UP AND DOWN BAGUIO

From my Manila Standard Column 04/30/10

Last Wednesday Cyrus baguio traded places with Willie miller. The former bgy. Ginebra gin king will suit up for the Alaska aces as the thriller will share the limelight and playing minutes with other stars like jayjay helterbrand and mark Caguioa from here on now.

The trade has been in the oven for quite some time now. There were rumors that it was baguio who asked to be traded as he wasn't getting as much playing time. With a loaded team like ginebra it's understandable why such a talent is sometimes put in the back burner. Sources say the team was Looking for an alternative for him since last conference but talks with another team did not push through.

According to sources,Cyrus Baguio walked into practice last Wednesday morning only to be told that he was gonna be traded. He walked right back out a few minutes later.

What's interesting to note is that Cyrus and Willie were team mates in redbull and used to guard each other in practice. Former thunder Vince Hizon said that he's sure Cyrus learned a lot of his effective moves today being mentored by Willie who was the team leader. "I think it's a good trade all around". Ginebra gets a bonafide MVP and Alaska gets an underutilized star whose future is brighter than ever.

Im just concerned about ginebra getting another player whose not exactly young. He's obviously still a lethal weapon but coach jong expressed his concerns about the team getting old and wanting to prepare for the future. Willie is a great addition but they'll still need to acquire younger talents.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to immediate results. Both teams are pressured to come up with a title.

This movement comes just a couple of weeks after cyrus' maternal uncle and mentor ric ric marata passed away from an auto immune disease. Baguio shared that his uncle fell into a coma after fainting late last year though was on his way to recovery, or so they thought. Marata had complications from an operation. A day after he passed away in new York, baguio played one of his best games In a ginebra jersey. It was his last best game in a ginebra jersey. He was clearly offering the game to the man who taught him, encouraged him and fueled his passion to play basketball.

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In other news, pure play sports organized a golf tournament in fairways and blue water in the beautiful island of boracay. Despite the fairways being dried up because of the unforgiving weather and lack of rain and having to play under "winter" rules, it was a memorable golf experience.

What made it even more special was that I won the Ladies'division championship while Vince wAs overall champion. Thanks pureplay!

For reactions or congratulatory messages, tweet @patriciahizon. Signing off now from the beatiful boracay beach resort in station 1 where they have amazing rooms, great food, a line up of adventure sports, and a wonderful staff.

PBA IMPORT REPLACEMENTS: AMBRES COULD CHANGE STOREY; BROWN NOW IN TOWN; LARRY’S IN

From my manila standard article 04/26/10

The Baranggay Ginebra Gin Kings have decided to tap the services of Mildon Ambres, a 26 year old Guard who went to Southern Nazarene University and recently got the first ever Most Improved Player award of the NBDL playing for the Idaho Stampede. Whether he’ll replace NBA veteran Awvee Storey for good or for just 2 weeks while he is reportedly nursing a dislocated finger is still up in the air.

According to the NBDL official website, Ambres, who’s 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, played in all 50 games of the Stampede and started in 30, averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds. Scouts say he’s worked harder than most in perfecting his skills, putting in a lot of extra work which got him the coaches’ nod as the most improved.

With Storey, Ginebra shares the 4th spot with Rain or Shine and Derby Ace with a 3-2 win loss record. He norms 24 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 assists per outing. His best performance was against the Elastopainters in an out of town game where he exploded for 40 points and 25 rebounds.

The next game for the Gin Kings will be on Friday, April 30, at the Araneta Coliseum against the Alaska Aces.

Meantime, the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados flew in Clif Brown yesterday and put Lorenzo Wade on the injured list. “We want to make sure that the new guy is in shape and ready to play before we finalize”, said Ryan Gregorio in a text message. The 26 year old Michigan native recently played in the Toyota Ardvark team in Japan where he normed 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 18 minutes of play. He was a Niagara University Purple Eagle and has had experience playing in Germany and Israel. The team is planning to field Brown in their next assignment which is against the San Miguel Beermen on May 2.

There were talks before of the Llamados bringing in Reggie Larry but it did not pan out. Larry arrived last Friday evening to replace Jason Forte of the Air21 Express who played 2 games after Keana Young didn’t make the grade. In Forte’s 2 stints, he averaged 23 points and 16.5 rebounds in a losing effort. Larry recently played for the Brunei Baraccudas in the Asian Basketball League and hopes to help improve the team’s 1-5 win-loss record. Last year, he was supposed to be Purefoods’ import but broke his finger 3 days before his debut game during a scrimmage against San Miguel. The 23 year old Boise State graduate also played in France, and the Idaho Stampede in the NBDL where he was teammates with Ambres. In MST’s exclusive interview, he says he’s been watching past games, keeps himself in step with the league, and will be practicing with the team for the first time today.

ARMY DOMINATE THE MEN’S 300M DRAGON BOAT RACE

From Manila Standard 04/26/10

Boracay – On the final day of hostilities for the 4th Boracay International Dragon Boat race last Saturday, the Philippine Army team repeated their brilliant performance in the 500m and again emerged victorious in the men’s 300m race.

In the heats, the Philippine Army, clocked a time of 1:17.05 which garnered them an automatic semi-finals slot. The Fleet Marine team though logged in the best time of the first round with a 1:14.81 finish. Boracay based teams Bugsay and Guardians also conquered the lanes with their 1:19.96, and 1:18.30 finishes respectively. But teams like Gaud Bolabog, One Piece Dragon Sangres and the All Star Boracay earned their slots in the semi-finals via the repechage. The 2 semis races were exciting as the Philippine Army overtook the Fleet Marine squad in the final 25 meters and edged them by 0.18 seconds. Then the Guardians and the Bugsay squad also had quite a battle with both finishing in the top 2 spots in their race. But in the end, the Philippine Army was just too tough to beat in the finals with a 1:12.34.

For the women’s race, the 500m champions Stormy Dragons from Hong Kong had a 1:26.85 finish, the fastest in the preliminary round for the ladies. Also earning a semis spot were their tormentors in the 500m finals, Bugsay and Fleet Marine. Repechage survivor Triblades maximized their chance as they finished in the top 2 of the semis heat behind Bugsay who finished just 0.2 seconds ahead. The Fleet Marine and Stormy Dragons also earned finals seats easily. But it again went down the wire as the foreign team managed to keep Bugsay at bay in the final push to the finish and bagged the crown.

There were 4 heats for the Mixed competitions with the 500m title holders Fleet Marine finishing with the fastest time of 1:21.20. The outright semi-finalists are the Manila based, UP Dragon Boat Team, local club All-Star Boracay, and the visiting Stormy Dragons. But at the end of it all, the Fleet marine crossed the finish line ahead and repeated their dominance on the first day of competitions.

Philippine Tourism and Promotion Board COO and President and Tourism Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion is very pleased with the outcome of the race as they have been since its inception. “Sports tourism is getting a big boost from this and it’s a great way to promote Boracay and the country”.

The event is organized by the Boracay Island Paddlers’ Association presented by the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the Municipality of Malay, the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation and the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center. Also supported by Smart, Manny O. Wines, Sea Air, Zest Air, and Fairways and Bluewater Golf and Country Club with Manila Standard as one of the media partners.

4th Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival:

Posted on manila standard 04/24/10

The biggest annual international dragon boat race in the country started its 2 day festivities yesterday along the inviting blue waters of Boracay island. 20 local and visiting teams competed in the 500 meter races with the Philippine Army winning the men’s, Hong Kong based Stormy Dragon topping the women’s, and the Fleet Marine ending up on top of the mixed class.

Fourteen men’s teams composed of a maximum of 18 rowers each started off the day’s elimination rounds. In the first race, The Philippine Army team clocked the best time not just of their heat but of the entire first round with their 1 minute, 58.11 seconds sprint. Boracay based Guardians finished at 2:02.75 beating out 2 Singaporean teams and a Manila-based competitor. Manila Wave bested 2 others in the 3rd heat with 2:08.81, and finally, also earning an automatic slot in the semi-finals were the Fleet Marine with a 2 minute clocking. Via the repechage, Gaud Bolabog, Bugsay Boracay and Filipino Dragons A also earned semis tickets.

The top two teams in the 2 semi-finals heats advanced to the championship race; the Fleet Marine at 1:55 and Guardians finishing one second later in the first heat. The indefatigable Philippine Army team finished a length and a half ahead of the opposition at 1:45.11 as Boracay All-Stars paced at 2:01.59. The finals was a close contest between the inner lanes but in the end, the Philippine Army squad finished ahead of Fleet Marine with their 1:51.68 record.

For the women’s 500m races, 9 teams were divided into 3 heats. Local team Bugsay Boracay clocked at 2:22.36 in the initial heat while the girl-powered Fleet Marine squad finished with a clocking of 2:33 in heat 2. The Stormy Dragons made their trip from Hong Kong worth their while as they earned an automatic semis slot with a 2:29.24 finish then they went on and improved their time by 14.2 seconds in the semis, finishing second to Bugsay Boracay to get their finals slots. The Fleet Marine again won its semis battle with the UP Dragon boat team tailing about 9 seconds behind. The finals saw an exciting water war between the Stormy Dragons and Bugsay, but the visiting team finished less than 2 seconds ahead.

The 2:08.5 clocking of the HK Stormy Dragons in the Mixed 500m category was enough to also earn them a semis slot. The other 2 preliminary heats saw the Tri-Blade Pilipinas finishing at 2:08.33 and Fleet Marine advancing with a 2:01.84 time. The Bugsay mixed team had to get to the finals by way of repechage but was a strong contender in the finals phase with all the automatic semi-finalists making it through. The Fleet Marine though emerged as champions with a time of 2:02.56.

Today’s 300m races promises to be as exciting and action packed. The event is organized by the Boracay Island Paddlers’ Association presented by the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the Municipality of Malay, the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation and the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center. Also supported by Smart, Manny O. Wines, Sea Air, Zest Air, and Fairways and Bluewater Golf and Country Club with Manila Standard as one of the media partners.

BORACAY INTERNATIONAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

From my Manila Standard Column 4/23/10

630 participants from 20 teams, 5 of which came from Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, are competing for pride and glory in the 4th edition of the Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival, the biggest annual international sporting event in the country for this discipline. Some of the most feared teams are back to stamp their dominance anew, while local clubs are showing more promise and tenacity to land on top of the winners’ podium.
There are 2 races, the 300 meter and the 500 meter, for the men, women and the mixed divisions. There are a total of 18 paddlers in a team allowed, with a maximum of 5 male pairs and 4 female pairs in the mixed category. The Philippine Men’s Dragon Boat team, composed of gallant individuals from the armed forces, and who have shattered numerous international records, are on hand to officiate the tournament. They are the reason why the Philippines is one of the most respected in the Asian and world stage.
Team CamSur, who emerged as the big winner in the last edition of this race, is not participating this year making it a great opportunity for other teams to emerge. “We consider CamSur as a machine” shared Nenette Aguirra-Graf, President of the Boracay Island Paddlers’ Association (BIPA). “If you see them race, from beginning to end, they dominate. If you see their pacing, it’s mechanic, like a machine. It’s non-stop, sprinting from beginning to end”. A paddler herself, Nenette shares that the level of competition this year is even, making it more exciting to follow.
The locals are represented by the Bumshells, D’Island Enforcers, Guardians/Haring Tubig Non, Gaud Bolabog, All-Stars Boracay, Bugsay, and the Guardians. Though the teams to watch out for are the Fleet Marine and Philippine Army squads.
The dragon boat races started in Boracay nearly a decade ago, it was just 4 years ago that BIPA took over. They pride themselves of their home turf, listing why Boracay is the perfect venue for events such as this. “It is the only place in the world where the spectators can be chest deep in water just a few meters away from the race course. The water is clean, it’s flat, and the weather is perfect, despite the blazing temperatures”, shared Nenette. Of course it’s a bonus that Boracay has been voted as the best beach in the world 3 times over and draws millions from all over the globe.
The event is presented by the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the Municipality of Malay and the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation and will be held at the beachfront of the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center today and Saturday. It’s also supported by Smart, Manny O. Wines, Sea Air, Zest Air, and Fairways and Bluewater Golf and Country Club (where I am staying at and the it’s exceptional).
I shall be toiling under the hot sun, on white sand, in clear crystal-blue water to document the action and bring you the excitement. Catch updates about the race on www.twitter.com/patriciahizon

SMART GILAS: POST SERBIA ASSESSMENT

From my MANILA STANDARD TODAY column, Game Winners 04/16/10

Our country’s pride, the Smart Gilas National team, composed of the brightest basketball talents coming out of the collegiate ranks, have been honing their skills under the mentorship of Rajko Toroman. As part of their preparation, they recently went to Serbia for a boot camp and a series of tune up games with some of the most feared squads in the region. Though they only won one game and dropped five, Coach Rajko is absolutely pleased with how Gilas stood tall amongst the giants.

“They were difficult games but we were competitive. Except for one game where we suffered a 30point blowout against a team with a national player, an American, a point guard who’s 6’6” and an agile 7’5” player from Europe”. Coach Rajko also shared that despite that, the results were good. Even his friends who saw them last year noted the vast improvement in the team’s development.

Another positive aspect is that he saw a different dimension in his roster. Fil-am Marcio Lassitier who scored 21 points and grabbed 6 rebounds against their toughest opponent was a revelation, as well as Greg Slaughter who have broken out of his shell and had a noteworthy 10 point and 11 boards production in one of the games.

Coach Rajko though knows that they’re still in dire need of a big guy, as they found themselves down by 24 rebounds in one game and their quick players didn’t have an anchor. “We were so small in Serbia”, he added. The naturalization process for a big guy has been a long and onerous process; they take a step forward, and sometimes get jolted back to square one. Right now, they’re banking on 6’10” American Jared Homan who is playing in Greece. They did eye Greg Stiemsma who, at 6’11” is the D-League’s best shot blocker, according to Toroman, but was called up by the Timberwolves.

Another reinforcement they’re looking at is Fil-Am Chris Lutz, who will be joining them in their in the US and Canada tour. They leave on April 23 for their 15 day trip. “We’re close to completing the team”, beamed Toroman.

The first test for a complete Gilas aquad will be in May’s Champion’s Cup in Doha. In June, they’re planning a big tournament here in Manila against teams from Jordan, Korea, China, etc. The Jones’ Cup in July is also part of the plan. The major goal this year though is to fare well in the Asian Games this November in Guangzhou, China.

With the kind of schedule they have, the players are still upbeat and are showing no signs burn out. “This is the only way we can improve. When I was in Iran, in a span of 4 months, we played 30 official games on the road. That’s how we won the Fiba-Asia championships”. Apart from that, with all the sacrifices and the demands, the players seem to be enjoying the all the travelling anyway.

During their trip to Toroman’s mother land, the players were given “good provisions”, from their hotel, to the food, down to the gym. It speaks volumes on the kind of backing they get from Manny Pangilinan. “I was talking to all my friends and they were surprised at the kind of support we are getting”, shared Coach Rajko. “Nobody in the world supports a national team like MVP”.

As for possibly tapping talents from the pro-ranks, Gilas is still open to tapping PBA players to help but will not engage in any such agreements while the season is still ongoing. “The door is wide open”.

JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME

Item 1: Chatting with an import yesterday and he said he hates how this team mate of his is getting special treatment. He doesn't work hard in practice, and yet he gets all the credit. He's getting the super star treatment and it seems that he expects it. He obviously has his coach wrapped around his fingers, coz' Coach allows him to act like royalty. The import said, his team mate may be good, but he misses out on a lot of plays and his talent bails him out. But it ruins everyone else's flow and they all need to compensate coz' he's not practicing as much with them.

Item 2: A coach just needed a band aid solution which is why this player is on the roster. By next week, the real dose is coming. Question is, will it be a heal-all type of player? The team needs help STAT!

Item 3: The trade talks continue. It just took a backseat for a while but they're making offers again. Will a former MVP be traded for that player that amazes with his moves (remember him?)? A blockbuster trade SHOULD the two teams come to terms. An insider said maybe next week or the week after. I say, just get it over and done with. What's taking you all so long? Change is good!

WITH A PURPOSE

FROM MY MANILA STANDARD COLUMN 4/9/10

Purpose gives life meaning, don’t you think? People tend to float and try to define their lives and seek their reason for being. Fortunately for some, they do find that, while others stay lost and bewildered. For those who do have a clearer path, they dedicate their time and effort to bring them closer to where they’re supposed to be. That’s why Rudy Hatfield’s back. He realized more than just playing game of basketball, he’s here to serve a higher purpose.

“God led me home” said Hatfield as he shared the reason why he left the Philippines and his illustrious career as one of the more celebrated basketball players in the league 2 years ago. He had to attend to the child custody issues his wife Bethany was going through but their family troubles were straightened out and he even has a healthy relationship with his stepdaughter’s father. Yet he felt that there were some things that weren’t right with his life but being back in Michigan, being home, helped him find Jesus. He admitted that he “had always questioned the purpose of life” and his soul searching led him to a stronger faith and deeper understanding of the grand scheme of things.

He’s been very active volunteering his time to help spread the teachings of God. He came here last November, with the purpose of sharing his renewed devotion to people living in slums and inner cities, and he said those 10 days were the best days for him. “Better than the 8 years I spent here. I was reaping all the benefits of being a professional basketball player but nothing compared to that. For the first time, I felt a relationship with my people, the Filipinos, my heritage. The people didn’t want anything but a handshake”.

During a conversation, Alex Compton helped Rudy realize that here, they have a great platform where they can really reach out to people, and they’re in a position where people do listen because of their stature as basketball personalities. When he went back home, he spoke to Bethany and she was not only supportive but she said that it’s what God set him out to do.

So he called and asked if he can report back to his tour of duty with the Gin Kings, quit his job 6 weeks prior to coming to concentrate on his conditioning, boarded a plane, and went straight to practice from the airport. So far, everyone’s impressed. Team manager Allan Caidic said “forsomeone who is coming from a 2 year lay-off, he’s above average in terms of conditioning”. Assistant Coach Juno Sauler said “with his work ethic, he can easily get back on track.” Coach Jong Uichico will not be using Hatfield for this Saturday’s out of town game against Rain Or Shine but they’ll be bringing him to Victorias City. “He’s in decent shape, we just don’t know how his game shape will be. It’s been a while since we had a line-up that’s really complete and we have 3-4 guys in one position. We’re now stacked with so many big men but it’s a good problem”.

During yesterday’s practice, Rudy was all over the place, diving for the ball, setting picks, rebounding, doing the little (yet important) things that really made him an effective player in the first place. Eric Menk thinks Hatfield’s just 2 or 3 weeks away from where he wants to be in terms of shape, while Ronald Tubid feels nothing’s changed; “Di man lang tumirik, nakakabilib” (he never lost a step, it’s amazing).

Hatfield says he wears his heart on his sleeve and if he changes that, he won’t be the same player. So yes, expect him to be the same aggressive, energy kind of player. “The H-bomb will explode every game”, he promised. “Basketball was a gift from God, not too many people out there can do this. He gave this to specific kind of people and I gotta use what God gave me to evangelize and help people learn the Gospel.”

Here’s an objective you may want to take up; Running for a cause! Though I really only have time to run at the gym or in my village late in the afternoon or even late at night, and is limited by my injuries, imagined or not, I enjoy running. I’m looking forward to the National Geographic Channel’s Earth Day Run on April 18, 5am, at the SM Mall of Asia where they will have a 3k, 5k, and a 10k race to get people to care about the planet and help save the environment which is in a deplorable state. I’m sure my good friend Jude Turcuato who is the Territory director of the FOX International Channels Asia will be running alongside his wife Tricia who got me into running. An entry fee of P500 for 3k, P600 for 5k and P700 for10k will get you a limited edition Earth Day Run shirt and will be your contribution to a great campaign.

They’ll be raising awareness for the Design Against the Elements (DATE) global architectural challenge for ecologically sustainable communities. Illac Diaz, who spearheads this endeavor, shares their vision of encouraging architects around the world to consider “housing designs that can withstand environmental calamities” such as Ondoy and Pepeng. The funds that will be generated from the run will help build affordable, sustainable, eco-friendly and disaster resistant model houses in Taguig.

For more info, go to www.natgeotv.com or follow www.twitter.com/patriciahizon