Davao fetes sports heroes

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Former Olympian Loreto Carbonell led an elite cast of basketball heroes who were enshrined in the first-ever Davao Sports Hall of Fame Awards Night at the Grand Men Seng Hotel here last Tuesday.

The Davao Sports Hall of Fame was organized by retired Regional Trial Court judge Jaime Quitain for the purpose of honoring homegrown sports heroes. The first batch of inductees came only from basketball as a pilot project but Quitain said in the coming years, athletes from other sports will be cited.

The honorees must have played at least a year in a Davao basketball league with good moral character and integrity. The three categories of recognition are the legends, the Davao Team Pilipinas All-Time Greats and the PBA veterans.

Carbonell, 77, was recognized in the premier category for representing the country at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the 1958 FIBA World Championships and the 1960 Asian Basketball Confederation Championships. Others in the legends category were the late Davao Oriental Gov. Francisco (Rajah of Rebound) Rabat who played on the Philippine squad that took third place at the 1954 FIBA World Championships in Rio de Janeiro and the late Fr. Edgar Martin who was the Ateneo de Davao varsity basketball coach and athletic director in 1960-67.

Rabat was represented by son Eric and Fr. Martin by Davao Sports Hall of Fame vice chairman Niel Dalumpines.

Cited in the second category were Val Rosabal, Alvin Teng, Rey Perez, Roy Rubi, Rolando Magno, Joel Santos, Annie Mana-ay, Josephine Malinao, Gloria Tampus and Felisyl Lisondra. The third category recognized PBA veterans Dindo Pastor and Cadel Mosqueda who are now employed by the city government to conduct clinics in the 7-15 age group and supervise barangay leagues.

Those who failed to attend were Jomer Rubi in the second category and Pong Escobal, John Ferriols, Samigue Eman, P. J. Simon, Sunday Salvacion, R. J. Rizada, Abet Gutierrez, Noli Banate, Cho Sison, Boy Ijares, Jay Ramirez, Romy Ang, Dong Postanes, Dong Politisco, Willy Tanduyan, Felix Belano, Dennis Carbonilla and Teroy Albarillo in the third category. Late PBA cagers Dave Supnet and Jack Tanuan were inducted posthumously. 

Carbonell said he owed his basketball career to the late Ateneo de Davao varsity coach Fr. Richard Cronin who taught him the basics of the game and Cornelio Rita, a prominent Davao landowner who was his father figure. Carbonell played on the San Beda College team that took the NCAA seniors title in 1955, coached the Red Lions to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1977-78 and has been a coaching consultant with the multi-titled Mendiola varsity since 2006.

Rosabal, 70, played two years for Mindanao Colleges, now University of Mindanao, in 1957-58 then four seasons with the University of Santo Tomas, earning UAAP MVP honors in 1963. He suited up for Yco and Ysmael Steel in the MICAA and toured Australia, Korea, Israel, Japan, Taiwan and China in goodwill games with the Steelers. Rosabal coached Far East Bank to six Bankers Association of the Philippines championships during his career as a sports director and manager in the human resources department.

Teng, whose son Jeric now plays with the UST seniors and younger son Jeron with Xavier high school, was recognized for representing the country at the 1985 Southeast Asian Games and 1994 Asian Games. Known as “Robocop,” he played on the San Miguel Beer squad that bagged a PBA grand slam in 1986. Perez was a two-time SEA Games cager who saw action with Barangay Ginebra. Santos, Roy Rubi and Magno played on the ESQ Marketing team that won the 1985 Asian Inter-City tournament in Jakarta. Mana-ay, Malinao and Tampus are SEA Games and Jones Cup veterans. Lisondra played in the 2006 FIBA-Asia Championships in China.

Former Union Bank president Armand Braun, Jr., who played junior and senior varsity basketball for Ateneo de Davao, was the keynote speaker during the awards program. Guests included Rep. Franklin Bautista, SBP executive director Noli Eala, SBP regional director Regino (Boy) Cua, Universal Sports’ Vic Eugenio and Robbins Sports Surfaces international sales director Jairo Vargas.

Quitain said in future Awards Nights, the Davao Sports Hall of Fame will open its doors to heroes from boxing, golf, aquatics, athletics, billiards and other sports. It was mentioned that Davao has a rich sports tradition with Manny Pacquiao having fought in the City twice – knocking out Ariel Austria in 1997 and Thai challenger Fahprakorb Rakkiat-Gym in one round to defend his IBF superbantamweight title in 2002. Among prominent Davao sports heroes are the late Oriental superwelterweight champion Armand Picar who was killed in the 2003 airport bombing, former Philippine lightwelterweight and welterweight titlist Allan Alegria, cue artist Lee Van Corteza, two-time Olympian Sheila Mae Perez of diving, Ruth Dugaduga of judo and Johnel Ababa of golf. Amateur boxing standouts Charly Suarez, Mark Anthony Barriga and Nesthy Petecio and pro fighter Balweg Bangoyan are also from Davao.