by Moses Billacura
I received a text message from Al S. Mendoza that he is looking forward to a reunion with Davao sportswriters this month in Bacolod City.
You see, Bacolod is hosting again the PAL Interclub Golf Tournament, the longest-running and most prestigious competition for amateurs. We were there in 2008 and last year, we had a good time together when it was held in Davao.
The PAL Interclub has become a venue for community paper writers to be together. Many years ago, only Manila-based writers covered the tournament and eventually, PAL officials like Rollie Estabillo invited sports scribes from Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and Gen. Santos cities.
After years of doing coverage work, they also inserted a media tournament for club-swinging sportswriters and I gladly took the opportunity to play last year for the first time at the Apo and Rancho Palos Verdes courses, thanks to Willie C. Roldan who gave me his extra golf set and Joseph B. Encabo for lending me his extra putter and Mizuno driver.
I was happy to play with Nimrod Quinonez of Freeman Cebu and Jake Ayson of Inquirer Golf who taught us a lot about the sport. It was like golf school.
Ah, yes. The great Al S. Mendoza gave us a little book called the R&A Rules of Golf, for us to know more about the game during a gathering at Yellowfin Restaurant here.
Mirror sports editor Paul Palo and I cannot make it to this year’s 63rd edition. Sunstar Cebu sports editor Mike Limpag, during my brief visit at the Sunstar Cebu office, said he practiced well his golf for us to test the Negros and Bacolod Golf Club courses.
But Mike knows the reason why I cannot make it this year, and later on Al, who fully understands my “absence”.
I hope I can join you next year. Like idol Al said, it should be “family first”.
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Congratulations to the Red Team for winning the Mayor Rody-Inday Sara All-Media basketball title on Feb.14 in a come-from-behind victory against the Black Team.
The White Team placed third after besting the Green Team.
Hopefully, there will be a second round of competition for the basketball-loving media practitioners.
dxAB news director Andy Rara of the Green Team really enjoyed playing with fellow reporters like GMA Davao’s Richy Nalagon and Junior Digamon of the Black Team.
They are rivals in the broadcast industry but in sports, they became friendly foes.
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Holy Child High School of Davao is making waves in the SBP National Juniors Championships in Cebu City.
Assistant coach Roger Rabago said they defeated the University of San Jose Recoletos High, Sacred Heart of Lucena High and Divine Word High School of Dagupan. They lost to ICCS Iloilo and St.Clare.
I hope that by the time Edge Davao hits the streets on Monday, we will receive more good news about the Holy Child Reds who are now managed by Atty. Junie Leuterio.
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Happy birthday to Ateneo de Davao University Blue Knights coach Cholo Elegino (Feb.21) and Dr. Phoebe Margaja-Sarabia (Feb.13).
