Category: Uncategorized

Here’s a must-read from Lester Tabada…

 

On Jan. 12 — next Sunday — the streets of Cebu will be littered with runners. Hundreds from Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Davao and other cities are landing in Mactan to run CCM. Even better news: more than 60 from Tacloban, Palo and other Yolanda-stricken places will be here to start the year running! We’re all looking forward to cheering and providing the loudest welcome to our neighbors from Samar and Leyte.

I’ve been in constant touch with Lester Tabada, whose articles and photos in his blog (lapiskamay.wordpress.com) have provided much inspiration to us. We were able to raise at least P70,000 to help the Leyte group with their various expenses. Thanks to The Brick (Noy/Amale Jopson), Chris/Nia Aldeguer, Jane-Jane Ong, Jacs/Perl Jacalan and Pork Shop (among others) for the cash donations.

Important reminders for all CCM participants? First, it’s time to taper down. For the 42K runners, no runs beyond 10K are advisable. Drink plenty. There’s a saying that holds true: it’s better to be undertrained than overtrained. Relax.

Visit the website. At www.cebumarathon.com, check your name among the list of runners.

The Race Expo will run from Wednesday to Friday at The Terraces of Ayala Center Cebu. A huge set-up has been built by Safeguard, the event’s title sponsor, and Ayala Center. (Out-of-town participants can claim their race packs on Saturday.)

On Friday night at The Terraces, it’s the Pasta Party. There will be music and entertainment. There will be last-minute briefings by Rio de la Cruz. It’s that one chance before the main event to mingle with the other long-distance runners.

On race-day Sunday, the 42K brave-hearts will start at the Cebu I.T. Park at 3 a.m. The 21K (half-marathoners), who’ll also receive medals and finisher’s shirts, will commence at 4 a.m. In all, the target of 3,000 participants was achieved — all vying to cross that finish, with the others, especially our Kenyan and Ethiopian friends, attempting to win that P100,000 first prize.

As to the Cebuano public: the race organizers would like to request for patience on the road. The inconvenience will not be as bad; the Cebu Marathon (traversing the cities of Cebu and Talisay) starts while you’re still asleep and will be finished around 11 a.m.

The SRP Tunnel will be fully-closed from 12 midnight until 9 a.m. Unlike the SRP area where half of the roads will be open to vehicular traffic, it’s not possible to have vehicles using the tunnel because the fumes will be intoxicating for the runners.

Advance thanks to Joel Juarez, whose CocoRunning outfit is leading the CCM operations, and to Dr. Peter Mancao, who is heading the Medical Team in coordination with ERUF, AMRO and many other groups.

Pele called him “one of the most influential people in my life. He was my hero, my friend.” Muhammad Ali adds: “His was a life filled with purpose and hope – hope for himself, his country and the world. He made us realise we are our brother’s keeper and that our brothers come in all colours.”

The world mourns the death of Nelson Mandela. Imprisoned for 27 years, he emerges from his 8 x 7-foot prison cell not loathing with hatred and revenge but overflowing with peace and forgiveness. Given the depth of his world impact, what many don’t know about Mandela is this: He’s a lover of sports.

BOXING. He was a six-foot-tall heavyweight boxer. “Although I had boxed a bit at Fort Hare, it was not until I had lived in Johannesburg that I took up the sport in earnest,” Mandela wrote in his book, Long Walk to Freedom. “I was never an outstanding boxer. I was in the heavyweight division, and I had neither enough power to compensate for my lack of speed nor enough speed to make up for my lack of power.”

Larry Merchant, TV’s top boxing commentator, recalled interviewing Mandela in 2001. He said that Mandela spoke a lot about Ali, even following closely the heavyweight champ’s career while in prison. “That showed how important Ali was as a political figure and not just as a world-wide celebrity and cultural star,” said Merchant. “He talked about how Ali was an inspiration both to him and to all African people.”

Merchant said that Mandela discussed with him boxing technique and showed him the proper way to unleash a left hook. After their interview, the two posed for a photo, side by side in a boxing stance. Mandela — whose name “Rolihalhala” means troublemaker — was then 82.

In his 1994 autobiography, Mandela talked more about the sport. “I did not enjoy the violence of boxing so much as the science of it. I was intrigued by how one moved one’s body to protect oneself, how one used a strategy both to attack and retreat, how one paced oneself over a match.
“Boxing is egalitarian. In the ring, rank, age, color, and wealth are irrelevant… I never did any real fighting after I entered politics. My main interest was in training; I found the rigorous exercise to be an excellent outlet for tension and stress. After a strenuous workout, I felt both mentally and physically lighter. It was a way of losing myself in something that was not the struggle. After an evening’s workout I would wake up the next morning feeling strong and refreshed, ready to take up the fight again.”

INVICTUS. Last Saturday night, Jasmin and I watched the most inspirational of films. The true story of Mandela and the healing power of sports, “Invictus” stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon (as the South African rubgy team captain Francois Pienaar). The two forge a bond that transcended sports. It was the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the movie showed how sports can unite and uplift a nation. Be prepared to shed a few tears. This movie is uplifting! Directed by Clint Eastwood, you have to watch it — especially at this time when the memory of Mr. Mandela shines brightest.

PRESIDENT. Although he was president of South Africa for only one term (1994 to 1999), Mandela’s legacy in sports has been embedded in their nation. Apart from the 1995 Rugby World Cup, they hosted (and won) soccer’s African Cup of Nations in 1996. Years later, he strode midfield, greeted by billions around the globe. It was the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.

“Sport has the power to change the world,” Mandela once said. “It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”

MACAU — If last weekend the 60th Macau Grand Prix was raced in this Chinese territory and, next week, on Dec. 1, running shoes will trample the streets with the Macau Marathon, this weekend it’s all about one sport: Boxing.

My father Bunny and I arrived here at 11:20 a.m. yesterday. Taking the 6 a.m. Cebu Pacific flight from Mactan, as soon as we landed in Hong Kong, we disembarked to ride the 50-minute Turbo Jet fastcraft that torpedoed towards Macau.

The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel is splashed with everything Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios. On board the free bus service, video footages were on display; before entering this immense $2.4 billion edifice, gigantic billboards adorned the entrances.

Inside, as we entered the Media Room, dozens of journalists huddled around one American: Freddie. Relaxed while seated and speaking in a calm tone, Freddie Roach wasn’t the combative man that he was two mornings ago when “The Clash in Cotai” erupted — meaning his clash with Ariza and Garcia.

“It won’t happen again,” Roach said, referring to that melee. “It’s not worth it.” Donning a red Nike shirt and white Nike cap that sat as umbrella for his black spectacles, Roach confided the secret that we all know: Manny has to win. Period. No more fourth chances.

“He (Manny) knows he has to be impressive in this fight,” said Roach. “He came from two losses. People are questioning him. Others would have been finished after that knockout loss (to Marquez).” Ever the confident confidante, Roach expects nothing but a KO.

While the guru was speaking, in walks this man whose smile is forever plastered in his jolly, child-like, always-rosy-cheeks face. It was Bob Arum. Nobody noticed. Everyone was focused on Roach. Clad in simple polo shirt and donning New Balance sneakers, the 81-year-old doesn’t look 81. To me, he’s a dozen years younger. With him sneaking from behind the reporters as if he stood as an ordinary spectator — and not the decades-long promoter whose clients included Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard — my dad and I took the chance. We alternated snapping photos with Mr. Arum as the promoter snuck his arms around us if we had been long-time friends.

Bob and Bunny

V GYM. I got the chance, after lunch, to do a 30-minute stationary bike ride exercise inside the hotel’s V Gym. Thousands of Filipinos work in this humongous complex; the head gym instructor hailed from Ozamiz. We made small talk. The day before, he said, Brandon Rios ran on the gym’s treadmill. The instructor spent some time talking with Ariza who confided that, in the trainer’s Bisaya words, “gi-daug-daug mi diri.” Unlike the royal treatment given to Team Pacquaio, he said, they’re not given the same type of hospitality. Maybe Ariza’s making early excuses when Bam Bam loses! The gym trainer mentioned that dozens of Hollywood celebrities have worked-out in V Gym, among them: Nicole Kidman.

DAVID. Remember, a few days ago, Manny Pacquiao quoting the “David and Goliath” story and proclaiming himself as the smaller man who would slay the giant? Manny wants to be David.

Well, another David arrived here yesterday. And he’s one of the world’s most famous footballers. David Beckham is here in Macau for the first time. He’s here to announce a joint business partnership with the Sands Resort. I got to be inside the ballroom where he spoke about his retirement, his greatest football moment (being England captain) and his shift to the world of business. (Another celebrity who’s in town is Alicia Keys. She performed last night and will perform “Set The World On Fire” concert again tonight inside Venetian. On Monday, she flies to Manila for her MOA Arena concert there.)

WEIGH-IN. This morning will be another exciting event here: it’s when all the fighters flex their muscles and step on the scale for the-day-before-ritual. The ballroom will be jampacked as the Weigh-In is open to the public for free.

With Robert Garcia

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ_9fMKsTe0[/youtube]

Read the transcript and full story in Rappler here.

Back in October of 2008, I interviewed Greg Slaughter… here’s the full article…

——————

Greg Slaughter (left); Sun.Star Cebu photo

OCTOBER 2008 — Less than 48 hours after leading the University of the Visayas (UV) to its eighth Cesafi basketball title, I sat down with not only the tallest person at the Ayala Center Cebu last Friday—but also the only player in Cesafi’s eight-year history to be named the season MVP, the All-Star game MVP and the Finals MVP.

Together with UV shooting guard (and his best friend) Von Lanete, who’s headed for the PBL on Tuesday to play with Harbour Centre, Greg Slaughter and I exchanged stories during lunch at Bigby’s Restaurant. Von and Greg had just finished lifting weights at the Fitness First—and were famished. And so, just between the three of us, we ordered two large plates of sandwiches, two bowls of pasta, a plateful of quesadillas and their Rack-a-bye Ribs. For nearly two hours, I queried Cebu’s 20-year-old superstar…

With UV shooting guard Von Lanete

How was your childhood? “My dad, William, met my mom, Emma (Fuentes), when he visited Cebu many years back. They got married and I was born in Ohio. My dad worked for nuclear power plants and so, when I was very young, we moved around a lot. When I was 7 years old, we relocated to Virginia… that’s where I studied and where my parents still live until today.”

How did you become so tall? “My dad is 6-foot-3. My mom’s 5’7”. So, yes, they’re tall but not super, super tall. My dad’s and mom’s relatives are not also very tall, so I don’t know… I’m just really tall.”

How big a baby were you? “I was 11-plus pounds at birth! My mom would later tell me that I was the second-biggest baby ever born in that hospital.”

At what age did you reach 6 feet tall? “When I was 12. I was, obviously, always the tallest in school. And when I finally started playing serious basketball at the age of 15, I was 6-foot-6.”

Since you’re only 20 years old, you think you’ll grow that one extra inch to be 7-feet-tall? “Well, when I wear these (looking at his black adidas shoes), I’m over 7-feet-tall. But, without shoes, I should be a little over 6’11.” But, yeah, I hope to be a 7-footer.”

When you fully stretch your arms, how near the basketball ring are you? “Maybe 8 inches away from the ring. I can tap the backboard and grip the middle of the net. So it’s just a few inches of jumping then I’m on the ring.”

Apart from basketball, what other sports did you play as a child? “Fencing. My dad was into fencing when I was young and I took up the sport. I had this big advantage because of my height and, especially, my reach. I’d fully stretch my arm and it would be difficult for opponents to hit me. That was fun.”

I watched you play Cesafi last year and found you moving awkwardly. How did you improve so much in 12 months? “I practiced everyday. We’d scrimmage a lot, joined leagues. Our coaches Boy (Cabahug) and Al (Solis) practiced us hard, Monday to Saturday from 3 to 7 or 8 p.m.”

Your free throws are excellent. In the Cesafi Finals Game 2, I saw you make 8 of 9. What, unlike Shaq, is your secret? “Coach Boy (Cabahug) asks all the players to shoot 50 free-throws everyday before we start practice. Not 50 attempts—but 50 free-throws in. That goes for all UV players. That helped. Also, because of my height and because I’ll get a lot of fouls and will also be shooting free throws, I always hear this comment, ‘Gotta make those free throws, they’re important to the game.’ So I remember that line.”

Favorite NBA player? “Tim Duncan! He’s so good… so good. He’s not flashy and gets the job done. He’s also a two-time MVP. The thing with Duncan is he doesn’t look dominant—but he is dominant! And so I watch a lot of his games and try to follow him. One time, I followed his signature move… attempting to score a hook shot, faking, turning, then driving in for a lay-up… I tried the same move and it worked. I love that move.”

Hobbies? “I love playing videogames, the PSP (Sony Playstation). I just finished the game, ‘God of War.’ I also play card games around my neighborhood. We play tong-its!”

More on Tuesday….

Part 2 of our conversation with Greg (October 2008):

——-

Last Friday, I sat down for lunch with Greg Slaughter and asked him a plateful of questions. Here is the rest of my Q & A with the Cebu basketball phenomenon who stands nearly 7-foot-tall (…now I know why his jersey is No.7).

Greg (center) dwarfs John Pages and Von Lanete

How does Cebu compare to your home in Virginia, U.S.A.? “I really like the people in Cebu. They’re more friendly. People here, especially families, help each other out. So I really like it here. In Virginia, we lived there for 10 years and I didn’t even know the people around my neighborhood. In the States, it’s more individualistic. Here, generally, people are more friendly.”

Are you American or Filipino? (Laughs.) “I’m both. I carry two passports. And, when I’m lining for immigration, I show both passports. So I’m both. I’m Fil-Am.”

Best friend in Cebu? (He points to the man seated beside him, Von Lanete, the star UV guard who’ll be joining the Harbour Centre PBL team.) “We get along very well. Ever since our first practice last year with UV, Von and I have become really good friends.”

How popular have you become? “Well, because of my height, everywhere I go people stare at me. But now, especially with the Cesafi All-Star and the Finals, people recognize me more. A few days ago, we were at the beach and someone approaches to congratulate me for playing well. Here in the (Ayala) mall, people come up to me to shake hands.”

Girlfriend(s)? (Laughs out loud then points to Von.) “He’s got plenty. No comment on my part.” (Then Von points to Greg and speaks.) “He’s got a girlfriend… on and off.”

Your goal? “The PBA. Maybe also the RP team, if I’m called. But it’s got to be the PBA. Which team? The team that pays the highest! (Laughs.) But, seriously, I want to go pro.”

When? “I don’t know. Maybe next year. Maybe two years from now. It all depends if there are offers. I also want to take the next one or two years to continue improving myself. I want to be ready before I join the big league.”

What do you need to improve? “Everything! My left hook, my right hook… my footwork… my running… my perimeter shooting… everything. I’m also doing a lot to strengthen my legs. I’m doing a lot of gym work, especially squatting and, without any gym weights, doing the ‘invisible chair’ where I bend my knees to harden the leg muscles.”

Know how to speak Cebuano? “Gamay. (Laughs.) It’s easier to understand than it is to speak. So I understand the basic Cebuano words.”

Like? “It’s funny because the very first word I learned—and I still remember this until now—is ‘manananggal.’ It’s funny but I just remember that word. Maybe I saw it first on some TV show.”

How does this season compare to last year? “Big difference. When I arrived last year, I got sick a lot. Maybe it was where I stayed… at our quarters. But since I moved to my uncle Fernando’s house (the younger brother of her mom, Emma) in Mambaling, I’ve really improved, health-wise. I’m also able to eat more. Also, last year, I had a hard time adjusting, especially when we practiced or played at the (Cebu) Coliseum. I got pneumonia, had colds… people would smoke inside the Coliseum or they’d roast peanuts… I’m allergic to the smoke from roasted peanuts. But now, I’m healthier.”

Your body weight? Shoe size? “I’m 240 lbs. When I arrived last year, I was around 235—so I gained some weight, possibly added muscle. Shoe size? I’m a size 15… but my feet are starting to hurt and I’ll have to get size 16. It’s difficult buying that size here. I often ask my parents (who’ll be coming here for Christmas) to bring me some.”

What’s next? “Well, the next major event is the Champions League, which pits all the top college teams. Last year, we reached the finals and lost to Ateneo. This year, the event is in November… so that will be exciting. It was difficult last year because, coming from out-of-town, you’d have to wait several days in-between games. It’s a big advantage to the Manila teams because they live there. For us, from Cebu, it’s difficult. But it will be exciting to play Ateneo, La Salle, San Beda….”

Well, I wish those Manila teams good-luck. For as they face UV, they’ll be welcomed into Greg’s Slaughterhouse!

It could have been 2-0 instead of 0-2. Such is sport. It comes down to one or two points. At the “Battle of Mactan” inside Plantation Bay Resort and Spa between New Zealand and our Philippines, we nearly won. But “nearly” is not the same as “victorious.”

Sayang. In the first singles tennis match last Friday, Ruben Gonzales held a match point — just one moment away from triumph — before Michael Venus of NZ escaped to win in four hours.

In the second singles match, there was Jose Statham, nicknamed Rubin. (Plenty of Rubens this weekend: Ruben Gonzales, Rubin Statham and the New Zealand Ambassador, Reuben Levermore. Of the NZ ambassador, we had a chance last Wednesday night to talk sports while sipping San Mig Light at Plantation Bay’s Savannah Grill; a footballer turned rugby player, he follows cricket, NZ basketball, the America’s Cup and tennis; he was in attendance last Friday.)

Back to the 2nd singles match: Rubin Statham won the first two sets against Johnny Arcilla, 6-4, 6-2. He was en route to an easy straight sets win (Davis Cup is three-out-of-five). But, no, an unnerving and game-changing occurence was happening: Statham started to cramp! His calves stiffened. He wouldn’t sit down during changeovers. He served underhand.

Yes! Johnny Arcilla had a chance. He led in the 3rd set. Hobbled and near-limping at certain moments, Statham’s confident face transformed into one that was shocked.

Statham took his chances. Not wanting to prolong the points, he fired go-for-broke forehand winners. He mustered all energy to score aces. In one made-for-YouTube moment, Arcilla carressed a delicate drop shot. Running towards the net, Statham barely retrieved the shot as Arcilla calmly toyed with his opponent by hurling a lob over Statham’s head. We thought the Kiwi wouldn’t risk the painful U-turn to sprint back. He did. And, in the “Point Of The Weekend,” he managed to reach the lob and, in a no-look flick-of-his-wrist act, snapped the ball backwards for a zipping winner that had Arcilla stunned. Unbelievable.

Unbelievably, the cramping Statham broke Arcilla at 4-all then served for the match to win, 6-4. He slammed his racket after the final point and tore open his white Under Armour shirt — all in celebration of another improbable coup for New Zealand.

DOUBLES. The doubles last night? I didn’t have time to write this after the match — and so, I’m guessing: We won. With Treat Huey and Nino Alcantara as partners, it’s hard to imagine us losing. Treat (pronounced “Tret”) is a recent quarterfinalist at the US Open (with Dennis Inglot). He’s world-ranked No. 28. His teammate, Alcantara, is himself a Grand Slam winner — the 2009 Australian Open doubles champion in juniors. They form a formidable serve-and-return-and-volley duo.

Granted we won last night, today is the day. It’s the 3rd and final day. It’s two singles matches. In the first match, it’s No.1 versus No.1. That should be Ruben (Gonzales) against Rubin (Statham). If PHL beats NZ, it will conclude with the best possible scenario: a Game 5. If this happens, I hope Treat Huey will be fielded to play the decider. This scenario happened in South Korea a few years back: We lost 0-2, won the doubles, won the 4th match and Treat Huey played the 5th match to steer Team Phils. to a come-from-behind win. I hope this happens today!

NOTES. This weekend is historic. I know the Phil. Columbian Association (PCA) in Manila has hosted dozens of Davis Cup ties but I don’t think it has hosted three straight in one year — like Plantation Bay this 2013 … These events bring together tennis aficionados from all over; seen over the weekend were Rod Rafael, Romy Chan, Col. Buddy Andrada, Dyan Castillejo, Jean Henri Lhuillier, PSC Chairman Richie Garcia, PSC Commissioner Jolly Gomez, Philta’s Romy Magat, Lito Villanueva … Also here to receive his ITF Commitment Award is Johnny Jose, the 1962 Asian Games gold medalist; here with his wife, Mrs. Olie Jose.

With Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella

MANILA — Twenty five years ago this summer, I stepped inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex for the first time. I was a skinny, pimple-faced 16-year-old who was joining the Group 1 (biggest) junior tennis event in Manila.

Time travels fast! Last Monday, we stepped inside the same tennis courts of Rizal Memorial. But this time, it was my daughter Jana Marie, now 14, who’s competing in a Group 1 junior tennis tournament.

Walking amidst the eight courts of Rizal Memorial these past few days brought back amazing memories. Unknown and taga-probinsya, I recall feeling anxious when I faced the Manila netters 25 years ago. In the National Age-Group Championships that I joined, I faced the No. 2 seed (Giovani Fabricante, I believe, was his name) in the second round. Imagine facing the second-best player in the Boys 16.

I won, 7-5, 7-5. What a victory. In sports parlance, it’s called an “upset” and there’s no better feeling: you feel like David slaying Goliath; a Cebuano smashing a popular Manila netter.

Thus far here today, Jana won her two matches the other day — including an “upset” of her own, beating the 3rd seed, Nicole Amistad, in two hours and 20 minutes: 6-4, 3-6, 10-8 (super-tiebreak).

YAO MING. While the 7-foot-6 star was inside the coliseum named “Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena” last Monday night, we were inside the mall. Yao Ming arrived in Manila accompanying the Shanghai Sharks — who lost two games here against the Gilas Pilipinas and the PBA selection.

(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Only 32 years old, Yao Ming played in the NBA for 10 years (with eight All-Star appearances) — ending his career two years ago because of injuries.

While here in Manila, Yao Ming wasn’t smiling —  reports Joey Villar, my good friend from The Phil. Star, yesterday in his story entitled, “Yao Ming no ambassador of goodwill.” Said Joey: “Yao… seldom smiled, got irritated at times, refused to sign autographs and rarely granted photo ops to the fans — and if he did, he frowned at them.” Not good.

AEROSMITH. Another MOA Arena attraction here happened last night. It wasn’t sports but another type of entertainment. It’s Aerosmith. Led by the former American Idol host Steven Tyler, this band is the best-selling American rock band ever — selling over 150 million albums.

Flying into Manila last Monday, Aerosmith was supposed to perform in Jakarta, Indonesia in front of 15,000 fans. But their concert there was cancelled — due to security reasons.

The band behind “Dream On” and “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” performed their first-ever Southeast Asian last night. Not a fan of hard rock, no, I didn’t watch. (Ticket prices as high as P20,000 don’t help.)

PACQUIAO. It’s final. The date is Nov. 24 and the venue is Macau (The Venetian). As I’ve said in this space before, let’s watch!

Pacman only has a couple of fights left in him (if he loses — that’s three in a row — this will surely be his last). While the choice of venue in the previous years was faraway Las Vegas, now it’s the nearby “Asian Las Vegas.”

Brandon Rios? He’s a good choice. Remember, after Pacman’s fall to Marquez, everybody commenting the same words: Don’t let Pacman fight Marquez right away. Let him meet a second-rate fighter first…

Well, if you study the past opponents of Rios, you’d conclude the same thing: He’s no Mayweather or Bradley. I scanned his previous opponents and — though I’m no boxing guru like Atty. Jingo Quijano — I couldn’t recognize a single popular big-named star.

Which makes an ideal tune-up fight for Pacman. Train extremely hard for six months, win against Rios (via KO, if possible), then arrange for a Part 5 against Juan Manuel or, if he’s willing, that mega-battle all have been awaiting: Manny/Money.

I’ll admit it: I don’t follow the PBA. I used to. My dad’s younger brother, Rey Pages, used to play for the Crispa Redmanizers together with Bogs Adornado, Atoy Co and Philip Cezar.

My all-time favorite player is Allan Caidic. I recall, back when we lived in Bacolod and basketball was my sport in elementary, watching Caidic (then with UE) score a dozen three-point shots—just like Chester Cokaliong would today.

Last Sunday night, I watched the PBA. On AKTV, the PBA All-Stars played Gilas Pilipinas. The venue was Digos City, Davao del Sur and it was the 2013 PBA All-Star Weekend.

Junemar Fajardo: it was terrific to watch him play for Gilas. We used to watch him at the Cebu Coliseum—now, he’s a giant in the Philippine Basketball Association.

The other night’s game wasn’t the only show inside the Davao del Sur Coliseum. There were plenty the whole week: the Obstacle and Trick-Shot competition; the 3-point shootout, the Greats vs. the Stalwarts game; and, of course, the highlight: the Slam Dunk event.

Chris Tiu was unbeatable in the 3-point contest. In Round 1, he shot 4 out of the 5 “last balls” (which award two points) and scored 17 — the same number as his jersey. In the final round, he disposed of all with a score of 21.

Slam dunk? I watched the replay and they were spectacular. As if slamming the ball inside a hole that’s 10-feet-high isn’t already difficult, the five PBA stars who joined were acrobatic.

Chris Ellis scored perfect “50” points in his first two attempts. If I were in Davao to judge them, I’d give him a perfect mark, too. He flies. No wonder he’s called “Air Force.”

With the PBA All-Star game itself, what I like about these games—patterned after the NBA, of course—is they’re high-scoring. There’s less defense and more dunks.

Talk about high-scoring, would you believe that last year, the score was 176-144. I didn’t watch that game (held in Ilocos with James Yap as the MVP) but what an offensive barrage when both squads totaled 320 points.

Last Sunday, I watched the last two quarters of the All-Star game between Gilas and the All-Stars squad. It was exciting and got even more exciting in the last minute.

With 15 seconds left in the game, thePBA All-Stars led, 122-119. They were going to win. But, wait—Gilas stole the ball. Castro then scored on two free-throws. Next, JV Casio was fouled and also sank his two free-throws.

Score: 124-121. Time left: 13.7 seconds remaining. Then, with 7.6 seconds left, a funny thing happened after a three-pointer was attempted: the ball got stuck in-between the ring and the fiberglass board. Jump ball!

Then, with a few ticks left on the game-clock, Jeff Chan of Gilas faked a shot as the defender flew; he then unhurled a three-point shot.

With 0.6 seconds, Jeff Chan made it! The final score: 124-all. (Expecting an overtime, the game’s rules stated a draw in case of a tie ballgame.) Said the TV announcer: “Literally, a win-win situation.”

ALL-STARS IN CEBU? I checked Wikipedia and found out that the PBA All-Star Game started in 1989.

In that very first All-Star Game at the ULTRA in Pasig, the Veterans defeated the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors team, 132-130. Guess who the MVP was? Our own, Elmer “Boy” Cabahug.

In its first 10 years, they held the weekend in Manila. But, in the year 2000, the venue was the San Agustin Gym in Iloilo City. Since then, majority of the All-Star games have been outside Manila.

Cebu? We hosted only once, in 2004. Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag were declared co-MVPs in that game at the Cebu Coliseum. After Cebu, the hosts have been Laoag, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and, two years ago, in the tourism capital of our nation: Boracay.

Isn’t it time to bring back the PBA All-Star Weekend to Cebu? It is. Since it will be 10 years next year since we last hosted, it’s about time. The question is: Where? The best Cebu gymnasium? The under-utilized but excellent venue in Lapu-Lapu City called Hoops Dome.