Team Nike tops Celebs Squash Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Architect Gil Coscolluela used a boast-and-length attack to upset Team Prince’s Ernie Lopez, 11-8, in a one-set playoff that clinched for Team Nike the third Celebrities Squash Cup championship after a deadlock in the finals at the Palms Country Club in Alabang last Saturday.

Team Nike beat Team Head in sets, 8-5, and points, 126-95, while Team Prince defeated Team Speedo in sets, 10-5, and points, 153-117, in the preliminaries to arrange the title showdown.

Coscolluela needed just a set and 11 points from Lopez in the finals for Team Nike to claim the title outright. But Lopez, a triathlete, spoiled the party by trouncing Coscolluela, 11-8, 11-2, to force the one-set playoff.

In the tiebreaker, Coscolluela wouldn’t be denied. He threw off Lopez by putting more pace on his serve and kept the ball moving from front to back in a dramatic reversal. Lopez chased down every shot, keeping within striking distance but couldn’t break Coscolluela’s momentum.

A big crowd that included Squash Rackets Association of the Philippines (SRAP) president Romy Ribano was on hand to witness the squashfest that featured 23 players and 24 matches. Other SRAP officials who attended the event were chief organizer Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez, Jovie Vilar, Allan Tantoco, Romy Dona and Jaime Ortua.

Team Nike was composed of Coscolluela, Crocs CEO Franco Limjuco, Alaska basketball team assistant coach Dickie Bachmann, fashion designer Patrice Ramos-Diaz, runway model Grace Molina and fashion show director Robbie Carmona. Team Prince was made up of Lopez, events producer Paolo Relucio, Wolfgang guitarist Manuel Legarda, events organizer Teddy Dario and society icon Tessa Prieto-Valdes.

Team Speedo finished third with Speedo vice president Manish Mahtani, STAR columnist Quinito Henson, sportscaster Anthony Suntay, celebrity endorser Menchu Henson, golfer Jennifer Rosales and fashion model Gem Padilla. Winding up fourth was Team Head with Relzbach president Bob Bachmann, lawyer Steve Pingree, PBA legend Jerry Codiñera, fitness exponent Margot Garcia, TV host Angel Jacob and fashion model Apples Aberin. Team Speedo downed Team Head in sets, 11-2, and points, 134-106, to place third.

The matches were officiated by six-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Edgar Balleber, Rodan Banquilay and Oscar Genobiagon. Palms general manager Todd Bretzleff, membership committee head Jean Codiñera, sports director Sammy Hofilena, sports staffers Dan Nogueras and Chen Memarion and chef Hans Heinz Wolff laid out the club’s red carpet for the squash players. Dondi Verano acted as master of ceremonies.

The most exciting match was Lopez’ three-set thriller over Mahtani, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7. It was one of five matches that went the distance. The others were Dario over Menchu Henson, 10-11, 11-7, 11-9, Aberin over Padilla, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, Diaz over Garcia, 11-4, 10-11, 11-8, and Legarda over Suntay, 11-3, 10-11, 11-8.

Prieto-Valdes emerged as the winningest player in the tournament, subbing for Phem Baranda and winning four straight matches over Padilla, 11-2, 11-3, Rosales, Carmona, 11-6, 11-4 and Molina, 11-3, 11-5. Only three others didn’t drop a set – Dickie Bachmann over Legarda, 11-5, 11-6, and Codiñera, 11-1, 11-2, Limjuco over Pingree, 11-2, 11-4, and Relucio, 11-4, 11-3, and Quinito Henson over Relucio, 11-9, 11-5, and Pingree, 11-5, 11-7.

Ribano stepped in to decide how to break the deadlock in the finals and opted for a one-set playoff instead of a one-point sudden-death. It was a dramatic climax to the third and biggest edition of the annual affair.

De Leon-Gonzalez, who organized the competition, said the event highlighted the growing popularity of squash which was recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the world’s healthiest sport. The rating was based on factors such as injury risk, calorie burn and physiological benefits. The rest of the sports in the top 10 are, in order, rowing, rock climbing, swimming, cross country skiing, basketball, cycling, running, modern pentathlon and boxing.

“Extended rallies and almost constant running builds muscular strength and endurance in the lower body while lunges, twists and turns increase flexibility in the back and abdomen,” said Forbes Magazine. “Thirty minutes on the squash court provides an impressive cardiorespiratory workout.”

The squashfest was presented by Schwarzkopf Professional and the Palms Country Club with support from Nike Park , Speedo, Prince, Head, Toby’s, Nestle, Folded & Hung, Vitwater, Jewelmer, C2 Collezione, Crocs, Hewlett Packard, PLDT Smart, Karakal, Fresh Papaya Soap and San Miguel Corp.

In the raffle, Dario won a South Sea pearl pendant from Jewelmer, Lopez took home a desktop printer from Hewlett Packard and Bob Bachmann a Nokia cellphone from PLDT Smart.