Honor the elders

Former national team walkathoner Fredo Villarta blew into town to attend his uncle’s burial while also watching the Milo Marathon Cebu leg at the Cebu City Sports Center.  Fredo, who has been a fixture in the National Masters Athletics team for quite sometime, said they are in the process of re-organizing the National Masters Athletics Association after its founding president Manny Ibay died a few weeks before the Philippine team departed for Kitakami City in Japan for the Asian Masters Athletics Championship last September 17. Being the Masters Athletics regional director for Visayas, I’ve been endorsed to lead the national team, but I told the association I’ll be better off organizing Masters Athletics events here in the Visayas.  In fact, I’m already preparing tournaments in Cebu and Bacolod.  I’m also set to organize the Masters Athletics Association of the Visayas (MAAV). Set to join the core are PSC’s Audie Marte and Lerma Belaoro, DepEd’s Nilo Villadolid, Precing Capangpangan, Raffy Osumo, Ireneo Illut and Butuan City-based Dennis Scott who competed in Kitakami  City.

Oldies but goodies

I’m also trying to locate former runners who gave honor to Cebu during their prime.  We  will be honoring them with plaques and if we could get funding from the government, cash gifts.  I’m talking of former Boston Marathon finisher and 1977 Milo Marathon champion Eking Baisac,  1986 ARRO Runner of the Year Minda Berro Vallacer, who won the Filipino division of  the 1986 PAL Marathon, 1987 Pilipinas International Marathon Filipino champion Arturo Angel, another PAL Marathon Filipino winner, Eriberto Banzon, alay ng Pangulo winner and Milo Marathon local winner Ireneo Illut and Asian Games veteran, Marcela Bangot, who competed in the javelin event.  I just hope this endeavor would  get some support from the private and government sectors.

Consuelo De Bobo

A lot of sporstmen believe our gold medal in the recently-concluded Asian Games is nothing to crow about.  A gold medal in BMX?  “Is that a sport?,” a friend added, “What I know ang akong apo  naay BMX bike.”  Well, if we won in the regular road or mountain bike events, that would have been another story.  “Anong say mo Richie?,”

The Joy of Tabal

Cebu’s current queen of the road, Joy Tabal made us proud again by winning the 21K event of the Seoul Marathon.  Joy clocked 1 minute and 19 seconds to rule  the division.   Mercidita Fetalvero holds the national mark in the half-marathon, establishing the records of 1:18:25 in 2008.  Meanwhile, back here in Cebu, Christy Sevilleno Tutor decided to move to the 21K category in the last minute thus giving Jollibee South Road manager Al Sandiego, a chance to participate in last Sunday’s Milo Marathon.  Christy was originally entered in the 10K, so when she moved the 21K, Al got her bib, as there were no more available as early as a week ago.  Despite lack of  training, Christy wound up second in to Roselyn Balongcas of Dumaguete City who won in 1:40:55 but not enough to qualify for the National Finals qualifying time of 1:35.

Did you know that.... Elvis Presely, a shooting fanatic, owned 37 handguns and rifles and one machine gun?  Elvis also has a shooting range behind his Graceland mansion in Memphis.  After treats from the mob, Elvis always carried a gun anywhere he go, including a pearl-handed colt revolver and a Beretta semi-automatic pistol.  He also owned an M16 rifle.  Of course Elvis was a good shooter, he was in the US army for two years.