Sports
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Camaraderie through sports INTERNATIONAL Elevator and Equipment, Inc. continues to promote camaraderie in its network through the annual IEE-Mitsubishi Electric Invitational Basketball Tournament that was recently held at the Cuneta Astrodome. IEE is the local affiliate of Mitsubishi Electric and has handled the design, sales, installation, and maintenance of the global industrial and commercial equipment leader’s elevators, escalators, air conditioning, ventilation, and cooling technologies in the Philippines since 1969. This year’s tournament saw 23 teams composed of engineers, contractors, managers, installers, and architects and other employees of IEE and its business partners. The annual sporting event began in 2013 and has ever since strengthened camaraderie among IEE’s network and promoted a culture of diversity and inclusion. Henry Bayonas, Assistant Vice President for Service Department at IEE’s Elevator and Escalator Division and Deputy Sports Director, explained that the tournament encouraged interaction among employees from different departments and organizations, thereby contributing to healthier relationships and work-
life balance. Junrey Jovero, Mechanical Engineering Department Head of Century Properties, affirmed that the basketball league has become an event to look forward to as it served as a venue to meet and establish better communications with counterparts from other companies. Besting it out in the championship league were the IEE team versus Century Properties, and RMDA Architects versus IGB Engineering. IEE and IGB Engineering emerged as overall champions in this year’s tournament. IGB Engineeringtook home a trophy, P15,000 and 1 HP Wall Mounted Inverter Aircon. The other teams that have played in the games come from Robinsons Land Corporation, Megaworld Corporation, RTM Mechanical Engineering & Services, Supercool Air Conditioning Center, Canriv Corporation, Casas & Architects, A.F. Navarrete & Partners, TCGI Engineers, Isagani M. Martinez Consulting Engineer, L.R. Punsalan & Associates, RJ Calpo & Company, Asya Design, ELS Consultancy & Management Inc., WSP Manila, Inc, W.V. Coscolluela & Associates.
IEE leaders graced the event namely Melecio B. Vicencio (left), IEE Vice President; Ramoncito A. Ocampo (second from left), IEE President; and Henry E. Bayonas (right), Assistant Vice President (EE Service) and Deputy Sports Director.
IM Bersamina boosts chess bid
Pascual, 2 others share golf honors
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ILIPINO International Master Paulo Bersamina trounced countryman John Merill Jacutina to join Grandmaster John Paul Gomez and IM Ricky de Guzman inside the Top 20 after the eighth and penultimate round of the 17th Asian Continental Chess Championships (Second Manny Pacquiao Cup) Monday night.
THEODY Pascual played true to form and took the men’s crown while Bobby Café and Seon Yeob Bae bagged the seniors’ and ladies diadems in the Charity Chairman’s Cup at the Manila Southwoods’ Legends and Masters courses in Carmona, Cavite recently. Pascual, the current club champion, shot 39 points equivalent to a net two-under 70 while Café assembled a 33 Seon turned in a 30 as they took the top honors in the annual event sponsored by Agrexplore/Briduen and Turf Co. (Platinum) and backed by Nutranta (gold) and Klio International (silver) and hole sponsors Mit Air Sales, J-Ten Sports and Club Golfcarts.ph. Sharing the spotlight are grand raffle prize winners Jun Ventura, who drove home a Mirage G4 GLS CVT Matic Sedan from Mitsubishi Motors and Diamond Motors, and Jun Yupiton, who won a Greek cruise for seven nights with airfare for two from Royal Caribbean and Baron Travel. Other winners were Jordan Mamaril (Men’s 1), Robert Banatin (Men’s 2), Ramon Sison (Men’s 3), Art Caronongan (Men’s 4), Niels Ole Jeppesen (Seniors 1), Poch Hernandez (Seniors 2), Cesar Igual (Seniors 3), Jojo Lee (Seniors 4), Yong Mi Kim (Ladies 1), Tess Staub (Ladies 2), Eda Yupitun (Ladies 3) and Raymond Bunquin (Sponsors/Guests). Yang Seop Lee, Richie Santos, Richard Emerson Chua, Dan Reyes, Rene Samonte, Woong Jeon, Cezar Peralejo, Danny Paragas, Yun Haeng Cho, Arlette Dizon, Angela Yazaki and Arnel Paras were runners up in the event supported by BDO, Camp John Hay GC, Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose Law Office, Coffee Stains, Club Leisure, Escala Tagaytay, Federal Maintenance, Forest Hills,, G&W Club Shares, GGA Club Shares, Golden Oats, Golforce, Greens ‘n Turf, Le Chef, Southwoods Manor, Marriot Hotel, Minerva Sales, MRT DevCo, Okada, PMS, RCNA, Resorts World, Smart Probe, Solid Global Ventures, Toto Asia Oceana and Warbird Security.
The win sent the 20-year-old Bersamina, who has played in the World Chess Olympiad twice despite his age, into a 14-chesser logjam at 17th place with 4.5 points apiece, while breathing some life to his hope of finishing inside the Top 10. Bersamina was tackling Iran’s
Grandmaster Ehsan Ghaem Maghami, who drew with the Philippines’ GM John Paul Gomez, in the final round at press time and another victory would give the former a chance to accomplish the feat in this tournament organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, headed by
Cong. Butch Pichay and funded by the Philippine Sports Commission and Sen. Manny Pacquiao. The 58-year-old de Guzman was part of that group with Pascua and Gomez after splitting the point with China’s IM Xu Yi. Gomez was battling former women’s world champion GM Tan Zhongyi of China, while De Guzman GM Abhimanyu Puranik of India. In the women’s division, WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda shocked 2018 Vietnam Individual Championship titlist WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram to move on the verge of a Top 10 finish. Fronda, 24, has caught up with
Omiping stars as Responders whip Kamao Cocolife Tigers
Reynaldo Malaga of Senate fakes his Judiciary defender during their UNTV Cup game held recently at the Meralco gym in Pasig City. The Senate Defenders won, 64-63, to finish the elims with a 6-3 mark.
FORMER University of the East star Olan Omiping scored 17 of his 25 points in the payoff period as Philippine National Police scored an 81-73 come-from-behind win over Malacañang-Philippine Sports Commission to boost its bid for an outright semis berth in the 7th UNTV Cup held over the weekend at the Meralco gym in Pasig City. The PNP Responders started slow, trailing the Kamao in the first three quarters before the wily Omiping took matters into his own hands, outscoring the entire Kamao side with variety of shots in leading the team to its fifth straight win and seventh overall in 9 games.a All told, the Responders tallied 30 points in the fourth, while holding the Kamao to just 13 points to put themselves in a position of clinching one of two outright semis berths. The Kamao slipped to 6-2, their own bid for an automatic semis
berth now depends in their game against league-leading Armed Forces of the Philippines next year. The Cavaliers, backstopped by former Letran star Boyet Bautista and ABL veteran Harold Sta. Cruz, are sporting a 7-1 card in the event offering P4 million to the chosen charity of the champion team. Malacañang must beat AFP by 11 points or more to advance outright to the semis of the event organized by UNTV president and CEO Daniel Razon for public servants. Meanwhile, defending champion Senate outlasted Judiciary, 64-63, thanks to the efforts of Harly Ng and Reynaldo Malaga Jr. Ng and Malaga scored 13 and 11 points, respectively, to help the Defenders finish the second round with a 6-3 mark. Garri Sevilla and former PBA player Jeff Sanders combined for 21 points for the Defenders of coach Mike Fermin. The league takes a break starting this week and resumes on Jan. 6.
Chiang Kai Shek, San Beda, NU defeat rivals CHIANG Kai Shek College, San Beda University and National University beat their rivals in contrasting fashions and topped their respective group elims in the Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship ‘Rain or Shine Cup’ on Monday at the SGS gym in Quezon City. The Chiang Kai Shek Blue Dragons were merciless as they overpowered longtime rivals Xavier School Golden Stallions, 84-49, to top Group D elims, while the San Beda Red Cubs outlasted the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws, 74-66, in their encounter for Group B top seed. Not to be outdone, the NU Bullpups, playing minus the 6’7” Carl Tamayo for the second straight day, outsteadied
WGM Janelle Mae Frayna, the country’s highest ranked woman chesser, in that 10-player pack with 4.5 points at No. 11 and could land a place inside the top 10 with a triumph in the last round. Fronda was clashing with China’s IM Guo Qi while Frayna, who was forced to a standoff by WFM Dita Karenza of Indonesia, was playing WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An of Vietnam. India’s IM Ruot Padmini drew with Vietnam’s IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen to cling to the lead with 6.5 points, or half a point atop closest pursuer WGM Gong Qianyun of Singapore, who defeated China’s WGM Wang Jue.
Jose Rizal University Light Bombers, 73-63, to emerge Group A topnotcher. Completing the quarterfinal cast in the event presented by Rain or Shine and backed by Poly Gloss, Freego, Dickies Underwear, Hapee Toothepaste, IronCon Builders, MEC Networks, Blackwater Sports, and Che’Lu Bar and Grill was University of Santo Tomas. Drawing 30 points from point-guard Mark Nonoy, the Tiger Cubs demolished the Hope Christian HS dribblers, 77-63, in the event also backed Molten, by Masumax Food Supplement, Cherrylume, SUMO GI Sheets, Molten and Choi Garden . Playing for the first time since their storied rivalry in the Tiong Lian league,
the Blue Dragons used their height and heft advantage to outplay the Golden Stallions, 24-6, in the second quarter to pull away for good. John Michael Urmeneta and Jan Carl Luciano starred for the Blue Dragons as they finished with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Miguel Tan, who finished with 23 points and 20 boards in the team’s82-49 win over Mapua University, was held to one free throw—no thanks to CKSC’s pressure defense. Batang Gilas veteran Gerry Abadiano played for a little over 13 minutes only but finished with a team-high 15 points while six other teammates added five points or more in another show of balanced attack.
Gerry Abadiano scored 15 points in just a little over 13 of action as National University beat Jose Rizal University,73-63, in the PSSBC ROS Cup on Monday at the SGS gym in Quezon City. (Courtesy of Hazel Siy)
Super Sonic, Lady Mischief score big wins THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE IT was an action-packed weekend of racing last Dec. 15 at 16 at the Philippine Racing Club, Inc.’s Santa Ana Park with the staging there of the 19th Philtobo Grand Championships. The event, put on annually by the Philippine Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Organization, provides participants with opportunities to run elite runners in bigmoney races. All 10 races on Saturday were ratingsbased handicapping system races and had added prizes with additional prize money
for winning Philtobo members. The 12 races on Sunday were a mix of trophy races with added prizes and stakes races with guaranteed prizes. Sunday kicked off with the 3rd leg of the Philracom 3YO Open Challenge as the first race. Five runners competed over 2,000 meters, with the favorite Pride of Laguna bagging first place and a purse of P900,000. The bay filly won by two lengths with a time of 2:04.8 Pride of Laguna is owned by Manny Santos, trained by RC Hipolito, and was ridden by jockey JD Juco. 2nd Viva Morena, 3rd ILove Jane, 4th Born in April. In Race 4, the SC Stockfarm, Inc. 2YO Stakes Race, the John Alvin Guce-guided Royal Bell prevailed by half-a-length and clocked 1:19 over 1,300 meters. The bay colt earned P300,000 for owner Bell Racing Stable. Trainer is Donny Sordan. 2nd Toy for the Bigboy, 3rd Serafina, 4th Back to Original.
Race 6 was the Philracom Chairman’s Cup, with this year’s edition in honor of past chairman Benedicto K. Katigbak. Jesse Guce steered the favorite, Mayor Sandy Javier’s Supersonic, to a two-length win over Box Office in the 2,000 meter race. The 3YO bay colt stopped the clock at 2:04.8 and earned P1.2 million. Trainer is Ruben S. Tupas. 3rd Critical Moments, 4th Sheer. Race 9 was the Philtobo-Philracom Juvenile Championships, won by the favorite Lady Mischief by a length over Full of Grace. The time for the mile race was 1:41. 3rd Mood Swing (coupled entry of Lady Mischief), 4th Cinderella. Lady Mischief, owned by SC Stockfarm, trained by CM Vicente, and ridden by Kelvin Abobo, earned P1.8 million for its effort. Philtobo’s major sponsors were Philippine Racing Commission and PRCI. Other sponsors were PAGCOR, Bingson Tecson, SC
Stockfarm, lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II’s Dos Ranchos Jofero, racing goods supplier ACGS, JS Rabano Construction and Supply, and lawyer Narcisco Morales. Congratulations to Philtobo’s officers and members for another successful championships event! *** The remaining big races for the year are the Philracom 5th leg 4YO and Older Stakes at Metro Turf on Dec. 23, and the Philracom Juvenile Championship on Dec. 31. To all the readers of THW, racing fans, and sports enthusiasts, have yourself a happy Christmas, and may your holidays be merry and bright! *** Dr. Ortuoste has been a member of the racing community for over 20 years. FB: Gogirl Racing, Twitter: @drhoarsewhsprr, @DrJennyO
overwhelm Bacoor Strikers DAVAO Cocolife Tigers’ slotman Mark Yee stayed consistent from start to finish to help his team to another sterling victory against home team Bacoor Strikers, 6950, in the elimination round of Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Datu Cup recently at Strike Gym in Bacoor City. The former PBA veteran led all scorers with 17 points, while hauling 11 rebounds for another impressive double-double performance. Journeyman Bonbon Custodio, returning from a back injury, Cebuano star Billy Robles, who has recovered from tendinitis and ex-pro Leo Najorda joined hands to carry the Tigers, owned by Claudine Bautista of Davao Occidental LGU and backed by Cocolife president Elmo Nobleza, FVP Joseph Ronquillo and AVP Rowena Asnan, to their 14th win in 17 outings. The Strikers tried to narrow the gap in the second half, inspired by the presence of Sen. Bong Revilla as Randy Acidre, Chad Alonzo and Gab Banal had their moments, but their efforts were not enough to stop the Tigers’ fury in offense and defense that put the Mindanao team on top of south division in the league organized by Sen. Manny Pacquiao. “Our defense won the game for us. Our bench players also made their presence felt, this is a team effort,” said Davao Cocolife team manager Ray Alao.
PFL to add new squads THE Philippine Football League is getting ready to accept new teams. PFL commissioner Bernie Sumayao said this following the withdrawal of the Davao FC Aguilas last week. “I have been informed about the withdrawal of the Davao Aguilas, and have received it with a heavy heart. When an important team departs the league, it is always a cause of concern. However, we have also been approached by a number of teams that have expressed strong interest in joining the PPL,” said Sumayao. He said they are currently evaluating the merits of each applicant, and the Aguilas’ pullout has left them with five teams. The league will also be rebranded into the Philippine Premier League during the 2019 season. The league needs to take very good care and listen intently to the concerns of its stakeholders – the Federation, the owners of the teams, the players, and most importantly, the fans,” said Sumayao. He said he believes that the fans are the fuel that drives the engine. “Without the fans, even the most organized league will never survive,” Sumayao went on. Peter Atencio