Aya breaks into world top 10

Two-time individual compound archery Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Amaya Paz is back in fighting form after surviving a harrowing experience during Typhoon Ondoy and two surgeries to remove benign tumors in her lower left jaw. Now settled down with husband Kit Cojuangco and their three-year-old son Alfonso, Amaya or Aya as she is fondly called is determined to regain her once lofty standing in Asian archery and reap more honors for the country.

In 2009, Aya had to swim with Cojuangco and their baby out of a home in Rolling Hills Village after flood waters rose to over six feet within minutes due to the overflow of a nearby creek at the height of Ondoy. Last year, she developed tumors on the jaw and had to undergo two operations to remove the growths which fortunately were not cancerous. Her condition was diagnosed as ameloblastoma. Tumors the size of ping-pong balls developed on her jaw and the first surgery was performed last June. Another surgery was done a few months later to complete the removal of the tumors.

As she recovered, the 26-year-old Aya got back to shooting arrows. The University of the Philippines graduate practiced in a wide-open backyard of a New Manila property near her home and spent countless hours getting back into the groove.

A few days ago, Aya achieved her personal goal of breaking into the top 10 in the compound category of the World Cup in Shanghai. There were 46 entries in the competition and Aya finished 16th with a score of 678 of a possible 720 points on six arrows in each of 12 ends at the end of the qualifiers. England’s Danielle Brown topped the qualifiers with 694 points. Aya drew a bye in the first round of the knockout faceoffs then scuttled India’s Jyothi Surekha, 146-140, to advance to the third round against the No. 1 seed Brown.

In the knockout faceoffs, the highest possible score is 150 points. Aya’s 146 tied Brown for the top mark in the second round. USA’s Ericka Anschutz was third in the ladder with 145 points. Against Brown, Aya more than held her own. In her last arrow, Aya shot a nine. A 10 would’ve forced a sudden-death shootoff. But Aya fell short by a point and Brown escaped with a narrow 144-143 win. If Aya had beaten Brown, she would’ve made it to the quarterfinals. As it turned out, Brown tallied only 142 points in the quarterfinals but still managed to barge into the semifinals where she lost to Albina Loginova of Russia. If Brown scored 142 in the third round, Aya would’ve upset the top seed and gone to the quarterfinals instead. The final standings pegged Aya at No. 10.

Aya was the only female entry in the Philippines’ team of three. The others were Earl Yap and Rosendo Sombrio who were eliminated in the first round of the knockout faceoffs in the men’s compound division. Aya later teamed with Sombrio in the mixed event, losing to Italy by seven points. Italy scored 156 of a possible 160 while the Philippines tallied 149, a highly competitive mark at the Asian level. The Philippines failed to compete in the regular team event which required at least three men or three women.

“This was a privately-funded trip,” said Aya’s husband Cojuangco, a national archer himself. “Nobody went except Don, Earl and Aya so we couldn’t put up a men’s team of three or a women’s team of three. We also didn’t send recurve archers. The team received no funding from the Philippine Archers National Network and Alliance, Philippine Olympic Committee or Philippine Sports Commission. Aya and Don will go on to compete in the second stage of the World Cup in Turkey on April 29-May 6. We’re hoping to receive support from the PSC, POC and PANNA for the last stage in Ogden, Utah, in June. This was Aya’s first competition since taking the silver at the Asian Grand Prix in Bangkok two years ago.”

From Shanghai, Aya sent this message: “Thank you to all who prayed for me. I almost made it and perhaps, in Turkey, I will do better and get into the finals. I also wish to thank Mr. Willy Ortiz of Accel for his continued faith and confidence.”

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Juan Manuel Marquez has pleaded innocent (or ignorant) to the accusation that he wore shorts with the logo of the Mexican political faction Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in violation of election laws during his fight against Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas last November.

The municipal elections in the city of Moralia in Michoacan state were held the day after the fight. No campaigning on TV is allowed three days before an election so Marquez’ apparent display of partisanship went against the law which also prohibits politicking abroad. As it turned out, Marquez’ advertisement seemed to have worked. PRI mayoralty candidate Wilfrido Lazaro Medina won by a whisker over the National Action Party’s Marko Antonio Barrera. The winning margin was less than a percent of the total vote.

Asked to explain how the PRI logo found its way on his trunks, Marquez pointed a finger at some minion in his entourage and claimed he knew nothing about the illegal advertisement. He said his focus was on the fight not on the elections. Mexican authorities nullified the poll and ordered another vote in 150 days while fining Marquez $2,260 for violating the law.

Marquez is rumored to be following in Pacquiao’s footsteps and considering to run for congress. Disclaiming knowledge of how a political party logo was emblazoned on his boxing shorts makes Marquez a fool or a liar. Either way, the future doesn’t look good for Marquez in politics unless there is a premium to being a fool or a liar.