The Moalboal Parish Tennis Club, the group with which I’ve rekindled my affair with the sport, just kicked off three tournaments, one each for the morning, afternoon and evening groups. And I’m in two of them.
I was only supposed to join the Night Shift, but a knee injury sustained by former RPN 9 employee Dado Delgado got me a spot with cousin Ernesto Donozo in the Sunrisers Group. However, because the sun in December isn’t friendly to early risers, the group, led by title favorites Mayor Titing Cabaron and Carding Gador, are playing at night. Mayor Titing and Carding, whose stare can melt a glacier, are 1-0 after an easy 8-2 win over Romeo Pableo and James Paran. The rest of the seven-team field are Roel Macasero and Bejec Jemeno, my former partner Quito Tampos and Lanie Ortega, Felix Palca and Bebs Rendon, and Lito Pableo and Gerhard Gschliesser. Left on the sidelines, Dado is helping run things with officials Edres Jimlani and Badong Abellanosa.
The morning group got to pick their partners, but the night shifters, guys like me who are a swing or two slower got paired with the best players. So, I’m with Seth Rabuya, the first player I’ve ever seen execute a tweener in person. It’s not our first rodeo as we won against a visiting Bacolod pair a few weeks ago.
Aner Ortega, arguably Moalboal’s best, who’s been kind enough to share tips, is with Fr. Gilbert Ytang, who becomes an engineer on court. Another top player, TJ Chiong is with Richard Tabanao, while Ray Mendoza is with Molly Soringa. The other pairs are club president Engr. Noel Grengia and Jess Jeremy Gador, the clear favorites, Jake Gador and Rom Caballero, father-and-son Glen and Justine Tacoloy, cousins Toniet and John Jephone Gador, Gerry Rabuya and Gschliesser. Another favorite is Darius Redoble and Vivencio Delgado, a lefty with a serve I’ll probably decipher when I learn to read hieroglyphics.
There’s a woman behind every man’s success and in the case of the Night Shift, there are two--Angie Taplin and Christine Seno—and they help run things and keep the guys fed.
Last year, the club also had a tournament, but it was interrupted due to Super Typhoon Odette and the prize money was instead redirected to relief efforts.
That was a tough one and we all know what happened. Just as Cebu seemed to be shaking off the effect of the pandemic, Odette hit us. Though for some towns it was longer, we finally did manage to recover and though it isn’t the intention, holding tournaments is a good way to remind us of what we’ve survived in the past 12 months.
So, I hope sports-minded folks in other localities will hold their own Christmas leagues and events not only for camaraderie but also as a reminder of how tough Cebuanos are.