Through young generation of athletes Rama: May CSHF's tribe increase

CEBU, Philippines - As two former national team players and football stars were formally enshrined into the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame, Cebu City Michael Rama hopes that there will be more of them to give honor not only for Cebu but for the entire country in the future.

In a simple ceremony at Cebu City Hall yesterday, Federico Ybañez, a table paddler who represented the country in the 1966 Asian Games, Maribel Rusiana, a member of the RP women’s volleyball team that won gold in the 1979 Jakarta SEA Games, and the members of the 1988 M.Lhuillier Football Team were installed as the 17th batch of honorees in the CSHF.

“The quest for excellence must be decided. If not, it only becomes a myth of imagination,” said Rama.

It is in this thought that the likes of Ybañez, Rusiana and the M.Lhuillier booters and all the previous awardees became who they are. They work hard and chose to be the best in their field.

Graeme MacKinnon, who mentored the legendary M. Lhuillier football squad and himself a special honoree in the CSHF some years ago, agreed to it and takes pride that it has already been 23 years since they bagged the elusive National Open crown. To date, no other Cebu senior squad manage to clinch a national title.

Rama hopes that the awardees’ “tribe” will multiply through the present crop of athletes.

As the quest for the next athletic stars unfolds, the City government through its sports commission established the Sports Institute.

After six months, several trainors and coaches were also given due recognition for their efforts in training athletes for free.

Among those who were commended were the multi-titled table tennis coach Jessica Jawad-Honoridez and Eriberto Impuesto, boxing coaches Amad Almirino and Jordan Dopalco, taekwondo’s Jeofrey Omayao, volleyball’s Josefina Maranga and Maria Dolores Opoc, chess’ Odilon Badilles and Louie Navaja and arnis’ Maximo Caballes and Jude Gelig.

Dancesport guru Loloi Rendon, Bernard Ricablanca, the backbone of the CCSC’s grassroots program, and dancesport patron Ricca Alix were the recipients of the Chairman’s award.

CCSC also cited several individuals and entities that contributed to its grassroots development program including Carlito and Elena Jubac, Allan Lim and Christian Paro-an, Cambridge Child Development Center and SAGE Prep Schoolhouse, Cebu Centennial Lion's Club, Southwestern University, Barangay Captains Benjamin Zabate and Petronilo Fat and Hipodromo’s Sangguniang Kabataan led by its chairman Estrelle Cabanes. (FREEMAN)