Hasta la vista Arturo

While I was in Manila, I was informed by former Runner of the Year Awardee in 1986 Minda Berro that my ward Arturo Angel succumbed to complications from diabetes. Angel was the third member of our team, the Nike Running Club (which won 12 consecutive team championships of the PAL Manila Marathon), to cross over to the Great Beyond. The other members were Milo Marathon three-time and Alay Ng Pangulo Marathon champion, Jimmy Dela Torre and Marcos Pelare.  Angel was the 1987 Pilipinas International Marathon first Filipino finisher and was instrumental in our first victory in 1988. The Nike Team dominated long distance running for over 10 years.  The team was also composed of 1992 Barcelona Olympians Herman Suizo, six-time Milo Marathon champion and 1996 Atlanta Olympian Roy Vence, PAL Manila Marathon back-to-back champion Rey Antoque, 1988 Seoul Olympian Hector Begeo, SEA Games champion Allan Ballester, Magnolia Half-Marathon champion Alvin Miraflores and Toto Canete.  Before he was stricken with diabetes, Angel, an Army man, was assigned in a Military Camp Indingle, Iloilo. Hasta la vista Arturo, run with the angels.

Lightning bolt strikes twice

World sprint record holder Usian Bolt will soon be going to Europe after being offered a two-year professional football contract in Malta.  Bolt is currently on trial with A –League Club, the Central Coast Mariners since arriving in Australia.  Bolt scored his first two goals in professional football when he started a pro-season game. After retiring from athletics last year, Bolt went to Australia in August to pursue his boyhood dream of becoming a footballer. Another challenge for Bolt is poker.  He competed in the Poker Stars Championship Bahamas last January against comedian and soon-to-be marathoner Kevin Hart.

Elvisaya Jams with Iloilo mayor

It’s a crime not to visit Iloilo City’s oldest coffee shop when you’re in the vicinity.  Madge Cafe dubbed as Iloilo City’s poor man’s Starbucks, is located in the heart of the Lapaz public market.  Lapaz district is home to the famous Lapaz batchoy. Former first lady Ming Ramos and Asia’s first chess grandmaster Eugene Torre hail from this place. The pre-war Madge Café is the favorite hangout of politicians and businessmen where they serve one of the best brewed coffees.  After a walk at the Esplanade along the Iloilo river, I found myself at Madge where an acoustic band plays on weekends. Mayor Joe Espinosa III, who replaced Jed Mabilog who left the city after being included in the drug list of president Digong, requested Elvisaya to perform a few rock and roll hits.  The mayor joined Elvisaya as he played the drums.  The band called Muskeros is composed of my tokayo Raffy Buenavidez, who composed the Digong jingle during his campaign in 2016.  The other members are Maeng Alba and Jeff Jereza.  The band invited Elvisaya to a Boracay opening gig but I have to go back to Cebu.

Did you know?

Wilt Chamberlain scored 43 points in his first game while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors at the Madison Square Garden on Oct 24, 1959.  New Laker LeBron James aged 19 scored 25 points on his first game in 2003. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Dennis Rodman and Tracy Mc Grady were scoreless in their first games.  Michael Jordan accounted for five points while Kevin Durant tallied 7 on their first outing as NBA players. Deandre Ayton, this year’s number one pick, fired 18 points and hauled 10 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns eclipsed the Dallas Mavericks in their NBA opener. Orlando’s Mo Bamba, the league’s number 6 pick, scored 13 points in his debut.