HERE are other sports news from 2019:
Athletics
Ernest Obiena won the Philippines’ first gold medal in the 2019 Summer Universiade in Italy.
Basketball
We qualified for the 3x3 Olympic qualifiers, which will be in India in March 2020.
Boxing
Senator Manny Pacquiao fought and won two matches this year, defending the WBA welterweight title and annexing the WBA super welterweight title.
Albert Pagara won the WBO Inter-continental super bantamweight title.
Nesthy Petecio clinched gold in the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Russia.
These wins added to our growing list of boxing champions.
Football
We made our first-ever appearance in the AFC Asian Cup played in the United Arab Emirates.
Gymnastics
Carlos Yulo bagged our first gold in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Germany.
Rugby
We defeated Singapore en route to winning the 2019 Asian Rugby Championships Division 1 finals in Taiwan.
Weightlifting
Hidilyn Diaz copped a silver medal in the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships in China.
These victories have re-introduced us in the international competition stages. Years of training and the active support of the PSC, coupled with the collaboration of the POC and the NSAs led us to this path of regaining sports glory in the regional and international competition stages. We are just hopeful that we can build on the gains of 2019 and carry them over to the next decade. Notably, that 2020 is an Olympic year with the Summer Olympics in Japan from July 24 to August 9, 2020.
Notes from the sidelines:
I wish everyone in SunStar Davao happy holidays, especially to our sports editor, Boss Marianne, and family. Special Christmas greetings to my ever-supportive wife and children.
Also, to the Samantes, Argentes & Albores, my AdDU and Uceac family, the Davao Jesuit community, friends from the PSC, Chairman Butch and family, partners and avid readers of Game On, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.