UAAP final four surprises

The La Salle- Ateneo rivalry has dated since time immemorial. It was always special to beat the other school. But in this year’s UAAP tournament, La Salle failed to barge in the Final Four after being disposed by UP, forcing the Archers to meet FEU in a knockout match. But wait, La Salle could have entered the Final Four outright had Adamson won in a game against FEU.

The Falcons deliberately lose the game so they could face UP instead of the more dangerous La Salle, thinking the Maroons are easy opponents than the Archers. So the stage was set. Adamson versus UP with the Falcons enjoying a twice-to-beat  advantage. 

Well, UP spoiled the Falcons outright march to the Finals after beating FEU through the heroics of Cebuano Paul Desiderio. In the winner-take-all game, Desiderio again played hero to stun the Falcons. So after 32 years, UP was back in the Finals but as I’ve been saying Ateneo will be a tough nut to crack this year. 

In Game 1 of the best-of-three affair, Ateneo shook off a stubborn UP squad to lead the series. One La Sallite said “Mirisi ang Adamson ug FEU”.  But who knows miracles do happen.

Winners

It seemed Pinoy athletes are on a winning streak in international competitions.  Meggie Ochoa made history in Sweden after becoming the first Filipino World champion in the 2018 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. Ochoa defeated Canadian NiNi Vicky Huang 2-0 to annex the gold. 

In Thailand, Filipno Jerald Zabala topped the 10K distance of the Allianz Ayudha world run Thailand Series held last Sunday. In the One Conquest of Champions at the MOA Arena, Brandon Vera knocked out Italian challenger Mauro Cerilli in the first round while Eduard Folayang defeated Singapore’s Amir Khan. Over in Argentina, Christian Tio, 17, won a silver medal in kite boarding at the Young Olympic Games.

Meanwhile,Carlos Yulo won the first-ever bronze medal in the World Artistic Gymnastic Championship in Doha , Qatar.  Congratulations guys “Aton gid ini”.

Did you know? Pam Shriver

Womens Tennis Association “Comeback Player of the Year”  at age 18, was  married to George Lazenby, who played James Bond in “Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. Lazenby, who hails from Australia, is now 78 and has lost his dashing looks. He was a reformed  alcoholic who refused to do a second 007 movie.

Shriver and Martina Navaratilova won 109 consecutive double matches. Shriver once quipped at Wimbeldon that Anna Kournikova “Wears out  the mirror in the women’s locker room”.  She calls Kournikova as narcissitic”

Anna Kournikova

Ranked number one among the most-searched for athlete in the world, according to the internet. In 2001, Kournikova trying to contrast herself with the William sisters,remarked “ I’m not Venus Williams, I’m not Serena Williams. I’m feminine, I don’t want to look like they do, I’m not masculine like they are.” Martina Hingis embarrassed Kournikova 6-0,6-0 at the 1994 Junior US Open. And you know what Anna told Hingis?“ You won but I’m prettier and more marketable than you”.