2018 – Page 2 – Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

Deanna Wong

The most famous female athletes in the country today perform these tasks: they serve, toss, spike, block, set, dig and kill. That’s volleyball.

Jia Morado. Alyssa Valdez. Jaja Santiago. Kim Fajardo. Mika Reyes. Bea De Leon. Sisi Rondina, who was born in Compostela, Cebu. Are these names not national figures? Have we not watched them do a pancake, or a dink shot, or serve a floater?

Thanks to ABS-CBN Sports and their live coverage of almost every UAAP and NCAA game, we follow the sport of volleyball. And while in most sports the men are more popular than the women, in volleyball, it’s the opposite. Sure, Marck Espejo is sikat but the women rule volleyball.

Coming from Cebu, one player was honored in the UAAP Season 80 with a prestigious award: Best Setter. Her name is Deanna Wong.

“She started late as a volleyball player,” said her dad Dean, whom I interviewed for this piece. “She started when she was in Grade 6. She just went to see the try out at STC. Then the trainer, Jamel Macasamat, saw her long fingers tossing a basketball and asked her to join the try out.”

From STC in elementary to USJ-R in high school, Deanna became a star. For college, she was recruited to play for the Ateneo Lady Blue Eagles.

Now on her third year in ADMU, Deanna had immense pressure because she was replacing one of the school’s best-ever setters (Jia Morado), who graduated last season.

“As a setter, you need to read the position of your opponent, especially the blockers,” said her dad Dean. “You need to give the ball to your spikers away from the defense/blockers and you need to analyze situations through quick-thinking.”

I’ve gotten to know Deanna. In the past three years since my daughter Jana has studied in Ateneo, I’d meet Deanna quite often. At the campus, she often leaves the Eliazo Dorm for their twice-daily practice sessions. Deanna is kind, respectful and humble.

For the UAAP Season 80, the Ateneo women’t team did not win gold; they lost in the semifinals to FEU (and La Salle went to win its third straight title). But if there’s one award to be proud of, it’s the Best Setter trophy to Deanna.

“She was surprised that she got the award,” said her dad, who added that she was a rookie in her position.

As to Deanna’s learnings the past few years, he mentioned several: “Deanna has learned to bond with her teammates. To study her attackers, her spikers, their comfortable positions to spike, to adjust to their spiking position.”

I asked Dean (who traveled to Manila almost weekly during the UAAP season to watch the games live), what lessons Deanna has learned in the pressure-filled arena, with over 20,000 in attendance at the MOA Arena or Araneta Coliseum.

“Discipline is vital. The mindset is crucial. To be fierce on the court and not to be intimidated by opponents,” Dean said. “Sports taught Deanna to overcome challenges. There were doubters ever since high school but she proved them all wrong.”

Ateneo is not easy because the academic demands are high. Of balancing the school’s tough academic standards with the countless hours spent practicing, Dean said: “It’s not easy but it can be done.”

As proof of that, Deanna Wong is the UAAP’s best setter.

Danao City and MTB

Two major off-road events are happening in Danao. Today, it’s the XTERRA Philippines . If Shangri-La has the Ironman 70.3 race involving smooth asphalted roads, this event is off-road. It’s the mountain-bike and not the thin, sleek tires of the road and time-trial bicycles.

XTERRA kicks off this morning at the Coco Palms Beach Resort in Danao. Three categories are offered. The full distance includes a 1.5K swim, a challenging 28K bike ride, and an 8K trail run. The “Lite Distance” features half of the Full distances. And if you’re afraid of the open sea, there’s the Duathlon: 2K run, 14K bike, and 4K run. Relay teams are available. This is the second time for Danao to host XTERRA. The previous host was Liloan.

On three occasions, I had the chance to join XTERRA. Twice as a relay (biker) participant and once joining the Lite category. (On the latter, I placed 2nd in my category — but there were only 4 of us!) If you’re a mountain-biker and do triathlons, this is your event.

ASIAN MTB. Two weeks from now, it’s the Asian Mountain Mountain Bike Championships — also in Danao. The event runs from May 2 to 6 and will feature elite cyclists from Japan, China, Malaysia, Iran and Taipei.

Oscar Durano Rodriguez, Jr. is the lead organizer. I spoke to Boying yesterday and he told me: “Olympians and World Cuppers are joining and we now have 215 elite cyclists coming from 18 countries.”

One of big names is the highest ranked MTBer in Asia: Toki Sawada of Japan. The other top starts are Iran’s national champ, Khodayari Farzaf; 2017 Japan national champion, Kohei Yamamoto; and the defending 2017 Asian Continental champion, Lyu Xianjing of China.

Among the women, the star is Asia’s top ranked cyclist, Kanako Kobayashi of Japan. She’s up against our very own: the Philippine champion and Asia’s No. 2: Ariana Patrice Dormitorio. They’ll be joined by Asia’s 3rd ranked and the defending Asian MTB Champion from China, Bianwa Yao.

With these twin events happening two weeks apart, it’s no wonder why Danao City is often called the “mountain bike capital of the Philippines.” The Durano family members are all avid cyclists, led by the mayor himself, Ramonito Durano, who has been pedaling bicycles for many decades.

Here’s an article I wrote 10 years ago (April 15, 2008):

“Oscar ‘Boying’ Rodriguez, one of the most recognizable names in RP mountain-biking (MTB), and the chairman of the Danao City Sports Commission, said:

“In the summer of 1987, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and his brother Con. Red Durano, who were then studying in the U.S.A., went home for their vacation from their high school studies in California. They brought with them radical looking 21-speed bicycles with knobbed fat tires and ‘granny gears.’ It was then the craze in California. They brought back the first Mountain Bikes to the Phils! We were all hooked. We all converted our road bikes to ‘mountain bikes!’”

“Boying Rodriguez is right. Believe it or not, possibly the first-ever Filipinos to ‘import’ MTBs to our country were no less than the Durano brothers, Ace and Red. From those bikes brought two decades ago spawned mountain-biking in Danao, in Cebu, and all over the RP archipelago. Since then, Danao City has led the peloton in promoting MTB.”

June Mar Fajardo

Only 28 years old, June Mar Fajardo is a already a four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) honoree, a Best Player of the Conference awardee six times, and has won for the San Miguel Beermen the championship trophy on six occasions.

Last Friday night, with SMB down by as much as 23 points to Magnolia, he scored 12 of his team’s last 15 points to force overtime, and, after playing for 54 minutes in double overtime, he topscored with 42 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.

“I did not feel the exhaustion,” Fajardo said. “I experienced cramps, but my team was relying on me to produce.”

Is there any ballplayer who’s more reliable? As he collected his second Finals MVP trophy, his averages in the past five games were impressive, Anthony Davis-like numbers: he averaged 24.4 points and 16.2 rebounds.

Coach Leo Austria knows the secret that we all know: If you want to win, to ignite a comeback, to score, you pass the ball to the center who’s the center of attraction.

“It’s money time, so let’s go to June Mar,” coach Austria said to his players. “I’ve known June Mar ever since. Sometimes we ask him, ‘June Mar, are we going to win?’ He’ll respond, ‘Yes coach, we’re going to win.’”

Twenty three points down? With a desperate Magnolia eager to extend the series to a sixth game? Let’s go to June Mar. From the coach, that’s not mere confidence in one player. That’s belief. That’s certainty.

Is the any athlete in the country today who’s more dominant, dependable and towering than the 260-lb. center? Or, can I rephrase that line and ask: Is there anyone in PBA history who’s better?

Only 28, he still has a good five, 7, 10 years ahead of him. By comparison, one of the PBA’s greatest (if not THE greatest), another Cebuano superstar named Ramon Fernandez, played until he was past 40.

University of Cebu (UC) is proud of its son. Atty. Gus Go and Atty. Merong Estenzo know that he’s the most famous alumni in UC’s 54-year history.

Compostela is proud to say that this dominant force in Asian basketball was born in its confines. So is Pinamungajan, a municipality of 70,000 residents, which was home to June Mar in his youthful days and where his parents still reside.

I’ve had the chance to meet and talk to June Mar on several occasions and he has remained humble, soft-spoken and, despite all eyes and mobile phones focused on him wherever he goes, he has remained shy.

During the SMB-SAC Cebu Sports Awards last year at the SM City Cebu, I sat beside Fred Uytengsu (Sportsman of the Year) and June Mar (Athlete of the Year).

The ballplayer was silent most of the afternoon. (Or was it because Uytengsu hails from the rival Alaska camp?)

There’s no stopping the Cebuano. He’ll score. He’ll rebound dozens per outing. He’ll collect more MVP trophies. Can we ship him to the NBA to become our first Pinoy in the league of Steph and Kyrie?

Who is Ricky Vargas?

The influence of the country’s most influential sportsman just became stronger. His name is Manny V. Pangilinan. He bankrolls Gilas Pilipinas. He owns three teams in the PBA (Meralco Bolts, NLEX Road Warriors and TNT KaTropa). The 2023 hosting of the FIBA World Cup, when we’ll see Giannis and Kyrie and Porzingis in Manila? This was made a reality because of MVP.

Now, thanks to the all-out backing of the PLDT boss, the mogul at the Phil. Olympic Committee (POC) named Peping Cojuangco was finally booted out last Friday. Mr. Pangilinan visited Wack Wack Golf Club minutes before the POC elections started. And, when victory was claimed, he promised P20 million as seed money for the new POC.

Victorico P. Vargas is the 10th chieftain of the country’s Olympic committee. Nicknamed Ricky, he has succeeded top personalities that included Ambrosio Padilla, Jose Sering and Cristy Ramos. And, if you look further into the POC history, there’s one named “Jorge Vargas” and he was the POC head from 1935 to 1955.

Vargas and Vargas are relatives. Ricky is the grandson of Jorge, a sports icon who became the first Pinoy member of the IOC.

Fast forward six decades later, Ricky P. Vargas assumed the POC presidency when he won the POC election of the NSAs with a tally of 24-15. It appears that “24” is his lucky number. Yesterday, the 24th of February, was the birthday of Mr. Vargas.

In Philippine sports, he now holds the most powerful of positions. In the PBA, he was the recently-installed chairman for the 2017-2018 season. In boxing, he’s the president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, the NSA for the sport of Manny Pacquiao.

PBA. Boxing. POC.

How powerful can a sportsman get?

My personal take on Mr. Vargas? He is non-traditional, non-political and has proven himself in the business world — which will be helpful in running the POC. He will do well.

He also has the backing of MVP. From 2000 to 2010, he was the Senior VP of PLDT. For five years starting in 2010, he was CEO of Maynilad Water Services, a Pangilinan-run company. Of his dozens of key associates, Ricky Vargas is MVP’s most trusted man.

The task confronting Mr. Vargas is herculean. After a 13-year long reign, Peping Cojuangco still has his men and cohorts in the POC. And you know who sits as the Philippine representative to the IOC? She’s Peping’s daughter, Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski. Vargas will have to collaborate with her. What’s sad to know is that politics will forever be infused in sports.

Frank Elizalde, who presided over the POC elections, was asked if healing in sports is possible. He laughed.

“Knowing my fellow POC members, no. Sorry,” he said. “In reality, there’s a lot of not friendly relations among a lot of people.”

Losing hurts. And Peping might file a protest with the IOC. If he does, what a shame. Had he willingly given up his selfish throne last year, he would have been granted an honorable exit.

It’s a bright, new morning for sports.

Good luck, MVP and RPV.

UAAP 80

MANILA — If Cebu has the CESAFI, Metro Manila has the UAAP and the NCAA. Spelled in full, the UAAP stands for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines while the NCAA means the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

What’s the difference between the UAAP and NCAA? The former is for universities while the latter is for colleges. Right? Well, not exactly, because out of the several NCAA member schools, a few are universities (Jose Rizal University, Mapua University, and Arellano University).

Based on my research, the UAAP schools are bigger: six of their eight members have more than 10,000 students while only four of 10 from the NCAA exceed the 10,000 population.

Why won’t the two leagues combine so there’s one champion for the whole of Metro Manila? This makes sense. It’s too complicated, I’m sure, but in terms of awarding the trophy to the one and only champion, this makes sense.

I was in Manila last weekend to watch my daughter Jana play UAAP Season 80 tennis for Ateneo. Against UP, the Lady Eagles tennis squad defeated the Lady Maroons, 4-1, with Jana scoring a strong 6-1, 6-0 singles win. (The contests include three singles matches and two doubles matches per encounter.) Now on her third year in college, Jana has played on the same venue the past three years: the hard-courts of Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

After cheering for the Atenean netters last Sunday, we hopped to the nearby baseball stadium where the Ateneo batters were playing UP. We stayed only for a few minutes and witnessed a few hits off the alumimum bats of the men’s players.

Past 4 p.m. two days ago, we sat in the bleachers to watch another UP vs. Ateneo encounter. This trio of games can be called the “Battle of Katipunan” as both campuses are found along Katipunan Avenue.

We watched football. Hundreds of spectators filled the rafters, majority wearing either maroon-colored shirts or blue. Among the notable Cebuanos that I identified as players included King Miyagi (of UP) and Enzo Ceniza and Koko Gaudiel.

The first half was scoreless and, early in the 2nd half, a scuffled ensued as security personnel entered the field to pacify the two heated clubs. Sam Lim of Ateneo was sent off and this led to the Blue Eagles’ having only 10 players on the field. In the 75th minute, JR Borlongan of UP scored the lone goal to win the game for the Fighting Maroons, 1-0.

I called my sports editor Mike Limpag while watching the game to update him of the heated battle. We also talked about the beautiful artificial turf of the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Calling on Cebu City councilors Joy Young (who was the architect behind the Cebu City Sports Center and the rubberized oval’s rehabilitation a few years back), Jun Gabuya, Jerry Guardo, Joel Garganera, Mary Ann de los Santos and our other sports-loving leaders: let’s transform the CCSC into an all-weather artificial grass football field!

SM2SM Run

Three major footraces in two months. After the Cebu Marathon last January 14, it’s the 7-Eleven Run early today (very early at 1 a.m.). What makes this event unique is it’s run simultaneously this morning in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao: Filinvest Alabang in Manila, Cebu Business Park here, and SM City Davao in Mindanao.

After these two back-to-back 42K full marathon events, the long distance runners are not finished yet. Two Sundays from today, it’s the highly-anticipated SM2SM Run. Celebrating its 8th anniversary this 2/18/18, the prize money is unrivaled: P50,000 goes to each 21K champion and the total cash prizes this year (from last year’s P586,000) has jumped to P703,000.

Raffle prizes? This is SM and they have a bonanza: 8 Cathay Pacific round trip tickets to Hong Kong, 8 Samsung Galaxy Note 8s, 8 Samsung LED TVs, Fujifilm cameras, 6 GCs in Sheridan Beach Resort in Palawan, 3 GCs in Radisson Blu, 8 GCs in Parklane Hotel, Swatch watches, Bayfront Hotel breakfast coupons and Trans Asia round trip tickets.

The race venue is at SM City Cebu and will feature 21K, 12K, 8K and 4K distances. Registration fees are P550 for 4K, P650 for 8K, P750 for 12K, and P950 for 21K. Each runner receives a breakfast meal and loot bag with premium items. Deadline for registration is Feb. 15. This event is for the benefit of Cebu Newsworkers Foundation, Inc. and Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc.

Congratulations in advance to the top officials of SM, led by the indefatigable Marissa Fernan, SM’s top marketing head for the Visayas, Jen-Jen Amigo, and SM’s Senior Public Relations Manager for VisMin, RJ Leduna.

Roger’s 20th

Michael Jordan, after leading the Chicago Bulls to NBA titles from 1991 to 1993, stopped playing basketball and pressed the pause button. When he returned, MJ scored another three-peat from 1996 to 1998.

Roger Federer, a fellow Nike endorser (they jointly-designed the Zoom Vapor Air Jordan shoes), followed a similar pattern. After winning a record 17 majors from 2003 to 2012, he stopped winning the Grand Slam trophies. More than four years passed before he won again (last year’s Australian Open). And now, in a span of 12 months, he has collected 3 of the 5 Grand Slam singles titles.

Calm, relaxed and collected all throughout his seven matches in Melbourne, his emotions burst open during the awarding when tears of happiness flowed. As inhuman as he is with that Wilson racket, he’s human. He cries. He laughs like a little kid while being interviewed by Jim Courier. In the history of all sports, he ranks as one of the classiest and most respected of gentlemen. To the list that include Pele, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan, add the name “Roger Federer.”

FRITZ STROLZ. I requested a dear friend to write about his fellow countryman. Dr. Fritz Strolz was born and raised in Switzerland. While there, he met a Cebuana (Pearle) and they settled and lived in the same land as Mr. Federer.

In a piece he entitled, “We Cried Tears of Joy,” here’s the commentary of Dr. Strolz:

“It is a privilege to follow the extraordinary career of a Swiss sportsman. He is an athlete and a man whose story that could not be better invented in the dream factory Hollywood.

“Last Sunday, we sat in front of the TV with our mouths open and with watery eyes. Pearle suffered with Roger; she tigered around like in a cage and at every point she cried out.

“We are desperately looking for superlatives for Roger. If you don’t have the words, music often helps. Then you can at least hum along in your mind. ‘You’re Simply The Best,’ by Tina Turner would be a variant. Or ‘You are the champion,’ the adapted version of Freddie Mercury.

“Roger is a star who, with his infinite ease, his unique suppleness, his incredible talent and his flair for tennis, is once again fascinating the world. The phenomenal successes are one thing. For him, winning is never a matter of course. Tears never lie. His emotions leave no one untouched.

“Roger embodies typical Swiss characteristics: Humility, respect, modesty and devotion. He is down-to-earth and yet worldly. Modest and yet self-confident. Cosmopolitan yet thoroughly Swiss.

“For someone who does such extraordinary things, he leads an astonishingly ordinary life. He resists being held hostage to his popularity. For example, he takes the children to the zoo by tram. He stands in the swimming pool for an ice-cream shake.

“The injury to his left knee showed his own finiteness. Since then, he has enjoyed every second he is allowed to stand on the world stages. When asked what drives him, the answer is always the same, perhaps banal: He loves tennis.”

Hyeon Chung

South Korea is home to Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Kia Motors and over 52 million people. Here in the Philiippines, it is estimated that over 1.5 million Koreans visited the country in 2017. In the realm of sports, the Winter Olympic games will be held in Pyeongchang (about 180 kms. from Seoul) next month, from February 9 to 25. If we consider the most popular sports in Korea, they are football and baseball. With golf, the lady golfers dominate: five of the world’s Top 12 money earners come from Korea, including Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu.

There’s a new star in Korean sports: Hyeon Chung. If you haven’t heard of him before this week, you’re forgiven. Ranked No. 58 and only 21 years old, he’s not a famous name in tennis. But after winning five of five thus far in the Australian Open, this 6-foot-2 netter is now one of Korea’s most famous personalities.

Last Monday, I watched his Round of 16 battle against six-time Oz Open winner Novak Djokovic. What a display of steady and power tennis. We know Djokovic is not at his peak yet, having returned from a six-month layoff. But the performance of Chung (including a win over Sascha Zverez) was outstanding. He is a legitimate future Top 10 player.

The question is: Can he beat the defending champion, Roger Federer, in the semis (granted that RF won his quarterfinals last night) ? The odds are absolutely against Chung. He will have to play even better compared to how he played Novak. He will have nothing to lose but the heavy favorite to win the whole tournament and to pocket his 20th Grand Slam title is the gentleman from Basel, Switzerland.

Still, Korea is rejoicing with the emergence of their new tennis star.

Casino Español billiards

If you’re a billiards and Bata Reyes fanatic, tonight is the night. Casino Español de Cebu, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, has organized an exciting event that’s open to the public.

Efren “Bata” Reyes, also nicknamed “The Magician,” will be playing tonight with the Mandaue City-born top female billiards champion, Rubilen Amit.

Bata Reyes needs no introduction but Ms. Amit is also one of the nation’s best. Our sportswriters group awarded Rubilen in 2013 and 2014 as the “Athlete of the Year.” During that period, she was the world’s top World 10 Ball champion and partnered with her compatriot tonight (Bata Reyes) to win the Mixed Doubles World title.

With Bata Reyes in Casino Español

The venue will be the Salon de España of Casino Español and the exhibition games start at 7 p.m. But prior to that, there will be prelimary games starting at 3:30 p.m. The official statement from the club reads: “Watch Ipar Miranda, Mic Mic Miranda, Abe Sy, Wellington Yu, Kevin Co, Kendrick Sulay, Jose Rodolfo Tiu, II and the winners get to team up with the billiard greats.”

Tickets are priced at P700 (for members) and P800 (for guests), already inclusive of the club’s superb dinner buffet.

That’s Bata Reyes and Rubilen Amit at 7 p.m. later in Casino Español.