City fetes outstanding athletes

CEBU, Philippines – In a fitting finale to the week-long celebration commemorating the 72nd Cebu City Charter Day, the city government of Cebu paid homage to its top athletes for their outstanding exploits in their respective sporting discipline the past year.

The simple but memorable awarding ceremony was held the other night at the Function Room 1 of Cebu City Sports Center, with City councilors Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba and Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem gracing the affair.

“True to its commitment to develop, implement and support programs for the realization of the city government’s mission to promote and uphold the interests of the Cebuano youth, the sports commission has been conducting competitions and activities to enhance the youth’s potentials to the fullest specifically in the field of sports,” said Alcoseba, who is also the vice chairman of the Cebu City Sports Commission.

“It is in this light that the the City wishes to acknowledge and commend all the outstanding Cebuano athletes who made an exemplary performance for the year 2008,” added the legendary basketball coach of M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala.

Alcoseba hopes that the award handed out to the athletes would serve as an inspiration for them to even strive harder and scale greater heights.

“To all the awardees, my sincerest congratulations. I urge you to continue to strive for excellence, to continue doing the things you do best, and to continue being a source of pride and hope by all the sectors of our society,” said Alcoseba. “Together, let us thank the Lord for the past events that contributed to the present success of our undertakings. The past year maybe great, but our future will be greater.”

Alcoseba was joined by Jakosalem in lavishing praise and adulation to the City’s brightest stars in the sporting arena.

“We are giving these awards only to the gold medallists in national and international events, so you are the cream of the crop. Congratulations and keep on winning more golds for the City,” said Jakosalem, the city council’s committee chairman on games, amusements and professional sports. “This is the first time we’re doing this and we will make it a yearly event. In fact we’re planning for a bigger awards next year.”

Majority of the honorees were Palarong Pambansa gold medallists in the likes of Jacob Lagman (lawn tennis), Sarah Mae Napolis. Irin Banluran, and Lidley Fran Navaja (athletics), Jojilyn Tracy Badonio and Naomi Soco (gymnastics), Joshua Paracuella (arnis), Loren Dale Echavez and Anthony Linn Navarro (swimming), Janessa Vergara, Karen Joy Fontanilla, and Lovely Rose Lim (taekwondo), Joshua Philippe Famador, Korina Keith Enclona, and Sidney Erl Metante (karatedo), and Alford Marimon (judo).

Others feted were amateur boxing champions Dave Peñalosa (54 kgs.), Dodie Boy Peñalosa, Jr. (54 kgs.), and Arjay Ano-os (51 kgs.).

The M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños topped the list of team awardees for clinching the inaugural title of Liga Pilipinas, the country’s newest Community-based basketball league. The rest are the Cebu City teams in track and field, table tennis, chess, football (15 and 17-under), Don Bosco (elementary football), and the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras for ruling the 62nd National Students Basketball Championships. –THE FREEMAN