Month: August 2013

Fajardo, No. 13, with Gabe Norwood and Jimmy Alapag

I woke him up at 2:43 p.m. yesterday. Kumusta? I asked.

Like a giant awakened from his restful slumber, the voice of the only Cebuano among the one dozen Gilas Pilipinas players was sleepy.

I apologized. “Okay ra,” June Mar said.

How’s the celebration? June Mar explained that, in a few hours’ time, he and his fellow heroes will be feted with an awarding ceremony prior to Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup.

They’ll stand on center stage in the same stage where they triumphed: the parquet floor of the Mall of Asia Arena. “Afterwards,” said June Mar, “we’ll have a party at the Resorts World.”

The boys deserve it. After non-stop, game-after-game, pressure-packed and almost-nightly encounters from August 1 to 11 during the FIBA Asia Championship, they deserve to be accorded the standing ovation. They deserve to relax, drink, grin and dance inside Resorts World.

Mr. Fajardo, at 23, is the youngest player in the roster that includes several three-decades-old players: Jimmy Alapag, 35; Gary David, 34; Marcus Douthit, 32; Ranidel De Ocampo and Marc Pingris are 31; and Jeff Chan and Larry Fonacier are 30.

June Mar Fajardo was happiest about one thing last wekeend: “That I was part of history.”

What did he learn from the international-level experience? “Gamiton ang (Use the) height,” he said. We talked about the last game versus Iran and him guarding the 7-foot-2 behemoth, Hamed Haddadi, who towered by four inches over the 6’10” Fajardo.

“Dako and bug-at (Big and heavy),” June Mar said of Haddadi. He didn’t find him solid — as in, muscular-solid — but heavy.

“I’ll focus more on defense. This is the one area that I’ll improve on,” he added, looking forward to the PBA season and of his team, the Petron Blaze Boosters, whose first game is scheduled this Friday. Of Petron, June Mar added: “Our team is strong. We have a good import and new players. We have good shooters.”

It looks like, these band of Gilas teammates very quickly will disband and rejoin their different PBA squads and face each other — not as close buddies — but as opponents during the PBA Governors’ Cup.

About the story that leaked in the press of Manny V. Pangilinan giving each Gilas member a cool P1,000,000, June Mar said that there was no official word on that yet. “Wala pa mi gi sulti-an,” he said, although he did hear about the rumors.

As to what he’ll do with the extra P1 million if ever it gets deposited in his bank account, June Mar’s answer had me smiling.

“I’ll buy a cow for my dad,” he replied.

Baka? Cow? Yes, several cows, he said, that he’ll gift his father so that, in his own words, “daghan iyang bantayan (he can watch over several cows).”

That’s a nice and appreciative gesture — coming from a son who has proud pride to the Fajardo family.

I asked about his teammates. “They’re all very, very good to me,” he said. “Ako pinaka-baby (I’m the baby in the group). During practice, if I make mistakes, they help me out. They don’t put me down. They give advice.”

His closest friends? Marc Pingris and Japeth Aguilar. You know why? “We’re all fond of online games!” June Mar confessed.

Proud of his roots in Cebu, where he studied HRM for the University of Cebu and where he donned the blue-and-gold Webmasters uniform, he acknowledged the help of two individuals who helped mold him: Augusto “Gus” Go, the owner of UC, and the team’s mentor and manager, Baldomero “Merong” Estenzo.

Earlier yesterday, I got to speak with Atty. Estenzo and he shares our Cebuano pride in Fajardo. “I watched their games on TV,” he said. “After they’d finish, I’d give June Mar a call to encourage him. There were many games when he didn’t play long enough; I told him that he’s the youngest and to continue working hard. Never mind if you don’t score many points but focus on your rebounds, defense and blocked shots. We’re very proud of June Mar.”

On a personal note, the few times that I met June Mar in person — plus our phone conversation yesterday — he comes across as a very shy, humble and respectful person. He’s Gilas but not hilas.

Somebody once commented: “Second place is ‘the first place for losers.’”

That’s painfully true. But also untrue. Because while our Gilas Pilipinas squad “only” placed Runner-up, we made it. The goal was to qualify. We qualified. The goal was to beat the Chinese. We defeated them — surprisingly, not in actual combat inside MOA Arena, but we placed three spots higher than the country with 1.34 billion people.

Iran, literally, was too tall an order. Japeth Aguilar may have been eyed for the NBA’s D-League but Iran’s Hamed Haddadi is an actual NBA player. There’s a giant difference there. As expected, it was Haddadi who towered tallest — and got his third FIBA MVP trophy. Unstoppable. Haddadi was too hefty, too heavy-duty, too NBA-experienced.

It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re headed for Spain 12 months from now — the once-every-four-years FIBA Basketball World Cup runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 14, 2014 — to stand on the same Spanish tiles as Kevin Durant. Although it’s unlikely that a Phils-USA encounter will happen (Spain will have six city-venues), just the thought of us playing in the same playground as the big boys will give us pride. Pinoy pride.

Final thought: You think Kobe arrived in Manila yesterday to scout us out this early? Ha-ha.

R399. Like a thousand others last Sunday morning, I joined the “R399: Live Your Dream” run that was called “Remembering Ramie.”

Ramie, of course, is Ramie Igaña, who passed away last year while doing an act he enjoyed best — biking — during the Cobra Ironman 70.3 race. His race bib last year was “R399.”

Two mornings ago, clear skies and a cool dawn breeze greeted the runners which included plenty of Ironman finishers (Richard Ho, Noy Jopson, Bernard Sia) and prominent Cebuanos: Pablo John Garcia, Ramsey and Jingo Quijano, Joel Garganera, Joy Polloso, Jesse Taborada, Roy and Dr. Rosan Trani, and our ultramarathoner editor, Michelle So.

After an absence from joining runs for over a year, what I enjoyed most about the event were two things:

First, the route. It was simply a loop around the Cebu Business Park. The run had three distances (3K, 6K and 12K) and we never ventured outside the confines of Ayala. It was safe. The air was cleaner. Fewer cars crossed our paths. The intersection areas were free from too many vehicles — unlike Cebu’s other crowded streets.

Second, I like the no-singlet-all-medals policy. I registered for the 6K and paid P350. I was surprised not to get a singlet. But, guess what: upon finishing, I got a sparkling reward and medal crafted by… Juarez. (No mispelling there; just transform the “S” to “J.”) All finishers, including my daughter Jana and her classmates Louise, Christine and Meg, got Juarez medals. Well done, Doc Humility (“Mitty”).

DUFNER. Tiger Woods lost again. It’s no surprise. He’s now 18-0. Which means that in the last 18 majors that he’s joined, he hasn’t won. Will he ever break free from his I’m-stuck-at-14-majors slump? He’s getting older (he’ll be 38 this Dec.). Meanwhile, what a victory for Jason Dufner. A first-time major winner (he’s the 15th first-time major winner in the last 21 majors), what makes Dufner famous is the word “dufnering.” Golfers know this stance. If you don’t know what it is, Googgle it. It’ll make you smile.

RAFA. Me, injured? Me, out for seven months? Me, skipping the Olympics? Yes. The “me” refers to Nadal. Did you watch a few of the Rogers Cup matches over the weekend? (Sad how Roger couldn’t play in his “Rogers” Cup.) The Nadal-Djokovic semifinal was another war. Did you watch how Nadal drilled that backhand straight to the neck of the Serb? Ouch. But that was unintended. That happens all the time, especially in doubles. What’s funny was Novak’s reaction, not acknowledging the sorry of Rafa. But in the end, after the handshake and the apology, all’s well between the two. Plus, in the end, including the final against Milos Raonic, we know Nadal is not only back — but back even better, winning 48 of 51 matches. Vamos, Rafa.

MANILA — Here up north to attend a family wedding (in Tagaytay) and unable to join this morning’s Ironman 70.3 race (due to an Achilles tendon injury), I trooped to the SM Mall of Asia Arena last Friday.

Would you believe, it’s been 40 years since our nation hosted the FIBA Asia Championship — a smorgasbord of 15 basketball-loving Asian nations, with the top three qualifiers proceeding to Spain for the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

With Smart as the main sponsor — Manny V. Pangilinan, we know, is the MVP of Philippine sports — I was able to secure a ticket. Thanks to long-time friend Desi Arana, who helped coordinate with Smart’s manager for Sports Marketing, Epok Quimpo, I stepped inside the MOA Arena at 5:50 P.M. My wife Jasmin joined me.

Iran versus Korea were on-court — the 2nd game of a four-game schedule on Friday (the event runs from August 1 to 11). In the first half, Korea dominated. Having shocked China the night before, their confidence blossomed. But, in the third quarter, Iran recovered and took the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Led by 7-foot-2 NBA player Hamed Haddadi, who topscored with 30 points, Iran defeated Korea, 76-65.

That’s when Jasmin and I met Dr. Manny Juanillo. Seated on the third row in the VIP Section just behind the ring, the top Cebuano surgeon was in Manila for a conference and, the basketball fanatic that he is, made sure to watch. We grabbed a hotdog and burger dinner when the Iran-Korea game finished at 7:30 P.M.

Aga Mulach stood behind me, waiting in line in the restroom. Also seen were many top government officials and celebrities: DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson, DFA Sec. Albert Del Rosario, SM owner Hans Sy, Robert Jaworski (who was swarmed with fans wanting a photo at the lobby), and PSC Chairman Richie Garcia.

Joe Soberano watched with his son Franco. The long-time basketball fan (and team owner of the Cebu Landmasters squad), Joe also booked tickets for the upcoming 10-10-13 game between the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers, also in MOA Arena.

GILAS. Game on! At exactly 8:30 P.M., our Philippine players faced the strong Jordan visitors. It was a fabulous sight to see June Mar Fajardo wear our blue-and-red uniform. Having honed his skills under Gus Go and Merong Estenzo of UC, the tall Fajardo is now climbing the peak of Basketballdom.

The 16,000-seater MOA Arena (which cost over P3 billion to construct) was in near-full capacity. Tickets were sold-out weeks before. Blue and white balloons were waved by our fellow Pinoys. Drum-beaters, perched at the top balcony, banged the sound that echoed throughout the stadium and dribbled inside our excited hearts.

This was my second MOA Arena visit — the first was last October when Boom-Boom Bautista fought. The MOA Arena is the best thing to happen to Philippine sports and entertainment. It not only forced the rehabilitation of the Smart Araneta Coliseum; it also, literally, set the stage for shows like Rihanna (this Sept. 19) and sports events like FIBA and LeBron’s visit. MOA Arena is top-class and, like all of us from Cebu, I can’t wait to see the construction of our own at the SRP starting this 2015.

The game was unexciting/super-exciting. In the first half, we were clobbered. Trailing from the start until the end of the 2nd quarter, I thought we would lose. The Jordanians shot three-pointers with ease while we rotated the ball too many times, nobody mustering the confidence to take shots. The crowd was silenced.

Then, in the 3rd quarter, the exciting part arose. Our Gilas team went on a 17-0 run. Led by Jeff Chan, who sizzled with five three-pointers and a game-total 17 points, we took the lead and never relinquished it.

The crowd did the “wave.” The drums reverberated louder. Said coach Chot Reyes: “The crowd gave us a big lift.” It’s called Pinoy home-court advantage. We won, 77-71, and started a 2-0 win-loss record. Guaranteed a spot in the 2nd round, we dream of duplicating our last hosting in 1973. Then, we were champions. Abangan.