Every year, we run a Christmas contest in this column for the loyal readers of our sports section. It’s our small way of saying thanks for your support and sharing the blessings of the season. The tradition is now on its 13th year and it has become a much-awaited highlight of the holidays.
As usual, we’re making it extremely easy and fun for everyone to join. All you need to do is to answer three questions correctly in a slip of paper. You can send in as many entries as you wish (all originals, no Xerox copies allowed). Send your entries to The Philippine STAR sports section, Railroad corner Oca Streets, Port Area, Metro Manila - cut-off is 5 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 20. We’ll announce the 25 winners in this column on Friday, Dec. 21, and we’ll award the prizes in a get-together at The STAR office, 11 a.m., on Saturday, Dec. 22. A photograph of the winners will be published in The STAR.
We’ve got big prizes in store for the winners. PSC chairman Richie Garcia is contributing P50,000 in cash for the first prize winner. That’s not all. We’re lining up a bucket-full of goodies for all the winners from donors such as the PBA, San Miguel Corp., PLDT, Meralco, Petron, Barangay Ginebra, San Mig Coffee, Alaska, Rain Or Shine, Ever Bilena, the Philippine Olympic Committee, ALA Boxing, Barako Bull Energy, Global Port Batang Pier, the Herma Group, Accel, Nike, Skechers, Sonia Trading, The Philippine STAR and many, many more. Believe me, it’s worth joining. Winners of the last 12 years can attest that our prizes are overwhelming, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors!
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The three questions are: (1) Which Los Angeles Laker star is endorsing a Nike shoe that is the lightest ever made for basketball? (2) Who was the last opponent beaten by Manny Pacquiao? (3) Who was the MVP in the PBA last season? For an entry to qualify, the answers to the three questions must be correct.
Additionally, there are three questions we’d like you to answer in essay form (please restrict to three sentences maximum): (1) Whom would you prefer Manny Pacquiao to fight next and why? (2) Which team do you think will win the PBA Philippine Cup and why? (3) Why do you read the sports section of The Philippine STAR?
Every entry must be identified by the sender’s name, age, occupation (if student, what year, course, school), address and telephone number (preferably, cellfone for easy access to contact).
The more entries you send in, the more chances you get to win. There will be no multiple winners to give more senders the opportunity to take home prizes. Don’t fail to send in your entries now. You’ve only got up to Thursday to beat the deadline. Who knows? You might end up claiming the first prize of P50,000 plus a bundle of goodies!
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All roads lead to the Smart Araneta Coliseum as Rain Or Shine and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel slug it out for the last ticket to the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals tonight. It’s a do-or-die encounter with the survivor advancing to battle San Mig Coffee in a best-of-7 semifinal series starting Wednesday at the Big Dome.
Ginebra has beaten the Painters in three of four meetings this conference. Every contest has been close except Rain Or Shine’s 82-65 rout in the opener of their best-of-3 quarterfinal series last Wednesday. What turned it around for Ginebra in Game 2 last Friday was the Barangay’s fierce determination to control the boards. Ginebra had more rebounds, 59-47, and the edge delivered 10 more field goal attempts which are critical in a tight low-scoring battle. The Barangay won, 79-77, limiting Rain Or Shine to 33.8 percent field goal shooting. Ginebra prevailed even as the Painters had more free throws converted, 16-of-21 to 8-of-10 and more triples made, 9-of-33 to 5-of-16.
Beginning Wednesday, the PBA will feature a game a day. Talk ‘N’ Text and Alaska open their own best-of-7 semifinal series on Thursday at the MOA Arena. Then, it will be Game 2 of the other series on Friday, also at the MOA Arena. The PBA will take a break on Dec. 23 and 24 then on Christmas Day, San Mig Coffee will face the Ginebra-Rain Or Shine winner in Game 3 of their tie at the MOA Arena. Games will go on until Dec. 30, all at the MOA Arena. The PBA will take another holiday break on Dec. 31, Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 with hostilities to resume on Jan. 3.