conditioning which will play a major role in his quest to be a world champion,” said Aldeguer. “We enhanced his training by hiring a conditioning coach in Pio Solon, who specializes on scientific conditioning. Even though ALA had a conditioning program, we felt that it was best to inject the new scientific method to improve on stamina. However, no matter what you do in training, it’s the athlete’s state of mind and mental toughness that are most important. We believe that it comes with age and experience.

Now 21 years old, Banal has matured. “He has learned much from that devastating loss two years ago,” said Aldeguer. “I always believe that everything happens for a reason. To be great, you need to go through adversities. Even Manny Pacquiao went through two knockout losses. I believe Banal is ready. That’s why we’ve risked getting two-time world champion Luiz Perez, who has a menacing record of 27 wins, 17 KOs with only four losses (and those were mostly against world champs such as Joseph Agbeko, the fighter who gave Vic Darchinyan his second loss, and Ricardo Cordoba).”

This Banal-Perez clash will be the Bukidnon-native’s most formidable clash since Concepcion. Originally scheduled in Dubai, Banal wanted Cebuanos to see him redeem himself. “AJ once told me, ‘The loss (to Concepcion) is devastating because I’ve let my supporters down.’” said Aldeguer. “Now he wants to make up for it. Beating Perez is his ticket to stardom and a chance to fight for a world title. AJ is the highest-ranking Filipino with the four organizations: WBO # 2, WBA # 4, IBF # 3, WBC #13.”

As to the difference between ALA’s stars named Bazooka and Boom-Boom? “Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista’s fighting style is very different from that of AJ ‘Bazooka’ Banal’s,” answered Aldeguer. “Boom Boom comes to attack with a volume of punches but Banal, for a lot of boxing experts, is the complete package. He can box. He can brawl. He has good hand speed and excellent footwork. He is versatile and can adopt to any style which confuses opponents.”

Will Alex John confuse Luis? Melligen pulverize Hernandez? Will they bring pride to Pinoys? Two nights from now, let’s watch “Pinoy Pride.”

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Categorized as ALA Boxing

Prediction: Lakers vs. Heat in the ‘11 Finals

In a poll of eight experts, the question was asked: “Which teams will reach the NBA Finals?”

In the Western Conference, all eight critics answered in the same manner: L.A. Lakers. It’s hard to argue against their unanimous decision. The KB24-led squad from California are the two-time defending champs. Defeating the Boston Celtics last season four games to three, they captured their 16th NBA championship—on the 50th anniversary of their relocation to Los Angeles. And so, the Lakers are a sure bet to reach The Finals.

The Eastern Conference winners? One expert said “Orlando Magic” while another answered, “Boston Celtics.” But, six of the eight experts asked by NBA.com supplied the same response: Miami Heat.

Los Angeles vs. Miami. Think about it. Wow. Won’t this ending be a Wow-moment? A highlight for basketball? For the world? Imagine a Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James ending? No, make that The King named Kobe versus The Three Kings, LeBron/Wade/Bosh. In fact, just days ago, the Heat acquired Jerry Stackhouse. So make that Kobe vs. The Fab Four of Miami.

Lakers – Heat. I hope this happens. I’m sure, for excitement’s sake, plenty want to see this climax. It’s good for our heart. Our heartbeats pumping faster because of this fever and frenzy is good for our health.

How awaited is this finale? I “goggled” the words, “lakers vs heat nba final” and, guess what, a total of 6,590,000 results showed up. That’s plenty. That’s the interest in America’s two most famous ball clubs.

If this NBA conclusion happens, what a bonanza. What a golden possibility for this league to strike gold in the TV ratings: the Team In Gold versus the Team Who Wants Gold.

With the Lakers, we know what to expect. Kobe is Barack Obama. He’s the leader. He’s the man who’ll step up on the free throw line with 3.4 seconds left in Game 7 and shoot both free throws for the victory. We know that. We expect that.

The Lakers will win. The question is, Can the Heat burn and cook and scorch L.A.? And ignite their Fab Four to steal the NBA ring on their first try? We don’t know. “The Big Three of Miami are expected to dominate but can they play with chemistry?” said the story, “Lakers vs. Heat: NBA Finals Preview?” in Extrasportsnews.com. “Can they share the ball and win each game? In the previous year, the Big Three averages more than 20 shots each but here in Miami they can’t do that anymore, they have to play as a team. All of them has to sacrifice their stats. On the other hand, the Lakers are still, I believe, the favorite because they have proven that they can play ball.”

It all begins tomorrow. At 7:30 a.m., Philippine-time, the NBA season begins with the most-awaited of first games: Miami vs. Boston. Another… Wow! Last year’s Eastern Conference champion versus its strongest tormentor.

All eyes on this game—and on the entire season—will fall on LBJ. “James has absorbed more criticism over the last five months than he’d heard in his previous seven NBA years,” said Ian Thomsen of SI.com in “Countdown: 2010-11 season guide.” Thomsen added, “But how bad is all of this news in reality? Put it this way: What happens if James leads Miami to the championship this year? The answer is that the negatives all flutter away.”

True. If Miami wins, LeBron won’t be acclaimed The Hero—but his feat will be near heroic. A brand-new cast of characters win on their first attempt! The hatred towards LeBron will be forgotten. Do we still remember Kobe’s rape case? How he was castigated? That’s forgotten. But Mr. James has to win. Now. “It’s going to be easy to forgive LeBron because he has committed nothing worse than crimes of arrogance, and for those he has been roughed up and humbled. The punishment has been served, and if he wins I guarantee you he’ll have majority opinion on his side again,” added Thomsen.

The NBA’s slogan is “Where Amazing Happens.” Amazing begins in tomorrow’s Game 1 and, if we’re lucky, concludes with a Kobe vs. LeBron face-to-face.

Don’t you adore this sport? I Love This Game.

Hi, I’m John–and I’m an addict!

Each day, I sniff. I get a high. My nerves grow edgy, my body weakens and I feel low, low, low—if I don’t inhale this drug. It has permeated my system. I can’t get rid of it. My red blood cells have been infiltrated; my mind, brainwashed.

I am an addict. I choose to be. For years and hours and decades now, I’ve hidden it, exposed it, written about it, fantasized. Yes. This addiction I fantasize about. Each day. And, like any craving, it started small. When I was small. It grew. Like addictions do. It enveloped my anatomy. At first, I resisted, No!—but then, like all enslavements, it was too irresistible. The lure pulled me. And, the more I inhaled, the more sweat my body exhaled.

I am an addict. We are all addicts. Maniacs, we are, of something. Cigarettes. Coffee. Cars. Cocaine. Coke. Computers. Chocolates. Chatting. We are submissive to something. We crave. This is part of being human. This is normal. Addiction is normal. Yet, the sad reality is, most addictions are bad. They’re damaging and vicious. They suck us into a dark and deep hole that, unlike the Chilean heroes, we can’t climb out of. Most addictions are these. Drugs. Sex. Food. The habit of visiting Waterfront Hotel’s second floor to sit on a high stool and wave your P10,000 goodbye—that’s a habit. Bad.

I am an addict. But this habit I covet is the same one plenty lust after: like those who visit Waterfront Hotel’s basement floor to sit on a high stool called the stationary bike, pay P10,000 for four months—that’s a habit. Good. I am addicted to anything that moves me. Literally. Pedaling. Cutting through the invisible air to traverse from the banner called START to another signage called FINISH—that’s my addiction. And I’m not alone. Thousands, too, are addicts.

Take this latest fanaticism. Every Sunday at dawn, while thousands used to party on Saturday nights and snore hours later, now everybody’s up and running. This stimulant everybody’s perspiring. It’s an addiction.

This obsession is good. It’s an addiction that should be made an addition: Husband invites wife to dance who invites best friend Carol to badminton who invites daughter Steph to taekwondo who invites classmate Rhea to triathlon who invites dad Mike to swim who invites officemate Paolo to triathlon. That’s addition. That’s addiction.

I am a maniac. And I love it. I feel weak when I can’t perform this obsession. Daily, I do it. Writing this piece? Prior to almost every story I type, before my mind can execute, my body needs to excrete liquid. It’s called sweat. And it’s this exercise of the body that flexes my brain to release “creative juices.” Addiction is a juice. It powers the body. From a lethargic, shoulders-drooping, fatigued state, I’m erect and raring to march—thanks to this fascination to perspire.

I am an addict. If I awaken at 3:20 in the morning and can’t go back to sleep, that’s because I didn’t get enough addiction. From sweating. For here’s what I’ve concluded: A good night’s sleep is achieved when I’m most tired—from heavy dosage of exertion during daytime. Formula for sweet dreams: exercise = better sleep.

I am an addict. I hope you, too, become one. Like breathing unconsciously or bathing each morning or digesting rice every breakfast, noon, and night—habits we perform by instinct—do include another type of good-habit to your daily repertoire. Sweat. Yes. Be addicted. Tell yourself, like I’ve brainwashed myself for decades, this: I am weak when I don’t run. Or bike. Or lift weights. Or dribble the basketball and shoot. Or badminton smash. Or tennis volley. Or grass-walk and par-putt in CCC. Do anything to weaken your body for 40 minutes daily—then you’ll be strengthened. But do it daily. Like an addict. For you’re no addict if you skip sessions and inhale only every Sunday, right? Inhale sports. Let’s all be addicts.

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Categorized as Exercise