RHOEL Gomez, a coach and former Professional Basketball Association (PBA) player, confirmed the death of his daughter, beauty queen Rizzini “Riz” Gomez, 25, yesterday.
Riz was 2009 Miss Cebu runner-up, Mutya Ng Pilipinas Tourism 2012 and 2012 Miss Tourism International.
Rhoel told Sun.Star Cebu that Riz managed to recover from her illness early this year and went home to rest.
“Lipay kaayo mi ato cause she was able to recover,” said Gomez who went on leave from coaching the University of Cebu Webmasters basketball team to attend to his daughter’s needs. His wife then was working abroad.
But more than four months ago, Rhoel said he rushed Riz back to the hospital because she was complaining of severe headache while reading a book.
She had been staying in the Perpetual Succour Hospital since then.
Riz’s mother came home to take care of her daughter two months ago.
Rhoel was invited to be part of the PBA Legends tournament dubbed as “Hoops for a Cause” last Oct. 9. His daughter was one of the beneficiaries of the event.
Riz was diagnosed with cancer over two years ago, just a few months after she won the international crown. Rhoel said doctors found something on her lungs.
Riz was five-foot-nine and was a registered nurse.
According to a previous story that Sun.Star Cebu did on Riz, she grew up in Manila because of her baller dad but transferred to Cebu during her teens.
“Back then, we would come to Cebu only for summer vacation and Sinulog,” Riz said in 2013.
She started her career as a beauty queen as the muse of the varsity team that her father coached. It was there that Riz was spotted by a model handler.
Riz was also a muse in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. league and joined the Ozar Modeling Agency during her late teens.
Riz’s other titles include: Miss Mandaue 2008 and Aliwan Festival Queen 2010.