Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, first vice-president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, yesterday expressed optimism that outgoing Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez will be retained to spearhead the government agency because of his “good performance”.
Ramirez, along with sports commissioners Ricardo Garcia from Bacolod City, Leon Montemayor and Ambrosio De Luna have been asked by President Arroyo to tender their courtesy resignations on or before June 30.
“I am optimistic that Ramirez will still be retained because he has done a good job,” Puentevella, the chef de mission of the Philippine Team for the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, added.
“And unlike others, Ramirez is willing to resign if he is not effective anymore. That’s the difference between him and others in the government agencies,” Puentevella pointed out.
Under the leadership of Ramirez, the Philippines bagged the SEA Games overall crown in runaway fashion in Manila two years ago. The RP athletes also posted its best finish in the 2006 Doha Asian Games in 40 years, after winning four golds, one of which came courtesy of Bacoleño boxer Joan Tipon.
Puentevella is reportedly with Ramirez in China, where they accompanied the 27 national athletes, who will undergo training there. China will host the 2008 Olympics.
“The China program will do wonders for the athletes. That’s why we won the last SEA Games,” Puentevella said.
The Bacolod solon also predicted that China will win the Olympics next year by a mile. “So we might as well train with them,” the former PSC commissioner-turned legislator said. *Cedelf P. Tupas
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Atilano shatters 16-year-old hurdles mark
Negrense Sheena Atilano became the latest toast of Philippine athletics as she shattered a 16-year-old national record in women’s 100-m hurdles in the 2007 Asian Athletic Grand Prix in Pune City in Western India Wednesday.
The La Carlota-born hurdler, the Philippines’ lone bet in the Asian GP, galloped her way to a bronze medal finish by clocking 13.65 seconds, one-hundredths of a second faster than the old mark held by athletics legend Elma Muros, who set the record during the 1991 SEA Games in Manila.
It was Atilano’s third medal in the three-leg Grand Prix.
The 27-year-old athlete, who trained in Southern California in the United States from January to May, claimed a silver medal in the Bangkok leg by timing in at 14.00 seconds, before bagging a bronze in the Guwahati leg with a 13.92 seconds clocking.
Atilano, who studied at Doña Hortensia Salas Benedicto National High School in La Carlota and the University of St. La Salle, before transferring to De La Salle-Taft, earned a total of $2,100 ($98,000) with her two top three finishes and the second-place finish.
Anastasiya Vinogradova of Kazakhstan completed a sweep of all three legs, winning her third gold with a time of 13.22 seconds.
'FOCUSED AND DISCIPLINED’
“Sheena is focused and very disciplined,” Atilano’s training partner in the, national sprinter Ralph Waldy Soguilon told the DAILY STAR last night in a telephone interview. Soguilon is the RP record holder in the 100-m and 200-m events.
Soguilon said Atilano, who works as a content developer for an online mobile messaging service company Chikka Philippines, had wanted to break the RP mark even before they arrived in the Philippines last May 31.
“That was her target before we left for the US,” Soguilon, who spoke to Atilano after her record-breaking performance, added. “She’s really happy”.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Before she left for the US, Atilano was nowhere near the RP mark. “Her record was in the 14.6 seconds-range,” Arniel Ferrera, another Negrense athlete in the RP Team, said.
Go Teng Kok, president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association, could not help but marvel at Atilano’s vast improvement.
“She is improving so fast, and I have no doubt she will be one of gold medalist in the coming SEA Games, I can bet on that,” Go said.
Go explained that besides Atilano’s continuous improvement, the performance of her Southeast Asian rivals are on a decline, making her one of the country’s bright prospects in the biennial Games slated in December in Thailand.
"She has already beaten the Indonesian (Erawati) who was the silver medalist last time. Then the gold medalist, the Malaysian (Moh Siew Wei) is plague by injuries. So I could say Sheena is almost a sure gold,” Go said.
Atilano joined the elite company of Eduardo Buenavista, Ernie Candelario, Rene Herrera, Marestella Torres, Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito and Domingo Manata, who had won a medal in the Grand Prix.
More than 150 athletes from 23 Asian countries participated in this three-leg series, which slated a total of 21 events with the top three in the individual competitions receiving US$1,500, US$800 and US$500 while the top two in the team events will get US$400 and US$200, respectively.
Other countries represented in the event are India, Iran, Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Pakistan, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Singapore, and China. *Cedelf P. Tupas
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
NOPSSCEA MEET: Collegiate volleyball, swimming, lawn tennis scrapped
The chairman of the NOPSSCEA Sports Task Force yesterday announced the scrapping of collegiate volleyball, lawn tennis and swimming from the roster of events in the 27th edition of the private schools sports competition in Bacolod City.
At the NOPSSCEA STF meeting at the University of St. La Salle, chairman Roger Banzuela cited the lack of teams in his decision to drop the events from this year’s calendar.
Only La Salle has a team in swimming and lawn tennis, while University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and USLS have been the only teams playing for the volleyball crowns the past few years.
The NOPSSCEA rule book states that four teams are needed for an event to push through but Banzuela took exception in the men’s football competition, where only three teams --- West Negros College, USLS and UNO-R --- are expected to see action.
Banzuela said only exhibition games will be staged for collegiate volleyball to determine the players for the Regional Private Schools Athletic Association Meet.
A time trial for swimming may be held to determine the composition of the NOPSSCEA squad for the PRISAA, Banzuela said.
The former Philippine volleyball president expressed optimism that the scrapping of the events will yield positive results in next year’s competition.
“I hope this will serve as a challenge to other schools to put up teams in these events as well next year,” he told the 30 sports moderators of NOPSSCEA member-schools, who attended yesterday’s meeting at USLS’ Room 10.
The players who are under scholarship will be the ones who will be most affected if their teams disband, he added.
He also welcomed the announcement of Colegio de San Agustin-Bacolod to participate in the NOPSSCEA collegiate volleyball tournament next year.
Banzuela also announced that Riverside College will be tasked to head the screening committee of the athletes in the collegiate division, while the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Talisay and USLS will hold the position in the secondary and elementary divisions, respectively.
The sports moderators also submitted the events that their schools will participate in this year’s competition but the list is unavailable as of press deadline.
Banzuela said schools have until July 21 to make changes of the events they will join. The Task Force also scheduled the submission of requirements from Aug. 21-30, he said.
Players must not be born after Jan. 2, 1990 to be eligible for the high school competition, while the elementary players cut-off birthdate for elementary athletes is Jan. 2, 1995. In the aspirants’ level, the cut-off birthdate is June 16, 1992.
Except for the developmental league (aspirants and 10-Under), the sports meet will be held from Sept. 23-28, coinciding with the NOPSSCEA Week.
Banzuela said he will consider the proposal of WNC sports moderator Romulo Estrebillo to explore the possibility of holding an alternative tournament to fill the vacuum in the sports calendar after the NOPSSCEA. *Cedelf P. Tupas
At the NOPSSCEA STF meeting at the University of St. La Salle, chairman Roger Banzuela cited the lack of teams in his decision to drop the events from this year’s calendar.
Only La Salle has a team in swimming and lawn tennis, while University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and USLS have been the only teams playing for the volleyball crowns the past few years.
The NOPSSCEA rule book states that four teams are needed for an event to push through but Banzuela took exception in the men’s football competition, where only three teams --- West Negros College, USLS and UNO-R --- are expected to see action.
Banzuela said only exhibition games will be staged for collegiate volleyball to determine the players for the Regional Private Schools Athletic Association Meet.
A time trial for swimming may be held to determine the composition of the NOPSSCEA squad for the PRISAA, Banzuela said.
The former Philippine volleyball president expressed optimism that the scrapping of the events will yield positive results in next year’s competition.
“I hope this will serve as a challenge to other schools to put up teams in these events as well next year,” he told the 30 sports moderators of NOPSSCEA member-schools, who attended yesterday’s meeting at USLS’ Room 10.
The players who are under scholarship will be the ones who will be most affected if their teams disband, he added.
He also welcomed the announcement of Colegio de San Agustin-Bacolod to participate in the NOPSSCEA collegiate volleyball tournament next year.
Banzuela also announced that Riverside College will be tasked to head the screening committee of the athletes in the collegiate division, while the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Talisay and USLS will hold the position in the secondary and elementary divisions, respectively.
The sports moderators also submitted the events that their schools will participate in this year’s competition but the list is unavailable as of press deadline.
Banzuela said schools have until July 21 to make changes of the events they will join. The Task Force also scheduled the submission of requirements from Aug. 21-30, he said.
Players must not be born after Jan. 2, 1990 to be eligible for the high school competition, while the elementary players cut-off birthdate for elementary athletes is Jan. 2, 1995. In the aspirants’ level, the cut-off birthdate is June 16, 1992.
Except for the developmental league (aspirants and 10-Under), the sports meet will be held from Sept. 23-28, coinciding with the NOPSSCEA Week.
Banzuela said he will consider the proposal of WNC sports moderator Romulo Estrebillo to explore the possibility of holding an alternative tournament to fill the vacuum in the sports calendar after the NOPSSCEA. *Cedelf P. Tupas
Negros athletes to compete in HongKong meet
Four national athletes from Negros Occidental step up their preparation for the Southeast Asian Games when they see action in the HongKong Inter-City Challenge on the first week of July.
Arniel Ferrera, the SEA Games hammer throw king from Cauayan, Negros Occidental, last night said that he will compete in HongKong together with Loralie Amahit of Binalbagan, Arnold Villarube of Escalante and Julius Sermona of Himamaylan.
Amahit is the country’s best bet in women’s hammer throw, while Sermona’s specialty is the 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer events, Ferrera, who holds the SEA Games mark of 60.47-meters, said.
Villarube, on the other hand, is one of the top sprinters in the country and may vie in the 100-m event as well as the 4x100-m relay, Ferrera added.
The Cauayan-born athlete also said that Joebert Delicano, who hails from Victorias City, will not be part of the 15-man Philippine delegation because the long jumper saw action in last month’s Taiwan Open, where he managed to land in the Top Five.
Delicano won a silver medal during the 2005 SEA Games in Manila.
Ferrera said he also hopes that Philippine sports officials will be able to address the lack of vitamins for athletes in the national pool. *Cedelf P. Tupas
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Negrense athlete bags 2nd gold in Asian GP
Negrense Sheena Atilano trained for six months in the United States early this year.
And the 27-year-old hurdler from La Carlota City is reaping the benefits of her foreign training, bagging her second medal in the 2007 Asian Athletics Grand Prix at the Indira Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, India Sunday.
Atilano, the only Filipino in the Grand Prix, clocked 13.92 seconds in the 100-m hurdles to win the bronze medal, behind Anastasiya Vinogradova of Kazakhstan (13.05 seconds) and Dedeth Erawati of Indonesia (13.71 seconds).
Although she failed to duplicate her silver medal finish in the Bangkok leg last Wednesday, the 27-year-old Atilano made significant progress, shaving eight tenths from her clocking in Thailand.
Atilano, who recorded her personal-best of 13.71 seconds while competing in track meets in the United States, was awarded $500 for her bronze finish. She has raked in $1,300 so far as the Grand Prix heads to Pune, India today.
Considered as the heir apparent of athletics legend Elma Muros-Posadas, Atilano and RP record holder Ralph Wally Soguilon trained in the United States from January to May.
Twenty-three Asian countries are represented in the Asian Grand Prix with the top three finishers in the individual competitions receiving $1,500, $800 and $500. * Cedelf P. Tupas
SEA Games hammer throw king seeks foreign training
Arniel Ferrera, the undisputed Southeast Asian Games hammer throw king from Cauayan, Negros Occidental, last night said he hopes to finally undergo training abroad and get the help of a top-caliber coach as he sets his target of making the Olympics in the next few years.
Citing the improvement of fellow Negrense athlete Sheena Atilano, who trained in the United States for six months early this year, Ferrera said European countries Germany and Russia can be an ideal site for training because of its world-class facilities and coaches.
Ferrera acknowledged that the cost of training in Europe is prohibitive. “But it’s one of the best ways to improve,” he added.
Since establishing the SEA Games and Philippine standard of 60.47-meters in Manila two years ago, the Cauayan athlete has not gone close of surpassing the record, falling short in the Asian Games in Doha by more than a meter.
Atilano of La Carlota City, meanwhile, achieved a personal best of 13.71 seconds in the 100m hurdles, surpassing her previous best of 14.46 seconds, while competing in track and field meets in Southern California.
The Negrense believes the weather in Europe and the competition --- even in training --- can push an athlete to the limit.
He also said hopes to adapt the training being conducted by Russian coaches, who have good technique and have produced world champions.
“I have been tested in the SEA Games so the next step is really to improve on my performance in the next Asian Games. After the Asiad, the next best thing is the Olympics,” Ferrera said, adding that PSC chairman Butch Ramirez has asked him if he can win a medal in the Olympics.
“I told him (Ramirez) that my record is really far behind the Olympic standards and that foreign training would be of great help,” Ferrera said.
The Cauayan-born athlete said that although some quarters have verbally expressed their support for his foreign training, the differences between the PSC and the Philippine Amateur Athletic Association may have shelved the plan.
Nevertheless, Ferrera, a member of the Philippine Air Force, expressed optimism of making a SEA Games hammer throw hat-trick when the biennial meet is held in Thailand from Dec. 5-15.
With the SEAG less than six months away, Ferrera admitted that he has yet to reach peak form, citing his commitments to the PAF that has limited his time off the training ground during the past few months.
“I just got back training three weeks ago,” Ferrera said, but “I’m optimistic I could reach my target in the SEA Games”. *Cedelf P. Tupas
Citing the improvement of fellow Negrense athlete Sheena Atilano, who trained in the United States for six months early this year, Ferrera said European countries Germany and Russia can be an ideal site for training because of its world-class facilities and coaches.
Ferrera acknowledged that the cost of training in Europe is prohibitive. “But it’s one of the best ways to improve,” he added.
Since establishing the SEA Games and Philippine standard of 60.47-meters in Manila two years ago, the Cauayan athlete has not gone close of surpassing the record, falling short in the Asian Games in Doha by more than a meter.
Atilano of La Carlota City, meanwhile, achieved a personal best of 13.71 seconds in the 100m hurdles, surpassing her previous best of 14.46 seconds, while competing in track and field meets in Southern California.
The Negrense believes the weather in Europe and the competition --- even in training --- can push an athlete to the limit.
He also said hopes to adapt the training being conducted by Russian coaches, who have good technique and have produced world champions.
“I have been tested in the SEA Games so the next step is really to improve on my performance in the next Asian Games. After the Asiad, the next best thing is the Olympics,” Ferrera said, adding that PSC chairman Butch Ramirez has asked him if he can win a medal in the Olympics.
“I told him (Ramirez) that my record is really far behind the Olympic standards and that foreign training would be of great help,” Ferrera said.
The Cauayan-born athlete said that although some quarters have verbally expressed their support for his foreign training, the differences between the PSC and the Philippine Amateur Athletic Association may have shelved the plan.
Nevertheless, Ferrera, a member of the Philippine Air Force, expressed optimism of making a SEA Games hammer throw hat-trick when the biennial meet is held in Thailand from Dec. 5-15.
With the SEAG less than six months away, Ferrera admitted that he has yet to reach peak form, citing his commitments to the PAF that has limited his time off the training ground during the past few months.
“I just got back training three weeks ago,” Ferrera said, but “I’m optimistic I could reach my target in the SEA Games”. *Cedelf P. Tupas
exciting times at barcelona
Being a Barcelona fan, there's one big reason to celebrate: Thierry Henry's arrival at the Nou Camp. I dont want to go into details of his four-year deal with my favorite Spanish club. He is set to earn a whopping $200,000 a week.
I got to share Henry's transfer story to our business editor, Nanette, who reacted rather stunned over how much the former Arsenal talisman is about to earn while donning the Barca jersey. "Some people are just so lucky," she says.
Nanette has every reason to be stunned. More than half of the 80-million plus people in the Philippines live on $2 a day. And in a basketball-mad Philippines, sports afficionados talk would rather talk about how much Kobe and LeBron earn from just playing basketball. last year, kobe earned around $17M from his Lakers contract. But football players are actually not far behind. while kevin garnett earned $21m last year, barca's headband-wearing midfield dynamo ronaldinho raked in 29.5M, according to forbes. the amount probably includes his endorsement contract with Nike.
the rest on the forbes list are all familiar names. 2. beckham 29.1M 3. ronaldo 23.4 4. rooney 17.2 5. ballack 16.8 6. henry 15.8 7. zidane 15.6 8. cannavaro 14.6 9. terry 14.3 10. gerrard 14.2
i just wonder how these guys spend all their money.
back to barca, i am particularly concerned about the players who will be leaving the club, following henry's arrival. for me, eidjur gudjohnsen should follow javier saviola out of the nou camp. i am very disappointed with gudjohnsen's performance the past season and the huge number of goal-scoring opportunities he has blown away.
but selling deco is supposed to be not an option. i also don't want samuel eto'o to leave. samuel and thierry would make a great partnership and frank rijkaard has lionel messi to spark the attack when he comes from the bench fresh, while the other team's defenders are fagged out. messi exchanging 1-2 passes at midfield with henry before making a darting run from the right flank. ronaldingo approaches to recieve the ball just outside the box and flicks it to a streaking henry, who blasts the ball to the upright leaving eto'o to slot in the rebound.
i can only imagine. these are exciting times for barcelona.
My return. My summer
Finally, I'm back blogging. I havent been able to blog the past four months because i was just too lazy. hopefully, ill be more disciplined and blog all the time.
i was in school from april 15-may 26 but still had time to work on some assignments for inquirer and the daily star. i deposited alot of information on my brain bank from the subjects that i took up as cognate courses as part of the MA in Journ at the Ateneo: media studies, public relations and english language teaching.
overall, the summer was great save for the mishap on the fateful night of may 19. i had lots of firsts. first time to be away from bacolod and stay in manila for around 45 days. first time to traverse manila, makati, mandaluyong, san juan and sometimes pasig to quezon city almost every night during my stay just to be with rachele. first time to attend an affair at the 27th floor of the diamond hotel (presentation of ACFJ fellows May 2). first time to enter the Ayala Museum (Konrad Adenauer event). first time to listen to historian Ambeth Ocampo (i laughed almost every other sentence he delivered. witty, informative and hilarious).
The laceration on my foot which needed 10 stitches has yet to completely heal but its getting there. I sustained the 3-inch wound on may 19 at the araneta center. I was on my way to my friend, carlo's place to watch the FA Cup final between Man United and Chelsea. Man U is my favorite English club. The night turned out to be a double whammy because ManU lost on Didier Drogba's goal in extra-time.
Anyway, I am insert my letter to the araneta center management in this blog.
May 20, 2007
The Manager
Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City
Dear Sir/Madam
Greetings!
I am Cedelf P. Tupas, 23, of Bacolod City. I am currently the sports editor of the Visayan Daily Star in Bacolod and a correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I am currently based at the Ateneo De Manila University in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, where I am taking up my Master of Arts in Journalism under the Asian Center for Journalism Fellowship.
I am writing you to put on record the accident that happened to me inside the premises of the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City at around 8:45 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 2007. The accident happened at the parking area beside Wendy’s Fastfood at Shopwise facing SM Cubao. I was headed to SM Cubao but when I walked through an alley in between two parked cars just beside Wendy’s, I stepped on a square-shaped material that was I think, made of tin and was similar to the size of a vinyl tile.
I was thinking that the material was intended to cover a small area of soil there but because of poor lighting, I could not conclude what was the purpose of putting the material. Thinking the material was stable enough, I planted my foot on it but the material popped. The result was a nasty three-inch laceration on my right foot. Blood profusely dripped and I had no time to report the incident to your office because I had to rush myself to World City Medical Center at Anonas, Quezon City for treatment.
I was wearing slippers at the time of the accident, reason why the cut was long and deep. But who could predict accidents like these? Even so, it could have been prevented by your office by (1) making sure that there was enough lighting for pedestrians to see if what they are stepping on (2) making sure that the material was stable enough (4) removing that sharp object in your parking lot (5) putting a sign that it was not advisable to pass by the parking area where I met my accident because of that sharp object. If you conduct an ocular inspection, I believe that you will still see traces of my blood in the area as well as in the stairway area of SM, where I hailed a taxi.
Aside from limiting my mobility and draining my resources, the injury has caused me a great deal of pain and anxiety because it came near the end of the summer school term, which is very crucial for me since the majority of the tasks being assigned form a huge a percentage of my grades.
The doctor said my right foot needs all the rest it needs but I am taking time to report this incident and seek relief from your office.
I will be going home to Bacolod on May 29 and would need to resume working immediately but the injury has sidelined me indefinitely.
Thank you very much for your attention and I hope you take appropriate action on my case.
Sincerely Yours,
Sgd
CEDELF P. TUPAS
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