Thanks for your support

Two of my closest friends were very quiet yesterday morning.  The reason must be the loss of their favorite team to the Boston Celtics in game 1 of the NBA Finals.

I can’t blame guys like them for feeling very sad.  Their wives told me that they even have purple and gold underwear.

Maybe they were even wearing them yesterday hoping to use them for some celebration, but unfortunately, they ended up wiping their tears with their purple and gold hankies.

Maybe next game my friends, just maybe.

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After two days of action in the 1st Albino ‘Amo’ D. Gothong Memorial Golf Tournament, spirits of the tournament committee members remain high as I write this column at the venue of the awards ceremony – the Grand Convention Center.

Oly Dychangco and Bambi Gothong-Tan were here since early afternoon to set the whole place up.

When we planned the tournament several weeks ago, there wasn’t room for the awards ceremony at the grand hall, but then there are always wonderful things that happen.

When I got here, I learned we got the whole grand hall for our awards ceremony.  I have a feeling despite his physical absence Amo continues to find ways to help us get things done.

I even think he somewhat influenced my game as after some time I have managed to make a net score that is under par.  Not good enough to win, but definitely good enough for somebody who has started reading the book ‘How to quit Golf,’ hehehe.

Even Bobby Lim, who was supposed to be in a meeting in Manila yesterday got a last minute chance to play as his appointment was rescheduled.  When Amo died last year, Bobby told me about seeing a rather huge butterfly that did not seem to leave the spot where it was for a very long time.

The day that Amo died, I saw him in my dream like he was saying goodbye.  I guess that was really what that meant and more than a year since he passed away, many wonderful memories with the man who we fondly called Tatay continue to be shared by the members of the Fil-Chinese golf committee.

To all those who supported the 1st Amo Cup as sponsor or participant, we would like to tank you for allowing us to honor the man in a manner that he would have wanted us to do it – a golf tournament.

There will be a next one, but we’re still deciding whether to do this annually or every other year.

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My compadre Jack Huang sent me some good news via text message yesterday afternoon.

Jack told me that Reed Friar Juntilla, who was one of the players that I used to cover during his Cebu Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA) and Cebu Basketball Federation (CBF) days.

Reed wore the Hapee Toothpaste jersey in the Philippines Basketball League, but tomorrow, he shall be donning the uniform of the Red Bull Barakos in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Reed has surely gone a long way from his days as a high school varsity player of the University of the Visayas.  He now joins the ranks of other Visayanians who made it to the big league like Boy Cabahug, Al Solis, brothers Edward and Peter Naron, man mountain Bonel Balingit, Rudy Enterina, Lowell Briones and a lot more.