In sports there are winners and losers. If you win, it’s ecstasy and if you lose, it’s agony. Here are some of heartbreaks and celebrations last year. Olympian Cebuano marathoner Mary Joy Tabal won her fifth consecutive Milo Marathon National crown last December but lost her father due to heart attact the day before the race. De La Salle Archers seeded to win its seconds UAAP title in a row because of two-time MVP Ben Mbala, lost to the Ateneo Blue Eagles. La Salle lost Mbala for good after Ben opted to play in the Mexican pro league.
Cebu based Milan Melindo had a bleak new year when he lost his International Boxing Federation (IBF) crown to Ryoichi Taguchi in their light-flyweight fight in Tokyo, Japan.
Manny Pacquiao was gored by Australian Jeff Horn in their Brisbane brawl, losing via a decision in a fight watched by over 51,000 fans.
Jerwin Ancajas showed the boxing community that he is the next boxing star when he defeated Irish Jomic Conlan right in his own hometown in Northern Ireland.
Carlo Biado continued the domination of Filipinos in billiards when he won World 9 Ball Championship in Doha,Qatar. Other former world champions are Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francis “Django” Bustamante.
Krizziah Tabora ruled the 53rd Qubica AMF Bowling World Cup Champions held in Hermosillo, Mexico. Other Pinoy world champions include Paeng Nepomoceno, Bong Coo and Lita De La Rosa.
KL Sea Games
The Philippines plunged to its worst finish in the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games in Malaysia. The country wound up sixth place, winning only 24 gold medals.
Ultramarathoner Rhoda Oporto
Winning a grandslam in the Philippine Association of Ultra Runners (PAU) series Rhoda completes the 2017 East Coast 145 Mile Ultra in Baler, Aurora in 38 hours, 23 minutes and 42 seconds. Oporto also finished the 250km Manila Baguio race in 46:44:24 and the West to East 280 km run from Bolinao ,Pangasinan to Aurora,Quezon in 53:53:20
Ayo ayo
A lot of people criticized coach Aldin Ayo when he left De La Salle to join the UST Tigers. They called Ayo a mercenary who jumps from one team to another. Of course, Ayo is a champion coach after leading the Letran Knights to the NCAA Championship and the De La Salle Archers to the UAAP crown in 2016. Well, we cannot blame Ayo if he wants to go to greener pastures. “Di ba green na ang La Salle?”Anyway, ayoayo Aldin, although some La Sallites say “walay ayo”
Did you know? Triplets Leila, Lina and Lily Luik of Estonia are believed to be the first identical triplets in history to compete in the Olympics. The three sisters ran in the 2016 Rio Olympics Marathon and adopted the slogan “Trio to Rio”.