Post-Sinulog Sports

Scheduled to tip-off tonight is the M. Lhuillier-sponsored, single round-robin basketball tournament involving Manila-based schools San Beda and University of the East doing battle with our University of the Visayas and Southwestern University. I understand San Beda and UE had some Cebuano recruits so it would be nice for the fans to troop to the Cebu Coliseum and check out these guys.

Tomorrow evening, the Azkals will face Ichoen Citizens, a Korean team for another football friendly. I don’t know if this will be another Azkal Alyansa but one thing is sure, some stars will be missing since this event is in conflict with the scheduled games of the UFL. This is the third friendly our football team has played in two months and hopefully, this won’t be their third loss. But how can you expect victory if every game there are new faces paraded. Cohesion is the root word and sadly, it is uprooted.

Today is the last day of registration for the ninth staging of the Thirsty Football Cup. The only thing that rivals this football festival is the Alaska Cup held in Manila where close to 400 teams are entered. Last year, there were at least 200 teams registered, from the pediatric to the geriatric. The football festival opens on February 11 in different playing venues. As what has been done before, games will be played on weekends and will culminate on February 19.

The NBA is still too young in its season for me to focus. The PBA has become a better alternative to Blake Griffin’s ridiculous dunks and Kobe’s selfish ball hugging. He warms the ball so much in his hands I’m afraid it might hatch something.

Powerade, the lowest seeded team in the PBA, made history by advancing to the Finals over Rain or Shine in a seven-game series. In another seven-game series of their own, Talk n’ Text prevailed over Petron Blaze.   Revenge is sweet for Chot Reyes over Ato Agustin.   Tonight’s Game One will be played in Davao City. I tell you people, PBA games has been interesting and the coverage is ok.

At the on-going Australian Open, the heavy weights continue to bully the opposition, but with two casualties. US Open women’s champion Samantha Stossur crashed out as well as Fernando Verdasco. Making his presence felt is local guy Bernard Tomic. Compared to the US Open, the Oz Open is viewer friendly since we can watch games from about noon till early evening. Still ample time to catch Binondo Girl and Budoy.

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Its all over but the memories, tons of trash, splitting hangovers, ecstatic winners, sore losers, the mysteriously fishy disappearance of P1.6 million Sinulog Foundation funds and robbed and held-up foreign tourist. Yep, it’s more fun in the Philippines, as in hold up-fun. Hala Bira! Hala Pangitaa!

As in the past years, I spend the feast of the Sto. Niño at my father’s hometown and my birthplace in Kalibo, Aklan. Yep, the town made famous for the Ati-atihan Festival, aside from being the jump off point to Boracay. Compared to the Sinulog, its rowdy-dowdy in Kalibo. For at least three days, its my chance to reconnect with relatives, friends and acquaintances, both foreign and domestic.

The hype says that the Sinulog is the mother of all Philippine festivals. Maybe. As I recall, before the Sinulog came to existence, Cebu organizers led by Commisioner David Odilao and then Cebu City Mayor Florentino Solon went to Kalibo to observe the Ati-atihan, and long story short, the Sinulog came into being. The Ati-Atihan has been around, if records are to believed, for 700-plus years. So if the Sinulog is the mother of all festivals, then I say the Ati-atihan is the grandmother of all. Let’s not get into whose the father or grandfather, I’ll use up my column space.

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Calling all Bosconians of all batches. This Sunday, January 22, is our alumni homecoming. If I’m not mistaken, Batch ’87 is this year’s host. Last Wednesday evening, a few of the ‘oldies’ of Batch ’78 had a mini reunion at Ayala’s IT Park.

Of course, there’s the usual agua de pataranta to spice the gathering. Meetings with these guys without the golden brew from San Miguel is like going to confession or attending bible studies. Had great time with balikbayans Titing Martinez, Arman Gabuya, Edwin Umapas and locally-based Nigel Wenceslao and Richard Veloso. 

Batch ’78, let’s be seen and heard this Sunday. Let our battlecry be “Old Guys Rule!” Oh, yeah!

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