’91 heroes to ‘05 bets: It’s your turn

Lydia De Vega already has a Mercado annexed to her name and, when not caught between politics and a promising coaching offer overseas, she has a lovely family to tend to.

Paeng Nepomuceno does not look a bit older and still rolls those balls the way a four-time World Cup champion should, while Bong Coo is now into politics, but she remains the queen of Philippine bowling.

Eric Buhain is more than 20 lbs beyond his championship weight and the splashes he makes are not in the pool anymore, but as top honcho of local sports.

There are many more on the list -- to name a few, Elma Muros of athletics, swimming’s Akiko Thomson, boxing’s Mansueto Velasco Jr., John Baylon of judo, bowling’s Paulo Valdez, shooting’s Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla, Felix Barrientos of lawn tennis, and taekwondo’s Bea Lucero.

Each and every one of them labored and fought, each and every one had flag and country in their minds and hearts. And they are all not only in an enthusiastic and patriotic mood, but fighting, too. They want the "Miracle of ’91" to repeat, and repeat with impunity in 2005.

With the battlecry: "We missed it by one [in 1991], now it’s your turn!", Buhain, who now chairs the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) a decade after claiming six swimming gold medals in the 1991 Manila Southeast Asian Games, enthusiastically announced the holding of a grand reunion of the heroes of 1991, when the country finished an unprecedented second by a mere one gold medal behind Indonesia.

"All my fellow athletes who fought in 1991, each and everyone of us who held fort, winners or non-winners, find in our hearts a big responsibility and obligation in 2005," said Buhain. "We may no longer be the athletes of before, although we would love to do it one more time. But we feel strongly and passionately about kicking off a campaign in 2005 like it was in 1991."

The grand reunion-cum-morale-boosting kick off event has July as its target date, 15 months before the SEA Games return to the country after 14 years. The 23rd edition of the Sea Games is set Nov. 20-30, 2005.

The organizing PSC is looking at a week-long fiesta of sorts, drumming up support and awareness for the 2005 SEA Games. There will be concerts and entertainment, fun competitions, exhibits, parties, cheering and pep rallies not only for the athletes, but also for all Filipinos who will showcase in the region their capability not only to host the biennial games, but to dominate it.

Aside from the ‘91 heroes, also expected to grace the event are officials of the 1991 Manila Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Mansoc) led by former Trade Secretary Peter Garrucho Jr., former PSC chairman Cecilio Hechanova and former heads of involved government agencies, together with the leaders of various national sports associations.

Sponsors of the ‘91 Sea Games led by National Panasonic, Fuji Film, IBM Philippines, Coca Cola, Milo, San Miguel Corp, PLDT, Petron, Duty Free Phils, FedEx, Nestle Phils., Mikasa, Philippine Airlines, NBN-4 and Pioneer Insurance are also expected to be well-represented during the week-long festivities.

"Unprecedented was the 1991 miracle and so will the July grand reunion be," said Buhain. "This is one thing we have wanted and loved to do all along. We may no longer be in the pool, in the courts, on the mat, or in the arena, but we will always be behind all Filipino athletes, supporting them, and boosting their morale."