CJ’s home; PSC mulls incentives

The country’s world-class bowlers may finally strike it rich.

The Philippine Sports Commission, acting on CJ Suarez’s recent feat in the World Cup, has started working out on details regarding the granting of incentives for the national bowlers reaping honors for the country in various international competitions.

Suarez, 24, arrived early yesterday to a hero’s welcome.

Sources told The STAR that PSC chair Eric Buhain has taken the initiative for the country’s top sporting body to acknowledge and recognize the exploits of these athletes through financial benefits given to others who have brought sporting honors to the country.

Buhain has already met with the PSC board, hoping to come up with a new resolution which will grant incentives for the national bowlers since RA (Republic Act) 9064 of the PSC law does not provide such for biennial world events.

No less than Paeng Nepomuceno, who has given the country so much pride and honor with his four World Cup titles fashioned out in different decades, had criticized the PSC’s incentive scheme, which only grants those who excel in the SEA Games and the Asian Games and not in biennial world events such as the bowling World Cup. Under RA 9064, gold medallists in the Asian Games and SEA Games receive P500,000 and P100,000, respectively.

But with the recent move of the new PSC dispensation, things could go right for the left-handed champion bowlers like Nepomuceno and Suarez.

For the meantime, Suarez has to content himself with a lifetime free usage of all AMF-owned facilities in the country as his biggest reward for winning this year’s World Cup in Honduras.

Suarez arrived with World Cup fourth placer Jojo Canare and father-coach Teody Suarez aboard a Philippine Airlines flight via San Francisco from Tegucigalpa, Honduras to a cheering crowd which included mother Rose Suarez and top sports officials Celso Dayrit of the Philippine Olympic Committee, bowling chief Steve Hontiveros and Buhain.

Also present were Jose "Popit" Puyat and Coronado Lanes general manager Gilbert Gavino, whose company bankrolled the Honduras trip of Suarez and Canare.

From there, the two were brought to the Bowling Inn, where the RP World Cup qualifier was held, via a motorcade.

"It was really overwhelming. I was expecting na marami talagang tao ang sasalubong sa amin but I never expected na may motorcade pa. It was really surprising and I’m thankful for this, it’s a great feeling actually," he said.

Recalling his recent feat, Suarez said he turned to his father-coach during the pressure-packed finale with Marcel van den Bosch of the Netherlands, which he described as "the longest games I had ever played."

"My Dad was my inspiration during that time. During the final match, I was playing and he was there to encourage me. The final two games seemed to be the longest games I ever had in my life. I really wanted it to end, but my Dad made the big difference," said Suarez, who swept the Dutch in their head-to-head duel.

Suarez hopes the victory would be just a start of a flourishing career even as he vowed to win more world championships in the future, like his long-time idol Nepomuceno.

"Paeng is my idol especially now that I’ve realized how good he really is. Winning the World Cup once is already a struggle, imagine winning it four times so that shows how good he is," he said. "I’m really thankful for his support, he actually congratulated me via text."

Suarez said he would only take a couple of days to rest and then start practicing again with the national team in preparation for two tournaments abroad.

The former Busan Asian Games silver medallist is set to compete in the Singapore and Hong Kong legs of the 2003 Aviva Asian Bowling Tour circuit in October and December, respectively.

"Basically it’s back to work for me kasi hindi lang naman bowling ang inaatupag ko, may businesses din kasi ako dito sa Manila," said Suarez.

"In fact, pagkatapos ng interview natin, susunduin ko pa ang kapatid ko sa school," he added referring to 15-year-old AJ, a second year high school student at Miriam College in Quezon City.

Also in Suarez’ itinerary is a courtesy call at Malacanang where he will be personally congratulated by no less than President Arroyo herself. "Hindi pa nga lang alam ‘yung exact date pero sabi ni chairman Buhain, inaayos pa niya."

Suarez was the fourth Filipino to win the World Cup, the first three being Nepomuceno, who won it in Tehran, Iran in 1976, Jakarta, Indonesia in 1980, Lemans, France in 1992, Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1996, Lita dela Rosa and Bong Coo, winners in Bogota, Colombia in 1978 and Bangkok, Thailand in 1979, respectively.

But success did not come easy for Suarez.

"Siguro magaling lang po talaga ang development program ng bowling. Nakatulong din na maaga po akong naturuan ng Dad ko," said Suarez, who learned the rudiments of bowling at age 8, stopped for about four years and embraced the sport at 14.

Suarez made it to the World Cup tilt the first time Lisbon, Portugal three years back but could only come up with a 19th place finish. He then made it to the 2002 edition won by Finland’s Mika Luoto but missed the final eight by just two pins to finish at ninth.

Getting the needed experience and confidence from the two tournaments, the 24-year-old Suarez returned with vengeance to cop the biggest victory of his career.