MANILA, Philippines – Isang bagong grupo ng mga sports heroes sa pangunguna ni chess Grandmaster Eugene Torre ang iluluklok sa Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.
Si Torre, ang unang GM sa Asya at Candidates Match quarterfinalist na tinulungan ang bansa sa best finish sa No. 8 noong 1988 Thessaloniki Olympiad, ay isa sa mga personalidad na hihirangin ng Philippine Sports Commission sa Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.
“I am pleased to announce the latest 17 athletes who have made it to the honor roll of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame,” sabi ni Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richie Garcia sa Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum kahapon sa Shakey’s Malate, Manila na handog ng San Miguel Corp, Shakey’s, Accel at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Bukod kay Torre, ang iba pang inaasahang iluluklok ay sina Mona Sulaiman ng athletics, swimmer Haydee Coloso Espino, national basketball players Ed Ocampo, Kurt Bachman at Mariano Tolentino; former world weightlifting champion Salvador del Rosario; tennis players Felicisimo Ampon, Johnny Jose at Raymundo Deyro; athletic standouts Inocencia Solis at Isaac Gomez, shooters Adolfo “Chito” Feliciano and Martin Gison; swimmers Jacinto Cayco, Gerardo “Ral” Rosario at Mohamad Pala.
Ang first batch ng mga Hall of Famers na hinirang limang taon na ang nakakalipas ay sina boxing greats Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, Francisco “Pancho Villa” Guilledo, Ceferino Garcia, Jose “Cely” Villa-nueva at kanyang anak na si Anthony Villanue-va Olympians Miguel White, Simeon Toribio, Teofilo Yldefonso at Carlos Loyzaga.