Saturday, July 05, 2008 PSC chief hails Davao divers
TUBOD, Lanao del Norte -- Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez hailed Davao City divers Sheila Mae Perez and Rexel Ryan Fabriga during the opening ceremonies of the Mindanao Sports Summit at the Mindanao Civic Center Hotel here Thursday.
"I'm very proud of our two divers, who came from poor families in Davao City, because they will represent the 86 million Filipinos to the Beijing Olympics," Ramirez said in a speech he delivered that ushered the start of the two-day affair.
Ramirez said the two athletes from Mindanao might not win in the world's premier sports extravaganza but that they have already esteemed Filipino pride just by qualifying.
"As a Filipino leader, I'm not really against Fil-Ams representing the country to Beijing. It's just that I feel a different sense of pride for athletes who really came from here just like our divers who are products of the grassroots programs of PSC and Pasa (Philippine Amateur Swimming Association)," Ramirez said in an interview with Sun.Star.
He said Filipino-American (Fil-Am) athletes are not homegrown talents that all Filipinos can take pride in.
"Wala man gud na sila nagsugod diri. Dili ta ka take pride ana nila (They didn't start here so we can't take pride in them)," Ramirez said.
The PSC chief reported that Perez, who will see action in her second Olympics after her Sydney stint in 2000, and first-timer Fabriga are doing well in their training.
Fabriga meanwhile will be awarded the male athlete of the year honors during the So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation Awards Night set on July 22 at the Grand Regal Hotel.
Davao City Sports Council, Inc. vice president Joaquin "Boy" Sarabia said Fabriga was the hands-down winner for the award having won a gold medal in the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand last year.
"No other athlete can surpass his achievement for the past year," Sarabia said.
Sarabia added that trackster Jho-an Banayag also deserves to be hailed as female athlete of the year after winning a bronze in the recent SEA Games and topping the National Milo Marathon for second straight year.
Perez, who won a gold and a silver in the Thailand SEA Games, had been elevated to the Hall of Fame, thus she is no longer qualified to be named as athlete of the year. (MLSA)
