F-1 and football

Brilliant!

It seems it has been so long since I saw Michael Schumacher display driving skills so awesome that I could not help but sometimes cheer loudly as he held off the challenge of reigning world champion Fernando Alonso from shortly before the halfway mark of the race to the finish.

At many instances, Alonso, the youngest ever world champion, almost found the little opening that would have changed the outcome of the race, but in all instances, Schumi just got back there and doused cold water on Alonso's challenge.

Schumi's final pit stop was porobably Alonso's best chance to seize the lead, but the ferrari mechanics did a perfect job and their number one driver came out of the pit lane, just milliseconds ahead of the Spaniard world champion.

I'm sure the millions of Ferrari fans around the world are equally ecstatic about what happened in San Marino. More than just a win, it was Schumi's 85th grand prix crown in over 200 starts.

Who says the guy should retire after this season? I just hope that Ferrari's success will continue in the following races.

This should give us a reason to continue waving the scarlet-colored flag with the prancing horse.

* * *

While waiting to get into the game in last Sunday's regular practice of the Queen City United Football Club at the University of San Carlos-Talamban field, I had a chance to talk about football with Engr. Pericles 'Ricky' Dakay. Ricky, who has been designated as the sports director for football by the Cebu City Sports Commission, told me about some of his plans for the development of the sport.

While many people probably know Ricky because of his projects in the Dakay Construction and Development Corporation (DCDC) or his work in the Rotary Club, his love affair for football is something that has been going on for a long time.

He does not just support the sport in any way he can, but also finds time to play it too despite his hectic schedule.

One of the things that he'd like to do immediately is to get the various stakeholders of football in Cebu City together. Ricky said that in this gathering, he would like to hear from the stakeholders their expectations and at the same time, he'd also want to lay down his development program.

Ricky's hoping to get everyone together before the end of May when he comes home from a trip to the United States.

I spent a good number of years in my life with football having sat as director of the Cebu Football Association (CFA) for several years and in other capacities - as a player, a journalist, and as a parent.

The years that I have spent for the sport has allowed me to meet many people and learn that the community is not something that you can easily get together to live harmoniously. It is not a perfect world.

Ricky knows this too well but then he is undaunted by the challenge.

As a supporter of the sport in my own little way, I therefore call on the other football stakeholders to also do your share so we can take big steps forward.

* * *

While I was busy with sports during the weekend, I received very shocking news about the death of a good friend - Harry Uy, who died while snorkeling.

Harry is a fellow football parent, who found time from his busy schedule as the big boss of China Trust bank in Cebu to go to the field and watch his son play.

This morning, his body will be cremated at the Cebu Rolling Hills after a 7 am mass.

I'd like to ask our pious readers to say a prayer for Harry's soul.