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An award long overdue
Written by staff   
Monday, 18 February 2008 19:59

I missed last Saturday’s San Miguel Corp.-PSA Awards Night at the SM Mall of Asia where swimmer Miguel Molina and boxer Nonito Donaire Jr. were honored as Athletes of the Year, and the business firms and organizations who did us proud in 2007 were given citations.

Anyway, I would like to extend my belated and most sincere congratulations to all the honorees.

Among those cited by the Philippine Sportswriters Association, the oldest organization of print media practitioners in the country, was the popular Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training (BEST) Center, which was elevated to the PSA Hall of Fame, an honor richly deserved, although long overdue.

BEST Center has been consistently cited by the PSA dating back to the late 1990s, when I was the association president.

Founded by “heavyweight” Nic Jorge on March 30, 1978, BEST Center is the benchmark of basketball training in the country being the oldest and most prestigious among the various cage clinics today.

Nic is truly a credit to Philippine basketball. Aside from being a former varsity cager of the University of the Philippines, he was also the national coach of the team that competed in the World Basketball Championship hosted by the Philippines in 1978. When he was appointed as RP coach at age 36 by then Basketball Association of the Philippines president Gonzalo “Lito” Puyat, Nic became one the youngest RP coaches in memory.

Nic and his wife, Marlene, pioneered the widely followed summer basketball clinics for boys and girls. Now, the Jorge siblings -- Nicky, Monica and Veronica -- are active lecturers of these summer clinics.

Through the years, BEST Center has taught countless youngsters not only the proper way to play basketball but also sound values such as discipline, sportsmanship and camaraderie, priceless lessons they will carry through their adult life.

Among the products of the program are “Tower of Power” Benjie Paras, Jerry Codiñera, a PBA Sportsmanship Awardee; PBA Rookies of the Year Zandro Limpot (1993) and Boybits Victoria (1994); still-active PBA players Paolo Mendoza and Rey Evangelista and former RP Youth Team members Allen Patrimonio, Ralph Rivera, Ernest Medina and Paolo Mendoza.

Also, BEST Center launched in October 1988 the Women’s Basketball League, which was again cited by the PSA.

* * *

OUT of delicadeza, many want top government officials, including Cabinet secretaries and a gaggle of congressmen, to refrain from being seen in big-time cockfighting derbies.

It may be legally right, but many still say it is morally wrong to take part in these derbies given the perception that taxpayers’ money could be involved.

Meanwhile, kudos to a longtime and esteemed friend, Sulo Hotel owner Biboy Enriquez, and his partners for winning two major derbies recently at the Makati Coliseum and at the Tanay Cockpit Arena in Rizal.

Fielding his signature Firebird-Panaginip battle cocks (Sanford Sweater and Dark Kelso), Biboy teamed up with businessman Raffy Prieto to win the recent Pinoy Cockers Association of the Philippines 5-Cock Derby at the Makati Coliseum.

A few days later, Biboy and his partner, Abet Ballesteros, topped a three-cock derby at the Tanay Cockpit Arena using the Light Kelso and McLean Hatch under the entry name Michelle and Latrelle.

That death in boxing is not covered by insurance is solid proof that the sport is indeed dangerous.

Alex Aroy, a boxer under the wings of promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, died last Feb. 5 hours after collapsing following his loss to Arnel Tadena in a bout held in Villaba, Leyte, on Feb. 4.

When Aroy’s mother, Martea, tried to collect from Aroy’s death insurance coverage, however, she was told that Aroy’s insurance policy did not cover death and accident in boxing matches.

What a pity.
 
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