28th PAL Intersports: Los Jefes all set to reclaim glory

Armed with a renewed challenge to regain the overall championship it last won four years ago, Los Jefes de Cebu is kicking to see action in the 28th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Intersports set from September 9 to 11 in Iloilo City. Los Jefes de Cebu will compete in five events that include, together with their respective team captains, basketball (Chester Cokaliong), badminton (Gina Juan), billiards (Rey Hubahib), tennis (Jeffrey Dico) and golf (Poch Lamug). It won't send a team though in bowling.

A total of eight teams will vie for the championship in basketball, including one foreign squad from Australia, the Wallabies of Down Under.

Last year when Bacolod hosted the annual athletic meet, Cebu failed to field in a basketball team.

This marks for the first time that Cokaliong, a multi-awarded streak-shooter from the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA), will be joining the Los Jefes ballclub.

For the past two years, Cokaliong had been approached by Los Jefes 2003 president Bunny Pages and 2004 prexy Alex Rañola to form part of the team, but the shipping tycoon politely declined the offer due some pressing matters he needs to attend to at that time.

It is only this year that Cokaliong decided to join the team upon the invitation of current Los Jefes president Edgar Chiongbian, who feels that Cokaliong has the leadership that could help them in their quest to claim back the basketball crown they previously won in 2001.

Playing alongside Cokaliong are a crack of hardworking cagers who were once collegiate stars and commercial heartthrobs during their prime.

They are Zotico "Tuco" Tan, Hermogenes "Ancing" Anciado, Gilbert Gajudo, Esteban Cesar Ortega, Misael Arias, Remberto Lawas, Leo Manulat, Reynaldo Abarquez, Joseph Paul Maninang, Geno Mario Naron, Christopher Cabaltera, Enrico Espinosa and Ferdinand Pineda.

Tuco Tan, at 59, may be the oldest player in the team, but still has the touch of speed and quickness that once made him one of the favorite stars not only in the local hoopdom, but also in the national league during his heyday.

In 1971, Tan played for UTEX in the defunct Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), the predecessor of the Philippines Basketball Association. He takes pride for having played one-on-one with the legendary pointguard Yoyong Martirez in 1975.

The team, which will be coached by the revered University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers bench tactician Elmer "Boy" Cabahug, will leave for Iloilo tomorrow on board Cokaliong Shipping Lines' MV Filipinas Iloilo.

Aside from Los Jefes de Cebu, other clubs taking part in the three-day sportsfest are host Los Amigos de Iloilo, Negros Executives (Bacolod City), Cagayan Executives (Cagayan de Oro), Bomberos de Davao (Davao City), Los Hermanos de Heneral Santos (General Santos City), Los Caballeros de Zamboanga (Zamboanga City), Manila Executives and the visiting team from Houston, Texas.