Gotta wear shades

My best friend Christopher Rey M. Tio and I don’t get to see each other often nowadays, but yesterday we agreed to meet and meet Michael Chang for coffee and then lunch.

Michael used to play tennis, but now he says his hobby is probably sleeping as he spends a lot of time in the business and needs all the energy he can muster for that.

I’m sure my cousin and fellow columnist, fellow La Sallian, fellow UPian, fellow sports commission, and fellow doting dad John Pages would be salivating by now.  Yes John, Chris and I had lunch with Michael Chang, but we talked about sunglasses not tennis.

The Michael Chang I am referring to is Engr. Michael Chang, the special projects manager of Ideal Vision Center, not his namesake, who won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17 year old.

Mike said that he did play tennis at the height of his namesake’s career, but then after the more popular of the two tennis players retired, he too slowed down.

We talked much about sports though – sports eyewear that is.  Mike was showing to Chris and I the sunglasses made by Bolle and how they can help the athletes perform better.

The secret is in the lenses and the golf model, which we really took a very close look at, helps the golfers see the contours of the green better to help them sink their putts or judge distance better.  Of course it cannot help you come up with a better looking swing, but it would make you look better in your golf clothes.

There is also a kind of lens that is best for tennis while there are those for other sports activities.

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It was another grand opening ceremony last Saturday for the Gov. Gwendolyn F. Garcia Unity Volleyball (GUV) Cup at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.

Although I have been to all opening rites the past three years, there is always something that makes each ceremony different and better from the previous one.

This year, there are already 49 cities and municipalities that are represented out of the 52 for the entire province.

This is a big leap from the 38 who were the first to heed our call for entries when the event was first held three years ago.

Most noteworthy among the latest entries is the city of Bogo, which is a bailiwick of the Martinez family, a political foe of the governor.

This tournament goes beyond politics and what makes it even better for us the members of the organizing committee from the Cebu Volleyball Association (CEVA) is that we see products of the GUV Cup earn scholarships as varsity players in the various universities here.

The GUV Cup has become a stepping stone for these volleyball players from the different corners of the province, which I would say is the biggest achievement of the tournament.

Of course putting together an event with so many entries and giving away so many prizes and equipment is one major task, but the trouble that the organizers go through is always well compensated when we see the labor bear fruit with the development of volleyball in more towns and cities around Cebu.

Someday we’ll have a national player from among these participants of the GUV Cup and that is something I am very sure will happen.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday greetings to Maj. Antonio G. Mangoroban, Jr. of the Philippine Marines, who turns a year older today.

Belated greetings also go to Y101’s Bob Selner (September 19), the famous Roderick ‘Bado’ Silva of the Gray Knights (September 20) and to my good friend Emery Mythily Quijano (September 25).

More power to all of you!