Monday, June 04, 2007 Villalva: Let's save "Run Negros Run" By Henry C. Villalva Offside
THIS column first appeared in the 1990s during the early years of this paper when it was still named "Today News & Views." Offside was born upon the invitation of our colleague Allen V. Del Carmen who urged us to write a column on sports. That was also the time we started concentrating on the sports beat. And we got stuck. No regrets.
Tony Mariadas, our Malaysian friend who is the publisher/editor of Malay Mail in Kuala Lumpur, one of the dailies which has the largest circulation in the Malaysian capital and which has a five-page sports section daily, encouraged us when he was here during the 2005 Southeast Asian Games to resume writing a sports column in order to "help air legitimate sports concerns." So, here we are. And thanks to our editor-in-chief Erwin Delilan who asked us to do this every Monday.
Runners, marathoners and health buffs, the likes of Dr. Gil Octaviano, will most likely share my concern on the fate of this year's "Run Negros Run Marathon" which is in danger of not being staged due to lack of sponsors.
University of St. La Salle varsity sports director Roger Banzuela (who heads the organizing Negros Occidental Track and Field Association or NOTAFA) as well as Pastor Renato Bravo of Sports Ventures, two of the key men in the revival of Run Negros Run are still hoping to find a benevolent sports patron or one prospective instituional sponsor of this event which can very well serve as a potent vehicle for the promotion of sports tourism in our province given the growing acceptance and popularity of long distance running as a health tool even among businessmen and top government officials like Alaska owner Fred Utengso and Sen. Pia Cayetano, to name just a few.
Of course we would like to commend former Escalante City Mayor Santiago 'Maymay' Barcelona, Jr. for being one of the strong supporters of the event since the time it was first revived. But with the stepping down of Mayor Maymay from the Escalante City mayorship we wonder if there will be somebody from among the ranks of our local executives who can take over from where he left.
Two urgent challenges face organizers of "Run Negros Run Negros Marathon": to be able to find a sponsor, and, if possible an institutional sponsor from the business sector. Because institutional sponsors don't run and lose in elections so there's less danger that such a noteworthy sports program will be unceremoniously shelved any time.
We're keeping our fingers crossed that such a sponsor will soon step forward to help save "Run Negros Run Negros Marathon." In the meantime, many of our runners from Escalante, Cadiz, Bago, Talisay, Silay and reigning titlist Himamaylan are praying that their efforts in training for this year's staging of the event will not be in vain.
By the way, congratulations to Anthony Carlo Agustin, chairman of the Committee on Sports Management and Development of West Negros College' for the successful staging last May 26 of the PBA game between Alaska and Red Bull at the newly renovated WNC Gym. We really want to see more PBA games at the WNC Gym in the near future!
P.S. We were able to watch ex-WNC Mustangs Sanny Abaring and Junblargs Alisbo play for the FEU Tamaraws in the Nike Summer League telecast on Studio 23. But we missed watching Nonoy Baclao since Ateneo didn't see action in the said event. Sayang!
We also wish to convey our sincere condolence to the family of our former Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) colleague Art Zayco who passed away recently.
