MANILA, 8 February — Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Eric Buhain kicked off his cash-giving functions last week, approving at least 6 million pesos in financial assistance to different national sports associations.
In his first board meeting since assuming office last week, Buhain said they tried to get rid of the backlog brought by the change of leadership in the agency.
It was also the longest board meeting by far, stretching for two days since it also served as briefing for the new PSC boss.
"I’m really starting to get the picture of the agency with that board meeting," said Buhain, who stressed that he got ample support from the four holdover commissioners. Buhain said that the board plans to make new policies on giving assistance, particularly to individuals who are neither athletes nor officials.
He said the agency lacked a guideline regarding the rates of allowances given to tournament directors, referees, timers and judges who go abroad. Still, Buhain said he will start to meet NSA presidents next week and ask them their three-year plan for the next few years," Buhain added.
Already, athletics boss Go Teng Kok talked to him about his plans for the Asian Games. Track and field athletes, all 27 of them, have already started training in Baguio City early this month and will be needing a bigger budget than the eight million pesos they received last year.
But Buhain refused to commit on the amount although he recognized the successes of the track and field athletes during the last year’s Southeast Asian Games where they won nine golds, 10 silvers and four bronzes.
Isaac named new Blu head coach
Former Ginebra player Leo Isaac has been named the new head coach of title-hungry Blu Detergent Kings in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).
Blu team owner Dioceldo Sy, who is also the PBL board chairman, said Isaac took over the coaching job from ex-pro Tony de la Cerna, who lasted just one conference for the Detergent Kings.
Former University of the Philippines (UP) Maroon player Patrick Aquino will remain as assistant coach.
Isaac, who manned Ginebra’s backcourt under coach and now senator Robert Jaworski, will start coaching Blu in the coming Chairman’s Cup.
Blu, one of the league’s most popular teams, is still seeking its first-ever title since breaking into the league three years ago. He previously coached Ana Freezers and Montana Jewels, but took a break from coaching in the Challenge Cup, opting to concentrate in joining the PBL’s roster of TV analysts.
Blu became the talk of the town when it bannered a team made up of Fil-Ams in the PBL Vis-Min Cup three years ago. Among those in the roster were Paul Asi Taulava and Rob Duat.
Isaac is expected to beef up Blu’s lineup with promising players. Gunner Edwin Bacani, drafted by Shell in the annual Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) rookie draft, will no longer see action for the Detergent Kings.
Silver Cup on Feb. 24
Local racing’s first million peso race will be held on Feb. 24 at the Sta. Ana Park with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, in cooperation with the Philippine Racing Club, Inc., staging the 7th PCSO First Gentleman’s Silver Cup.
"The running of the PCSO First Gentleman’s Silver Cup is part of our commitment to support the local horse racing industry by providing the ideal venue to showcase the improvement of the local breed. This will also highlight the significant contribution of horse racing in generating much-needed revenues for the government and additional funding for charities," said PCSO general manager Virgilio Angelo.
The PCSO, through chairperson Ma. Livia "Honey Girl" de Leon, has formally invited First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to attend the occasion and personally award the prestigious "Silver Cup" to the owner of the winning entry.
In addition to the coveted championship trophy, the winner of the Silver Cup will also receive 1.1 million pesos, with 350,000 pesos, 175,000 pesos and 85,000 pesos going to the next three placers. The event is an open weight-for-age championship exclusive for locally-bred horses and set over 2,050-meters.
Among the officially declared starters are Batangas Entry, Charlemagne, Lyonnais, My Preperido, Staunch Ally and Wind Blown. Last year’s event was won in impressive fashion by Wind Blown at the San Lazaro Hippodrome.
Senators’ wives organize racing carnival
The Manila Jockey Club Inc. (MJCI) and the Senate Spouses Foundation Inc. (SSFI) have joined hands to spearhead the staging of the "Chinese New Year-Valentine Racing Carnival" from Feb. 13-17 at the San Lazaro Hippodrome.
Envisioned to become one of the biggest and richest racing carnivals in the land, the five-day racing festival revolves around the theme "Karera Para sa Puso" and was organized in support of the SSFI’s extensive program to build Centers for the Elderly and Sick throughout the country.
Highlight of the five-day racing carnival would be the staging of 10 top money events, top billed by the 1 million pesos Senate President’s Cup on Feb. 17.
Two stakes races are scheduled on all five racing days covering the Chinese New Year-Valentine Racing Carnival, with bulk of the support coming from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and San Miguel.
Members of the SSFI are going all-out in support of this innovative racing project, led by foundation officers Milagros Drilon (President), Alma Susana Flavier (Vice President), Sandra Cayetano (Secretary), Cynthia Villar (Treasurer) and Felecitas Arroyo (Legal Counsel).
Espiritu shines in Langkawi
Filipino Victor Espiritu stole the thunder from the Le Tour de Langkawi’s big guns in Malaysia, grabbing the Asian lead with a masterful individual time trial Stage 1 ride that caught the Europeans by surprise and Asia’s top bets off guard.
The bull-strong No. 3 rider of the Philippine team Quirimit negotiated the short 20.3-km route through this "intelligent city" that houses the federal government ministries, departments and agencies, with a fast clocking of 26:23.47, more than enough to catapult him to the Asian lead.
Asian Games gold medalist Gader Mizbani of Iran, riding for the Telekom All-Stars, came in 38 seconds later while Japan’s top rider, Makoto Iijima, was 58 ticks behind.
Telekom All-Stars mainstay Wong Kam Po, and Espiritu, both former Marlboro Tour champions, were nowhere near the top 10, underscoring Quirimit’s bold run which earned him instant fame around the cycling community here.
The soft-spoken Quirimit was so awesome during the time trial his clocking was even better than that of defending champion Carlo Lanfranchi (Alexia Allumino) who clocked 26:25.82, which is 1:28 off leader Robert Ilunter of Mapei Quickstep.
Despite Quirimit’s brilliant show, however, Team Philippines managed only a third place finish in the Asian category.
Equestrian, softball chiefs deny joining POC boycott
A top official of the Philippine Equestrian Federation has clarified that her group was not part of the reported "boycott" of the Philippine Olympic Committee’s general assembly last week in Makati City.
"I confirmed my attendance the day before (Tuesday), but I failed to make it because I had to attend to an unexpected happening which our office had to look into," said Carissa Coscolluela, equestrian federation secretary general, who works in the office of Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon. Eighteen of 34 regular associations attended the POC assembly, enough to form a quorum.
The president of another association which was also not represented in the meeting, Filomeno "Boy" Codinera, was quoted in newspaper reports last week that his group did not have anything to do with the "boycott."
"You can quote me," Coscolluela said. "We (equestrian) have no intention to boycott the general assembly."
"I became too busy (in the office) because of the reported ambush of two tourists — one American and another a German — who were climbing Mt. Pinatubo," explained Coscolluela. "I did not have time anymore to go to Makati for the meeting."
Groundwork starts for
Manila youth tourney
Preparations for the 1st Manila Youth Games (MYG) are now in full swing as the organizing Manila Sports Council (Masco) started holding a series of strategic talks with the different offices and organizations involved while mobilization of participants has already been initiated.
Masco chief Ali Atienza, son of Manila Mayor Joselito Atienza, has been regularly meeting with the various heads of the Division of City Schools, Manila Barangay, Youth, and Tourism Bureaus, City Engineer’s Office, City Budget Office, representatives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), National Sports Associations (NSAs) and private events management group.
Among the major concerns discussed were the objectives and mechanics of the MYG, rules and eligibility, mobilization, funding requirements, technical support, facilities and venues, equipment, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.
The 1st Manila Youth Games, scheduled from April 7—14, is the comprehensive mass-based sports development program for the city’s in and out-of-school youth aged 12 years and under.
Spurred by the success of the City of Manila in the 3rd Philippine National Youth Games — Batang Pinoy, the Masco, in its resolve to reestablish the city’s culture of sports excellence, decided to push the MYG as a follow through to identify, recruit, train and expose the city’s potential youth-athletes.
