Gorres provides touching moment at SAC awarding

CEBU, Philippines - Billiards queen Rubilen Amit had her fair share of the limelight being the “Athlete of the Year”, but stricken Cebuano fighter Z “The Dream” Gorres provided the most touching moment during the 28th Sportswriters Association of Cebu-San Miguel Beer (SAC-SMB) All-Cebu Sports Awards the other night at the Casino Español de Cebu.

Walking on his own for the first time in public since his arrival from the United States after a near-death experience, Gorres has become a perfect example of what dreams may come, if only one fights hard to win the real battle of life.

After his name was announced as the “Presidential Awardee”, Gorres caught everyone by surprise as he gently stood up from his wheelchair and slowly walked to the stage with wife Datches by his side to receive the golden plaque of recognition from SAC president John Z. Pages.

“He (Gorres) really wants to stand up and walk. He doesn’t want to be pushed (on his wheelchair) when he accepts his award. He does not want the award will be given to him. He wants to receive the award,” said Antonio “Bidoy” L. Aldeguer, the highly-esteemed boxing patron who nurtured the career of Gorres since he was nine years old.

Emotions ran high with some even shedding tears at the very dramatic gesture of Gorres, who has since become a global phenomenon for his miraculous recovery from a critical brain injury that ended his career and nearly cost him his dear life.

Aldeguer was the event’s guest speaker but opted not to read his five-page speech as he was flabbergasted in amazement by what Gorres’ did. Instead, he spent a few minutes walking down memory lane, recalling the early days in Z’s ring path and his inspiring journey in life.

“I have here with me a five-page speech the past two days, but I will disregard it now after what I saw a while ago. I am here supposed to have an inspirational talk, but what can I say more to inspire you than what you have seen a while ago?” Aldeguer said.

Aldeguer reminisced how a brother of Z or Butchoy scolded him for not being good enough and that he will not go far in boxing.

Aldeguer said that when Gorres was knocked down by a wicked punch of Luis Melendez during that fateful night of November 13 last year in Las Vegas, he bravely got up. And after being declared the winner by unanimous decision, Gorres, despite feeling dizzy, still managed to ask for the Philippine flag and showed to the whole world how proud he is to be a Filipino before he eventually collapsed.

Despite all the trials and tribulations he went through in life, Gorres worked hard to be a top-caliber athletes. He was down once but he is up again, this time full of zest and enthusiasm for a better life ahead of him and his family.

“ Gorres is here to inspire athletes who are here right now. The biggest battle is not in the sport he played, but the fight of his life. And he won and he became a champion,” said Aldeguer.

Z may no longer be able to fight again, but he has already gained a championship belt. No one can take it away from him for he is a champion in life, a living proof on how great an athlete and person he is which the rest of the athletes should emulate .

From A to Z - as in from Aldeguer to Z Gorres - all those who attended the memorable night went home not only with awards, happy thoughts and memories but also learned a valuable lesson in life. (FREEMAN NEWS)