Bigger than the titles

CEBU, Philippines - I received a text message yesterday from Joey Herrera, secretary-general of the Cebu Football Association (CFA) that officials of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) will be in Cebu today.

The reason for the visit is to inspect the Cebu City Sports Center, which will be the venue of the exhibition game pitting the Philippine Azkals against another Southeast Asian team late this year.

If this friendly match will turn out to be a success, then we shall have more of it in the future and hopefully games of the United Football League (UFL) also.

There is much to look forward to about football for Cebu. Let’s all help make it happen.

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I was saddened when I came across the news about Lance Armstrong losing the seven Tour de France titles after he announced that he would not anymore fight the drug charges leveled against him by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

Did Lance cheat to win the seven titles? Did he use performance enhancing drugs to attain the feat that would be very hard to equal?

There are so many questions that are now being raised, but Lance himself said that he has had enough of this and would rather focus his efforts on his Livestrong Foundation, which will be turning 15 years old this October.

The foundation is helping people suffering from cancer and has already raised close to $500 million, according to Lance in his statement posted on lancearmstrong.com.

I feel bad for what is being done to Lance, who fought the biggest battle of his life by overcoming testicular cancer and winning the title of the world’s most prestigious cycling event for seven straight years.

The USADA might say he did not win those seven titles due to a technicality, but in the hearts of his fans and those whose lives his Livestrong Foundation touched, Lance is a lot bigger than those crowns.

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Midway through this column, I received a call from my long-time buddy Atty. Vicente E. Fernandez II confirming the scheduled judo demonstration this 10 a.m. at the gym of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu in Canduman, Mandaue City.

We hope to start a club in the school, which is fast becoming a sports power in Cebu.

Many of the kids would be busy practicing their presentations for the grade school intramurals opening next weekend, but we hope to get several of them to watch judo, which when translated to English means gentle way.

When I was much younger, I had a chance to participate in various judo demonstrations with my coach Jojo Roa and Vic along with the other members of the Up Judo Club.

But, the biggest demo that I took part in was held at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City in 1989 together with the members of the Philippine Judo Team.

Hope to see the students and the parents this morning.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to some of my favorite fellow UP High School alumni – Atty. Dalisay ‘Ate Dal’ Chavez and Atty. Hilario ‘Manoy Junjun’ Davide III. The same goes to Michael Relativo, Bernie Lumapas, Julie Santos-Virata, and to the president of the PMA-Cebu Squad Ret. Col. Clarence C. Martinez.

Advance greetings to those celebrating tomorrow like Samuel Sia, Mitzi Tan, Maricar Teves Cabahug, Roby Amor, Bradley Estenzo, fellow sportswriter Lito de los Reyes of Davao, and Rachelle Marie Dangin.

More power to all of you! - THE FREEMAN