Teamwork

In my last column, I mentioned that Rodrigo Ababat called me in the last minute to inform that we are depending our crown after all in the third edition of the PICPA-Cebu Chapter Sinulog Open Tournament. To recall, we formed the Casa Ilongga Chess Team last year that included Richard Natividad to upset the favorites and emerged champion. We had a little time to play as a team then.  But this year, it was entirely different.  Although we were the top seed on paper, with our team composed of International Master Kim Steven Yap. National Master Rogelio Enriquez, Joel Pacuribot, Ababat and Diego Claro, we needed to jell.  Reminds me of my stint as physical conditioning coach of the national team to the 1992 Manila World Chess Olympiad. I was sent to Baguio City to train the team for ten months.  Physical conditioning included jogging, basketball, weights and brisk walking.  Our team was headed by GM Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio, Banjo Barcenilla, Econg Sevillano, Rico Mascarinas, among others.  Back to the game, Casa Ilongga had a lousy start and eventually couldn’t overtake the leaders.  Team Balbona accounted for 13 points to nail the championship with HLO DPWH who also scored 13 (but lost on match points), settling for second place.  Third place  went to Chess Masters which scored 11 points with Team Gypsy also scoring 11 but again lost on match points, to pocket fourth place.  Board winners were Edsel Montoya (Board 1).  Rhenzi Kyle Sevillano (Board 2), Felix Shaun (Board 3), Rafael Perez (CPA Board 4) and Vincent Balina (Board 5 alternate). Well, I told Ababat we should have brought in Torre, Antonio and Econg.  Anyway, you can’t win em’ all, even the best lose.  In the ongoing world chessfest, Filipino Wesley So defeated Ukraine’s legendary woodpusher, Vassily Ivanchuk.  It’s sad, however, that Wesley now plays for the United States.  Of course “mas dako ang dolyar kay sa piso.”  Congratulations to the winners and to the organizers led by PICPA president Iper Tabanag, tournament director Ababat and Fide Arbiter Marvin Roylan.  Trophies were sponsored by Mom’s Agri Product while Deep Blue ‘d Woodpushers Chess Club continued to provide the venue. 

No heir on sight

After Vertek Buenavista and our very own  Mary Joy Tabal, who just last Sunday wound up second in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, there’s nobody on sight at the moment who could take their places.  Gone were the days when we had Roy Vence, Herman Suizo, Jimmy Dela Torre and Alan Ballester,  who all shone in international competition.  Just check the clockings of the winners in marathons nowadays.  It’s  great news if the runners clocks below 2 hours 30 minutes.  In the last Cebu Marathon for instance the second placer in the women’s division had a time of almost 4 hours with the third over four.  That’s how bad our marathoners have become. Too much running has resulted to injuries and burning out.  Yes, there are weekly races but sad to say we are now losing quality.  It will be a long time  before another Filipino breaks the records of my two proteges, 1992 Barcelona Olympian Herman Suizo (2:19:50) and Atlanta Olympian Roy Vence (2:20:21).

Did you know?

Singer Dean Martin, who popularized songs like “Everybody Loves Somebody” and “Memories Are Made of This,” used to be a boxer called Kid Crochet.  Dean, who later became the partner of Jerry Lewis and a member of the Brat Pack headed by Frank Sinatra.  He also worked as a  steelworker, casino host and fuel pump attendant.