Scalping

Before anything else, I’d like to request our pious readers to say a short prayer for the eternal repose of my father, Nonilon Frasco Quiñones, as my family remembers him today on his 34th death anniversary today.

He was 34 when he passed on in 1977.

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A good number of tickets to the July 28 game of the Philippine Azkals and Kuwait at the Rizal Memorial Stadium have reportedly fallen into hands of scalpers.

Although this is nothing new in the Philippine sports scene, this is very big news for football, which was once a sport that did not get that much attention from the Filipinos.

While the football festivals draw large crowds because of the parents and family members, who come in full force to support the kids who are playing, we can’t say the same for matches even in national tournaments.

With the big demand for tickets to the games of the Azkals, I’m sure the ticket sellers would also find a way to make sure the ordinary fans can get them and enjoy the games without having to be ripped off by scalpers.

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Scalpers make a good living in big events, which are not necessarily limited to sports.

In Manila, tickets to the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) become a prime commodity especially when archrivals La Salle and Ateneo are scheduled to play.

Tickets to the PBA championship games also used to be favorites of scalpers as well as concerts of big name stars.

Scalping is a worldwide problem faced by fans. Economics 101 taught us about the law of supply and demand.

Since there is a high demand and there are only a few tickets available, selling them at several times more than the original price becomes good business.

We don’t condone scalping and as a sport fan we hope that our authorities would really do something about it.

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While I was writing this piece, a message popped up on my screen from Ramon ‘Boboy’ Durano IV, president of Club Filipino Incorporada de Cebu.

Boboy said that their club, which is based in Barangay Pulangyuta, Danao City, is holding a President’s Cup on August 13.

This will be a three-man team event – one member and two guests. Players will be allowed to use their full handicap and all three scores will count for the team total.

You can contact the CFIC office at 2311667 for more information and registration.

Club members can have more than one team, said Boboy.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to Maggie Mañego-Cherniguin, Archie Lim and my fellow Grayknight Erick Matta, who are all turning a year older today.

Tomorrow’s greetings go to my fellow UP Cebu High School alumni Alfred Jacinto and Jeremy Robles.

More power to all of you! - THE FREEMAN