MANILA, 28 December — Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Jonathan Guardo is pushing for the city’s hosting of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

He said the biennial meet should, this time, be held outside Manila, and that Cebu be given the chance to play host to the event.

"Cebu is willing and ready to play host to the prestigious regional competition," he said.

The Cebu City government, headed by Mayor Tommy Osmena, has expressed full support to Guardo’s plans and in fact, has formed the 2005 SEA Games Bidding Committee chaired by Guardo and former lawmaker Joy Young.

Guardo said that the Queen City of the South could easily hold 10 to 15 sports events for the games.

Among those being eyed to host several sports events are nearby provinces like Lapu Lapu, Danao, Mandaue and Mactan. Representatives from these places have also agreed to Guardo’s concept of a multi-city hosting of the games.

Guardo is eyeing the 22-hectare area at the South Reclamation area or a huge property in Lapu Lapu City to be potential venues for a new state-of-the-art stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies.

And now that the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has already finalized the guidelines for the bidding, Guardo said he’ll submit Cebu’s letter of intent soon.

"I’ve been to Johor Baru, Malaysia during the recent SEA Games and comparatively, Cebu has better facilities and can easily host some big events like athletics, boxing, weightlifting and even gymnastics," said Guardo.

Filipino archers established three national records as they missed winning the team gold medal by a solitary point in the recent Asian Championships in Hong Kong.

Led by Raul Ramon Arambulo and Don Bosco student Earl J. Yap, Filipino archers had to settle for the silver medal after they lost 216-217 to Chinese Taipei in the exciting finals of the compound event that was included in the Asian program for the first time.

The 40-year-old Arambulo set two of the marks, while Yap, a 17-year-old high school senior, accounted for one during the qualifying round.

Arambulo shot 336 and 344 points in the 70- and 30-meter distances, respectively, while Yap tallied 165 points for 18 arrows.

The old marks were 330 (70 meters) set by Manuel Martinez in Beijing last September, 343 (30 meters) posted by Clint Sayo one year ago and 160 (18 arrows) also chalked up by Martinez in Shah Alam, Malaysia last October.

"Our archers did very well. I could not ask for more," said coach Bernard Yap.

Arambulo ranked seventh in the individual event with 1311, while Yap was 10th at 1279. Two other RP archers — Adam Jimenez III and Nestor de Castro carded 1214 and 1062, respectively, to rank 13th and 16th.

Arambulo also holds the RP records of 330 points for 50 meters, 1325 for single FITA round and 112 for 12 arrows. On the other hand, Yap also owns the 90-meter distance mark of 315 points.

Singapore took the bronze by beating Hong Kong 210-193 in the team event.

Acting on reports of massive corruption in the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission will soon begin its own investigation against the top officials of the government sports agency.

Jaime Sebastian, president of the Athletes and Coaches Alliance of the Philippines (ACAP), said this was in keeping President Arroyo’s vow when ACAP paid her recent courtesay call in Malacanang that she would look into the allegations through the PAGC.

Sebastian has filed several complaints of graft and corruption against PSC chairman Carlos Tuason with the office of the Ombudsman.

"We appeared before the PAGC upon the invitation of its commissioner and officer-in-charge Teresita Baltazar last Friday. She told us to gather more documents and evidences to prove that graft and corruption is rampant in the PSC," Sebastian said.

ACAP has alleged that Tuason, in connivance with some top sports officials, committed graft by entering into anomalous infrastructure deals using PSC money. The group cited the multi-million rehabilitation projects at the Rizal Memorial and PhilSports sports complexes which Tuason entered when he assumed office in 1998 as cases where there were alleged violations in both the Anti-Graft Law and the PSC charter.

If the cases are proven to be true, Sebastian said, the all cases showed merits, the persons involved may be charged since "millions of pesos of government money were used."

During ACAP’s meeting with the PAGC, the ongoing cycling controversy also cropped up, Sebastian said.

The cycling association is being disputed by two groups, one headed by Danao Rep. Ramonito Durano and the other by Ponciano Regalado whose group is recognized by the POC.

Regalado is under fire for the alleged non-delivery and purchase of inferior cycling equipment from the 2.6 million pesos PSC gave the association.

He is also accused of shortchanging cyclists and coaches of their allowances of some 258,315 pesos during an international meet in Taiwan last July.

"We won’t interfere with the cycling leadership dispute. We will only be after on the possible involvement of Tuason and some of his officials as well as the POC in the highly-irregular release of government money to cycling," Sebastian said.

POC President Celso Dayrit is being criticized for withholding important papers during the height of the leadership dispute allowing Regalado’s group to receive money from the PSC despite the strong claims of Durano to the association’s leadership.

"Dayrit should take action immediately or he will take some of the blame in the mess," Sebastian. said.

With no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gracing the affair, Wind Blown bucked a heavier handicap weight and displayed another superb run to beat the field in ruling the PCSO-Presidential Gold Cup at the Sta. Ana park.

Wind Blown, ridden by jockey Pat Dilema, had to run with a 59-kg handicap weight, three kilos heavier than the next rated entry, but still went to win the race handily by four lengths in a time of two minutes and 13 seconds flat. The win all but formalized Wind Blown’s entry into the elite company of all-time greats, emulating the back-to-back conquests of champion horses Fair And Square, Sun Dancer and Bulldozer.

Making a rare appearance at the Santa Ana Park, President Arroyo, the event’s principal honoree, arrived just in time before the parade of entries in the 29th edition of the country’s richest and most coveted horse race.

Also gracing the affair were PCSO Chairman Ma. Livia de Leon and vice chairman and general manager Virgilio Angelo, Philippine Racing Commission chairman Andrew Sanchez and Pagcor chief Efraim Genuino.

The event marked only the second time that an incumbent chief executive graced the event since former President Fidel Ramos appeared during the 1993 race at the same track.

Taking time off from her busy schedule, the president arrived in the company of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and personally awarded the prestigious Presidential Gold Cup to Wind Blowns’ owner, businessman-sportsman Herminio "Hermie" Esguerra.

The win was worth a whopping 1.5 million pesos from the sponsoring Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for the four-year-old Dark Bay thoroughbred trained by former star jockey Antonio Alcasid Jr. Wind Blown’s easy victory all but overshadowed the thrilling battle for runner-up honors.

Speedy Batangas Entry managed to hang on to second spot from rallying Charlemagne while Gold Edition outran Sky Hawk to bag fourth place.

Completing the official order of finish were Hyperbid, Ilocandia Slew, Kiwi Rose, Materiales Fuertes and Super Sharp. Wind Blown has now won seven straight races since his Silver Cup victory last April at the San Lazaro Hippodrome.

Wind Blown cornered 1,196,58 pesos out of the total 1,327,797 pesos in duplicating the feat of Fair and Square (1981-82), Sun Dancer (1996-97) and Bulldozer (1996-97) since the race was inaugurated in 1973.