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Thursday, December 01, 2005
Joey and Marna Pabillore
By Lynde Salgados
Truly an epitome of a real Filipino athlete
HE MIGHT not be able to duplicate his gold finish three years ago in Malaysia, but Cagayan de Oro karateka Joey Pabillore is one hell of an intrepid warrior that showed the epitome of a real Filipino athlete.
To some extent, Joey's indomitable spirit and superb endurance, is a model source of inspiration for this country awkwardly deep-fried in terrible economic and political instability.
"To the eyes of many who witnessed him withstood the odds in his fight for bronze against a Vietnamese in a most difficult situation, he's automatically considered as a hero even as he did not win the gold," Joey's older brother Anton, said.
Backed by a hundred of relatives and friends who lustily cheered for them off the benches of the Mandaue Sports Complex in Cebu city, the Pabillore kins--under the stewardship of their long-time mentor Kakay--took the challenge for SEA Games glory like no other.
The 27-year-old Joey settled for a bronze, while his much younger aunt, Marna (25 yrs. old) went on to win the gold at the expense of Thailand's Y. Torrattanawathana whom she bested at a score of 6-2.
Still agonizing a missed chance in the final wrought by a one-point loss to eventual champion Umar Syarief of Indonesia, Joey was close to finishing the 23rd SEA Games--empty-handed--after being floored by his Vietnamese foe with a vicious assault.
But showing the courage that made him an icon in the City of Golden Friendship, Joey got up and delivered the winning point in sudden death for the bronze in men's +75kg individual kumite.
"Mga 10 minutes nga gi-atiman siya sa medical personnel sa iyang pagkatumba pero nibangon ang tawo nga gabarag-barag pa unya midaug pa," Anton further recalled in disbelief.
Local fans back home that also watched the fight on cable TV, also agreed that Joey deserves to be given a special award by the government for his splendid performance.
"Pinoy kapwa pinoy, ipakita sa mundo. Kung ano ang kaya mo, iba-ibang pinoy..h'wag kang matatakot...This song fits well to what he did for the country. We're very proud of him," fellow sports journalist and chess player Jaime Joshua Frias III said of Joey, even humming the popular hit of the local band, Orange and Lemon.
At the podium for the awarding ceremony that followed later, former PBA star Alvin Patrimonio--who was tasked by the national karatekas' sponsor outfit San Miguel Corp. to oversee the event--could not resist in planting a kiss for Marna on both cheeks as his own gesture of appreciating the latter's heroic deed.
"Winning it here, in front of fellow Filipinos, makes this really special," said the ever-humble Marna, whose modest start in Asia's karatedo limelight was initially rewarded with a bronze medal in 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games and a silver in Vietnam two years ago.
(December 1, 2005 issue)
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