Marooned in Ormoc

Even before I could unpack my bags after a ten-day odyssey in Myanmar and Thailand, I found myself in a fast craft streaming to  Ormoc City.  I was in Pineapple City on the invitation of a big mall that will be opening in the region mid of next year.  After viewing the prospective, we checked out from our hotel, the still impressive Sabin Resort owned by the Larrazabals.  The evening was not complete without Elvisaya performing several rock and roll songs at the resort’s lounge.  The following day, we were off to the pier only to be told that all trips were cancelled due to typhoon Marce, that also ravaged part of  Leyte (Abucay).  All told, I was stranded for two days which gave me a chance to go around the city.  I wanted to visit Mayor Richard Gomez to discuss some sports projects for the city.  Richard is bound to support sports since he himself is a sportsman.  In fact,  he was in the national fencing team to the Sea Games a few years back.  I checked the track oval and lo and behold, it was in a deteriorating state,  owing to the fact that it was just repaired two years ago after Yolanda.  Coach Tatoy Roble, a former trackster at FEU under coach  Rosito Andaya said they have yet to ask the contractor  for the condition  of the oval.  I wanted to proceed to Albuera to take a glimpse of the house of Mayor Rolando Espinosa,  but my sister told me better avoid “nalang” Mayor Espinosa still lie in state in his residence and will  be buried on Dec 6 yet.  While still in Ormoc,  I saw a poster bannering  basketball games at the Superdome, featuring the UC Warriors and USJR Jaguars among others.  On the entertainment side, Elvisaya was invited by the tourism office to perform during a Christmas show but Elvisaya is set to do a gig in Cebu on the same week.   I also wanted to visit Lake Danao Natural Park but the rains spawned by the typhoon, spoiled all that.  Finally I was able to depart for Cebu after being sleepless in Ormoc.

Elvisaya endorses health food

Arriving in Cebu, I was met with a call advising me to proceed to the venue for a shoot of a famous health food commercial which will be shown on ANC.  Part of the script calls for me to run in the track oval to prove that even at 69, “medyo may asim pa”.  the final episode was an Elvisaya shoot at a hotel rooftop that took another two hours.  The commercial will be shown nationwide on television.

 TKO

No, I’m not talking about boxing but the recent election at the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) where  three-term president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco  ran un opposed after deposing of his challengers even before they stepped in the ring este.. election venue.  Ricky  Vargas of boxing and cycling’s  Abraham Tolentino were rendered ineligible to run as president and chair respectively, for being absent at least seven of the POC’s  12 General Assembly meetings in the last two  years.  Even my good friend POC chair Tom Carrasco wasn’t able to run as he is not a president of an NSA, a  requirement.  Tom used to call the shots for triathlon.  Under Peping,  the country’s performances has dropped to its lowest level, it was a good thing Hidilyn Diaz won a silver in the Rio Olympics, Peping’s saving grace.  In Beijing and London we did not win a single medal.  In the Asian Games we only won 1 gold medal in Incheon in 2014,  we won 4 gilts in Doha in 2006 and 3 golds in the 2010 Guangzhou.  In the Sea Games,  it’s worse.  In the Manila 2005 Sea Games, we won 113 gold medals to become champs, in Nakhon Ratchasima (2007) we tallied 41 then 38 in Vientianne (2009), 36 in Indonesia (2011), 29 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar (2013) then also 29 in Singapore (2015).  Peping should give chance to others but alas, “Naa kunoy glue ang nalingkuran ni Peping”.  He is stuck in there.

Did you know?

JESSIE OWENS   humiliated  Adolf Hitler by winning  four gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics to shatter the myth that Aryans will dominate world sports.  In the marathon,  Japan’s Kitei Son ( a Korean forced to run for Japan) shocked defending champion Juan  Carlos Zabala of Argentina, who won the gold in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.  Zabala trained in Berlin for six months but dropped out after collapsing twice.  Englands Ernest Harper settled for the silver after he staggered with a badly blistered foot.

• CLARENCE DE MAR  of the US, won his first Boston Marathon in 1911.  He also won in  1922, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1928, and 1930 to become a seven-time champion.  Bill Rodgers won four Boston titles starting in 1975.  He then racked three wins in a row from 1978 to 1980.