Wow! Can’t believe this!
Haven’t you noticed? A winning streak of Filipino athletes has almost caught the eyes of the sporting world in various events and competition.
Nonito “The Flash” Donaire woke up Pinoy boxing fans from their slumber when he knocked out Frenchman Ouibali to wrest the latter’s WBC bantamweight title and became the oldest champion at 38 years.
Donaire’s heartbreaking loss to Japanese IBF bantam king two last past made his triumph even more memorable as it proved to the boxing circle that age is just a number.
Latest boxing reports say that Donaire has agreed to fight countryman and WBO king John Riel Casimero in a unification match slated three months from now.
Yuko Saso, the Pinay golfer who rocked the LPGA ranks two weeks ago followed Nonito’s winning pattern with an unbelievable scintillating capture of the 2021 US Women’s Open.
As the first and only Filipino to register the amazing, kinda “wonder woman” feat, Saso’s remarkable form will go down in golfing history and stay there for a long time.
There’s aspiring Tokyo Olympics qualifier EJ Obiena who bested several of his potential rivals in another pole vault contest in Germany nearly a month or so ago. This is noteworthy as Obiena is considered a dark horse in this not so popular event in athletics.
And just yesterday as this was being sent to the press, Fil-Am super GM Wesley So soundly thrashed Russian super GM Ian Nepomniatchi to stash away the money and the trophy in the Paris Rapid and Blitz leg of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour.
Wesley, the two-time US Open and first Fischer Random Chess World Champion romped off with the Paris leg in grand sterling fashion, scoring 24 1/2 pts., three points ahead of his closest pursuer, Nepomniatchi.
Not incidentally, Nepomniatchi who topped the Candidates Matches last May, will challenge for the FIDE World Championship against reigning defending title holder Magnus Carlsen of Norway in November this year.
These developments augur positively well for Pinoy athletes who are peaking up in their physical and mental preparations for the Tokyo Summer Games in July.
In fact, Weightlifting president Monico Puentevella has boldly predicted that his ward, RIO Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, is a cinch to win, at least, a bronze medal in her weight class..
My own fearless forecast? It could be that 2021 is the season for the Philippines to string the elusive first Olympic gold. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
