Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

Live boxing beats a television box

Ever watched live boxing? You should. No, you have to! I’m not joking. You and I watch prizefights on TV. We all do. Who hasn’t seen our national hero, Dr. Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, on a live telecast at the MGM Grand? We all watch.

But in-the-flesh boxing? With your two eyes? It’s a must. Take last Saturday night at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. Four couples went out on a quadruple date: not to watch the movie “Taken” at the Ayala Cinema or to stargaze and hold hands at Tops or to drink vodka and dance until 2:30 a.m. at Loft. No. Holding hands, we watched boxing. Live. In the flesh.

Chris Aldeguer and his beauteous wife Nia invited our barkada of marathoners—Frederic and Millette Chiongbian, Meyrick and Perl Jacalan, myself and Jasmin—to a slugfest smorgasbord.

Frederic Chiongbian photos

picture-5

This wild, fanatical ride called the MTB

Like you, dear readers, I’ve ridden a jeepney, a boat, a tricycle, an airplane, a car, the MRT, a bus, a Yamaha motorcycle, the subway train, a trisikad and, yes, on one occasion, Y101’s helicopter during the Sinulog. But, among all, what is the means of transportation that I savor the most riding?

mountain_bike

(From www.artsbycraft.com)

A bike. Why? Because, in my brain’s definition, these words are inscribed: Want adventure? Go biking.

To my Best Friend: Happy Birthday!

First published in October 24, 2006, here’s a tribute to my best friend…

I don’t do this. Usually, I don’t yield space to send birthday greetings to friends. But this one’s special. This person is different. Someone I’ve known for many Septembers, opened my ears and listened to talk, someone whom I’ve heard sing—and what a voice, ranging from as high as Mariah Carey’s glass-breaking pitch to as deep as Aretha Franklin’s—and someone, with my wife’s consent, I’ve had the pleasure to spend almost an hour with each day.

Happy birthday, iPod! Yes, without the world noticing, it was five years ago yesterday—October 23, 2001—when Steve Jobs carried his baby on the palm of his hands and announced: “With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again.” Steve Jobs, what a proud dad you are today. While the walkman was “cool,” the CD “revolutionary,” and the turntable “all-vinyl,” the iPod is defined by more than one word: “It’s one of the most successful consumer electronics products—ever.”

Spinning MTB wheels, Goyo propels the TLBF

This time last year, I published this story in Sun.Star Cebu. Since the ’09 TLBF will be from March 30 to April 5, here’s my experience from a few years ago…

Atty. Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal is to RP mountain-biking what Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III is to Cebu running. Each year, Goyo organizes one of the biggest mountain-biking (MTB) events in the country: the Terry Larrazabal Bike Fest (TLBF).

This photo and all below from www.tlbf.org

Nearly four years ago when I often climbed Busay on two wheels and skidded through our Brgy. Guba dirt roads on an MTB, I joined the 3rd TLBF in Ormoc City, Leyte. Together with Jaime Gallego (who has since moved to Canada) and many others from Cebu—Boying Rodriguez, Joey Ontanillas, Dr. JV Araneta, Mike Flores, Atty. Jong Sepulveda, Joel Concepcion, JoMark Rodriguez, Chokoy Durano, Niño and Buddy Duterte (to name a few)—we navigated through hectares of Ormoc plantations, joined the X-Country MTB race and, after, celebrated by gorging on their sweet pineapples.

R & R

If you’re a Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal follower, you’ve got to read this.

Casino Español de Cebu

picture-4

Visit the Casino Español de Cebu website here

Sizzling summer awaits Casino Español

They own two Roland Garros-looking tennis rectangles. There’s a full-length basketball court. There are six world-class bowling lanes. Badminton? Recently renovated where layers of wood and rubber were glued underneath to soften the bounce, the two Taraflex badminton courts may be this city’s top facility. Billiards? Two tables await. Poker? Mahjong? Other games where you sit down, chat, order a glass of Dondi Joseph’s wine, socialize? They’re available. If your sport is the sport of fishes, the Casino Español de Cebu’s swimming pool, swarmed with palm trees amidst the cluster of Spanish architecture, is picturesque.

Mt. Manunggal Climbathon route map

picture-1

Young and restless, his comeback brings joy

Antonio Aldeguer. Ricky Ballesteros. Michel Lhuillier. Edward and Eleanor Hayco. Jonathan Guardo. Yayoy Alcoseba. Jack Jakosalem. The late Dodong Aquino. Koko Holganza. Ask me to name, in the 23 years that I’ve resided in Cebu City, the names of sportsmen whom I admire the most and these people rate the highest. There is one more. In fact, of all, he is one of the most action-oriented, no-nonsense, results-focused, restless.

A long while back, he launched the Milo Little Olympics. I recall, in those early meetings when I was the Tournament Manager for Tennis, listening to him explain this new Cebu-wide tournament. Same with the Cebu City Olympics. Same with the Inter-barangay events that spanned 80 barangays.

Remember the Tri-City Run? Where a field of internationally-known runners joined the Mactan-Mandaue-Cebu trek? That 25K run existed for seven wonderful years. And, would you believe, only one RP race was accredited by the international books: his Tri-City Run. The author of the event? Of so many events?

J.A.Y. For long, that’s Joy Augustus Young.