Big hit at Clearwater

Australia, New Zealand, China and Hong Kong backed out because of security concerns but the First Clark Centennial Cup Asian Women’s Beach Volleyball Championships got off to a rousing start anyway at the newly-inaugurated Clearwater Country Club in Angeles City last Wednesday.

Security concerns? You can’t blame foreigners from being too cautious even as reports of possible terrorist attacks in tourist spots seem exaggerated. But if you allow the evil elements to dictate on what you do, then it’s almost half the battle lost. Our lives must go on normally. We shouldn’t retreat to a corner and shudder in fear.

Because of security concerns, Oasis cancelled its concert here. So did Aaron Carter and Brian McKnight. George Gervin, the legendary "Iceman" of hoops fame, was supposed to fly in and inaugurate the National Basketball Association (NBA) season in a big shebang with local TV franchise holder Solar Entertainment last week. He, too, decided to stay home.

Despite the late withdrawals, the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association (PAVA) and the organizing AYN (Andres Y. Narvasa) Sports Management Group were determined to push through with the sixth leg of the Asian circuit.

Before the Clearwater tournament, the circuit had gone to Thailand, China, Indonesia, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The Asian beach volleyball tour for men and women was organized in 1992. Each season is made up of seven legs–the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, China and Malaysia. In the year 2000, PAVA took the lead in establishing the Asian Beach Volleyball Championships with a prize money of $30,000. The purse for a leg in the circuit is $20,000–split between the men and women teams.

AYN’s head honcho Chito Narvasa–that’s right, the former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) coach and president of the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP)–refused to back down from the challenge of staging the Philippine leg. A fierce nationalist, he wanted to prove to Asia that the tournament could be held here without fear of being attacked by terrorists. It’s AYN’s first sports project and Narvasa is hoping this will open doors to more undertakings.

Sports organizer Tanny Gonzalez, recently appointed Lyceum athletic director, knew from the start, the project would be a big hit, with or without security concerns.

The finals will be played today in what is expected to be a fitting climax to the three-day hostilities.

Eight teams, representing five countries, signed up for the joust where the winner will take home a cool $3,000. In all, the pot money at stake is $10,000–not a bad loot considering each team is composed of only two players.

Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines checked in with two teams each, Japan and Vietnam were the others in the cast.

Easily the favorite was Thailand’s first team made up of Manatsana Pangka and Rattanporn Arlaisuk, ranked No. 18 in the world and the 1998 Asian Games gold medallists in Bangkok. Thailand’s other squad was no slouch either. Kamolthip Kulna and Juranee Sannok narrowly missed out on the bronze at the recent Asiad in Busan and settled for fourth place.

Two mothers, Nurjanah Sitti and Yudhani Ni Puti Timy, carried the colors for Indonesia’s first team. The Japanese bets were Satoko Urata and Senae Tsubakimoto.

The Philippines was represented by Jennifer Bohawe and Sarah Faye Luna in the first team and Cecille Tabuena and Helen Dosdos in the second.

The eight teams were split into two groups in the eliminations. The top two finishers advanced to the crossover semifinals and the survivors will slug it out for the title in today’s final.

The word from Clearwater is it’s been fun and games on the sand. Security concerns? No problem. The tournament has gone on without a hitch. Everyone’s enjoying at Clark. Australia, New Zealand, China, and Hong Kong are probably regretting they skipped an exciting leg of the Asian tour because of "security concerns."

Postscript. It’s a one-night-only, can’t-miss affair so you’ve got to be there for the 15th anniversary celebration of Douglas Nierras’ Powerdance, the country’s premier contemporary dance company, tomorrow, Saturday, 8 p.m., at the CCP Main Theater. Sports broadcaster Chiqui Roa Puno will be among the dancers on stage. Chiqui promises a night to remember. "For those who believe they are too old, too big, too weak or too shy to really dance, brace yourselves for what Douglas Nierras has in store for you," says Chiqui. The performers are an interesting mix of surprise guest artists and non-professionals who share the passion for dance.