MANILA, 15 August 2003 — Ronald Dableo and Joseph Sanchez defeated their respective rivals in the final round to finish in a tie for ninth spot with fellow International Master Mark Paragua in the X Championnat de Nice in France. Croatian Grandmaster Davor Komljenovic took the title when he notched his sixth point with a victory over Bulgarian GM Petar Genov.
Sanchez, a 32-year-old Cebuano, beat Andrea Murgia of Italy after 35 moves of a Sicilian-Alapin while Asian 3.2a zonal champ Dableo, 24, downed Julien Boursier of France in 45 pushes of a Slav Defense.
Sanchez and Dableo finished the seven-round event with 5.0 points, matching Paragua’s output after the Grand Master candidate was held to a standoff by Sebastian Gachet of France after 55 marathon moves of a Sicillian Defense-Marocy Bind variation.
Paragua was undefeated in the tournament, scoring three wins and four draws while Sanchez and Dableo had similar records of four wins, two draws and a loss.
The three Filipinos are on a European tour as part of the preparations for the 2003 Southeast Asian Games in December in Vietnam.
Coseteng, Aguilar Shine in Subic
Star drivers Jody Coseteng and Oscar Aguilar hammered out contrasting wins in ruling their respective divisions as the Havoline Racing Team turned the final leg of the SVI Grand Prix into its own private domain at the Subic International Raceway.
Coseteng formalized his claim to the Super A class title with another confident and masterful run, winning both the morning and afternoon races to further widen his lead to 113 points over his thoroughly outclassed pursuers.
Coseteng, a former Philippine Sportswriters Association awardee, notched his fourth Driver of the Year title in 10 years. But it was in the supporting Challenge Cup class where the drama really unfolded.
RP Team to Vietnam Now 493
The country’s delegation to the 2003 Southeast Asian Games grew to 493 after the joint Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Southeast Asian GAmes technical commission approved the entry of 116 officials to the team.
POC first vice president Steve Hontiveros, who heads the body that screens the delegates to the Dec. 5-13 Games, said they gave their stamp of approval to 28 team managers, 87 coaches.
The 166 officials joined the 377 athletes the POC general assembly had earlier approved. The roster would even go bigger as the technical commission would only discuss the members of the administrative, medical staff and secretariat and the 105 athletes falling under the “conditional” list, next week. He said the commission even departed from the usual practice of tapping one team manager each for swimming, diving and water polo, and instead appointed only one for the three disciplines to save on expenses.
RP Team to Compete in ABC
RP-Cebuana Lhuillier is definitely seeing action in the Asian Basketball Confederation men’s championship slated Sept. 23 to Oct. 1 in Hailongjan City, Guangdong province, China. This was the assurance given by RP-Cebuana assistant team manager Danny Francisco. “The ABC stint will push through because, aside from the Southeast Asian Games, that is the commitment of Mr. Lhuillier (Jean Henri) to the national team,” he said.
Lhuillier, owner of the Cebu Gems in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, is the team manager of the all-amateur Philippine team honing up for its defense of the Southeast Asia Basketball Association and SEA Games crowns in December.
Bughao Leads MVP Race
San Beda College’s red-hot guard Ronnie Bughao leads the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race in the 79th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament. Bughao has collected 26.29 player’s all-around value (PAV) points at the end of the first round. Bughao, acquired from Far Eastern University two years ago, managed to get the headway in the MVP derby with his veteran plays and gung-ho attitude that enabled the Red Lions to end the first round with a league-best 5-2 record. The 5-foot-9 Bughao, younger brother of former Tanduay Rhum point guard Derek, was followed by teammates Jerome Paterno (23.25 PAV) and former NCAA juniors MVP Arjun Cordero (23.11).
Bughao is ninth in overall scoring this season with his 14 points per game average although he is the second best passer in the league this year with his 7.83 feeds per outing behind San Sebastian College guard Michael Gonzales (8.42).
First Woman Qualifies for Marlboro Adventure Trip
First woman qualifier Candice Yap-Madamba joins Edison Cervantes, Jose Martin Cruz Jr., Charles Anthony Unchuan and Joeffrey Caranto as members of the Marlboro Adventure Team that passed the stringent test put up by Philip Morris Philippines for 13 days of adventure in Moab, Utah from Sept. 13 to 25.
Of the five, Madamba stands out easily. A copyreader in a book firm by day, Madamba is the first woman to ever survive the pretrials and make it as part of the team.
“I’m proud to be the first woman who made it, really,” Madamba said. Horseback riding through the dirt plains, white water rafting, orienteering, hiking, riding 4x4s and ATV’s and all. These are the challenges Moab and its pristine, undisturbed beauty has to offer.
Japan Sending Biggest Delegation in 3As Meet
Japan has confirmed its participation in the 2003 Manila Asian Athletics Association championships and will send the largest delegation of 88 athletes and officials in the Sept. 20-23 event at the Rizal Memorial track and field oval.
Leading the Japanese team are Asian Games veterans Asahara Nobuharu and Suetsugu Shingo who will race with tracksters from China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kazahkstan, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Nobuharu finished second to Saudi Arabia’s Al Safaar Jamal in the Busan Asian Games last year, clocking 10.29 ticks to the latter’s 10.24 in the 100-meter race. China’s Chen Haijian was third. Shingo won the 200m gold medal in Korea and is ranked 25th in the world. He timed 20.38 for the event, fending off Chernovol Gennadiy of Kazahkstan who checked in at 20.57, China’s Yang Yaozu at 20.58 and Kuwait’s Al Shammari Fawzi (20.73).
Filipino Boxers Mix It Up for OPBF Title
Two Filipinos will square off for the Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) lightweight title on Aug. 20 at the Casino Filipino Amphitheater in Paranaque.
Champion Dennis Laurente, who fights out of the husband-and-wife tandem of Johnny and Liza Elorde, stakes the OPBF 135-lb title against rugged Fernando Montilla of the L&M Gym.
Staking his title for only the second time since winning it in November 2001 in Japan, Laurente faces a livewire opponent in Montilla, who trains alongside world champion Manny Pacquiao.
Laurente sports a 20-2-1 win-loss-draw card with 13 knockouts, while Montilla totes a deceiving 28-15-2 mark with 19 knockouts. Although Montilla does not have an attractive record, he is seen as a dangerous challenger by Laurente’s handlers.
