Philippine Showbiz Today 23
August 22 - September 7 , 2016
Philippine Showbiz Today 23
RIO DE JANEIRO – Kirstie Elaine Alora , the last Filipino athlete to compete in the Rio Olympics , carried the country ’ s colors in Sunday ’ s closing ceremonies at the iconic Maracanã Stadium .
The Rio Olympics came to a close , and the Tokyo Olympics was formally introduced .
Alora said if she stays fit , she will give the Olympics another shot in 2020 , hoping to do better than her already gallant stand last Saturday .
“ If our association still wants me to , I will try to qualify ,” said Alora .
The closing ceremony lasted three hours , and featured Brazilian music , dances by half-naked women in Carnival costumes and the Japanese Prime Minister in a Super Mario costume .
Everybody looked forward to the Tokyo Olympics after Rio formally bade goodbye .
International Olympic Commtitee president
There ’ s no substitute to early preparations .
With this in mind , eight-division world champion and now Senator Manny Pacquiao plunged into training Tuesday , stilll two months and a fortnight away fom his comeback date with American World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas .
Pacquiao went through a day of very light training regimen , consisting of several rounds of early morning roadwork inside the posh Forbes Parks where he resides coupled with a “ only to shed off rust ” workout at the Elorde Gym in Pasay City .
“ Pang-alis lang ng taba ( only to do away with excess fat ),” Buboy said after the afternoon session . “ More than four months na kasi since Manny fought last kaya he decided to start feeling how it is to train again .”
Buboy was referring
Thomas Bach said the Rio Olympics , like all the rest , will be remembered with joy .
People will remember the historic run of Usain Bolt and the ripples created by Michael Phelps .
“ History will talk about a Rio before and a much better Rio after these Games ,” said the IOC president .
For the Philippines , which won a silver medal courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz , it ’ s time to move on to the next battles ahead – the SEA Games , Asian Games and Tokyo .
Chef-de-mission Jose Romasanta gave an assessment of the Philippine participation here .
He called it “ a good run ” in that the country ended a 20-year medal drought in the Olympics . Diaz came here eyeing the bronze in the women ’ s 53 kg class , and won the silver
Ṁedals can be won in the Olympics , according
Games of the XXXI Olympiad
Rio comes to a close
to Romasanta , if the Philippines does what needs to be done . He said it has to do a better job discovering talents that can deliver the goods .
“ It ’ s about time we come up with a really organized approach , a documented p r o g r a m , professional in manner , management style ,” he said .
“ We need a third eye . We need to commission an independent with the objective of assessing what really has to be done ,” said the first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee . Romasanta is speaking from experience because as head of the now-defunct Project : Gintong Alay , he managed to steer the country to great heights in sports .
“ We need an agency or a group to champion this . I ’ m batting for a management group to help everybody through it and to help organize our plans ,” he said before the closing ceremony .
Romasanta said the Philippines can ’ t keep going back to the drawing board after each international competition , and can ’ t rely on sports summits that don ’ t really mean a thing .
“ Hindi puwedeng dakdakan lang ( It can ’ t be all talk ). It has to come in an organized manner . We can all have our two cents worth . But we need to put things in fine form and professionally done ,” he said .
To be successful in the Olympics , the Philippines must first identify the sports where
Pacquiao starts training again
middleweight titlist ’ s impressive 12-round unanimous beating of Tim Bradley in the final chapter of their trilogy last April 9 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas .
The Pacquiao-Vargas encounter is set November 5 at the Thomas and Mack Center , also in Las Vegas ,
to the former flyweight , super-bantamweight , featherweight , superfeatherweight , lightweight , junior-welterweight , welterweight and superwhere the American beltowner will be putting his 147-pound crown on the line .
“ Nakaka-miss na ang boksing ” Pacquiao told
this writer in a phone interview before playing basketball a few hours following his afternoon session at Elorde where he worked on the “ Pahiyang lang muna ( just to get the feeling of how it is to be atop the ring again ),” he said . “ It ’ s been quiet a long time since that
Bradley fight , so , I thought maybe it ’ s time for me to start my preparations .”
“ My opponent is not a pushover as others believe he is . He ’ s a reigning champion so I really have to prepare ,” the husband of former Sarangani Vice Gov . Jinkee reasoned out . “ And the best way to prepare is to start early .”
“ Today medyo maaga natapos ang session giving me time to train . Depende talaga . Pangako ko naman sa mga kababayan natin , I ’ ll be concentrating on my duty as a lawmaker bago and boksing ,” he explained .
“ It ’ s all a matter of time management . But of course , my priority is my job as a senator ,” he assured . “ I feel naman that I can do both jobs naman so there really is nothing to worry about as far as our kababayans are concerned . “
“ Once I realize that I can no longer perform the job for which I was
Filipinos can really excel , and then find the talent from as far as the eyes can see .
“ Why not go to the provinces to look for kids with physical attributes for a certain sport . Somebody has to have that eye for this and recruit them ,” he said .
“ What I ’ m saying is there should be an organized and identified steady stream of athletes for particular sports if we want more qualifiers in the Olympics ,” he added .
Then the Philippines can really look forward .•
- Rio2016 photo
elected , then that ’ s the time for me to stop doing the thing I ’ ve been doing all my life -- boxing ,” he asserted .
After easily disposing off Bradley , the Filipino ring icon announced his retirement that elated no end his wife and mother Dionisia , who , among others , have long been calling him to hang up his gloves .
“ It looks like Manny hasn ’ t change ( d ). He still possesses the speed and the strength he displayed when be beat Bradley ,” two-time champion Gerry Penalosa , who watched his friend do his things , observed .
“ Walang nagbago , gutom na gutom pa rin ,” he noted . “ Sa kinilos nya kanina sa ensayo parang hindi na-layoff . Pafa bang napakabango pa rin sa kanya ang glab kung sumuntok .” •
( Photo by Wendel Rupert Alinea / OSMP )