First of two parts
As the human race battled a deadly and invisible foe, Filipino athletes tried hardest to keep in shape. To some, it was an emotional experience trying to hurdle COVID-19’s mental and physical challenge.
The whole wide world of sports came to a screeching halt. From A to Z, sports events were shelved. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was hardest hit.
But months into the pandemic, sports found some ray of hope. Minus the fans, action slowly picked up here and there, despite the continued presence of the COVID-19 virus. Filipino athletes danced to the music and delivered the goods, winning medals on home and foreign soil, in face-to-face competitions, on virtual platforms.
As this forgettable year comes to a close, The Philippine STAR sports staff looks back at these achievements, scored under the most trying times, and tips its hat to a great athlete – the Filipino athlete.
1. Total lockdown
Nobody saw it coming. And nobody knows when it would end. Despite the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, great uncertainties lie ahead.
The pandemic unsettled all areas of life – and sports was no exception with amateur and professional leagues in all disciplines, including tournaments and recreational sports, coming to a halt. They were either cancelled or postponed to safeguard the health of the athletes and the others involved and at the same time help limit the spread of the virus.
The Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled July 24-Aug. 9, 2020, was pushed back a year, stymieing the Filipino bets’ buildup, including those who have qualified for the Summer Games, headed by world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and boxers Felix Marcial and Irish Magno.
As the coronavirus outbreak intensified in February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) created a task force with the Tokyo Olympic organizers, Japanese government and the World Health Organization (WHO). Eventually, IOC president Thomas Bach announced the postponement, the first since World War II, citing information from the WHO about the virus’ global spread. The new dates were announced for the Olympics (July 23-Aug. 8, 2021) and Paralympics (Aug. 24-Sept. 5, 2021) on March 30. Not even the NBA, Major League Baseball and Grand Slam events in golf and tennis were spared.
On home turf, PBA action was suspended one game into its 45th season. The league then imposed a two-week ban on team practices and other related activities. One after the other, the other leagues likewise called off their respective 2020 calendars, from the crowd-drawing volleyball leagues to the multi-sports collegiate tournaments.
Several sports facilities, including the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, were converted into temporary quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients. Elsewhere, athletes took part in humanitarian efforts.
After a seven-month hiatus, the PBA, with the IATF’s approval, staged a one-tournament season under a bubble setup. Crowd favorite Ginebra defeated Talk N Text for its first Philippine Cup crown in 13 years.
In the collegiate level, the UAAP called off its entire season over health and safety reasons but rival NCAA said it would push through with four mandatory sports – basketball, volleyball, athletics and swimming – next year with plans to expand its sports calendar, depending on the availability of the vaccine for the public.
Also in the UAAP, Aldin Ayo was forced to resign as UST coach amid the controversy over the Tigers’ alleged training in the former’s hometown in Bicol during the pandemic. The UAAP Board of Trustees slapped Ayo an indefinite suspension, which is under appeal.
The pandemic was a heavyweight battle for all.
2. PBA bubble holds
The PBA marked its 45th year not with the grand celebration it originally envisioned but with a meaningful Philippine Cup bubble tournament in Clark.
The pro league was forced to shut down three days after opening the 2020 season in March. But league officials led by chairman Ricky Vargas and commissioner Willie Marcial patiently looked for ways to bring back the country’s favorite game in the safest way possible.
They eventually decided on the bubble setup – similar to the one successfully used by the NBA – and presented their plan to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for approval.
The IATF green light came, and with the help of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and provincial government of Pampanga, the PBA returned to action on Oct. 11.
It was a tournament like no other.
The 12 teams and game officials spent over two months in an isolated, protected environment in Clark and Angeles, observing stringent health and safety protocols and undergoing frequent swab testing to make sure everyone’s COVID-free. There were some hiccups, with two “false positives”coming out and briefly halting play during the elims. But the pro league, after strengthening its protocols, resumed and went on to complete the lone conference for Season 45.
When the dust settled, Barangay Ginebra emerged champions via a 4-1 verdict over TNT Tropang Giga in a best-of-seven title series.
Finals MVP winner LA Tenorio, who nearly skipped the bubble after undergoing laparoscopy (surgery) in September, shone bright and earned his first career Philippine Cup title.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone hiked his record crown collection to 23 while dislodging Robert Jaworski as the franchise’s winningest coach with his fifth.
The PBA bubble sparked the resumption of pro sports in the third quarter.
Newly-turned professional league Chooks to Go 3x3 Pilipinas staged its successful bubble tournament for two weeks in Laguna in October with Zamboanga winning the President’s Cup.
The Philippines Football League (PFL) played its 12-day bubble in October-November in Carmona, Cavite, where United City FC reigned supreme.
Local boxing resumed with Cebu-based Omega Boxing Promotions staging a four-fight card in a bubble at International Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Mandaue City in October. The Sanman Boxing Promotions followed suit in a similar setup over in General Santos City in November.
Sports on home soil got back on its feet.
3. Saso makes heads turn
Blessings do come in many forms and ways. After falling short in her bid to make it to the big stage – the LPGA Tour – Yuka Saso tried her luck in the LPGA of Japan Tour, and made the grade.
The rest is history. In no time, the Fil-Japanese was off to an historic run.
The 2018 Asian Games double gold medalist scored back-to-back victories (NEC Karuizawa and Nitori Ladies) in her first three tournaments and went on to dish out six other Top 10 finishes, thus emerging the leading money earner after 14 events of the pandemic-hit JLPGA season.
The power-hitting ICTSI-backed shotmaker raked in a whopping Y93,891,170 earnings (P43.8 million) in her rookie year, easily becoming the fastest Filipina athlete to amass such winnings in just five months.
Another Filipina golfer, Bianca Pagdanganan, made heads turn in the LPGA with her calm demeanor and a monster swing.
While searching for a first win, Pagdanganan stood out this year as the LPGA’s longest hitter. She aims to become the first LPGA player to average 300 yards on her drive.
The 19-year-old Saso also pocketed $96,800 (P4.7 million) for her joint 13th place effort in the US Women’s Open this month. She earned $10,637 (P513,000) for finishing tied for 25th in her maiden pro tournament in the Australian Ladies Open last February, raising her total career earnings for her rookie year to a little over P49 million.
This early, she has a bullseye on her back.
4. Phl boxing on its feet
John Riel Casimero (30-4 with 21 knockouts) withstood a bevy of challenges and sacrifices amid the pandemic to end the year as world champion.
Ormoc’s boxing pride scored a dominant third-round TKO victory over Duke Micah of Ghana to retain his WBO bantamweight belt last September in Connecticut, USA.
It was a solid follow-up to Casimero’s stunning knockout win over defending champion Zolani Tete in England last year to snatch the prestigious crown in the 118-pound division.
Casimero’s fellow boxer under the MP Promotions, Olympic-bound Eumir Marcial, also impressed in his professional debut last Dec. 17 with a unanimous decision win over Andrew Whitfield in Los Angeles, California.
The three-time SEA Games gold medalist and 2019 World Championships silver medalist was tested in the four-round bout but prevailed as he continued to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Nonito Donaire Jr., meanwhile, missed a chance at claiming the vacant WBC bantamweight belt against Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Rodriguez last Dec. 19 after initially testing positive for COVID-19. The fight was called off even if “The Filipino Flash” tested negative in three confirmatory tests.
Fortunately for the Philippines, compatriot Reymart Gaballo stepped up the plate as a last-minute replacement and defeated Rodriguez via split decision in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Philippine boxing delivered clear punches amid the pandemic.