Friday, January 19, 2007 Oyson gets SportsHall of Fame spot By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Staff Reporter
THE brains behind the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame will get his own spot in the prized walls he so lovingly nurtured.
The late lawyer and veteran sports journalist Manuel “Manny” Oyson Jr, who was behind the concept of the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the founding member of the All-Cebu Sports Awards in 1977, will be enshrined during the city’s charter day at the home of the hall of famers at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Oyson, who wrote a regular sports column “Counterpunch” for Sun.Star, died Feb. 20 last year.
After yesterday’s weekly meeting of the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC), Cebu City councilor Jack Jakosalem said Oyson will be getting the most prominent spot in the halls, where he will join the ranks of Cebu’s sports icons he had a hand at glorifying.
Restricted
Being placed in the hall of fame is restricted to Cebu’s sportsmen who achieved enormous feats in sports.
“We are honoring him for the immense work that he poured in to the Hall of Fame. He has extensive knowledge of sports personalities and no one can equal that,” said Jakosalem, who also heads the CCSC.
Oyson, a Sun.Star Sports columnist for 23 years, was the chairman of the selection committee of the hall of fame when he passed away in February of last year.
Significant
Jakosalem added that to make it more significant, only Oyson will be enshrined this year.
“Unlike the other enshrinement of the hall of famers, Oyson’s frame will right away be mounted on the wall,” he added.
The enshrining of Oyson is just one of the four activities the commission has lined up for the charter day on Feb. 17, CCSC will be re-launching the Sports Hall of Fame, which has not been formally unveiled after the photos and frames were refurbished.
“We will be formally introducing it to the public,” Jakosalem added.
The new office of the CCSC, which has undergone a major facelift, will also be launched together with the boxing gym at the sports center.
Pledge
Boxing patron Wakee Salud had earlier pledged to send trainers to the gym as he supports the commission’s plan to make boxing available for everyone.
“If plans push through, the launching of the boxing facilities will be graced by boxing icon Manny Pacquiao,” Jakosalem added. Salud is a close confidant of Pacquiao.
