Biggest wins, events of 2009

It’s time to recall the biggest achievements and events of 2009. These are not in any specific order but they surely made their impact in local sports.

Cebu Boxing was the biggest newsmaker for the local sports family in 2009 for giving the country three world champions. Donnie Nietes (WBO minimumweight champion), Rodel Mayol (WBC light flyweight champion) and brand new interim WBO light flyweight champion Johnriel Casimero stand out for dominating and proving that Cebu can win at the world level. Casimero was the latest addition to the list after stunning former world champion Cesar Canchila via an 11th round TKO in Nicaragua last Sunday. Mayol and Casimero are new additions to the list of world champs for winning their titles this year while Nietes has been a world champ since 2007. The rest of Cebu boxing will surely count on the achievements of the three world champs as we have more potential world champs just biding their time, waiting for that big break.

In basketball, UV’s triple grand slam CESAFI championship is going to stand out in local basketball history and may never be repeated again in the future. Winning nine straight CESAFI championships is not an easy task, yet the Lancers make it look so routine. On a similar note, the M. Lhuillier ballclub which carries the name of Cebu City has dominated the Liga Pilipinas since it started last year and had an amazing 21-game winning streak to win the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference III National Championship this year. No other team came close to threatening the Niños. The downside for both UV and M. Lhuillier is how they’ll always have the tag as a big fish in a small pond. We always seem to be dominant in our own small turf but can’t seem to make a dent on the larger, more national scale. UV was booted out in the first round of the Philippine Collegiate Champions’ League for the past two years after making it to the final four consistently in the past. For M. Lhuillier, the big question is if it’s willing to join the big boys in the PBA or will stick it out in the semi-pro scene which doesn’t offer any serious competition.

The current running boom looks as real as it is. There are fun runs or races held practically every weekend all year round, all of which have drawn attendance figures of at least 500 runners. The top races draw as many as 2,000 or more. Moreover, even a world-level Kenyan runner has decided to make Cebu his temporary base and has expectedly won every single race he has entered. My last count is that he has won nine straight races already (or is it 10?). The coolest thing about the running boom is that anyone, and I mean anyone can join these fun runs. You don’t have to be an outstanding athlete to join. Try a fun run and you’ll see what I mean.

A highlight that deserves mention is the total Cebu sports youth scene in general. We’re now seeing the blooming of many age-group and grassroots level tournaments for a variety of sports including those that don’t get as much media attention as basketball and boxing. Dancesport, swimming, tennis, football and other sports are now more regular with their tournament schedules, giving the Cebu Sports scene a more total and balanced look.

Cebu also has its shares of downs for 2009. Z Gorres will no longer become the world champion that we all thought he would eventually become. Instead, he’ll spend the rest of his life battling the biggest fight of his life. What a wild and crazy turn of events. We wish him well and pray that he recovers quickly.

CESAFI Blues. The year had to be a tough but challenging one for the CESAFI which was marred by a daring walkout by three college volleyball teams and the suspensions of basketball players for violating the “can’t play in another league” rule. While all these may have given the CESAFI a black eye, the upside is that this will make the league even stronger. Events like these are excellent learning experiences which will send a signal that while the CESAFI isn’t perfect, it can’t be taken lightly as well.

I can’t help but make a plug about the “silence” of local football. Don’t get me wrong. The football family is alive with activities, but somehow, they aren’t making any noise in the same way that boxing, basketball and the running boom are doing. Like it or not, I hope football’s leaders realize that if you’re out to grow the sport and want to contribute to building Philippine football, then you’ve got to make some noise.

As a whole, Cebu Sports in 2009 was a productive one indeed. But we’re not sitting on our laurels. There’s so much more to be done in the years to come.

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Time-out: May we never forget to give thanks to our Lord for everything that we have and for coming to join us on earth to become our Savior. Merry Christmas! You can reach me at [email protected]   (FREEMAN NEWS)