Cebu Football

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 27 edition) LAST year, when the school was involved in one of the biggest sports controversies in Cebu, I had a talk with SHS-Ateneo de Cebu athletic director Rico Navarro, on how their school officials were treating the controversy. Remember the incident involving a parent in a youth football game? That was it.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 25 edition) KNOWING how the Philippine Olympic Committee and other Johnny-come-latelies stepped in to solve the supposed mess that was Philippine volleyball, it’s quite surprising how they are all silent at the way how things are going on in the volleyball scene. Double standard? Perhaps.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 23 edition) THERE is something wrong in Philippine sports, and sadly, most of the leaders either don’t want to address it or are busy pursuing other interests. People tend to point out a lot that how come tiny nations of eight million people or even less manage to win more medals than a nation of 90 million. Surely, of our 90 million, we have that one gifted athlete who can win an Olympic gold?

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 22 edition) TALISAY City-based swim coach Alfie Fernandez is achieving what some politicians only talk about come election time—helping kids through sports. And these are actual under-privileged kids, not the kids who are the favorite of traditional politicos and are the subject of their "grassroots" program—those eligible to vote. Last summer, he started a clinic for kids who hang out near the Talisay City public beach, most of them the sons of single moms. He trains them at the sea, against the flow of tide because using a pool means using money the coach doesn't have.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 20 edition) THE LATEST news from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. shows that after the excitement of the first semester, some players tend to forget why they are in school in the first place when the second semester rolls in. I’m talking about the latest string of players who won’t be playing this season for forgetting the other part about being a student-athlete, and failing their subjects.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 18 edition) I GOT a message from Rep. Samsam Gullas last Wednesday, a reaction to what I wrote last time (Politics will derail Talisay Sports Academy) and what the congressman said is music to a sports fan’s ear. The Academy won’t be dependent on funds from Talisay City. “I know politics will always play a part in the implementation of the sports academy, but for the funding, we could ask from the national government, which will be able to help us,” Samsam said in his message. “If we will ask the funds from Talisay, it would be difficult even if the mayor is allied with me. They can help with the implementation of the policies, but in terms of funds for the infrastructure, we need to ask it from the national government, so it would be included in the GAA,” he said.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 15 edition) LAST month, while we were groaning collectively at another miserable stint in the Southeast Asian Games, there was a major development in the local sports scene, one that's supposed to address the ills of sports in the country. The Senate passed its version of House Bill 4461, originally authored by Cebu Rep. Samsam Gullas, establishing the Talisay Sports Academy and Training Center. Sen. Sonny Angara, in approving the bill, hopes the Academy will be the premier primary sports development and training center in Cebu and hopes it would jumpstart grassroots development. Yeah, right, and I'm going to be the next superstar in D'Voice Kids.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 13 edition) WHAT more can Donnie Nietes do? This unassuming guy from Negros, who fights out of the ALA boxing stable of Cebu City, just ran through what was supposed to be his biggest challenge to date, Mexican Francisco Rodriguez. Unlike in his last four fights, Nietes didn’t get a knockout but he did more than enough to earn a unanimous decision win of 119-109, 118-110, and 115-113. The last score, curiously, is a lot closer for comfort.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 11 edition) BRASH challenger Francisco Rodriguez knows his role perfectly--the visiting villain to the hometown hero. Rodriguez, 21, called Donnie Nietes an old champion who should be ready to let the new blood take over, earning the ire of the down-to-earth champion. Donnie, old? Naah. Older may be, in the sense that 33 is older than 21. But an old champion? No way Jose, or should I say, Paco.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 9 edition) ONE of the dreams of most parents whose daughters are into football is to see women’s football in college. Having the game as one of the events in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. would mean partial, if not full, scholarships for their daughters. But women’s football in Cebu hasn’t been in the college scene for years and the only women’s collegiate team, the University of San Carlos, has long disbanded its squad because of a lack of tournament. How then can we make that dream come true?

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 8 edition) ONE of the very first things I thought of the Cebu Football Association when I got in the media scene in 1997 was that perhaps they got the name wrong. Growing up in a small town in Mindanao makes you wary of groups that include you in their mandate but doesn't include you at all. It was the football association for Cebu but most of the teams were from one city of Cebu. I think I asked why there wasn't a Mandaue City football association and got a shrug. A few years later, someone got really interested when I told him to put up a Lapu-Lapu City football association since the local association doesn't cover it.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 6 edition) TWO months ago, a high school player in Manila passed away after collapsing in a basketball game. To avoid such an incident this year, the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. is requiring its basketball players to have a medical checkup, which will include an ECG check, before they can be allowed to play.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 4 edition) A FEW days ago, the LVPI announced it was meeting with the major stakeholders of the country to synchronize the schedule of volleyball games. That’s good but what really stinks about this latest move is that six months after successfully booting out the Philippine Volleyball Federation, officials of the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas Inc. think that Pilipinas covers only the National Capital Region. When this PVF vs. LVP brouhaha erupted, those outside Manila were caught by surprise because we all thought all was well in the national sports association for volleyball, the country’s second most popular sport.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 3 edition) NOV. 17, 2015. Mark that date. That’s the day the Azkals will return to Cebu for another friendly against a yet to be named foe. By that time, we’ll know if we’re still chasing a spot in the 2018 World Cup or would we be settling for a spot in the 2019 Asian Cup as the second round of the qualifiers also serves as the qualifiers for the Asian tournament. Before the Nov. 17 friendly, the Philippines will face dangerous Uzbekistan at home on Sept. 8, face North Korea in Pyeongyang on Oct. 10 and then Bahrain on Oct. 13. The best results to hope for, of course, is a win in all three matches but playing the North Koreans at their own court would be one of the hardest matches ever and at World No. 74 to the Azkals World No. 137, Uzbekistan is one of the highest-ranking foes we would be meeting.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's July 1 edition) AT her best, she was one of the best in the country and no one looked better than her that one fine November in 2012. Last Sunday, she was downright ugly and unplayable, at a time when everyone wanted her to be at her best. I doubt the workers, even if there were an army of them, could get the Cebu City Sports Center field ready for the Aboitiz Cup finals between Leylam and Erco Bro GAU. The heavy rain and a dysfunctional drainage system rendered the field unplayable, and the guys with buckets looked pitiful in the field.