Farewell, Kookie

The motoring community mourns the loss of Kookie Ramirez, a rare figure in the realm of sports who was genuinely genial, and constantly armed with a good nature. After a three-year battle with cancer, Kookie has left his mortal shell, and many indelible memories among friends whose number are legion.

My own first encounter with Kookie was one of my first sporting coverages as a reporter back in the late 1980’s. I already knew his father, Pocholo (and who didn’t?), and was hearing stories about the band of brothers who bore his surname and were more than able to cast their own long shadows over a sport their patriarch had dominated for generations. Up to that point, most of the people I had met in motor sports seemed to be boisterous, occasionally gruff racers and writers.

Kookie helped ease me into the ins and outs of Philippine motoring, and the knowledge and people he connected me with still help me even today. He was always soft-spoken, patient and good-natured when I had questions, and willing to give of his time and himself when questions needed answers. His passing also triggered me to thinking about how brief and unpredictable human existence is, and how often we neglect to sit down and consider what is really important. The brevity of mortal existence makes sparkling athletic achievement all the more precious and transcendent, considering we never know when we will have to move on to the next plane of existence.

That awareness also makes politics, personal differences, retribution and negativity seem all the more senseless. And it reminds me of all the friends I have made in spots over the last quarter of a century, and the lessons that I have learned from them. Sometimes, it’s embarrassing to realize that I myself sometimes forget – purposely or not – to apply the gifts I received from my mentors. Those memories have helped me become a better friend, son, brother, father and journalist. And every so often, losing someone reminds us that, hey, we don’t know when the most recent words we say to someone may be the last ones they hear from us. So why make them harsh?

Thanks, Kookie. The best way for us to honor your memory is to thank you for being real, and giving back.

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Meanwhile, Brazil fittingly ruled both the men’s and women’s divisions in the first Philippine International Footvolley Tournament held recently at the private beaches of Fairways and Bluewater in Boracay.

After all, footvolley (a hybrid of football and volleyball) originated on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach using football skills and volleyball rules. This Philippine Footvolley Association’s (PFA) inaugural international event saw the Brazilians take the maiden crown over Spain in the two-a-side tournament sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission through commissioner Chito Loyzaga. The field included teams from Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

“This was the most amazing tournament in my life,” exclaimed Spain’s team captain Pablo Carcelan. “The tournament was in the most beautiful place, and it was organized by the most pleasant people. Only one word can describe it: perfect.”

The new sport, ironically spawned when football was banned in Brazil in the 1960’s, is attracting sponsors looking for new games to call their own.

“Footvolley is a sport where the Philippines can excel, because Filipinos are very flexible and like fast-paced games,” PFA president Mike Athab said. “Venues will not be a problem since the Philippines is rich with beaches. Hopefully, in the years to come, we would be able to uplift the standard of the game at level with Asian countries like Thailand.”

PFA secretary-general Rea Villa added that the association is preparing to conduct free seminars to individuals and institutions who want to try the sport. Footvolley, like its “parents” volleyball and soccer, can adapt to outdoor sand pitches or indoor playing courts.