SPORTS: PSC bankrolls RRD-Araw ng Dabaw sportsfest

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/17 March) -- The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has bankrolled five sport disciplines in the 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Sports Festival calendar of sport events.

The PSC, chaired by Dabawenyo William "Butch" Ramirez, is sponsoring dancesport, chess, arnis, taekwondo and swimming competitions."We will be sponsoring events that are focus sports in Davao City," said Ramirez, a former sports consultant of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, in an earlier interview.

The City Government of Davao through the Sports Development Division-City Mayor's Office has supported 17 events in line with the city's charter day celebration.Football for the young and veteran players opened the festival on March 8 to 9 at the Tionko field.

Bodybuilding started on March 9 at the Victoria Plaza.The other events include commercial basketball, boxing, table tennis, sepak takraw, billiards, lawn tennis, volleyball, cycling, among others.

Four teams are vying for the title in the ongoing commercial basketball league which offers cash prizes and trophies.

They are M. Lhuiller Kwarta Padala of Cebu City, Zamboanga City Latinos, Montana Pawnshop and Duterte Agilas Goldstar Hardware.In table tennis, Some 140 paddlers across Mindanao are vying for top honors in the tournament which opened on March 16 at the SIR Elementary School.

"There will be players from Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Panabo, Cotabato, Davao Oriental and Iligan, " said Frendee Nunez of Metro Davao Table Tennis Association (MEDATTA). (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

Commercial Basketball:

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/11 March) - Zamboanga City has confirmed its participation in the 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament on March 12 to 17 at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Zamboanga City, bannered by local talents, is the fourth squad to confirm its entry. A team from the Visayas is also set to join the competition.M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala of Cebu City, Montaña Pawnshop Davao and Philippine Air Force have been invited to join the six-day event which is one of the sporting highlights of the 71st celebration of the Araw ng Dabaw.

Entrance is free.Another Davao squad, possibly a combination of players from the Duterte Agilas and Goldstar Hardware, will join the tournament presented by Mayor Duterte.

The Zamboanga squad which is expected to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday morning will parade Cris Concepcion, Darwin Cordero, Emrey Ramirez, Jomie Alvarez, Junie Navarro, David Sebastian, Tantan Parreño, Eter Chua, Jeffrey France and Ronald Saracho.

Two other big men will be named soon by team manager Jun Navarro.Meanwhile, the organizers have advised would-be spectators to follow the security measures to be implemented by local authorities.

Montaña Pawnshop is eager to do battle in the tournament organized by the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas XI and supported by the Sports Development Division-City Mayor's Office.Nick Serafica will do the coaching chores for the Pawnbrokers.

He will be assisted by former head coach Dodong Cagampang and Peter Epe.Serafica will put his hands full on veteran erstwhile PBA standout Henry Fernandez, Mike Manigo, Harold Sta.Cruz and Marvin Poloyapoy, former Adamson falcon in the UAAP.

Biboy Clavel, Charlie Braga, Ryan Abanes, Dado Ayson, Ronald Lamocha, Junel Jawod, Lendi Dawal, Jojo Endrinal and Arden Guiyab are expected to provide support. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

SPORTS: PSC chief calls for unity in Davao sports

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez has called on sports stakeholders inthis city to "unite and work with unity" in order to attain sustainable sports development program.

"This is for the better of sports in Davao City. We need to move andlook forward," Ramirez told sports journalists here following theawarding rites of the Edsa Unity Basketball Tournament Saturday night.

Ramirez, a former city sports coordinator, said he personally wants tohave a sustainable sports development program in Davao City that wouldplan and implement an integrated program of physical fitness andsports development for the city as well as sustain sports trainingactivities.

Davao City Sports Council, Inc. (DCSCI), which is composed of regionalchapters of the National Sports Association (NSA), the citygovernment, the private sector and other sports stakeholders, shouldwork hand in hand for Davao City's sports development program, hesaid.

"It's much better for us to work together to achieve our goal ofbetter sports program," said the former Ateneo de Davao Universityprofessor and chief mentor of the Blue Knights.

The national sports agency chief pointed out that the city governmentshould be the "hub of the wheel" of all the sports activities in thecity.

"By simply staging tournaments here and there is not a program. Weneed programs here, a sports development program, " he lamented.

Ramirez, the first Dabawenyo chief of the PSC, also reiterated theimportance of the creation of a sports commission that, according tohim, would give direction to the sports program of Davao City.

The formal creation of the Davao City Sports Commission (DCSC) throughan ordinance, however, had endured setback.

The envisioned DCSC, according to the proposed ordinance, will beacting as an umbrella body for all sports associations, organizationsand groups in the city, both from the public and private sectors.

The powers of the commission include to plan and implement anintegrated program of physical fitness and sports development for thecity as well as sustain sports training activities, particularly foroutstanding athletes and help the city government to identify, planand manage sports facilities required for the training of athletes andconduct of sports tournaments.

"It is the mandate of our office to help draft sports developmentprograms for the local government units and to have grassroots sportsprogram nationwide," said Ramirez.

He also said the opening of the PSC Mindanao satellite office herecould help achieve the common goal for Davao sports.

The PSC board has decided with board resolution to put up a Mindanaosatellite office to help augment the talent identification andgrassroots development program of the national sports agency.

It will also coordinate with various local government units theprograms of the PSC in Mindanao, which has 27 provinces and 33 citiesas well as the promotion of Philippine Sports Institute. (Rico Biliran/ MindaNews)

RMC wins EDSA cagefest title

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/25 Feb) -- The Rizal Memorial College Bulldogs defeated Ateneo de Davao University Blue Knights, 102-96, to win the EDSA Basketball Tournament title Saturday night at the Davao City Recreation Center.

The Bulldogs leaned on their run-and-gun type of play to pull off the improbable title-clinching victory over the Blue Knights.

Hermann Dejito came out unstoppable, canning 32 big points for the Bulldogs who took a 73-68 lead going to the final period.

But it was Mohaledin Distancia who provided RMC's much needed lift, converting four straight points down the stretch to take a 92-84 advantage.

The high-flying Distancia split his free throw but superbly hauled the rebound for a put back plus a foul. He sank the bonus throw.

Kinny Rosil Isik and Ramfe Rodriguez added 18 and 11 points for RMC which took home the P10,000 cash prize personally awarded by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez.

The Blue Knights threatened to take the lead as Richard Madelo, Jarius Guingguing and Paulo Sta. Ana conspired for a 6-0 run that cut the deficit to 4, 94-90.

But Dejito was quick to answer with a short jumper to give RMC some breathing room, 96-90, with less than a minute remaining.

The next play saw Madelo who topscored for Ateneo with 32 points missing on his three-point attempt. With the time not on their side, the Blue Knights were forced to foul to stop the time but the Bulldogs showed nerves of steel as they calmly sank their free throws that eventually sealed the victory.

RMC took a 25-23 lead after 10 minutes of play and both teams managed to trade baskets in the second period to tie the count at 43 at the half.

Agro Industrial Foundation Sailors clinched the third place honor in the two-day tournament sponsored by PSC and backed by City Mayor's Office-Sports Development Division and sanctioned by Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) regional director Regino " Boy" Cua. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)