One of my favorite personalities in the Cebu sports world a few years back (before he moved with his family to London) was Jack Biantan. He had a loud booming voice, penned poetry with his writings, and he loved football like a fanatic. So I ask, if you’re a football aficionado, to read the commentary of one of our own: the regular columns of Jack Biantan in Pinoysoccer.com/biantan.
IN FOOTBALL, one of the year’s major events happened last Saturday and Sunday. The Mizuno Cup gathers children as young as five years old, teenagers, college co-eds, varsity stars, and dads aged 40 years old and older. I dropped by the games last Saturday night and took a few photos…
IN FOOTBALL, one of the big events in town is the Mizuno Cup. This August 25-26 and September 1-2, the 2nd edition of this event kicks off in Cebu. Officially, it’s called the “2ND MIZUNO FOOTBALL FIESTA.” Fiesta? Sure. There’ll be music. Banners will surround the venue. Food booths will scatter around. Parents. Lolas. Titos. Everyone in football will be there to watch. Organized by Dr. Wendell Villacin (the owner of Mint Shop in BTC, the distributors of Mizuno) and assisted by Neil Montesclaros as tournament director, footballers as young as six years old and as “mature” as 40-plus year-olds will wear their spikes, kick, scramble and shoot for that goal.
Remember the World Cup final last year? France versus Italy? When Zinadine Zidane charged like a bull and barged into the chest of Marco Materazzi? Watch this…
With TV host Bobby Inoferio in Cebu last year
Jack Biantan is a giant. He stands six-foot-one. Weighs 330 lbs. Three hundred thirty pounds? “Actually, I’ve lost count on how much weight I carry,” Jack once told me. “Because every time I step on my weighing scale it says…… Error!”
Hehehe. Jack and I laughed. Sure, he’s a giant. But Jack’s also a giant on another scale: The Literary World. With Sun.Star Cebu, he was the assistant sports editor from 1998 to 2001, covering boxing, basketball, volleyball, and swimming.
The sport Jack loved most? Football. His credentials are impressive: coach, Don Bosco Boys Home (1986-1990); coach, USC college varsity team (1990-1994); coach, SWU college varsity team (1998-2001); Cebu coordinator, Coke Go-For-Goal (1989-1996); secretary general, Cebu Football Association (1989-1996).
Jack is now an Englishman. Yes. (Ever wonder why the flag of UK is called Union Jack?) Seven years ago, Jack left Cebu for London. Today, he works in a hospital, same with his wife, a manager of nurses. They have a one-year-old son, Ethan Luke.
Jack emailed me a couple weeks ago to announce the good news: He’s back into writing. Check out Jack’s columns on English football at www.pinoysoccer.com.