UNDENIABLY, sports in our province and in the country flourished because of the passionate people behind it - who shared their expertise as well as spent their resources to ensure that their beloved sports will be developed and be known across the province.
Recognizing their efforts, sacrifices and hard work in bringing their chosen sports to the national and international stages, the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines - Bacolod (Scoop-Bacolod) recently awarded six legendary sportsmen and three sports patrons during the Sports Tourism Forum held at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol Building.
Leading the Scoop Legendary Sportsman awardee is Adolf Ledesma. He is the owner of the international standard Hda. Lonoy Ballpark in E.B. Magalona - which hosted the 2011 Asia Pacific Softball Championship featuring the teams from Guam, China, and the Philippines.
For decades, Ledesma has dedicated himself in supporting the development of softball in the province - providing equipment to less privileged yet potential teams. He also spearheaded numerous tournaments from age-groups to open categories.
Another awardee is multi-titled softball coach Antonio “Tony” Oquindo Jr. During his prime, he is the only coach who won 16 Palarong Pambansa titles in 17 outings. He has also won numerous titles in the Little League Softball Philippine Series, Asia Pacific Softball Championships and represented the country in the World Series in the United States of America.
Oquindo started his career as a player - in which helped him finished his studies as an athletic scholar. Thereafter, as a former public school teacher, he dedicated himself to further promote the sports in the province and helped develop players from the grassroots where most of his players became scholars of big schools in Manila and became members of the Philippine Blu Girls - our national team in softball. Meanwhile, some of his protégés are already living and working abroad. Even in his retirement age, Oquindo remained active in this sport as the province’s consultant in softball.
The next awardee is Roger Banzuela. He has been the key to the development and promotion of volleyball in Negros Island. Banzuela, who is also a multi-titled coach during his prime has likewise developed among the country’s top spikers who played in various universities in Manila as well as in the national team. He also brought various national and international volleyball events in the Negros Island.
Moreover, Banzuela, alongside the late Bro. Roly Dizon also established the Philippine University Games in 1996 to provide another venue for sports competition among the colleges and universities in the country.
The last Legendary Sportsmen awardees are Juan Ramon “Monju” Guanzon, Vic Tan, and Oscar “Dodong” Bascon. For decades, these people played the vital role in the promotion of amateur and professional boxing in the province as well as basketball.
The three are among the pillars of the Negros Amateur Boxing Association and Bacolod Amateur Boxing Association and the Negros Basketball Association. Through the programs under these organizations, many young and potential athletes found the venue to develop their talents and earned opportunities to play professionally.
In boxing, Guanzon, Tan and Bascon have worked with several partners to bring world title fights in the province like those of Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, “King” Arthur Villanueva, Genesis Servania, Merlito Sabillo, to name a few. Even at this date, they continue to work for boxing promotion of upcoming world title contenders like Jay-R Raquinel and John Michael Zulueta, among others.
In basketball, they were also among those who introduced league champion Negros Slashers of the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association which took center stage from 1998-2002 and discovered local players like Reynel Hugnatan of Meralco Bolts in the PBA.
Aside from the Negros Slashers, Guanzon, Tan, and Bascon also anchored the oldest basketball organization in the province - the Negros Basketball Association which ran numerous leagues in age-groups, amateur and semi-professional. Leagues which discovered the likes of PBA legends Noli Locsin, Boyet Fernandez, Rudy Distrito, Yves Dignadice to name a few, and active players like James Yap.
On the other hand, leading the Scoop Sports Patrons awardee is Jose “Boy” Montalbo in volleyball. His passion to this sports has driven him to use his resources in promoting volleyball in the province. He also built facilities that will not only provide a venue for training caliber players but, also for competitions.
Under his program, he holds various age-group tournaments to further enhance the playing skills of local talents to be at par with those in the capital city. His team, the Bacolod Tay Tung High School, recently settled for 3rd runner-up in the Rebisco U18 Girls Volleyball Championship after losing to Hawaii while finished silver in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa after yielding to the National Capital Region.
Another recipient of the patron award is Ceres Negros FC president and chairman Leo Rey Yanson. Eager to let Negros Occidental known further across Asia, he worked hard and poured resources to reach this goal.
After the club’s establishment in 2012, it has grown and accomplished big by winning 3-peat in the Philippines Football League as well as to then United Football League and the PFF Smart Men’s Championships.
Internationally, the club has reached its heights as Asian Football Confederation Zonal Finals champions and AFC Inter-Zone Semi-finalist. Because of its achievements in AFC, they reached the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Play-off Round.
And, to keep the fire burning among the young aspiring footballers in the province, LRY and his team created the Ceres Cup in 2014 which envisioned at providing a football festival aimed at giving enthusiasts the opportunity to foster and exhibit sportsmanship in a competitive, safe, and friendly environment.
The event also became an encouragement and promotion of football development in the Bacolod City, its neighboring localities and in the country- making it the most popular in terms of participation aside from being an example of sports tourism.
Finally, the older Yanson, Ricky Jr., was also awarded after spearheading the establishment of the province’s grassroots development. Ricky believes that youth can be the future of Philippine football through grassroots training. Aside from staging age-group tournaments, Ricky – who heads the Negros Occidental Football Association, which also spearheaded various seminars for parents and coaches to further improve the grassroots program in the province.
Under Ricky’s watch, a Philippine age-group team competed in Soong Ching Ling Cup in China where they beat some Asian teams like Cambodia and host-China, and finished a respectable rank.
By recognizing their contributions in the sports community locally, nationally and internationally, it will serve as an inspiration to other sportsmen and patrons of other sports to keep their passions and allow the young generation to sustain the momentum.
For Scoop President Toots Jimenez, the recognition of these individuals will continue as many of them weren’t yet duly acknowledged during the event. (PR)