MANILA, 14 December — Cecil Mamiit, boxer Brian Viloria and surfer Sunny Garcia.
They are not exactly the father, son as in Don McLean’s classic song American Pie. And they didn’t catch the last train for the coast on the day the music died.
But they are the three men Filipinos admire most – and the world should.
Simply because these world-caliber athletes have made names for themselves in the world stage in their respective disciplines – and, more importantly, they are proud of their Filipino roots.
These Filipino-American athletes have been campaigning and doing well abroad.
The 25-year-old Mamiit, who hails from Ilocos, north of the Philippines, holds the distinction as the first netter of Filipino descent to hit it big in the US tennis scene. Currently, he is ranked 30th in the world.
To be more specific, he holds the distinction of being the first and only Filipino-American to be ranked in the top 100 globally. In 1999, he reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon – his first step into the world limelight.
In the same year, he gave the Philippines something to be proud of in the international tennis scene when he captured the US Tennis Association (USTA) singles title by shocking seasoned campaigner Alex O’Brien, a member of the US Davis Cup team.
His victory marked the end of the winning streak of O’Brien to close the season with the victory.
He almost completed a grandslam since he also finished as runner-up in the doubles event.
The victory then was sweet for Mamiit, who grew up in Los Angeles, as he gained 65 ATP points for his feat, enough to put him back in the Top 100 of the ATP tennis rankings. Mamiit was formerly ranked No. 72 in the world.
Philippine Lawn Tennis Association (Philta) president Col. Salvador Andrada has said that while the tennis association is interested in luring Mamiit, the perennial problem of funding stands in the way.
Andrada said he already had initial meetings with the agent of Mamiit for his stint with the Philippine tennis squad.
For his part, Mamiit has expressed willingness to play in the country in international tournaments, but he withdrew after no benefactor or sponsor came forward to support him.
“We invited him to play here for the Philippines,” said Andrada. “Sure he wanted to, but the problem we immediately encountered was funding. Without sufficient funds needed for training and participation overseas, his world ranking will suffer.” Mamiit would more or less be needing at least US$50,000 on the first year and US$75,000 the following year should he decide to represent the country abroad.
The said amount would be needed to bankroll participation in international tournaments, necessary for him to gain more experience and maintain his rankings.
“If sponsors and benefactors do come forward,” Andrada noted, “maybe we can talk to him again and convince him to play for his native land.” Mamiit has seen action in the Philippines a couple of times last year along with another seasoned Filipino-American, Eric Taino, before leaving an atmosphere fill with hopes that one day he would represent the country in regional competitions, particularly the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and even in the Davis Cup.
Mamiit’s stint could have boosted the country’s chances of sending a lawn tennis team in the next Olympics.
It won’t happen anymore.
Funding woes prevented Mamiit from carrying the Philippine colors at a time when the country is in dire need of Filipino netters who could bail the country out of its sorry state in tennis.
While talents – like Mamiit – are available, the much needed funding is nowhere to be found.
Garcia makes wave
Garcia, who is of Filipino descent, is one of the world’s best surfers today.
Although lightly-regarded in the Philippines, Garcia, whose real name is Vincent Sennen Garcia III, is making waves in the world as a surfer.
He was born in Oahu, Hawaii.
He has been on the pro circuit for 16 years, but his popularity seems to be only recently peaking with the growing worldwide popularity of surfing.
In his reign as world champ, the soft-spoken surfer said he’s honored to represent his native Hawaiian heritage and Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing.
“I’m not just from Hawaii, I got Hawaiian blood, and Filipino blood,“ Garcia said. “I’m very proud of that.” The only other Hawaiian to become world champion is Garcia’s mentor, Derek Ho. Garcia is also of Chinese, Irish, Filipino and Puerto Rican descent.
“I’m a mixed plate,” he said.
Garcia was born and raised in Waianae, a rural coastal area of Oahu. He now lives in Princeville, on the island of Kauai, with his wife and three children — Kaila, 10, Logan, 9, and Stone, 7.
Currently, he is ranked fifth in the Association of Surfing Professionals.
He claimed prominence last year after winning two of the three contests in the prestigious Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach in Hawaii – the final World Championship Tour event of the year.
The Rip Curl Cup is one of three tournaments in the Triple Crown considered by many surfers to be the most challenging surf competitions. The surfer that scores the highest points in the three events wins the crown. The three competitions are held on Oahu’s North Shore only when winter waves are large enough.
He is among eight men who have won the Triple Crown title in its 18-year history.
The other former champs are Kelly Slater of Florida, Kaipo Jaquias of Hawaii, Mike Rommelse of Australia, Tom Carroll of Australia, Derek Ho of Hawaii, Gary Elkerton of Australia and Michael Ho of Hawaii.
