THE late lawyer and veteran sports journalist Manuel N. Oyson Jr. now has his place in the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame.
Oyson, who once served as the chairman of the screening committee of the hall of fame since early 90s until his death in Feb. 20 last year, was the lone inductee to the 16th Enshrinement ceremony at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) Dancesport Studio.
There to receive the award for Oyson was his wife Kathy.
Kathy then hung Oyson’s plaque on the “Wall of Fame,” the first time it was ever done since the hall of fame started in 1989.
Also present during the enshrinement was Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osme?a, Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman Michel Lhuillier, CCSC vice chairman and City Councilor Raul Alcoseba, and the chairman of the professional games, amusement and sports committee Councilor Jack Jakosalem, and hall of fame screening committee vice chairman Jun Migallen.
Sports legend
Oyson, a Sun.Star Cebu sports columnist, was awarded for being a legendary sports journalist who reported news on the achievements of athletes, and for playing a vital part when the hall of fame was established in 1989. He was also awarded for being the chairman of the screening committee until his death last year.
“When I got a call from the organizers that Maning will be inducted into the Cebu Sports Hall of Fame, I told them why now? Why not when he was still alive? But nevertheless, it is my deepest gratitude and I am happy, my family is happy for this, because I know Maning is here with us smiling because he is honored for being what he was, and how he loved being a sportswriter,” said Kathy.
Oyson wrote a column for Sun.Star Cebu called Counterpunch. He tackled issues on all kind of sports, and it was where he regularly announced the possible inductees into the hall of fame each year.
There was no enshrinement made last year because of his death.
Boxing gym
Before the enshrinement activity, the CCSC boxing gym was formally opened with simple inaugural blessings led by Lhuillier, Alcoseba, Jakosalem, commissioners Rolly Diorico and Calixto Pacquiao, and the staff of the CCSC.
Lhuillier unveiled the newly refurbished gym, complete with facilities bought from his own pockets.
“It’s not how much we spent, it’s on how the gym will be put to use. This is only the beginning of what we wanted to do. We wanted to help out the less privileged athletes so that Cebu City will make a difference (in sports),” Lhuillier said.
Under Lhuillier’s leadership, the objective of the sports commission is to produce the best athletes out of the baranggays, and through the boxing gym, he hopes that Cebu will produce the next Manny Pacquiao.
Boxing gems
Lhuillier admitted that aside from basketball, he is focused on finding gems from boxing for the simple reason that boxing doesn’t need height.
“We want the champions from each baranggay to come and train with us. We will provide them with the best trainers. We have former world champion Dodie Boy Pe?alosa and Asian Games gold medalist and Olympian Efren Tabanas to train them. We will house them, finance their training, because it is our thrust to find new talent from the baranggays,” Lhuillier said.
PSC Chairman Ramirez, for his part, lauded what Lhuillier had done for boxing in Cebu City. The sport is considered by Ramirez as gold medal potential in the Beijing Olympics next year.
