Resilient Korea

Two hours after punching the wall because of the Philippines' nasty defeat at the hands of Iran in the Fiba-Asia Basketball Championships in Japan, I decided that I should stay away from basketball TV and watch a football match.

The Korea-Japan match was a welcome respite for me. It didn't matter that they were playing for third place in the Asian Cup. I was looking forward to quality football that unfortunately is lacking in the Philippines.

So there I was. Glued to Star Sports until the 90th minute, 120th minute and the gripping penalty shootout. I was watching the game with my 13-year-old brother, who also felt a little tension while watching the shootout.

I was constantly exchanging text messages with my Korean friend, Bruno, also a Man Utd fan. He told me that the Korean team is not the strongest in years because the five Premiere League stars are not in it.

I wrote this immediately after the match. I wasn't taking notes so forgive me.

In a match that had all the trappings of a classic, Korea won third place in the Asian Cup, beating Japan 6-5 on penalties, after 120 minutes of football ended scoreless.

The Koreans, down to 10 men in the 57th minute when Kang Min Soo was shown a second yellow card for a dubious foul on Takahara, pulled through, thanks to their tough-as-nails defense and the heroics of 34-year-old keeper Woon Jae.

Woon Jae stopped Hanyu's penalty kick, sending the Koreans into jubilation. The win assured Korea of a spot in the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.

It was a virtuoso performance by the Korean keeper. He foiled Takahara from close-range in stoppage time in the first half and had another save in the latter stages of second half when Japan tried to capitalize on its advantage and pushed forward.

It was an unbeleivable effort from Korea. Japan was the more attack minded side but Korea also proved strong in defense, despite Min Soo's exit.

Watching the match evoked memories of last year's coverage of the Asean Football Championships here in Bacolod. There were around 18000 people at the Panaad in one of the RP XI's games and when the goals came, it felt like the stadium was about to collapse. The RP booters did not disappoint, winning 3 of four games.

Here's hoping for another international football tournament here.

Iran 75 RP 69

The SMC-Philippine Team lost to Iran, 69-75, in its opening match in the Fiba Asia Championships in Tokushima, Japan.

As much as I want to be subtle on my comments here, I just couldn't help it.

The shooting was atrocious at 22 percent, save for late in the fourth quarter when Kerby Raymundo and Mick Penissi went to work. At halftime, it was 3-21 or 14 percent in two-point area and 2-7 or 29 percent beyond the arc.

Wow, the training in the US, tune-up games in Belgrade, the Jones Cup campaign in Taipei and the 4-nation Manila invitationals were not enough to pack our team's ammo.

The mental lapses of coach Chot Reyes and JJ Helterbrand deep in the final canto that spelled doom for the Nationals, throwing away what had been an amazing effort by Raymundo, Penissi and Kelly Williams.

The outcome could have gone the other way also if Kelly Williams and Raymundo converted important free throws.

You don't really need to fast-forward the game tape in the final two minutes game to see how these pricey PBA stars and their over-rated coach lost the game, putting the Philippines on the brink of elimination.

A loss against China tomorrow and the Filipinos kiss their title hopes goodbye. There are no injury updates on Jimmy Alapag, Danny Seigle and Asi Taulava as of posting time.

Consider the starting line-up: the oft-injured Danny Seigle (coming off a long lay-off), Jimmy Alapag, the misfiring and always scrambling Dondon Hontiveros, Asi Taulava and Williams.

Forgive me, Dondon but James Yap deserves a spot on the team over you. You may look determined but your miscues are unforgivable (remember: the Lebanon and Japan losses). James, a PBA MVP, is obviously a better shooter than you are.

I can only speculate as to why you were selected: Is it because you were a San Miguel player and your team needs to be well-represented in the Philippine Team, named after your company? But James is from the sister team, Purefoods. Purefoods, however, is not San Miguel.

Danny Seigle, why do you always have to force your shots? You're no longer in the PBA boy, you're playing international tournament, where one-on-one moves are not the in-thing. That also goes for you Mark Caguioa.

So okay, I don't want to pin down the players anymore. I just hope they do better tomorrow.

As for Chot Reyes, I remain dumbfounded. Why oh why did you have to complain to the official when your team had the momentum and could have made a good defensive stop had it not been for the technical foul. All because you wanted a travelling called on the Iranian.

Hey, those things are beyond your control. You have a strong reason to complain. But hey your team did not need that technical.

Focus on the things that you can control. How your team plays, the decisions your players make and your rotation.

I mean it took Gabe Norwood, Jimmy Alapag, Caguioa and Danny Seigle to leave the game either on fouls or injuries for you to realize that you needed Kelly Williams and Raymundo back on court.

I expect Chot to make another "its a learning process for our team" when the papers come out tomorrow. Actually, Im very excited how our colleagues who are in Tokushima covering the tournament are going to write about the Philippines' latest debacle.

Okay so you have another chance, you and our team Mr. Reyes.

Please don't let the millions spent on your team go down the drain this early. Its supposed to be our coming out party. We're supposed to enjoy this tournament and not rue the missed chance.

Hopefully, I can post something positive after the RP-China match tomorrow.

RP Team: Patriotism and commercialism

I know this post will hardly create a ripple as the Philippines begins its quest to return to Olympic basketball in Tokushima, Japan in a few hours.

Boy, the Philippine Team has gotten everyone here so excited. But really, how strong are our chances of getting past everyone in Tokushima? I say its slim. You see, the field in Tokushima is obviously tough with even Iran and Kazakhstan among the likely teams that are capable of springing a surprise. Add the fact that our pricey PBA stars we are sending aren't actually proven subjects when it comes to the international brand of play, which is free-wheeling motion passing offense and deadly three-point shooting.

Only Argentina has mastered this kind of play. And for the NBA stars, whom we look up because of their high-flying exploits, I give them a failing grade on that aspect. Sure, they're the world's finest athletes but basketball is a team game and it takes five people working together on court to pull off a big W. A few days ago, I watched the Team USA hopefuls in scrimmage and it looked more than an All-Star game rather than training for a tough tournament like the Fiba-Americas Championship. Isolation plays, like what was set up for Kobe Bryant to hit the game winner against Lebron and Co., is not the way to go.

Bryant is not an isolated case. Just watch Mark Caguioa and Jimmy Alapag later. I am pretty sure these guys will try to do the same. Chot Reyes may justify that we have the quickest guards in Asia but I still think that even if our guards play a 100 percent game-in and game-out, it doesn't ensure us an Olympic berth.

I am one with every Filipino in praying that our team overcome the odds and make the Olympics for the first time in 35 years. I just feel sick thinking that behind this sense of patriotism, lies the PBA's brand of commercialism.

I agree with Mr. Percy Della in his commentary that came out on the Inquirer Saturday. Yeah, how about the other sports where we really have a realistic chance of winning an Olympic gold like boxing. Word has it, though, that our poor pugilists, who had to share shorts during the Asian Games, are getting help from Mr Manny Pangilinan. Now, that's good news.

As for as Chot Reyes' ability to conjure quotable quotes on his team's success and failures, I also agree with Mr. Della.

We are tolerating a coach who turns his team’s failings into sports headlines and the grotesque into good news. We the sports media are playing into his hands. We can’t seem to see through the smoke and mirrors. We choose to be thunder-struck when he elevates the post-game interview into his stage. We tend to go along as he feeds the frenzy of our cage-crazed populace with the sound and fury of his quotable quotes. When are we finally going to get it? That Chot’s chatter is just that. Empty talk.

Chot wiggles his way out of criticism by providing us the quotes. He makes it appear that the team is still on a learning process. Oh really? But we buy it.

Back to PBA, the Philippine Team has become its major marketing arm. Add San Miguel to the mix. Oh sorry, I forgot, its supposed to be the San Miguel-Team Pilipinas.

I find it ironic how Mr. Noli Eala blabbers about the sacrifices of the players in the team for flag and country. I don't think so. These guys recieve the same salary when they play in the PBA. And how about this for patriotism Mr. Eala, our team is called, San Miguel-Philippines. Sure, they spent alot for the team. Even Mr. Pangilinan rolled a lot of cash as well. But hey, its all supposed to be for the flag. So how come, San Miguel is ahead of the Philippines?

So much for patriotism and commercialism.

Conflict of interest?

Negros Occidental was rocked by the news of radio broadcaster Bambi Yngson's shooting the past two days. Here's the story written by our editor Carla Gomez. The head of the task force created by President Arroyo to look into the threats on journalists and activists, Col. Geary Barias, has linked the attack on Yngson to his job as a radio commentator. The version of the perpetrator, written by Patrick Pangilinan can also be read here.

Being a journalist, I join the entire profession in condemning the attacks against my colleagues, equivalent to a direct assault on press freedom.

In the case of Yngson, however, the question still lingers: Did the entire reason of the attack was because he is a mediaman and his commentaries have irked people in the Land Transportation Office?

If the attack on Yngson is taken at face-value, you can conclude that it was his scathing remarks on his program that may have made him a target of his attacker.

Yngson, however, is not free of liability. Sources said that the reason why Yngson has been directing his commentaries against the LTO is that he owns a number of Vans-for-Hire, which do not have a franchise to operate. This, however, has yet to be verified. But if its true, there is a conflict of interest on the part of Yngson. Because of his position as a radio commentator, he obviously has an undue advantage and the power to call the LTO's attention. But hey, personal interest and public interest are two different things.

It is my hope that the conflict of interest angle on the attack on journalist can be looked at, even before statements are issued. Although the life of a person remains paramount, I beleive the integrity of journalism as a profession should also be protected at a time when ethical issues have become so tricky to deal with because of financial reasons and the lack of professionalism.

GMA proposes P220M for PSC in 2008

A day after failing to mention sports in her State of the Nation Address, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday approved a budget of P220 million for the Philippine Sports Commission next year.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. made the announcement after emerging from the 26th board meeting of the National Economic Development Authority yesterday.

The amount is 47 percent more than the allotted P149 million for the PSC this year. It is part of the P1.227 trillion proposed budget for 2008.

Congress, however, will still deliberate on the budget, before it is finally released.

The increase is seen as a boost for the country, which will press its bid for a first-ever Olympic gold medal when the Games are held in Beijing, China next year.

After the Philippines won its first overall Southeast Asian Games title in December 2005, Arroyo directed sports officials, led by PSC chairman William Ramirez to spearhead the drive for the gold in the Olympics.

The national government allocated P108 million in 2005 and P28 million last year when Filipino athletes managed to harvest four gold medals in the Doha Asian Games.

Among the medalists was Bacoleño boxer Joan Tipon, who captured the bantamweight gold.

Three Negrenses have accounted for the last three Olympic medals.

Of the three, boxer Mansueto Velasco of Bago City came the closest to a gold when he lost a dubious one-sided match to Bulgarian Daniel Bujilov in the light flyweight finals of the Atlanta Olympics to settle for a silver.

Velasco's older brother, Roel, won a bronze in the same category during the Barcelona Games in 1992, four years after Candoni's Leopoldo Serrantes took the bronze in Seoul, Korea.

Hope Christian School wins girls' volley title

Hope Christian School of Manila ruled the Shakey's Girls' Volleyball Tournament of Champions by beating University of Southern Philippines Foundation of Cebu Saturday. Host University of St. La Salle-Integrated School wound up last, after losing to Central Philippine University in the battle for third. Here's my story that came out on the Visayan DAILY STAR Monday, July 23.


Host University of St. La Salle-Integrated School failed to recover its bearings Saturday, bowing to an inspired Central Philippine University squad in five sets to end up fourth in its first campaign in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Tournament of Champions in Bacolod City.

CPU’s 25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 25-16, 15-4 victory was sweet revenge for the Iloilo-based volleybelles, who had lost to La Salle in the elimination round at the USLS College Covered Court.

The La Sallians were still reeling from the quick defeat they absorbed at the hands of eventual champion Hope Christian School Friday night.

And CPU, winless in three games, wasted little time on pouncing on a dispirited La Salle side as Sheryl Delina spearheaded the attack with 24 points.

The tournament’s best blocker, Gianes Dolar, Dancel Jan Dusaran and Kaye Zaldarriaga gave the hosts a ray of hope lifting La Salle’s sagging bid in the third and fourth sets.

But they failed to sustain their lethal form in the fifth set, where CPU quickly raced to a 10-2 lead, thanks to a spate of unforced errors by La Salle.

“This tournament is a learning process for them (players),” coach Malot Lozada said. “Most of the players are young and still have many tournaments ahead of them”.

Among those players are sophomores Dusaran and Fritz Joy Gallenero and substitute setter Merryl Ledesma.

While the local team’s bid ended in futility, Melissa Gohing, a Bacolod native, was the catalyst of Hope’s successful title campaign in the tournament that drew 43 teams all over the country.

"Melissa (Gohing) played inspired. She was like three players rolled into one and had more touches than any player on court," Hope coach Jerry Yee told the DAILY STAR.

Hope clinched the title with a 25-20, 25-21, 15-25, 25-12 triumph over University of Southern Philippines Foundation of Cebu.

The girls of coach Jerry Yee yielded the first two sets in the tournament in its five-set win over USPF Thursday but quickly found their groove, winning 12 of 13 from there to claim their first national crown, after finishing third last year.

"It's a different atmosphere playing here and we needed to adjust, especially in the first game," Yee, whose team eliminated 2006 champion University of the East in the Manila eliminations, said. "But when the girls got going, I knew we would really go all the way".

Tournament Most Valuable Player Jamenea Ferrer delivered inch-perfect sets to Carmela Garbin and to the rest of Hope's attackers.

The 15-year-old Ferrer, a senior, who played despite flu in Hope's first game, scored a single point but her wily plays --- like a reflex defensive dig that caught USPF off-guard and wrapped up the second set --- typified a splendid performance for the Manilans.

Gohing, who hails from Bacolod, covered the backline effectively, her digs providing Ferrer easy second balls to toss for Garbin, who finished with 18 points, 11 on kills to emerge as the tournament's top attacker.

Hope momentarily lost control in the third set, going down 12-25 as Charrylou Paden and Danicka Gendraule took turns in racking up the points off attacks and blocks.

Gendraule, adjudged the best universal player, paced the Cebuanas with 18 points, while Paden, who was named best server, tallied 13 on 12 kills.

"Their intensity went down in the third set and I had to remind them that," said Yee, whose girls responded in the following set to complete the win in 65 minutes.

Garbin struck her third ace of the match to make it 21-11, before another kill by Jullete So and three straight unforced errors by the Cebuanas handed Hope the crown. So, Beverly Chan and Kathreen Co combined for 16 points.

The other individual award went to Joan Brodit of CPU, the best libero.*

Ba-Neg softbelles to get aid

The Bacolod City Government has given the World Series bid of the Bacolod-Negros softball team a shot-in-the-arm by allocating P200,000 for the squad’s trip to the United States, Bacolod councilor Homer Bais said yesterday.

Bais also said that the Negros Occidental provincial government is set to release the P50,000 commitment to the Ba-Neg softbelles, who are scheduled to see action in the 2007 Junior League World Series from Aug. 12-19 in Kirkland, Washington.

The financial aid from the Bacolod City Government and the Capitol, however, is still short of the P1.2 million needed for the delegation’s trip. The 20-man delegation will be composed of 11 players, five coaches and four officials.

If the team makes it to the US, World Series organizers expected to reimburse $10,000 (P460,000) if the softbelles make it to the US.

The Bacolod councilor, who is spearheading the fund-raising campaign for the Ba-Neg softbelles, said he, along with Ba-Neg officials, will appeal to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for funding support to add to Gov. Joseph Maranon’s allocation.

“We remain hopeful that the girls can still make it to the World Series,” Bais said last night.

Bais also said he hopes that fellow Councilor Al Victor Espino was able to raise funds for the team, while he was in Manila yesterday.

Ba-Neg official Tess Himpolaran last night said they will appeal to the US Embassy to move the scheduled visa interview of 11 members of the delegation from Aug. 19 to a date, prior to their planned departure on Aug. 9.

Eight other members of the delegation are scheduled to be interviewed on Aug. 3.

The Bacolod-Negros softbelles ruled the Philippine Series for the second straight year in Batangas in April, before topping the Asia-Pacific Championships in Pasig last month.

The members of the team, which is hoping to improve on its second-place finish last year, are Cindy Carol Banay, Cherry An Basco, Annalie Benjamen, Angelique Benjamin, Michelle Lentija, Charmaine Joy Oria, Clariz Palma, Jenelyn Polinario, Cristine Sebuan, Jo-an Saul and Jusel Marie Talaban. *