MANILA, 18 January — Billiards king Efren "Bata" Reyes and golf queen Dorothy Delasin, the best and brightest Filipino athletes in the year just passed, have made one common vow: to do even better this year.
Reyes, who is perhaps the world’s greatest billiards player to play the game, and Delasin, a young golfer already on the verge of becoming No. 1 in the universe, were awarded as co-winners of the prestigious Philippine Sportswriters Association’s Athlete of the Year for 2001.
But make no mistake about it, they won’t settle for anything less than surpassing their shining achievements and extending further the boundaries of their greatness this year.
The 47-year-old Reyes, known as the "Magician" in the world of pool, shared the award with the 21-year-old sensation Delasin at the annual PSA Awards Night at the jam-packed Holiday Inn Hotel where the other Filipino sports achievers here and abroad for year 2001 were also honored like kings and queens.
It was the second straight year that Delasin was honored as the PSA top athlete.
On the other hand, Reyes, who highlighted his 2001 campaign with victories in the rich Tokyo 9-ball invitational and the prestigious World Pool League, received the same award in 1999, the year he won six major titles, including the prestigious World 9-Ball Championship in Cardiff, Wales.
The two sports heroes received their glass trophies from no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who made a surprise brief appearance.
Delasin herself could not hide the excitement she felt upon standing side by side with Reyes as the year’s top performers.
"I’m very honored to share the award with Bata," said the former RP team standout, who admitted playing billiards once in a while. "He’s done a lot of wonderful things on the table. Sometimes, I watch him on TV and just say "wow!"
Reyes was more than willing to share the accolade with Delasin.
"Both of us are campaign abroad and doing our very best for our country," said Reyes.
They both vowed to improve their performances and keep the Philippine flag hoisted in their respective fields this year.
Reyes, the pride of Pampanga, has two US tournaments lined up in the next three months, the World 9-Ball in Cardiff in July and the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea in September where he will vie for the gold.
He plans to join only six of the 10 Japanese tournaments because of the Asian Games where he is expected to deliver the gold for the Philippines. Just to personally receive the PSA award, he had to skip a tournament in Pennsylvania.
Delasin will fly back to the US this week to prepare for her first LPGA tournament of the season in March. She plans to play in at least 25 tournaments this year, including the Nabisco Championship in Palm Springs, California sometime in April.
"I’m very happy in receiving this award. To be honest, I didn’t expect this because in 1999 I won even more tournaments," said Reyes. "I’ll try my best to do better this year for the Filipinos."
Delasin, for her part, promised to improve on her game as she gears up for her third season in the LPGA where she reigned supreme in two tournaments last year, including the Samsung Championship where only the top 18 money earners and the top two amateurs were invited.
"It’s going to be a lot of hard work but I love it, so I’ll go out there and continue to give my best," said Delasin.
The first major tournament lined up for Delasin this year is the Nabisco Championship in Palm Springs, California sometime in April. This tournament, she added, could set the tone for her 2002 campaign and her ambitious bid to become world No. 1 in the future.
"Right now, I’m in the process of achieving that. I’m into more cardiovascular exercises to improve my longevity in the game and enable me to hit those balls a lot stronger even when I’m 40 years old," added Delasin, who has an average drive of 260 yards.
There is no argument about it, Delasin is one fine golfer from the Philippines.
Some of her countrymen, however, remain cold on Delasin’s achievements, arguing she seemed to be "too shy" to mention her Filipino roots in any of her victories in the US ñ unlike Reyes, who looks and speaks like a true Filipino.
But Delasin maintained she remains as Filipino as her favorite adobo dish, even raising the possibility of representing the Philippine flag as she embarks on her LPGA campaign.
Delasin said that she’s working with her agent on the possibility of wearing the Philippine flag on her shirt whenever she competes in the LPGA.
"It’s (wearing the RP flag) possible. We’re talking about it right now. We’re working on it," she said.
The LPGA’s top rookie in 2000 aims to become the No. 1 player in the Tour in 2002.
"Right now I’m preparing very hard for next season. My ultimate goal is to be No. 1 in the LPGA and I’m working toward that with the help of (my caddie and friend) Clint (Begay)."
"Winning just one of those majors would be a big step for me if I have to achieve my goal of being No. 1," she said. "God willing and with the Filipino people’s continued support of me, I believe I can and I’m determined do it. But of course, it would take a lot of hard work."
Informed that she’s bound to establish a first in PSA history should she make it as Athlete of the Year again this year, Delasin said: "It’s great to make history. I’ll try my best this season, knowing that you’re there guys to root for me."
Truly, Delasin is bent on being No. 1 and Begay, is backing her up.
"Without her knowing it, she can be the best in the world," beamed Begay, whose American-Indian roots he trace to being half-Navajo and half-Pueblo. "She has the game, and with the right attitude and mindset, she can do it."
Only two years in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Delasin has already won thrice ñ the first in the Giant Eagle Classic in 2000 which gave her Rookie of the Year honors in the Tour and her first Athlete of the Year award from the PSA.
She successfully defended it last year and capped it with a resounding victory in the Samsung World Championships participated in by 20 of the world’s best players including Australian Karrie Webb and a slew of Koreans led by Se Ri Pak to affirm her status as one of the future superstars of the game.
Delasin marked his campaign last year by finishing 12th in the Money List of the prestigious women’s tour. She earned $620,442 (almost 32 million pesos) in the 2001 season, nearly double her winnings of $339,112 the year before. Another Top 10 finish in the Evian Masters in France in mid-season gave her a check worth more than $60,000.
The awards night took a happy twist when President Arroyo "dropped by".
Her arrival took everybody, the sportswriters who are making up the PSA, athletes and other guests, by surprise ñ even as the President broke tradition by not delivering a speech reserved for the night’s guest of honor in the event’s 54th edition.
Presidential Spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao aborted reading the speech after a bomb-sniffing canine made his way to the carpeted ballroom together with the presidential security guards to signal the President’s arrival.
PSC commissioner Cynthia Carrion reportedly convinced the President to drop by after they had attended a dinner.
But the President didn’t stay long enough to see the other side of Reyes ñ do some comedy with his patented broken "Carabao English" that brought the house down. Delasin came with her new agent Mark Freeland and caddy Clint Begay, rumored to be her boyfriend.
Begay, younger brother of PGA Tour standout Notah, however said "it is a professional player-caddie relationship, nothing more."
Again, the President pulled off a bigger surprise when she gifted Reyes and Delasin 1 million pesos each for their outstanding performances last year.
The President handed out the cash incentives before completing a round of golf with Delasin at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
Reyes left shortly after receiving his cash award while Delasin went on to play 18 holes with the President, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, Heidi Chua and Ria Quiazon of the national team.
Also present at Wack Wack were Philippine Sports Commission chairman Carlos Tuason and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman and club president Benjamin Abalos, an excellent golfer himself who hit one of the ceremonial balls.
"More medals for the Philippines," the President said as she tried to exhort Reyes and Delasin to do even better in the coming years.
Before teeing off, the President even had her swing checked by Delasin.
Athletes who shone in various fronts last year were also lauded, among them basketball stars Ren-ren Ritualo and Danny Ildefonso, International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight champion Manny Pacquiao, Southeast Asian Games double-gold medalist Eduardo Buenavista, Bowling World Cup runner Liza del Rosario and golfer Frankie Minoza.
Other prominent sports leaders were on also hand to give a toast to the awardees.
They are led by the PSC chief Tuason and commissioners Carrion, William Ramirez and Amparo Lim, Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit and chairman Robert Aventajado and Games and Amusements Board chairman Eduardo Villanueva.
Andy del Rosario was on hand to receive a special award for outstanding achievement in other fields of interest. He’s now ambassador to Hungary.
Cotabato Gov. Manny Pinol, a former boxing columnist and an occasional broadcaster who is credited with Mindanao’s renaissance in boxing through the Lerio brothers, was also given the same award.
