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Winter Athletes in the Philippines
Jamaica did it when it sent a four-man bobsled team in the Winter Olympics. The
Philippines did it too. A tropical country that has never been covered by snow, the
Philippines has produced athletes who can dance on ice. And they are not just ordinary
dancers, but champion ice figure-skaters.
Christian Gabriel Cruz, Susana Quibol, Angela Panganiban and the rest of the Philippine
figure-skating team placed fourth in the 1999 World Recreational Team Championships held
in San Jose, California.
The Filipinos amassed 60 gold, 35 silver and 22 bronze medals to emerge fourth
overall.
It was a big feat for the Filipinos, considering that there were a total of 107 teams
which participated in the event. Most of these teams came from cool countries like United
States and Canada. In 1998, the Philippine team placed fifth overall in the same
prestigious competition held in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Dorothy Delasin
Dorothy Delasin, a daughter of a Filipino couple living in Daly City,
could be well described as the "Tiger Woods" of women's golf. Delasin won
the LPGA Giant Eagle Classic for two consecutive years, first in 2000 when
she was only 19 and then in 2001, becoming the youngest LPGA winner in 25
years. She was also the Rookie of the Year in 2000. Under the tutorship of
her father-caddie, Sonny, she also placed decently in other derbies.
In 1999, the California Golf Writers Association named Delasin as the Amateur Golfer of
the Year for her string of victories. As an amateur, she captured the US Women's Amateur
Championship and California Women's Championship. Delasin, also a former US girls champion
and Junior World girls 15-17 years titlist, was born in Lubbock, Texas and now lives in
Daly City, otherwise known as the "Adobo City" because of its huge Filipino
population.
Another Filipino golfer making her mark in US golf is Jennifer Rosales who won the US
NCAA Individual Championship in 1999.
Frankie Miñoza
He is one of the best golfers in Southeast Asia and a top money earner in the Asian
Circuit, particularly in the lucrative Japanese PGA Tour. In 1999, he had the chance to
play at the prestigious U.S. PGA Tour. Back to top
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Gabriel "Flash" Elorde
This boxer from Cebu ruled his weight category for almost a decade. In his career,
Elorde fought 107 bouts, winning 79, including 8 by knockout. He became world champion in
the junior lightweight division when he knocked out American boxer Harold Gomes on March
16, 1960 and has held the title for seven years. In 1974, the World Boxing Council honored
him as "the greatest world junior light-weight boxing champion in WBC history."
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Rafael Nepomuceno
There are 80 million Filipinos today, but in terms of what they have achieved, no one
could put his name ahead of Rafael Nepomuceno. Paeng was born on January 30, 1957.
His parents are Angel Nepomuceno who taught him how to play bowling and Teresita
Villareal, a former Miss Philippines. Paeng is married to Saira Puyat who gave him three
children. Honing his skills under the tutelage of his father, Paeng learned the value
of discipline early. That discipline, he admitted, brought him to where he is now. And
where is he now?
Although he is still an active player, Paeng has already accomplished what other
players could only dream of. He is a four-time World Cup bowling champion and adjudged as
the greatest international bowler in history. He has a collection of awards that no other
man on Earth has the distinction of owning. In recognition of his achievements, the
International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch personally awarded Paeng
with the prestigious IOC President's Trophy, the first for any bowler.
The 6-foot-2 Paeng was enshrined in the International Bowling Hall of Fame. In fact, he
has a seven-foot photograph posted at the bowling museum entrance in St. Louis, Missouri.
In 1994, the Guinness Book of World Records listed Paeng as having won the most number of
World Cups that have been achieved in three decades. The Philippine Senate pronounced
Paeng as the "Greatest Filipino Athlete of All Time". He was the first athlete
to be bestowed both the Legion of Honor medal which is the highest award for a Filipino
and the Presidential Medal of Merit. He was also the first athlete to be enshrined in the
Philippine Sports Writers (PSA) Hall of Fame. The PSA likewise named him as the
"Athlete of the Century.
As a player, he won 112 tournament titles, among which are four World Cup
championships. At 19, he won his first World Cup in Tehran, Iran on November 19, 1976. He
won his second World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 1, 1980 and became the first
bowler to win the title twice. He won his third World Cup in Le Mans, France on November
8, 1992. This earned him the distinction of having won the World Cup championship in three
different decades. This being not enough, Paeng clinched his fourth World Cup in Belfast,
Northern Ireland on November 23, 1996. Paeng also won two equally prestigious
international titles. On August 8, 1984, he bagged the championship in the International
Tournament held in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A. He won another international title, the World
Tenpin Masters held in London, England on March 7, 1999.
This humble and soft-spoken gentleman has lived to break records. Today, his records
remain unbroken and will perhaps stand forever. Truly, Paeng is a champion. And we are
proud to say that Paeng is a Filipino.
Philippine Olympic Medals
The Philippines began participating in the Olympic Games in 1928, and since then has
produced two silver and six bronze medals. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, tenpin player
Arianne Cerdena won the gold, but bowling was considered only as a demonstration sport at
that time. Cerdena's gold was not included in the medal tally.
The country's first silver medal was won at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, courtesy of
Anthony Villanueva, a featherweight boxer. Villanueva lost a controversial decision to
Russian Stanislav Stephaskin in their battle for the gold medal. The second silver
medal was won at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco
displayed his superb fighting skills against his taller opponents. His loss to Bulgarian
Daniel Bojilov in the light-flyweight finals was also deemed controversial.
The Philippines won its first Olympic medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. Teofilo
Yldefonso, a 200-meter breaststroke swimmer, won the bronze in that event to put the
country in the medal tally. Yldefonso is the only Filipino who has won two Olympic medals.
Yldefonso got his second bronze at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Simeon Toribio, a high
jumper, gave the Philippines its only Olympic medal in track and field. He narrowly missed
the bronze at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. He finally won it at the 1932 Los Angeles Games.
Jose "Cely" Villanueva got the country's first boxing medal at the 1932 Los
Angeles Games. Cely, Anthony's father gave sterling performance to win the bronze in the
bantamweight category.
In 1988, Leopoldo Serantes, a light-flyweight boxer, clinched bronze at the Seoul
Olympics. This was followed by another bronze, courtesy of Roel Velasco, older brother of
Mansueto. Roel showed his skills in the light-flyweight division of boxing at the 1992
Barcelona Olympics.
Runner Up in World Softball
The Philippine representatives to the Little League World Softball Championship 2000
(Kalamazoo, Michigan - August 14-18) may have not won the crown but drew the admiration
and support of the American audience just the same. The Philippine team, composed of 14
girls aged between 14 and 16 years old from San Miguel, Bulacan could have won the crown,
if not only for one thing - the champion team from Santa Cruz Valley, Arizona had five
boys in its lineup.
The Little League Softball began in 1974 for girls only. Later settlements of court
cases forced Little League to eliminate gender-specific rules. But generally, boys play
baseball and girls play softball.
The Philippine team reached the finals after beating other teams from around the globe. It
even defeated the Santa Cruz team once, 3-2, prior to the championship. It eventually lost
its first game in the finals, 4-3, to the Santa Cruz team, which claimed that they have
fielded five boys because there were not enough girl participants. The Philippine
team decided to forfeit its next game in the final series in protest of rules employed in
the traditionally all-girls world series. This was not the first time a Philippine team
became a part of the Little League controversy.
In 1992, the all-boys team from Zamboanga City was stripped of their Little League
World Baseball crown because of age disparity.
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...we are still under construction. thank you.
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World Martial Arts Master
Eskrima Grandmaster Ciriaco "Cacoy" Canete, president of the Doce Pares
Eskrima, Eskrido, Pangamot Federation and Cebu City Sports Commissioner on eskrima.
World Boxing Champions
Among the many Filipinos who have clinched an international boxing championship title
at least once in their career are Pancho Villa (flyweight, 1923), Dencio Cabanella, Speedy
Dado (bantamweight, 1932), Ceferino Garcia (middleweight, 1939), Small Montana, Little
Dado, Dado Marino; Gabriel "Flash" Elorde (1960-1967, junior lightweight), Roberto Cruz (1964),
Rene Barrientos (lightweight), Pedro Adigue (junior lightweight, 1968), Bernabe Villacampo
(flyweight, 1969), Erbito Salavarria (flyweight, 1970), Ben Villaflor (1972), Rolando
Navarette (super featherweight, 1981), Dodie "Boy" Penalosa (1990s); Luisito Espinosa (1999), Gerry Penalosa (super flyweight, 2001), Malcolm Tunacao
(flyweight, 2001), Joma Gamboa (mini flyweight, 2001), Tiger Ari (super featherweight,
2001), and Manny Pacquiao (super bantam weight, 2002).
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Carlos Loyzaga
He was the big difference in Philippine basketball. A two-time Olympian,
Loyzaga was enshrined in the first National Basketball Hall of Fame. He was
responsible for steering the fabled Philippine team to third place honors in
the World Basketball Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on November 5,
1954. He was named to the Mythical Selection for his sterling performance.
The Philippines beat Uruguay, 67-63 to win the third place. The title was
won by the United States against Brazil.
Felicisimo Ampon
Tennis ace Felicisimo Ampon led the Philippine team in numerous Davis Cup
campaigns in the 1950s. Known as Mighty Mite, he won the singles title in
the Pan-American championship in Mexico City in 1950. Because of this, he
was declared the first PSA Athlete of the Year in the same year.
Eugene Torre
At the age of 22, Eugene Torre became Asia's first chess grandmaster. In
his career, Torre has represented the Philippines in many World Chess
Olympiads and was the captain of the RP team, which finished seventh in
Thessaloniki, Greece in the late 80s.
Olivia "Bong" Coo
Bong Coo was enshrined in the World Bowling Hall of Fame in 1999. She is
the most awarded female Filipino athlete in history, having won 107 national
and international titles including two World titles and one World Cup. She
set three world records in consecutive FIQ World Championships in 1979 and
1983 and one world record in the World Cup in 1979.
Haydee Coloso Espino
A Filipina swimmer, named Haydee Coloso Espino won for the Philippines a total of 10
medals in three Asiad (Asian Games) meets. Espino clinched three gold, five silver and two
bronze medals in the 1954 Asiad in Manila, 1958 Asiad in Tokyo and 1962 Asiad in Jakarta.
World Billiards Champions
Aside from Efren Bata Reyes, other Filipino cue artists who have won the top prize in
international billiard matches include Francisco Django Bustamante, Jose "Amang"
Parica, Antonio Lining, Rodolfo Luat, Dodong Andam, and Warren Kiamco.
Jethro Dionisio
Jethro Dionisio, 32, has won six world championships in pistol shooting. He won his
first national title in 1989 at the age of 17. He won his first international title in
California the following year. He joined the sport at 14, although it was not advisable
for people below 18 to own, much more fire guns.
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