MANILA, 15 February — Plans are under way for the former national team coach, Ron Jacobs, to be brought to the US for further treatment.
Doctors attending to the ailing American basketball mentor are just waiting for some more progress on his condition before he could be brought to the US.
Jacobs remains confined at a Quezon City hospital more than a month after he suffered a stroke while driving on his way home to Pasig City.
He was taken out of the neuro intensive care unit (ICU) a couple of weeks back but still remains under heavy sedation.
Steps are now being taken by family and friends of the 59-year-old Jacobs regarding the plan to bring him to the US although sources said doctors are still trying to “stabilize” his condition for the long journey back home.
A small team of medical personnel would be needed to help bring Jacobs to the US where more advanced medical technology could serve the latter in good stead. Sources added that Jacobs’ family and friends are now looking for an airline that could help carry out the plan.
Jacobs was named head coach of the national basketball team that will see action in the 14th Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea, in September mainly because of his wide experience and expertise in international tournaments plus a respectable record against powerhouse China.
But he suffered a stroke barely a month after naming the candidates for the national team, leaving Jong Uichico, his protégé at San Miguel, handling the coaching chores with the help of former national player and now Ginebra coach Allan Caidic.
Dayrit, Buhain put Asiad
buildup in motion
Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Eric Buhain have forged a pact that put in motion the Filipino athletes’ buildup for the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea, in September.
They also discussed the 2005 Southeast Asian Games which the country would be hosting.
Dayrit and Buhain, who were part of the Philippine team that competed in the 1987 South Asian Games in Jakarta, renewed and strengthened their relations, this time as leaders of the country’s top sports bodies.
In the same meeting, Buhain pledged the government’s continued support for the athletes and committed 120 million pesos to the different national sports associations this year.
The 120 million pesos, actually the same amount the NSAs received from the PSC last year, would be used for the NSA’s foreign exposure, equipment and allowances of athletes and coaches. Dayrit said the first official meeting between the POC and the new PSC honcho, who only assumed office last Jan. 23, reaffirmed the two bodies’ same vision for Philippine sports.
3 more PSC commissioners quit
Malacanang has confirmed that three more incumbent commissioners of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) have submitted their courtesy resignations to President Arroyo.
Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said in a press briefing he knew about the resignations but said he is not aware whether or not President Arroyo had accepted them.
The resignations, including those of Ritchie Garcia and Amparo “Weena” Lim, were coursed through Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Avelino “Nonong” Cruz, who chairs the Malacanang Search Committee which screens nominees to government positions. One of the three PSC commissioners who resigned reportedly included Cynthia Carrion, the president’s own classmate and only appointee to the PSC.
The resignations came more than two weeks after the president tapped former swimming champion Eric Buhain to replace Carlos “Butch” Tuason as chairman of the government sports agency.
Garcia and Lim, both appointees of former President Joseph Estrada, tendered their courtesy resignations earlier this week.
Tuason announced his resignation as PSC chief last Jan. 21 to give the president a “free hand” in the reorganization of the agency.
William “Butch” Ramirez, the other Estrada appointee, resigned a few days later.
Carrion was named commissioner early last year to fill in the post vacated by now Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella.
Listed as possible replacements for Ramirez, Garcia and Lim are former national athletes Lydia de Vega (athletics), Bong Coo (bowling) and Benjamin McMurray (judo), ex-PSC commissioner Tisha Abundo, Sultan Punduma Sani of Marawi City and Nemesio “King” Yabut Jr.
Football drops Asiad bid
The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has informed the joint Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Asian Games task force it is no longer sending men’s and women’s teams in Pusan, South Korea.
The task force is conducting a series of hearing with the 33 National Sports Associations (NSAs) seeking to send athletes to the Sept. 29-Oct. 14 regional competition.
Under the criteria approved by the POC general assembly, the minimum criteria for participation in the Asiad are gold in the 2001 Southeast Asian Games; gold in SEA-level competition between 2001 and August 2002; for measurable sports, recent performance equivalent to the third place record in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games; and bronze in world-level meets.
The task force is also giving consideration to athletes with silver in the 2001 SEAG or other SEA-level competition between 2001 to August 2002 but their inclusion to the team is subject to “justification and evaluation.”
Filipino netters lose to Kazakhs
Kazakhstan completed its demolition of the Philippine team even as Michael Mora III defeated Dmitriy Makeyev 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the reverse singles for the Filipinos’ lone win in the five-game affair in their Davis Cup Group II tie in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The Philippine team’s 4-1 loss relegated it to a battle with Kuwait, which lost to China by the same score in another Asia-Pacific Group II tie.
The Kazakhs earlier moved to a 3-0 score as Dias Doskarayev and Alexey Kedrijuk beat Joseph Victorino and Johnny Arcilla, respectively, in singles while coming back to beat Adelo Abadia and Arcilla in the doubles.
Anton Tsymbalov put the finishing touches on the hosts triumph by whipping Joseph Victorino 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.
The Philippine Tennis Association and its president Salvador “Buddy” Andrada have been under fire for the Philippines’ continuing skid in international competition.
RP cyclists shine in Langkawi
Four Filipino riders, led by rookie Emilio Atilano, finished in the top 10 of the Kuala Lumpur criterium race as the Philippines emerged as the best Southeast Asian team in the 2002 Le Tour de Langkawi.
Atilano, a prized discovery of the Philippine Amateur Cycling Association, finished with the main pack of 68 riders and finished third in the Asian category with a clocking of 1:41:50 over the 75.6 km final lap at the heart of KL. Merculio Ramos finished 7th, just 13 seconds behind stage winner Graeme Brown of Ceramiche Panaria who clocked 1:41:50, the same time submitted by Asian winner Shinichi Fukushima of Japan, Atilano and 65 others.
Joining Atilano and Ramos in the top 10 of the lap were RP veterans Villamor Baluyut and Victor Espiritu who finished the Asian stage 9th and 10th, respectively, coming in 18 seconds behind Brown and company.
Espiritu, the 1996 Marlboro Tour champion, emerged as the best-placed Filipino rider in the Asian category with an aggregate time of 30:24:14, good for 7th place. Ramos and Quirimit placed 8th and 10th, respectively, with 30:43:12.
Minoza to compete in RP Open
Top Filipino golfer Frankie Minoza has confirmed his participation in the forthcoming Casino Filipino 87th Philippine Open Golf Championship to be held at the Wack Wack East Course March 7-10, following an invitation from Wack Wack President and MMDA Chairman Ben Abalos.
Minoza, who devotes most of his time playing in the money-rich Japan Tour, is currently vacationing at his home in Del Monte, Bukidnon.
The early staging of the RP Open has given Minoza the time to play since the Japan PGA Tour, where Minoza is a regular campaigner, will only start March 14.
But the reticent ace shot maker wants to make sure he would be in tip-top condition for the event as he begins his buildup by competing in the Singapore Open next week and the Malaysian Open the following week.
Minoza won the Philippine Open at Riviera’s Couples course in 1998, ending a 15-year long drought in Asia’s oldest and the country’s premier golf championship.
Biggest chess tournament set for March
The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) will hold its richest national championship which will start on March 18 at the 2/F Centermall, Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, Metro Manila.
NCFP press relations officer Noel Albano disclosed this year’s National Chess Championship (men and women’s divisions), to be played in three stages, will also be the basis for the selection of the country’s representatives to this year’s World Chess Olympiad in Bled, Slovenia in October and players for the national players’ pool.
A cash pot of 946,000 pesos will be at stake with the men’s champion guaranteed to receive 150,000 pesos while the women’s champion will get 75,000 pesos.
The elimination stage for the men’s division, a 9-round Swiss system event, is open to all untitled players (non-masters), rated or unrated, with the top 30 players advancing to the semifinal round.
Seeded in the semifinal round, which will start on April 15, are all titled players (international masters, Fide and national masters), provincial and city non-master champions.
SEABA Champions Cup
The Southeast Asia Basketball Association Champions Cup slated March 10-14 will be held in Cebu City instead of Manila.
Aside from the Philippines, other countries competing in one of the region’s premiere tournaments are Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.
Basketball Association of the Philippines Secretary-General Graham Lim said he had instructed Region VII director lawyer George Bragat and Vice-President Dodon Aquino to coordinate with Cebu City Mayor Tony Osmena and Cebu Sports Commission head Jonathan Guardo regarding the holding of the SEABA Champions Cup. The Philippines, represented by the Bobby Parks-reinforced National Basketball League selection, won the event last year in Johor Baru, Malaysia.
Lim said the SEABA Champions Cup event would serve as qualifier for the Asian Basketball Confederation Champions Cup set in Kuala Lumpur from April 28 to May 5.
